Chapter 269 - 267: Substantive Change of Tier Advancement (Part 2)

Chapter 269: Chapter 267: Substantive Change of Tier Advancement (Part 2)

Lloyd decided to test out his new technique. He stuck out a finger and poked the little kitten from a distance.

"Meow?"

The kitten glanced back at him in confusion.

Lloyd then balled his hand into a fist and knocked twice on the nearby wall.

THUD~ THUD~

The wall thudded in response.

And then...

Er... that was it. The special technique was just that weak.

The effect was minuscule—basically like an extension of his own hands. It had no offensive power, so it was completely useless for combat.

But this happened to be the exact ability Lloyd needed most at the moment.

’Finally! I’ve finally "grown" a pair of invisible hands!’

’Heh heh, tonight I’ll go pinch Elolo’s cheeks and her little feet, and then I’ll tug that curly, upturned Dazed Hair of hers.’

’And when I’m cooking, I’ll be able to put my truly excellent culinary skills to even better use!’

’Lately, I’ve always felt like two hands weren’t enough when I cook. With this new technique, my culinary methods and creativity can finally be fully expressed and realized!’

Lloyd’s mood instantly brightened. He couldn’t wait to use [Infiltration] to get to Elolo’s side and properly test out this new technique.

A shame he couldn’t go...

He had no choice but to rein in his imagination and focus on the final enhancement from this [Transcendence].

Lloyd closed his eyes, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists as if trying to grasp something invisible.

After two or three minutes, he opened his eyes again and tilted his head, a bit puzzled.

’This final enhancement... it doesn’t feel like anything tangible...’

The moment he had completed the ritual, just before the illusions appeared, he had sensed his body undergo a strange, indescribable change.

But then he was bombarded with all sorts of chaotic information, forcing him to set the feeling aside until now.

Yet, after some reflection, he still couldn’t grasp anything tangible. He just felt... different from his past self?

This wasn’t some philosophical debate; it was a real, tangible change.

Lloyd thought for a moment, then reached for the Storage Bag at his waist. He took out the Chief Judge’s journal, flipped toward the back, and reviewed it once more.

’Hmm... If I’m not mistaken, this indescribable change should be what the Chief Judge referred to as the "tangible sensation of a Tier increase," right?’

When an Extraordinary Being completes their fourth [Transcendence], they feel for the first time what a "Tier" truly is. With each subsequent [Transcendence], this change becomes increasingly pronounced.

As for the definition of "Tier," the Chief Judge had offered a simple explanation:

"A Tier is not merely an objective measure of strength. It possesses extraordinary characteristics of its own. You can think of it as a certain ’distance’ between yourself and ordinary people, or other Extraordinary Beings."

"Generally speaking, the higher the Tier, the more unreachable and incomprehensible one becomes."

"The substantial boost a Tier provides to an Extraordinary Being stems from this very ’unreachability and incomprehensibility,’ which is reflected in the vast power gap between high-Tier and low-Tier Extraordinary Beings."

"To give a simple example, the same [Veto Declaration] will have clearly different effects depending on whether it’s cast by a low-Tier or high-Tier Extraordinary Being, or cast upon a low-Tier or high-Tier Extraordinary Being."

"Even if both parties use the same [Veto Declaration] with identical inspiration and Spiritual Power, the low-Tier Extraordinary Being’s [Veto Declaration] will struggle to affect the high-Tier one, or its effects will be severely diminished."

"But if a high-Tier casts it on a low-Tier, the effect is, of course, outstanding."

After rereading the Chief Judge’s notes, Lloyd recalled his previous experiences with [Transcendence].

In the past, he had simply felt himself get stronger, his stats increase, and his skills upgrade; he had never had this kind of wondrous experience.

This time, however, while his [Veto] system was still Tier Three, his [Twist] system was now a solid Tier Four!

’So I should be considered Tier Four now, right?’

’But I don’t normally activate my [Twist] system, so other people only see me as Tier Three. Even the Chief Judge and Big Brother haven’t detected my true Tier.’

’That’s good. After all, my persona has always been that of a humble, reserved, and low-key young man who doesn’t like to show off.’

Lloyd nodded, but then shook his head slightly.

This Tier increase certainly brought many benefits. For instance, if Knight Commander Wald tried to ambush him again, he should be able to break free easily.

And when he had to deal with criminals in the future, the effects of his various skills would surely be better as well.

But there was one downside—

Lloyd could clearly feel that with his [Twist] system reaching Tier Four, he wouldn’t be able to achieve a perfect "double promotion" like today the next time he attempted a [Transcendence].

The next stage he faced was Tier Five, a critical juncture for any Extraordinary Being. Simply twisting the [Transcendence] of one other system would no longer be enough.

In other words, advancing next time would be more difficult.

And if he didn’t want to choose one of the orthodox, non-human methods of [Transcendence], he would have to take up a third system.

Although Lloyd preferred the abilities of the [Wisdom] path, given his current circumstances, his third system would probably have to be [Manifestation].

’In my current state, completing the [Enlightenment] for the [Manifestation] system shouldn’t be difficult. The Dream Theater offers that service; some rich kid actually traded for it before.’

’What was that guy thinking?’

’I probably won’t consider going through the Dream Theater. I just can’t trust that place...’

After weighing his options, Lloyd began to wonder if he should take a trip to the City of Illusion.

He would have to go there sooner or later anyway, since the next "game" the great Olga had invited him to was in the City of Illusion.

That was in two months, so there was no rush.

’During this two-month gap, I should keep accelerating my progress and level up quickly. Ideally, I’ll get another promotion for my [Veto] system.’

’Then, by using the [Enlightenment] of the [Manifestation] system—its first [Transcendence]—I can directly raise [Twist] to Tier Five, entering the realm of the High Position.’

’Yes, that’s the plan!’

Having settled on his plan for advancement, Lloyd couldn’t help but clench his fists, feeling fired up.

As for the matter of getting married and having children before Tier Five, which several of the old-timers had warned him about...

’I’ll deal with that later. I haven’t even decided who I’d marry, anyway...’

’Besides, two months is way too soon. It’s impossible to get married in that time.’

’And from what those old-timers said, they see marriage and family as an important anchor for one’s Rationality. I don’t need that. I’ve always been a mature, stable, and rational young man.’

’So it’s fine. Keep accelerating, level up as fast as possible!’

At this thought, Lloyd no longer felt like resting. He stood up, ready to leave.

’First, I should head back to the Eighteenth District, finish my actual work for the day, and then find a place to rest.’