The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 254: The Seesaw

By day, the detective agency was usually serene, reminiscent of an afternoon at a retirement home, with newspapers, coffee, and tea setting the tone.

Lu Li had neither coffee nor tea, but he had newspapers in abundance.

The main story was still about the Kodasserlsen, and, at least for the general public, there had been no progress in the investigation. Baroness Joseph's case was officially closed, the lawsuit dismissed, and the plaintiff accused of slander. However, the plaintiff pointed the finger at another aristocrat, claiming to have been put up to it. A piece of high-society gossip had instantly morphed into a political conspiracy. It seemed the name Joseph would be gracing the newspapers for some time, vying with the Kodasserlsen for front-page headlines.

There were more murder reports than usual, but Lu Li found nothing about Aigeen among them.

Anything concerning the supernatural was carefully concealed from the public.

The weather forecast predicted a cloudy Friday and light rain on Saturday. The "Rain of Change" foretold in the Investigator Weekly could refer to Saturday's rain or to the unknown Sunday.

Then again, the "Rain of Change" could have just been a metaphor, not a literal prediction of rain.

Lu Li finished the newspapers just as his meal was ready. After lunch, he glanced at the clock—it was only just past one. There was still plenty of time before nightfall.

Deciding to take advantage of the spare moment, Lu Li headed to the investigators' headquarters to take a Mind Level test. He didn't take Anna with him—it was no place for her.

...The Friendship and Love Repair Shop

A few customers were in the shop, browsing for tools. The Alliance employees, acting like genuine shopkeepers, were helping them with their selections, paying no mind to Lu Li as he walked to the very back of the room.

He approached the painting that covered the entire front wall and, passing through the hidden elevator behind it, descended into the hall. In the lounge area, Lu Li asked the attendant for a glass of milk and waited for Tesla.

He had informed Tesla of his visit before leaving.

Soon, the sound of a door opening echoed from the other side of the hall. Tesla appeared in the doorway, impeccably dressed in a tailcoat, and made his way toward the lounge.

"You're looking well," Tesla said with a slight smile, sitting down across from Lu Li. "Shall we go to my office?"

"Here is fine," Lu Li replied, glancing toward the counter.

His milk was still being prepared.

As if reading his thoughts, Tesla looked in the same direction, then waved to the bartender and ordered a coffee, black.

Then he took a piece of a black branch from his pocket, just like the one Gades had, only this one was free of teeth marks and radiated a faint, sinister aura.

Just as he had before, Lu Li reached out to touch the branch, and Tesla immediately pulled his hand back. "Let's just talk for now."

"How do I transfer investigation points to you?" Lu Li asked directly.

"I'm in no hurry. Investigation points can be transferred through a Trader. Just tell him who you want to send them to and how many," Tesla replied. He removed the white glove from his right hand, folded it neatly, and placed it in his pocket. "Did something happen? Why do you need so much money?"

"Money has a way of running out."

"...That sounds reasonable," Tesla said after a brief pause. "If you need any help, just ask."

"Alright."

An Alliance employee brought the milk and coffee, ignoring the Heartwood Branch on the table. He set down the drinks and walked away.

"How do you feel after your first case?" Tesla asked, pushing aside his steaming cup of coffee.

"It was difficult. And... bewildering."

"Bewildering?"

Tesla was surprised. He hadn't expected to hear that from Lu Li.

"It's hard to know what the right course of action is. Everything can be both correct and a mistake. It feels like walking on thin ice."

Tesla nodded, understanding Lu Li's feelings. "That's normal. Newcomers often face such difficulties. The supernatural is like a capricious child—we never know what to expect from it, and we can only try to do what seems right."

Like the rituals of evil spirits and spirits of defilement, for example.

"And how do you deal with it?" Lu Li asked.

"Habit and knowledge," Tesla said, tapping his fingers against his forehead. "The first helps you not to give in to doubt, and the second allows you to better understand their nature."

Then he added, "You're unlikely to ever meet the investigators who couldn't get used to it."

Behind those calm words lay a cruel reality.

Lu Li changed the subject. "I'd like to know more about vengeful spirits and evil spirits."

As if expecting the question, Tesla answered with a smile, "For the sake of your ghost acquaintance?"

Lu Li said nothing.

After a moment of thought, Tesla began to explain. "You probably already know that only humans become ghosts after death. They retain their human consciousness, thoughts, and logic, but we all understand that ghosts and humans are different beings..."

"Their power can grow without limit. To achieve this, they need to kill—either humans or other ghosts—or experience intense negative emotions. Until they become vengeful spirits, they can still be considered human, in a sense. Do you know what a seesaw is?"

Lu Li nodded.

Tesla had apparently decided to use this analogy, though scales would have been more fitting.

"A ghost's state is like a seesaw. On one side is everything human about them; on the other, the influence of the In-Between. As long as they are just ghosts, the seesaw is still in balance. Or, in other words, the In-Between hasn't completely consumed them."

"But when a ghost becomes a vengeful spirit, its mental projection connects to the In-Between. Just as with humans, contact with the In-Between lowers the Mind Level, but for ghosts, it erases their humanity."

"The In-Between continuously seeps into the real world through the mental projection, strengthening the vengeful spirit but simultaneously upsetting the balance of the seesaw—one side rises ever higher, while the other sinks ever lower."

"This process is irreversible. A vengeful spirit will inevitably fall into the abyss, eventually transforming into an evil spirit. You've encountered them already. The different forms of evil spirits and their rituals are the result of how their mental projection developed while they were vengeful spirits."

"There is one chilling theory: that ghosts are merely tools chosen by the In-Between. It infects them, forcing them to create a mental projection that gradually grows and ultimately consumes the last remnants of their humanity, turning the ghost into a pure spawn of the In-Between."

"That's why, even knowing that ghosts were once people, we must destroy them. They are enemies of all humankind," Tesla concluded, his gaze on Lu Li more serious than ever. "If you care for her, do not, under any circumstances, allow her to become a vengeful spirit."