Detective Agency of the Bizarre-Chapter 1486 - 30: The End

"We should run before they realize, as fast as possible, as far as possible."

The war between ghouls and rotten monsters is like an ever-expanding vortex, and perhaps soon, the entire Midnight City will become part of the vortex.

Then there’s no need for the True Vision Orb—the soul of Midnight City has already fallen into eternal sleep.

"I’m more worried about them wanting to trace the source..."

The more monsters involved, the more bizarre and grotesque it becomes.

They might trace back to the original instigator of all this, and discover it points neither to the ghouls nor to rotten monsters.

Being a wrench in the works is the best way to weaken monsters—the precondition is not being discovered.

"I remember you encountering a manor with Anna in the Spine of the World Mountains? You can run there for refuge, or go to Tillage Garden, even if they know you’re there, they wouldn’t dare to chase you..."

At this moment, Lu Li and Claire simultaneously heard an ethereal song drifting down from the deep sky.

Outside the cellar, in the narrow clouds, a phantom outline gradually solidified. A swollen whale soared beneath the clouds, arriving over a certain territory to the east, lamenting its collapse, transforming into a foul rain falling.

Lu Li suddenly covered Claire, then closed his own eyes. In the next moment, terrifying wails and gale winds howled fiercely outside the cellar.

If Lu Li were still carrying the Sanity Value Counter, it would be buzzing right now.

"It’s truly terrifying... Even Mother of the Marsh and Twisted Shadow together can hardly withstand a few corpse explosions." Claire’s wings had a grey spot, she casually observed Lu Li, "So, what now? Still want to stay?"

"Let’s retreat back to the farm first."

Lu Li couldn’t last long under such pollution either.

Cursed Titles wouldn’t be too many in the agitated Midnight City, the longer the stay, the more likely to be discovered, and Lu Li must be prepared.

For the deep-seated terror descending upon this monstrous city...

Such as the existence behind the King of Ghouls and rotten monsters.

Lu Li had no intention of further investigating who was manipulating the rotten monsters, nor would he continue the identity of "Mad Sorcerer Bloodman", swiftly returning to the farm with Claire.

During the ten minutes Lu Li was en route, the situation deteriorated beyond measure.

Several swollen whales appeared in the void, falling into the east.

An apocalyptic yellow enveloped half of Midnight City.

Even a body fused with the Heart of Astos struggled to resist the pollution spreading tens of miles away, Claire’s feathers turned grey as if touching a withering aura.

Lu Li stuffed the struggling Claire inside his body, mimicking more limb-like tentacles to rapidly escape back to the south.

Along the way, he encountered many monsters fleeing Midnight City. Some continued fleeing southward, some hid in sturdy castles.

Knowing the castles weren’t safe, Lu Li jumped into tunnels, returning the way he came to the countryside farm.

...

At the Manor House, Ophelia gazed at the apocalyptic sky, unable to suppress her panic.

"Why did it become like this... Where are Lu Li and Claire?"

Mycelium Monster rose like a lamppost, alerting Ophelia that the manor had been invaded. When she reached the wine cellar, she saw a patch of black eyes amidst rotten monsters.

Lu Li spat out the exhausted Claire.

"What’s wrong with her?"

"Suffered a little pollution."

"What’s happening outside?"

"Monster riot—"

Suddenly, a violent tremor came from deep underground, debris fell. They returned to the surface before the wine cellar collapsed, looking towards the epicenter of the tremor—Midnight City East.

This low rumble swept across half of Midnight City, and amidst the apocalyptic yellow backdrop, smoke rose from collapsed buildings.

Even the manor in the outskirts didn’t seem safe anymore. The monsters seeking refuge here had been anxious and restless since early this morning.

"Should we move further away?" Claire curled into a ball like a real fledgling, "It’s best to leave first."

"You’re not quite right." Ophelia said with concern.

"I don’t know... just have a really bad feeling... like something’s about to happen."

It’s like a fledgling cowering in its nest, fearing the snake lurking under the tree.

"Listen to Claire, leave Midnight City."

Convincing the farm’s monsters wasn’t difficult; they had come to the farm to avoid danger and wouldn’t refuse to retreat again to escape the approaching horror.

Even the Queen of Flowers was willing to leave with them.

The chaotic evacuation team formed a long line, plated with apocalyptic hues, retreating westward to seek a safer place.

Mycelium Monster ran the fastest.

"Why did it become like this?"

Ophelia still couldn’t understand.

Combining Claire’s clues, Lu Li pieced together what happened in Midnight City: lairs established through hostile relations between ghouls and rotten monsters, fueled by Lu Li’s deeds, Midnight City burning like a giant bonfire.

Even if chaos calms, Midnight City is left with nothing but devastated ashes.

Such result wouldn’t have been worse than letting ghouls migrate south initially.

"It’s not your fault, none of us expected it to suddenly become so bad..." Ophelia comforted.

"Look...!"

Elena suddenly shouted, raising her cloak to gaze back at Midnight City.

An angry phantom emerged in the east.

Fierce bone spikes pointed skyward, sharp teeth stacked like peaks.

Lu Li was exceedingly familiar with the silhouette, having seen it countless times in the sculptures of the Ghoul’s Lair—King of Ghouls.

The monsters trembled in fear, Claire screamed and buried herself in the Mycelium, Elena uttered obscure prayers, Ophelia lost her sanity for not averting her gaze first, spilling hot lava, until Lu Li blocked her view.

Only Lu Li gazed at the emergence of the King of Ghouls, everything shrouded in Its shadow. Its town-like giant blood claw reached down, seemingly slow, yet making all creatures unable to react.

The blood claw scraped through the city, like a child grabbing a sandcastle, the paw’s core scattering with sand grains—that was the rotten monsters that once brought ghouls to disastrous ruin.

The King of Ghouls treated the rotten monsters just as they betrayed the ghouls—putting them in Its mouth, slowly chewing.

It was only then that the rumbling from the blood claw plowing the ground echoed from underground.

The phantom of the King of Ghouls faded away, Lu Li thought it was over, suddenly, the nearby tremor startled the monsters.

An intangible dream permeated, enveloping all existence around, preventing them from dying from the tremor, and then Lu Li looked towards the source of the tremor—

Monsters once stole this ever-luminous city belonging to humans in the Dark Wilderness.

Traces of humans never disappeared... the standing Alchemical Tower represented their wisdom.

Now, an Alchemical Tower was pulled up with unimaginable force, ascending into deep space, then pierced like a red-hot needle into the phantom where the King of Ghouls descended.

Fragile buildings collapsed in succession, raging sandstorms swallowed the land.

Lu Li heard an angry roar twist and shatter, dissipating in the depths of the storm.

Ghouls and rotten monsters no longer needed Lu Li’s balance—they were no longer in existence.

The howling winds and swirling sand were kept outside by the dream.

"Is it over?"

Ophelia asked upon opening her eyes.

"It’s over."