The Bizarre Detective Agency

But in that moment, a chill crawled up Lu Li’s spine.

As soon as he picked up the flintlock pistol, the entire tavern seemed to fill with an oppressive, sinister malice. Every shadowed corner felt as if venomous eyes were watching him, and the previously empty seats were now faintly crowded with eerie figures.

The glow of the oil lamp and the light filtering through the window dimmed visibly, consumed by the encroaching darkness. An overwhelming abyssal shadow surged forward—

“If I were you, I wouldn’t keep holding it.”

Hades’ abrupt voice snapped Lu Li out of the illusion.

Lu Li’s pupils tightened. He lifted his gaze and silently looked around. The flame in the oil lamp was steady and upright, the light from the window remained a soft haze, and the first-floor seating was still empty and vacant.

“Why,” Lu Li asked as he placed the flintlock pistol back on the counter, casting a shadow over it.

“You already felt the reason,” Hades chuckled lightly, his tone laced with mocking amusement.

Lu Li paused briefly. “…What was that?”

“The truth of this world.”

Lu Li’s pupils narrowed into sharp pinpoints.

Hades continued nonchalantly, “Or rather, the first layer of truth.”

Lu Li felt he was getting closer to understanding the true nature of this world. He pulled a high stool closer and sat down. “Can you explain in detail?”

“Sure, just because you only bargained once,” Hades said, pocketing the shillings and dragging a chair over to sit as well. However, due to his short stature, he could only lean awkwardly against the counter. “You’re very composed, so last night, when the ghost appeared, you probably noticed that once it vanished, you couldn’t find it again. Am I right? That’s because that ghost doesn’t even exist in this world!”

Lu Li’s expression remained calm, and he said nothing.

Hades, hoping to see shock on Lu Li’s face, was disappointed and continued, “While most ghosts originate from the dead, they belong to another world entirely. What manifests in our world is just their projection. That’s also why we can’t touch most ghosts.”

“The Spirit Gun is an exception. The runes engraved on it allow the wielder to enter the world where the malevolent spirits exist, enabling you to hurt their true form. Does that explanation make sense? Sorry, this is my first time explaining it. No one’s ever asked before.”

“More or less,” Lu Li nodded slightly.

It was surprising that people in an industrial-revolution-era world already had a concept of dimensions.

To Hades, however, Lu Li’s response sounded dismissive, as if “more or less” meant “not really.” It left a sour taste in his mouth.

Fidgeting, Hades adjusted his posture, considering how to better articulate what he meant. His gaze landed on the kerosene lamp nearby.

“I’ve got it. Look at this lamp!” Hades grabbed the handle and placed the oil lamp between them.

“Think of the lampshade as the world where ghosts exist, and the flame as the ghost itself,” Hades said as he adjusted the lamp’s brightness, dimming the light on Lu Li’s side until it was no longer illuminated. “Now, the ghost is hidden in its world. You can’t see it, and it can’t see you.”

As he spoke, Hades adjusted the brightness back to its original state.

The flickering light cast shifting shadows across their faces. Hades continued, “Now the ghost projects itself into our world. We can see it, and it can see us.”

He placed his hand over the lampshade.

The uneven light filtered through his fingers, and Hades’ face was full of smug satisfaction for solving the explanation. “But because of the barrier, we can’t hurt the ghost inside, though it can still affect us. The stronger the ghost, the stronger its projection. You can feel the heat if you touch the glass.”

Lu Li said nothing and didn’t reach out. He frowned slightly, absorbing the information in Hades’ explanation.

“And when you pick up the Spirit Gun, it’s like this—” Hades abruptly removed the lampshade, causing the flame to flicker. He brought his hand closer to the exposed flame, inch by inch. “—the barrier between you and the ghost is gone. Now, you can hurt it, and it can hurt you.”

“But at the same time, the others in that world can now sense you as well.”

Hades whispered, emphasizing the word others.

“Ah, damn, it’s hot!” Hades suddenly yanked his hand back, shaking it quickly after the burn.

Lu Li lowered his eyes, remaining silent.

“That’s why being an exorcist is such a dangerous job, especially when you’ve made up your mind to take down a particular ghost,” Hades said, covering the lamp again and moving it aside. He continued speaking to himself, “It’s even riskier than going out to sea. Statistics show that seventy-three percent of exorcists die because of ghosts.”

“And the other twenty-seven percent?” a voice asked from the side. It seemed Lu Li had finished processing all the information.

“They were taken by the Night Watchers,” Hades replied with a shrug.

“What are the Night Watchers?”

“Hey, buddy, the freebie from your one-time bargaining is over,” Hades complained, tapping the table with his fingers, annoyed at Lu Li’s persistence.

Lu Li shifted his gaze back to the Spirit Gun, its elegant yet dangerous aura radiating from the counter. “How can I be sure it actually works?”

“Go test it. You’ll find out. Assuming you survive if it doesn’t,” Hades leaned forward, reaching over the counter to pat Lu Li on the shoulder. “And if it doesn’t work, feel free to return it, my friend.”

“What about the bullets?”

Hades, as if expecting the question, pulled a silver-plated bullet engraved with runes from beneath the counter and placed it upright on the table. “I’ll throw in one for free. The rest you’ll have to buy. You can get them from me or other exorcists.”

“How much?”

“Fifty shillings each.”

“Expensive.”

Lu Li frowned slightly.

A freshly baked three-pound loaf of black bread cost just two shillings, and a full day of hard labor in Belfast earned only ten shillings.

“This is a breech-loading rifled flintlock. It doesn’t use lead bullets or require gunpowder. Just load the bullet, cock the hammer, and pull the trigger. The silver-plated bullet will pierce anything—man or ghost—within fifty yards.”

Hades rattled off a set of specs, clearly unbothered by the possibility of Lu Li turning down the price.

“If that’s the case, then fifty shillings is fair.”

Lu Li nodded. Coming from Earth, he understood better than anyone else the value of faster reloading.

“So, how many bullets do you want?” Hades grinned, his golden teeth shining in his signature merchant-like smile.

He seemed more like a vendor than an exorcist.

Lu Li picked up the bullet. “If you’re willing to tell me more about this place, I might be interested in buying more bullets from you—and even becoming a regular customer.”

As expected, Hades looked intrigued.

“What do you want to know?”