Chapter 262 - 261: First, a Quick Recon

Chapter 262: Chapter 261: First, a Quick Recon

Lloyd had already made up his mind. He would visit both places. Regardless of whether a Bizarre Derivative or Demon Ghosts were causing trouble there, he would help take care of them.

He had no choice. After all, he had to maintain his persona as a righteous young man who loathed evil.

Considering the distance, he decided to first go to the Wasteland District, one of the Three Non-Management Areas, to deal with the female ghost. If he was lucky enough to complete his [Transcendence], he would then go to the small town to meet the father who couldn’t forget his daughter.

Conveniently, the female ghost only appeared in the early hours of the morning. This meant he could first complete his final [Audience with the Saint] tomorrow, then prepare the items needed for the Orbit, and finally head to the Wasteland District to scout the area and gather information in advance.

"I hope everything goes smoothly, all in one go, a success on the first try."

Lloyd murmured.

But inwardly, he wasn’t so sure.

He didn’t know the specifics—like the exact time and place the female ghost would appear, or her patterns of movement—so he might run into some uncertainties and unexpected situations.

For instance, the ghost might be exceptionally timid and refuse to show herself after he arrived. Or, she could be so ferocious-looking that *he* wouldn’t dare to show himself. She could also be extremely cunning and refuse to enter the effective range of the Orbit.

And since the Wasteland District was such a chaotic place, someone might just jump out and ruin his plans...

In fact, according to the Chief Judge’s notes, if he had to use such a shortcut to achieve [Transcendence], it was best to choose a place like a "haunted house." That would be much more reliable.

By setting up the Orbit in a relatively contained environment, he could use its properties to lure out the "unclean thing." He wouldn’t have to worry about it running around, it would be easier to escape if danger arose, and there was a high chance he could earn a "cleaning fee" as a bonus.

Unfortunately, Lloyd couldn’t find such an ideal location. And since he was eager to complete his [Transcendence] as soon as possible, he had no choice but to come up with his own solutions and be ready to adapt.

And so, tonight, Lloyd performed his usual [Infiltration] into Elolo’s bedroom, collecting the Madness Value and a small, perfectly intact cake.

The next morning, he collected the day’s Madness Value from the giant flower bud. The two collections combined were just enough for him to level up. He allocated the 5 Attribute points he received to [Rationality], bringing its total to 195.

He then let his sister know he had business tonight and wouldn’t be home. After that, he informed Weiya he was busy and had to cancel their date for the evening.

After finishing his regular work for the day, Lloyd borrowed the bell again and completed his [Audience with the Saint].

The result was just as he had predicted. He had gathered all the knowledge and Forbidden Knowledge required for both the [Veto] and [Twist] systems in that single audience. He also received a panel notification urging him to complete his [Transcendence] as soon as possible.

The feeling of everything falling perfectly into place was deeply satisfying. It was like in a Krypton Gold Mobile Game, when you meticulously calculate and use just enough experience books to get your favorite character to the max level, with nothing going to waste.

After finishing his personal preparations, Lloyd had lunch with Weiya, then hurried over to the club and prepared the two sets of Orbits he needed in the basement.

The components needed for the [Twist] system Orbit was a classic three-piece set that had been specially processed.

For the [Veto] system Orbit, the core components were a specially made Compass fitted with a ’Stone of Witness’, and a bottle of exceptionally long-lasting Spiritual Ink created by mixing ’Surging Spiritual Power’.

Neither set of Orbits was difficult to deploy, especially since Lloyd could rely on his level 4 [Orbital Control] to ensure they were set up perfectly.

With that, all the preliminary procedures for his [Transcendence] were complete. He just had to wait for the female ghost to appear.

Lloyd packed the prepared Orbit components into his Storage Bag and rushed to the Wasteland District without a moment’s delay.

By the time he arrived, it was nearly dusk. His schedule was packed.

Of course, Lloyd hadn’t forgotten the Priest’s earlier warning. Before entering the chaotic Wasteland District, he made a quick purchase of a cartoon-face mask to hide his features. Then, just like last time, he took a boat across the river.

This time, the boatman was more sensible than the last one and didn’t seem to have a death wish. He quietly took the money and ferried Lloyd to the opposite bank.

After getting off the boat, Lloyd gazed at the maze-like shantytown around him and couldn’t help but remark in a low voice:

"Who would’ve thought I’d end up back here? It’s just as familiar as ever. Feels like I’ve come home."

As he spoke, several grimy children darted out from nearby and swarmed him.

’This is just what happened last time. Probably their daily routine.’

This time, however, Lloyd didn’t immediately resort to violence. Instead, he took out a banknote, waved it, and said:

"I hear this place is haunted. Whoever can take me there gets this money."

As he spoke, he deftly sidestepped, causing two children who were trying to grab his legs to crash into each other. Then, with a backward kick, he sent a young thief who was reaching for his Storage Bag flying several meters into the nearby river.

’It’s a classic routine. Two kids grab your legs to hold you in place while a third goes for your pockets. Lloyd had seen it countless times back when he and his sister were homeless on the streets.’

"Heh. Stealing gets you a beating."

Lloyd sneered and, for good measure, kicked the thief’s two accomplices into a nearby trash heap.

’Even when he and his sister were so hungry they fought with stray cats for scraps, they had never stooped to stealing. In fact, they had been the ones bullied by thieves. The meager money they earned from hard work had been stolen by those little bastards more than once.’ ℯ

So, he naturally wouldn’t show any mercy.

Seeing how ruthless Lloyd was—clearly not some naive saint they could easily bully—the remaining children immediately scattered.

But one stayed behind, staring intently at the banknote in his hand, and said in a low voice:

"I know the haunted place, and I can take you there. But it’s almost dark, and I’m scared to get too close. You’ll have to pay more."

"Alright."

Lloyd took out another banknote and held it out, but he didn’t let go right away. Instead, he asked in a low voice:

"Do you know the price for trying to trick me?"

"Of course. I can tell you’re a dangerous man, not like the other outsiders who come here. Besides, you’re carrying a gun."

"Good."

Lloyd nodded and let go of the two banknotes.

The child immediately tucked the money away securely. He then obediently began to lead Lloyd, guiding him through the maze-like shantytown without any attempt to slip away.

’A smart one.’