The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 817: The Nameless Floating Land

A cold wind swept in from the south, carrying the smoke from Scarecrow Village for miles.

The straw piled in the abandoned fields fed the flames, cutting off any escape routes beyond the village.

Thick smoke billowed into the clouds, and even dozens of miles away, plumes of smoke were still visible, darker than the overcast haze.

The travelers began to encounter anomalies more frequently, which, like vultures, were flocking in this direction.

Thanks to the Fallen's sharp perception, they were able to avoid most anomalies. Some were unavoidable or drawn by Lu Li's aura, but they weren't strong, and the Fallen and Katerina dispatched them quickly.

Their next stop was Yuri Village, marked on maps from the Old Era but absent from maps of the Age of Anomalies; it was highly likely that it had been abandoned or destroyed.

If that proved to be the case, they would have to spend the night there, then take a small detour, cross the Serma Mountains, and reach the Serene Plain with its pleasant climate.

The cold air currents from the south were blocked by the Serma Mountains, so it wasn't as cold or as bustling there.

If they didn't lose their way, they would arrive at Yuri Village by evening.

As noon approached, the Fallen suddenly stopped.His face was replaced by dark, abyss-like voids.

"How is this possible..."

A faint whisper emerged from the depths of the abyss.

"What?"

Katerina narrowed her eyes, looking around warily.

The size of the voids on the Fallen's face indicated the level of danger—it was the first time they had spread across his entire face.

"An evil spirit is over there."

The Fallen turned to the southwest.

Lu Li lifted his gaze, but the hills blocked his view.

"Do you know what it is?"

"No."

"You all stay here."

Lu Li started toward the location of the evil spirit, but Katerina blocked his path, frowning.

"Are you insane? That's an evil spirit."

Although she knew that the "Anna" Lu Li was searching for was an evil spirit.

"A known evil spirit isn't dangerous," Lu Li said, his voice as calm as ever.

The truly dangerous ones are the evil spirits whose rituals are unknown.

"But you don't know if this is a known evil spirit, do you?"

Katerina once again blocked Lu Li's path as he tried to move around her.

"Don't you realize something is wrong with you? You're being reckless with your life."

Lu Li's steps suddenly halted.

"I don't care if you want to die for love or something else, your life affects many people: us, Winnelag, human civilization. Don't forget what the mayor said: humanity can't bear the blow of losing its last exorcist!"

Katerina was breathless, and the words, which she spoke without fully grasping their meaning, revealed the depth of her inner fury.

"And isn't 'Anna' important to you? You must be important to her too, right? As an evil spirit, shouldn't she be able to sense you?"

After a moment of silence, Lu Li gave a slight nod.

"I understand."

Lu Li no longer tried to approach the evil spirit, and Katerina finally breathed a sigh of relief, having vented the irritation that had built up over the past few days.

"This is the first time I've seen Mister Lu Li so impulsive..." Prusius whispered, huddled against Katerina's legs.

"Miss Katerina, that was very well said."

"Perhaps an anomaly affected his emotions," Katerina mused.

"Not necessarily. The calmer someone appears, the more they have that they care deeply about," Prusius said, looking up.

"I read that in a book."

They continued on their way, and the abyss on the Fallen's face gradually narrowed, returning to abstract features.

They were moving away from that unknown evil spirit.

Perhaps because the evil spirit was roaming these parts, they didn't encounter any more anomalies for a while.

But after crossing a hill, they saw an unexpected sight on the horizon.

It was now midday, and in the distance, beyond the hills, a village stood peacefully.

Lu Li took out his compass and map.

They hadn't lost their way, and there were no markings for this village on either the old or new maps.

It was a nameless, unrecorded village, and it stood directly in their southward path.

"Be careful," Katerina warned before they drew closer.

Slowing their pace, Lu Li and the others reached the village half an hour later.

The nameless village was not as lifeless as Scarecrow Village; there were almost no villagers to be seen, yet many were wandering through the village itself.

The abyss on the Fallen's face returned to its normal state, and a whisper came from beneath his cloak:

"There's nothing here. It's... very clean..."

"Clean isn't always a good thing, is it?"

Katerina squinted, studying the figures in the village.

A clean village wouldn't last a day in the wilderness.

In a way, clean meant something far more foul.

Regardless, in their search for Anna, they had no choice but to enter the village.

The nearest villager noticed them and slowly, lifelessly, raised his head.

"Outsiders...?"

"We're investigating a case involving the resurrection of the dead," Katerina said bluntly; if possible, they wouldn't linger here for long.

What had happened in Scarecrow Village was enough.

"In... ves... ti... gation...?" The middle-aged villager froze for more than ten seconds, then suddenly shouted:

"They... possess... knowledge..."

The slow, indistinct cry echoed through the village.

"Knowledge?"

"Knowledge?"

The word spread like a plague, drawing a response from all over the village.

"Something feels wrong..."

The villagers' behavior reminded her of some slow, dull-witted animal she had heard about in Midnight.

And their reaction was unsettling.

Looking around, Katerina saw that villagers were closing in, surrounding them from all sides.

Katerina drew her dagger, pressing her other hand to her eye, but in the next moment, a wave of weakness washed over her.

Thud!

The dagger she had been gripping tightly fell into the mud, and Katerina collapsed, completely drained of strength.

The Fallen collapsed as well.

Prusius, the only one unaffected, was about to scream when Lu Li's whisper sounded in his ear.

"Don't resist."

Seeing that Lu Li had also collapsed, Prusius stopped struggling and feigned unconsciousness.

...

Katerina slowly regained consciousness.

The rough bindings on her wrists behind her back told her everything she needed to know.

Katerina lifted her head and surveyed her surroundings.

They had been locked in a hut with torches burning on the walls. The Fallen, Prusius, and she herself were tied to posts.

Light filtered in through a window, which meant not much time had passed.

Lu Li and Prusius were already awake, and the Fallen had just regained consciousness as well.

"What's happening..."

Katerina tried to break free, but a profound weariness in her body kept her from mustering any strength.

"Something that stupefied us."

Lu Li's calm voice sounded from beside her. As Katerina watched in astonishment, his hand emerged from behind his back, holding a dagger, and the rope slid away.

"Lu Li, you..."

"I feigned unconsciousness."

Having freed himself, Lu Li moved behind Katerina and cut her bonds, then did the same for the Fallen and poor Prusius, who was tied to a post with his legs dangling.

"These villagers worship the Poison of Knowledge, and they intend to sacrifice us."

"Wait, slow down," Katerina said, rubbing her wrists and pressing a hand to her forehead.

"It's hard to focus..."

"There's a source of contamination in the village that suppresses thought."

Lu Li's next words were as simple and brief as possible.

"It's no coincidence that the Poison of Knowledge is nearby."