And so it was, at 8:20 PM, Lloyd was once again 'spat' out by the black wardrobe from the night before.
The kind Priest from yesterday didn't come to help. He could only lean against the wall, coughing uncontrollably.
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!!!"
[Ding~ Madness Value +50, Skill Fragment +1]
[Sufficient skill fragments have been acquired. Unlocking Skill—Dizziness Resistance, LV1]
'Hm? I finally have a skill?'
'But why this thing?'
'Where are the Soul Emergence and Dual Soul and Body I was imagining?'
Lloyd grumbled to himself. He felt his condition recovering much faster than the previous night; he even had the spare energy to gripe about it.
He didn't rush to check the skill description, instead choosing to allocate his points first.
'Five points to Spiritual Power and five to inspiration. Go!'
[Ding~ Points allocated.]
[User: Lloyd]
[Status: Normal]
[Madness Value: 0/500, Limit: 1700]
[Rationality: 17]
[Spiritual Power: 11]
[inspiration: 8]
[Cognition: 14]
[System: Enlightenment Incomplete]
[Mastered Skills: High-Efficient Learning; Divination LV1; Dizziness Resistance LV1]
This was the Madness Value he had accumulated from studying Demonology all day. Paired with the value from his 'subway' ride, it was just enough for two point allocations, so he spent them both.
As his [Spiritual Power] increased again, he felt another change in the energy within him. It was like a thin layer of warm liquid was enveloping his entire body, exceptionally comfortable.
And with the increase in [inspiration], he heard the sound of quiet sobbing:
"*Sob...* Pastor Madd, even if I'm 99% to blame, is he completely without fault?"
Then came the rather resigned voice of the kind Priest from last night:
"It's truly a shame you've reached this point, but as the scriptures say, humanity is Radiant because we can face cruel realities… Of course, you don't need to worry too much. The city's welfare and support systems are quite comprehensive now. You just need to file the paperwork, and you'll be able to get a job and a stipend for raising your child."
Lloyd looked toward the source of the voices and saw a small confessional. Inside, Pastor Madd was speaking with a weeping woman.
For privacy, the confessional was soundproofed, and only the faintest sounds should have escaped. But empowered by his [inspiration], Lloyd could hear every word clearly.
"*Hmph.* Work? My mansion is gone, my jewels are gone, my steam car is gone, and I have to raise that little brat? I don't even know who his biological father is!"
"Please, try to be more optimistic. Our finest human qualities only become Radiant when polished by hardship… Furthermore, I must remind you that child abandonment is a felony. You don't want to get involved with the Saint's Grace Court, do you?"
"Heh. You're all in it together, not a good one in the bunch. Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
Then, a woman who looked like a high-society lady kicked open the door to the confessional and stomped away angrily.
Pastor Madd emerged with an exasperated smile, noticed Lloyd, and gave him a wave.
"Being a Priest doesn't seem like an easy job, huh?"
"Not a Priest, a psychotherapist… That woman became pregnant out of wedlock, didn't know who the father was, then married a famous lawyer, and after that… well, never mind. It's just the kind of trivial thing that happens every day."
The two made small talk for a few moments before Lloyd hurried home. As he walked, he called up his interface to look at the new skill he'd acquired—
[Dizziness Resistance (LV1)—A passive enhancement to one's physical constitution. It can resist a certain degree of physiological dizziness but is ineffective against physical dizziness, such as that caused by a heavy blow to the head. Continue to train to increase the skill level.]
Below it, a line of smaller text offered a supplementary note:
"Sometimes, falling unconscious is a form of self-preservation."
All in all, this skill seemed just a tiny bit more practical than [Divination]. At least it would be useful when riding the 'subway'.
...
And so, Lloyd spent three peaceful days following a routine of steady improvement.
Every day, he would wake up, comb his sister's hair, and then hurry to the Eighteenth District to observe Buster execute Demons, asking him about various methods and techniques.
Buster maintained his straightforward style, never holding back what he knew and never fabricating what he didn't. He was also upfront that he saw great potential in Lloyd's talent and future, hoping they could form a mutually supportive relationship once they both advanced to the rank of Priest.
'How should I put it? Getting along with someone like him isn't bad, but becoming close friends... that might be difficult.'
'Still, no matter what, in the generally indifferent Eighteenth District, he was someone who allowed Lloyd to feel a touch of human connection. I guess that makes him a friend, right?'
After the executions were over for the day, Lloyd would stick to his plan and head to the library. He focused his research on Demonology, hoping to get the hang of it quickly so he could start executing Demons himself.
After all, the Spiritual Contamination was strongest at the exact moment a Demon was killed.
In the evenings, Lloyd would return home as usual to chat with his sister, help with chores, and occasionally, they would even roughhouse like they did when they were children.
On this particular day, as soon as he was spat out by the subway, Lloyd began to cough and mentally recited:
'Three points to Rationality, two points to inspiration. Go!'
[Ding~ Points allocated.]
[User: Lloyd]
[Status: Normal]
[Madness Value: 0/1000, Limit: 2000]
[Rationality: 20]
[Spiritual Power: 20]
[inspiration: 20]
[Cognition: 20]
[System: Enlightenment Incomplete]
[Mastered Skills: High-Efficient Learning; Divination LV1; Dizziness Resistance LV2]
This was the result of his work over the past few days, giving him a beautifully well-rounded build.
Then, another prompt sounded in his ear:
[Ding~ inspiration has reached the required level. Unlocking Skill—Probe]
[Probe—Upon activation, displays the quantified Attribute values of a target person. Only effective on humans. Only reveals Attributes within the scope of your inspiration.]
'Huh? You can get skills just from allocating points?'
An unexpected surge of delight filled Lloyd's heart.
Like [High-Efficient Learning], this skill was acquired directly without needing to collect skill fragments. Plus, it seemed far more practical than the other two.
However, neither had a skill level, which meant there was no room for improvement. There was also no supplementary line of small text beneath the skill description. The difference was obvious.
"Hard to say which type is better, I suppose. First, I should find someone to test it on."
Just as Lloyd was muttering to himself, he heard a series of restrained pants from behind him:
"Cough, cough! *Pant... pant...*"
He turned around to see none other than that frosty Judge, Weiya.
'Perfect timing. Let's see what you, the Cold and Glamorous Judge, are really like under that mask!'
'Probe, activate!'