Tivian North Suburb, Green Shade Town.
In the early morning, the rising sun slowly ascended from the eastern sky. The morning light shone upon the land, gradually dispelling the chill of dawn. Dewdrops on the grass leaves reflected the morning sun.
Inside Green Shade Town house number 17, Dorothy, who had just woken up, sat on her large bed and stretched. After rubbing her sleepy eyes, she lifted the covers and got out of bed. Putting on her slippers, she shuffled towards the bathroom. After washing up in front of the mirror, she returned to the bedroom, changed out of her pajamas into a beige dress, put on white socks, and went downstairs to the entrance.
Here, Dorothy changed into her small leather shoes, took a small yellow soft hat from the shelf and put it on. After yawning, she pushed open the door and stepped out onto the morning street.
As usual, Dorothy went straight to a restaurant in town after waking up. After ordering breakfast, she sat in a booth by the window, watching the students on the street outside preparing to go to morning classes, while pondering what had happened in her dream last night.
'I really didn't expect to meet Grego in my dream this time. What a coincidence. From what he said, their An Yin Bureau also has a mission in the Dream World... It seems to be a hunting mission? Are they hunting those so-called Dream World creatures? Or are they hunting the Dream World mimetic forms of Extraordinary from other organizations?'
Dorothy thought this. At this time, she was not yet very clear about what Dream World creatures looked like, because the Dragon Might created by her Dragon mimetic form seemed to have scared away all the Dream World creatures in the area she frequented, making it a forbidden zone. In the eyes of Grego and that Little Fox, it seemed to have become her territory?
'No wonder I couldn't find anything in the Dream World. It turns out they might have all been scared away... Although this Dragon mimetic form is very strong, the Dragon Might that cannot be restrained is also a disadvantage... I can't even find monsters to fight.
'Moreover, the Dragon mimetic form seems to consume a lot of energy. If I use the Dragon mimetic form, I can only be active in the Dream World for less than half an hour every day... It's too short. Last night, when I saw that Little Fox and Grego talking to me, they weren't flustered at all, which means their time active in the Dream World at that time was probably very generous, and Grego had previously revealed that he was still carrying out the An Yin Bureau's mission in the Dream World, which means he had been in the Woodland for quite some time.
'This means... Perhaps the more normal Dream World mimetic forms like Grego and Little Fox consume very little energy, so they can be maintained for a long time, and their exploration time in the Woodland will be long, and they will encounter more things...'
Dorothy thought this. If judged according to this situation, then if she wanted to explore something in the Woodland in the future, using the Dragon mimetic form all the time would not work. Not only would it scare away other Dream World creatures, but the exploration time would also be too short.
The coordinates of everyone's dream cocoon in the Dream World are fixed. Dorothy comes out of her dream cocoon every night, and half an hour of exploration time is not long at all. The exploration range eventually forms a huge circle centered on her dream cocoon. This is probably the origin of the so-called 'Dragon Territory' and 'Forbidden Zone'.
It's not that Dorothy only likes to be active in one area after transforming into a Dragon, but that her exploration time doesn't allow her to reach further places, so she can only wander around the starting point of the Dream World.
"Phew... It seems that if I have time, I have to get some other mimetic spells."
Taking a long breath, Dorothy murmured softly. At this time, the breakfast she had ordered earlier was finally brought to her and placed in front of her by the waiter.
A fried egg, a sausage, three pieces of bread, and a cup of milk. This simple breakfast combination was Dorothy's favorite. After adding a few sugar cubes to the milk and getting a copy of today's Tivian Morning Post from the waiter, Dorothy began to eat breakfast while reading the newspaper.
'Without a mobile phone, only newspapers can pass the time...'
Taking a sip of sweet milk, Dorothy ate the sausage and read the newspaper, thinking that in this era without mobile phones, the only things that could entertain her every day besides battling wits and courage with other Extraordinary and secret organizations were reading books and newspapers, and during this time, she also had to control her ability and not read everything at once.
Enjoying her breakfast, Dorothy looked at today's newspaper, which mainly contained local news from Tivian, as well as some domestic and international news.
...
"Nightmare Strikes! Murder Case Rises Again! Councillor Donks Found Dead in Platinum! This is the fourth murder case that has occurred in the Platinum District and its vicinity. Platinum may no longer be safe. Police Commissioner Mr. Jackson held a press conference, guaranteeing to catch the real culprit within two months."
Opening the newspaper, the first thing that caught Dorothy's eye was the big front-page news. Seeing this news, Dorothy frowned slightly, and then thought to herself.
'Platinum District murder case? I seem to have seen it when I read the newspaper before. At that time, it was the third case. Now another one has occurred?'
Dorothy thought this in her heart, and then carefully read the content reported in the newspaper, getting a general understanding of the beginning and end of the matter.
This series of serial murders seems to have started three months ago. So far, four people have been killed in the Platinum District. Among these four people, there are nobles, officials, and politicians. Since the victims all have a certain status, it has attracted widespread social attention, so when this new case occurred, it became the headline that reporters scrambled to report.
So far, the killer in this series of murders seems to be confirmed as one person. To attract readers, some newspapers have even given the killer a nickname, called "Nightmare". The police have been under a lot of pressure so far because they have not caught the killer.
'Nightmare? Heh... I committed four or five crimes in Igwinte and killed dozens of people, causing a sensation throughout the city, but I didn't see anyone giving me a nickname... As expected, the level of reporters in the capital is different. Look at how this article is written... It's not on the same level as those in a small place like Igwinte.'
Looking at the news in front of her, Dorothy thought to herself. She didn't pay too much attention to this case that was unrelated to her, but continued to look at the next piece of news.
"Princess Isabel held a public speech in Obelisk Square, officially calling on the general public to pay attention to the Moonflow River and its air pollution issues, and hoping that the corresponding governance bills can be passed as soon as possible. The audience was full, and there was a shortage of police force at one point... This is the second time Princess Isabel has spoken out since she published an article on worker issues two months ago. Although Princess Isabel still has many supporters, her frequency of social activities has slightly decreased recently. Some commentators say it may be due to pressure from within the Royal Family..."
'Princess Isabel? Hmm... I've seen reports about her in previous newspapers... A young Princess of the Royal Family, dedicated to social activities for environmental governance and improving the working environment for workers.
'According to the newspaper, this Princess's activities used to be very frequent, but she has quieted down a lot in the past few months, perhaps because there are dissenting voices within the Royal Family regarding her behavior... Thinking about it, it's true, as a member of the Royal Family, it's best not to express your political views easily.'
Looking at the news on the newspaper in her hand, Dorothy commented in her heart. She looked at the photo of the beautiful Princess in the newspaper, wearing a luxurious dress, with short hair, a pure and sweet face, like a vase, and thought to herself.
'But I have to say, this Princess is indeed quite delicate and beautiful. She seems quite young from her Royal Family background. I don't know if the political views she expresses are her own ideas or if someone is using her behind the scenes...'
Thinking this, Dorothy turned another page of the newspaper and looked at the next news. Then her eyes were attracted by a large advertisement framed by lace.
"Soaring Theatre! Special performance tomorrow night! Led by famous dance star Adele. Brillez, with many shining stars joining, the grand occasion is unprecedented..."
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This was an advertisement for a theatre performance. On the large photo in the advertisement was a woman wearing a slightly revealing outfit, with long wavy hair, a good figure, and a charming and glamorous appearance.
Looking at the photo of this woman, Dorothy paused for a moment. The woman in the photo indeed possessed a rare beauty. Even Dorothy, who had been a girl for a long time, couldn't help but feel a slight concentration after seeing it. If the previous Princess could be called beautiful, this one was a seductive beauty that could stir the lust of most men.
'Good heavens... With this figure, I feel like only Neff can suppress it, and her face seems to be even better than Neff's, and she's a famous dance star. She must be quite popular...'
Dorothy thought this. Being able to put such a large advertisement in the newspaper also proved to some extent that this female dancer named Adele should be quite popular in Tivian and was the star of this performance.
'After the promotion, I can also relax a bit. If I'm interested in the future, I can also go visit the City.'
Dorothy continued to eat breakfast while reading the newspaper. After reading the local news from Tivian, she finally turned to some more international news.
"The preparations for the World Expo are proceeding in an orderly manner. The main building of the expo has been completed, and more than 30 countries are expected to participate. However, due to the recent disputes in the New World, some councillors in Farano have proposed to refuse to participate. Regarding this, our newspaper's special commentator Mr. Eisen said..."
'World Expo? It seems to be a major event being prepared by the Prit government... One where many countries participate... It seems to be held in Tivian, but looking at this, due to the colonial conflict, Farano seems to be threatening not to participate.'
Looking at the news in front of her, Dorothy thought to herself. Seeing this news, she also realized that the New World colonies seemed to be getting a bit restless. As expected, after turning two more pages of the newspaper, she found news about the New World.
"Accidental Discharge? Farano soldiers invaded our Cold Stream territory and were expelled. Governor Mitchell said that in the New World, the threat from Farano has surpassed that of the natives..."
'It seems that the New World is becoming more and more unstable. I hope it doesn't affect Kapak and the others.'
After reading this news, Dorothy had almost finished her breakfast. She wiped her mouth, put the finished newspaper aside, and then wondered what she should do today?
'I'm tired of going to the library to read books all day. Let's do something else today.
'Speaking of which, I haven't contacted Neff lately. I wonder how the book I asked her to read is going? I feel like her Spirit Sight prayers aren't very frequent. Could something be wrong?
'Hmm... It seems necessary to check on Neff's recent situation this afternoon...'
Dorothy thought this. After confirming her schedule for the day, she got up and went to the counter to pay the bill.
...
East Tivian, in the morning.
The rising sun had gradually climbed into the sky. Bright sunlight shone on the bustling commercial street. Pedestrians came and went, and various exquisite goods were displayed in the shop windows along the street.
Wearing a sun hat and sunglasses, dressed in avant-garde long pants and a short-sleeved shirt, Naifnis walked down the street with her shoulder bag, examining the various clothes, shoes, and cosmetics in the shop windows along the street, seemingly choosing her favorite goods. Her steps were light, and she seemed to be in a good mood.
'Phew~ Good weather, good mood~ The feeling of passing the make-up exam is even better~'
Naifnis thought this. Some time ago, because she was involved in the Eight Point Nest related incident, she missed a make-up exam for the previous semester. According to the regulations, she was supposed to retake the course directly, but what she didn't expect was that the academic affairs office was merciful enough to arrange a make-up exam opportunity for her. Recently, while attending classes, she was also actively reviewing and preparing for the make-up exam.
And now, the make-up exam was finally over, and Neff was finally released. Today, she decisively chose her favorite way to reward herself, which was shopping.
Like many girls, Naifnis was naturally fond of dressing up, and her good family background also gave her this capital. In the past few months, she had been anxious about the Eight Point Nest and the make-up exam, and didn't have much mood to shop. Today, she finally found an opportunity.
Walking down the street, Neff surveyed the dazzling array of goods in the windows beside her. Among the crowd on the street, there was another gaze watching her.
Carrying her bag, just as Naifnis continued to walk down the street, a slightly familiar voice sounded behind her.
"Hey, Captain!"
Hearing this voice, Naifnis paused slightly, then immediately turned around and saw a familiar young figure smiling at her.
Short yellow hair, in his twenties, shirt and suspenders, that was Mosans, the Extraordinary scoundrel who had planned to follow her not long ago, but was instead controlled by Dorothy and beaten up in a small alley, and finally had a bunch of things stolen from him.
"It's you?" Looking at the man in front of her, Naifnis immediately became alert, wondering if the other party had come for revenge. What Naifnis didn't expect was that Mosans looked at her and spoke happily.
"Ah, you still remember me, that's great. I was almost worried that Captain you had forgotten me?" Mosans said with a friendly expression, and regarding his friendliness, Naifnis felt a strange feeling in her heart. After a slight pause, she asked even more cautiously.
"You... I think your name is Mosans? What's the matter?"
"Ah, nothing, I just happened to see Captain on the street and wanted to say hello, and I also wanted to ask you..." Saying that, Mosans glanced around, then leaned closer to Naifnis, and whispered mysteriously.
"By the way, I wanted to ask if Captain you are interested in the 'Crimson Dancer', Adele. Brillez?"
As he spoke, Mosans also glanced at the street, at a huge advertisement painting hanging on the wall. On it was a dancer girl wearing a red dance dress, beautiful and moving, attracting countless people below to stop and watch.