The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 185: The Swamp Room

Every person has their own unique approach to solving problems.

That was the entire point of the trial—or as it was officially called, "Tesla and Tristan the Giant's Grand Adventure"—to understand each novice's style of action.

Lu Li's caution and Doma's directness were just one example.

Whether a novice's particular style was suitable for an investigator—well, that was another question entirely.

Doma tossed aside the head of the broken wooden puppet but kept its body. Gripping the doll by its legs, she threw open the left door.

The others exchanged glances and followed her in. Lu Li, as usual, went last, closing the door behind him.

"Is this swamp an illusion? It looks so real," Frank exclaimed, glancing around.

The other novices looked just as stunned as they surveyed their surroundings. They huddled together by the door on a small patch of solid ground, as if everything beyond their feet was a vast, murky swamp.

Hearing this and observing their reactions, Lu Li understood. He scanned the room and saw that it was no different from the last one, except that there was only a single door directly across from them.

Could these be hallucinations caused by absorbing the "ghost's thoughts"?It seemed so.

Dark purple sludge bubbled with foul-smelling pockets of gas, shifting sluggishly. A few gnarled, withered trees jutted out from the mire, their bare branches dotted with black crows that let out harsh, grating caws. On the opposite side of the swamp stood a solitary wooden door, just like in the previous trial, presumably leading to the next stage.

A narrow, intermittent path snaked its way toward the other side, curving around the center of the swamp. In the middle of it all, on a small island of solid earth, stood a wooden signpost.

It appeared to have something written on it.

This was the scene that Frank and the other novices saw.

Tristan's voice echoed in their minds: "A dangerous swamp blocks your path. You must demonstrate agility and speed to cross it and reach the next area."

"The swamp could be dangerous. Be careful, and don't step on any patches that look a different color," Owen warned, eager to take the initiative after Doma had gotten the jump on him in the last trial.

He knew the supervisors were watching, and the better he performed, the greater his chances of becoming an investigator.

"Just walk across!" Doma scoffed, and with a rush of air, she launched herself onto the path.

It was hard to imagine what the investigator who recommended her had been thinking.

"Be careful!" Frank cried out. He followed Doma cautiously, his arms outstretched as if he were walking on a balance beam.

"If this were a maze, she'd just smash through a wall..." Owen sighed, and started after them.

Only Lu Li and Daniel remained by the door.

Feeling Daniel's gaze on him, Lu Li said, "I'll go last."

Daniel said nothing and joined Owen.

Lu Li followed them, placing his feet precisely in their footsteps to avoid any unseen dangers. He felt neither tension nor fear. All he saw were bare red brick walls.

It was as if Lu Li were a detached observer, not a participant in the events unfolding.

Or, to look at it another way, Lu Li was the only one who saw things as they truly were, unswayed by the illusion.

Doma, agile as a panther, leaped effortlessly across the stones protruding from the swamp, making her way to the other side.

Frank, arms still outstretched for balance, stepped cautiously onto the stones, teetering from side to side before hopping to the next one. He finally made it to the path.

Owen and Daniel walked at a normal pace. Only Lu Li moved with an apparent nonchalance. He didn't pause or strike special poses like Doma; he simply walked as if crossing a stream on stepping stones, though his boots came dangerously close to the edge of the "swamp" several times.

"Is he really that good?" Owen wondered, watching everyone. Doma and Frank were easy enough to understand. But Daniel and Lu Li remained enigmas to him—and as luck would have it, both were exorcists.

"Does that mean Lu Li is stronger?"

In reality, Lu Li simply didn't want to hop around an empty room like the others—it felt like a childish game.

Especially with Tesla and the others watching from their hidden observation post.

"I still can't make out what's written there..."

They had gotten as close as they could to the center of the swamp, but the signpost was still about three meters away. Frank leaned forward, squinting to read the words.

"The ground over there is a different color, so it might not be as dangerous," Owen reasoned. "And there's a signpost, which could hold a clue. There has to be a way to get over there or at least read what it says."

The signpost couldn't be there for no reason.

"I can jump there," Doma announced suddenly.

Before her words had even registered, she tossed the headless doll onto the island in the center of the swamp and then, tensing the muscles in her legs, leaped after it.

Landing on the edge of the small island, Doma brushed her braids from her face, picked up the doll, and walked over to the signpost.

Words appeared on it: "You are weakened. You need the help of your comrades."

The moment the question formed in her mind, Doma felt her strength drain away, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Doma!" Frank shouted.

"Calm down, she's not dead," Owen said, stopping him as he was about to jump. "It's most likely a trap."

Doma struggled to lift her head. She looked at her companions on the path and, through gritted teeth, whispered, "Don't... look at the sign...!"

"Hang on, we're coming to get you!"

Frank backed up, took a deep breath, and broke into a run. As he reached the edge of the path, he abruptly changed direction and leaped toward the island.

He landed awkwardly, splattering himself with mud, but he made it.

"I guess I'll help too..." Owen sighed. He repeated Frank's maneuver and jumped to the island. Together, they helped Doma to her feet.

"I've recovered a bit... I can walk on my own!" Doma said stubbornly, pushing them away. She staggered to her feet. "My weapon...!"

"What a pain... If I'd known, I wouldn't have come," Owen grumbled, picking up the doll Doma had dropped by the sign. He remembered her warning and was careful not to read the inscription.

There was a thud of footsteps followed by a dull impact. Having regained some of her strength, Doma had jumped back to the path. But her momentum carried her too far, and she hurtled toward the edge of the swamp...