Detective Agency of the Bizarre

The phantom of Annie stretched out its tree-like form, shrouded in a hazy phosphorescence.

A crippled gray cat sitting a few meters away on a rock revealed its outline.

It wasn't a phantom; its legs and abdomen were not covered with fur or skin, exposing festering flesh that hadn't crusted over. Fortunately, the harsh environment prevented infestations of maggots. Even the uninjured parts of its body had fur that was charred and curled as if scorched by fire.

"Meow—"

The gray cat let out a hoarse call towards Lu Li, jumped off the rock, raised one hind leg, and limped to lead Lu Li forward.

Merchant Anthony, who appeared upon summoning, told Lu Li that in that direction lay Vig Town.

The gray cat suddenly rose into the air, swept up by a hand and nestled into a warm embrace. It tilted its head to gaze up at Lu Li's chin, and before long, it began to purr softly, soothed by the warmth and comfort.

Due to being in a hurry, Lu Li hadn't had time to use any recovery potion, so he waited until the gray cat's wounds scabbed over and no longer emitted a decaying odor, then he put away the Speaker of the Trees.

With the gray cat held in his right arm and an oil lamp in his left hand, Lu Li trudged through the dark, directionless mountain range. Whenever this happened, the gray cat would let out a hoarse cry and turn its head in the right direction, signifying that this area was still within the Flowing Cat's influence—

This assumption was quickly dispelled when an unknown creature appeared. Lu Li held the gray cat, which wanted to leap out and confront it, and released the Dreamwalker to scare off the creature.

The Flowing Cat's control over this mountain range had diminished significantly, or maybe it had lost its hold entirely.

The only certainty was that it still existed and remained the leader of all cats, still in Vig Town.

Thanks to the gray cat's guidance, Lu Li could hasten his journey at full speed in the dim midday. Occasionally appearing oddities were either driven away by his potions or frightened by the Dreamwalker.

During the silent journey, the gray cat, which had been diligently leading Lu Li straight towards Vig Town, suddenly turned north, lifted its head, and called out to Lu Li.

Lu Li paused briefly and moved closer to where the gray cat indicated, soon coming across a black cat lying under a tree.

The gray cat leapt from Lu Li's arms, tiptoeing on its hind leg that dared not touch the ground, and approached the black cat, sniffing around before calling out to Lu Li: "Meow~"

Lu Li knelt beside the calico cat, tilting the oil lamp at its side.

Its condition was worse than the gray cat's. The black cat was not its original color but the hue of fur singed to the roots by fire, its skin bare, and its tail flattened and festering as if crushed by a heavy object, making it incapable of standing. Only the faint rise and fall of its withered abdomen proved it was still alive.

It was only alive because cats are creatures with high tolerance.

Lu Li couldn't simply pick it up as he did the gray cat. He could only spray the recovery potion over its body and release the Speaker of the Trees to let the skin crust over before lifting the so-called "black cat," which was as light and rough as a dry twig, contrary to the imagined "fluffy softness."

With the oil lamp in one hand and carrying the "black cat," Lu Li followed the tiptoeing gray cat onward.

In the afternoon, Lu Li encountered a third cat, which was in a better state than the previous two... but in some ways worse.

This dirty calico cat's eyes had been gouged out, and it could only find them through the gray cat's calls, letting out weak and continuous meows while rubbing its tail up against Lu Li's trouser leg.

Lu Li couldn't manage to carry it, but the eyeless calico could discern sounds and follow behind the gray cat.

With the companionship of the three cats, the subsequent journey was no longer lonely, but no more cats appeared.

Before the onset of the Mist of Strangeness at nightfall, Lu Li reached his second destination of the journey: Vig Town.

Everything lay dormant in the endless stretch of blackness, only the crunch of charcoal underfoot attesting to his proximity to the now-ruined town.

And the hoarse meowing of cats echoing from deep within the ruins, stirred by the gray cat's call.

It should be safe now.

Lu Li adjusted the oil lamp to its brightest, following the gray cat's lead, passing through the welcoming group of cats.

Some were more or less injured; Lu Li did not release the Speaker of the Trees as that would be too wasteful. Instead, he had Merchant Anthony bring large amounts of Strange Meat and recovery potions, sprinkling them as the emaciated cats clamored towards the food.

Some ran away, but more cats whimpered under the spray of recovery potions as they ate or carried pieces of meat doused with potion back to companions who couldn't come over.

Leaving them behind, Lu Li, the gray cat, and the "black cat" in his arms delved into the ruins of Vig Town.

Even though Lu Li had long suspected Vig Town's fate from the three cats, the sight still left him silent.

The fires that once ravaged the town had long since dissipated, with no charred scent lingering even when walking through the town. Occasionally, intact stone houses echoed with the sounds of cat calls.

The cat colony now dominated this small town, and so far, Lu Li had not seen any trace of surviving townsfolk.

With Lu Li in tow, the gray cat led the way into a two-story building that had lost its roof.

Lu Li recognized the place: it had once been the mayor's office, later becoming the Flowing Cat's church.

Standing outside the hall, this semi-stone structure still stood firm, but everything inside had been reduced to ashes by high temperatures.

The gray cat ran into the depths of the hall at this point, calling for Lu Li.

Lu Li followed, the edge of the oil lamp's glow revealing the gray cat perched on the edge and a cat's silhouette sitting upright on its fur.

It had lost its former noble elegance, its shadow-like fur replaced by charred black, its once long tail, enough to wrap around its body, now merely a short stump. And one of its eyes, reminiscent of exquisite black gemstones, was missing, its hollow gaze upon Lu Li.

The Flowing Cat had gone from a cat of royal company to a one-eyed black cat at the captain's feet on a pirate ship.

"Meow~"

Yet, its voice remained melodious, its movements still graceful, its head gently nudging Lu Li's leg in a show of affection.

"Has Anna returned?" Lu Li asked.

The Flowing Cat continued to rub against Lu Li's legs without answering.

And without the big sister's translation, Lu Li couldn't communicate with it.

Lu Li unfolded a bizarre dreamscape, imagining the Flowing Cat as a human.

It tilted its head at the change, seemingly aware of what was happening, and from its silhouette, a long black tail materialized. This was a good sign, and Lu Li asked, "Has Anna returned? What happened to Vig Town?"

The Flowing Cat gave no reply, merely snuggling close to Lu Li, its vague cheek rubbing against his face.

It didn't know how to speak.

Having lost its faith, it appeared to become an ordinary cat.

Lu Li retracted the dreamscape, and the Flowing Cat, reverting to its feline form, shook its stump tail, seeming to sit dejectedly.

It couldn't help Lu Li, and even needed Lu Li's assistance.

Lu Li and the Flowing Cat left the church, returning to the area where food had gathered the cat colony, guiding them to the church, then, with the Flowing Cat's help, searching the ruins for immobile, dying, severely injured cats and survivors, bringing them to the church.

He retrieved many severely injured cats but found no survivors, not even any corpses.

As the Mist of Strangeness creeping over the Hillevig Mountain Range arrived, Lu Li retreated to the church ruins.

By the lit bonfire, Lu Li released the Speaker of the Trees to heal them and rested the night among the company of cats.