The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 968: The Knocking Door

The Holy Light Squad needed Sequence Potion No. 39.

Yeger was advancing in mysticism, Nasi was taking the level 5 anomaly knowledge trials, and Kiruet and Margaret were steadily raising their core specializations to level 6—all for the sake of Sequence Potion No. 39.

"Once we reach level 6, we can take on more advanced team assignments, earn more academic credits and team points, and exchange them for the materials needed for Potion No. 39."

It was also for the plan they had once they got the potion.

"Once we have it, we can enter a newly discovered dungeon and claim its valuable treasures," Kiruet explained candidly to Lu Li.

Dungeon—a term used in fantasy books.

This term, commonly found in stories, had been borrowed by the Academy of Giant Trees and given a new meaning.

The Old Sewer was divided into main, secondary, and hidden branches.

The hidden branches belonged exclusively to anomalies. They either connected to the main and secondary branches or were almost completely sealed-off, separate caverns.

The earth could hide anything.Swamps stretched between the roots of the Giant Tree and the Old Sewer.

Thanks to the three-dimensional structure of the Old Sewer, these hidden passages were everywhere, like the branches, twigs, and leaves of a tree.

When the Academy of Giant Trees discovered them, it would assign them a rating. Those deemed too dangerous were cleared out or weakened until they reached a certain level of difficulty. Then, clues and treasures would be left inside, allowing the Academy's students to explore them freely.

At that point, a hidden branch transformed into a "dungeon."

Despite this, dungeons were only suitable for senior students to explore. Even the simplest dungeon for the middle courses was a trial that could lead to casualties.

Only the top-ranked teams could explore dungeons while minimizing their losses.

The Holy Light Squad had stumbled upon one of these undiscovered dungeons. Before selling its location to a top-ranked team or the senior students, Margaret had devised a clever way to get inside.

And for that, they needed the help of Potion No. 39.

Tranquil Woods: it made the presence of whoever drank it as inconspicuous as a tree.

By taking the potion, Margaret could slip into the dungeon and extract the treasures without being noticed by the anomalies.

"What kind of treasures?"

"Anything and everything. Anomalous items, anomaly eggs, Sequence Potions... Some were placed there by the Academy, others belonged to the dungeon's own anomalies. But even the treasures from the lowest-level dungeon were worth more than Sequence Potion No. 39!"

"What’s more important is the Academy ranking we’ll get after clearing the dungeon!" Kiruet stood up from her seat and sat down on her bed.

"Depending on the dungeon's difficulty and our results, the Academy will award academic credits and team points, as well as other rewards."

The impassive Margaret continued:

"Including, but not limited to: anomalous items, sacrifices, access rights to the Forbidden Zone, and access rights to the Cursed Title acquisition zone."

The last item truly caught Lu Li's attention.

Lu Li summoned the Trader and instructed him to prioritize acquiring Sequence Potion No. 39.

"I'm willing to overpay."

Although shillings were a universal currency, human society and the Old Sewer preferred to use Anomaly Currency or other Sequence Potions as higher forms of tender.

After all, Sequence Potions, due to their intrinsic value, could be used as a valuable currency themselves, much like gold in the Ancient Era. Anomaly Currency, on the other hand, circulated among the anomalies.

The Trader's "contribution points" could also be considered a currency. But due to the limited number of Traders and the scale of their trade, it was difficult to develop.

After the Trader departed, Lu Li asked about the transition from a junior team to the middle courses.

Besides the already familiar concepts of rankings, dungeons, teams, and team points, Lu Li learned more about the rules of the middle courses.

For example, classes that took up the entire day in the junior courses were reduced to just three days a week in the middle courses.

In fact, the main task of the middle-course professors was no longer to impart knowledge, but to maintain order as arbiters and to lay the groundwork for the "mentorship system" of the senior courses.

Lu Li's first class was scheduled in three days. During that time, Kiruet and Yeger familiarized him with the environment and rules of the middle courses.

A bookshelf was placed against the wall, and Kiruet had helpfully moved Lu Li's luggage to his bed—in the farthest and safest corner of the common room.

In the event of an attack from outside, Lu Li's bed would be the last place to be hit.

Before Lu Li's arrival, Margaret had slept there. Rejecting his attempts to refuse, she moved her crucible, alchemical ingredients, and bedding to the second-to-last bed.

Although the common room was quite spacious, with a fireplace and chairs in the lounge area, there were no partitions. The only means of privacy were the curtains around each bed.

All five of the Holy Light Squad's beds were now occupied. And there was enough free space in the common room for Fudot to add a new bed if she joined the team as a reserve member.

A little later, Lu Li met the last member of the team: Nasi.

Nasi, who had unfortunately failed his trials, forgot all his worries with Lu Li's arrival and even prepared a hearty late supper in the common room.

Margaret's alchemical cauldron simmered, wafting the aroma of meat broth. The five of them gathered around the cauldron and the fireplace, listening to and sharing their stories before drifting off to sleep, full of anticipation.

"Morning" arrived.

Usually, the Holy Light Squad would choose assignments to complete at this time, then return to the common room to rest and recover before choosing more, repeating the cycle to accumulate strength, experience, team points, and academic credits.

But with the appearance of the dungeon and Lu Li's arrival, the team members found themselves idle as they waited for Sequence Potion No. 39.

The same was true for Lu Li. The Lord's arrival had been delayed, and Professor Helmund had sent a message saying they were hunting "big game" to give Lu Li a surprise.

That night, the Trader returned with Potion No. 39, acquired at a slightly higher price.

Lu Li instructed the Trader to start accumulating Anomaly Currency for future trades and plans.

In the Age of Anomalies, the shilling was in decline. It was more often used to buy basic resources than mystical ones. Using the shilling as the basis for a gold standard tied to contribution points was clearly inferior to using Anomaly Currency.

Margaret was to be the one responsible for taking Potion No. 39 and infiltrating the dungeon.

"Margaret is rather slow..." Kiruet began, then corrected herself as a cold gaze fell upon her.

"I mean, she lacks emotion... combined with Tranquil Woods, the chances of infiltrating the dungeon are higher."

After preparing some other potions, Margaret left the common room alone.

Kiruet felt a pang of regret that the whole team couldn't go along to provide cover, but her excitement over the dungeon's potential rewards soon took over.

That excitement vanished when, a day later, Margaret had still not returned.

"Maybe she ran into another team?" Kiruet muttered uncertainly.

"Does that matter?" Lu Li asked.

"Robbery and fighting aren't forbidden," Yeger said in her stead.

"They say senior teams even fight to the death..."

"The Academy doesn't forbid it?"

"Of course it does, but it's like cheating. As long as no one finds out... No, we have to go find—"

Knock, knock, knock—

Just then, a knock came from the door. Kiruet, calming herself slightly, prayed it was Margaret returning and opened it.

An impassive doorkeeper stood in the hallway and announced coldly:

"Holy Light Squad member Margaret Rory died during a dungeon trial."

"Margaret... no... that's impossible... she..."

Kiruet collapsed in despair before the door. Yeger's face contorted with pain and sorrow, while Nasi's fists clenched and unclenched.

Lu Li was silent and composed.

This was the first lesson the Trunk Level had taught him.