Chapter 108 [Blood of Dusk]
Edogawa Ranpo believed that as a transcendent being, Elliot would pay attention to the bottom-up reforms that were taking place in Yokohama at the time, and the Colorless King, the mastermind behind everything, might fall into Elliot's observation. They couldn't find him, but a transcendent being would know more.
Of course, the above is all based on the premise that Elliot disappeared in this city, and later he gradually mastered his special abilities and paid more attention to this city. What he could never have imagined was that Eliot had not even been born when Isabel was still "making trouble" in the city.
It was his real body that used the spatial ability to slip away, not his vest. But denying it would only make Edogawa Ranpo think more. The subject also has plans for other royal swords, so it is not impossible to admit it...
Edogawa Ranpo felt dizzy for a moment, and when Poe stepped into the room where he was, he fell to the ground with a bang. His last visual impression was of the figures of Poe and his raccoon, also lying in front of him.
Outside the room, people from the Armed Detective Agency gathered in the hall. Nakajima Atsushi looked around at the members and asked with concern, "Is it really okay to let Ranpo-kun go alone?"
Everyone was present, even the president sat upright in the main seat, closed his eyes and said nothing.
Dazai Osamu smiled, crossed his arms, and leaned aside unsteadily: "Did you persuade him to come down?"
No one has done it. Dazai Osamu smiled and said, "He has grown a lot, hasn't he? Don't you think so too, President?"
The president opened his eyes, looked at him, and agreed.
"What's more, although his ability is very dangerous, this transcendent is a rare person who has no national stance, has never committed any crime, and is personally inclined to goodness. He is a unique person who can send people out properly before they cross his boundaries." Dazai Osamu pinched his chin: "He still has the 'invitation' in his hand, so it's okay to let him have some contact."
Since Dazai Osamu said this, the others were temporarily relieved. But they decided not to leave the detective agency too far for the time being.
Ranpo didn't know what people outside were talking about. He only knew that when he just woke up, his head ached dully, as if someone had poured mercury into it and then shook his shoulders for dozens of times.
He blinked and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. The "bed" beneath him was very hard, more like a sofa with a layer of soft cushions. He could hear vague voices coming from the side.
"...I don't know what happened either. He suddenly fainted..."
"I disturbed the master's guests..."
He sat up and the blanket that was covering him fell to the ground. The two people next to them seemed to have heard the sound and looked over here together.
"You're awake, Mr. Edogawa!" the woman shouted happily. She was wearing a maid's outfit and her young face showed a relaxed expression.
The other was an elderly butler. He was dressed in a straight-legged butler uniform, and was serious. A thin silver chain hung from the edge of his monocle. There was a subtle inquiry in his calm eyes. He nodded and said calmly, "Are you okay, Detective Edogawa? Morishima said that you fainted when you first arrived. Are you feeling unwell?"
Edogawa Ranpo's memory still remains in the Armed Detective Agency. He remembers where he was going, but now, there is no small town described by Dazai Osamu, nor the strange and weird other place he mentioned. Instead, two strangers appear in front of him. From their questions, it can be seen that they all know who he is.
"Oh, I'm fine. I just feel a little uncomfortable here." Hearing the faint voice, he suddenly added, "It's probably because of the boat ride. I'm not used to the climate at sea. I feel a little dizzy, but I'll be fine after lying down for a while."
"Really?" The butler said nothing. He looked at him for a while and found nothing unusual, so he asked, "Detective Edogawa, if you feel uncomfortable, please tell me." He turned to the maid and said, "This is the master's guest. You must take good care of him and don't neglect him."
The maid quickly agreed with a hint of fear on her face. It seems that this butler's daily style must be very strict, Edogawa Ranpo made this judgment.
He glanced around the house, silently assessing his situation. The facilities here were very old, the carpet had faded in some corners, and the crystal chandeliers above were rather dim, but the space was undoubtedly large, with several floor-to-ceiling windows letting in sunlight, and a spiral wooden staircase leading to the upper floor, and the stairs were also covered with carpets of the same color.
He walked to the French window and saw an endless blue sea outside. Waves rolled like foam and hit the beach. There were white birds circling in the sky. His own face was reflected in the glass, even his clothes were the same, and he began to ponder.
Haven’t you entered the other dimension of that transcendent being? No, he quickly overturned his guess. Instead of guessing that there was something wrong with the other party, he might as well guess that he did it on purpose. The problem lies with the other person.
Sure enough, there was a reason to bring Poe here. He should not only be in the alien space now, but also in the story space within the alien space. If we stack them up like a set of leather, will there really be no problems?
Also, which story did this fellow Edgar Allan Poe choose?
What he didn't know was that before he woke up from his coma, another person had already started making his own choice in a strange place.
"Hehehehe!" Edgar Allan Poe became completely excited after knowing what he could do. He undoubtedly liked creating. The environment he grew up in shaped his character. No one could communicate with him, so he communicated with his works. This is how his special abilities were born. But there are still limitations. For example, he can only choose specific themes, he must have the most specific framework, and he can only pull others into his novels when they come into contact with them... Most importantly, he can only use his own works.
But now, he felt "distorted". A strange power was inserted into his supernatural system, and then, just like a branch growing nodes, new buds grew from the nodes, and then, it became weird and strange.
“Hahahahahaha!” Edgar Allan Poe laughed crazily. Two furry ears grew on his head. His eyes were filled with madness. He threw stacks of manuscripts into the sky without mercy: “The Fall of the House of Usher, Two Penny Penny, The Murders on D-Slope, The Ghost of Solitary Island? No, no, no! These are no longer novel! Why can I only use my own works to attract people again and again? If something is used too much, it will no longer be interesting. Later, when I see my own works, I will feel disgusted…”
The changes in his body became more and more obvious, brown hair emerged from his skin, and his thin body began to swell. Soon, he could no longer be seen in the past. He sat fat and chubby with a short and wide face. A tail with black rings on it swayed back and forth, and two big dark circles around his eyes. He was excited and kept flipping through the manuscript with his two paws.
A dwarfed miniature raccoon fell from the giant creature. It looked at the enlarged version of "itself" with horror on its face. Its pair of small black eyes, which originally showed cleverness, were now filled with astonishment. Suddenly, it seemed to have thought of something, and its eyes were filled with tears.
"Is it another one who actively embraced mutation?" Elliot was observing all this in the cabin. He had naturally been aware of the changes in Edgar Allan Poe. In any case, this metamorphosis was too fast and too violent, almost comparable to what happened to Amano Tsuru after he was injured in this space. "Or do you know that I will send you out intact after everything is over, so you recklessly put yourself into this state to experience it?" Elliot chuckled: "What a strange person."
In his opinion, this kind of groundless certainty is a very dangerous thing. He will never put his fate in the hands of others, especially the fate of his own body. This is probably the reason why these vests came into being.
"Yes, yes!" The large raccoon laughed shrilly, "I don't want to use my own work anymore! Typing is just too painful. When I'm creating the plot, I can't help thinking about it. When I'm stuck, I feel like what I wrote is garbage. I want to tear all the words into pieces!"
“Now that I have such a precious opportunity, of course I have to use other people’s books… Hehe, you have come to this day too, so let me shape you, use my hands to snatch you from other people’s pens, and make your characters my characters, hehe, I don’t know why, but I’m getting more and more excited!” His body swelled more and more, and soon, like a glutton guarding treasure, an oversized raccoon sat in the ruins, with papers scattered all around him.
But the next second, his hand stopped: "Oh no, I didn't bring any other people's books except my own. I only took a few of the most recommended books when I passed by the bookstore this morning." His eyes rolled around in his sockets. He didn't want anyone to see his embarrassment. Although he didn't know if anyone was watching, he now instinctively knew that this place had an owner.
Soon, he picked one out and threw it into the air. "Go!" He said with anticipation, "Let me see this year's mystery work newcomer award!"
Almost at the same time, when Elliot realized what book he had thrown out, he was silent and put down the cup in his hand.
"Although I have thought about it, should it be here?" Elliot began to wonder whether he had a hand in this, but soon he shook his head. Edogawa Ranpo wants to meet the "Colorless King", and he wants to build a special venue for them. The subject will not meet him as "Pei Zhen", and he also wants to give him a chance in another way.
He laughed. Yes, this work was selected by Edgar Allan Poe, but it has nothing to do with him.
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