The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 896: Cooperation with Law Enforcement

A monster resembling a formless fog drifted by, revealing an auction house carved from the corpse of a giant worm, its body embedded in the rock face.

An Anomaly imitating a withered tree stood at the entrance to the auction house, positioned before the rings of the giant worm's serrated teeth.

— Please, leave this to us. You don't need to handle it yourself.

Bishop John bowed respectfully and led a few of the believers toward the auction house.

After a brief negotiation, Bishop John returned, confirming that the auction of rare Anomaly treasures would indeed be held here. However, participation required an invitation, and all of them had already been distributed for the next day's event.

Lu Li was left to follow the rules of the Old Sewer: take an invitation from another creature.

Or rob the auction house.

Clearly, his status as an Exorcist meant nothing here.

If anything, it would have been a disadvantage.

Lu Li had expected the Deep God's task to be difficult, but just obtaining an invitation—a mere prelude to the auction—was already proving to be a formidable challenge...— Hello-hello~

An energetic voice, tinged with an accent that recalled the tongue of Anomalies, suddenly called out.

Three strangely dressed and oddly shaped nuns stood nearby; the smallest, who looked like a little girl, waved in their direction, hiked up the hem of her habit, and trotted over.

The tense believers of the Church of Shadows formed a living wall between Lu Li and the young nun. She threw back her hood, revealing three dark orifices on her face.

As the lowest orifice pulsed open and shut, the energetic voice continued:

— Don't worry~ Remember that little girl from the alley? We saved her, oh~

This did remind Lu Li of the incident at the Central Station of Midnight, and of the three nuns whose path he had briefly crossed.

— You're human, right? Why are you with them? Are you enemies?

Her companions drew closer: one tall and thin, the other as massive as a carriage.

— They are my companions.

Lu Li sensed a hint of excitement in the young nun's voice; it seemed they wanted to "save" him.

— Do you know her? — Elder Sister whispered, perched on his shoulder.

— She seems to like you.

— Oh~

The young nun shook her head, and the emotions Lu Li had sensed gradually dissipated.

— What brings you to the seventh level?

— To participate in the auction of rare Anomaly treasures, but I don't have an invitation.

Lu Li gestured for the believers to stand down; Elder Sister sensed the same thing he did—the three nuns meant them no harm.

The young nun scurried back to the enormous nun, rummaged inside her habit for a moment, and soon returned holding a parchment scroll, which she offered to Lu Li.

— Is this it?

Ophelia moved to take it in his stead, but Lu Li accepted the parchment himself.

[Auction of Rare Anomaly Treasures]

The words were written in a human language on the side of the rolled parchment.

Seeing Lu Li's nod of confirmation, the young nun gave a little hop and went back to her companions.

— It's a gift for you~

— We have to go now. Come visit her when you have time~ She's very grateful for your compassion. You can find us in the Silent Forest of Tombs~ Bye-bye, puppy~

With a final wave to Prusius, the young nun and her companions vanished into the Spiral Hall, leaving him stunned under the gazes of all present.

— Don't give the invitation to anyone. Go straight to the auction, oh.

The energetic, girlish voice faded, and Lu Li's dark eyes fell back to the scroll. He slowly unrolled it, revealing an engraved design of the auction house on the faded parchment, which carried the faint scent of treated sulfur.

It truly was an invitation to the auction of rare Anomaly treasures.

However, the young nun's appearance felt too coincidental, as if she had materialized for the sole purpose of giving Lu Li the invitation.

Whether it was the Deep God's aid, part of the young nun's own design, or merely a pure coincidence, Lu Li couldn't be sure.

When he presented the invitation at the auction house, the monster resembling a withered tree confirmed its authenticity.

— Give... it to us.

A harsh, rasping sound like a saw blade issued from its mouth. Lu Li hesitated for a moment, then tucked the parchment away instead of handing it over.

— The auction is tomorrow evening, correct?

— Yes...

Before it could say anything more, Lu Li and his companions turned and walked away from the entrance.

The withered-tree Anomalies stirred but ultimately did nothing, merely watching as the group departed.

As they ascended the steps of the Spiral Hall, which looked like ancient ruins, Lu Li listened to warnings from Ophelia and Prusius.

They warned him to be on guard that night against potential attacks. The news of his invitation had surely reached the Anomalies disguised as auction house staff, who might try something. And even if they didn't, other creatures would certainly be drawn by the opportunity.

The residents of the Old Sewer never spared the careless their cruelty.

Upon their return to the inn, the believers of the Church of Shadows took charge of security, but it wasn't enough.

Frankly, the Church of Shadows lacked real strength. Bishop John had once confessed to Lu Li that without a response from the Shadow Maiden, even their most devout prayers barely drew any reciprocal power. This was why the Church of Shadows could only operate as a secret cult, unable to expand.

They could only rely on the inherent abilities of the believer Anomalies themselves and whatever powers they brought with them, like simple magic circles.

If the attackers were numerous enough, they could suffer heavy losses.

— Is there any law enforcement here? — Lu Li asked the spider-human guide.

— You can call me the Spider Beauty.

The beautiful woman perched atop the terrifying body smiled obsequiously.

— Of course, only order can... can...

— Gather so many Anomalies together, — Prusius finished, helping out the Spider Beauty who was struggling for the right word.

— Find me the law enforcement from the Central Station of Midnight, — Lu Li instructed, adding after a slight pause:

— If the enforcers aren't a unified group, find ones with comparable strength.

Toward evening, as the clocks signaled sunset, the Spider Beauty returned with a law enforcer—a creature as withered as a bush, as fragile as grass, and as tiny as moss.

However, this enforcer, who seemed only slightly older than Prusius, was not weak—at least not in the Central Station of Midnight. They possessed power granted by the rulers of the Old Sewer, the Dark Twins, and here, they were fearless.

The Spider Beauty had found the right candidate. Just as human gangs in the Ancient Era had considered it shameful to involve the police, similar unwritten rules persisted in the Old Sewer, leaving law enforcers with few opportunities to actually maintain order.

The enforcer before them was one such idle officer, which was why he had followed the Spider Beauty so eagerly, with barely a shred of dignity.

After Lu Li informed the enforcer that attackers from the deeper levels might show up that night, the creature solemnly vowed to ensure their safety.

Lu Li had broken the unwritten rules; no one here did things this way.

He had probably earned himself more than a little scorn, but Lu Li had no intention of staying long anyway.

Lu Li took a room on the second floor of the inn, and the believers of the Church of Shadows positioned themselves around the building. If they spotted attackers, their only task was to raise the alarm.

The outcome was unsurprising: the attackers who crawled up from the deeper levels of the Old Sewer were crushed like lumps of clay by the seemingly frail law enforcer.

As the enforcer dragged them away, the mangled ball of attackers snarled furiously at the calm, dark eyes watching from the second-floor window.

— You! Broke! The rules!

Lu Li didn't answer, watching from above.

— You're the ones who broke the rules.

The enforcer ripped a limb from the ball of attackers, stuffed it into its mouth, and waved the severed appendage at Lu Li in farewell as it mumbled a retort.

Not only a reward awaited it, but perhaps a promotion as well.

And now, Lu Li was heading to the auction of rare Anomaly treasures.