Looking at the steaming black tea placed on the counter before her, the daze in Dorothy's eyes deepened. After scrutinizing the liquid in the cup, she spoke to Clifford in an uncertain tone.
"Boss... do you mean to say that this cup of black tea has the taste described in that novel?"
"Yes, this is absolutely that taste. After I accidentally received that novel and finished reading it, I couldn't eat or sleep, and I frantically searched for the source of that taste in reality. Ah... that time of seeking without finding is truly agonizing to think about now. Fortunately, I miraculously found it six years ago, and since then, I've been spared that suffering..."
While speaking, Clifford pushed the cup in front of him forward an inch, moving it closer to Dorothy.
"And this... is the taste from the book that I've found. Come, Miss Meisihuos, have a taste. I guarantee it will be unforgettable for your entire life..." With a clear smile, Clifford said to Dorothy, while Dorothy looked at the teacup in front of her and murmured softly.
"Unforgettable for my entire life?"
Murmuring, Dorothy slowly picked up the teacup and, under Clifford's expectant gaze, slowly drank the black tea in the cup. Then, her expression became somewhat distant.
"How does it feel? Miss Meisihuos?"
"Hmm... It feels very strange, very wonderful... Extremely satisfying. It feels like... I've never drunk something so delicious... Oh my god... Holy Mother above, it's truly a wonderful taste I've never experienced before..."
In a daze, Dorothy spoke slowly with a pleasant tone, while Clifford, who witnessed this scene before her, laughed out loud.
"Heh heh... See, Miss Meisihuos, I didn't lie to you, did I?"
"Thank you, Boss... You really didn't lie to me. I think this is the taste mentioned in the book. But may I ask, do you have any more?" Dorothy asked Clifford curiously, while Clifford, who was prepared, took out a small paper packet and placed it in front of Dorothy.
"This is the secret to that taste. Take it back. If you want to seek that taste, just put a little in water and drink it. Of course, sprinkling it on food and eating it will give you a different texture, it's up to you how you choose." Clifford continued, and after hearing his words, Dorothy hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Hmm... This, how much does this cost?"
"Haha, it's free. As a fellow traveler I've finally met, how could I charge you?" Clifford said with a smile. Hearing Clifford's words, Dorothy hesitated for a while before putting the paper packet in front of her away.
"Then thank you very much, Boss."
"You're welcome. If you run out, you can always come back and ask me for more. Oh, and remember not to let anyone else see you adding the powder." Clifford continued to instruct, while Dorothy finally thanked Clifford.
"Thank you, Boss, I understand. Goodbye then."
Then, Dorothy picked up the rented book, got down from her seat, and walked out of the bookstore. Looking at Dorothy's departing back and then at the empty teacup on the counter, the smile on Clifford's lips became increasingly sinister.
'Heh heh... Everything is going smoothly. Now all I have to do is wait for her to be completely under control, and then use her to corrupt Gregorius... Under the effect of the "Cup" drug, it won't take long...'
Clifford could feel that the Captain of the An Yin Bureau's Hunter Squad was already within his grasp. This was rare good news for the Red Communion Society, which had been suffering continuous losses.
...
On the streets of Igwinte, a carriage was traveling down the middle of the bustling street. Inside the carriage, Dorothy was rubbing her temples. At this moment, she felt her body restless, with desires churning inside. A sense of craving was gradually growing stronger, a longing to consume that rich black tea once more.
Obviously, this was the consequence of ingesting the "Cup" drug.
'Heh... It seems I'm only immune to Spirit Sight within knowledge. Drugs targeting the body still have an effect. It looks like I need to be careful when eating in unfamiliar places from now on...'
While thinking this, Dorothy checked her watch. After looking at the time, she began to calculate slightly.
'It's exactly three o'clock in the afternoon. Half an hour has passed since I drank the first cup of the drug, and the craving has already appeared. Although it's still very weak, if it continues like this, this feeling will become stronger and stronger... I need to know how long the limit is...'
Putting down her watch, Dorothy began to close her eyes and rest in the carriage, feeling the increasingly strong changes in the craving within her body, quietly waiting for the carriage to reach its destination.
When the carriage stopped by the side of Nanyang Flower Road, Dorothy got out and paid. Then she went upstairs to her home, opened the door, and sat on the sofa, continuing to close her eyes and feel the surge of craving, until she gradually felt that her willpower was almost unable to suppress it. Then she opened her eyes and quickly took something out of her bag.
It was a test tube with markings on it, containing off-white powder.
Dorothy found a teacup, filled it with tea, and placed it in front of her. Then she opened the test tube and began to sprinkle the powder into the cup little by little...
Dorothy had already activated her Appraisal Art vision at this moment. In her vision, the water in the cup before her gradually showed a faint grey fluorescence. This was a phenomenon that appeared after being influenced by the Spirituality of'Shi' (Stone).
This was a passive ability inherent in Cain's Appraisal Art, which could identify the extraordinary in items. Dorothy could see anything that had been influenced by the extraordinary and could also determine the degree of influence.
Relying on the super memory brought by being a Knower, Dorothy clearly remembered the degree of "Cup" influence shown by the black tea she drank at the bookstore earlier. Comparing it to that degree, Dorothy needed to precisely brew a cup of "Stone" tea with the exact same degree of influence.
If the "Cup" influence was not completely removed, it would be incomplete. If there was too much "Stone", it would have a negative effect on Dorothy's intelligence. Fortunately, as a Knower, Dorothy's control was extremely strong, achieving 100% precision was not a problem.
After finishing sprinkling, Dorothy capped and put away the test tube. Then she drank the brewed "Stone" tea in one gulp, lay back on the sofa, and continued to close her eyes and rest, feeling the restless craving and desire rapidly receding, until her mind became clear again.
"Whew... Done~"
Having completed the detoxification, Dorothy said with a long sigh of relief. Then she checked the time on her hand again.
"It's five-thirty in the afternoon. I drank the tea at two-thirty in the afternoon. Based on the experimental results, the cycle from taking this 'cup' drug once to being unable to resist taking it again is about three hours. Perhaps it varies from person to person depending on their constitution, and fluctuating by about half an hour up or down also makes sense..."
Dorothy murmured, saying that for her, this was a relatively important piece of data gained.
Next, Dorothy took out the small paper packet that Clifford had given her earlier. After examining the packet briefly, a slight smile couldn't help but appear on Dorothy's lips.
"Now that the conditions are almost all met, it's time to help my older brother's company catch the mole."