Free Web NovelChapter 44: Chapter 44: The Mole
After dealing with the Out of Control, a series of prompts from the panel sounded in Lloyd’s ear:
[DING~ Madness Value +300]
[DING~ Several Memory Fragments acquired. Evaluating Cognition level...]
[DING~ Evaluation successful. Memory Fragments are now decipherable.]
As the prompts appeared, a flood of images surged into Lloyd’s mind.
Because the man had only just fallen, the memories were still ’fresh.’ This meant Lloyd had acquired numerous, relatively complete fragments. Though still piecemeal, he could probably piece together the man’s life story.
Lloyd gave the Memory Fragments a quick once-over and was surprised by what he found. ’This guy was a mole planted in the Holy Judgment Court?’
It wasn’t about his fall from grace. It was the fact that he came from a dark organization called "Free Style" and had been secretly embedded in the Holy Judgment Court for three years.
’How did he manage that?’
Lloyd was about to delve into the details, but he saw several Hunters from the Saint’s Grace Court approaching. They wore assorted cartoon Fox masks and were helping each other along, looking so sickly they might as well have been heading to a support group meeting.
He walked over to them, and he and the one in the lead spoke at the same time:
"Are you guys okay?"
"Are you okay?"
The Hunter opposite him, who wore a red cartoon Fox mask and seemed to be the captain, grabbed Lloyd’s wrist. He released a faint trace of inspiration to examine him, then asked in a peculiar tone:
"Such powerful Spiritual Power and inspiration... Are you really just an Executor?"
Lloyd gave his usual humble reply:
"First time seeing one this exceptional?"
"Uh..."
Though the captain was wearing a mask, you could practically feel his embarrassment. He quickly withdrew his hand and said, all business now:
"Thank you for your timely intervention. If that guy had gotten away, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
He waved to his squad, and the other four members listlessly came over to stuff the bisected corpse into a body bag.
"I’m sorry, but this was our case, so we have to take the body back. Don’t worry, though. We’ll be sure to report your contributions and achievements..."
The captain explained, his tone tinged with shame.
Lloyd gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and replied nonchalantly:
"It’s fine. I’m not hurting for the credit."
"Uh... anyway, thank you again for your help."
With that, the captain placed his right hand over his chest and gave Lloyd a slight bow of respect. Then he motioned for his subordinates to leave.
Once they were some distance away from Lloyd, they started muttering among themselves.
"Captain, are we really going to take that thing back? Why don’t we find another way? I feel like this mode of transportation might not be suitable for humans?"
"Those tax thieves at the Saint’s Favor Court... They spent so much of the budget just to create this monstrosity. Probably only those thick-skulled brutes from the Holy Judgment Court can handle it..."
"Alright, cut the crap! You’ll get used to it after a few more rides. We need to get back immediately! Or would you rather parade a Demon’s corpse through the streets?"
"Fine, fine... But Captain, that guy from before looked so young, yet he took out the Out of Control so easily. Is he really just a low-level Executor?"
"It’s not that surprising. We’re just a small department; we can’t compare to the geniuses and powerhouses in the Holy Judgment Court. Who knows how many incredible people like him they have."
Lloyd had been secretly ’eavesdropping’ the whole time. It wasn’t until the squad boarded the "subway" amidst a chorus of wails that an amused expression crossed his face. He whispered:
"It seems that even within the Three Great Judgment Courts, there are clear differences. These ’little animals’ certainly don’t have it easy."
"Little animals" was the Holy Judgment Court’s internal nickname for the Saint’s Grace Court. The Saint’s Favor Court, on the other hand, was generally known as the "weirdos" or "freaks."
Of course, the other two courts undoubtedly had their own choice names for the Holy Judgment Court.
......
After getting home and chatting briefly with his sister, Lloyd went to his room and began carefully examining the Memory Fragments from the Out of Control.
The man’s name was Williams. He was from a commoner district and had been a fine, hardworking young man. But then he got into gambling, racked up massive debts, and drove his parents to their deaths. He was then recruited by that dark organization to become one of their Claws and Fangs, stepping into the notorious Taboo System: [Suffering].
His talent must have been exceptional. He managed to complete [Transcendence] twice within the [Suffering] system without falling into madness, which led to him being tasked with infiltrating the Holy Judgment Court as a mole.
After some maneuvering, he became a Priest in the Eleventh District—a collection of small, remote zones with minimal staff. It primarily functioned as a transit hub, allowing him to lie low safely.
Later, he even ventured into the [Veto] system and, astonishingly, achieved [Transcendence] two more times, gaining formidable power.
The man was only in his thirties, yet he had completed [Transcendence] twice in two separate systems. He was, by all accounts, exceptionally gifted with a promising future.
He remained a mole for another three years, committing numerous evil deeds for the dark organization. It wasn’t until he ran into that squad of Saint’s Grace Court Hunters investigating another case that his cover was finally blown.
A fierce battle erupted. Empowered by two systems, Williams displayed formidable combat prowess, holding his own against the group and giving the Hunters a great deal of trouble.
In the end, his own Rationality gave out. He began to fall right then and there, suffering heavy injuries. In a desperate panic, he chose to flee via the "subway," which is how he ended up in Lloyd’s territory, the Eighteenth District.
And this "advanced subway," a guaranteed source of Spiritual Contamination with every ride, became the last straw that broke his Rationality.
And then... he met Lloyd.
After reviewing everything, Lloyd summed it up in one sentence:
"’Serves him right! Fucking gamblers never get a good end!’"
He felt not an ounce of pity or regret for scum who destroyed their families through gambling.
The remaining Memory Fragments didn’t contain any trace of Forbidden Knowledge, and certainly none of the official knowledge for the [Veto] system. What they did contain was a wealth of experience and insights on being a mole.
’Perhaps this part could be put to good use?’
So, Lloyd began to examine them carefully, focusing on the parts about how to deceive a Saint.
He quickly reached a conclusion:
"’So that’s how it works. A Saint can observe all the Extraordinary Beings within her system, but her position is too lofty for her to check every single one. As long as you don’t stand out or shine too brightly, it’s hard to attract her attention.’"
