Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 791: Twenty-four. Good night, sweet dreams

Chapter 791: Twenty-four. Good night, sweet dreams

The staircase extends from underfoot to the 1700th level.

A new transformation appeared there.

Starting from the 1700th level, the gaps of the passage are filled with slender, gray-black tentacles, revealing the staircase that extends downward as they writhe.

In the blood-red eerie scene, the writhing slender tentacles resemble the entrance to hell.

Not yet at the end, there is still a way below. But if he wants to proceed, Lu Li doesn’t know how many levels of tentacle space he must pass through.

Perhaps only one or two levels.

And each level’s time limit is 30 minutes, the guardians’ inspection time might be only between 30 and 60 minutes.

Using his guess as a reference, Lu Li regarded these slender tentacles as guardians inspecting learning progress.

Lu Li continued downward.

The dense slender tentacles came closer and closer, appearing to writhe unconsciously or sway with the wind, indifferent to Lu Li’s approach.

Finally, Lu Li stood successfully at the entrance of the tentacles, he shook his wrist slightly, tentatively swinging his short sword across the outermost tentacle—

The sharp short sword cut through the slender tentacles as if passing through illusions.

Weapons were ineffective against them.

Upon detecting the assault, a lazy floating tentacle suddenly elongated, and a dozen slender tentacles transformed into fleeting shadows, darting towards Lu Li.

Lu Li snapped back to attention, raising his arm to shield their direction of attack with a round shield.

But due to absent-mindedness, he was still a half-beat slow. Unexpectedly, a pallid face with a smile abruptly appeared around Lu Li, blocking the slender tentacles’ attack.

Furrowing his brows, Lu Li looked at the pale face that enveloped him like a protective shield.

If the slender tentacles represent guardians’ inspections, then they represent... the knowledge he’s acquired.

Lu Li stepped forward, directly entering this space made up of writhing tentacles.

The slender tentacles move as if pulling one’s entire being, yet they are shielded by the continuously emerging pale faces. Re-entering several steps, a force from underfoot conveyed a sense of resistance, countless muddy hands reached out from beneath the stairs, grabbing towards Lu Li.

Cold light flashed, and neatly severed muddy claws fell to the ground.

His weapons and armor represent his vitality.

Lu Li’s expression remained calm and steady, the writhing tentacles, dense like weeds, were blocked outside by the pale faces. Wielding his sword and shield, he strode downwards, his steps unwavering.

Lu Li’s figure submerged in the tentacle space, as time slowly passed by...

Suddenly, a tall figure wearing a black coat abruptly stepped out from the weed-like tentacles, pristine and untainted.

The 1800th level.

Lu Li turned to look, the agitated tentacle space pacified as he departed, once more swaying like seaweed in a gentle breeze.

Lu Li had passed through the tentacle space.

Or rather, the little boy had passed the guardians’ inspections.

The short sword and shield in Lu Li’s grasp began to transform at this moment, morphing into dim light spots, gradually dissipating.

Items withdraw upon clearing the level...

Yet Lu Li felt a hunch that he had traversed the most perilous part of this endless staircase.

Retracting his gaze, Lu Li, standing at the 1800th level, looked downward.

The staircase once again underwent a transformation, becoming gloomier, more profound.

The wall color shifted from the original blood-red to dark-red, with the irritability brought by red gradually fading, replaced by an indescribable oppression.

The 1800th level... indeed, night was about to fall.

The flashlight and phone remained unusable.

The only unchanged aspect was the broken scattered hints on the dark-red walls.

In the dimness where visibility remained, Lu Li resumed his steps, moving toward the next temporal point.

The 1830th level

[Good night]

The fragmented scribbles on the wall suddenly mingled with an unrelated greeting.

Lu Li attempted to piece it into a complete sentence, but its content seemed ambiguous.

This utterly ordinary farewell appeared on the wall, though it seemed like a bloody death knell, ready to toll at any moment.

As Lu Li descended, the prevalence of "goodnight" increased on the walls.

The 1900th level, Lu Li encountered a table again, but it was empty, nothing placed upon it.

The 1930th level, nothing happened.

The 2000th level, Lu Li saw an old friend here—though calling it "saw" might be inappropriate.

Because it was an existence Lu Li couldn’t gaze upon directly.

Generally speaking, nighttime as rest time wouldn’t forbid watching TV.

But there are exceptions to everything.

Because this was Lu Li’s childhood.

The crackling noise approached, then faded away until vanishing. Lu Li once again conjured Ghost Hand, swinging it before him, touching nothing, then opened his eyes.

Avoiding carelessness is one reason Lu Li survived until now.

The 2030th level, apart from the space becoming darker in its red hue, with "good night" occupying most of the wall, there was nothing unusual.

The 2100th level...

Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight...

Walls, ceilings, staircases, everything in sight was covered with the words "goodnight."

Differing sizes, disordered arrangements, clusters of "goodnight" spread across walls and floors, extending into unseen darkness below.

Time for sleep, lights should be turned off, and naturally, there would no longer be light.

On the 2100th level’s wall, a door stood open, the space beyond was equally dark.

[Avoid staying up late, it’s your greatest enemy, health is more significant than you imagine]

The hint obtained on the first level emerged in Lu Li’s mind.

Clearly, continuing downward would concern anxieties of staying up. Entering the room, related to sleep, might be the exit.

Or a dead end.

Lu Li looked at the quiet dark behind the door, then at the deep hollow staircase below. The breeze from below carried something unpleasant.

Seemingly salty sea wind, seemingly whispered murmurs, seemingly clatter of chains...

Lu Li decided to follow the hint’s advice and "sleep."

At least until now, the hints on the walls haven’t harmed him.

Lu Li had no reason not to continue trusting the hints.

He cast a deep gaze at the abyss-like staircase and walked through the door at the 2100th level, his figure merging into darkness, vanishing.

That wasn’t his style, choosing to enter the closet in the end.

Typically, he would linger outside the closet, dialing the police to handle matters.

In the boundless darkness, Lu Li moved forward silently. Ahead of his view, a hint of dim light gradually emerged, rapidly enlarging.

[This is just a regular day]

The hint of light turned out to be a row of letters glowing with milky-white luminescence, revealing their form as Lu Li approached.

Looking ahead, Lu Li noticed a light point every few intervals.

At the end of his vision, a white space prominently stood amidst the darkness.

[Do not be anxious, do not lose hope]

[The road ahead is lengthy and distant, after the monotony awaits a better world]

[Whether it is good or bad, it depends on your initial choice and effort]

Lu Li passed by each phrase, the white space ahead slowly clarified, revealing its true form: a pure white space starkly contrasting the surrounding darkness, a clean bed situated in its center.

One foot stepped into this space, followed by the other. Lu Li entered the white space.

He walked to the bedside, flipped himself onto the bed. Overcome with drowsiness, he fell into a deep sleep.

Within the light of unending darkness, Lu Li’s breathing gradually steadied.

The final two sayings resonated within his heart.

[So now, have a good rest]

[The existence of deep-sea slumber calls you into dreams]