Chapter 349 - 317: A Smooth First Half

Chapter 349: Chapter 317: A Smooth First Half

Lloyd, for his part, had no intention of being some kind of show-off. He simply wanted to speed things up and get the Orbit running as soon as possible, to avoid any more ’horrific incidents’ like the one from before.

So, he was incredibly focused and dedicated from the moment he began. With the help of his Level 5 [Orbital Control], he quickly finished the section Instructor Randy had assigned.

When he looked up, he saw Instructor Randy struggling with the wailing student, a look of pure exasperation on his face...

’You have it rough!’

Lloyd offered a silent word of sympathy before glancing at the man not far from him, Bounty Hunter William... Oh, right, Teaching Assistant William.

To his surprise, while the man looked like a hardened mercenary who lived on the edge, his proficiency in Orbital Mechanics was on par with a certified instructor. He had essentially finished his own tasks and was now double-checking his work. Without looking up, he asked:

"What are you looking at me for?"

"Just wanted to ask if you need any help,"

Lloyd quickly explained.

"No. Everyone has their own task. You shouldn’t be doing this."

Teaching Assistant William replied coldly, sounding particularly rigid and inflexible.

However, the other instructor, a man named Lille, was more flexible. He quickly said:

"Lloyd, if you want to help, go check on the two from the art department. The Spiritual Contamination they’re enduring is increasing."

"Alright."

Lloyd quickly moved over to one of the art students.

His progress had been quite fast initially, but at some point, it had ground to a halt. He was completely still.

As for the student himself, he was curled up on the ground, hugging his legs. His eyes were unfocused and distant, and he was muttering under his breath:

"Mom... I didn’t do it on purpose..."

’Uh... Is he already hallucinating?’

Lloyd quickly used [Enhanced Investigation] to check on the student’s mental state.

Behind the "Mental State" column, the words ’Mild Madness’ were displayed, blinking rapidly, as if on the verge of worsening at any moment.

Lloyd had used [Investigation] many times before, but this was the first time he had seen it flash so quickly.

Yet, it never actually worsened. Instead, it was forcibly maintained in a state of [Mild Madness], like a person sunk halfway into a bog, held in place by a rope. They couldn’t be pulled out, but they wouldn’t sink any further either.

’This must be the two instructors’ doing, right?’

Looking at the student’s four Attributes, while his [Rationality] wasn’t the lowest, his [inspiration] was the highest among all the students, second only to Lloyd himself. That certainly would make things difficult for him.

’Interestingly, his Extraordinary System is [Shelter]? That gives me a strange sense of familiarity.’

’Does that make him a follower of Elolo?’

So, Lloyd decided to lend him a hand. He activated his not-so-useful [Consciousness Tentacles] skill, causing an invisible ’Dazed Hair’ to sprout from the top of the student’s head. It was so fine that it would be impossible to detect without actively using one’s inspiration.

’And in a High Position environment like this, no one would dare to let their inspiration radiate out carelessly, right?’

’Even I wouldn’t be so reckless...’

With that one [Consciousness Tentacle] in place, Lloyd immediately heard a series of panel notifications:

[DING~ Madness Value +100]

[DING~ Madness Value +100]

’Yep, that’s the right rhythm.’

Perfect. He had already adapted to the Spiritual Contamination in the air and couldn’t gain any more Madness Value from it. This was a good way to make up for the loss.

Lloyd then looked down at the part of the Orbit this student was responsible for.

’It’s a very basic and not very useful [Visual Decoration] Orbit?’

This Orbit simply created visual effects that were easily seen through by the naked eye—things like castles floating among the clouds, petals dancing across the sky, or brilliant fireworks in the night. Other than being a practice tool for novices, it was only useful for festive occasions to liven up the atmosphere.

But because it was so basic that even ordinary people could tell it was fake at a glance, it was often disdained for not being realistic enough...

’For now, Lloyd didn’t quite understand the significance of using such an Orbit in this situation. But from the looks of it, it seemed to be part of a larger Orbital Array?’

’Maybe it’s meant to ease the tense atmosphere here?’

Since it was a basic practice Orbit, it was no effort for Lloyd to set it up. He even went so far as to first erase the parts the other student had already drawn with his Spiritual Power, not wanting those crooked lines to affect the final result. Then, using Spiritual Ink, he drew a [Visual Decoration] Orbit with textbook-like precision.

After helping that student, he moved on to the other art student present.

This one seemed to be in much better shape than the last; at least he was conscious. However, he looked like he was suffering from an unbearable headache. Seeing Lloyd approach, he quickly spoke up:

"Help... help me... I’m almost done... just the last little bit..."

This person’s system was also [Veto], but he didn’t have the air of someone from the Sect. He was likely an Extraordinary Being from a civilian organization.

But Lloyd didn’t mind. He took over the work, helping the student complete a [Soundproofing] Orbit meant to prevent eavesdropping. He didn’t, however, use his [Consciousness Tentacles] to help shoulder the Spiritual Contamination.

Mainly, he didn’t want to be discovered and cause any unnecessary misunderstandings. Besides, the student’s mental state seemed passable enough. He should be able to hold on until the Orbital Array was complete.

’As for why this [Soundproofing] Orbit is being used here, it probably isn’t to prevent eavesdropping. It’s more likely to protect oneself from hearing any strange and unsettling sounds.’