Detective Agency of the Bizarre-Chapter 1528 - 72: Guarding the Spider Princess

The vibrant colors spanning the dark land resemble a ground rainbow.

Curious and longing, the strange creatures draw near the dazzling colors, and silently melt before getting close, forming a bizarre mix of hues.

Where the rainbow passes, lines are drawn, transforming into forbidden zones.

The Spider Princess’s advance to Midnight City will take at least a few days, Lu Li cannot assist and need not worry about being blocked—the concern is for the strange creatures along the way.

In the Weird Times, you never know which will arrive first—accident or disaster.

Lu Li temporarily returns to Midnight City, observing the hazy yellow eggshell and the ants crawling around it. Occasionally there is chaos and infighting, but overall they resist the Swamp. When Lu Li returns near the Spider Princess, he sees the nearly straight rainbow.

He also sees a mass of writhing flesh close to the Spider Princess.

The Crowd of Suffering.

If the Spider Princess can ring the death knell of the Swamp, she should also be able to deal with the Evil Spirits.

But what if the power of a single compound eye from the Spider Mother Goddess can only be used once...

They cannot afford to waste the only opportunity on the Crowd of Suffering.

The writhing, deformed potato-like Crowd of Suffering draws closer to the Spider Princess, rotting flesh like a sofa by the fireplace, stained with the glow of fire—

A sharp sound pierces the sky, and the Crowd of Suffering suddenly blurs and deforms, carried hundreds of meters by the suddenly appearing lance, firmly pinned to a low hill, raising dust.

Dreamscape spreads around, halting by the Spider Princess.

"You go ahead to Midnight City, I will lead it away."

The Spider Princess resumes her advance, Lu Li watching the trembling expanding outlines in the dust.

The Crowd of Suffering’s ritual—the damage reaches a threshold will attack the entity causing it harm.

The previous strike was enough to capture Lu Li into the ritual. And indeed Lu Li senses the stumbling approach as the Crowd of Suffering repels the surrounding dreamscape, nearing him.

Before the Evil Spirit Ritual touches him, dreamscape suddenly expands, enveloping dozens of miles in a lurid dreamscape, then Lu Li’s figure disappears from the spot.

...

Edge of the Dark Wilderness. The former Spirit Town, now a Weird Lair, stands here.

Lu Li appears above Weird Lair, strange creatures on the broken streets lift their heads, corrupted divinity rises a murky aura, sharp screeches echo at his ear:

"Lu Li... you’ll not leave..."

"Thanks."

Lu Li is hopeful the Corrupted Evil God will keep its word.

Invisible dreamscape once again stains outward. Located in the Weird Lair, forces slowly devour the dreamscape, like lava dripping onto ice, forming dreamscape cavities.

And in the distant west, a kind of ritual shadows close—

"Are you ready?"

Lu Li talks to the perplexed Corrupted Evil God.

As the words fall, the Crowd of Suffering appears near Lu Li as though instantaneously, the twisted flesh mass of hatred fully unfurled, embracing Lu Li. But simultaneously, it crashes into the Corrupted Evil God’s territory.

Terrifying murky pollution mutually infringes. The Corrupted Evil God recognizes Lu Li, and of course also the Crowd of Suffering, and prepares to retreat.

But when one carries filthy water in your home, by your side, it’s difficult to evade the splashing—

Lu Li suddenly appears at the edge of the largest dreamscape cavity—that is the Corrupted Evil God’s filthy monastery. He breaks into among its believers, walking among the maddening chants, his human nature insulating from mind-corrupting pollution.

The Crowd of Suffering follows closely, tearing walls and chants, destroying everything that prevents it from reaching the being causing it harm, while harming the Crowd of Suffering, it also pulls away its ritual.

Escaping, Lu Li ascends high, overlooking the Crowd of Suffering rampaging in the Weird Lair.

The Corrupted Evil God seeks to re-divert the Crowd of Suffering to Lu Li, but before nearing, Lu Li disappears, leaving behind enraged roar shaking the air.

"No... no!!!"

Miles away from the Weird Lair, mottled dreamscape covers tens of miles, clearing all strange creatures nearby to prevent the resentful Corrupted Evil God from transferring the Crowd of Suffering’s ritual.

Next, Lu Li waits for the result—no matter who survives in the end, he is the winner.

During this time, Lu Li returns to the Spider Princess to ensure her continued advance and then returns to the Weird Lair.

In just minutes, the lair that previously housed many strange creatures is now left with only ruins seething with abhorrent pollution.

The Crowd of Suffering wanders within, yet without purpose, it roams aimlessly.

Lu Li didn’t find the corpse of the Corrupted Evil God, nor any dreamscape cavities around—that means it became part of the Crowd of Suffering.

One responsible for seeking prey, one responsible for hunting, a perfect collaboration.

Splat—

A stone falls by the Crowd of Suffering, rolling to meet it.

The Crowd of Suffering’s sluggish body murmurs unconsciously. Immediately after, a rock similar in shape to its body falls, briefly smashing it into a meat patty.

The ritual’s pollution disperses again, Lu Li leaves the ruins with the Crowd of Suffering.

He returns first by the Spider Princess to "protect" her—guarding against the strange creatures unwisely approaching her, then continues with the Crowd of Suffering to clear the path ahead, extending to the western lairs of the Barren Lands.

And to warn some Guardian Gods along the way who are about to fall and become Corrupted Evil Gods.

A Corrupted Town silently stands on the earth.

Ant-like strange creatures ferry blood food, shuttling between the town and the slaughterhouse.

This peace is quickly shattered by a figure and an evil spirit breaking through, crashing into the lair sheltered by the Evil God.

"Exorcist... I agree to an alliance."

Timid whispers arise from beneath the Corrupted Town. It surprisingly recognizes Lu Li and knows his style of forging alliances everywhere.

Lu Li cannot think why a Corrupted Town would be beneficial to the Land of Light. Letting other Corrupted Towns choose surrender over mutual destruction? Or, like the strange corrupt Alien Gods, reverse them back to Guardian Gods?

A scream erupts from the lair before the strange creatures die, the remaining ones flee in fear.

Lu Li casts a deep gaze upon the Corrupted Evil God, leaves behind an eyeball, and disappears with the Crowd of Suffering.

The cleansing continues. The uncompromising Corrupted Evil Gods and their lairs are destroyed. Those willing to ally or surrender along with their followers are spared, but not a few are clever—commanding believers and citizens not to attack the Crowd of Suffering.

Then they and their town are obliterated by Lu Li with the Crowd of Suffering.

The demise of the Corrupted Town and the spread of the Malicious Rainbow across the Dark Wilderness, finally, no more Corrupted Towns stand in the way, the path ahead of the Spider Princess is clear.

The egg shell-like yellow world blankets the earth.

Lu Li floats in the air, watching the Spider Princess draw near and gradually merge with the shell membrane.

Nothing can obstruct the spreading colors, not even the Swamp, within the dark yellow haze, different mottled colors vaguely emerge and silently vanish...