Chapter 270 - 268: No Surprise

Chapter 270: Chapter 268: No Surprise

Lloyd rested for a while in the simple cabin. At 6 a.m., he followed his usual routine and paid a visit to the Thought Realm.

The moment he entered, he saw that the giant flower bud had changed noticeably.

Its size and shape hadn’t changed much, but the tip had split into several petals, giving it the appearance of being about to bloom.

The surface of the bud also looked a bit paler, and faint lines had appeared on it, resembling blood vessels beneath delicate skin.

Lloyd stared at the bud for a while. For some reason, he suddenly found it incredibly beautiful, with a delicate, dew-kissed allure.

It wasn’t the beauty used to describe a flower, but the kind used for a beautiful girl—the kind that makes your heart skip a beat...

Moreover, this thought arose subconsciously, more like a physiological instinct than some random, idle fancy.

Lloyd stared at the bud for a long moment, feeling his heart and breath inexplicably quicken. He hastily snapped out of it and shook his head hard.

’What’s wrong with me? Why am I having such strange thoughts about a flower?’

’Is there really a beautiful girl wrapped up in there?’

’But it’s not like I’m short on beautiful girls...’

Although he was berating himself and letting his imagination run wild, his feet carried him closer against his will. He slowly reached out and gently touched the bud.

His touch was exceptionally gentle, as if he were taking a girl’s hand.

The bud responded at once. An invisible force formed into a delicate little hand, cupping Lloyd’s own and pressing it intimately against its surface.

To Lloyd, it felt as if a girl were cupping his hand and pressing it to her cheek.

This was a gesture of considerable intimacy, something shared between lovers...

Yet, as if that weren’t enough, Lloyd subconsciously leaned in even closer. Then, lowering his head slightly, he touched his forehead directly to the bud.

The gesture was even more intimate now.

The bud responded in kind to his feelings. The invisible hand let go, instead beginning to gently caress his cheek, like a loving wife comforting her husband.

Lloyd froze, and for a moment, he even wanted to be bolder and kiss it.

Fortunately, a series of panel prompts rang in his ears, stopping him from actually committing such an outlandish act.

[Ding! Madness Value +2000]

[Ding! Madness Value +2000]

The prompt chimed five times in a row, causing Lloyd to level up on the spot.

’Huh... Maybe because I leveled up, there’s more Spiritual Contamination?’

’Or was it because my interaction with the bud was more intimate, so the Spiritual Contamination increased?’

’Or maybe the bud itself changed, and the Spiritual Contamination increased along with it?’

Another series of strange questions popped into Lloyd’s mind.

’Speaking of which, is the bud changing because the progress on that Unknown Fragment has advanced?’

’So when the fragment is finally deciphered, will it bloom and reveal itself at its most beautiful?’

’Maybe an incredibly gorgeous girl will really emerge?’

’Then again, I still can’t make a final decision between Weiya and Elolo. If another one gets added to the mix...’

Lloyd’s imagination started running wild again. He suddenly froze, then shook his head once more.

’Uh... no, that’s not right...’

’Why did I automatically assume this flower is a beautiful girl?’

’It’s just a Consciousness Body that I created myself under the guidance of a Saint. It should be whatever I want it to be, right?’

’So, considering I’ll be dabbling in the Manifestation system in the future and will need its power to fight, or to help me cook and set up Orbits and things, I should definitely choose a more practical Consciousness Body, right?’

’Like a giant robot that looks awesome, is fully functional, has advanced weapons, and boasts superior performance?’

’Or a masked hero in a tight leather suit, wearing a special belt and a grasshopper mask?’

’I could also choose a Stand-in Messenger, pocket beasties, a defender of glory, the master of a refrigerator, or even a Seed of Rationality, a Dimensional Piggy Bank...’

’Wait, no, how did I get back to thinking about beautiful girls?’

’What is wrong with me today? Why is my mind such a mess? Why do I keep thinking about this stuff?’

’I thought I had a persona as a reserved, introverted, and pure young man?’

Lloyd couldn’t help but critique himself internally as he began to search for the cause.

’Hmm, it must be because those big shots I know are always pressuring me to get married. It’s interfering with my judgment.’

’Yes, that must be it!’

After he finished making excuses for himself, the activity from the bud happened to cease. It lost its inner life and vitality and no longer looked like a beautiful girl.

Lloyd couldn’t help but sigh in relief. He turned to look to the side and saw the Tentacle Grass waving at him incessantly. It looked pretty happy?

ヽ(○^㉨^)ﾉ♪

’It’s probably congratulating me for leveling up, right?’

Lloyd nodded and said encouragingly:

"You saw that, right? This is the reward for my hard work. You need to work hard too, so you can become a project manager one day."

The Tentacle Grass struck a very human-like pose, scratching its head. It probably didn’t understand what he was saying.

’Guess it’s the type that doesn’t understand praise. Not even as smart as a little kitten...’

Lloyd then left the Thought Realm. He allocated the five Attribute points he had just gained from leveling up to Rationality, bringing its total value to 235.