The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 469: The Fifth Believer

Light and shadow began to race, their rapid shifts mirroring the swift passage of time.

Time passed, yet everything that transpired in the church was somehow, inexplicably, reflected in Lu Li's mind.

Lu Li "saw" the priest leave the church. He saw parishioners praying and attending mass from the pews, or conversing with the nuns.

And as time flowed on, the first familiar figure appeared in the church.

Olivia and her child sat down on a pew. Soft light illuminated her flaxen hair, and the occasional cough of a child drifted through the air.

A nun approached, asked something, and then left, only to return a short while later with food.

Then Green and his daughter appeared.

The girl whom Lu Li had twice seen looking sorrowful was now cheerful and carefree. She took her father's arm and sat beside Olivia and her son on another pew.

They spoke of something and learned that the priest had invited them both.

But the girl who had previously pleaded with Lu Li never appeared. Only when the light in the church grew soft and warm, as if it were late afternoon, did the weary priest return.He spoke for a moment with Olivia and Green, who had risen to their feet, then approached the confessional. Bowing his gray head, he whispered something, but due to the accelerated flow of time, Lu Li could not answer him.

Receiving no reply, the priest returned to Olivia and Green in disappointment and began to wait for twilight.

Observing the church from this unusual vantage point, Lu Li noticed a few details.

The nuns brought out several lit oil lamps long before darkness fell.

The priest, Olivia, and Green often glanced at a radio receiver placed oddly on the church altar, as if its broadcast was of great importance.

The first detail likely meant that this place, too, was afflicted by the Night Calamity. The second, Lu Li could not yet understand.

The light filtering into the church from outside gradually grew dim and yellow, and the figures near the oil lamps became sharper. The girl who had asked for help still had not appeared. Despite a few inconsistencies, everything seemed to be heading in a better direction.

Or so it seemed.

Suddenly, just as night was about to fall, a fiery red light flared outside, like a sunset.

The priest and the others leaping from their pews showed Lu Li that this was no reflection of the setting sun.

Flames raged around the church, thick smoke rising to the heavens, closer than ever before to the abode of God.

The spreading fire distorted everything. The figures of people seemed to be trying to flee, but in the dim light, they were consumed by the flames.

Charred wooden beams collapsed, and fire fell like raindrops from the mural on the ceiling.

Amidst the raging inferno, only the confessional at the edge remained untouched, as if separated from the world by an invisible wall.

The flames licking at Lu Li's face gave off no heat.

Lu Li frowned. He remained silent, unable to comprehend the reason for what had happened.

Was failure predetermined in this trial? Otherwise, Lu Li could find no explanation for the sudden fire in the church.

In any case, the flames meant that the trial on this floor was a failure.

The fire outside continued to rage, like a scene from hell. There was no longer any reason for Lu Li to stay. Taking the oil lamp, which flickered like a firefly, he opened the carved wooden door behind him.

The walls were eaten away by darkness, and the remnants of the stairs resembled uneven clods of earth stretching downward.

They radiated a faint glow, like stars in the night sky.

But this luminescence evoked neither a sense of beauty nor of mystery.

Now, with the abyss fully revealed, Lu Li could see two carved wooden doors below. And beneath them, a small section of untouched corridor stood out strangely against the void.

Two floors of the trial remained; these were Lu Li's last two chances.

Lu Li didn't know what would happen if the corridor vanished completely. He could only continue downward.

The ruined steps had become nearly impassable. To reach the next floor, Lu Li had to leap from one surviving ledge to another, as if crossing a river on stepping stones.

A carved door, seemingly floating in the void, led to the next floor. Upon opening it, Lu Li once again heard the soothing sounds of an organ, and the play of light and shadow dispersed the oppressive atmosphere.

[Even the eyes of God can be clouded by His most devoted servants.]

The inscription on the wall seemed cryptic and incomprehensible.

Glancing around the church, Lu Li saw that the hall was empty, and the light from the door indicated that it was now midday.

Closing the door, he set down the lamp and sat on a chair, awaiting the fifth believer.

Soon, a limping figure appeared in the doorway.

It was a young man. His leg appeared to be injured. He hobbled to the confessional, leaned against the chair, and hurriedly said, "Father, please, help me..."

"My name is Ol Peters. My brother has committed an unforgivable sin..."

Lu Li's eyes narrowed.

Just like his brother, John Peters, Ol Peters told a similar story, but with the roles reversed.

In his version, his brother, John, had been like a venomous snake since childhood, possessing an innate talent for killing. His victims started with insects, then small animals, and recently... people.

Yes, in John Peters's story, the Ripper was his younger brother. But in Ol Peters's story, the Ripper was his older brother, John.

Already guessing what was happening, Lu Li picked up a pen and paper.

"[Your brother came to me recently and told the same story, but with the roles reversed,]" he wrote.

Ol Peters fell silent for a moment, then he understood what had happened.

He started to say something, but hurried footsteps sounded at the church entrance.

People burst into the church, but contrary to Lu Li's expectations, they were police officers.

Accompanied by a nun, they strode quickly toward the confessional.

Ol Peters glanced back, quickly tore up the note, shoved it into his mouth, and swallowed. His voice was desperate and pleading. "I hope you'll keep my secret. My brother had his reasons for what he did. He won't do it again, I promise..."

The officers ran up and seized Ol Peters, roughly slamming him against the chair. They slapped handcuffs on his wrists and hauled him to his feet. Ol Peters let out a muffled groan of pain.

The officers had vaguely heard Ol Peters speaking to someone in the confessional. Growing suspicious, they opened the door. But, obviously, they found nothing.

The confessional was empty.

Eyes wide, Ol Peters was led out of the church by the police.

Lu Li lowered his head slightly, reconstructing the course of events.

The killer known as the Ripper was not Ol, but John.

Likely sensing that the police would soon uncover his identity, John had come to the church and told the priest a fabricated story.

It was a clever move. He had calculated that the priest, upon hearing his false tale, would at the very least confirm his alibi, even if he didn't report it to the police.

And even if the police had evidence, it would be difficult for them to distinguish between twin brothers born only minutes apart.

Although there was no priest in the confessional, John's plan had still worked, thanks to Lu Li.

The priest had summoned the police, and they had arrested Ol, who had just arrived at the church.

John was exonerated.

The price was that he had sent his own brother to the gallows with his own hands.