"Oh! Another 'fearless' young person. Let me give you some advice - don't think your ideas are so cutting edge."

"Death? That topic's been done to death. I even bought some from Dr. Edward. Claimed it was some one-of-a-kind anonymous high-end donation, but it was utter crap - all just marketing hype."

"The effects were terrible. At first there was this monster covered in eyes that stabbed you in the stomach, then all you could see were some blurry skyscrapers and lights, followed by everything spinning. Nearly made me puke my guts out..."

[Stella: Oh no, did they get their hands on the real thing?]

Aventurine asked somewhat reluctantly: "Is that all there was to it?"

"What else did you expect?" The old man shrugged and continued: "Don't expect too much from Penacony's film industry staples... They even call this stuff avant-garde art, can you believe it?"

"You're right about that. I won't bother you any further, have a nice day."

A monster covered in eyes - that description matches that Memories mimic pretty well. But skyscrapers and lights... those don't have much to do with "death", do they? Probably just a dream bubble cobbled together from rumors and gossip.

The voice in my head... it's getting dangerously close.

Afterwards, Aventurine flagged down a Hound who was on patrol.

This Hound had brown skin, bulging muscles, and a series of rather fierce scars decorating his arms like medals.

"Stay safe, friend. If you run into any trouble, the Hounds are at your service."

Aventurine approached him with a pale face, extending his hand to offer a gem: "This gem is for you."

The muscular man's expression was complex, as if looking at a mud-covered sparrow - a flightless bird not far from death.

"Friend... you don't look so good. If you need help, I can contact the hotel to force wake you up," he said with concern.

[Welt: I've heard that some suicidal people engage in unusually generous behavior. Perhaps this Hound gentleman thinks the same.]

[March 7th: If that's the case, this Hound seems like a good person too.]

[Guinaifen: Seriously, doesn't anyone realize he actually has strong self-destructive urges? I feel like he could commit suicide at any moment and it wouldn't be surprising.]

[Dr. Ratio: I've long recommended he see a psychologist, but unfortunately, he's never listened to my advice.]

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Aventurine furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes betraying a hint of fatigue, but he still shook his head and declined: "No need, I still have things to do." His voice was low and firm, as if struggling to control some emotion.

However, when he heard the other's offer to help, Aventurine's eyes noticeably brightened, and he said softly: "Still, thank you."

The muscular man seemed somewhat surprised by Aventurine's reaction. After a moment of silence, his expression grew complicated as he said: "Alright then. Don't push yourself too hard. Come find us Hounds if you need anything."

Aventurine nodded to show he understood.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, the corner of his mouth turned up slightly, and he asked in a somewhat teasing tone: "Well, I do want to ask you for a favor... As Penacony's finest Hound, have you had any dealings with smugglers recently?"

"Smugglers? How could there be smugglers in Penacony? That's never happened," the muscular man denied without hesitation, his face showing surprise and confusion.

"Alright, good luck with your work." Aventurine shrugged helplessly, then turned to leave.

The Family certainly won't tell the company anything... Well, that goes without saying.

Does everyone have to go through this torture before joining the Family? Bastards, I feel like donating my brain as evidence...

As he continued walking, pondering where to go next, Aventurine's attention was suddenly drawn by a commotion. It turned out there was an open-air bar not far away, with a drunken man sitting inside.

The man was sitting alone in a booth, clutching a bottle of alcohol and continuously pouring it down his throat. As he drank, he muttered to himself: "One drink to solve a thousand worries, no dreams means no worries... Hey, I should really become a poet."

Curiosity piqued, Aventurine approached the man, noticing his flushed face and unfocused gaze. Struck by an idea, Aventurine pulled a crystal-clear gem from his pocket, gently placed it on the table in front of the man, and said, "This is for you, buddy."

The man looked up, squinting at Aventurine, then hiccupped and slurred: "Oh? hic... You want... to give this to me? Didn't expect to find someone trying to be a good Samaritan in a place like this..."

He then shook his head, as if trying to clear it, and continued: "Or are you pitying me? Whatever, it doesn't matter... As long as there's... Soulacra, that's enough. After all, that's the essence of the dream world, right? Haha..."

"You should drink less Soulacra, friend. It's better for your health," Aventurine earnestly advised the man who was clearly already quite intoxicated.

"Oh! Hehe, you're right... but before that, I'd like to meet... the demon of Soulacra first," the drunk replied with a serious expression.

Aventurine asked curiously: "The demon of Soulacra?... Can you tell me more about that?"

The drunk's tongue seemed to be tied in knots as he mumbled: "Hehe... sure... Hey! It's this kind of... monster with a really long neck, looks like a seahorse!"

"I heard, you know, these monsters love to appear in front of drunk people... and they especially like those big idiots who drink themselves stupid and pass out on the side of the road! Haha, it's so funny..." The drunk finished with a foolish laugh.

Aventurine shook his head inwardly, silently sighing: "That is indeed quite interesting, thanks for sharing." He thought to himself that this person must be hallucinating from drinking too much, but out of politeness, he played along.

As the pain returned, Aventurine's face paled slightly as he bid farewell to the drunk man. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he noticed a Pepesii person playing at a roulette wheel nearby.

His eyes lit up, and he immediately changed his mind, deciding to focus his attention on this Pepesii person instead.

Aventurine approached the Pepesii person and politely asked: "Excuse me, beautiful lady, do you have a moment? If it's convenient, perhaps we could chat for a bit?"

The Pepesii person slowly turned her head upon hearing the voice. When she saw Aventurine, she didn't show any particular enthusiasm. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and said warily: "You want to chat with me? Fine, but no sensitive topics allowed."