Detective Agency of the Bizarre

Chapter 1547 - 5: Phantasmagoria Syndrome

Lu Li couldn’t fathom why the Crow Woman had deceived him and pocketed the pills.

"But I don’t understand its words."

"Don’t understand?" A puzzled expression seemed to emerge from behind the mask, "It’s asking if you could give it the oil painting."

"Woof woof woof!"

"It says it’s willing to exchange something."

The golden retriever pulled open a drawer and grabbed a calendar with its mouth.

Lu Li took the calendar, the dates on the yellowed pages had disappeared, now displaying the "fourth" day.

Is it just a household item, or is it a "prop" like the oil painting and pills?

In any case, a calendar is definitely more convenient than carrying an oil painting around.

"Is there anything you need help with?" Lu Li agreed to the exchange, then asked the Crow Mask.

She maintained a strange assessment of Lu Li for a moment, then said considering he helped the golden retriever, "I have something hidden in the activity area; if you can help me retrieve it... I can give you something."

"Where is the activity area?"

"It’s just to the left of room 201."

Lu Li then looked at the last patient in the room and locked eyes with "her," who had been observing him since the beginning. He asked the imposing figure that seemed to evoke inner fear, "Is there anything you need help with?"

"She" didn’t respond.

Lu Li temporarily passed over this patient and left the room.

Dusky vapors descended upon the corridor, the fourth twilight had arrived.

Today seemed longer than imagined.

Before night fell, Lu Li escorted the girl in the wheelchair back to 201 and seized the chance to observe the corridor past the corner—the end was secured by two locked doors.

To enter the activity area, he needed a key.

Returning to 204, the living tree sat amidst the soil-covered bed as it did at dawn.

"Do you need help?" Lu Li asked the living tree.

"No."

With no new clues, Lu Li began to organize today’s gains:

Swapped a painting for a calendar; traded a story for anti-inflammatory medicine; accepted the Bird Beak Mask’s request.

Then tomorrow he should tell the golden retriever’s story to Mildred Hampri, and find the use for the anti-inflammatory medicine and calendar...

Suddenly, a decaying outline flashed in his mind, maybe it needs anti-inflammatory medicine?

Looking outside the window, burning fog was about to dissipate, night was closing in.

Lu Li voluntarily approached the living tree’s bedside.

"Let’s begin."

The roots coiled around him in response.

Lu Li opened his eyes, the dense fog outside seemed eager to breach the room. The calendar on the nightstand had changed to "five."

"Do you need help?"

"No."

The dialogue with the living tree was the same as last night, and Lu Li first went to room 206, finding the golden retriever’s bed already empty.

"It was discharged," said the Bird Beak Mask, "it left a message for you. It said the past is undoubtedly beautiful, but cherish the present."

Then Lu Li went to the adjoining room 207 to hand over the anti-inflammatory medicine to the decaying outline, "This anti-inflammatory pill should help you."

The decaying outline unreasonably accepted Lu Li’s gift, finding himself unsure. The voice belonging to the boy’s outline handed Lu Li a coal-like blackened crystal. Lu Li smelled sugar cane from it.

It was a piece of candy, though not good-looking.

Next, Lu Li asked the siren if she needed help.

"I’d like to take a walk in the activity area."

Again, it was the activity area, Lu Li couldn’t offer help for the moment. Then it was that rag doll. But the small body concealed a big temper, she shrieked sharply at Lu Li’s inquiry, "Go away! Go away!"

Maybe lacking eyes strengthened her linguistic ability.

Before the nurse was drawn by the noise, Lu Li left room 207 and went to visit Mildred Hampri.

The golden retriever’s story fetched Lu Li another "prop" from the elderly hands—still another anti-inflammatory pill.

Lu Li attempted to engage with the cold ghost named Mishelia unsuccessfully, turned to Friday, who interjected, "I’m good, no need for help."

Back in the corridor, he noticed the continuously closed room 208 was now open. Three beds, one reclining the Pig Man, one seated a filthy boy, and one stood a chilling man draped like a bat’s wings.

The latter was scolding the boy, who timidly hung his head, fingers fidgeting with his clothes.

Lu Li did not interfere, continued walking towards the nurse station.

The Crow Mask and the siren’s requests both pointed to the rest area, only the hospital’s administrator knew how to open the activity area’s door.

Ringing the nurse station’s bell went unanswered. The sheer behind implied emptiness.

Lu Li recalled that suspected patient list paper...

"What are you doing here?"

Lu Li looked at the nurse who appeared from nowhere: "I want to ask when the activity area opens?"

"Holiday."

"When is the holiday?"

"When it’s the holiday." The nurse showed no interest in conversing further with Lu Li, coldly said, "Do you have anything else?"

"I saw the man in room 208 bullying the boy."

Seemingly uninfluenced by delusions, the nurse appeared normal... but maintaining a frosty stance towards Lu Li, she turned towards room 208.

Lu Li followed halfway, stepped into adjacent room 207, but was refused when giving the second anti-inflammatory pill to the decayed boy.

"I have no sugar now..." The decayed boy hesitated, "Bring me the medicine tomorrow, I’ll give you sugar."

Lu Li agreed with him, and upon exiting, the dispute in room 208 had already been resolved.

The nurse waited outside the ward for Lu Li.

"You’ve been wandering around lately."

"I lost my memory, I want to interact with other patients and see if I can regain it." Lu Li offered the prepared excuse. "I won’t disturb them."

The nurse said nothing, turned away, leaving Lu Li pondering whether that was a reminder or warning. If it were the former, he only needed to be cautious; the latter meant he needed to evade the nurse in his subsequent movements.

Time quietly slipped by, when Lu Li noticed the external change, another evening arrived.

Lu Li returned to room 204, as yesterday, stood by the living tree’s bed. The roots twisted up, bringing pain and suffocation. But when reaching his pocket, it receded like a tide.

Unwelcomed by a new day, Lu Li realized something, took out the charred sugar cane candy from his pocket: "Do you want it?"

The living tree’s aged face revealed a human-like yearning.

"It’s for you."

This candy, traded with the decayed boy, exchanged the living tree’s restraint on attacking Lu Li for the night. But it seemed meaningless, unless...

Lu Li gazed out at the dim atmosphere creeping beyond the retreating orange hue.

Explore the hospital at night?

There’s some risk... being found by the living tree or other patients, the worst outcome was just ending today. But if the nurse discovered it could result in confinement or being sent to the third floor...

Click—

Faint whisper, the door cracked open slightly.

Lu Li peeked into the dim hallway. No lights, in the dull depths seemingly a janitor was cleaning, or perhaps a horrible monster festered in the darkness.

Recalling the nurse’s warning when he arrived, he needed brightness to confront the darkness like a living thing.

Disregarding the danger of stepping into perilous darkness, Lu Li closed the door again, returned to the bed, and shut his eyes.

When he opened them again, a pale mist enveloped the window.

"Good morning, Mr. Lu Li."