Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 650 - 650 169

650: 169.

Please remember us 650: 169.

Please remember us “The carriage” was left in the backyard, as taking it could easily mean missing survivors, and the church was not too far from the safe house.

In the grim, damp streets with a grayish tint, Anna walked arm in arm with Lu Li, appearing much like a couple in love.

What made Anna’s eyes curve even more was that Lu Li had proactively allowed her to hook his arm—even though the reason was that Lu Li needed to scout Inverted City and needed someone to help him avoid bumping into pedestrians.

On their way to the church, there had been a piercing scream that seemed too genuine to be a disguise, not far from them.

They were late; by the time they arrived, the poor soul had already been surrounded and devoured by several strange creatures.

Among them, a middle-aged man covered in blood cursed loudly, he should have enjoyed the flesh alone, if not for the human’s screams.

Anna showed a hint of fear and panic when it looked their way, which was, of course, feigned—Lu Li could almost see Anna’s demonic tail wagging behind her.

Lu Li silently approved of Anna’s ruse; compared to the previous Anna, this fleshed-out one who took initiative and expressed emotions seemed more human.

Indeed, the strange creature took the bait.

It dared not disturb the others and secretly followed Lu Li and Anna, while Anna deliberately led Lu Li into a nearby Dark Alley.

Following them into the alley, seconds later, only Lu Li and Anna emerged from the other end of the alley.

“How much humanity is there now?” Anna asked softly.

She had calculated that entering Inverted City, they had killed about thirty or so demons, all weaklings like ghosts, but it added up.

“1.2…

or maybe 1.3.”

Humanity is hard to quantify; Lu Li could only roughly guess based on intuition.

Plus the amplification from the Doomsday Apocalypse, humanity should be around 2.5 times that of a normal person.

This means that killing 50 monsters would add the quantity of one person.

Of course, the good news is that there are tens of thousands of monsters in Inverted City.

It was a shame that Anna couldn’t go alone; taking Redemption with her, she could clear an entire block in less than ten minutes.

Echo Church, this large cathedral, nearly three hundred years old, had undergone several renovations but still retained characteristics of the era—its towering spires like ancient Knight lances piercing the sky, with demigod statues of Divinity carved along the edges, looking down pitifully on the monsters disguised as humans below.

When Lu Li and his company arrived, it just so happened to be three in the morning, and the bell tower’s clock struck, its long ringing traveling across every inch of land.

Behind a low wall, headstones stood in dense rows, more fitting for the scene than at any other time.

A robed figure was digging with a shovel in the open ground next to the church, unconcerned about the moist soil staining the hem of his clothes.

Lu Li looked up, realizing he wasn’t in Inverted City anymore, and he and Anna walked over.

The figure noticed them, set down the shovel, and under the cloak, his shadowy gaze settled on the approaching Lu Li.

“Emma and I come from the same place,” Lu Li stated plainly.

“We’ve been waiting for your arrival,” the figure nodded slightly, then glanced toward the church doors behind him.

“They are all inside.”

The figure continued to raise his shovel, digging into the moist earth.

Behind him, the brown soil revealed several pits large enough to accommodate a body.

Without a word, Lu Li headed for the church.

Solemn murmurs and whispers neared the church, echoing in the ears—it seemed like singing, or perhaps praying.

Dim lights illuminated the church, with dozens of robed figures sitting between the pews, heads bowed low; a mass-like murmuring spread among them, coming together and resonating throughout Echo Church, creating a strange and eerie spectacle.

To be frank, no one would believe these strangely behaving Believers were human.

Lu Li and Anna stood at the entrance, waiting without disturbing their prayers.

Minutes later, their murmuring faded, sinking into meditation.

It was hard to imagine the church becoming so quiet with so many people inside.

But soon, the silence was broken by footsteps as a figure from the pulpit walked among the pews, softly calling a Believer to follow him to the doorway where Lu Li and Anna were waiting.

The summoned Believer lifted his cloak, revealing Emma’s face: “Mr.

Luli, Miss Anna, he is our priest.”

She made the introductions.

The priest’s aged voice came from under the cloak: “Emma has told me about your strange abilities…

They are a gift from God, are they not?”

“Perhaps.”

Lu Li indeed couldn’t find a reason to pry into the affairs of the Inverted City, perhaps due to human nature?

Anna looked at Emma with disgust, disliking her betrayal and whistleblowing; Lu Li, on the other hand, didn’t mind, as he had no intention of hiding this ability, unless they had plots.

“Welcome your arrival, children,” the priest said, opening his arms wide and speaking softly.

“But you haven’t even shown your face,” Anna said sarcastically.

“It’s just an ugly face,” the priest answered slowly, unconcernedly, as he walked toward the confessional in the corner.

“Please follow me, there will be some tests before joining.”

“We don’t plan to join you,” Lu Li said.

But the departing priest didn’t hear, or didn’t care…

Emma followed behind like a devout believer.

“You decide,” Anna said gently, looking at Lu Li.

Lu Li nodded, and because of some speculation, he chose to follow.

The priest entered the confessional, and Emma stood at the door.

Looking at the hazy silhouette behind the carved wooden window, Lu Li felt a sense of familiarity.

“Just a few simple questions…

Have you ever believed in Divinity?”

“No.”

“Will you help those in need?”

“Yes.”

“Would you sacrifice yourself to save others?”

This question stopped Lu Li from answering immediately, and it was then that Anna, beside him, answered for Lu Li, “We won’t.”

“Selfish ones!” Emma said excitedly, her eyes shifting from friendly to disgust as she looked at Lu Li and Anna—

“Emma…

don’t let emotions guide your thoughts.”

The aged voice from the confessional made Emma lower her head, hiding her emotions.

The wooden door of the confessional was pushed open, and the priest came out, his tone regretful, “You cannot become His people.”

“If your ears aren’t just for show, you should have heard what Lu Li said,” Anna said, her hostility towards them no longer disguised as she noticed Emma’s change in attitude.

The priest, unconcerned about the conflict, asked gently, “Can I ask you for a favor?”

“What is it?”

“There’s a monster among us, disguised very well…

please help us find it.”

It wasn’t much trouble, and Lu Li agreed, “I can’t do it inside the church, let’s go to the cemetery outside.”

A few minutes later, all the believers had gathered outside the church, and Lu Li had also identified the monster among them.

“How will you deal with it?” Lu Li asked the priest beside him.

“Divinity will punish it for us.”

Anna didn’t like the oppressive atmosphere, so Lu Li didn’t plan to stay any longer.

Before leaving, he remembered something and asked the priest, “Will you let me remember?”

The priest paused.

“Yes, please remember us.”