novelraw Chapter 478: In the Fog
Chapter 478: In the Fog
"Port Roadster is a vital port connecting the Allen Peninsula to the mainland. The Council of Elders and the United Exorcist Organization can't just ignore it," Lu Li replied, though he knew that was only in a perfect world.
The Strange Fog had shrouded the city, and the United Exorcist Organization couldn't respond quickly enough. If, as Finn had said, the port had fallen into a dead silence, the epidemic could already be spreading.
Belfast was no longer safe.
Lu Li switched on the radio and tuned it to the secret channel.
[...Losing control... *static*... Do not touch the pus... or... bodily fluids... *static*... Radiance... Grotesque... flesh... Stay away... *static*... Terrible boils... Mediumship... *static*... Mind Level contamination... Need help...]
The exorcists' broadcast was distorted by static, but it kept repeating the same message. Lu Li listened calmly for several minutes, piecing the fragments together.
[Port Roadster is completely cut off from all communication, but some survivors and exorcists are still fighting. The Gnasher infection has spread beyond the port but is currently contained. They are easy to detect, and if measures are taken in time, further spread can be prevented. Do not touch the pus or bodily fluids of the infected; any contact can lead to infection with an incurable disease.]
[They are easy to recognize: humanoid creatures covered in terrible boils, composed of grotesque flesh. Their forms and abilities can vary. They attack from the boils and tumors on their bodies, so keep your distance.]
[Gnashers are vulnerable to both physical and spiritual damage. It usually takes two to three shots from a Spirit Gun to kill one. A headshot, provided the head isn't covered in boils, is an instant kill. The bodies of fallen Gnashers are also contagious, so be cautious. Gnashers do not have the ability to cause Mind Level contamination.]
[The Gnashers and the epidemic are currently localized to the port, but we are short on personnel. All exorcists in Belfast are to report to the port. We need your help.]Lu Li switched the radio to other stations, but they were all just repeating warnings for people to stay off the streets.
Turning off the radio, Lu Li went to his desk, opened a drawer, and strapped a holster to his belt.
"Are we going to the shelter?" Anna asked.
"We're going to help."
...
Midnight. Holding two oil lamps in his left hand, Lu Li walked down a deserted street.
The lamps cast a faint glow, barely cutting through the surrounding fog.
Light from the houses' windows held the Strange Fog at bay, illuminating the path forward. Only in the dark corners, where the light couldn't reach, did things stir. Contrary to what one might expect, the atmosphere wasn't oppressive.
Only a crushing silence.
Finn had survived thanks to a combination of luck and the light streaming from the houses.
Finding a cab at this hour was impossible, so Anna lifted Lu Li into the air, carrying him down the street toward the port. The lamps in his hand clinked softly. Had anyone glanced out their window, they would have seen nothing more than a fleeting shadow.
Her senses alert, Anna steered them around any spots in the fog where she felt a strange presence.
Lu Li, his own supernatural perception limited by his low Mind Level, couldn't sense anything beyond his immediate surroundings.
After they had flown several blocks, the surrounding fog suddenly took on an orange hue, like the afterglow of a sunset. The color intensified the closer they got.
The air grew thick with the smell of smoke, and faint screams reached them.
"Looks like a fire," Anna remarked, her gaze piercing the fog ahead. "Should we go around?"
"Yes," Lu Li replied calmly.
Anna turned back to the intersection and took a different street.
On the way to the port, now only a few blocks away, they passed three burning houses. One, a wooden structure, was just beginning to smolder, its residents spilling out in a panic.
When they saw Lu Li floating in his strange posture, as if carried by an invisible force, they fell silent in terror and averted their gaze, as though he were a creature born of the fog itself.
When they were just a block from the port, Anna set Lu Li back on the ground.
"There are a lot of people ahead," Anna said, sensing their presence, and she prepared to vanish.
"Don't enter the In-Between," Lu Li stopped her.
Many exorcists had gathered at the port, and Anna, who couldn't completely conceal her aura, might arouse suspicion if she were to slip into the In-Between.
Anna floated at his side as Lu Li walked on. The fog thinned as they approached the port, and they began to encounter people carrying torches and lamps.
But these weren't exorcists, just ordinary townspeople.
The residents of the coastal streets were being evacuated to safety.
Upon seeing Lu Li and the translucent Anna floating beside him, they parted in fear, trying to avoid looking at them.
Maybe he should have asked Anna to go into the In-Between after all.
Lu Li thought about it, but before he could say a word, a young man shot out from the crowd, screaming.
"Monster! I'll kill you!"
His companions tried to restrain him, pulling him away.
Anna froze, momentarily stunned, before realizing the shouts were aimed at her. A flicker of rage ignited in her eyes.
"Go on! Monster! Kill me! Just like you killed my sister!" the man shrieked, his eyes red-rimmed with tears as he fought to break free from his friends' grasp.
Anna looked at Lu Li and said gravely, "I didn't do it."
"I know."
Lu Li glanced at the hysterical man, whose cries were becoming increasingly incoherent. He frowned. "Silence him."
Instantly, the man froze as if he'd been punched in the gut, then collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath.
This only intensified the onlookers' fear. They scattered, scrambling to get away from Lu Li.
The commotion finally drew the attention of the police. They ordered the terrified crowd to stop and then approached Lu Li and Anna.
Lu Li produced his Investigator badge. "Senior Investigator Lu Li. I'm going to the port to provide assistance. This man insulted my assistant, so she disciplined him."
The officers exchanged glances. A middle-aged deputy chief sighed in relief, shot a contemptuous look at the man crumpled on the ground, and muttered, "Idiot."
"You, escort this exorcist to the port. And keep these onlookers back," he commanded one of his subordinates. Then, with a slight bow to Lu Li, he added, "The safety of Belfast rests in your hands."
Lu Li nodded and continued on his way.
As he passed the man, he said calmly, "Our minds are our greatest weapon against monsters. Don't squander your courage on pointless displays."