The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 201: One After Another

Another evening had fallen.

Ever since Lu Li had learned how difficult it was to restore one's true Mind Level, he had stopped checking his surroundings with a brief touch of his Spirit Gun.

His Mind Level diminished with every use.

Anna had taken over the task of reconnaissance. While it offered little benefit, it was still better than nothing.

The curtains in the kitchen and living room were drawn, leaving The Bizarre Detective Agency lit only by the dim glow of oil lamps in the living room and bedroom.

Anna lay on the bed, engrossed in a book. The rule about reading in dim light being harmful to one's eyes didn't apply to ghosts.

At half-past nine, as bedtime approached, Anna heard Lu Li leave the house. He returned a few minutes later, taking off his coat and heading into the kitchen to wash up. The sound of running water ceased, followed by footsteps in the living room, the creak of the leather sofa, and the rustle of clothing.

Lu Li lay on the sofa, covered by his woolen coat, an arm draped over his forehead, hiding his eyes in shadow.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

In the silence, the clock on the table ticked faintly. From time to time, indistinct shouts drifted in from outside the window.From beneath the sofa, vicious, sickly yellow eyes flashed. Out in the corridor, beyond the agency's door, sharp, scaly claws slid silently underneath it.

"Good night," Anna said to the empty room.

No answer came.

Silence settled over the room.

...

July 11, 5:00 AM.

The gloomy sky over the sea began to lighten, dispelling the darkness of the night.

The dawn brought with it the quiet sounds from the neighboring apartment as its occupants began to stir.

Having finished her book during the night, Anna’s ears twitched. She lifted her head and glanced toward the living room. From the hallway came the sound of a neighbor’s door opening. Morning had arrived, and the residents were beginning to wake and prepare their breakfasts.

Sss...

The faint sizzle of cooking drifted in from the corridor. This atmosphere of everyday life was precisely what Anna craved. She listened quietly for a moment, then, as if remembering something, snapped her book shut. She hopped off the bed, wobbled slightly, and padded barefoot and silent into the living room.

Lu Li lay on the sofa, eyes closed, his breathing even—he was still asleep.

Certain that Lu Li was asleep, Anna tiptoed over to extinguish both oil lamps, as she usually did. She then approached the sofa and reached for the curtains.

Swish...

The sound of the curtains sliding open was quite loud. Anna stole a glance at Lu Li on the sofa and, seeing his eyes were open, pretended not to notice, continuing to draw them back with painstaking slowness.

Ten seconds passed, then twenty, then thirty...

As if time moved differently for her than for everyone else, Anna pulled the curtains apart inch by inch.

"I'm getting up."

After a full minute, Lu Li finally spoke.

"Huh? Oh..."

A strange expression of embarrassment and disappointment crossed Anna’s face. She pulled the rest of the curtains open in one motion and slowly backed away from the sofa.

Lu Li sat up, shrugged off his coat, slipped on his shoes, and opened the door.

The noise from the corridor surged—the sounds of cooking and loud children’s voices flooded the detective agency for an instant before being cut off by the closing door. Lu Li soon returned, walked into the kitchen to wash his face, and then sat down at the table.

He noticed the book by the bed in the bedroom, then turned to Anna, who was lounging on the sofa while watering the flowers on the windowsill. "Were you up all night again?"

"It’s so dangerous at night, and you were resting. Of course I had to stay awake to protect you." Her expression practically screamed, "Go on, praise me!"

As expected, Lu Li simply nodded, offering no reply.

Accustomed to his ways, Anna paid it no mind and went back to watering the flowers.

The tulip Lu Li had left for her had long since withered and died. Anna had been terribly upset at the time, and now she poured all her attention into the flowerpot.

Desperate for something to grow in it, Anna had asked Lu Li to buy all sorts of seeds—grass, flowers, trees, and even vegetables.

Though so far, not a single sprout had broken through the soil.

The image of a beautiful young woman calmly watering flowers by the window was so idyllic that passersby couldn't help but smile. The glare on the glass kept them from noticing that the figure behind the pane was translucent.

Suddenly, a black shadow shot down from the sky and slammed into the window. Anna shrieked and tumbled to the floor.

Lu Li looked up to see Anna pointing at the window in terror. "It’s a crow!"

...

Click...

Lu Li unlatched the window, which hadn't been opened in a long time. A gust of cold, damp wind swept dust from the crevices, carrying it into the detective agency as a crow swooped in to land on the sill.

Anna squeezed her eyes shut against the sudden cloud of dust.

Lu Li shut the window again, and silence fell over the agency.

The crow was coal-black, save for the dark brown talons gripping the edge of the flowerpot. Its feathers, slick with morning dew and rain, had an oily sheen. Tied to one leg was a small message capsule.

An Investigator's companion—a Black Crow.

Lu Li held out his hand. The crow didn’t flinch, allowing him to remove a rolled-up slip of paper from the capsule.

[The circumstances surrounding the anomaly at the Belfast True Library have been ascertained]

[The anomaly that appeared in the True Library on July 10th is a previously unknown type of spirit of defilement. By the time an exorcist arrived, it had already departed. However, traces confirming its presence were discovered within the True Library]

[This incident has been logged. Lu Li, as the discoverer of this anomaly, you will receive an internal award of 50 contribution points from the Investigators. You may provide further details about the incident through an Investigator base or via Black Crow. The organization will grant you an additional reward based on the value of the information provided]

The Investigators had reacted with surprising speed.

"Wait here," Lu Li told the crow, then turned to his desk and tore a sheet from a notepad.

He decided to follow the advice in the letter and pass on the information he knew to the Investigators.

Anna hadn't moved from the window, her eyes still fixed on the black crow. Turning her head slightly, she quietly asked in the direction of the desk, "Lu Li, what do crows eat?"

"They're omnivores. They eat the same things people do," Lu Li replied without looking up.

"What about bread?"

"Yes."

Full of excitement, Anna slipped into the kitchen and returned a moment later with the bread left over from last night. She broke off a small piece, placed it in her palm, and timidly offered it to the crow.

She looked as though she desperately wanted to touch the crow but was afraid it would peck her.

The black crow, perched on the edge of the flowerpot, turned its head. A slight movement rippled in its throat as it stared at Anna with its beady black eyes.

Anna froze, unable to overcome her fear. She placed the piece of bread on the table beside her.

The crow glanced at the morsel, then hopped from the flowerpot to the back of the sofa, leaving damp talon prints on the fabric. From there, it leaped onto the table, cocked its head, and, with a series of quick pecks, broke the bread apart and devoured it.

"Ooh..." Anna’s eyes lit up.