One Step Further: Ilis Takes Notice

The Bright Twin Towers.

"Release the investigation results. Focus on the Rootvine District."

Ilis hung up, rose, and looked out the window over Dream City.

Her intelligence network knew a group of Ecstasy Witches was hiding in the Rootvine District. She needed to force them into the open and bring them under her control.

She had to build her own power base as soon as possible.

With her father behind her, she could certainly enjoy a life of privilege here.

But all of that belonged to him. Without his influence, she was nothing but an ornament with no foundation of her own.

And now she had decided to break with him.

Compared with the vile, rotten House of Loving Kindness, she preferred these desperate Ecstasy Witches.

The Spiritual Cultivation Faction's abilities were not as terrifying as those of the Desire Cultivation Faction, but they were stranger and better suited to her tastes and habits.

Rick hurried in, travel-worn and grim-faced.

"Miss, bad news. Our scouts report that the idiot chief is probably about to defect to Cairns."

Ilis narrowed her eyes. "That two-faced bastard. Get rid of him as soon as possible."

"We can't let him take that secret to Cairns."

She had used Webber to orchestrate a terrorist attack on the Charity Aid Society in the Pleasure Cult's name. Her goal was to trigger a crackdown and flush out the Ecstasy Witches.

If Webber betrayed her and told Cairns, her chances of promotion would be finished.

Rick frowned. "Cairns is watching all our people like a hawk."

"Send that Wild Dog you had your eye on," Ilis said. "It's time he proved his worth."

"That idiot is greedy as a pig and timid as a mouse. He won't hand Cairns his biggest secret—his bargaining chip—just yet."

"But give him