novelraw Chapter 233: Lu Li's Letter
Chapter 233: Lu Li's Letter
A flickering fire illuminated the shelter.
The dry stone walls and sandy floor, warmed by the flames, radiated a steady heat that drove back the cold, damp night air.
The howl of the wind, the crash of waves on the shore, the crackle of branches in the fire—the sounds merged into a strange symphony.
Lu Li sat leaning against the far wall of the shelter. All he had left were the clothes on his back, two Spirit Guns, a shard of stone, a protective Amulet, his Mind Level counter, a can of stew, and a flask of water.
His pocket watch was gone—lost either during the swim to the island or in the moment he'd leapt from the ship.
Without pause, Lu Li meticulously cleaned the sand and grime from a Spirit Gun, which he kept wrapped in its case to shield himself from its corrupting influence. It was the only thing he could do now.
His water flask, set on the stones near the fire, began to simmer. Without breaking his focus, Lu Li waited for it to boil, then moved it off the flames and set it in a small hollow he'd dug, covering the top with another stone.
He wasn't particularly thirsty.
He occasionally tossed another branch onto the fire and waited.
Click... click... click...An hour after nightfall, a soft, rhythmic sound began to emanate from the warm shelter, almost imperceptible over the other noises.
Lu Li's eyes narrowed. He looked up at the gap overhead, his hand tightening on the grip of his Spirit Gun.
Click... click... click...
After a few long seconds, a shadow emerged from the gap above the sleeping ledge.
It resembled a hand, but it was thinner and sharper—as wide as a palm but nearly twice as long, like a shadow stretched thin.
And in essence, that's what it was: a shadow.
An Evil Spirit: the Shadow that Steals Fire.
The shadow's sharp claws scraped along the surface. It slithered down from the ledge and stretched toward the source of light—its target was the fire.
Lu Li didn't draw the Spirit Gun from its case. He simply swung the heavy, sheathed weapon at the Shadow that Steals Fire.
Smack!
An indent appeared in the sand. The Shadow that Steals Fire recoiled sharply, vanishing into the darkness behind the ledge.
Just as the Inquirer had said, the Shadow that Steals Fire was easy to repel. As long as you spotted it before it could douse the flames, it posed no real threat.
This was Lu Li's first encounter with an Evil Spirit, and he was grateful to know the creature's Ritual and how to counter it.
Click... click... click...
But the Mind Level counter kept clicking.
Half a minute later, the Shadow that Steals Fire returned. Just as before, it crept over the ledge and stretched toward the fire.
Smack!
As if startled, the Shadow that Steals Fire jerked back into the darkness.
The silence lasted for another half-minute before the black claws reappeared.
The Shadow that Steals Fire returned stubbornly every thirty seconds. Lu Li drove it back time and again, listening all the while to the persistent clicking of the counter, wary of any other Evil Spirits that might appear.
Lu Li tried firing the Spirit Gun to wound the Shadow that Steals Fire, but it had no effect. Half a minute later, it was back.
The standoff continued for about fifteen minutes. Lu Li had just batted the Shadow away yet again, convinced it would return indefinitely, when the clicking of the counter abruptly stopped. Silence fell over the shelter.
The Shadow that Steals Fire was gone.
Lu Li relaxed slightly, only to tense up again an instant later.
He heard footsteps in the sand just outside the shelter.
Nightfall awakened the island's more monstrous inhabitants.
The slow footsteps drew closer, growing more distinct, until they finally stopped just behind the sleeping ledge, radiating a sinister aura.
Lu Li stared at the makeshift bed, ready to draw his Spirit Gun at a moment's notice.
He didn't attack first. The Mind Level counter was silent.
Perhaps it was an illusion...
The thought had barely crossed his mind when words began to form on the fabric of the makeshift bed.
[Anna, if you're reading this letter, it means I'm in trouble or already dead]
Direct and to the point—it was Lu Li's letter to Anna.
He had entrusted it to Tesla with a single condition: if he didn't return within three days, the letter was to be delivered to the detective agency.
Few people knew about the letter, and only Anna was meant to know its contents—and even she wouldn't see it for three days. Unless, of course, Tesla decided to open it.
But that was impossible.
Only an omniscient being could know the letter's contents—or a being that was omniscient when it came to Lu Li. Something like... the Door.
The Shadow that Steals Fire had just left, and now the Door had appeared.
The words vanished, only to be replaced by the next part of the letter.
[I've gone to investigate the origin point of the hurricane. It's only a hundred nautical miles from Belfast. If you're reading this, then my suspicions were correct: something from the depths of the ocean is approaching the coast.]
[All contact with the outside world has been lost, and the situation is becoming critical. But you're a ghost, so things are a little easier for you than for humans.]
[I've laid out some recommendations for you in this letter. You don't have to follow them, but it would be best if you did.]
[Belfast is safe for now. "For now" could mean a few months or a few years. During that time, you need to train as much as possible, but don't stray far from the detective agency. You're not yet strong enough to stand against the exorcists.]
[All my savings are hidden inside the books in my desk drawer. If you need help, go to Gades. He doesn't treat ghosts the same way other exorcists do. More importantly, he loves money. Don't tell him about me. If he presses you, just show him the cash.]
[You can trust Tesla, but just in case, don't seek him out. I don't know if Remi and Jimmy will appear. If they do, you can tell them the truth and consider teaming up with them. But first, make sure their personalities are the same as in my stories.]
[Don't try to find me. If I'm alive, I'll have to come back for you if I find out you've gone out to sea, and that's just an unnecessary hassle. If you're determined to look, then come in a month, or when you sense that I'm in danger.]
[That's all. Good night, sweet dreams.]
The final line faded away. Lu Li's letter was finished.
And now, the Door revealed its purpose.
New text formed on the makeshift bed.
[An hour ago, Anna received the letter. She's worried about you. To gain the power to save you, she has taken many lives. She is now on the verge of becoming a Vengeful Spirit.]
[Her power is growing too quickly, and she's losing her sanity. If she becomes a Vengeful Spirit, she will be almost completely mindless. She might not forget her mission to save you from the ocean, but she'll kill countless people on her way to the port and draw the attention of every exorcist in the city.]
[There is a boat waiting for you on the shore. It will take you back to Belfast. Anna needs your help before it's too late.]