Lloyd was quite adaptable. He had mostly recovered after taking just a few steps down the street.
To be fair, this 'subway' was incredibly fast. It was truly worthy of its reputation as a 'next-generation' piece of cutting-edge technology.
It just seemed a bit too advanced for the people of this era...
Lloyd felt as if he had just been churned around in the stomach of some giant monster before being spat back out.
No wonder a single ride on the 'subway' yielded 50 [Madness Value]. This form of transportation was a serious source of Spiritual Contamination. 'Would a normal person go completely insane after riding it twice?'
But to save time, he would probably have to ride it often in the future...
'Whatever. I'll just think of it as a way to farm Madness Value. Besides, I get skill fragments out of it...'
Lloyd thought with a shred of optimism, a hint of anticipation bubbling up inside him.
'What could the skill be this time? Soul Emergence? Dual Soul and Body?'
He couldn't see the specific skill until he officially acquired it, giving it the feel of opening a loot box.
............
Evelor was lying on her stomach on the sofa, clad only in a set of cute cartoon pajamas. Her long white hair cascaded down her back. Her smooth, shapely legs were exposed, and her fair, delicate feet were kicked up high. They looked like pieces of soft, warm jade, tempting one to cradle them in their hands.
She was flipping through a fashion magazine, looking rather distracted. Every few pages, she would glance at the pocket watch sitting beside her.
'Why isn't Yi back yet? Did a female colleague ask him out on his first day? Hmm... It's very possible! After all, Yi is so handsome, it's only natural for him to be popular with girls. But I wonder how far things have progressed? Are they holding hands already? Or maybe... they've already...'
As her imagination ran wild, a faint blush crept onto her adorable face, making one want to give her a playful little nibble.
Suddenly, the strand of Dazed Hair on her forehead shot straight up, and her pointed ears twitched as if she had sensed something.
The next moment, Lloyd opened the door and walked in.
"Sis, I'm home."
"Eh? You're home already?"
Evelor quickly slipped on her bunny slippers and hurried over to greet him.
"Hmm? It's 8:30. That's not early, is it?"
Lloyd said, a little confused.
"Didn't any girls ask you out to dinner?"
Evelor asked, equally confused. Then she noticed the new uniform her little brother was wearing, and her eyes instantly lit up as she broke into a sweet smile.
"You look so good in your uniform, Yi."
"Uh... Sis, you're going to make my head swell..."
Lloyd chuckled, a bit embarrassed.
Ever since they were kids, he had been seemingly perfect in his sister's eyes. She was always praising and encouraging him, always holding him to the highest expectations. The number of times she had scolded him could be counted on one hand, and she had never once been angry with him. She was almost unfairly gentle.
Although Lloyd couldn't bear to shatter his sister's fantasy, he was even more unwilling to deceive her. So, he answered truthfully:
"It was my first day. How could any girl ask me out? Besides, the people there give me the impression of... squid on a griddle? It's a real pressure cooker, super competitive..."
Lloyd then told Evelor about his day, leaving out the parts about his status panel and allocating points.
"So that's what the atmosphere is like there. It sounds even stricter than I imagined. Won't you be exhausted, Yi? Will the pressure be too much?"
Evelor asked worriedly, standing on a small stool as she heated up dinner for Lloyd.
"Don't worry. I'm pretty confident when it comes to learning."
"Mhm! My Yi has always gotten good grades ever since he was little. I've never had to worry about him."
Evelor said, her face beaming with pride.
While they were eating, Lloyd asked Evelor how her day went.
Evelor replied with a wry smile:
"Me? I was supposed to accompany Miss Desda to the east side of the city to collect some folk tales today. But the journey was so far that we spent almost the entire day just traveling. We barely had any time to collect stories."
Radiant City was massive. Though called a city, it was actually a super-megalopolis. Including the surrounding towns and villages of all sizes, it housed over 50 million people, all living Prosperous and Contented lives under the rule and Shelter of the Saints.
Humanity currently had six such megalopolises. It didn't seem like many, but it was a vast improvement compared to the most dangerous of times.
Furthermore, according to the news and newspapers, humanity was actively preparing to venture out once more, clearing the Demons from the Wilderness to establish a new city.
Everything was heading in a better direction.
Each of the six current cities was governed by a different Saint. Their followers formed various Sects, much like the Radiant Sect.
Their doctrines and beliefs might have minor differences, but they all stemmed from the same core principles. They absolutely did not believe in any Deities or mystical beings. Even their relationship with the Saints was merely one of 'following'; it was strictly forbidden to elevate it to the level of worship.
If anyone crossed that line, one of the Three Great Judgment Courts, the Saint's Grace Judgment Court, would come knocking. They specialized in dealing with cultists and heretics.
As they chatted, something suddenly occurred to Lloyd, and he quickly asked:
"By the way, isn't it a little dangerous for you guys to be investigating those old folk legends?"
"Hee hee, don't you worry about that, Yi. It's definitely very safe being with Miss Desda."
Evelor replied nonchalantly.
'That's true,' Lloyd thought.
His sister's employer, the kind Miss Desda, had many fine qualities—she was beautiful, kind-hearted, and always willing to help. But her greatest asset was her father, a local real estate tycoon.
The high-end apartment the siblings now lived in, for example, belonged to Miss Desda, who rented it to Evelor for a token price.
Therefore, she was never short of bodyguards, escorts, and security Advisors. Working as her personal assistant was both easy and safe.
It was thanks to her help in all sorts of ways that the siblings were able to end their period of hardship and live the life they had now.
Because of this, Lloyd was genuinely grateful to the kind Miss Desda and had resolved to sincerely repay her kindness in the future.
And so, after chatting for a while, the siblings went to bed early, ready for another busy day.
As usual, Lloyd combed his sister's hair, and they hugged each other goodbye before he left the house.
Although he still had lingering fears about last night's 'advanced subway', he gritted his teeth and took the tram to the nearest 'stronghold'—the Holy Judgment Court's Eighth District—which was the only place he could catch the subway.