Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 689 - 689 208

689: 208.

The Time of Silence 689: 208.

The Time of Silence Rustle—

The howling wind scraped past the chimney, channeling through the elongated chimney flue and letting out intermittent sobs like boiling water.

The ashes were blown off, flung into the fireplace, making the fire even brighter.

Compared to the damp and cold, Amber preferred warmth.

It curled up in the dry cave.

The howling wind outside the cave was intensifying.

Raimy led the children into the cave, worried that the wind and rain might sweep them away and cause them to lose their direction.

The storm was coming quickly, and she would like to invite the lonely Aidanvoya over to her place and check the cabin one more time—even though it had been checked several times after being reinforced.

The children climbed towards Amber, treating it as if it were a low mountain fused nearly indistinguishably with the rock walls, chasing each other playfully.

One of them was an exception.

It climbed in front of the bookshelf outside the shelter, lifting its head, its melted and charred face under the broken glasses seemed to gaze at the books filling the shelves.

A hand reached out from the side, pulled out a book, and handed it to it.

This bedtime book contained simple fairy tales.

It lifted its head, its charred claws raised slightly, but it turned and ran back into the midst of its companions before touching the book.

Lu Li silently put the book back in its place.

“It is…”

Anna searched through the distant memories for details about the children.

“Wei’er,” Lu Li watched as it mingled and frolicked with the other children.

He walked past Amber and the children, standing at the edge of the cave.

The frigid wind blew over the cliff, carrying the rustling sounds of the Elm Forest behind.

For a moment, the wind paused, and a hand stretched out of the cave.

Snap.

A raindrop the size of a bean smashed into Lu Li’s palm.

The rain began to fall, hitting the soil and rocks, breaking the droplets into sprays.

The wind blew again, bringing even more fierce rainfall.

The cold mist hit the face, and Lu Li stepped back, his shoes muddied with murky raindrops.

At Lu Li’s suggestion, the crops, like Annie, now had a shelter to shield them from the wind and rain; he wondered if his power could affect deeper laws—like temperature.

But for those weeds that had just emerged from the soil, luck was not on their side; they had to rely on themselves to weather the approaching storm.

The wild wind carried the rain, forming a slanted curtain of rain.

Lu Li, carrying an oil lamp, quietly watched outside the cave for a moment before turning back towards the shelter.

As he moved away from the cave entrance, the sound of rain peeled away from Lu Li, leaving only the sobs of the wind sweeping over the cliff and chimney.

“I remember once during a storm…” Anna followed Lu Li back, recalling slowly, “Lightning illuminated the night sky like daylight, and thunder that shook the ground like an earthquake.

I hid in the councilor’s bedroom thinking that Divinity was punishing the sins I had committed, all night long—”

Her words abruptly stopped, panic and fear flashing across Anna’s cheeks.

This was not her memory.

It was Sara’s.

The oil lamp and the fire flickered, and shadows as if tangible roamed around the shelter.

“Perhaps I’m too tired; I need to rest…” Anna, not daring to meet Lu Li’s eyes, walked outside.

“I’ll go and get Raimy and the others to come in to protect you.”

“I will go and tell them,” Lu Li said.

“…Yes.”

Anna no longer pretended to be strong, and lay down on the bed, this time allowing Lu Li to watch over her as she fell asleep.

Emotions she had never felt before brought a slight coherence back from her chaotic consciousness.

“Wait for me.”

The room filled with Anna’s whisper.

She closed her eyes and sank into the depths of consciousness.

The oil lamp was placed on the bedside desk, Lu Li settled into the wooden chair, his eyes the same color as the darkness, fixated on Anna’s tranquil face.

Sounds from the cave entrance diverted Lu Li’s gaze.

“Can we come in to take shelter from the rain?” Raimy asked somewhat awkwardly.

“The wood isn’t holding up against the rain; it’s seeping through the boards into the cabin.”

“Yes, come on in,” Lu Li nodded gently.

Raimy was about to leave when she noticed Anna, who was lying on the bed with her eyes serenely closed.

“What’s wrong with Miss Anna?”

“Sara’s memories are infiltrating Anna’s consciousness,” Lu Li answered succinctly.

“Hadn’t Miss Anna already managed to hold on…?” Raimy asked blankly.

“It’s a different kind, a subtle and imperceptible change.”

For example, habits, personality, and thoughts.

Sara had over two hundred years of memories, while Anna’s life was forever fixed at eighteen years old.

To the former, the latter was as vulnerable as a cabin situated downstream in a deluge.

“That’s really bad…” Raimy sighed softly.

Although Raimy knew that Anna had become friendlier lately because of Sara’s memories, she did not want Anna to turn into another Sara.

She should be herself.

“Do you know of any way to suppress memories?” Lu Li asked Raimy, who had not yet left.

“Some sort of sealing of memories?” Raimy carefully searched her memory.

“The book does say that He could do it…

The Evil God possesses powers we can’t comprehend.”

“Is it the same for other Evil Gods?”

“The powers held by Evil Gods are from the same source; there are only minor differences…

Yes, sealing memories is not a unique ability.”

“The Mother of the Marsh then…”

Lu Li murmured, looking towards Anna on the bed.

If Anna did not improve, perhaps they should seek out the Mother of the Marsh after the storm had passed.

With Anna “ill”, the task of protecting Lu Li fell to the Jimmy Siblings, who were conveniently seeking shelter from the rain in a cave.

As morning approached, Anna had not awakened, and an unexpected visitor stepped into the cave.

Drip-drip—

Drip-drip—

A tall silhouette stood at the shelter entrance, blocking the narrow, dim light outside the cave; water dripped from its damp clothes.

The merchant opened the large backpack behind him, took out a still-dry issue of “The Investigative Bureau Weekly” and a radio-styled device.

“An exorcism broadcast gifted to you by the United Organization of Exorcists,” the merchant said in a deep voice, showing Lu Li how to use it.

Unlike usual, he did not ask if there were any trades needed and hurriedly left the cave under the curious gazes of Elm Forest’s residents.

Lu Li first looked at “The Investigative Bureau Weekly”; it had been only five days since the last issue; it wasn’t time for a new issue…

Rustle—

As he unfolded the newspaper, Raimy approached with an oil lamp; the short black title emerged on the inky-scented paper.

[The Third Calamity is born, exorcist squad annihilated, no survivors]

“This is…”

Raimy furrowed her brow.

Lu Li did not respond, continuing to read in silence.

[We have failed]

[The Third Calamity was not eliminated in its cradle]

[Let us remember the exorcists who contributed to this cause]

[But we did not come away empty-handed.

At least, while it rampaged among us, we managed to gather information on its ritual…

and its frequency]

[The Third Calamity has been named “The Time of Silence”; The Time of Silence will soon envelop the world like other calamities.

It appears sporadically, and when it does, any sound we make may be detected by it]

[We will do our best to communicate this message to everyone.

Whether you are in cities, gathering places, or wilderness refuges]

[When it comes, church bells will ring both around you and on the broadcasts]

[So when the bells toll—]

[Please remain silent]