The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 883: The Strange Outsider

"They're here again... Hide in the room and don't make a sound."

The old man's voice dropped to a whisper. He moved stiffly, making his way slowly downstairs to open the silent wooden door.

Lu Li retreated without a sound, peering through the gaps in the floorboards. He caught a dim glimpse of the hem of a black robe appearing at the doorway.

Faint, halting voices drifted up from below.

"Yes... a young outsider... who can say..."

The creature outside the door spoke in long, unintelligible whispers, the sounds wet and sticky.

The old man stooped and said:

"I'll tell the outsider."

The hem of the black robe vanished from the doorway. The old man let out a deep breath—one of relief, it seemed—and shut the wooden door.

"Were they here for me?"A calm voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

The old man turned to see the outsider standing on the stairs.

"Yes... Many of the townsfolk saw you arrive. They reported it to the cult."

"The Secret Cult of Dagon?"

Lu Li uttered the name of the only church he had seen when he entered the town.

Stains began to spread across the room, the floor underfoot suddenly grew damp and sticky, the landscape outside the window shifted into deep, churning seawater, and Lu Li gradually felt his body turn wet and cold as something began to spread and grow across his scalp.

Crash!

The sudden sound of a shattering flowerpot jolted Lu Li back from the brink of the abyss.

The sound came from behind the old man's partially open bedroom door. A flowerpot lay in pieces, scattered across the floor.

The room, which had been filling with seawater, was suddenly dry again, permeated by a musty, aged scent. A pale hand vanished behind the door.

The old man, seemingly oblivious to the sound of the shattering pot, stared at Lu Li in surprise for uttering the name.

"Are you a Returner? No... a Returner wouldn't be so ignorant... You're like a young noble stepping out of his estate for the first time, utterly naive about the outside world."

It wasn't a compliment, but rather a comment on Lu Li's complete ignorance.

Lu Li was indeed lacking in knowledge of the Age of Anomalies. His search for Anna had left him no time to truly understand this new world.

A Returner?

Lu Li momentarily ignored the damp, sticky sensation spreading across his scalp. The word made him think of Katerina.

"Is there anyone else here?" Lu Li asked abruptly, changing the subject.

"Just me."

Lu Li asked no more questions. He had just seen that, behind the bedroom door, the shattered flowerpot was now sitting intact on the table.

"What does 'Returner' mean?"

"I won't tell you. If you want to get out of here, don't mention it again."

"Why?"

The old man didn't offer platitudes like 'ignorance is bliss' or 'it's better not to know.' He simply stated, firmly:

"I still want to live in this town."

That was enough to stop Lu Li from pressing him for more information.

"Then can someone else tell me?"

The old man seemed bewildered:

"Child, why do you need to know... Why did you come here? What are you looking for?"

"I'm asking the questions here."

The old man did not have the typical Innsmouth appearance, but that did not mean he could be trusted.

It was nearly impossible to live in this town without having some connection to the Secret Cult of Dagon that ruled it.

"Alright... I can tell you where to find what you're looking for. Now will you answer my question?"

"Where?"

"...The locals won't tell you a thing. Go find Zadok Allen. He's like me, if you know what I mean."

The old man answered his own implied question after a brief silence. Lu Li could imagine it wasn't safe out there, that everyone had to be wary of everyone else.

"Moonshine will loosen his tongue. Only the locals sell it, and they won't sell to you. But I happen to have a bottle."

"How much?"

"It's free, outsider. Now, will you answer my question?"

The old man could only hope that this outsider would keep his word.

Though he was still suspicious, Lu Li felt the old man was more trustworthy than not—

The minds of cultists were typically muddled, inconsistent, and shallow. At least, none of the cultists Lu Li had ever encountered had thought with such clarity as this old man.

"I'm an exorcist."

"An exorcist? As far as I know, that... lot... they were all gone before they even started."

The old man couldn't help but gasp, frightened by Lu Li's proclaimed identity. He glanced at the door, as if fearing the sliver of light from outside would be suddenly blocked by a leathery cloak.

"I'm still alive, for... certain reasons."

"So, you've come here to..."

The old man didn't dare finish the thought, but Lu Li could guess what he meant.

"I'm looking for someone. Her name is Katerina. She was... corrupted, and brought here by the believers."

"I don't know her. You're the only outsider I've seen recently," the old man replied.

"Have others come here before?"

"Yes, the blood of those... locals outside... I can't tell you."

The old man, realizing he'd almost said too much, quickly fell silent.

"Then do you know where they keep those who were brought here by the believers?"

"I won't tell you..."

The old man slowly shook his head.

"Where is Zadok Allen?"

Seeing that he wouldn't get anything more out of the old man, Lu Li decided to pursue another lead.

"In the slums, to the far north of town. Around this time, you'll find him at the fire station nearby. He's always loitering there."

With that, the old man went to the counter and reached for a bottle of liquor on the shelf with a trembling hand.

At that moment, Lu Li lowered his head and touched his scalp.

A slick, cold, scaly sensation was spreading across the crown of his head. When Lu Li pulled his hand away, his palm and the spaces between his fingers were matted with his own black hair.

The old man's warning had come too late. Lu Li had already surveyed the port square, and now he was paying the price for his carelessness in the Age of Anomalies.

Just as Katerina, everyone in Midnight, the Academy of Giant Trees, and Vinnelag, Mayor Matteus, and Bishop John had all said: humans were incredibly fragile. Like freshly baked bread... expendable, with a short shelf life. And edible.

"Moonshine... The taste is almost as disgusting as rubbing alcohol, but what else can a drunkard afford?"

After finally getting the bottle down, the old man set it on the counter.

"Hmm... I'd like to ask one more thing. What's it like outside—no, never mind. Forget I said anything."

The old man was burying his head in the sand, just like Gades.

It was understandable.

They didn't know what was happening outside, and they were afraid that if they found out, they wouldn't be able to suppress the desire to leave.

Making a choice is always hard. When there's only one path available, people often stop struggling, whether the outcome is good or bad.

"Very bad."

Lu Li whispered, his dark eyes downcast.

"Thank you for telling me." The old man seemed genuinely relieved.

"Do you have a hat?" Lu Li asked, calmly raising his head.

"A hat? I'll look..."

The old man went into the bedroom and soon came out with a black top hat.

"It's clean. I haven't used it in a long time."

After Lu Li took the hat and put it on, the old man couldn't help but comment:

"You look more the part of an exorcist than I would have thought. It's free, too. Just be careful the wind doesn't take it."

Lu Li nodded to show he understood. He walked to the door and reached for the handle.