Chapter 275 - 271: Remote Mountain Village

Chapter 275: Chapter 271: Remote Mountain Village

"Oh... so that’s how it works? This brooch is really magical..."

Evelor’s small hands were perched on the edge of the dining table as she studied the brooch from Mizkakotok University, her large, emerald-green eyes blinking.

Then, full of curiosity, she extended a delicate white finger and carefully rubbed it, looking like a child examining a new toy.

Lloyd watched from the side, thinking this curious, child-like version of his sister was even more endearing and adorable.

He said with an amused smile,

"It’s okay to just pick it up and look, Sis."

"No, no!"

Evelor shook her head repeatedly, stating firmly,

"This is something very important. I won’t just mess around with it."

After his meeting with Weiya, Lloyd had gone home. Then, over dinner with his sister, he briefly told her about his admission to the university and the brooch’s magical properties, also explaining why he had suddenly appeared at her editorial office that day.

Evelor was naturally both relieved and delighted, feeling that her little brother had truly made something of himself to be able to get into such a legendary and famous institution—

In the field of folklore and myth, Mizkakotok University held a very high status, just a notch below Arkham, but it was definitely considered a ’Holy Land’.

Evelor’s editorial department had received many submissions about the university. Lloyd had even read the high-quality piece they had published, which had supposedly received rave reviews in the subsequent reader-feedback letters.

This was probably because there was so little information available about the university. Every aspect of it was shrouded in mystery, naturally firing up people’s imaginations.

Naturally, Evelor was very happy for him.

But after her initial excitement, she couldn’t help but start to worry.

"But... even though you said the Chief Judge recommended you, Yi... won’t it be dangerous at that university? After all, in the submissions I’ve received, it’s always described as a place where you can run into all sorts of strange incidents at any moment..."

"You don’t need to worry about that, Sis. The submissions you get are just made-up stories. If it were really that dangerous, who would dare to enroll there?"

"Mm... I guess that’s true. Well then, Yi, you have to cherish this opportunity, okay?"

"Don’t worry, Sis. When have I ever made you worry about my studies?"

"That’s true. My Yi has always loved to study, ever since he was little."

"Heh heh. After all, knowledge is power and wealth... Oh, right. Nothing else happened at the editorial office today, did it?"

Lloyd suddenly changed the subject.

Evelor smiled and shook her head.

"No, not at all. Everyone was just a little startled at first, but they got really interested in it afterward. They talked about it all afternoon and even wanted to invite you to the office for an interview..."

"Well... let’s talk about that after I’m officially enrolled," Lloyd said sheepishly.

He hadn’t yet told Evelor that he couldn’t even find the university’s entrance...

’After all, my search for the gate led me to someone’s pigpen. It’s a little too embarrassing to admit...’

Evelor suddenly thought of something else and suggested,

"Oh, right! Yi, when you have time, you should come shopping with me. I want to buy you a few stylish outfits. You can’t always be wearing your uniform. Even a handsome boy needs to know how to dress himself up."

"Sure. I was actually thinking of buying some clothes myself. How about we find some time to go shopping before I officially enroll?"

"Okay!~ I’ll buy my Yi some handsome new clothes. That way, once you start at the academy, you should be able to find a girlfriend, right?"

"Well... we’ll see about that. I’m going there to study, after all..."

As Lloyd spoke, he suddenly changed the subject again.

"By the way, Sis, have you ever considered getting involved with the realm of Mysticism and the Extraordinary? I mean, in a more formal way..."

While talking to Evelor about his enrollment earlier, he had noticed a look of envy and longing on her face. She was genuinely interested in the university.

This might have been due to her profession, or perhaps she had developed a real interest in the realm of Mysticism and the Extraordinary.

So, Lloyd decided to gently press the matter and also [Probed] his sister’s current status.

[Target: Evelor]

[Status: Normal]

[System: None]

[Rationality: 30]

[Spiritual Power: 16]

[Inspiration: 12]

[Cognition: 28]

[Threat Level: (^_−)☆]

His sister’s Attributes were still growing steadily. She was already stronger than a First Tier Novice who had completed their [Enlightenment].

’She’s really talented in this regard...’

But to his disappointment, Evelor shook her head and refused, explaining, "I can’t do it... I’ve heard from many people that to become an Extraordinary Being, you need to study diligently and face many dangers and challenges. I’m terrified of that sort of thing."

Since she wasn’t willing, Lloyd couldn’t force her. He changed the subject, telling his sister he would be home late tomorrow and that she shouldn’t wait up for him.

Evelor, in turn, used his own point against him. "See? You work so hard every day to become an outstanding Extraordinary Being, Yi. I don’t want to be like that."

The siblings chatted like this until it was about time for bed. Lloyd returned to his room, then eagerly entered the [Thought Realm] and performed an [Infiltration] to appear beside Elolo.

The moment he arrived, he eagerly used his newly mastered Spiritual Energy Projection technique to ’grow’ a large, invisible hand.

’Just a palm, no arm...’

’This saves more Spiritual Power...’

By imbuing it with his inspiration, he could create a sensation almost identical to a real hand’s touch.

If he needed to handle something inconvenient, like a red-hot branding iron or corrosive acid, he could simply withdraw his inspiration and not worry about getting burned.

’All in all, this special technique is really convenient.’

Lloyd couldn’t wait to test the ’hand’ out on Elolo.

Elolo seemed to be in the middle of studying. A book on Mysticism was spread open on her desk, a pen still in her hand, but she had fallen asleep right on top of her notebook.

Beside her sat a letter and two small cakes. She had taken a few small bites out of one, but the other was completely untouched.

Lloyd reached his ’hand’ over, rubbing Elolo’s soft, fragrant cheek and flicking the curly, upturned strand of dazed hair on top of her head.

Elolo didn’t wake up, remaining slumped on the table like a flower ready to be picked.

Unfortunately, she was still wearing her delicate little leather boots, so Lloyd couldn’t play with her slender, lovely feet...

He settled for reading the letter she had left for him instead.

In it, besides expressing how much she missed him, she also shared what she’d done that day—

She had visited the city museum in the morning, enjoyed an opera in the afternoon, and only thought about studying after getting home in the evening. She even asked Lloyd if he thought she was working hard.

She also wrote that she would continue to try her best to get stronger soon, so she wouldn’t have to worry about hurting him, and then they could be together forever.

Lloyd didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he read it.

And so, after ’accompanying’ Elolo for half an hour, Lloyd brought his eventful day to a close.

The next day, as soon as he woke up, he first went to the [Thought Realm] to check in.

The giant flower bud granted one level. The Madness Value from analyzing the Unknown Fragment, plus what he had absorbed from Elolo last night, added up to another level.

He allocated the 10 Attribute points he gained from leveling up to [Spiritual Power] and [Cognition], bringing them both to 235 points, on par with his [Rationality].

[User: Lloyd]

[Status: Normal]

[Madness Value: 2000/10000, Limit: 23500]

[Rationality: 235]

[Spiritual Power: 235]

[Inspiration: 140]

[Cognition: 235]

[System: Twist LV4, Veto LV3]

’Such neat Attributes. The aesthetic of a well-rounded build is the perfect cure for OCD!’

Lloyd nodded in satisfaction.

He then completed his usual morning tasks: executing Demons and having an Audience with the Saint. Then, after informing Weiya, he prepared to head to the remote little town.

Weiya was busy organizing documents, so she didn’t ask many questions, only mentioning one thing:

"Remember to keep tomorrow evening free. I’ve scheduled an appointment for you with those two scholars. I’ll go with you to have them help you stabilize the results of your [Transcendence]."

"Got it. Thanks, Weiya. I’ll treat you to a big meal to thank you."

"Instead of a big meal, I’d rather try your cooking. Aren’t you always bragging to me about your culinary skills?"

"You want me to cook for you? No problem. We can arrange that sometime."

Lloyd said confidently, then left the Eighteenth District and took the advanced subway to a place called York Town.

It was the town closest to the village where the incident had occurred.

[Ding~ Madness Value +50]

Lloyd got off the subway and arrived at a large church in York Town.

York Town was Radiant City’s largest and most important agricultural region. Its various farms, ranches, and logging operations supplied about forty percent of the entire city’s meat, eggs, and milk. Though remote, it was extremely important, and naturally, forces from the Sect were stationed there to guard it.

The town itself had a population of over thirty thousand, and its streets, bustling with people, were very lively. It was well-developed with a full range of amenities, looking even newer than the southern district where Lloyd usually hung out. It had already reached the scale of a satellite city.

However, the village he was heading to was still over an hour away from the town, and the only way to get there was by a crowded long-distance bus.

Lloyd bought two bus tickets—one for himself and one for the little kitten—and after a slow, shaky ride down country lanes, he finally arrived at his destination, the small place called Mountain Spring Village.