The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 828: Glimmer

Whether the Fallen, now an anomaly, had attacked them in a mad frenzy, or whether he simply wished to be set free by Lu Li’s hand—the truth would likely never be known.

The only fact that remained was that the Fallen had dealt with the anomaly from the settlement that had been pursuing them, and had then been killed by Lu Li.

Katerina retrieved the Black Thorn, which had fallen onto the street, and retreated into the Elm Forest.

This place still offered Lu Li its protection, just as it had twenty-four years ago.

Elm Street would be in turmoil now—the anomaly nest would not simply let this go.

The problem was, Katerina's blanket remained in the stone house. There was no way to know if the anomaly was dead, nor how long it might take the nest to track them down, so they couldn't risk going back for it.

It seemed the only option was to cover their tracks at the edge of the woods to keep from being followed into the Elm Forest.

But the thought of the blanket hung over them like a sharp blade. If the nest possessed anomalous methods of tracking and cursing, they would be powerless to resist.

They could only hope the situation wouldn't turn for the worse.

— Leave it to me!Having heard their concerns, Prusius suddenly shot forward, darting from the forest into the ruins and slipping inside the stone house.

After what felt like an eternity, Prusius's figure reappeared on the street, the blanket clamped firmly in his jaws.

The blanket was far too large for his body, forcing Prusius to run sideways. He stumbled repeatedly, his still-forming human face slamming against the stone slabs and scraping his skin raw.

The short, hundred-meter dash left him covered in bruises and scrapes.

— You did an excellent job.

Ignoring her blanket, Katerina leaned down and gently stroked Prusius on the head.

— I’m not a burden. I can be useful to the team, too.

Prusius raised his head, his face streaked with blood and sweat, his expression full of resolve.

Katerina took the blanket, and Lu Li carefully covered their tracks at the edge of the Elm Forest. They retraced their steps, arriving once more at the stump, enveloped by the consciousness of the woods.

This was where the Fallen had truly died.

The dark brown, withered stump stood like a gravestone for the anomaly, motionless in the dead yet rustling forest.

Lu Li gazed silently at the stump for a long moment before finally walking past it.

Prusius, overcome with sorrow at the sight of the stump, let out a mournful, canine whimper.

— Tell me what you know about the anomaly nest.

— You want revenge? — Katerina asked, her brow furrowed as she looked at Lu Li.

— Don't risk it. We can't take on the whole nest.

— I want to know about the nest's structure and what kinds of anomalies are there.

Prusius hadn't seen many of the anomalies.

The main part of the nest was located underground, within Belfast's old sewer system. It was dark and deep, making it hard to make out any shapes in the gloom. Even the one who spoke to them, who he presumed was the nest's leader, remained unseen.

Still, Prusius suspected they weren't particularly powerful. Otherwise, they wouldn't be holed up on the edge of the Belfast ruins, nor would they have let him and the Fallen go so easily to fetch their companions.

They needed new members, or food.

Nevertheless, the anomaly nest could still tear the three of them apart as if they were paper.

The nest's hierarchy was also shrouded in darkness, but it wasn't hard to guess: the rules among anomalies were rarely complex, usually boiling down to a simple survival of the fittest.

The strongest was the leader, while the weak were at the bottom, serving as a backup food supply.

— Is there any other information about the Church of Twisted Vines?

Prusius shook his head, then recounted the conversation from the nest as he remembered it.

It was the Fallen who had brought up the Church of Twisted Vines. He had claimed his companions, who were wandering outside the city, were starving and asked if there were any signs of "tasty" humans within the Belfast ruins.

Whether it was to entice them to stay or for some other reason, the leader had divulged a bit of information.

Aside from the hard-to-reach heretics and the elusive survivors who hid like rats, the only known place in the city with a large concentration of people was the Church of Twisted Vines.

Unfortunately, the Fallen hadn't been able to get any more details. The leader had shut down his inquiries, saying they would learn everything once they joined the nest.

— They were just tricking us, weren't they? — Prusius asked, his voice laced with hatred.

He had actually believed the nest wanted to take them in.

— I don't know.

It could have been a rogue anomaly hunting on its own, or it could have been on the leader's orders. Or perhaps both.

As Lu Li and Prusius spoke, Katerina quietly rose to her feet behind Lu Li, a frown on her face as she drew her dagger.

She pulled in her stomach and pressed the blade against her left side, slicing along the edge of the leather armor she had worn for years. The cut left a curved opening, like a hole gnawed by a worm.

Katerina let out a breath, suddenly feeling much lighter. She sheathed her dagger and fell in step behind Lu Li and Prusius.

When they reached the fork in the path—one way leading to Sea Gaze Cliff, the other to the northern coast of the forest—they were faced with a decision.

The coming of the Severe Winter meant shorter days; the anomalous fog was expected to roll in with the twilight around three in the afternoon.

They had a little over an hour, which wasn't enough time to reach the northern coast.

Should they risk traveling for another hour in the anomalous fog, or should they return to Sea Gaze Cliff—which had lost its protective power—to wait out the night?

Both options sounded terrible.

— Will the Elm Forest hold back the creatures in the fog?

Katerina stopped.

— Partially, — Lu Li answered calmly, looking at her.

— Then I suggest we go back to Sea Gaze Cliff.

— Why?

— The anomalous fog is more dangerous than you realize... Just as many hunters have died in the fog itself as have been killed by anomalies.

— Then shouldn't we try to spend less time in the fog? — Prusius asked. The difference between an hour and a whole night was obvious.

— But the creatures only manifest within the fog. If we build a fire large enough to push back the fog around us, they won't be able to approach.

Torches won't be enough.

Thirty minutes later, the silhouettes of the two huts at the approach to Sea Gaze Cliff came into view.

They had thirty minutes to get a fire going.

They scoured the top of Sea Gaze Cliff for firewood. Dry wood was a luxury; the sharp sea breeze left everything damp and cold to the touch.

However, they had kerosene. They used it to get the damp charcoal lit, then used the resulting flames to dry out the firewood, which made the rest of the process much easier.

Thick smoke filled the cave, but thankfully, most of it was drawn up the flue above the fireplace. The sea wind whipping across Sea Gaze Cliff scattered it before it could form a conspicuous plume.

— The Fallen was right about one thing, — Katerina said to Lu Li, her cheeks smudged with soot, as she stacked a pile of damp firewood beside the hearth.

— You’re like a piece of sweet, fragrant cake that everyone can smell, and everyone wants a bite.

Lu Li didn't reply, but Katerina wasn't finished.

— The Fallen is dead. So tomorrow, I'm going into the city to look for the Church of Twisted Vines, — she declared, prodding the logs in the fireplace.

— Me too, — Prusius added firmly.

Lu Li remained silent as he walked out of the cave.

— Mister Lu Li...

— Let him think, — Katerina said, stopping Prusius as he made to follow.

...

The sea wind whipped around him, tossing his hair.

Lu Li stood beside the dead tree, Enni, looking out at the lifeless, gray world.

The anomalous fog was rolling in over the lead-gray sea.

Lu Li tore his dark gaze from the sea and turned to go back inside the cave.

Just then, he sensed a faint glimmer beside him—like the light of a distant star, almost entirely hidden by thick clouds.