The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 645: Heirs and the Origin of the Door

The volume of Deep Sea Stone that made up the ghost prison was estimated to be around 500 to 600 cubic meters.

Lu Li didn't intend to leave more than eighty percent of the stone there.

Even selling just ten cubic meters would have been enough to instantly make Lu Li the wealthiest man in these lands.

"There's no need to keep too much. There are few buyers," the Trader replied laconically.

"Can you store the rest of the Deep Sea Stone? I'll authorize you to sell it, on the condition that I receive the appropriate payment."

"It's possible. For storage up to ten years, the fee is one percent of the item's value, with full compensation for any damage. For indefinite storage, the fee is ten percent, with the same compensation terms. You can name heirs; in their absence, the property will be transferred to the three organizations or to me."

The storage wasn't free.

Moreover, if Lu Li chose to store the excess Deep Sea Stone, he would have to pay a steep price—essentially handing half of what he had just earned right back to the Trader.

It seemed like a bad deal. The Trader's origins were unknown, and he was hardly someone who deserved complete trust. But Lu Li never indulged in unnecessary suspicion.

Giving the stones to the Trader made more sense than letting them weather away on the cliffs of the Isle of Gaze, especially since they could be retrieved at any time. "I'll choose the ten-year storage. My heirs will be: Anna, Remi, Jimmy, Adamfuya, the Mother of the Swamp, Tesla..."Lu Li included all his acquaintances on the list of heirs. In the event of his death, they would receive a considerable fortune.

It was a fortune that would free them from any worries about food and supplies, even in these apocalyptic times.

"Fifty million contribution points... that is the sum now in your account," the Trader said, naming a staggering figure. "We will deduct the storage fee from that. Do you have any other transactions?"

"Will the contribution points lose their value over time?" Lu Li asked, ignoring the Trader's question.

"The points, no. The goods, yes," the Trader answered.

In other words, inflation.

As the survivors' hopes dwindled with each passing day, the price of goods would inevitably rise.

Still, Lu Li had no reason to worry; fifty million points would be more than enough to last him a lifetime.

"My second request," Lu Li said, holding out an envelope he had prepared earlier. "Deliver this to the Exorcists Association, or relay its contents, and bring me back their reply."

"Ten points." The delivery service was surprisingly cheap.

Lu Li thought for a moment. "How much to send a letter to the Wastelands?"

"Twenty-five points."

"And to the Lennon Archipelago?"

"Also twenty-five."

"Different distances, same price?"

"The Lennon Archipelago is safer," the Trader replied, tucking the envelope into an inner coat pocket, clearly unwilling to elaborate. "Any other transactions?"

"Actually, there is one more thing," Lu Li said, taking out a folded sheet of paper that wasn't in an envelope. "Several months ago, I was exposed to a source of contamination. I haven't been able to rid myself of it, and I'm sinking deeper. The details and characteristics are described here. Please pass this on to any entity capable of eliminating the source. The reward is theirs to name."

His vast number of points and five hundred cubic meters of Deep Sea Stone gave him confidence.

Unexpectedly, the Trader took the paper, paused for a moment, then unfolded it and began to read.

He scanned it for a few moments, then looked up. "There's nothing written here."

Lu Li held up his oil lamp. The marks of dried ink were visible through the thin paper. "There's a lot of text here."

"Perhaps it has chosen you. Outsiders can't see it," the Trader surmised. This was an addendum, not part of the deal, as he didn't request a fee.

"But Anna knows about it... I can try to describe it," Lu Li offered. When the Trader agreed, he called out, "Remi, could you and Adamfuya step out of the cave for a moment?"

Once they were gone, Lu Li recounted everything he knew about the "Door" in detail, including the diary he had found and his encounter with the entity in the sewer.

After listening, the Trader remained silent, his gaze fixed on Lu Li. "Is that all?"

His reaction was unsettling.

After Lu Li nodded, the Trader stated impassively, "We have no memory of you speaking between the sixth and eighty-ninth seconds. You were simply standing motionless."

So the Trader couldn't perceive information about the "Door" either?

But then, why could Anna? Was it because of their bond?

Lu Li didn't give up. "What kind of entities are capable of something like this? I need specific names."

"Five hundred points," the Trader named a price that was negligible to Lu Li. "Powerful evil gods, ancient gods, Ancient Gods, lords of the layers of the In-Between, cosmic entities, and curse-based anomalies."

"Is it possible to determine which one I've encountered?" Lu Li asked.

"Perhaps, but the price is high."

"Can I afford it?"

"Yes."

"Then it's a deal. What do you need?"

If this could free him from the "Door," Lu Li wouldn't hesitate to spend his newfound points.

"The transaction requires the consent of both parties. If it agrees, you can go to have the source of the curse identified."

Lu Li noted that the Trader used the pronoun "it." Was this another evil spirit, like old Miklos?

"It can't come here?"

"It is incapable of movement."

"Who is it?"

Perhaps due to his status as a major client or because it was related to the deal, the Trader revealed the entity's identity: "The Heartwood."

The name sounded familiar, one he had heard long ago. Lu Li had indeed had a brief encounter with it—or more accurately, with one of its branches.

It had been back during his preparations to join the Investigators. Lu Li had used a branch from the Heartwood to visualize his Mind Level.

"How long will it take?" Lu Li asked.

"No later than the day after tomorrow. Any other transactions?"

"No."

He had months' worth of supplies in the shelter, and his points allowed him to buy goods even at markups of tens or hundreds of times their normal price, so there was no need to stock up.

The Trader departed from the clifftop.

Shortly after, Remi and Adamfuya came back in. "What happened?"

Lu Li told them about selling the Deep Sea Stone and the vast fortune he had acquired.

Adamfuya grew the most excited, but for an entirely different reason. "I've heard they can do anything... We could contact the shelter! Or send a letter!"

"He'll be back tomorrow. I'll ask him then," Lu Li replied, knowing she wanted to contact her husband.

"Thank you... Thank you, Mr. Lu Li... Even if it's not possible, I'll be eternally grateful..." Adamfuya covered her mouth, holding back a sob. Unable to control her emotions, she excused herself and hurried back to her hut.

Remi sighed as she watched her leave. "Bad news?"

If that had been the only issue, he wouldn't have needed them to leave.

"The curse on me... the Trader couldn't remove it. We have to identify the source first," Lu Li said calmly.

Remi knew about the curse, but even with her status as a "scholar," there was nothing she could do to help Lu Li.

All they could do was hope the Trader would return with good news...