Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 538 - 538 Fifty-seven

538: Fifty-seven.

Infected person 538: Fifty-seven.

Infected person No one can harm Lu Li.

Anna looked indifferently at the figure lunging towards her, as if space had solidified, pinning the contour in midair, motionless.

The structure of that outline seemed like the most disgusting shape deep within the human heart, flesh tumors of various sizes grew on the figure’s body, denser and larger than grapes, some of which had burst due to the pressure of the clothing, with more dense tumors growing within the exposed rotten flesh.

These tumors grew, expanded, burst, and grew again at a speed visible to the naked eye, transforming into pustules and deformities.

A flicker of disgust crossed the bottom of her eyes.

Anna’s naturally hanging slender and fair hand gradually clenched, and the infected’s limbs, fixed in the air, began to curl, outlining an invisible circular barrier.

The infected began to be compressed into the shape of the barrier, with flesh and blood splattering from the pustules and tumors, obscuring the view inside the barrier.

Lu Li averted his eyes.

Watching on wouldn’t impact his psyche, but it wasn’t necessary.

Due to the incident, the Exorcists running this way had the misfortune of seeing some terrible scenes, and a few of them stopped with unsightly expressions.

Sounds of retching rose incessantly from around them.

“Where do we throw this,” Lu Li asked the incoming Exorcist.

The suspended “thing”, compressed to the size of a wine barrel, was filled with a murky, viscous, dark red liquid, decaying bones riddled with holes churned within it.

“Fire will purify their filth.”

A hoarse woman’s voice came from beneath one of the Bird Beak Masks.

As everyone stepped back to watch, Lu Li, Anna, and the “meatball” followed the figures in Bird Beak Masks to a nearby bonfire.

It approached the railing, and listening to the sound of the waves, one could almost imagine the vast beach behind it.

Anna manipulated the meatball to float above the bonfire, exposing the holes.

A viscous liquid poured vertically from the hole and spontaneously ignited like oil, few feet above the bonfire.

The flames chased up the trail of the liquid and surged into the meatball.

For an instant, a blinding fireball hung in the air above the bonfire, the roaring flames clearing the surrounding mist for meters, allowing no darkness or petty evil any place to hide.

If one didn’t consider the infection and the disgust it caused, it would be quite suitable as a replacement for kerosene.

Before the fireball ignited, Lu Li had already moved away, looking at the figure in the Bird Beak Mask, “Human Pus ignites easily, why not use fire against them?”

The Bird Beak Mask figure in front didn’t respond to Lu Li, its mask tilted slightly upward, glasses reflecting the brightness of the fireball.

The figure behind her answered Lu Li, “We can’t destroy Rodest Port, there’s not much time, but hundreds of thousands are waiting to go to the Lennon Islands.”

Lu Li was silent.

While fire could indeed kill them quickly, the devastated port would take a long time to rebuild.

At this moment, the Bird Beak Mask turned, facing Lu Li.

The hoarse female voice spoke, as if recognizing him, “Do you remember me, Lu Li?”

“The little cabin in Shadow Swamp?”

Her attire made it easy for Lu Li to associate her with the figure in the Bird Beak Mask.

“A swamp?

No…” The Bird Beak Mask tilted its head, and the figure removed the mask.

The tear mole at the corner of her eye and the strange red lips made Lu Li recognize her.

Rachel, one of the four heads of the Belfast Investigator Branch, though now there were only three.

Her presence here made sense.

“You’ve made us take notice, Lu Li.

No one expected you to become a Senior Investigator in less than two months.”

“If possible, I wish it hadn’t happened so quickly,” Lu Li replied calmly.

The light of the fireball began to dim, and the surrounding fog rolled back in.

By her side, another figure with a Bird Beak Mask interjected, “Let’s catch up later, Rachel, I need to know how Human Pus managed to get here.”

His tone was somewhat off-putting, not malicious, but simply that of a Superior speaking.

“It’s an infected one, mixed in with the survivors unnoticed,” Rachel replied with pursed lips, her eyes carrying a certain depth as she looked at Lu Li, “What puzzles me is why it didn’t attack the person closest to him but instead went after our Senior Investigator?”

“It probably has something to do with me.”

Lu Li was aware of Rachel’s suspicion and candidly revealed the information, “Due to some reasons, I might be able to attract them…

Are there any survivors who escaped from the port?”

“Shall we give it a try?

Of course, follow me.” Rachel put on her Bird Beak Mask again and turned away from the fire.

Lu Li looked at the fireball, which was no longer burning, just a dark red Ashes, and followed Anna to leave.

As the power dissipated, the ashes drifted down into the fire, only to flare up for an instant before disappearing into the flames.

“Lu Li?

I’ve heard of you.” Another figure with a Bird Beak Mask came up to Lu Li and nodded in greeting.

“I am Aldington Gerard, the Deputy Mayor of Belfast.

I’m glad you could come to help, and this is…”

“Anna.”

“…

and this is Miss Anna.”

The astute politician did not bother Lu Li for too long, after the introduction, he consciously kept quiet.

Rachel walked down from the street to the beach, where the survivors had been placed.

Only the expansive coastline could temporarily accommodate these people.

A minute later, Lu Li followed Rachel to a tent camp in the sand.

Agonized groans came from the tents, and both the Exorcists guarding the area and the healing doctors were wearing Bird Beak Masks.

“Just in case.”

Before entering the tent, Rachel passed a mask to Lu Li.

“No need.”

Without minding the mask, Rachel led the way and ducked into a tent.

A dozen beds were filled with patients, most of them amputees, with Plague Doctors busily stemming blood and changing bandages.

Despite being permanently maimed, on the brighter side, they didn’t end up like the other passengers at the port, becoming those grotesque monsters, souls unable to rest in peace.

“Do we have any here?” Rachel asked, turning her head.

“I can’t sense the Human Pus, they could—”

Lu Li’s words were cut off by the same distorted shriek that had rung out earlier, as a figure lying on a bed suddenly convulsed and lunged towards Lu Li.

But before he could leave the confines of his bed, Anna caught him mid-air, with only the Plague Doctors’ frightened screams echoing.

Deputy Mayor Gerard explained to the doctors and Exorcists who arrived that Lu Li and Rachel were observing the infected patient.

This infected person had the area below the knee of his left leg amputated, clearly treated, but still a step too slow to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts.

It seemed that Lu Li’s presence triggered the hidden disease in the infected person, who quickly transformed into Human Pus—the flesh tumors and pustules burst forth from his flesh like bubbles.

It was then that Anna turned her head to look at Lu Li.

Lu Li observed the infected patient’s eyes, which had started to grow clusters of tumors, and then he shook his head gently.

“He’s already dead, kill it,” he said.