The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 499: Richard and the Second Chance

Frankly, Richard hadn't displayed any remarkable intelligence during his first trial.

In stark contrast to the shrewd and calculating Lu Li, Richard had only his reckless bravery and dumb luck to thank for scraping through the relatively forgiving trial.

And yet, it's often reckless guys like him who end up as the heroes of the story.

Perhaps that was why Richard was so confident in his ability to become the new Ancient God.

Lu Li stood calmly in the endless darkness, waiting. A light gradually appeared ahead, and within it, Richard's silhouette took shape.

This Richard was different from the one Lu Li had seen before. He had changed—both his clothes and his expression.

During the first trial, Richard had been scared and anxious, like a fawn lost in a dangerous forest, filled with fear and distrust of everything around him.

Now, he was still thin, but no longer so gaunt and hunched. His eyes burned with excitement and enthusiasm.

This Richard more closely resembled the one Lu Li had encountered in reality.

Considering Richard's first trial had likely been accidental, and the second was taking place at least several weeks later, he'd had time to understand what was happening to him and devise a plan. The change in his demeanor was perfectly logical.What would a prepared Richard do in his second trial?

Richard still hadn't noticed Lu Li behind him. Before him stretched a row of carved wooden doors.

Lu Li knew what was about to happen and watched in silence as Richard approached the first door and opened it.

The first believer, Olivia Kiken. She had come to the confessional to pray for help for her son, who was sick with asthma. At first, Richard, like Lu Li, tried to speak to her, but upon realizing he couldn't be heard, he started writing on paper.

Standing behind the chair, Lu Li saw him casually write, "How serious is his illness?"

A fairly ordinary question, but coming from Richard, it was unexpected.

"The blood he coughed up has almost soaked through the whole handkerchief..." Olivia answered, sobbing.

"Are you willing to do anything for your child?"

"Of course! I would give my life for his health..."

Richard's expression became conflicted, perhaps because he'd grown up on the streets and had never known his parents.

"He has a mother to be proud of. Now we just have to see if you're truly prepared to sacrifice everything, as you claimed..."

Richard wrote his advice on a second sheet of paper.

"Do whatever it takes. Steal, rob, kidnap—use any means necessary to get money for your child."

Holding the sheet of paper, Olivia hesitated.

"Life hasn't been fair to you. You don't owe it any fairness in return."

The third note pushed Olivia to a decision. She left the church in silence.

The scene beyond the partition changed; evening had fallen. Nuns appeared in the church, sweeping the floor.

Richard's path led to the same tragic end—Olivia was caught stealing and sent to prison. Her son, left without anyone to care for him, died at home.

Although Olivia survived, she was surely tormented by despair and regret.

Richard seemed frustrated. He stood up from his chair, left the first confessional, and entered the second.

On the confessional wall, Lu Li saw a familiar inscription: "Only the truth can win people's hearts."

Unlike the inscription Lu Li had seen, the second phrase was missing: "Ignorance is not a sin; pride is."

The second believer, Arthur Green Pierce. In defending his daughter, Green had killed the thugs who attacked her and had come to the church seeking help.

"You did the right thing! Anyone who harms you or your loved ones deserves to die!"

Perhaps Richard realized his previous advice hadn't worked and decided to change his tactics, or perhaps he was simply following his own convictions.

Despite the radical and strange advice, Green seemed a little relieved.

"What should I do now?" Green asked, bewildered.

"The gang won't leave you and your daughter alone. Go home, get a weapon, and protect your family. God will protect you from suffering."

Having received this dangerous advice, Green left the church. Evening fell.

The sound of an organ filled the church, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. Two nuns were quietly discussing the tragic fate of Green and his daughter.

As expected, the gang came for Green. He was ready for them and killed three or four, but was mortally wounded in the process. The police who arrived to investigate found Green's daughter at the gang's den. She had been mutilated beyond recognition and all her fingers were gone. Tragically, she had lost her mind.

Richard, sitting in the chair and scratching his tousled brown hair, was beginning to show his impatience.

He thought that, as the "chosen one" of the Ancient God, he would be able to pass these trials as easily as the first time.

A short time later, Richard stood up and went through the next carved door.

"The difference between a wise man and a fool is that the wise man knows what to do, and the fool doesn't."

There was only one inscription on the wall. The second phrase, "Admitting one's own powerlessness is harder than death," was missing, perhaps because Richard hadn't even tried to find a solution.

This made the first phrase even more ironic. For Lu Li, it had sounded like a provocation designed to unnerve him. Here, it was merely a statement of fact.

Richard swore and sat down in the chair, waiting for the third believer.

The third believer was a nameless girl who had stolen money from a gang to help Olivia's son. The gangsters were after her, and she had come to the church seeking help.

As the girl rushed toward the confessional in desperation, Richard quickly wrote a note and held it out to her.

"Hide in here. They won't dare to come in."

"Thank you!" the girl exclaimed gratefully, opening the confessional door. Then she froze in astonishment.

Richard was sitting in the chair, looking at her, but the girl, whose face was dotted with freckles, couldn't see him. She was staring into an empty confessional.

A noise came from outside. Frightened, the girl forgot about the strangeness of the confessional, hid inside, and closed the door.

She tried to stay as far away from the chair in the center as possible.

Knowing the girl couldn't see him, Richard stopped paying attention to her and began watching the two gangsters approaching the confessional.

A priest tried to stop them, but to no avail. The gangsters searched the church and approached the only place left to hide—the confessional. They threw the door open.

They found the girl, who was staring at them in terror. Smirking, they dragged her out.

"You bastards!"

Richard roared in fury and lunged at them, trying to stop them, but slammed into an invisible wall.

No one heard him scream.

Richard was like a phantom; no one even knew he existed.

Gazing at the girl's look of utter despair, Richard felt something inside him change.