Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

Chapter 50: Chapter 50: A Complete Success

Lloyd didn’t know where the gaze originated, but he could feel that it was immeasurably distant, sublime, mysterious, and holy.

The gaze held no trace of hostility, no condescending arrogance, no prying, no scrutiny. It simply rested on Lloyd, quiet and faint.

Instead of making him nervous, it filled him with a sense of comfort, like basking in the gentle warmth of the sun. His whole body felt warm and pleasant.

Perhaps it truly was like a beam of light, bringing a sliver of brightness to this dim, dead world, making Lloyd feel less alone.

Under its watch, the ashen land beneath his feet began to teem with life once more. Within a radius of several hundred meters, green grass sprouted and grew; unidentifiable blue and white wildflowers bloomed and blossomed; and a unique, milky-white coral spread out, adorning the landscape.

As for the Spiral Tower closest to Lloyd, a pure white strand of structure appeared. It was like a soft ribbon, wrapping around and embracing the tower, intertwining with it as they both snaked upward.

If the tower had previously resembled a giant spring, it now had a double helix structure, as if something had been spliced right into its DNA.

But after a mere ten seconds, the heavy curtain of night in the sky sealed shut again, completely obscuring the gaze and plunging the world back into darkness.

The grass at Lloyd’s feet ceased its spread, and the blue and white wildflowers no longer bloomed. The small spark of renewed life was now confined to the area around the double-helix tower, occupying only a tiny patch of land.

His vision blurred, and he was back in reality.

"Sigh..."

Lloyd let out a low sigh and flopped onto the sofa. He stared at the ornate chandelier on the ceiling, his expression complex, a sense of wistful loss washing over him.

After a few seconds, his emotions settled, and he was immediately struck by a wave of intense, delayed fear.

’That gentle gaze from before... if I’m not mistaken, it probably came from the Veto Saint...’

’The very thing I was most worried about—being noticed by a Saint—just happened without any warning.’

’But judging by the outcome, it seems... fine?’

The Veto Saint had definitely noticed him, but she showed no hostility, didn’t pry into his thoughts or memories, and didn’t investigate his background.

’Phew... I caught the Saint’s attention, but it seems like... I didn’t *fully* catch it?’

Lloyd let out a long sigh of relief, feeling much more secure.

’I’ve already faced the worst-case scenario, and nothing bad happened. There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore.’

’A Saint herself checked me over and gave me the all-clear. Who’s going to call me a subversive now?’

The more Lloyd thought about it, the more justified he felt. His mood relaxed considerably. He went to the nearby liquor cabinet, grabbed a bottle of juice, and returned to the full-length mirror to toast his reflection in celebration.

The greatest crisis was over. His future—both in prospects and in finances—was looking brighter than ever. It was certainly something worth celebrating.

Crucially, both the Chief Judge’s journal and the memories of the mole, Williams, mentioned that the Saint was incredibly busy. She had far too much to pay attention to. Even if she took an interest in someone, she couldn’t possibly lower her gaze upon them frequently.

Lloyd realized he would be safe for a long, long time. Perhaps by the next time the Saint noticed him, his stats and strength would have already inflated through several major updates.

He began to happily hum a little tune from his hometown as he slowly finished his juice. Once he was fully relaxed, he pulled the journal from his pocket and reviewed the section on the Thought Realm.

Simply put, everyone—even a patient suffering from Severe Madness on the verge of mutation—possesses their own Thought Realm. It is an innate part of being human, somewhat analogous to the psychological concept of the "subconscious realm," but there are many differences.

Humans cannot truly see or touch their subconscious realm. The Thought Realm, however, can be entered directly, just as Lloyd had done. Inside, one can learn the knowledge imparted by the Saints and explore the mysteries of the Extraordinary System.

It is the safest known method for disseminating knowledge among humans.

Generally, opening and mastering the Thought Realm is a required step for the second Transcendence. Only an Extraordinary Being who has opened their Thought Realm is considered to have completed this Transcendence. Afterward, they can learn more knowledge within their Thought Realm and continue to delve deeper into the Extraordinary Realm.

Everyone’s Thought Realm is different. While similar in nature, they vary greatly in their visual presentation.

Take the Chief Judge, for example. In his journal, he described his Thought Realm as a spacious, brightly-lit classroom. Desks were arranged in neat rows, with all sorts of books displayed on them, creating a strong academic atmosphere.

He acquired knowledge by reading those books.

In contrast, the mole Williams’s Thought Realm looked like an ultra-luxurious casino filled with all kinds of gambling equipment. He could play to his heart’s content and always be the winner, exchanging his winnings with an imaginary dealer for extraordinary knowledge.

"Yeah, but... both of their Thought Realms are environments they find comfortable and familiar. So why does mine look like *this*? I’m supposed to be a cheerful, optimistic young guy!"

Lloyd scratched his head, feeling a bit helpless.

The Thought Realm was an extremely private dimension. It would be difficult to find any reference material on it, so he would have to explore it on his own.

But that didn’t mean the Thought Realm was inviolable. It, too, could be attacked and invaded.

For instance, a type of Demon known as the Thought Demon specialized in this very thing.

If the Thought Realm suffered trauma, it was far more dangerous and terrifying than Spiritual Contamination...

However, the library books didn’t specify exactly *how* terrifying it was. Thought Demons were classified as extremely rare, ultra-high-risk Demons—not something a low-level Extraordinary Being should dwell on.

To that end, the book left a very solemn warning:

"Never try to imagine its form. Never seek to uncover its secrets."

Lloyd quickly shook his head and stood up from the sofa, stretching.

"Well, that’s that for now. This Enlightenment was a complete success, and I even made it past the Saint. Congratulations are in order, congratulations indeed."

With that, he didn’t linger and headed back to his office.

But the moment he stepped through the door, he felt an inexplicable gaze fall upon him.

This time, however, the source of the gaze wasn’t far away. He could sense it clearly.

It was coming from... the deepest drawer of the filing cabinet...