Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 593 - 593 One hundred twelve

593: One hundred twelve.

There’s a secret that only Lu Li knows.

593: One hundred twelve.

There’s a secret that only Lu Li knows.

Covetousness, or merely a pure curiosity about hell.

The merchants, who had always been coldly efficient in their transactions, now revealed an air of concern; however, that was none of Lu Li’s business—

Whatever conspiracies the merchants harbored, they wouldn’t concern the living.

If they belonged to the strange factions and intended to invade hell, it would be more than welcome: distracting those sin-laden demons in hell, the surface might stave off the countdown to destruction a bit longer.

In the following minutes, Lu Li told the merchants what he knew about hell, such as the expanded terrain on the human realm, the lava sea, Black Calamity Volcano, and the Great Rift Valley.

“5,500 investigation points.”

A small portion of information about hell had been exchanged for a rich trade deal, even though it wasn’t enough to cover a fraction of one cubic meter of Deep Sea Stone.

And after human society collapsed, the value of investigation points would plummet to the minimum…

or perhaps not.

Thinking of something, Lu Li suddenly asked, “Do you sell food?”

“Only canned goods.”

“That’s enough.” It seemed that the value of investigation points had not become useless with the approaching apocalypse.

A can of pork and peas weighing 0.7 pounds was priced at 5 investigation points; a box of 20 cans was 100 investigation points, which amounted to a thousand Shilling.

Just ten hours earlier, Lu Li had bought two boxes at the price of 20 Shilling per can, which had more than doubled.

But what was there to complain about when he could still exchange investigation points for precious food?

“Will the price increase over time?” Lu Li asked before determining the quantity to purchase.

“Scarce goods will become more expensive.”

Lu Li glanced at Raimy and Jimmy; Raimy waved her hand and replied, “Don’t worry about us.”

“Jimmy needs food.”

“Ordinary food can only maintain my brother’s condition but not restore him, and his appetite is too large,” Raimy said helplessly, as Jimmy also made a bitter face.

“When it’s necessary, we’ll hunt some low-level monsters in the city.”

Lu Li said nothing, turned back to the merchant, and said, “Ten boxes of pork cans, ten boxes of beef cans, five boxes of fruit cans.”

These, along with a few boxes stored at the refuge, would suffice for three months of consumption, and the simple combination of three types of cans would maintain his physical condition to the greatest extent, avoiding nutritional deficiencies.

The price of fruit cans was the same as the pork cans, while beef cans cost…

15 investigation points.

The 25 boxes of cans would be delivered in two days, and for that Lu Li paid out 4,500 investigation points.

He still had 12,400 investigation points left to splurge.

The next was the second piece of information Lu Li wanted to know: whether the disaster that struck Belfast last night occurred only in Belfast…

or in many cities.

“50 investigation points.”

Quite a cheap price, after all, Lu Li would find out in time.

“Agreed.”

“Belfast on the Ailen Peninsula, Allen Ding City and Lei Erweisen of the Main Affinity Continent, Beast Roar Town in the Barbaric Lands.”

Rather better than expected, but this was just the first wave of invasions to arrive.

Lu Li noticed an omission among the attacked cities: “The Lennon Islands weren’t attacked?”

“No.”

This news was encouraging, but Lu Li thought back to the words shouted by the man gone mad on the steam train not long before.

“`

“They’re herding us!

Gathering us together just as we do with cattle and sheep!

Penning us together and then slaughtering us!”

Linked together, the thought was chilling, and back then, Tesla’s response was, “The Lennon Islands are humanity’s last hope.”

Whether Tesla intended a metaphor when he said that remains unknown, but it could now be understood in another way: The Lennon Islands are humanity’s last hope, emotionally.

Whether or not it can provide shelter for mankind is not important, what’s important is that people believe it can, and thus hold on to hope.

Moreover, the condition of the Lennon Islands might not be worse than other places.

At least when everything is shrouded in dark clouds, no one is spared from adversity.

Perhaps the refugees of the Lennon Islands could die in slightly less pain.

“The situation on the Lennon Islands and the ships sailing there,” Lu Li inquired.

Calculating the time, Aunt Mary and Jojo should still be at sea.

The merchant didn’t ask for payment; this information came as a free bonus: “Those heading to the Lennon Islands will arrive safely, except for the few unfortunate ones.”

Lu Li’s black eyes rested on the face wrapped and concealed by a woven scarf.

Raimy blinked beside him, even she heard something.

Sheep scattered across the plains were being driven back into an inescapable pen by a pack of ravenous beasts.

Before all the sheep reached the pen, these beasts would bear their hunger and not harm them.

Only a few who couldn’t control their desires would drag out some of the unlucky fellows from the flock and feast upon them.

“Who are you?” Lu Li spoke up.

The reply was a merchant’s cold, hard refusal: “Your investigation points are insufficient to obtain this information.”

“One last question.”

Lu Li wanted to ask about the Sect.

Although it was clear the merchant was not human and had an enigmatic and unpredictable background, the “Sect” couldn’t contaminate them with curses.

However, Lu Li wasn’t willing to take the risk; he simply summarized that he was being targeted by a strange, terrifying curse that would appear sporadically to entice him to observe it.

“According to the information I have, its first stage is hearing me, the second is seeing me, and the third is touching me; I am currently in the second stage.”

Having said that, Lu Li awaited the merchant’s response.

After a few seconds, the merchant spoke: “If there’s nothing else to trade, I should be going.

Your items will be delivered in two days.”

The merchant’s response, filled with a deep taboo, caused Lu Li to frown, “You don’t know either?

Or are you fearing something?”

“Know what, fear what,” the merchant countered.

Lu Li sensed something was amiss and, recalling Richard’s words, he turned his head towards Raimy: “What just happened?”

“You were staring at the merchant, and then he spoke up about leaving,” Raimy said, also feeling it was strange.

Lu Li wasn’t the type to space out.

A nameless chill enveloped Lu Li abruptly, more oppressive than the advent of doomsday.

What Richard said was true, unrelated individuals will alter, erase related memories.

Except for him, others don’t even have the ability to know a fragment of its peripheral details.

The Jimmy Siblings included, and so was the merchant, as was the investigator headquarters that had never responded from the very beginning.

The “Sect” was a conspiracy, a conspiracy aimed at Lu Li.

But what was its purpose?

What do the three stages of hearing you, seeing you, and touching you represent?

Are these three stages even real?

Could the diary also be part of the conspiracy, with there never being a previous victim, and Lu Li being the only one?

And what Lu Li could not understand was, Anna knew everything about the Sect, and there was Richard, who knew some of the information.

“`