Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 460 - 460 317

460: 317.

Drowning person in the quagmire 460: 317.

Drowning person in the quagmire “That person might not be my brother, or might not even exist at all…”

In the gloomy swamp jungle, two figures were striding through, their voices emerging.

Although a spark of hope still remained in her heart, her suspicion of the Mother of the Marsh overshadowed her belief in Oliver.

Think about it, even if it was the mysterious Lu Li from Shadow Town to Shadow Swamp, and then deeper into Shadow Swamp, it was fraught with difficulties, let alone Oliver who was just an ordinary person.

“I agree, the Mother of the Marsh is leading you into its lair,” Anna’s ethereal voice rose.

Lu Li did not reply because the Mother of the Marsh was whispering slowly.

[Your companion…

doubts our trade…]

“It’s normal to have doubts.”

Lu Li’s voice attracted the sideways glance of Anna and Jojo.

“You and I are not equal, neither is the information we hold.

If you wanted, you could lead us into the abyss at any time.”

The Mother of the Marsh seemed to ponder, and after a moment, its whisper came: [I do not know if that is the person you seek…

but he does exist…]

“Hmm.”

Since it was a trade, naturally there was something both parties considered equal, the trade itself: Lu Li needed to find Oliver’s whereabouts, the Mother of the Marsh needed Lu Li’s help to fight against an unknown Evil God.

Unless…

The Mother of the Marsh did not need Lu Li’s help.

Approaching the withered tree where the Shadow Figures hid, they shifted their gaze and looked ahead, the Shadow Figures had already appeared behind another withered tree some dozen meters away.

After a period of interaction, Jojo was no longer afraid of the Shadow Figures.

These creatures, or rather servants, were like silent and shy Observers, always hiding behind trees, peeking at them.

Not just the guiding Shadow Figures, but more of them were always surrounding them.

They brought visions for the Mother of the Marsh, avoiding potentially dangerous areas.

And perhaps even spying on them.

It wasn’t long into the true rainy season, the swamp had become difficult to navigate, pockets of mud and water of unknown depth spread under the calm silt and stagnant water.

Even with Anna’s protection preventing them from sinking into the mud, the silt deep enough to reach their ankles still sapped some of their strength.

Jojo followed in the footsteps of Lu Li to reduce the exhaustion.

After half an hour of hurrying on the road, or perhaps longer, the Lu Li in front stopped.

Following behind, Jojo tilted his head to look, and ahead, an open space appeared with a small cabin shrouded in blood rain.

“It’s here…” Anna’s murmuring voice was filled with memories.

This was the cabin they had stayed in during the last storm day.

It was also the place where the “real” Anna was trapped, according to the false letter in the “door.”

“Why have you brought me here?” Lu Li asked, not believing that it was a “coincidental” passing.

[There are no swamps around…

You have been here…

You know where to go…]

A reasonable explanation.

The slippery mud took the place of the disgusting silt, and they passed by the cabin, pushing open the door.

The thick scent of rotting wood wafted out; the cabin remained as it was when they had left it—no traces, no changes…

no Anna.

“Let’s go.”

After a brief pause outside the cabin, Lu Li and the others crossed the clearing and continued deeper into the Shadow Swamp.

The leading Shadow Figure never vanished from sight, and after some time, Jojo looked back to see that the clearing and the cabin had disappeared from view.

As they moved deeper, the twisted and strange withered trees grew denser, and the overlapping branches obscured much of the sky, making it hard to see in the dimness.

[The bats are approaching…] the Mother of the Marsh whispered.

Lu Li halted and huddled under a withered tree, alerting Anna and Jojo, “Night Devils are nearby.”

Hearing this, Jojo quickly moved closer to Lu Li and crouched down, looking up at the sky along with Anna, who had just revealed her shape.

In the silent swamp forest, illuminated only by the faint sound of rain, there was the barely discernible flapping of wings deep in the unseeable sky.

Seconds later, a barely perceptible black dot appeared at the edge of one’s vision, rapidly enlarging.

This Night Devil, set against the backdrop of blood-red clouds, was fierce and terrifying.

Stirring the currents of air a hundred meters above the ground, it flew deeper into the swamp.

“They just freely cross over your territory?”

Once the Night Devil vanished from sight, Lu Li began to speak.

[My servants…

cannot reach the bats…]

Air units suppressing ground units.

Fortunately, the main battlefield between the Mother of the Marsh and the unknown Evil God was in the Shadow Swamp, where the spread of dead trees and the even deeper Banyan Jungle reduced the usefulness of the Night Devils.

“Continue.”

Lu Li left the dead tree and continued forward in accordance with his memories.

As the dead tree receded beside him, a small clearing appeared.

Beyond this, and a bit farther ahead, was where Lu Li had halted his last exploration—the entrance to the eerie Banyan Jungle.

Exiting the jungle and walking between clearings, Lu Li’s rain boots stepped into a patch of dark mud indistinguishable from its surroundings.

The mud enveloped his foot and he halted, then extended his right foot into the mire.

But at that moment, an unexpected change occurred.

The feet that stopped sinking into the mud as if stepping into quicksand began to fall anew.

The viscous mud greedily swallowed Lu Li’s calves, spreading up towards his knees.

Anna immediately intervened but felt resistance, as if something beneath the swamp had seized Lu Li’s legs.

The Sanity Value Counter didn’t sound, and intuition perceived nothing, but whatever was engulfing Lu Li’s legs was definitely not merely the suction of the mud—he could distinctly feel countless hands clutching his ankles, dragging him down.

“Jojo, retreat.

Anna, attack the ground.”

Lu Li calmly gave the command.

The invisible spear that Anna had conjured smashed into the mud around Lu Li.

Huge voids formed only to close the next second, as the mud, as if enraged, began churning turbulently, with numerous arms stretching out from beneath it like pythons, reaching for Anna.

“Back off!”

Around Anna, a torrential burst of air flung the approaching muddy hands away, turning them into droplets of rainwater that fell back down.

Yet they behaved like living creatures, regrouping on their own and flowing back into the swamp.

At this time, Lu Li listened quietly to the whispers of the Mother of the Marsh.

[It is the “Swamp of the Drowned”…]

“My servant?”

The Mother of the Marsh paused slightly before telling Lu Li: [Your people call it…

Evil Spirit…]

“Why is an Evil Spirit on your territory?”

[It is a resident of the marsh…]

“Can you make it stop?” As Lu Li spoke, his knees were already submerged, and the mud, reaching up towards his thighs, increased its grip with more hands beneath, quickening the pace at which he was being swallowed.

“Get away from him!”

An icy breath leaked from Anna, who furiously attacked every part of the swamp, but her efforts seemed as powerless as if she were punching water.

Her crimson pupils intensified, and the melody tinged with the boundless malice seeping from the Inner World filled Anna’s breath.

[I…

can’t right now…]

Lu Li stopped relying on the Mother of the Marsh and urged Anna to keep her cool.

Just before the mud swallowed his waist, he drew the Spirit-Calling Gun and aimed it at the mud below.

His finger hooked onto the trigger, but he didn’t press down.

The loud report of the Spirit-Calling Gun would carry for miles around.

If he fired, countless troubles would ensue.

Yet, if he did not act, Anna would transform into a true Evil Spirit, and Lu Li would be dragged down and drowned in the mud.