Detective Agency of the Bizarre

Early morning dim light pours into the silent Old Belfast.

In the empty street near Agate Lake, the Exorcist in a black trench coat walks silently, his silhouette and footsteps disrupting the tranquility permeating the street.

Behind the broken shop windows, scattered debris lies, while faded signs invite long-gone guests.

This district, called Weed Street, is one of the relatively intact areas of Old Belfast. When disaster struck, it was not devoured by flames, not ravaged by the bizarre, not plundered, nor occupied by strange tribes, and only a handful of buildings have collapsed due to disrepair.

Stepping over rubble from collapsed buildings into the street, the figure gazes at the distant neighboring street — the adjoining street ahead was not as fortunate, as it became the lair of a reptilian tribe, visibly devastated.

At this moment, the lonely walking figure pauses slightly.

"Help... save me..."

The cry for help comes from a second-floor window of a street-side building, where a beautiful and fragile girl with glistening collarbones pleads to the figure on the street in a strange accent, "Please... save me..."

"I will save you."

Lu Li raises his head, nods, and strides into the dark pathway where the wooden door is missing, ready to devour.

Merchant Anthony brought back news from the old sewer last night at nine: Midnight City remnants do indeed exist.

However, their situation is not optimistic. It is said that all survivors of Midnight City are marked with some curse, and after being rejected by the old sewer, they hide in unknown dark lines. Even the Earth Dwellers' Guild has lost contact with them.

Ascending the old, decayed, creaking stairs, unsettled dust flees under the oil lamp; Lu Li steps onto the second-floor corridor, scanning the dusty hallway.

"I am here... save me..."

The call for help comes from behind an open door in the room.

Lu Li steps closer.

The Earth Dwellers' Guild losing contact with them might mean the remnants of Midnight City don't trust them: This distrust might stem from caution, but considering the Earth Dwellers' Guild's profit-oriented nature and what they've done to Vena Refuge, Lu Li is more inclined towards the prejudice that "Earth Dwellers' Trading Company is not trustworthy."

Lu Li stands in front of the room door, and a dusty, empty living room comes into view, with the call for help coming from a half-open bedroom door in the depths.

Bang—

As Lu Li steps into the room, the wooden door suddenly closes behind him, with airflow stirring dust against his back.

There aren't too few strange entities coveting the survivors, as these people represent the lost treasure of Midnight City.

Abandoning the idea of letting Earth Dwellers' Trading Company find the survivors of Midnight City, Lu Li instead instructs Merchant Anthony to gather their clues. The Earth Dwellers' Trading Company failing does not mean Lu Li will fail too. The survivors of Midnight City are expected to leave traces for the Exorcist to find—unless they are avoiding even Lu Li, or must hide themselves.

The shadow lurking in the bedroom crawls out as the door closes, displaying the street-seen girl growing on a bloated body, gradually writhing, collapsing, melting back into the bloated form.

As it approaches, chaos suddenly descends upon Lu Li's body. Light twists into dream-like chaos, sounds become incomprehensible mutterings, body fragments, sight loses symmetry; an eyeball pulls out from a blood vessel, climbs to the forehead, another eyeball slips into the chest cavity, squeezing through flesh at the back, while a missing foot emerges from the chest and ear.

But chaos can twist everything, except for one's will.

The black pupils on the forehead and spine radiate pure logic and calmness, as Lu Li swings his right fist towards the encroaching entity.

Offering "Martin and the Dog."

A sensation of flesh registers on the fist surface, a muffled grunt follows the sound of impact, the chaotic mutterings enveloping the body and twisted sight suddenly restore somewhat, becoming vaguely veiled like through a sheer curtain.

The flesh wrapping around Lu Li retracts, coalescing into a bloated outline, falling backward to crash open the bedroom door.

Lu Li ignores the distorted senses, pursuing the entity retreating into the room according to his will, swinging the right fist again.

Offering "Sunken City."

The bloated entity's surface ripples as at this moment Lu Li's forehead eye returns to the socket and sight becomes entirely clear.

A pile of bones of various sizes forms in the bedroom corner, covered in thick dust, with the deceased's belongings scattered on the ground. Disgusting fleshy webs clinging to the walls connect to the bloated outline. The rear eye lets Lu Li see the flesh hanging behind the living room door, the culprit closing the door.

Offering the formulae for Sequence Potion 6 to 10.

Lu Li does not stop, and this time the eye on the back returns to the empty socket, the chest and alongside ear foot return to their original positions.

Offering Mysticology level 3 trial.

Straddling the twisted outline, with fist tainted by the dispersing haze, Lu Li prepares to swing again.

Squeak—

At this moment, the tightly closed wooden door slowly opens.

Lu Li pauses slightly, ignoring this to continue punching.

Bang.

The twisted outline suddenly contracts, issuing a hollow scream, unable to escape from beneath Lu Li.

Offering formula for Sequence Potion 5.

The left hand wielding knowledge power presses onto the bloated outline's flesh, sizzling blue smoke ascends, provoking the flesh creature to violently writhe with a muffled howl echoing from within.

The power of the Crown of Knowledge depends on two dimensions: the importance of memory and the importance of the memory itself.

The former is the memory etched in the mind, the latter is the information and knowledge within the memory.

The greater the content, the stronger the power condensed by the Crown of Knowledge.

Lu Li rises from the dispersing twisted outline, while the flesh on the wall also dissipates into ash like snowflakes, vanishing just before falling.

Picking up the oil lamp rolling to the side, Lu Li's gaze sweeps over the bone piles in the corner, pauses briefly before leaving the room.

...

Early morning sunlight pours into the silent Old Belfast through the void.

In the empty street near Agate Lake, the Exorcist in a black trench coat walks silently, with silhouette and footsteps disrupting the tranquility permeating the ruins-like street.

Collapsing derelict buildings stand incomplete, rubble blocking the street, forming a rock pile suitable for the habits of reptilian tribes.

Lu Li stands at the edge of the reptile's nest, and the chaotic stone pile beyond becomes difficult to traverse.

Rustle—

A remnant shadow suddenly darts under the stones, and as Lu Li discovers it, it already lurches from the narrow slit.

Thump—

The obscure aura stirs, dropping the reptile from midair, paralyzing it as it rolls down the rubble stopping at Lu Li's feet.

A surviving reptile hatchling—but it is human-sized, with a hard shell and thick arthropods indicating several adults couldn't possibly control it, and the pincers near its menacing mouthpieces imply that if it pounces, it'll easily tear away several pounds of flesh.

However, the power of the Alien God protecting Lu Li has twisted its consciousness.

"You want to convert it into a servant." Lu Li speaks while standing by the rubble.

The reptile at his foot suddenly twists, manipulated into breaking its waist.

Upon receiving the answer, Lu Li's left hand presses the reptile's head, liberating it after a dozen seconds.

Lu Li proceeds up the street towards Agate Lake Camp instead of moving forward.

Mother of the Marsh awaits by the Immortal Wall, whispering to the returning Lu Li: "Do you still intend to maintain human form after witnessing the frailness of humans?"

Lu Li gently nods, his dark eyes slightly lowered.

"I don't want her to see me as a monster when she returns."