Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 683 - 683 2021 A new newspaper

683: 202.1 A new newspaper 683: 202.1 A new newspaper Whether the heretics’ goal was related to the Ghost Prison or not, Lu Li had no intention of interfering.

Even if all the ghosts in the prison were released, it would be like tossing a large lump of mud into a swamp.

Belfast was already bad enough; how much worse could it get?

In the afternoon, Lu Li returned to the refuge to rest for a moment.

A whole day of jostling had left him feeling as if he were still on a ship at sea, swaying underfoot even away from the carriage.

Anna sat “staring blankly” behind the desk, a state she found herself in often lately, but in reality, she was perusing Sara’s memories.

They were far more fascinating and real than any story in a book.

Lu Li wasn’t tired, so he woke up quickly, his gaze drifting over Anna, who was “staring blankly,” and onto the desk.

It might have been an illusion caused by the flickering flames in the hearth, or it might have been real, but the tender shoots that seemed to be dying since Lu Li’s departure now appeared to be reviving.

“…Lu Li, you’re awake?” Anna snapped out of the memories, nearly calling out a different name.

“Are you looking at Sara’s memories?”

The blanket slid off Lu Li as he sat up; the refuge was warm and dry from the hearth, and there was no chill to be felt.

“They’ve been through a lot on their travels,” Anna responded.

Even if Sara and Adam hadn’t wandered everywhere, the span of over two hundred years would still bestow many profound memories.

“Stay true to yourself, don’t let Sara’s memories affect you,” Lu Li always worried that the vast memories would strike Anna’s consciousness, changing her.

Although it was nearly impossible not to be affected.

“I’ll be careful,” Anna replied softly.

As evening approached, a volcanic mass of flesh emerged from the deep sea, spewing strange mists toward the land.

Amber and the children hid in the cave, along with Aidanvoya and the Jimmy Siblings.

Everyone from the Elm Forest who could move gathered in the cave—it was like a living room, where they all commonly spent time before resting.

After settling down, Aidanvoya once again expressed her gratitude for Lu Li’s shelter and insisted that Tesla would definitely come back for her—a point on which she seemed to have particular conviction and trust.

Anna lit two oil lamps, one placed on the desk to brighten the refuge along with the fireplace’s glow, and another hung inside the cave.

After that, until bedtime, only the sounds of the children running and flipping through books echoed from the depths of the cave.

The books Anna brought back enriched the refuge as well as the hobbies of its residents.

Raimy and Aidanvoya each held a book by the lamp, and even Jimmy picked up a book to look through.

But he sat too far from the lamp, in the dim light, making it questionable whether he was truly reading.

One hoped the book wasn’t upside-down.

“I like the stories in this book, let’s continue tomorrow,” Jimmy muttered as he placed the book back on the shelf upside-down.

Anna glanced up—the book Jimmy had chosen with a colorful cover was called “Geography Records.”

The truly book-engrossed Raimy set her book aside.

She shared similar interests with Anna and asked Lu Li about the outside situation.

Or rather, about Lu Li and Anna’s experiences from the past few days.

So, from Arlen Kingdom to Valrend, from paradise to the Blood Dandelions, Lu Li told them their legendary-like experiences to the Jimmy Siblings and Aidanvoya.

Those who didn’t live on the Main Affinity Continent or in the Arlen Kingdom would find it hard to know about Flarend City, but everyone knew about the Arlen Kingdom that speckled the Main Affinity Continent like stars—

So its ruin also caused the residents’ alarm, as well as the Dandelions covering Tranquil Plains, and the destruction of Sara and Adam.

“Is the outside world really that bad…” Raimy murmured to herself.

Although no longer human, the thoughts from their once human existence still weighed heavy on their hearts.

“Will the man-eating dandelions come here?” Jimmy asked, somewhat afraid, as the Blood Dandelions were practically his natural enemy.

“Things from the inland rarely drift over here with the wind,” Lu Li responded.

Even if they were to make it over here by chance, this natural refuge could keep them at bay with just a pile of bonfires.

However, just as the stars in winter were brilliantly shining, Himfast could extinguish in the blink of an eye, and the Ailen Peninsula could be completely engulfed in boundless darkness.

After Jimmy Siblings returned to the cabin, Aidanvoya followed.

Amber didn’t leave; the warm, dry cave made it comfortable, so the children stayed as well, falling asleep on its back and by its side.

Anna added some firewood and turned the radio on the desk to the lowest volume; the constant static hissed softly.

But it had to stay on to receive any potential broadcast from the Exorcist station.

After a peaceful night passed, and with the dense morning fog fading away, a trader arrived, followed closely by an excited Jimmy.

Raimy was in Aidanvoya’s room, helping her make furniture.

He brought with him the new week’s edition of “The Investigator Weekly,” and before browsing the newspaper, Lu Li had to trade some intelligence with the merchant.

This experience should net him a rather handsome reward.

As time went on, investigation points became increasingly precious, while Shillings gradually lost the value assigned to them by people, returning to their intrinsic nature: a piece of copper, or a piece of paper.

This experience brought Lu Li a reward of 13,000 investigation points.

Unrelated to inflation, most of the value of the intelligence was derived from an Ancient God who presided over paradise, known as Prada.

For now, Lu Li had no need to purchase anything.

The trade completed, the merchant left the top of the cliff.

Lu Li sat beneath the Annie Tree, as Anna placed two flower pots beside him before returning to the refuge to prepare food.

The flower pot brought back from Arlen Royal City maintained its condition, while the other pot’s new shoots shed their dead look, brimming with vitality.

The sound of the continuous waves breaking against the cliffs below mingled with the leaden clouds, as Lu Li unfolded the newspaper.

The front page, as expected, covered the events in Arlen Royal City and did not hide what happened afterwards—the Ancient God awoke, the vast and great consciousness above the stars coalesced into dazzling pupils that observed, the Ancient God perished, along with everyone around Arlen Royal City who witnessed this scene.

Without any pictures, the horrifying sight that left humanity feeling exposed under the starry sky could only be passed down through people’s conversations.

And the ripples it created affected the surface of the world.

For instance, almost none of the members of the three major organizations in the Royal City survived; for instance, the people hiding in the settlements were anxious and concerned, worrying about when the next calamity might fall upon their heads.

The second edition was also related to Lu Li: the migration of the citizens of Valrend and the spread of the Blood Dandelions towards Tranquil Plains.

They were far more troublesome than many evil spirits, and what made it worse was that they inflicted destructive harm to cities, spreading like a plague, leaving the places they passed through unlivable for humans.

Despite their glaring weakness, that flames could purify them.

Investigators warned people not to approach areas ravaged by Blood Dandelions until an effective method of clearing them was found.

The third edition, from far in the Barren Lands, top Exorcists had formed several squads heading towards the new calamity.

In some sense, this was good news.

At least the human protectors had not been completely annihilated in Arlen Royal City.