Early May, Moldway, Evening.
As the setting sun and dusk completely sank, a dark twilight quietly covered the sky. The noise of day had ended; the night belonged to tranquility and slumber.
But for a small portion of "people," the fall of night signified the true beginning of the day.
At this very moment, a small alarm clock emitted a crisp, noisy metallic clatter.
The next moment, a pale, bloodless hand reached out from the gauze curtains of the bed and pressed the alarm clock beside it to silence.
"Huff... Night falls so quickly in winter. I didn't feel like I slept long at all."
Rosalia, clad only in her undergarments, pushed back the quilt and slowly got up, then somewhat bleary-eyed, walked toward the master bedroom's bathroom.
She was a relatively young pure-blooded Moon's Favored, so she still retained most human habits.
She removed her remaining clothes, adjusted the temperature, and turned on the bathroom showerhead. A misty vapor quietly rose alongside the pattering sound of water flow.
As the warm, slightly scalding water flowed over her skin, the lingering sense of drowsiness and lethargy in Rosalia's mind from just waking up gradually faded.
Since that trip to Norlington, her sleep quality had become surprisingly good, so much so that she often didn't want to get up at all. Or she would just open her eyes to find it was already late at night, with only a few hours until dawn, so she might as well keep sleeping.
Besides that, Rosalia often dreamed of some indescribably strange fragments...
In her dreams, she was always busy in a laboratory filled with instruments from a first-person perspective, researching all sorts of weird and ferocious creatures. And from time to time, she would write down experimental records she couldn't understand at all.
Once, Rosalia even saw a man shattered and floating in a culture dish.
Pale skin, crimson eyes, and canines already mutated into fangs... Without a doubt, he was one of her own kind.
Every part stripped from him still maintained the vitality of life... just that state could hardly be called living by any means.
And that particular experimental record was named 'Research Notes on the Blood Plague'. On the archive cover was also stamped a seal; the text on the stamp seemed to read "Resolved."
"This is the downside of the Nolaria family's innate secret inheritance—always getting strange memories in your head while sleeping..."
Even as she said this, those scattered memories weren't nightmares to Rosalia. On the contrary, each time she glimpsed such dreams, she would sleep exceptionally well that day.
As if she herself were that researcher busy in the lab, immersed in immense pleasure with every experiment conducted.
The Nolaria family's secret inheritance allowed one to extract information and memories from others' blood, but the prerequisite was that the other's blood was of sufficient quality. And the only qualified blood donor during this period... seemed to be only Dr. Fran.
That doctor's memories were more vast and inscrutable than imagined, and as if possessing some form of self-awareness, they only selectively showed certain fragments to Rosalia.
Whenever she tried to proactively pry, she could only see an indescribable void.
I shouldn't have drunk Dr. Fran's blood that day; who knew the aftereffects would be this strong... Rosalia leaned against the wall and let out a light sigh.
But back then, she was in a severely injured state with blurred consciousness, utterly unable to resist the sweet, mellow scent of high-quality blood, almost instinctively pressing her lips to the wound on the other's wrist.
Turning off the water valve, Rosalia picked up a nearby bath towel to wipe away the water droplets lingering on her skin. Then she dried her damp black long hair and wrapped it up with a headscarf.
She changed into fresh undergarments and a bathrobe, then went to sit at the desk, beginning to organize a paper file.
It was an investigation document about the "fallen city" Morien.
It contained numerous oral accounts from refugees and many official reports from different periods.
As an investigative journalist, uncovering the truth of the Morien catastrophe also fell within Rosalia's scope of duties. In fact, many of the Moldway newspaper's reports on this incident were penned by her.
It's just that when her inquiries reached a certain depth, many questionable points pointed to the Stellar Abyss Society... Some said they heard bell tolls and singing, and saw some residents originally fleeing suddenly running toward the coast.
Because of this, Rosalia's subsequent investigation faced unprecedented resistance. She could even sometimes discover trackers and followers when going out.
If not for the support of the Moon's Favored Elder Council behind her, the situation probably wouldn't have remained this peaceful... But a few months ago, the Elder Council also issued an order, instructing her not to get overly involved.
And precisely because of this, Rosalia was dispatched to Norlington as an envoy on an external assignment.
Now that she was back in Gormouth with little to do in the short term, she could only repeatedly review the relevant dossier records about the fallen city in her spare time.
"It was midday, but black clouds almost covered the entire sky. I grew up in Morien, witnessed no less than dozens of Abyssal Sea storm invasions, but none as violent as that day. The black seawater almost flooded back into the city, nowhere to escape."
"Those monsters covered in scales and tentacles filled every corner of the city like cockroaches, they continuously opened their mouthparts to emit shrieks... but I couldn't hear any sound. Some people seemed able to hear, but those who heard covered their ears and let out piercing screams."
"I saw with my own eyes, some people, upon hearing some unknown sound, became entranced and abandoned all resistance without warning."
This account came from a middle-aged man who worked at a carriage rental company in Morien. Their company was located in the city outskirts, so they managed to escape disaster by relying on their beloved steed's frantic gallop.
"Sigh, it's a pity I'm not a war correspondent and have no experience in that field... otherwise, I could have gone to see Morien with my own eyes."
Rosalia twirled a fountain pen in her fingers, speaking somewhat regretfully.
Now Morien had become a land-based nest for Abyssal Sea aberrations, a true "dead city." Although the Moldway royal court had been promoting a plan for eradication, the strategic planning for this was definitely not something that could be accomplished overnight. It would likely take years to formally get on the agenda.
After her hair had mostly dried, she removed the headscarf and went to the side icebox.
"Hmm... What should I eat today?"
Looking at the many labeled blood storage bags inside the icebox, Rosalia picked and chose somewhat indecisively.
Most of the labels here were dish names, like "Moldway Cheese Roast Meat Pizza," "Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chop," "Bacon and Egg Toast," and even "Kiwi Sundae" from the Skylark Dessert Shop.
"It's still better in Moldway. Even the variety of food you can choose... back in Norlington, there was only the White Cup's specially supplied hospital plasma."
Rosalia looked for a while, then took out the bag labeled "Bacon and Egg Toast" from the icebox, opened it, and began to sip.
Moldway was the location of the Moon's Favored Elder Council, so service industries in this area had become exceptionally developed. Many high-quality attendants would eat food on an empty stomach, then wait for a digestion cycle before having their blood drawn for use.
Where there's demand, there's a market. Especially since the Moon's Favored always paid handsomely...
It was a proven fact that, with careful and meticulous planning and operation, the Moon's Favored and humans could absolutely maintain a harmonious and mutually beneficial, sustainable feeding relationship.
After all, their need was only blood, and it required no additional medical processing.
"Huff..."
Rosalia quite contentedly put down the blood bag, then began trying her best to recall the contents of the Research Notes on the Blood Plague from her dreams.
Although she found it hard to believe that Fran, as a human doctor, could solve a bloodline affliction that countless Moon's Favored had failed to overcome over entire eras, she still felt a strong interest arise.
What if she really had made a breakthrough in this area? And even if it wasn't a complete solution, even if only staged results, it would hold immense value for the Moon's Favored.
It's just that dreams were fleeting illusions, forgotten upon waking. Rosalia had to record them in writing as quickly as possible while the impressions were still clear.
"Experimental subject, Moon's Favored 'Regis Murdoch'. Afflicted with disease: 'Blood Plague'. Age between 340 and 360."
"Symptoms: Inability to suppress the craving for blood, accompanied by intense mania. Discards reason upon smelling high-quality psychic flesh and blood. Simultaneously, the body shows mutation and lesions."
"Diagnosis: Unlike 'Red Thirst,' Red Thirst originates from a deep-level genetic defect and itself more closely resembles a hereditary stress response. The Blood Plague, however, is a biological curse. As this curse has fused with the bloodline, most conventional treatments only have palliative effects."
"Solution..."
When writing this part, the dream impressions in Rosalia's mind had already become extremely blurred, like a window mirror fogged by vapor, difficult to peer into again.
Just then, a soft voice quietly sounded by her ear.
"Solution One: Use high-purity Moon-phase psychic elements to cleanse the spirit, while simultaneously reshaping the body. Side effect: This surgery is extremely high risk; even considering the Moon's Favored's resilient constitution, there is an over 60% risk of failure."
"Solution Two: Introduce material from the Carapace Kind of the Order of Dust era, ingest the highest-grade Moth-phase psychic elements, to antagonize and twist the bloodline cursed words originating from the 'Cup'. This surgery also possesses over 30% risk."
"Solution Three: Implant partial genetic information from Orks, and forever believe you will not contract the Blood Plague thereafter. This surgery has little danger, but will cause greening of the skin and make the patient inclined to use 'WAAAGH' as a verbal tic."
The person's recitation was clear and rapid, as if they were already familiar enough with the content of these notes to recite them from memory.
Hearing this, Rosalia suddenly felt her stymied train of thought suddenly clear, and the blurred content from the dream also became clear.
"Oh, thank you so much..."
Rosalia had been in a highly concentrated state of recollection and hadn't yet registered the oddity. It was only as she prepared to write that she suddenly felt something wasn't quite right.
Her residence was located in the most secure Moon's Favored district of Moldway, and recently she had been keeping to herself... So how could someone suddenly appear in her bedroom?
"Ah!"
Rosalia let out a panicked scream and looked back with some fear, only to meet those amber eyes.
Somehow, Fran had already appeared in her bedroom, her gaze leisurely as she looked over the files and materials on the desk.
The two were so close, Rosalia could even smell the subtle scent of osmanthus plants on the other.
Rich but not pungent, lingering faintly, seemingly there yet not. Merely smelling it seemed to soothe her tense mood.
"...Dr. Fran? Is that you?"
Rosalia inquired cautiously.
In her impression, the doctor should be far away in Norlington, across the Abyssal Sea. Had her delusional disorder worsened, and was the person before her an illusion from her dream? That wouldn't be a good sign...
"Genuine as can be."
"Relax, Rosalia, you don't have delusional disorder. Those dreams are just a small side effect of my blood; they won't cause too much inconvenience to your life."
As if to prove her real existence, Fran picked up a paper file about the fallen city and began reading it.
"Hmm... Your investigation materials here are much more comprehensive than in Foy."
Foy City basically had no first-hand materials about the Morien catastrophe—either heavily embellished official statements or absurd street rumors. Basically no reference value.
Seeing that Fran before her was indeed real, Rosalia couldn't help but sigh in relief.
But at the same time, confusion soon followed.
"Um, Dr. Fran, why are you in Moldway? And... how did you get into my house?"
She pulled her thin black bathrobe a little tighter, asking somewhat puzzledly.
"How I found you back in Norlington is how I found you now. Don't worry, Rosalia, no one will see me appearing in this district."
"Hmm... And these are new shoes on my feet; they won't dirty your bedroom carpet and floor."
As she spoke, Fran displayed her leather platform shoes.
The shoes were well-made and fitting, almost perfectly cradling the soles. The style was matte Mary Jane, with black straps visible tied around slender ankles.
Rosalia felt the other's answer seemed to have no issues, but upon pondering carefully, it was as if nothing had been said at all.
Oh, damn, this is so typical of Dr. Fran's speaking style...
"Alright... So what have you come to see me for?"
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