Detective Agency of the Bizarre-Chapter 1479 - 23: Three Battles

Ghoul’s Lair, Ghoul Town, Ghoul Kingdom.

Humans do not accurately distinguish the ghoul territories, and the difference in scale increases exponentially.

Based on the scale Lu Li glimpsed in his dream, the Blood Plague Legion should be between a lair and a town: stronger than a lair, weaker than a town.

After all, they are not considered strong in the eastern territories, forced to migrate south.

But that’s only in relation to the east.

Even a lone wolf chased out by a pack can still wreak havoc among sheep.

And the Blood Plague Legion is inferior to a town only in terms of scale—because the brutal Midnight City cannot support too many commoners.

In any case, for this trip to the Blood Plague Legion’s Outpost, Lu Li and the accompanying four Ghoul Warriors represent the Ghoul’s Lair.

It can be anticipated that if Lu Li fails, the best outcome for the Ghoul Warriors is to remain at the Outpost.

Between the desolate and decayed ruins, four crawling Ghoul Warriors protect a small, upright Ghoul Sorcerer, leaning on a Spine Staff.

Lu Li found the skull useless and replaced it with the sturdy Spine Staff, overly heavy for the weak sorcerer’s body.

As they approach the street bordering the south and east, the roadside began to reveal features of the Ghoul Clans: skulls impaled on sticks and scattered plague-tainted meat.

The Blood Plague Legion’s Outpost—an interim lair composed of a theater, monastery, and residential area. The low flesh walls cannot conceal the bustling silhouettes within the lair.

There are no Ghoul Commoners; all those carrying firewood and stone are Ghoul Warriors.

The approach of five ghouls caught the Outpost’s attention. A ghoul squad similar to Lu Li’s approached, guiding them past the ghoul blood-soaked pools, entering the plague-covered monastery.

The divine statue in the hall was halved, and the nearly four-meter tall grotesque Ghoul Leader used the statue’s torso as a seat. Facing Lu Li’s arrival, it raised a bone whip.

Crack—

The whistling sound scraped close to Lu Li, stirring up dust and tearing the blood blanket beneath.

"You are not Blood Bone... Who are you?"

A dull sound akin to the turning of a heavily-loaded wagon wheel echoed through the flesh monastery.

"A new sorcerer."

Lu Li stared directly at the Ghoul Leader.

"Replacing Blood Bone?"

"That’s right."

"Coward... It is the shame of the clan..."

The snake-like pale bone whip slowly retracted from beside Lu Li, "I hope you are not."

"Take it down. Tell the warriors, the Colosseum is open!"

Strong Ghoul Warriors entered the blood-drenched monastery, shackling the defenseless Ghoul Warriors who seemed like commoners in comparison.

Lu Li was no exception; his Spine Staff was confiscated, and he was locked in a cramped burrow where he could only curl his body.

The shadows swaying beyond the bone fence and the crawling noises indicated that ghouls were on guard.

Lu Li could escape at any time, but he quietly waited, silently continuing to strengthen his body.

The long darkness was broken by the "clatter" sounds from the fence.

Lu Li crawled out of the underground cage, following the ghoul squad through the now-empty Outpost, gradually getting closer to the chaotic howling and foul scent-pervaded theater.

They opened a bone fence gate leading to the theater, allowing Lu Li inside.

Lu Li squeezed through the roughly dug hole, glanced back at the reclosed bone fence gate, and then proceeded toward the depths where howls echoed.

The darkness briefly enveloped his body, then was replaced by increasingly clear shouts and light.

Yet another bone fence gate stood in front.

Lu Li walked up to the gate, peering outside. The theater, transformed into a Colosseum, was packed with ghouls, the massive figure of the Ghoul Leader barely visible at the main seat.

Like human spectators wrapped in fierce, blood-soaked skins awaiting a beast fight.

Beside the weapon rack, a rusty sword, iron hammer, deer antlers... everything possible as a weapon was displayed, stained with dried filth.

Lu Li saw his Spine Staff placed on the weapon rack.

He picked up the Spine Staff, temporarily rested it aside, and continued to select from the variety on the weapon rack.

A thick iron rod resembling a lamppost caught Lu Li’s attention. The skull of a wrongful death was embedded like a decoration at the top of the rod, its empty sockets gazing at Lu Li.

Lu Li picked it up, his claw fitting exactly. It weighed about eighty pounds but was too long. For Lu Li’s ghoul sorcerer stature, it resembled a door panel.

Crunch—

At this moment, the twisted rope pulled the fence gate gratingly upward, the outside noise pouring into the cave unhindered.

Lu Li stopped selecting, removed the skull of the wrongful death, fitted another skull onto the iron rod wand, and stepped into the Colosseum.

The rich scent of blood and decay rushed toward him, Lu Li raised his head, seemingly witnessing an eye formed of blood and plague gazing down here.

This is a ritual.

An offering to the King of Ghouls by pleasing them with battle and blood.

Before the silent gaze of the void perceived his attention, Lu Li diverted his gaze.

The ghoul leader’s coarse roar echoed in the Colosseum: 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Sorcerer, prove your three acts of courage independently!"

"Victory earns honor. Death, suffer dismemberment."

Surveying the howling audience of ghouls, Lu Li grasped the Spine Staff.

He had avoided Chris’ mischievous competition but couldn’t escape the ghoul clan’s Colosseum.

Lu Li’s gaze fell across the arena, towards the scattered rubble, bones, and blood-soaked soil, where a ghoul warrior of near-maximal physique slowly crawled from the shadows, snarling as it pounced at Lu Li.

It was right, the sorcerer’s frailty meant even a Ghoul Commoner could easily kill it. But given enough distance, not even a lair could kill a sorcerer.

But Lu Li is not a sorcerer.

Gripping the eighty-pound "wand," Lu Li raised it high toward the ghoul warrior charging with a rancid wind, and smashed it down heavily.

Bang—

A magnificent layer of blossoms bloomed.

First, the fragile skull atop the "wand" shattered, scattering, then the wand contacted the skull unimpeded, the hard skull deformed, dented, as the wand pressed into the skull like a stone thrown into a rotten mire, stench-coated meat poured and scattered.

The headless ghoul warrior fell, surrounded by radiating gooey rotten flesh.

The Colosseum erupted in screams announcing Lu Li’s victory, the ghouls cleared the arena—dragging the corpse out, then a bloody scramble unfolded on the stands.

The second round followed swiftly. Lu Li shook off the rotten meat clinging to the "wand," gazing at the rising second gate.

A sorcerer wielding a bone staff stepped out, raised the bone staff to release a filthy Plague Aura.

Lu Li charged toward the sorcerer like a warrior, enduring the Plague Aura, ignoring the continuously decomposing and healing flesh, swinging the "wand" at the screeching sorcerer.

Compared to the warrior, the sorcerer’s skull was softer. The filling wasn’t rotting loose flesh; the feeble frail body nearly split apart, gelatinous snot-like goo splattered walls and spectators at the edges.

"Bloody Skull Crusher—"

Lu Li heard the screams echoing from the stands.

Regret brewed for not persisting in having Chris maintain the competition, at least the Bloodline Family Alliance wouldn’t coin such a terrible name.

The sorcerer’s corpse was carried out of the arena, the third duel arrived.