Detective Agency of the Bizarre

At the edge of the Eternal Forest, Merchant Anthony emerged due to a summons.

"They have eyes, can they discern the location?"

Merchant Anthony shook his head.

Lu Li looked towards the depths of the forest from where a slender river flowed, did they encounter an accident...

Instructing the merchant to bring Andrea, Lu Li returned upstream alone.

A few dozen minutes later, he arrived at the upstream branch, the marks still there: the agreed-upon twenty-one Fluorescent Fruits stacked into The Spire, clear and conspicuous.

Lu Li approached the mark, noticing traces of movement around The Spire mark—a line resembling the serpentine tracks left by many snakes extending, revealing the source as Lu Li followed: a Fluorescent Plant rooted in black mud, devoid of its fruit.

A scene emerged in his mind: the Fluorescent Plant extricating its roots, moving along leaving wriggling traces, approaching the riverside, leaving its fruits stacked into The Spire.

Raimy never mentioned they had intelligence. There was no reason for a plant to know about their markings and plans.

Lu Li's gaze shifted away from the Fluorescent Plant, falling into the dim depths.

The only presence that would know their actions and do this was the Eternal Forest itself.

Lu Li recalled what Tesla in the Land of Deceit had said: this forest needs life.

Perhaps the Eternal Forest was speaking the truth through him.

A forest possessing consciousness wouldn't surprise Lu Li, even setting aside the Mysterious Dense Forest in a dreamscape, he had encountered two forests with consciousness: Elm Forest and Plant Habitat.

Knowing the truth, Lu Li backed away to the coast, the Eternal Forest did not prevent his departure, this was his chance.

At the shore, Lu Li summoned Merchant Anthony again, having it bring all the Sunshine Boxes. Stuffing seventeen Sunshine Boxes into his satchel: "You and the sculptures stay here and wait for Andrea, bring her onto the ship."

After instructing Merchant Anthony, he reneged to the forest's edge, releasing the Speaker of the Trees, opened a Sunshine Box, conversing with the forest through sunlight blossoming from the golden ocean: "I wish to conduct an exchange. I leave behind sunlight and promise to bring residents to the Eternal Forest in the future, in exchange for the forest allowing my companions to leave."

Placing the Sunshine Box on the grassy lawn that emerged from the soil, Lu Li covered the wooden box, leaving it to emit light like rays through cloud gaps, collecting Annie's ethereal image heading upstream.

Pausing slightly at the relocated marker spire, Lu Li released the Speaker of the Trees again, and opened the second Sunshine Box, then continued forward.

The change occurred at the second marker—it led Lu Li to an unfamiliar stream impassable by boat.

Lu Li left the third Sunshine Box here, and at each subsequent marker he encountered, he left a Sunshine Box.

Traveling tirelessly along the new path, three days later at the fifteenth marker, Lu Li finally neared his destination: a lake encircled by Fluorescent Plants forming a dark silhouette.

Fires were lit across the lake, vague silhouettes flickered before the bonfire.

Lu Li opened the sixteenth Sunshine Box, beams of light blossomed towards the sky.

Quickly on the other side, a response torch wavered, after a moment, Raimy drifted down beside Lu Li from across the lake.

"Were you also brought here by the forest?"

"Let's go quickly."

Raimy paused briefly, sensing the urgency beneath the calm words, nodded, headed towards the opposite lakeshore, the banshee's wail echoed over the temporary camp: "Pack up and leave immediately!"

Silhouettes on the opposite side slowly moved, several torches lined the lake's edge, moving this way.

A dozen or so minutes later, Tesla and company approached Lu Li, but brought only five residents.

"Let Hui Na speak to you." Tesla sighed.

A middle-aged man named Hui Na spoke fearfully and guiltily: "The forest is warning us, not letting us leave."

"I made an exchange with the Eternal Forest, now it's possible to leave."

Hui Na hesitated, then reluctantly revealed the truth: "Sorry, we wish to stay here..."

This lake is more suitable for living than Paradise Valley, they no longer desired to venture to the distant Land of Light, even if it were truly as wonderful as imagined.

Lu Li generously permitted their departure, only four residents chose to follow him.

"I can make them follow me," Raimy said.

"There's no need."

Dozens of residents held little significance to the burgeoning Land of Light, and they needed to leave hastily, more people would just slow them down.

"How much time do we have left?" Raimy asked.

"No more than three days."

The Sunshine Boxes wouldn't shine forever, sunlight through the gaps would evaporate in five to six days if the Eternal Forest didn't open them.

"How long did it take you to get here?"

"No more than three days." Lu Li, who had been continuously traveling, told her: "But I need some time to rest."

"We can all sit on Amber's back, but the luggage..."

"Leave everything except the crops."

Tesla knew what was important.

They abandoned useless luggage, climbed onto Amber's back with Raimy floating beside, followed by crawling many-legged Amber slipping into the forest, away from those remaining by the lakeside.

Lu Li spent nearly three days returning upstream to find them, Amber took less than a half-day to return to the forest edge.

The guiding Sunshine Boxes dispersed light, the forest hadn't touched them.

Disembarking from Amber's back, Lu Li stepped on the moist soil, slightly stumbling, supported by the drifting Raimy.

Merchant Anthony and the sculpture were absent, Lu Li handed the last Sunshine Box to Raimy, instructing her to open it towards the sea to ensure Andrea could find them.

Having done everything, Lu Li left this Sunshine Box behind, its beacon-like light projecting into the forest, and with weary limbs, the group moved towards the coast.

Splash——splash——

The sound of the sea waves became clearer as they neared the coast, a few oil lamp lights appeared on the pitch-dark sea, slowly drifting closer.

Twisted Cultists rowed to greet them.

The presence of heretics on the small boats was unsettling, but picturing the church in the Land of Light, they were allies, not enemies.

Boarding the rocking wooden boats one after another, Amber was carried by three wooden boats arranged in a line, controlled by the Twisted Cultists manipulating the sea, heading towards Andrea.

"This ship, I feel it is alive..."

Raimy watched as the ropes descended, automatically wrapping around the ends of the wooden boats, rising slowly, even Amber's wooden boat was lashed up by the rope-like living beings.

"Her name is Andrea."

The rising wooden boat aligned with the deck, and they followed Lu Li onto the deck.

"I believe what you said now," Jimmy muttered.

"Were you always doubting?" Raimy, with an irritated tone, looked at her brother.

"I thought he was deceiving those people into leaving..."

Amber landed on the deck, the ropes dispersed, loosening.

"To Niss Town."

Upon Lu Li's words, Andrea trembled slightly, sailing towards the vast deep sea beyond.

The glow from the land's edge gradually diminished into twinkling dots, becoming no longer visible.

The four residents and Amber were temporarily accommodated in the ship's cabin, and Lu Li led them back to the Captain's Cabin. Tesla was astonished by the sculpture in the corner.

"It actually is in the Land of Deceit..."