According to the handbook, this Tower Nine had 13 floors above ground and 13 below. It was the tallest and largest tower in the entire Eighteenth District and served as the main activity area for Executors.
The first floor was the office area, the second and third floors were both libraries, and the fourth floor had classrooms for public lectures. Lectures on various subjects were held daily, and Executors were free to attend whichever ones they found interesting.
The remaining fifth and sixth floors were for experiments, fitness, and training. You went if you needed to; it was all up to your own initiative.
The handbook didn't mention any higher floors, and Executors were not allowed to go up there.
As for the floors below ground, they were all cells for holding various Demons, and it was the area where Executors carried out executions on them.
The deeper the floor, the more dangerous the Demons. Even during a relatively safe execution, it was easy to encounter all sorts of accidents.
However, there were extra bounties to be earned. A successful recovery of valuable parts from a Demon's body would even net a commission. It was the most important source of income for Executors, but earning this dangerous money required both skill and courage.
Lloyd wasn't in a hurry about this. As a progressive, well-educated young man, he never believed in rushing his own development. A gradual approach was best.
He walked into an old-fashioned elevator nearby, closed the gate, and pulled down a lever on the wall. The elevator let out a puff of steam and, with a noisy CLANK-CLANK of gears, slowly ascended to the second floor.
Stepping out of the elevator, he was greeted by a magnificent circular library. Towering bookshelves were arranged in neat rows, creating an ocean of knowledge where one could seemingly spend a lifetime reading.
He could see many Executors in light blue uniforms quietly flipping through books. Indeed, hardworking people could be found anywhere.
At the library's entrance hung a conspicuous plaque inscribed with two striking maxims:
"Knowledge is this era's most precious thing, and its most terrifying."
"Curiosity is the quality most needed to explore knowledge, and the most dangerous."
Lloyd felt a sense of awe before he even stepped inside. He decided to greet the librarian first.
The librarian here looked strange, like an unkempt, slovenly... woman?
Her entire face was obscured by a messy tangle of hair like seaweed, making it impossible to see her features. She wore a filthy, yellowed gray uniform that constantly reeked of acrid alcohol. Her figure was so shapeless you couldn't tell her front from her back; if she hadn't spoken, it would have been impossible to even guess her gender.
"Hmm? Mysticism? Was it the third aisle on the left, or the second? Just go find it yourself..."
After hearing Lloyd's request, the librarian slurred her words before slumping onto her desk, seemingly passing out.
Compared to the diligent people studying inside, this librarian seemed completely out of place.
Lloyd had no choice but to search for the Mysticism books himself. It was the subject he was currently most interested in.
What people referred to as 'the mystical and the extraordinary' was, in fact, Mysticism and the Extraordinary System.
Mysticism itself was a broad and complex field, encompassing Divination, Spirit Communication, Change of Fortune, hypnosis, and much more. Humanity had yet to fully grasp it, having only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg, with many mysteries still waiting to be explored.
But more mysteries often meant more danger. Furthermore, many aspects of Mysticism had a low barrier to entry, allowing even ordinary people to dabble in them. For this reason, related knowledge was always under strict control, and one couldn't access real knowledge of Mysticism on the outside.
Things like 'love horoscopes' and 'fortune-changing rituals' in magazines were all just jokes for entertainment.
Lloyd had been interested in Mysticism for a long time, especially Divination. He had always felt that in order to survive in this dangerous world, the ability to turn misfortune into good fortune was an essential skill.
After a tip from another, kinder Executor, he found a book on the shelf titled . Judging by its hefty weight, it could probably kill a person in both a spiritual and a physical sense.
The books here could not be borrowed, much less copied without permission. Any corresponding notes or insights were also forbidden from being shared and were subject to strict control.
Lloyd hadn't planned on doing any of that anyway, so he simply found a random spot, sat down, and began to read intently.
With the bonus from his 14 points in [Cognition] and the help of his [High-Efficient Learning] skill, the knowledge in the book—which might have been too advanced for an ordinary person—posed no obstacle for him. He read through it smoothly, having a very pleasant reading experience.
After he had been reading for a full hour, a prompt sounded in his ear:
[Ding~ Madness Value +5, Skill Fragment +1]
Huh?
Lloyd wasn't surprised that reading could 'grant skills'; he just hadn't expected it to happen in this form.
'But why did my Madness Value increase?'
Gaining Madness Value meant he had suffered Spiritual Contamination...
The effect was very slight. A mentally sound person could recover with just a few minutes of rest, even without the help of an Attribute Panel. But this was only beginner-level knowledge.
Lloyd suddenly understood why the knowledge here was so strictly controlled, and he also understood the meaning of the two maxims at the entrance.
'Fortunately for me, the higher the Madness Value, the better. This isn't a problem. Time to keep devouring this book!'
He continued reading for another two hours, only reluctantly putting the book down when it was time for lunch.
In total, he had read for three hours, gaining 15 Madness Value and 3 skill fragments. He couldn't allocate any points yet, nor had he unlocked a new skill.
'I'll grab a bite, continue in the afternoon, and try to finish this book today or tomorrow.'
Lloyd set a simple little goal for himself.
He had already allocated points a few times and wanted to see what the experience of 'acquiring a skill' was like.
With that, he left the library and, following the directions in the handbook, found the cafeteria near Tower Nine.
The place lacked the usual hustle and bustle of a cafeteria. Not many people were dining inside, and they all maintained a tacit silence. At most, they would whisper to each other, appearing exceptionally reserved. As a result, the atmosphere lacked a sense of lively warmth, replaced by a feeling of suppression and indifference.
"I don't mind this kind of atmosphere, actually. After all, I'm a reserved and introspective intellectual youth myself."
Lloyd muttered to himself and went to grab some food.
The food was surprisingly good, almost on par with a last meal for a condemned prisoner. The price was even cheaper, practically just a token fee.
Anyway, after his experience over the past half-day, Lloyd couldn't say he was madly in love with this place, but he definitely didn't want to leave.
After a simple meal, he holed himself up in the library until 8 PM, when another prompt sounded in his ear:
[Ding~ Madness Value +5, Skill Fragment +1]
[Sufficient Skill Fragments acquired. Skill unlocked—Divination, LV 1]