"How real..."
In the eastern part of the city, a doctor in a white coat slightly widened his eyes as he gazed at the prosperous cityscape before him, wearing an almost intoxicated expression. He murmured, "This completely matches the scenery designed by Light and Shadow. The details are so real they're flawless, and there's... such a strong sense of nostalgia. This is the first time I've encountered a scene this realistic. It's so real that I don't even want to leave."
The two mental patients looked at the doctor with worried expressions.
"But... it's fake, after all."
His tone shifted, and a smile appeared on his face. "We can confirm that we've been affected somehow, but I can't sense the source of the mental radiation around us. In other words, either the ability user is far away from us, or..."
"...there isn't an ability user at all."
The smile on his face gradually faded, and his expression turned serious. He said softly, "Then is it a parasitic item at work? I seem to remember our Central City training courses mentioning some special parasitic items that could create similar scenes, except..."
He paused, then admitted frankly, "I forgot."
The two mental patients' eyes immediately filled with resentment as they stared mournfully at the unreliable doctor.
"Come on, it was such a thick stack of materials. What kind of lunatic could memorize all that?"
The doctor answered with complete justification, then smiled. "Besides, whether I remember it or not isn't important."
"As long as there's logic, that's enough!"
His expression gradually became solemn, and his eyes narrowed. His serious look made him seem less like someone staring at scantily dressed girls walking down the street and more like he was facing a room full of expert professors, presenting his proudest medical discovery: