Early the next morning, as the sky began to gray.
In front of an elegant white building, beneath a massive pure white archway, tall Roman columns stood on either side. These columns, arranged in golden ratios, were carved with intricate and exquisite patterns. Above them were meticulously designed beams and cornices, possessing a profound sense of layered beauty.
Stepping into this building and looking down, the floor was paved with glazed white jade. Looking up, towering pillars that would take several people to encircle supported a gray-blue crystal dome. Various hues of translucent glass were pieced together on the dome into mosaics, silently telling a solemn and mysterious story.
It was hard to imagine that this palace-like building was actually the ground floor lobby of an agency. The wealth possessed by the owner behind it was immeasurable.
"Welcome to the Dawn Agency. How may I help you?" the receptionist said with a smile.
"Uh, I'm going to tell you something terrifying. Please don't be afraid."
The perspective pulled back to reveal a man with a horrific appearance. His eyes were bloodshot, and his flax-gray clothes were almost soaked through with blood, making the color appear much darker.
"I understand. I will listen patiently," the receptionist nodded.
"My wife... she's gone mad! She's gone mad! She wants to kill me! I noticed something was wrong with her a few days ago. She became all erratic, babbling about art, just like those lunatics from the Ascetic Sect." The man clutched his head as if recalling something painful.
"This morning, she took a chisel and tried to stab it into my eye socket. She said she wanted to carve me into the most beautiful artwork. I saw her skin becoming dim, as if the color had faded away!"
"I have noted your request," the receptionist maintained a polite smile. "Your wife has likely turned into one of the depleted."
"In this situation, I recommend you find a tuner to resolve the matter."
"No!" Bloodshot veins crawled across the man's eyes. "I love her. Those tuners will kill her! I beg of you, help me. She's just sick; she hasn't turned into a monster. I just need you to restrain her. She'll get better slowly..."
Listening to the man's nearly pleading tone, the receptionist pondered for a moment and pointed to the side. "Then please go over there to line up and register."
"Didn't you hear what I said? My wife is about to go completely mad!"
The man turned his head and froze. In front of the arched ivory-white stone counters not far away, a line stretched from the reception area all the way into the depths of the lobby, seemingly without end. A rough estimate put the number at at least a hundred people.
Among them were many in similar situations to his. One could even see people with missing limbs and severe injuries waiting in line, letting out cries of agony.
The man's lips trembled. "It's not even six in the morning. How can there be so many people in line?"
The man hurriedly opened his curtain, wanting to make an appointment online, only to stiffen on the spot.
[Dawn Agency]
[Dawn Chasers: 120,147.]
"One hundred and twenty thousand people?" The man stepped back, dazed.
"Yes, because we are the Dawn Agency. We possess the most reliable, efficient, and top-tier capabilities," the receptionist said. "Even if this is just a branch agency in the Star of Art, people are still so willing to trust us."
"Sir, we prioritize commissions processed in person."
Above the elegant white building, two figures walked through a transparent metal corridor. From here, one could overlook the entire King's District, facing that magnificent Prism Tower. At this moment, a golden line was rising on the distant horizon, bathing the city below in radiance.
A black-haired youth wearing a long trench coat looked troubled. "As expected, today is another day where we won't finish all the commissions."
"President, we are severely understaffed," the youth beside him followed quickly. "With the reputation of the Dawn Agency, as long as we put out the word, plenty of fixers would come running to us, wouldn't they? Why not recruit more people from the outside!"
"We'll have enough in the future. It's not about quantity, but quality."
"We are the people chasing the dawn, the front line watching over the world's dawn. We must be patient," Jian Liu said. He pushed open the office door, thought for a moment, and added, "Not president—acting president."
"What exactly is our purpose for this business trip to the Star of Art?" A-Ning asked. "We already have more than enough to handle back in Daybreak City!"
"Shh," Jian Liu made a gesture for silence. "Now is the most critical period."
The atmosphere in the office was elegant, filled with artworks from all over the world. In the corner of a fine cyan-black mahogany desk, several beautifully bound books sat quietly, with bookmarks tucked between the pages, each recording neat handwriting.
Jian Liu stood before a painting. In the painting, set against a cyan-black background, was a youth with black hair. His eyes were peaceful yet sharp, like an abyss capable of seeing through the human heart. A mole beneath the corner of his eye added a touch of depth. It was his portrait.
"Why did they paint me so ugly?" Jian Liu looked up, drinking coffee in front of the painting as he took a call on his curtain.
"Yes, I am the head of the Dawn Agency and the acting president of the Dawn Society, Jian Liu. Is this the Company?"
"You mean an S-rank employee has gone missing in the Star of Art, and you hope we can contact her?"
"Her name is...?" Jian Liu's brow furrowed slightly, then quickly relaxed.
"Understood. Besides this S-rank employee, what else? You're saying an executive carrying top-secret documents from Universal Heavy Industries has defected and is currently in the Star of Art as well? I see."
After hanging up, Jian Liu looked at the youth squatting in front of a flowerpot in the corner. "Get ready to work, A-Ning."
"For the first contact, we need to leave a good impression. Who should I send?"
"President."
Just then, the youth who had been silent in the corner spoke up. He remained in a squatting position, but his eyes projected a steadiness that did not belong to someone of his age.
"About the matter of the Corrupt Hive City..."
"You've heard some rumors, haven't you?" Jian Liu's tone was casual. "That's right. Just as you heard, an entire hive city was destroyed by an unknown urban eldritch creature."
"All the people there boarded the death train bound for dusk," Jian Liu said calmly. "And all of this happened in less than a single week."
"For something this big, Universal Heavy Industries actually managed to keep the other hive cities completely in the dark. Even over in Daybreak City, only a few rumors leaked out."
"Millions of lives," A-Ning grit his teeth.
"Let the past stay in the past. What we need to do is stand firm at the dawn and prevent more things like this from happening," Jian Liu said steadily.
He composed an email on his curtain, selected the recipient, and hit send.
Inside the room, wherever Xu Xiaoyou went, Tang Xin's gaze followed.
"Is there something on my face?" Xu Xiaoyou asked, blinking.
Tang Xin didn't speak. Ever since returning last night, she had felt a persistent sense of strangeness, as if her mind were empty, like a piece was missing.
She couldn't quite say what was wrong. After leaving the Ocean Blue Whale Flower Shop, she had returned home with Xu Xiaoyou. Because she was so tired, she had gone to sleep earlier than usual.
This feeling was exactly as if a segment of memory that didn't belong to her had been added to her mind.
She finally decided to tell Xu Xiaoyou about her inner thoughts. After all, the other girl was one of the few people in this world she could trust and confide in.
After hearing Tang Xin out, Xu Xiaoyou's small face turned exceptionally serious. "You must have encountered an attack from a Dye Thief."
Rate on N.U.
