The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 184: Physical Teleportation

Before their encounter with the Investigators, none of them had ever heard of the notoriously mysterious organization.

And now, a single word—teleportation—parted the curtain of secrecy.

Anticipating something extraordinary, the recruits followed the Alliance member's instructions and settled onto the cold floor. Lu Li did the same.

A low muttering emanated from beneath the hood of the black cloak, and a strange, smoke-like fog began to fill the room. It seeped through the very walls, coiling and creeping toward Lu Li and the others.

The fog carried a peculiar scent that sparked a faint sense of unease, but nothing overwhelming. The smell was familiar to Lu Li, something he was certain he had encountered just recently.

The Shadow Swamp?

No, not that long ago.

Yesterday?

Yes, that seemed right.

It was the meal Anna had prepared with... her special touch.Lu Li’s dark eyes narrowed, and he subtly held his breath.

Teleportation...?

The fog filled the room, obscuring everything. It brought a wave of mild discomfort, though it wasn't suffocating. The figures of the other recruits became hazy and spectral, as if they were still sitting in their spots, yet had already vanished.

Lu Li observed in silence. Once the fog reached a certain density, it grew no thicker. Frank and the others began to sway as if drunk, before collapsing to the floor one by one.

Through the swirling mist, Lu Li saw the cloaked figure pull a filter mask from beneath their robes and secure it over their face, which was already lost in the shadow of the hood.

...?

Lu Li glanced at the others. The four recruits lay unconscious, completely overcome.

After a moment's thought, Lu Li let himself fall, feigning unconsciousness. He made sure to land face down to avoid betraying himself with an unconvincing performance.

The fog lingered for another moment before a sudden gust of wind swept through the room, scattering the haze to reveal five figures sprawled on the floor.

Seven or eight Alliance members filed into the room. They lifted the unconscious recruits—Frank and the others—along with Lu Li, who was merely feigning.

Teleportation...?

...

Teleportation is, by definition, the instantaneous transfer from one location to another.

Here, "teleportation" simply meant knocking them out, physically moving them to the test site, and then waking them up.

From the participants' perspective, they had, in fact, been "instantaneously" transported to an unfamiliar location.

"Incredible..." Frank said, rubbing the back of his head. "Are we still in the Investigators' building?" He swore he could feel a lump there.

Did he hit his head during the teleportation?

The room was just as bare as the last one, with exposed red brick on all sides. It was a perfect square, with a single door set into each of the four walls.

"I suppose so. It's just as plain," Owen ventured.

Lu Li, who had witnessed the whole charade, knew the truth.

They were still inside the Investigators' headquarters, just a short distance from the room where they had been "teleported." Lu Li couldn't fathom the point of the deception.

Was it to emphasize the organization's mysterious and enigmatic nature?

Or was it just someone's bizarre prank?

"This is the starting point, the beginning of the trial," a disembodied voice announced in their minds.

Startled, Frank and the others glanced around, searching for the source of the voice.

Lu Li's gaze subtly shifted to a ventilation grate in the corner. Having inhaled only a small amount of the fog, he hadn't succumbed to its hypnotic effects. Unlike the other four, who couldn't pinpoint the voice's origin, he knew exactly where it was coming from.

"You will face a series of trials, and you must rely on your courage, resilience, teamwork, caution, and insight to find the exit," Tristan's deep voice boomed in their minds.

"Either complete the trials or otherwise demonstrate that you are worthy of joining the Investigators."

"Welcome to..."

The narration cut off abruptly, and Tristan's voice lost its booming quality. He seemed to be asking someone next to him, "Why is it called 'Tesla's Great Adventure'?"

"Because I came up with the story, and that's what it's always been called," Tesla's voice replied.

"I didn't know that."

"That's because this is your first time running the recruit trial, you big oaf," a woman's teasing voice chimed in.

The four recruits in the room exchanged confused looks. Were their supervisors... bickering?

Crash!

Something crashed to the floor, and Tristan roared, "But I'm the narrator! It should be called 'The Great Adventure of Tristan the Giant'!"

"Pick up the chair."

"Oh."

There was a scraping sound as something heavy was dragged across the floor.

"Fine, enough arguing. We can just call it 'The Great Adventure of the Lovely Rachel'," the woman's voice interjected again.

"May I make a suggestion?" a gentle voice cut in. "I'm finding this quite amusing, and since I'm just a guest here, why don't we call it 'Dilan's Great Adventure'?"

Silence followed for a few seconds.

"It shall be 'The Great Adventure of Tesla (and Tristan the Giant) and Tristan the Giant (and Tesla)'," two voices declared almost simultaneously.

Huddled somewhere out of sight, the supervisors had finally agreed on a name for the trial.

"Those idiots have no idea we can hear their whole conversation..." Owen muttered, standing beside Lu Li.

Any atmosphere of mystery created by the "teleportation" had now completely evaporated.

"Welcome to 'The Great Adventure of Tristan the Giant and Tesla'!"

"Before you in this starting chamber are four doors. The symbol on each door represents the trial that awaits beyond. Choose one."

Frank and the others began to inspect the doors. A symbol was painted on each wooden surface. The door straight ahead showed a mouth. To its left, in order, were doors bearing an eye, an ear, and a nose.

"Just parts of a face? What does that mean?"

"I pick the mouth!"

"It probably doesn't matter which one we choose."

...

"Why did you pick the mouth?" Owen asked, turning to Doma.

"None of it makes any sense anyway, so what's the difference!" Doma replied, heading for the door with the mouth first.

"She has a point," Owen shrugged and followed her.

Frank and the silent Daniel joined them, with Lu Li bringing up the rear.

When all five had passed through the door with the mouth symbol, Lu Li, the last in line, pulled it shut behind him.

The narrator's voice once again echoed in their minds.

"You see two doors, one on either side. Your path is blocked by two strange little wooden puppets. One of them speaks only the truth, the other speaks only lies. You must figure out which is which to choose the correct path."

Two simple wooden puppets stood before the doors, voiced by members of the Alliance.

"My name is Dort!" declared the left puppet. "The left door is the correct one."

"My name is Terdo!" declared the right puppet. "The right door is the correct one."

"This is an easy one," Owen said, stepping forward.

Doma beat him to it. She strode over to the left puppet, grabbed it, and with a flex of her bulging muscles, snapped its fragile wooden neck. Then she snarled at the remaining puppet, "Tell me, is he dead?!"

"...No," the right puppet replied, its voice wavering.

A satisfied grin spread across Doma's face.

"The left door it is, then."