Chapter 310 - 292: The Correct Way to Use Lloyd (Part 2)

Chapter 310: Chapter 292: The Correct Way to Use Lloyd (Part 2)

"My name is Dandy, and I’m a fifth-year."

The kind researcher spoke, showing Lloyd his Arm Badge, which had five grooves etched into it.

"Nice to meet you... I’m surprised. You look so young. Have you really been here for five years?"

"Uh... well... you might not know this yet, but at Mizkatoke, the concept of a ’year’ is different from schools in the outside world. It doesn’t represent how long we’ve been studying here, but rather the number of subjects we’ve completed."

The researcher, Dandy, went on to explain further to Lloyd:

"You only get another etching on your Arm Badge when you complete a subject. But in reality, very few people can complete a subject within a single year. So, the time we’ve actually spent here is much longer than the number on our Arm Badges...

Take me, for example. When the new academic year starts, it’ll be my ninth year here. And there are plenty of people who’ve been here for many years but are still considered first-years."

"Is that so? That’s certainly... unique."

After hearing this, Lloyd smiled. He realized this seemingly enthusiastic researcher was also quite an impressive figure.

According to what he’d said, he had completed five subjects in eight years. Even in the outside world, that would be an incredible achievement.

Besides, the subjects at Mizkatoke were clearly far more complex than those outside, which meant he must be a very powerful and gifted individual.

’This is exactly what I imagined the students here would be like.’

As Lloyd pondered this, he heard the researcher Dandy continue.

"At Mizkatoke, ’time’ is a relatively cheap commodity. You’ll understand once you return to the real world. That’s why we use this unique method of calculating years...

But the number of etchings doesn’t tell the whole story. For instance, you’re about to join our Space System. That means you won’t have any etchings on your Arm Badge for a long time, but no one will dare disrespect you. Because you’ll be one of us—from the Space System."

Lloyd got the feeling he was extremely proud of his Space System.

He couldn’t help but ask:

"By the way, about my calculation result from earlier..."

But before Lloyd could finish his sentence, Dandy’s expression changed drastically. He clamped his hands tightly over his ears, striking a ’la-la-la-I’m-not-listening’ pose, and spoke as if begging for mercy:

"D-don’t say it! I’ve done nothing to wrong you! I’m still young! I have parents to look after! And I have a girlfriend! We’re already talking about getting married!"

"Uh..."

Lloyd was mortified. ’Why do I feel like I’m persecuting him?’

He quickly changed the subject.

"Okay, okay! I won’t talk about it. Let me ask a different question, then?"

Only then did Dandy slowly lower his hands. He then heard Lloyd ask:

"If you’re all so afraid of Cognition collapse, then why do you continue your research? Or you could just not recruit me into the Space System, then you wouldn’t have to worry, right?"

"No, no, no, we can’t do that!"

Dandy shook his head repeatedly and grabbed Lloyd’s arm as if afraid he would run away. He continued to explain:

"It’s precisely because we want to continue researching and exploring the mysteries of Space that we have to protect ourselves. We can’t just casually fall and become Demons. The Space System is already short-staffed as it is. There aren’t many students with both the courage and the ability to join us...

As for you, it’s not just Professor Lawrence who thinks highly of you; I do, too. Even though we just met today, I have a feeling that with you joining us, our research will advance by leaps and bounds!

It’s just that some things can’t be too sudden or jarring. We need a gradual process to slowly understand. Once you’ve been in the Space System for a while and everyone gets used to the kinds of surprises you bring, they won’t react so violently."

Lloyd nodded, seeming to half-understand. He thought for a moment and tried to make an analogy:

"So it’s like, if you suddenly tell a husband his daughter isn’t his biological child, he probably won’t be able to accept it right away and it could lead to a domestic tragedy... But if you give him some time to prepare and get his head around it, he might be able to accept it relatively calmly?"

"Er... your example sounds a bit strange, but I guess that’s the basic principle? Honestly, our ability to accept and self-regulate is quite strong, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to survive in the Space System. It’s just that your arrival was so... abrupt... Anyway, never mind, let’s not talk about it..."

Dandy shook his head forcefully again, then changed the subject very stiffly, asking abruptly:

"Pardon my asking, but do you have a girlfriend on the outside? Or are you married?"

"Well... not yet... I’ve run into some very real-world obstacles..."

"Then you’d better find someone soon. Otherwise, you’ll have to settle for someone here at the academy. And while we do have some pretty and cute upper and lower-classmates, but..."

As Dandy spoke, he suddenly lowered his voice and whispered a reminder:

"It’s best to find a woman from the outside... You might not know this yet, but Mizkatoke has long been nicknamed the ’Mizikatok Asylum’... You wouldn’t want your other half to be a lunatic, would you?"

’Uh... I actually already knew that...’

’And my other half... she might just be one of the ’lunatics’ you’re talking about, if her father wasn’t doing everything he could to get in the way...’

Lloyd grumbled internally, also feeling a bit confused. Why was this Senior he’d just met, just like all the other big shots around him, in such a rush to get him married?

’Isn’t this a little inappropriate?’

’And another thing, stop just nagging me, why don’t you? How about you help me deal with Weiya’s old man, ’Hu the Butcher’?’

’Or... figure out a way to bring Elolo over? That’d work too.’

Lloyd couldn’t help but let his mind wander.

Just then, a few other students passed by them—men and women, old and young.

Upon seeing Dandy, they seemed to recognize he was from the Space System. Their expressions tensed slightly, and they quickly stepped aside, bowing their heads slightly to show respect.

Lloyd rode his coattails, making him feel like a Senior himself.

Dandy, however, shed his easygoing demeanor from before. He put on a stern face, forcing a cold and aloof expression, and merely gave a slight nod of his chin in acknowledgment.

After the two groups had passed each other, he whispered to Lloyd:

"See? I wasn’t lying, was I? As long as you’re in the Space System, no one will dare disrespect you. So if you see a cute underclassman you like, just make your move. With your looks, your physique, and the backing of the Space System, it’ll be a piece of cake."

"Right. Thanks."

Lloyd replied, a bit dismissively.

He didn’t dare entertain such improper thoughts. Weiya might seem gentle and considerate back home, but once she got angry, with all the pinching and biting, he really couldn’t handle it.

The two continued their idle chatter, taking a full half-hour to cross the vast but deserted Knowledge Square and arrive at the administration office.

Dandy confidently led Lloyd to one of the offices responsible for student records.

As soon as they entered, they saw a staff member buried in paperwork. All they could see was a head of smooth, flowing golden long hair, the kind of style a hot blonde bombshell might choose.

The head then shot up, and a voice asked politely:

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"WHOA!!!"

The moment Lloyd saw the person’s face, he was so startled he jumped.

Beneath that brilliant golden hair was a terrifying skeleton.

Its bones were stark white, its eye sockets pitch-black, and within them, a wisp of sinister green flame flickered restlessly...