Detective Agency of the Bizarre

Lu Li's gaze returned to the weathered yet exquisite oil painting itself.

The Weirds occupied the Manor House, yet with contestants breaking in to destroy, the giant oil painting remained unharmed, undoubtedly fortunate.

Picking up the oil lamp, its coarse texture and fading colors evoked a sense of historical weight in the painting.

"Who are you?"

Claire asked back to the voice inside the painting, but received no response as she moved closer.

"Please don't come over..."

A timid voice sounded again, causing Claire to pause in her steps.

"We are from Giant Tree Academy," Lu Li answered.

The voice behind the painting exclaimed, "Giant Tree… Have we taken back Midnight City?"

Lu Li waited for Claire to answer "Something like that," but since she said nothing, he replied, "We're doing so."

"That's wonderful... you're back... When the disaster struck, I only had time to hide here, I've been here for so long..."

"You've been locked in there the whole time?"

Lu Li observed the window beside the giant oil painting, estimating the space behind the painting from the wall thickness: only enough for a person who isn't too burly to curl up and hide.

Nearly four months have passed since humans hid underground due to The Dark Era.

"Yes... After people left, monsters took over the manor. They didn't discover I was hiding here, and then a long time passed... Not long ago, I heard intense explosions and chaotic screams outside, then footsteps. I was too scared to come out until you brought the token."

A calm female voice narrating, with a hint of urgency: "Where did you find it?"

"In the cellar, inside a barrel."

"A barrel...?"

The woman in the mural didn't know the barrel contained blood and what that meant, directing her attention to what she cared more about: "Orey... Do you know my Orey?"

Lu Li recalled the melancholic and weary departing silhouette.

"Orey Lorenzo?"

"Yes, my child... Do you know him? Is he okay? Is he also here?"

Lu Li couldn't answer the mother's anxious inquiry, attempted to summon Merchant Anthony, and asked again, "Can you contact Orey Lorenzo."

The merchant's answer remained unchanged.

"Cannot."

Death is only the most pessimistic prediction, Orey Lorenzo or Margaret might still be alive.

"Oh no... he'll be okay, won't he... won't he?"

"Let's help you out first."

Lu Li approached the giant oil painting, confirming his initial speculation. Behind the painting was not a professional refuge, just a vault meant for storing wealth or secret documents. But moving or removing it couldn't shift the picture frame.

"Let me do it."

Claire took over from Lu Li, grasping both ends of the picture frame.

Crash—

A crack spread across the wall, dust falling with crumbling bits as Claire forcefully dismantled the metal picture frame embedded in the wall.

The amber light from the oil lamp spilled into the space behind the mural.

A complete skeleton, clad in a floral dress nightgown, curled up atop scattered gold coins and Shillings.

"So I was already..."

A slowly fading voice dissipated as the truth was revealed.

In the restored silence, Lu Li looked at Claire: "You knew long ago?"

Claire nodded in response.

Because of Orey Lorenzo, Lu Li intended to collect her remains and bury her bones.

"Lu Li... that Gold Coin of the Good Merlin Emperor... take it with you."

Will Ken's aged whisper sounded once more, this time pointing at a finely etched sideways portrait Gold Coin in the coin heap.

Following Will Ken's hint, Lu Li pocketed the coin, while Claire nudged scattered books with her shoe tip without finding anything.

Two minutes later, amid the curiosity of contestants who had yet to leave the mansion in search of Weirds and scavenged materials, Lu Li carried a bulging blanket to the manor's backyard.

Claire stopped Lu Li from wasting time digging a pit in the ash-covered soil, overturning a landscape rock weighing several thousand pounds,

The recessed pit was just enough to accommodate the skeleton.

Lu Li placed the wrapped skeleton into the pit, Claire pressed down the edges to bury the shallow pit, then erected a simple gravestone, writing the name from the bottom right of the giant oil painting.

[Marlene Lorenzo]

After completing these, they returned to the cellar, stepped across the bloody carpet, and entered the red-brick secret passage.

The entrance of the passage automatically closed shortly after they left.

The narrow passage made it impossible for them to walk side by side, oppressive, murky, dead silent, with only the oil lamp illuminating the dim tunnel, making it hard to suppress one's thoughts.

Such as imagining a monster lurking in the depths of the passage, or the passage closing in under pressure.

Claire, walking quietly ahead, seemed to harbor a secret.

Will Ken's reminder planted a seed in Lu Li's heart—perhaps some web centering around Lu Li was being woven, a vortex was forming; perhaps all experiences were the Delirium of Emerald Dream; perhaps everything was the hallucination before one's demise after entering hell—

In any case, groundless fantasies bore no significance, as there was no solid memory pointing to them.

This passage was long enough, as it directly led from the outskirts to Count Hunter's manor. Even if that manor wasn't at the city center, it was located within Midnight City—a tunnel spanning 8 to 9 miles was simply unbelievable, especially beneath Midnight City.

It's hard not to speculate whether Count Hunter had a purpose for digging the passage—it couldn't truly be solely for connecting his subordinate families.

Now Count Hunter and Midnight City's depths have hidden underground, this abandoned passage was a boon to Lu Li and Claire, leading them to circumvent the surface Weirds, quickly approaching the Weird Lair.

However, a collapse blocked their path ahead.

Claire refrained from exerting brute force, signaling to Lu Li: "This is when your helpers come in."

Referring to those worms.

The worms quickly came from underground, wriggling and devouring the collapsed soil layer while expanding the tunnel's width.

Lu Li and Claire followed behind. At some point, Claire pressed her bandaged hand against the vibrating rock wall.

"We've been discovered."

She gestured for Lu Li to follow the worms out, waiting until they were far enough, tremors and waves of dust surged from behind.

Claire once again collapsed the passage, preventing surface entities from discovering anything—while also cutting off their retreat.

The collapsed passage stretched nearly two miles, and this despairing distance only cost the summoned worms several minutes.

The narrow path re-emerged, Lu Li had the worms hide underground to await command.

Afterward, no further obstacles were encountered, and when stone steps inclined upwards emerged at the edge of the oil lamp's light, they knew they were close to their destination.

"That Viscount might not be strong, but the real trouble would come from his numerous frenzied servant slaves, so we must sneak into the manor, get close enough."

Claire opened a stomach pouch, took out two paired potions, and handed one to Lu Li: "Remember the Mutant Potion? It's the key to getting close to the Viscount."

She pointed at the slightly smaller bottle of the paired potions as she spoke.

"Don't worry, this time I've improved the potion and prepared an antidote."