Detective Agency of the Bizarre

[She was surrounded by the vast forest, far from conflicts. Animals gathered here, plants continued to grow, streams flowed like honey, and reclusive people migrated here, like a paradise]

Andrea silently sailed through the vast, dark deep sea.

In the Captain's Cabin, Lu Li took the notes recording the poem away from the fluorite lamp.

"Paradise... truly... exists...?"

The Crown of Thorns intermittently echoed the voice of the Mother of the Marsh.

"I don't know, but the clues point there."

"I mean... tell you... the people of... Paradise Valley..."

The first to bring news of Paradise Valley were the Jimmy Siblings.

The Jimmy Siblings left a message in their letter, Anna saw the news, and told the fleeing Tesla that his wife Aidanvoya was there.

Subsequent news came from the illusionary Midnight City, which not only passed down knowledge to Lu Li but also brought poetry from Paradise Valley.

Whether from Anna or Midnight City, they were worth Lu Li's trust.

It's known that Tesla, Aidanvoya, and the Jimmy Siblings may be there, but is such an idyllic Eden real?

Without the Land of Light, Lu Li remained silent, but now Paradise Valley seemed believable.

Lu Li set off alone without taking anyone; the Land of Light needed protection more.

Two Alien Gods, thousands of believers and servants, allies, the Eternal Dreamer who foresaw the future, were enough to protect their home. Exorcists were also left behind, as children who just learned to wield swords were not fit for the battlefield, and even humanity was instilled in Annie, leaving only three portions of humanity not overly coveted by strangeness.

However, Lu Li was not alone on the voyage to Paradise Valley, as the Banyan Tree Guardian and fifty Twisted Cultists stayed on the Andrea, and a similar configuration existed on the Heimgro Number that followed behind. Looking back, a faint glow was vaguely visible from the ship's side.

And the company of the Crown of Thorns from the Mother of the Marsh.

But the farther from the Land of Light, the harder it was for Her consciousness to be conveyed; perhaps as they gradually moved away from the Ailen Peninsula and set foot on the Main Affinity Continent, the Crown of Thorns would fall into slumber.

And as they departed, Lu Li felt a certain obscure wave-like fluctuation drifting from the deep sea, like a breeze brushing past the Andrea and Heimgro Number, gradually drifting away.

"Did you feel it?" Lu Li asked the Mother of the Marsh.

"Something... is... searching for something..."

"Will it affect the Land of Light?"

"We... on land..."

Lu Li brought the fluorite lamp closer to the console, opened the compartment box by the ship's wheel, and took out the parchment map, updated in real-time by Andrea, placed within.

The dotted line marked by the cutting knife represented the current route—from the southern end of the Ailen Peninsula to the southeastern end of the Main Affinity Continent, continuing west along the Falling Leaves Mountain Range coastline.

Lu Li placed the one-page common words dictionary back into the compartment box according to the "manual" and then asked: "What was that wave a moment ago?"

In the Dark Era, no minor clue should be ignored.

As he listened intently, the cold sea breeze wailing outside the Captain's Cabin gradually faded away, and the tiny cutting sound inside the compartment box became as clear as a clock's ticking. After a few dozen seconds, the activity stopped, and Lu Li opened the compartment box, retrieving the dictionary with a cut-out section, sweeping out the cut-out words, and drawing close to the fluorescent lamp.

[Horrible; as; if; searching for; something; existence]

Similar to the Mother of the Marsh's answer.

The dictionary wrapped in paper scraps was rolled up and tossed into the wastebasket, Lu Li returned the dotted parchment map to the compartment box, pulled out another larger, more detailed map, spread it on the floor, and lit an oil lamp.

The parchment map under the oil lamp radiated ancient traces, and his slender fingers fell on the Falling Leaves Mountain Range coastline where they were at the moment, following the edge of the Main Affinity Continent westward to the edge corner, the westernmost known land, passing through the islands to continue north.

Then Lu Li had to choose the next path to take:

Approach the western Eternal Forest, find an estuary to reverse upstream into the Eternal Forest. The advantage is Andrea and the Twisted Cultists would become his assistants, but the downside is being regarded as unwelcome guests by the unknown Eternal Forest and its inhabitants.

Or continue north, landing on the Vig Town coast at the northwest corner of the Main Affinity Continent. The downside is the lengthy and perilous journey itself, from the coastline to Niss Town, from Niss Town to Vig Town, from Vig Town to the Eternal Forest.

Lu Li chose the second path.

Because the Flowing Cat is there, perhaps it could become Lu Li's companion, perhaps it had news from Anna.

As evening approached, Andrea cruised past the seaside town on the edge of the Falling Leaves Mountain Range, familiar yet hidden in the unseen darkness.

The Mother of the Marsh informed Lu Li that heretics were invoking unknown powers on the beach, possibly some kind of summoning or sacrificial ritual.

Thus, Andrea bypassed the seaside town, sailing into the deep sea towards the encroaching Mist of Strangeness.

This was an uncharted course, with no divine companion, danger was omnipresent.

Nests, hordes, roaming strangeness, void shadows, Inner World entities, Andrea bypassed many threatening presences along the route, while unexpected encounters that were unnoticed were also subdued by the followers, delivering a semblance of humanity to Lu Li.

Since leaving the Land of Light, the deep sea outside the Captain's Cabin remained unchanged, as if anchored at the edge of the Land of Light, moving slightly could reveal that miraculous bright land.

The only proof of still sailing was the increasing dotted lines in the compartment box each day.

From Chaos Dark Reef to the perilous stormy waters. From the Dark Swamp Seagrass Area devouring indiscriminately to the known western land's edge corner, bypassing islands nested with spider-like strangeness, layered with webs, heading north, with dangers increasing along the route, Andrea slowing down, the Crown of Thorns no longer whispering the motherly gentleness of the Mother of the Marsh.

The only good news was the "door" would find Lu Li later.

On the fifteenth day, the dotted line on the parchment map finally touched the edge of the Eternal Forest, and inexplicably, nearing the Eternal Forest made Andrea's speed increase again—the strangeness dared not encroach on this land.

Hoping the Speaker of the Trees could receive treatment here.

The fact proved choosing the second route was correct. The map from twenty-four years ago was already inaccurate, the marked estuary disappeared, replaced by numerous glowing rivers extending like veins from the depths.

Andrea couldn't navigate through it.

Continuing north, Andrea stopped two days later in the shallows at the northwest corner of the Main Affinity Continent.

About ten miles southeast from here was Niss Town, home to the Flowing Cat.

The Mother of the Marsh seemed aware of what was happening, telling Lu Li: "I need to gather strength, when you need to call me, break a branch off," then fell into slumber.

"Andrea needs your protection more than I do."

Lu Li refused the Twisted Cultists who wanted to follow, carried the fluorite lamp, sat into the wooden boat, and the fragmented shimmering ocean waves pushed him towards the coastline.

After drifting at sea for nearly twenty days, Lu Li once again set foot on land.

As the glow representing Lu Li's position faded away, Andrea's farewell horn echoed across the dark sea.