The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 1008: Title Release

It wasn't Beacon, a gift from the Emerald Dream, nor was it Dreamwalker, which was tied to dreams. Instead, it was the seemingly unrelated Cursed Title: Treewhisperer.

"Picture the Cursed Title, concentrate, and you will receive a new revelation," Silver Cross Elephant's reminder echoed in his ears.

Lu Li closed his eyes and delved into his mind, freeing himself from the illusory beauty.

[Treewhisperer]

[They are like the ocean, witnessing the rise and fall of all existence; they are like the mountains, standing firm upon the earth. They bless all life; they are everywhere. You love them, you care for them—and they, you.]

[Every tree holds an affinity for you.]

[— They are your good friends.]

Below the initial description of Treewhisperer, a new line of text slowly materialized.

[Wherever you tread, life rejoices at your arrival. Plants awaken from a deathlike slumber, attending their monarch like the royal guard.]

Gazing at the enigmatic, hazy text, Lu Li relayed the new information that had appeared.The details of a Lord's Cursed Title were considered a secret, as they described not only its power but also its drawbacks. However, Silver Cross Elephant and Mildred Humphrey had shared their true names and earned his trust.

The two Lords exchanged a look, and Silver Cross Elephant spoke:

"I think we need to test whether 'life' includes anomalies, and if 'plants' includes anomalous plants."

In return for Lu Li's trust, they revealed the powers of their own Lord Titles.

The power of Silver Cross Elephant's Lord Cursed Title, [Hunter], was as follows: [Living creatures, anomalies, even the world itself... you can see the weakness in all things, save for their minds.]

The power of Mildred Humphrey's Lord Cursed Title, [Spider Bloodline], was this: [Your bond with spiders deepens. It may be one of kinship, or one of hatred. Regardless, when you spit silk, you are more spider than human.]

"But don't get your hopes up too high," Silver Cross Elephant added. "Your [Treewhisperer] is not a combat-type Cursed Title."

While releasing a Cursed Title was a power strong enough to turn the tide of a situation and elevate a Lord to the highest echelons, not all Cursed Titles were suited for combat.

[Treewhisperer] was clearly a support or defensive Title.

The two Lords felt a pang of regret. If his [Dreamwalker] Title had been released instead, Lu Li would have possessed the power of nightmares to fight anomalies.

Lu Li turned, but the shimmering apparition of the sapling moved with him, always remaining just behind his back.

"Dismiss your newfound Lord power," Silver Cross Elephant advised.

The power of a Lord didn't vary in magnitude based on the Cursed Title; the rate at which it consumed humanity was the same for all.

He watched Lu Li, who was still radiating an aura of vibrant life.

The rate at which the Lord Title consumed humanity was almost negligible compared to the more than thirty portions Lu Li possessed.

Lu Li retracted the Lord Cursed Title, and the fantastical vision of the spectral sapling behind him vanished.

"I'll go deeper into the swamp and catch a few anomalies."

"There's no need to go to such trouble," Silver Cross Elephant said, stopping Mildred Humphrey.

"Just have the Trader buy some anomalies and animals."

Lu Li nodded and summoned the Trader, Antoni, once more, sending him to the Underground Trading Guild to purchase some anomalies.

The fire in the hearth had burned low. As Silver Cross Elephant leaned over to add more wood, he suddenly made a surprised sound.

"Hm?"

Lu Li and Mildred Humphrey followed his gaze to the floor, where he had spotted an anomaly—a tiny green sprout emerging from a crack between the floorboards.

This sprout hadn't grown because of the humanity aura; that much was clear.

Silver Cross Elephant grabbed an axe from the woodpile behind the cabin, returned to the sprout, and began to chop at the floorboards.

Lu Li frowned slightly. For some reason, the sound of the chopping axe grated on his nerves.

After chopping through one side of a plank, Silver Cross Elephant and Mildred Humphrey pried it up, exposing the bare earth beneath.

Countless sprouts had pushed through the soil. Flattened by the pressure of the floorboards, they lay in the dirt like a tangle of earthworms, forming a sparse, moss-like green carpet.

"[Plants awaken from a deathlike slumber]," Silver Cross Elephant quoted the description of the released power.

Mildred Humphrey slowly knelt, wanting to touch the real plants, the kind she remembered from her childhood.

To Lu Li, it felt like a vastly amplified version of his humanity aura.

At the rate his humanity aura worked, achieving such an effect would have taken at least a week, not mere seconds.

They didn't wither when Lu Li retracted his Lord power. But without the chance to grow properly, they would eventually die.

The two Lords then set to work dismantling the floor like seasoned craftsmen. A "green carpet" of growth spread out in a one-meter radius around the spot where Lu Li had been standing. Farther out, the growth became sparse, with only a few sprouts breaking through the soil.

Mildred Humphrey carefully dug up the sprouted plants and brought them closer to the hearth, hoping to keep them from dying in the cold swamp air.

"We could contact the alchemists," she suggested. "They would pay a handsome reward for these plants."

They were priceless.

While greenhouses and special cultivation techniques could also grow such anomaly-free plants, the cost was exorbitant. Typically, only the major factions could afford it.

Lu Li only knew Professor Kris, so he sent her a message about the situation here, also informing her that he had become a Lord.

The people sent by Professor Kris arrived even before the Trader, Antoni, returned with the anomalies. They collected the soil and the plants, which resembled a fungal growth, and even helped relay the floorboards.

They also brought a reward from Professor Kris—the very same wine glass from before. When Lu Li held it for a moment, he heard the sound of her blowing a kiss from within it.

The now-bare patch of earth under the floor and the muddy footprints were a testament to what had happened, along with the single sprout that Mildred Humphrey had planted in a flowerpot.

It would still be some time before the Trader, Antoni, returned with the anomalies. Lu Li and the two Lords settled in by the fire.

Mildred Humphrey was making coffee. The low flames in the hearth reminded Silver Cross Elephant of his task. He picked up an empty basket, stepped out onto the creaking porch, and left the cabin. A short while later, he returned with the basket full of firewood.

He tossed the wood into the fireplace. There was a crackle, like the sound of fat popping when a corpse is thrown onto a pyre...

"What's wrong?"

Silver Cross Elephant had keenly sensed the subtle shift in Lu Li's demeanor.

"For no apparent reason, I suddenly felt a sense of animosity toward you," Lu Li said calmly.

The feeling was faint, almost lost in the vast ocean of his own mind.

"What did you encounter outside?" Mildred Humphrey asked, turning to the recently returned Silver Cross Elephant.

"Nothing. I just gathered some wood. It was safe out there," Silver Cross Elephant said. Then, a thought occurring to him, he looked at Lu Li.

"It's likely your [Treewhisperer] Title. Remember the line, 'They are your good friends'? I suspect this is part of the curse's enhancement."

Fortunately, Lu Li was able to ignore the faint animosity—for now.