Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 743 - 743 262

743: 262.

The Monster Toying with Illusions Greedily Gazes 743: 262.

The Monster Toying with Illusions Greedily Gazes On the morning of the second day, before leaving, Lu Li saw many townspeople gathered in front of a house.

They said the poor residents here encountered something strange last night, and no one survived.

This marked the fourteenth consecutive day of deaths in Tawei Town.

There were no traces of the strange occurrences left at the scene.

Considering the arrival of The Time of Silence last night, they might have died from the third calamity, or from the night disaster and the Mist of Strangeness.

After replenishing some supplies, they traveled east by carriage.

The distance between Luo Lei Castle and Spinning City was almost equal to the length of Ailen Peninsula, with a vast lake like an inland sea spanning between them.

Mirror Lake, where melting glaciers from the Spine of the World Mountains gather to form droplets.

Either circumvent it or cross the lake via the ferry.

Circumventing it would take too long, so Lu Li and Emin came to the ferry to prepare to cross by boat.

“It can’t go across.”

The most experienced boatman pointed at the carriage behind Lu Li.

“It won’t fit, and the Messenger of Mirror Lake won’t allow it onboard.”

The ferry only had a wooden boat that could hold up to eight passengers.

“The master of Mirror Lake?” Emin asked in confusion.

“They are the masters of this lake.

So remember to show them respect,” the boatman reminded, as if devoutly, like a Believer.

Lu Li turned to Emin: “Ask the locals.”

Emin briefly left to inquire with others at the ferry and soon returned to tell Lu Li about the situation at Mirror Lake.

A type of water ghost called Primordial Demon occupies this place.

They have the power to drag people into illusions and occasionally attack passengers on passing boats.

The boatman they chose seemed to believe in these Primordial Demons, and indeed, his boat was safer than others at the ferry.

At noon, many wanted to cross the ferry, and the wooden boat quickly filled up to eight people.

Leaving the carriage behind, Lu Li and Emin sat at the back of the wooden boat, and after other passengers boarded, the boatman pushed the oars to leave the shore.

Ripples spread across the mirror-like calm lake, and the clear water allowed visibility several meters deep, but the lake’s bottom remained unseen.

This unknown scared some first-time passengers on the wooden boat.

However, the Spine of the World Mountains reflected in the clear lake water with wooden boats dotting its surface, dispersing some fear with its spectacular scenery.

The boatman rowed and with the devotion of a Believer warned the passengers behind him about what to be cautious of: the Messenger disliked stares and to be grateful.

Beyond the religious and praise-laden language, one could discern the true nature of the Primordial Demon: similar in form to humans, moving like jellyfish.

They roam Mirror Lake, luring the shipmen into illusions.

Do not touch the lake water; do not drop things overboard; do not stare at the lake bottom for long; do not believe any illusion; and it may be counted as “harbor awe.”

They wield illusions as their power, perhaps able to perceive human thoughts.

Otherwise, how did the boatman who believed in them become the most experienced ferryman?

The wooden boat gradually left the shore, with only the passengers’ breaths and the sound of oars stirring the water remaining around them.

“What is that…”

At some point, a young woman looked at the right side of the lake bottom in horror.

She just saw a fabric-like textile swim past the lake bottom.

“That is the respected Messenger!” The boatman angrily turned his head, shouting at her foolish act, “Remove your filthy eyes from the pure lake surface!”

The young woman closed her eyes in panic, and the passengers who were glancing around also became obedient, and the atmosphere solidified.

Lu Li thought the boatman would throw the offending young woman into the lake as an apology to the Primordial Demon—Believers would do anything.

But surprisingly, the boatman only whispered a few prayers before continuing to row and leave this area of water.

The crisis seemed distant, yet people’s breathing on the boat became gentle.

A warm, soft palm suddenly grabbed Lu Li’s hand.

Emin looked at him and pulled out a sensing alarm clock from his cloak pocket, with its hands spinning rapidly in an uncontrolled manner.

This usually meant two possibilities: it detected a strange presence but couldn’t locate it.

Or the strangeness was everywhere.

Lu Li shifted his gaze, staring at the lake surface outside the wooden boat.

Terrifyingly, person-shaped outlines as soft as veils gathered in huge fish-like schools, circling around the wooden boat.

“Why are there so many…

Lord Messengers, you—”

A quivering voice sounded from the bow, the fisherman who also noticed this scene shouted in fear and then abruptly stopped.

“No!

My child, please don’t leave me—”

A wailing cry, the fisherman dashed off the wooden boat into the lake.

The wandering Primordial Demons under the water surged up, wrapping the fisherman into the depths of the lake.

“We’re taking over the wooden boat.”

Lu Li immediately stood up, moving toward the bow while saying, “Everyone close your eyes.

Do not believe everything you see or hear next.”

But it was of little use, the passengers were already captured by fear, plunged into chaos, screaming loudly.

The screams not only reverberated across this boat but other boats on the lake echoed with screams as well.

Primordial Demons were inexplicably no longer “tame,” rampantly attacking humans on Mirror Lake.

Grabbing the oars, Lu Li rowed toward the opposite shore.

Attacks without substance are most powerless.

Because truth and falsehood cannot be discerned.

Perhaps at this moment Lu Li still sat at the stern, hands waving as if holding oars.

But soon Lu Li realized he remained clear-minded because he sensed illusions: the sounds of a bustling street.

These familiar sounds were not clear, as if muffled and dulled by water.

The illusion Lu Li encountered was weakened.

Suddenly, a sharp sound of breaking air came from behind Lu Li.

A young man twisted his face, swinging an oil lamp, aiming at Lu Li’s back.

Bang!

A muffled sound, the twisted-faced young man fell into the lake, revealing Emin clutching a briefcase behind him.

The Primordial Demons surged up, enveloping the submerged young man.

Lu Li silently looked back.

Besides himself and Emin, other passengers were caught in illusions, either talking to the air or shouting and jumping into the lake.

“Don’t bother…

be wary of them, illusions may cause them to attack us.”

Emin came behind Lu Li, shielding him from potentially impending attacks.

“You row, I’ll protect you.”

Lu Li nodded, picked up the oars again.

But at this moment, a clear, glass-knocking sound cut through the noisy, chaotic wooden boat, piercing Lu Li’s ears.

Knock knock knock—

Lu Li lowered his gaze, looking at the side of the boat from where the knocking sound came.

A fair, exquisite face surfaced below the water.

“Lu Li…”

A white dress delicately floated, Anna gazed weakly at Lu Li from underwater.

Her hands pressed on the lake surface, but as if there was an ice layer barrier, she couldn’t leave the water.

“I’m trapped below, save me…

pull me up…

I beg you…”

Lu Li looked at her, still not displaying any emotions.

But his hand, which was about to grip the oars, moved away and reached out to Anna below the water.