Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 851 - 44. Model

Chapter 851: 44. Model

The Dark Cave is inlaid with fluorite, shattered gray mist permeates the swamp, and peculiar outlines wander in the mud, making it a hotbed of plague and disease.

"Because this is the safest route recently."Puxiu eagerly tilted his head to explain:"The other routes are more dangerous and take a much larger detour."

"Safe?"

Katerina pointed beneath her feet and said sarcastically.

The sludge below the swamp shore churned with Katerina’s gesture, and beneath the splattering mud faint snake-like slender limbs revealed themselves.

"We can take the ferryboat. Look, it’s here."

Puxiu reached out a forelimb, pointing into the depths of the swamp.

An unmanned small boat was sailing through the swamp, its tail tracing a wake as it drifted towards the shore.

"If we board the ferryboat, the mud won’t attack us."

The wooden boat approached the shore, calming the bubbling sludge as if pacified, returning to tranquility as it neared.

Bang.

The boat’s bow gently bumped against the shore.

To demonstrate, Puxiu leapt into the wooden boat. The lightly swaying boat stirred ripples absorbed by the sludge, and the swamp beneath remained calm.

"We are humans, the plague and contamination here will kill us."Katerina spoke with refusal and distrust towards Puxiu.

"But the other routes are more dangerous..."

At that moment, footsteps echoed from behind.

A tall alien with six arms and fish gills arrived at the swamp route.

Puxiu instinctively jumped out of the boat cabin to make space, and the alien pulled up its lips as if smiling at Puxiu, taking a seat on the wooden boat.

Because Lu Li and Katerina’s believer-like attire, it did not interact with them.

Followers are not to be messed with wherever they are.

The stationary wooden boat slowly bore the alien away from the shore, and with its departure, the sludge below churned anew.

"What’s the situation with other routes?"

Lu Li silently observed the increasingly distant boat.

"Of the two routes closest to the swampline, one only permits mutants and excludes humans and aliens, the other requires traversing a segment of the dark path..."

A route crowded with mutants, a route threading through the dark path. Besides the swamp route, they truly had no other choice.

Provided Puxiu was not lying.

"I’ll take this path!"The boss emerged from Lu Li’s shoulder.

"We’ll wait for the next boat."

Lu Li said.

Many wooden boats traversed between swamp islands, and after a period of waiting, a new wooden boat arrived.

Puxiu leapt into the cabin, and Lu Li and the reluctant Katerina stepped onto the wooden boat.

The foul stench of rotting sludge grew dense as they entered the swamp.

"How do you get it started?"

"Just think about your destination, if there are many people you need to say it aloud."Puxiu said, shouting at the boat:"To the opposite shore of the swamp."

The boat slowly floated towards the bright exit on the other side.

On the fractured islands within the swamp, many silhouettes stood where the boat passed.

"Absolutely do not pay attention to them, and do not respond."

Puxiu stared tensely at a silhouette standing about ten meters away on the shore, reminding:"Especially do not leave the boat; as long as it is not intruded we are safe."

The boat drifted closer to a solitary island, an old woman standing at the shore turning her head towards them, holding a wooden bowl brimming with savory meat broth, gently beckoned to Lu Li and the others.

The distance was so close you could reach out to grab the wooden bowl. Due to Puxiu’s reminder, Lu Li and Katerina did not respond to the old woman, remaining quietly seated as the boat floated by.

The second island housed a beautiful maiden sunken in mud."Help me... I don’t want to die..."Wearing a white dress, tears welled in her eyes, desperately pleading to Lu Li and Katerina.

The third island was marked by mud-encrusted crawling humanoid shapes.Adorned with severely decayed heads, their eye sockets glowed with bright red pupils.As the boat approached, they ridiculously and creepily stood upright, mimicking human gestures, attempting to attract Lu Li and the others’ attention.

Having left the third island behind, the boat had arrived at the center of the swamp path.

Here lay an island as well, the fourth island they would pass.

A disproportionate wooden house perched on the island, resembling freshly steamed white bread stretched long, revealing fibrous distorted dregs.

A familiar silhouette stood at the edge of the island the boat would pass.

The tall woman referred to as the model.

"Exit is dangerous, mutants occupy it, there, stop, disembark."

As the boat neared the shore, the model opened bristled fangs, emitting a low voice that trembled the air.

Just like the previous three islands, Lu Li and Katerina ignored it.

But as the boat passed, the model suddenly leaned forward, its hooked nose gently sniffing the lingering scent of them in the air.

Lu Li’s delectable presence made her familiar.

Deep-set eyes climbed with blood filaments of resentment, the tall woman’s head turned mechanically, body crouching down, stepping with slender limbs, grinding of teeth accompanied her chase towards the boat.

Fortunately, before the model caught up, the boat drifted away from the island.

"Why is it attacking us?"

Katerina asked in confusion:"Didn’t it plan to guide us when we first arrived?"

"Model holds grudges... It saw me and thought I stole its business..."Puxiu stammered out of fear.

"So it’s coming for you?"

"N-No... It’s coming for us. If caught you will also be eaten."

Lu Li glanced behind, the model was blocked by the swamp, agitatedly pacing at the shore.

"Are we safe?"Quivering and with his tail between his legs, Puxiu hid in the cabin.

"No."

Lu Li stared at the island.

The pacing model had left the shore, yet the danger had not vanished.

It advanced on spider-like slender limbs, crawling and leaping between the fragmented swamp terrain from the edge, pursuing the boat.

"It’s coming for us!"

Puxiu screamed out, trembling with fear, tail wedged tight.

Scrambling, the model moved faster than the boat.It wouldn’t be long before it overtook the boat, waiting ahead for them.

"What can you do?"Katerina’s gaze followed the agile crawling of the model.

It was more flexible than the Mantis Ghost.Katerina didn’t have confidence in confronting it.

Lu Li slightly nodded, lowering his head to the boat:"Return us to the entrance we came from."

The wooden boat carved an arc through the swamp, retracing its route.

Distantly the model paused, continuing its chase.

The boat passed by three islands where the bizarre shapes imitated human gestures.The white-dressed maiden sunk in mud still called for help, the old woman stood at the shore, the nearby wooden bowl within reach.

But they were slower than the model by some measure.

As the jumping model landed before the entrance, Lu Li and the others’ boat was still tens of meters from the shore.

"This won’t work." Katerina focused intently on the approaching model."It’s faster than us... We won’t make it ashore."

Lu Li did not answer Katerina, instead lowered his head to the boat.

"Turn around, go to the exit."