Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 597 - 597 One Hundred Sixteen

597: One Hundred Sixteen.

Tranquil Refuge 597: One Hundred Sixteen.

Tranquil Refuge Raimy spent some time with the children who had grown much closer to her, then returned to the cave to continue preparing food.

“Give it to me,”

said Jimmy, the Exorcist who was tuning the radio.

He took it from her rough paws and adjusted the frequency to the Exorcist broadcast.

Elm Forest was too far from the city to receive regular broadcasts—especially after the disaster that struck Belfast.

The only broadcasts they may receive now were probably from the Exorcists, or perhaps none at all.

All noise and static faintly arose with an eerie human voice in the background.

[…hiss…survive…Lu Li…hiss…Him…]

After fine-tuning for a few dozen seconds, the human voice in the radio finally overcame the static.

The Exorcist broadcast was playing content related to the Belfast incident.

Placing the radio back on the low table between the recliners, Lu Li, Jimmy, and Anna, who had returned to Lu Li’s side, quietly listened to the message coming from the radio.

Some of the residents who survived last night had already left the city and were taken in by the Exorcist United Organization on the other side of Sugard Mountain.

But until now, less than a hundred people had been rescued.

The Exorcist United Organization was discussing whether to enter Belfast to rescue the survivors.

In addition, the Exorcist broadcast advised survivors listening to the broadcast to try to flee the city before sunset, or find a relatively safe hiding place.

They found out that the eerie entity over the sea had not left yet—after sunset, the Mist of Strangeness would once again envelop Belfast, now a field of ruins.

Approaching eight in the morning, the vegetable soup and grilled meat slices Raimy had cooked were ready, and along with the desk from the shelter, were brought beside the recliners.

Raimy told Lu Li that the shelter should have a chimney.

Although smoke from the fireplace would drift out of the cave, some pungent smoke would still linger.

That might have some impact on Lu Li’s health.

Upon hearing this, before Lu Li could respond, Anna agreed to cut through the rock wall and make a chimney leading outside the cave later.

Anna picked up a soup spoon, gently blew away the rising steam, and held it to Lu Li’s mouth: “Ah~”

“I can do it myself.”

Lu Li slowly lifted his arm, only to be pushed back down by Anna: “Are you planning to spend all morning eating?”

Although awkward, Lu Li still accepted Anna’s care.

After returning from hell, Anna’s personality had indeed changed drastically.

It was understandable.

It had to do with what Lu Li had said and the fact that Anna had been worried by her prolonged stay in hell.

Even though Anna’s actions were somewhat forceful, like shifting from one extreme to another, it was still better than losing oneself and becoming a shadow.

Lu Li thought about it and slightly opened his mouth.

Anna lifted the corner of her lips into a curve, feeding him carefully, the tenderness in her eyes nearly melting away.

The hot soup was swallowed, and the warmth that spread dispelled the slight chill brought by the sea breeze blowing atop the cliff.

Anna and Jimmy also ate a little, saying that just feeling human was enough for them.

Raimy felt a bit envious because, just like Anna, she couldn’t eat or taste anything.

After the meal, half of the food remained, and Raimy took the desk and leftovers back to the shelter.

It was only about ten degrees today, so they wouldn’t spoil by tomorrow.

Next came building a new home for the “children.” It had taken the Jimmy Siblings a day and a half to put up a cabin, but this time with Anna’s help, it would be faster.

Anna went to look for completely dead elm trees and brought them back.

Raimy found some leftover tools and nails from trimming the wooden house and cleared a space next to the entrance on the cliff top.

A new wooden house similar to the one Raimy and Jimmy had made was completely built in two hours.

Looking down from the cliff top, one could see, amidst the withered trees, a small cabin made of elm, very close to the forest.

Raimy led the “children” to visit their new home, but they preferred to stay by Lu Li’s side, lying at his feet or playing and frolicking nearby.

It was hard to imagine that a group of charred monsters that would normally invoke fear and disgust could bring about a sense of peace.

“We’re lacking some bedding, but I don’t think they’ll need those,” Raimy said.

The room wasn’t furnished, just a rough wooden bed made from the leftover lumber that could fit all the children.

“There are some spares in the cellar, we can use those for them,” Lu Li suggested.

Raimy did as he said, retrieving the bedding and spreading it across the wooden bed.

The “children” gathered around seemed to remember something, jumped onto the bed, nuzzled the blankets with their chins, then rolled around and played, unconcerned about staining the clean bedding with mud.

Raimy watched this scene with contentment as if she was observing a group of ordinary playful children.

This was why she trusted and appreciated Lu Li.

As the morning approached, the sky became darker than it had been at dawn.

A bleak curtain of rainclouds was advancing from the sea.

Lu Li and Jimmy were ushered into the cave, and half an hour later, a fine drizzle of misty rain began to fall.

[“This rain should cool down the flames of Belfast.” “Let’s hope it doesn’t last too long, or it will be terrible for the survivors.”]

The conversation of the broadcasters came through the radio just in time.

The rainy season was about to end; this should be the last rain of the summer.

The coolness that came with the rain was inevitable, but the rain did not affect Lu Li.

At the moment, in front of the cave entrance, Lu Li and Jimmy were reclining in lounge chairs, covered with blankets, with cups of hot tea sending up whiffs of steam at their side.

Occasionally, a cold, damp breeze would blow into the cave, only to be dispelled by the warmth from the fireplace deeper inside the cave.

Gazing at the fine, wire-like curtain of rain, Lu Li thought of something he had temporarily given up: a water cistern.

The reason for abandonment was simple: even if a water cistern was excavated in the hard rock, the accumulated rainwater would seep underground over time and could not be stored for long.

The cliff top was at the highest point of Elm Forest, and it was difficult to channel water from the lakes and rivers within the forest.

Distilling seawater could only accumulate a small amount of fresh water, barely enough for Lu Li and Jimmy to drink.

What if rainwater was stored in another way?

Lu Li shared his thoughts with Anna and Raimy, asking if it was possible to gather a water source using their abilities.

Anna could do it, but she couldn’t maintain it unless she continuously controlled the ability that lifted the rainwater.

Raimy also regretfully stated that she couldn’t help.

For now, they could only use the three wooden barrels they had to collect rainwater outside the cave.

Before long, Raimy, concerned about leaks in the wooden house, left the cave.

Her and Jimmy’s cabin remained dry, but the “children’s” wooden house was leaking, so she came back to fetch some tools and sealed the leaking spots and windows together.

Unless they could find intact glass, Raimy did not intend to unseal the windows for the time being.

The rain intensified in the afternoon, continued for a while, then tapered back to a light drizzle until it finally eased up at dusk.

Soon after, Raimy returned to tell Lu Li and the others that fog was rising again over the sea.

By nightfall, the Mist of Strangeness returned, enveloping the silent Belfast and Elm Forest.

Lu Li retreated to the deepest refuge.

The Jimmy Siblings and “children” stayed to rest in the cave.

Another calm and peaceful day passed.

At least, for those on the cliff top.