Chapter 264 - 263: Can He Succeed?

Chapter 264: Chapter 263: Can He Succeed?

"Judge, sir, that thing usually shows up around here. We’ve seen it by that stilt house we told you about, and under that crooked tree over there. In any case, it’s always been within this area."

"All the houses around here are abandoned. You can head inside to rest if you need to. And feel free to use whatever you find inside."

The two drinkers led Lloyd to the area haunted by the Ghost Soul. After a brief explanation, they asked with an awkward smile:

"So, if there’s nothing else..."

"That’s all. You’re free to go."

Lloyd knew the two of them wanted to bail, but he didn’t give them a hard time.

When dealing with a Demon causing such high Spiritual Contamination, ordinary people were of no help. They’d only get in the way. Naturally, Lloyd preferred to have as few people around as possible.

Once the two drinkers were a safe distance away, he picked a nearby, unlocked, squat house, pushed the door open, and walked in.

The inside was a mess, scattered with everyday items. It looked like the owner had left in a great hurry, not even bothering to lock the door.

Lloyd wasn’t bothered by the mess. He and Evelor had once huddled in a dumpster, so his ability to adapt to his surroundings was quite strong.

He found a relatively clean spot to sit down, leaned against a battered wardrobe, and pulled the small kitten from his pocket. He rubbed its round little face and said seriously,

"Tonight’s mission is critical. I’m going to get some sleep, so I’m leaving guard duty to you. Wake me up in four hours... You’re a big boy now. I can trust you with a little thing like this, can’t I?"

"Mrow! Mrow!"

The little kitten nodded seriously.

"If everything goes well, I’ll treat you to a feast later."

With that, Lloyd set the kitten down. He then entered the Thought Realm and used Infiltration to appear beside Elolo, first collecting his Madness Value for the night.

Soon, the half-hour ’date’ ended. With over 6,000 Madness Value added to his account, he was one step closer to his next upgrade.

And with that, Lloyd drifted off to sleep.

A while later, he felt a tickle on his cheek. He slowly opened his eyes to see the kitten pawing at his face with its tiny, fluffy paws.

"Okay, okay, I’m up, I’m up."

Lloyd stretched with a groan and pulled out his pocket watch to check the time.

Exactly two in the morning.

"Alright, you can sleep here. I’ll come get you when I’m done."

Lloyd said to the kitten before stepping out of the small house. He then made a circuit of the area the drinkers had pointed out.

The area was silent. There were no signs of life, not even a single point of light. The quiet was so eerie that without activating his Spiritual Vision, he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. Even Lloyd’s heart began to race.

’The crucial part is that to ensure the Orbit’s effectiveness, I haven’t brought a single Holy Artifact with me. I also turned off my Twist-system abilities on my panel, severely reducing my combat strength.’

"At a time like this, all I can rely on are my Tier Two Veto-system abilities, plus the Attributes I’ve built up through diligent effort..."

Muttering to himself, Lloyd pulled a notebook from his pocket. He sketched inside, drawing a simple map of the area the Ghost Soul haunted and circling its approximate range of activity.

’This area looks like a triangle, and it’s not very big. Probably about the size of a large mansion and its garden?’

’Luckily, the materials I bought this time are all high-grade and brimming with Spiritual Energy. The Orbit I can create with them will have a wider range and a longer-lasting effect. If I set it up in the center of this area, it should provide complete coverage.’

’And since the Orbit itself attracts Demons, I’m not worried about my target refusing to take the bait.’

’That was why I spared no expense yesterday, having considered all sorts of potential mishaps. Now, those two checks seem well worth the cost.’

Still, Lloyd didn’t rush to set up the Orbit. Once placed, it couldn’t be retracted. He had to confirm the Ghost Soul would actually appear in the vicinity before he made his move, to avoid wasting the materials.

He simply went to the center of the Ghost Soul’s area of activity—a dry well—and made his preparations.

’Once the time comes and I’ve confirmed the thing’s presence, I’ll deploy the Orbit and begin the ritual.’

’For an ordinary Extraordinary Being, this would be far too abrupt and hasty. But for me, with my Orbital Control, it’s merely a minor challenge.’

Thus, Lloyd expanded his inspiration to its absolute limit, blanketing a large swath of the surrounding area. He monitored every rustle of wind and blade of grass, like a human radar.

Then, he began his patient wait.

’I hope this Ghost Soul, which sounds pretty unique, doesn’t stand me up.’

......

Meanwhile, back at the tavern, things had quieted down due to the late hour. But the bartender and a few others hadn’t gone to bed. They were gathered at the bar, discussing the Gray Judge.

"Boss, you think that guy can pull it off? He’s just a Judge, not an investigator who specializes in this stuff."

"I’m more worried that if he dies here, the Judgment Court will come down on us. I’ve never seen a Sect member in a gray uniform before. He’s got to be someone important, right?"

"But what other choice did we have? All those other investigation teams turned their noses up at us the second they heard where the trouble was. They don’t care if we live or die, and they demand fees we could never afford..."

The drinkers murmured amongst themselves, but the bartender, their leader, remained silent. He frowned in thought for a long moment before finally speaking:

"Whether he can succeed or not, I was willing to let him try. It’s not like we have any better ideas right now. If we don’t deal with this problem soon, our men and our turf will be swallowed up by the other gangs...

Right now, besides this Judge, no one else is willing to take the job. Those investigation teams I visited didn’t quote those insane prices because they’re greedy. They were just looking for a polite way to say no. They’re scared."

He paused for a moment, then added:

"That thing... I’m afraid it’s an incredibly powerful Demon..."

The other drinkers chimed in:

"Exactly! What about the Fire Sand Gang’s top enforcer? He was always strutting around like he owned the place, and didn’t he end up dead under mysterious circumstances? The state of his body was horrific..."

"Then in that case, can this Gray Judge really handle it? Judging by his voice, he sounded pretty young. Can he really deal with that monster?"