[DING~ Probe complete.]
[Target: Weiya]
[Status: Normal]
[Rationality: ??]
[Spiritual Power: 20]
[Inspiration: 10]
[Cognition: 15]
The result was a little surprising to Lloyd. Her four Attributes were quite a bit lower than he'd expected.
He had expected to see a whole screen of "??", which would have meant she exceeded the upper limit of his own 20-point Inspiration.
But in the end, only her Rationality score was that high...
This slightly changed Lloyd's impression of Weiya. While she was still as aloof and beautiful as ever, she no longer seemed as unreachable as he had first thought.
"Can I help you?"
Weiya stopped in front of Lloyd, having noticed him staring, and posed the question.
"It's nothing. Good morning, Judge Weiya."
Lloyd greeted her casually.
Weiya didn't respond, only giving a barely perceptible nod before walking away.
But just as she brushed past Lloyd, her steps faltered for a fraction of a second, a flicker of doubt flashing through her gray eyes.
She sensed that something about Lloyd seemed different from the last time they'd met.
However, Inspiration was her weak point, so she couldn't quite put her finger on what was different. Thus, she didn't make any rash judgments, nor did she stop walking.
'Just another young genius popping up, I suppose.'
Weiya had been in the Eighteenth District, a place dedicated to training newcomers, for nearly six years. In that time, she had seen all sorts of geniuses—so many she'd lost count—and was long past the point of being surprised by them.
The only one who had ever left a truly deep impression on her was from three years ago.
In other words, the Eighteenth District's training method—which offered no guidance, relied entirely on self-motivation, and gave people two years at most—was less a test of an Executor's self-discipline and learning ability, and more a test of their raw talent.
After all, who among those that managed to graduate from here wasn't a "genius" of some sort?
...
Lloyd watched Weiya walk away, then randomly selected a few Priests and Executors to probe their conditions.
The results, ironically, made him realize just how strong Weiya's 'stat values' really were—
The Attributes of the other Priests, with the exception of Rationality, were all basically below 10 points for the other three stats. Their Inspiration, in particular, was universally low, hovering around 6-7 points.
In comparison, Weiya—with her standout Attributes and her gorgeous, worship-worthy figure and looks—stood head and shoulders above the rest, like a 'five-star' character in a Krypton Gold Mobile Game.
Looking at their Attributes, high Rationality and low Inspiration seemed to be the general trend here. That was a good thing. It highlighted their mental stability; everyone's status was normal.
The Executors, on the other hand, had much worse stats overall. Their average hovered around 3-5 points, only marginally stronger than an ordinary person. Their Attribute distribution was also completely random. The most extreme case had an Inspiration of 5 points, but a pitiful Rationality of only 1.
This resulted in a very poor mental state; he had already fallen into a state of Mild Madness. If he continued like this, he probably wouldn't be able to turn back.
Out of goodwill, Lloyd quickly caught up to the Executor and patted him on the shoulder.
The man turned around. His face was pale and cold, his eyes filled with venomous hatred, as if he were looking at his mortal enemy. He coldly shook off Lloyd's hand and walked away without looking back.
For a moment, Lloyd didn't know what to say. He could only let the man leave.
Sigh...
"Dabbling in the realms of the mysterious and the supernatural always comes with risks and a price to pay..."
Lloyd sighed to himself, then continued with a mental reminder:
'Even though I've gained some decent Attributes through my recent tireless efforts, as a humble, reserved, and low-key young man, I can't get arrogant. Attributes are just Attributes. I still lack the skills and methods to convert them into actual strength and combat power...'
'Of course, I shouldn't sell myself short either. My hard work has paid off. I'm already on par with those Priests. Right! I'll keep at it!'
He had a very clear understanding of himself and his current standing. His Attributes could indeed be considered 'unrivaled' in the Eighteenth District, but when it came to actually executing Demons, he was definitely not as skilled as a veteran like Buster. And in a direct confrontation with a Demon, he certainly wouldn't be as composed as Weiya.
'I'm still lacking skills and practical combat experience. I need to find a way to improve in those areas as soon as possible.'
As Lloyd pondered this, he arrived at the notice board on the first floor of Tower Nine.
As usual, Buster was waiting for him there. He arrived earlier than Lloyd every day.
Through Lloyd's various indirect inquiries, he had learned that Buster didn't stay here overnight and hated riding the 'advanced subway'. Yet, he still managed to show up early at the notice board every day to pick off the Demons with the highest bounties.
'He's a hard worker, too.'
So Lloyd walked over, greeted him, and then activated [Probe].
Buster's Attributes were as strong as expected, mostly ranging from 6-8 points, on the same level as the Priests. It seemed he wasn't just bragging before; he really was capable of graduating from this place.
But...
His Rationality was only 6 points, and he was already in a state of Mild Madness.
"Are you okay?"
Lloyd asked in a low voice.
Buster, however, replied with a calm expression:
"Hm? Why would anything be wrong with me? The missions posted today aren't great, though. There aren't any from Floor -2."
Lloyd quickly took a closer look at the notice board. Sure enough, there were no missions for Floor -2, but there were a few more for Floor -3. It was definitely different from the past few days.
He had actually been secretly observing this notice board for the past few days and had noticed a simple pattern. The keys for Floor -1 were the most numerous each day and were also the first to be taken.
As for Floor -2, only veterans like Buster would choose those.
For the few on Floor -3, Lloyd had never seen anyone choose them voluntarily. But every evening when he went home, those keys starting with the number '3' were also gone. 'Were they being cleared out by the Priests?'
As for the deeper floors, he had never even seen keys for them...
That made sense. According to the Demonology knowledge Lloyd had picked up over the past few days, these High Tier Demons were rare to begin with. Capturing them and transporting them here was dangerous and troublesome, so most were simply dealt with on the spot.
Besides, if keys for the deeper floors ever started appearing in large numbers, the situation would probably become quite grim...
"Why don't we pick one from Floor -1 today?"
Lloyd suggested, looking at the remaining keys on the board.
"No. I'll take this one."
Buster reached out and took down the key to Cell 305.
"Isn't that pushing it a little?"
Lloyd quickly tried to dissuade him, well aware of Buster's mental state.
But Buster just shook his head, a smile Lloyd had never seen before appearing on his face.
"My daughter's birthday is coming up. I need to get her a respectable gift."
Lloyd was completely stunned.
'How can you say something like that?'