Detective Agency of the Bizarre

"The sunlight cannot penetrate the deep forest."

This ancient proverb, describing the Hillevig Mountain Range's abundance yet the hunter's inability to find food, is being validated in another way.

The land without light is shrouded in darkness, distant forest shadows and hills hard to distinguish, like a moonless night.

Almost nothing can be seen or heard; the complete silence is oppressive, only the broken path built by predecessors guides Lu Li, bringing sound.

This broken path that stretches for over ten miles connects the coast to Niss Town.

Occasionally, stones on the road are kicked away, rolling far. Sometimes, they are bones, slender and dense, resembling fish bones. After moving approximately two miles peacefully amidst the oppression, Lu Li sees the owner of these fish bones: the skull of a Frog Fish Person without its lower jaw.

The skull is only palm-sized, much more petite compared to humans. Frog Fish People are around one meter tall, and even if they straighten their hunched spines, they wouldn't surpass an adult man's stomach.

These bones don't bear new traces; quite a few are severely weathered, crumbling into bone ash like gravel when stepped upon.

Either the Frog Fish Person tribe has retreated, or there is no longer any need for an attack on Niss Town.

Lu Li moves his oil lamp away from the crushed bones, straightens up, and continues forward, guessing it's the former.

Because he doesn't smell the fishy stench drifting from the decaying soil.

And perhaps stronger monsters or tribes occupy Niss Town — for Lu Li has not encountered any monsters on the broken path.

Two hours later, the road beneath his feet is about to reach its end. Lu Li is very close to Niss Town.

But instead, Lu Li slows his pace, takes the Revealing Potion, and remains vigilant.

Because he hasn't been welcomed by the Flowing Cat, nor has he heard the sound of its meow.

No matter if the Flowing Cat has abandoned Niss Town... what occupies here has turned into another powerful monster, such as —

Lu Li suddenly loses control of his body, jumping childishly toward the lurking silhouette of Niss Town ahead, forced to emit childlike laughter.

Preparing to escape this dream, Lu Li stops because from the controlling power, he senses the presence of a ritual.

Allowing the ritual to drag his body, becoming part of this eerie scene, entering Niss Town, stopping in front of the fountain in the central square.

Three Frog Fish People quietly await by the fountain, sharing Lu Li's plight, captured by the boy's shadow standing on the fountain by the ritual.

Lu Li observes the boy's shadow; he's about eight or nine years old, a frail body wrapped in an ill-fitting burlap outfit, his face indistinct.

Not a ghost, but a Resentful Spirit.

"Now it's my turn to be the ghost! You all hide quickly; count to a hundred."

The boy's shadow murmurs the rules of the game simply, and as Lu Li and the three Frog Fish People regain control over their bodies, he turns around to lean on the fountain: "One hundred — ninety-nine — ninety-eight —"

"May I ask a question?"

"— Ninety-seven — ninety-six — ninety-five —"

Lu Li's inquiry receives no response; the countdown continues.

He briefly focuses on the numb trio of Frog Fish People. Dry, frail, as if a dying heap of firewood, Lu Li doesn't believe they were captured like him by the Resentful Spirit boy just now.

Perhaps they were imprisoned long ago, until Lu Li entered the town, fulfilling the ritual's required number. Hence, their bodies and minds became numb — prolonged captivity and control had made them lose their self.

"— Eighty-three — eighty-two — eighty-one —"

Lu Li doesn't leave immediately; approaching the three Frog Fish People, he administers the Shadow-Hiding Potion to the first, touches the second with his left hand as it retreats into the Inner World due to injury-induced instinct, and pulls the third away with his right hand, fleeing to the outskirts of Niss Town.

"— Seventy — sixty-nine — sixty-eight —"

The chant of the Resentful Spirit boy gradually fades away.

Along the way, Lu Li releases the numb-following Frog Fish Person, advancing alone.

"Meow—"

Nearing the edge of Niss Town, the call of a cat draws Lu Li's attention; his dark eyes fall to where the sound comes from, a spectral tortoiseshell cat sits behind a broken window, rising and walking into the shadows, guiding him.

"— Thirty-seven — thirty-six — thirty-five —"

Following the tortoiseshell cat, Lu Li steps on fragments into the house, seeing it seated before a wardrobe.

"— Twenty-four — twenty-three — twenty-two —"

Nodding to the Ghost Cat, Lu Li swaps his oil lamp for the Fluorite Chunk, opens the wardrobe door, hiding inside.

"— Three — two — one — I'm going to find you now!"

The reverberating call fades away; Niss Town returns to silence.

"Found you!"

Then, just a few seconds pass, the boy's innocent laughter echoes over silent Niss Town, followed by the eerie sound of nibbling.

Clearly, the Shadow-Hiding Potion is ineffective against the Resentful Spirit.

In the following minutes, the second and third Frog Fish People are discovered in succession, their chilling childlike voices sounding.

Only Lu Li remains as the player in the hide-and-seek game.

Time ticks away, Lu Li remains silent, waiting for the otherwise indefinite game of hide-and-seek to conclude—until an abrupt cat call breaks the silence.

"Meow—"

And then, silence returns.

The foreboding feeling rising, Lu Li now takes out the oil lamp, lighting it. In its dim glow, the bottom of the wardrobe, piled with Fish People bones, becomes fully exposed.

And the spiteful gaze from the indistinct face outside the wardrobe crevice emerges.

"Found you!"

Lu Li suddenly opens his eyes, waking startled from the nightmare.

"Meow—"

The tortoiseshell cat behind the window meows, urging him.

Grasping it, Lu Li suddenly retrieves a water bottle, washing away the scent of the Frog Fish People on his hands.

Splash—

Clear water rinses away the Frog Fish odor.

"Meow..."

The remnants of the tortoiseshell cat gradually dissolve into ethereal mist.

Without time to understand the reason, Lu Li, noticing the countdown has ceased, continues onward, yet is obstructed by the unseen film outside Niss Town.

Solidified air becomes part of a closed space, preventing Lu Li from leaving.

The bizarre dreamscape, like seawater soaking through burlap, spreads from behind, Lu Li stretches forward, obstacles vanish, and peacefully exits the ritual laid by the Resentful Spirit.

Lu Li stops when the broken path turns to dirt road, glancing back at the shadowy town, once again dormant.

The Resentful Spirit Monster doesn't pursue, perhaps even unaware of his departure.

Gathering the dream, Lu Li swaps to the oil lamp, resumes his journey.

The upcoming path is no longer smooth; the distance from Niss Town to Vig Town is farther than from the coast to Niss Town and more challenging to traverse.

Lu Li must maintain his pace to reach Vig Town before nightfall and the arrival of the Mist of Strangeness.

Yet, traversing and climbing the undulating hills and mountains is difficult; worse, the compass fails, and even though Merchant Anthony occasionally visits and guides the way, Lu Li nearly loses himself.

Humans were never suited to live amidst darkness.

At this moment, Lu Li hears a baby's cry coming from ahead.

Lu Li bypasses the range of the cry and continues onward, but it soon resounds again, following him, this time gradually less sharp, resembling a cat's call.