Detective Agency of the Bizarre-Chapter 1367 - 207: Stat Inflation
Lu Li’s gaze fell on the Emerald Staff embedded in the gravel outline’s chest.
The oak staff, which was supposed to be "emerald," was now withered and yellowing, with the new buds wilting and decaying, though only a few hours had passed since Lu Li had infused it with life.
"Plants will definitely wither."
Lu Li was not surprised by the withering of the Emerald Staff, for this was hell, a barren land composed of heat, dryness, and desolation.
"They aren’t interested in things that sooner or later vanish," said the Demon of the Earth.
This will greatly devalue the plant.
Lu Li retrieved the "Yellowing Staff," infused it again with humanity to rejuvenate its greenery, but stopped it from wasting humanity on growth rather than sustaining life.
Nine units of humanity were enough to keep it from wilting for hundreds of days.
"Now it can last through dozens of Yuglas’ sleep cycles."
One unit of humanity to a hundred units turns into a ten to a hundred ratio, but when the Emerald Staff is finally sold, a sum can be earned.
The Devil’s Son could feel the life force emanating from the Emerald Staff—if on the surface, the staff would attract bizarre attention like a human settlement.
Taking the Emerald Staff away, it would return hours later, with this Devil’s Son personally attending to the task, not having servants do it.
"...The Emerald Staff is quite popular." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
The Demon of the Earth took out a stack of gold boxes from its Void Ring: "...200,000 souls, this is your share."
Sixteen gold boxes scattered across the tower’s desk.
Lu Li guessed the Devil’s Son might have brought back another ten thousand souls or two shares, but he underestimated the prosperity of Abyss City and the extravagance of the wealthy demons.
Ten to sixteen hundred, the proportion was even more than before.
More crucially, this meant sixteen hundred units of humanity, double the amount of humanity Lu Li had previously worked hard to acquire...
"...The deal is done. You remain the town’s temporary mayor, you can stay here until you leave."
Having earned 40,000 souls, the Demon of the Earth was ready to conclude the transaction.
"Wait a minute." Lu Li called out to the sprawling Demon of the Earth outside the tower: "You were only intending to trade once?"
The sandstorm reformed into the silhouette of the Devil’s Son: "...Do you have other goods?"
Lu Li glanced around the tower but there was no wood: "Find me a wooden item."
"...Sure."
The sandstorm formed by the Devil’s Son floated away from Ward Town.
Lu Li opened the gold boxes on the desk, the souls inside flowing.
Lu Li touched the souls, beginning to convert them into humanity.
The atmosphere surrounding the tower grew thicker, permeating, gradually enveloping the entire small town...
Initially, the demons on the town’s outskirts and edges only smelled the atmosphere, but the closer they got to the tower, the longer time passed, the more overwhelming the atmosphere became, crashing through their rationality. When Lu Li finished absorbing the 160,000 souls, humanity expanded to 2,400 units, he could already hear the distant and near roars echoing in the town’s sky and the demons rushing along the streets.
Before they approached, Lu Li directly invested 900 units of humanity into the Dreamwalker.
The flocks of demons rushing toward the tower soberly retreated due to the reduced atmosphere, though still more intense than initially, the tower representing the mayor and the demon guards under it restored enough reason in them.
Lu Li stood by the window, watching the demons retreat in confusion along the distant streets, quietly the dreamscape enveloping the entire town retreated behind him.
The explosive increase in power did not change Lu Li fundamentally, he still needed to adhere to gun theory—he who shoots first wins.
Lu Li’s soul was frail and weak, even if the thick defenses formed by 1,500 units of humanity could block the attacks of low-level demons, they could not threaten Lu Li at all.
1,500 units of humanity could not support Lu Li’s nonstop maintenance of the Dreamwalker, Lu Li still could only release the dreamscape ahead when he sensed an impending crisis.
But if he could reduce the range of the Dreamwalker...
Lu Li tried it out, but it proved unfeasible. Maybe it was fundamentally impossible, maybe the method was wrong.
In any case, Lu Li’s present humanity and power were enough for him to instantly attract a town, or resolve a town.
Simply wandering the wilderness destroying town after town could not allow him to have the present harvest.
For the moment, Lu Li would not leave "Ward Town," he had the demon guards downstairs find more books, there was nothing in the tower besides that copy of "I Will Become King."
When Lu Li returned to the top floor of the tower, he saw the gravel outline standing by the window waiting for him, and a desk had been added to the room.
"...Your scent, why has it changed?" the Devil’s Son asked curiously.
"The side effect of creating plants."
Lu Li approached the oak desk, still pouring in 10 units of humanity.
At this time, the Devil’s Son silently approached Lu Li from behind, raising a hand towards his back.
"Do you intend to harm a partner?" Lu Li said without turning back, watching as tender shoots protruded from the desk surface like velvet green.
"...You carry the curse of a banshee."
"I deliberately carry it."
The Devil’s Son retracted its hand.
Lu Li stepped aside, revealing the desk covered in green: "How much can a ’Verdant Table’ be worth?"
The answer remained 200,000 units of humanity.
Hours later, the Core Earth Demon returned having taken the "Verdant Table" away, putting down another 16 gold boxes.
Lu Li had the Demon of the Earth bring more wooden items, but it stiffly shook its head: "...The collector says he doesn’t want more. Special souls, do you have a way?"
"Then let’s change methods, do you know auctions?"
"...There is an auction house in Abyss City."
"Send the created plants to the auction house; they know how to maximize profits."
The yield might not be as much as from the collectors, but could prevail by volume, the cost of creating them was practically zero.
The Demon of the Earth left the tower, returning to Abyss City in search of wooden items.
This time, Lu Li didn’t absorb souls immediately, causing turmoil among the town’s demons. First, he injected 1,000 units of humanity into the Cursed Title before starting absorption.
The town’s demons again felt the spreading deadly atmosphere, but possibly because it happened once before or it was spreading slowly, they imposed restraint and escaped the town before going mad.
Again 16 empty gold boxes stacked on the desk, corresponding to Lu Li’s 2,100 units of humanity.
Lu Li no longer infused them into the Cursed Title, not only because the Dreamwalker’s diameter had already extended to 4,000 meters, but also because there’s a need for ample fuel anytime.
2,100 units of humanity might be many, but could only support the Dreamwalker’s most basic operations nonstop for 210 days.
Lu Li looked outwards again, the demons surrounding the tower vanished, only the marked demon guards unaffected by humanity’s atmosphere remained stationed outside the tower.
A distant yellow sand curtain carried many items, flying into the small town. Lu Li opened several more windows, preventing the Demon of the Earth from shattering the temporary residence’s windows.
"...Your scent intensifies again, you will incite chaos if it continues."
Bringing thirteen wooden items, the Devil’s Son formed into a sandstorm outline.
"Then let the town’s residents leave."
Lu Li realized that as humanity increased, the town’s demons would eventually be unable to withstand the atmosphere and go mad.
