The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 679: At the Foot of the World's Spine

The wagon carrying the rescued residents returned to the settlement of Peschanaya Obval.

The locals gathered in the tavern hadn't yet dispersed when they stared in astonishment at the people climbing down from the wagon—the very ones who had been taken by the anomalies.

Nearly everyone abducted by the anomaly's followers had been saved, except for the tavern owner, Best. His wife anxiously pushed her way through the crowd to the wagon, but she couldn't find her husband among the rescued.

None of the survivors had seen Best. His disappearance was an unfortunate loose end, and the townspeople could only try to console the grief-stricken woman.

"Is the anomaly destroyed?" the old elder asked. Lu Li's return seemed too quick, and he feared the threat still lurked nearby.

"Not completely, but they won't trouble you anymore," Lu Li replied.

Upon learning that Lu Li and Emin would be staying the night, the elder invited them to his home. Lu Li declined, and they instead took a room at the settlement's only inn.

During the night, the Shadow Stealing Fire appeared. Its claws of dense darkness gripped the windowsill, reaching for the oil lamp on the dresser. Lu Li, who was standing the first watch, drove it away, and the night fell quiet once more.

At least, for him.

Many of the residents were still crowded in the tavern, discussing the evening's events."Shouldn't we do something for Mr. Lu Li, who helped us?" the blacksmith suddenly exclaimed, seeming surprised by his own words.

His words sparked a discussion among the residents about what exactly they could offer Lu Li. Some suggested a feast, others proposed a reward of money, and one person even brought up the long-forgotten title of honorary citizen. In the midst of the lively debate, one voice cut through the noise.

"We should spread his name, so that more people will know of his deeds!" All eyes turned to the young man, who himself looked bewildered, as if someone else had spoken through him.

"A fine idea," the elder nodded.

Exorcists rarely needed money, and Peschanaya Obval had little to offer Lu Li besides renown. The elder's approval swept away any objections. Everyone present promised to tell their families what had happened, and the three residents from the town of Rys swore that upon their return, they would tell everyone there about Lu Li.

The caravan leader thumped his chest, vowing that Lu Li's story would become known in every town from Peschanaya Obval to Raintown.

The discussion concluded. Carrying lanterns, the residents dispersed from the tavern, their lights vanishing into the alleyways like fireflies. The night in the small town was silent.

...

Lu Li woke in the morning. There was still no news of Best's return. After a hearty breakfast provided by the grateful residents, he climbed into a wagon that the elder had gifted him.

Emin caught up to him, clutching her suitcase, hoping to continue the journey together.

"Your business here is finished," Lu Li said.

"Not entirely. Didn't your assistant say there was a whole group of them?" Emin placed her suitcase in the wagon and, tucking up her cloak, climbed inside. "I know a lot. I can help."

Knowledge is power. Legendary hunters were not always physically superior to ordinary people; their strength lay in their ability to apply their knowledge. Without it, an exorcist facing an anomaly would not survive much longer than anyone else.

Lu Li didn't reply. He took the reins, and as the elder and the other residents watched them go, they departed from Peschanaya Obval, heading down the dirt road toward Raintown, some twenty kilometers away.

The road followed the western coast. The morning fog gradually lifted, revealing the endless ridge of the World's Spine, which seemed to stretch to the very edge of the world. Above the void hung the black sun, risen from the ocean depths.

Beyond lay the Fallow Lands. What had transpired there remained a mystery. With the appearance of the Black Ring and the surge of anomalies, exorcists had no time to investigate the Fallow Lands, so remote from the three continents. But it was obvious that whatever was there was not on humanity's side.

Between Peschanaya Obval and Raintown lay two small towns and a village. Strangely, the village was still heavily populated. The locals watched their wagon with suspicion, clearly wary of outsiders.

Shortly after leaving the village, Lu Li and Emin encountered a caravan and learned its story. The current inhabitants were not the original ones; those had fled to Raintown soon after the cataclysm. Now, the village was occupied by "oddballs" who refused to live in cities. They believed that concentrations of people attracted anomalies, making cities dangerous. Thus, they strictly controlled their population and had little contact with the outside world. As Emin later confirmed, there were many such settlements.

The other two towns along the way were not as hostile, but they found no trace of Anna.

By three in the afternoon, the silhouette of Raintown appeared on the horizon, nestled among barren hills. The city had earned its name from its weather—it had the most frequent thunderstorm activity in the Wastelands, second only to the Cape of Storms. It was said that dozens of homes and people were struck by lightning there every year.

As they arrived, they saw locals crowded along Raintown's western coast, scavenging for food washed ashore at low tide—fish, shellfish, snails, anything edible.

The wagon rolled slowly into Raintown.

"Where should we look for Miss Anna?" Emin asked, glancing around the deserted streets. Perhaps due to the recent departure of Silence, there were few pedestrians about.

"At the mayor's office."

An exorcist's status was unique. They rarely held official positions, but most nobles and officials made an effort to stay on good terms with them. The mayor of Raintown was no exception.

When he learned that Lu Li had arrived from the Main Continent, the mayor received him personally and inquired about the purpose of his visit.

"Anomalies..." The mayor—a man built like a wrestler, dressed in a tailcoat and seated in an ornate, inlaid chair—tapped his knuckles on the desk. "Let me tell you, this city is crawling with them."

Raintown had a team of a dozen exorcists and spirit exterminators, but for a city of a hundred thousand people, that was merely a drop in the ocean. Lu Li described the events in Rys and Peschanaya Obval in more detail. The mayor waved a hand, summoned an assistant, and ordered him to look into it.

Ten minutes later, the assistant returned with grim news: just yesterday, more than a hundred people had vanished in Raintown.

"My city is dying, spirit exterminator from a distant land. Won't you stay and help us?" the mayor implored.

Raintown was facing another crisis: a strange plague that had been spreading for quite some time. Curiously, it only infected the city's native-born residents. This explained the deserted streets they had seen when they arrived.

"I have other business," Lu Li said, shaking his head.

Emin, however, seemed intrigued by the plague. Lu Li's refusal clearly disappointed the mayor. Though Emin was willing to help, she was only a trainee. Losing interest in the conversation, the mayor waved a hand, ordering his assistant to escort Lu Li to the Exorcist Association, where he might get the answers he sought.

After leaving the imposing administration building, Lu Li questioned the assistant about the details of the plague along the way.

"It's truly... very strange," the assistant said, choosing the word "strange" instead of "deadly" or "horrifying."