Under the watchful gazes of the other four, Lu Li returned to the lounge area, asked the bartender for another glass of milk, and sat down in the sa corner.
He remained as silent and withdrawn as ever.
"He's been in there a while."
"Probably the Mind Level test. I wonder if he passed."
"I don't need to compete with anyone. I'll pass for sure. Even if I had to, I'd still pass!"
The quiet chatter continued for a while until Tristan appeared in the doorway. "Daniel, ti for your test!"
His booming voice was sudden and out of place. The mysterious atmosphere shattered instantly, as if a bouncer at a theater had suddenly started hawking expensive tickets.
And it wasn't that the place was simple, shabby, or disorganized—this was just the investigators' style.
Daniel's short figure, as taciturn as Lu Li, rose without a single word. Under the gazes of the other novices, he headed for the door and disappeared behind it.
Silence briefly fell over the three tables in the lounge before the hushed conversations started up again. From ti to ti, glances drifted toward Lu Li, who was slowly sipping his second glass of milk. With each passing minute, the number of stares increased.
"If you're all scared, I'll go!"
"I don't care either way."
"I'll go. I like eting new people."
Following this exchange, a young man with a boyish face, dressed in overalls, rose from his seat. With a friendly but slightly strained smile, he approached Lu Li. "Hi. What's your na?"
He was clearly more nervous than he let on.
"Lu Li," he answered curtly.
Awkwardness washed over the young man, his feigned composure evaporating. "Uh... right... okay, Lu Li... nice to et you... The milk's good... haha... Oh, right, my na is Frank."
He desperately wanted to turn and flee, and even more, he wished Lu Li would say sothing—anything—to break the tension, other than just "Lu Li."
Lu Li looked at him, sensing an air of simplicity and naivete from Frank. Even his clothes were washed-out and faded. "Are you from around here?"
"No, but I work in Belfast. As a woodcutter, haha..." Frank laughed, scratching the back of his head.
A tall girl, a full head taller than Frank, walked over to them and asked resentfully, "What, are you looking down on him?"
Even in the cool, rainy weather, she wore shorts and a tank top, showcasing tanned, muscular skin. Her long brown hair was woven into countless small braids.
Lu Li replied calmly, "I just assud that people who know about the investigators and join their ranks usually co from certain lines of work."
Frank grinned sheepishly. "I love adventure. My father used to say I'd beco a great sailor, but our family didn't own a ship, and we lived far from the sea... After he passed away, I ca to Belfast to work as a woodcutter, to save up for a ship and set sail. I calculated that I need to chop down another hundred and thirteen thousand, four hundred trees to buy a sailboat."
Lu Li nodded and looked at the girl. "And you?"
Getting to know the novices was helping Lu Li understand the structure of the investigator organization.
"Doma, warrior of the Betawulf Clan!" The hostility in Doma's eyes subsided, though her displeasure remained. "And you're not going to introduce yourself?"
"An exorcist," Lu Li answered briefly.
Doma nodded. "Oh, like Gray. He's an exorcist too."
Frank quickly introduced his new friend to Lu Li. "That's the guy who just went in, Gray Daniel. And the one who didn't co over is Owen."
Owen, who was lying on the table with his head propped on his hand, gave them a wave.
"Can I sit here?" Frank pointed to the empty chair opposite Lu Li and asked uncertainly.
"As you wish."
Frank bead, sat down, and started chattering away to Lu Li.
He did most of the talking.
From the conversation, Lu Li learned that they had all coincidentally t traveling investigators and were recomnded for an interview because of their outstanding qualities.
It was almost like Lu Li's situation, but he had a higher priority—he had co with a direct investigator's recomndation. If that investigator had died, Lu Li would have inherited everything she owned.
Like an inheritance.
What intrigued Lu Li was that the reason Frank had co to the investigators was sohow connected to him.
[Phantom Shadows in the Forest]
[Location: Stover Sawmill]
[This job was posted by several woodcutters. They claid that moving shadows and strange voices appeared in the forest every evening. On several occasions, watching from a distance, they saw that the shadows did not disappear even after dark. The woodcutters wanted to learn the truth and get rid of the ghosts.]
[This job hung on the notice board for several weeks, and no one took it. Those who could handle it considered the pay too low, while those who were fine with the price couldn't handle the task. I asked around, and my friends said that several cartloads of wood are still being hauled out of the Stover Sawmill every day, and the woodcutters are all fine. Maybe soone is just playing a prank on them?]
Yes, Frank was one of the workers at the Stover Sawmill. It seed that investigator had also resolved the anomaly problem at the sawmill while she was at it.
The sudden opening of the door interrupted Frank's lively chatter. Daniel walked out of the room with an impassive face. By the door stood Tristan, looking even more disgruntled than before. "Next up, Doma."
The warrior-woman stood up and walked past Daniel. As she passed the sturdier Tristan, she deliberately straightened her back, as if comparing her physique to his.
Doma stood before the round table and calmly faced the three investigator supervisors.
"Please, have a seat. Don't worry, this is just a test of your Mind Level. We need you to answer a few questions," Tesla said, gesturing for Doma to sit.
Tristan, who hadn't gotten a seat, snorted, walked around Tesla, and stood behind him with his arms crossed over his chest. "First question: you're on the open sea in a sinking boat with a stranger. The boat can only hold one person. To survive, would you push the stranger overboard?"
Doma refused to answer. "Betawulfs don't leave the land!"
The corners of Tesla's lips turned up in a smile. "Big guy, ask another question."
...
About fifteen minutes later, Frank, the last in line, erged from the sa door.
The Mind Level testing was complete, and now it was ti for the real trial.
The sa one Lu Li was taking.
Two Alliance mbers led Lu Li and the four novices into another room. It was an empty room, containing nothing but walls.
Tesla had told Lu Li he didn't need to do anything, so Lu Li decided to do nothing.
An Alliance mber in a black hooded robe stood before them and said, "I will now teleport you to the trial location. To avoid falling, it would be best to sit on the floor."
Frank and the others exchanged glances, not hiding their surprise.
So the investigators really were this mysterious and enigmatic...
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