Bizarre Detective Agency

   Chapter 293

  Elm Forest is close to Belfast, and its area is also similar to Belfast, technically a little smaller.

  It occupies the uppermost end of the crescent-shaped bay, extending towards the distant coastline.

   used to be full of life here, and countless creatures thrived in this forest - at least until this winter.

   Then spring comes, but the plants and trees do not grow, first the insects die in large numbers, then the small animals that rely on catching insects and plants, the disappearance of the small animals leads to the disappearance of the predators, and finally the predators at the top of the food chain leave.

   The ecology here collapses from the bottom up.

  Lu Li and Barton may be the only guests in this elm forest that spans dozens of miles.

   "Have you seen that cave, it used to be a bear cave, deep and wide, which is exactly what you want, except it's not on the cliffs and you can't see Belfast."

  Barton pouted at the mountain wall on their side, and in the vague outline, a dark hole appeared on the mountain.

   "That's not what I want."

  Lu Li calmly corrected Patton.

   They have been walking in the elm forest for two hours in a row. A dozen minutes ago, there was an extra mound on the relatively flat and gentle terrain.

  When the weather is good, Lu Li has observed this low mountain in Belfast. If you follow the low mountain, you will reach a cliff nearly 100 meters high from the sea.

  Barton's speed was much slower than at the beginning, after all, he was fifty years old and had one leg missing.

   Noticing this, Lu Li asked him some questions from time to time to distract him.

   "Where is Silent Hill?"

   "The direction we just walked is in the center of the elm forest."

   "Why is it called Silent Hill?"

The name    may normally sound quiet and peaceful, but in this worldview, there is a disturbing hint of ominousness.

"Because it's very dangerous and bad there, no one dares to approach it even before the forest's emotions are born." Barton replied, his sentences were getting shorter, which meant that his physical strength could no longer allow him to maintain steady breathing. .

   Fortunately, it is not far from the destination of this trip.

   "So why is it called Silent Hill?"

   "A sarcasm." Barton grinned. "I was involved in it at the beginning."

   A very dangerous place that no one dares to approach, it is really interesting to call it such a beautiful name as Silent Hill.

   "Where's the danger and why you know there's a cave there and recommended it to me."

   "Slowly ask, I'm not as quick-thinking as you young people." Barton complained, but still answered Lu Li's question. "The cave was discovered by people in the past. At that time, Silent Hill was not so dangerous. As for why I recommend you... Of course I don't want to hurt you, but I think there should be nothing wrong there."

   "You missed a question."

  Barton was silent for a long time, then slowly shook his head and said, "...I can't say."

   "Weird?" Lu Li guessed.

"Um."

  As Lu Li began to think, the surrounding area that lost his voice returned to silence, until a few minutes later, Barton stopped and said to Lu Li, "We're here."

  The surrounding woods were no longer as dense as before. As he continued to move forward, the exposed rocks replaced the soil, and Lu Li saw the target that Barton said—the looming dark hole on the rock wall under the rain curtain.

  …

The    oil lamp glowed dimly, barely illuminating a small area around him.

   And more areas of the cave are in darkness.

   In the deep darkness, something seems to be wandering and peeping.

"Have you seen the traces of tools on the walls? They are hundreds of years old. It is said that the place where Macdonald I had his men stay on the cliff to observe the sea conditions after he came to the Ellen Peninsula was later occupied by bears and wolves. a period of time."

  Barton's voice echoed in the empty cave.

   "It is close to the sea, has a wide view, and is hidden. You can't see it from the sea, and you can't see the elm forest. Unless you go here, no one will find that there is a cave here, which perfectly meets your requirements."

  Lu Li looked away from the iron pick scratches and other marks on the wall, and continued to walk into the cave.

  Suddenly, a dark and hideous figure blocked Lu Li's route.

  The cave is over.

   The depth of this cave is less than six meters.

   "Too shallow."

   Lu Li said, holding up the oil lamp to observe the top of the cave.

   The height of about three meters is within his acceptable range.

   "If you don't mind, you can pay someone to expand and dig it." Barton leaned against the cave wall and sat on the edge of the cave, where it was neither too dark nor splashed by rain.

   "Want to take a break? I'm not tired but I think you need to take a break..."

  Barton suppressed his breathing.

   "I don't need to rest." Lu Li looked calmly. "you are tired?"

  The brief contact made Barton understand part of Lu Li's character. He stopped making excuses and said loudly, "I'm already fifty-two years old. Fifty-two! If I get married, my grandson will call me grandfather now!"

"Understood."

  Lu Li nodded, returned to the edge of the cave, and placed the oil lamp beside Barton: "You stay here, I'll go outside and take a look."

   "What's so beautiful?" Patton, who no longer pretended to be insignificant, rubbed his remaining leg.

   "Look around."

   "It's great to be young, I have so much energy, I'm so hungry that I can't think." Barton sighed with emotion, not forgetting that he didn't have the energy to sound like he was hungry.

   Hearing this, Lu Li took out a pack of kraft paper from the outer pocket of the woolen coat and handed it over.

   "What is this? Food?" Barton rudely took the kraft paper bag and opened it, revealing an opened can of beef.

  Barton looked at Lu Li in disbelief, as if he had met him for the first time: "Who would bring a box of canned food with them when they go out?"

   "People who are prepared."

   picked up the umbrella and put it aside, Lu Li walked into the rain curtain with the umbrella, and his figure gradually faded.

  Barton was stunned for a while, looked down at the compacted meat in the can, and swallowed uncontrollably...

  …

  The terrain outside the cave is fairly flat, with rock layers and soil layers mixed with each other. Some dead trees are rooted around the cave, but they are much sparser.

  Lu Li walked a distance straight to the front of the cave and reached the edge of the cliff.

   It is about forty or fifty meters from the cave to the edge of the cliff.

  Unfortunately, the heavy rain blocked the view. Lu Li couldn’t judge the view here, so he could only imagine it according to the position.

   As Barton said, here you can observe the entire sea outside Crescent Bay and Belfast, as well as the lighthouse on the chaotic reef.

   There was no time for Lu Li to wait for the rainy season to end, so he seemed to have no choice but to place his refuge here.

  Lu Li couldn't find time to find a better refuge, unless he chose to go to the refuge built by the investigator. If this is the case, all the preparations Lu Li has made so far will be in vain.

   So here it is.

   (end of this chapter)