“How could that be? You couldn’t have better timing!” I waved excitedly at Zero, then craned my neck to peek behind him. “Where’s Jackson?”

It was actually Zero. I hadn’t expected to run into him again in a Asylum dungeon of all places.

My face felt a little warm. The last time he’d asked me something like that, back at Rose Manor, Jackson had been pressing me down on the bed.

“Missy still misses Jackson,” Zero said with a sigh that was far too casual. He smiled. “Jackson was too reckless on the way in. He stirred up a few little anomalies. He has to finish cleaning up before he can join us.”

Little anomalies.

That had to mean the three loose mental-patient anomalies wandering the halls.

I tried to ask more, but Zero had already switched topics.

“If you want to raise a pet, you should pick something docile,” he said. His gaze never once landed on the pet beside me. It stayed glued to my face. “Or I can train him for you.”

【Training the pet (×) Intimidating a rival (√)】

【He really pretended nothing happened and just stepped on Jackson’s neck for no reason.】

【We should totally award him with Oscars.】

【Zero: As long as I live, all of you are side pieces.】

Zero had barely finished speaking when Dominus exploded into action. His ears sharpened into beast ears, his body shifted, and he lunged at Zero.

As a certified romance-brain, I really wanted to suggest they take it to the dance studio and work it out there.

But before I could say a word, something tightened around my waist. My vision flipped. By the time I registered what happened, I was already pinned against a window.

Jackson pressed his face into my neck and licked slowly. “I missed you.”

My knees nearly gave out. I slid my fingers into his hair, gripping and loosening again as my chest tightened with every breath.

That flutter in my chest felt exactly the same as it had back at Rose Manor.

My lips were captured next. He gave me a gentle breath of air, and that finally snapped me out of the haze. I blinked back to reality just in time to hear Zero sigh softly.

“Missy still has not learned how to kiss.”

At some point he had finished fighting and was already standing beside us. He shot Jackson a disapproving look. “Jackson, you know she cannot handle you. Stop teasing her.”

“When did I tease her?” Jackson nipped at my earlobe and reluctantly straightened. He looked down at me with wounded pride, clearly waiting for my post-event commentary.

I chose survival and changed the topic.

“Where’s Dominus?”

Jackson blinked. “Who?”

Zero, however, understood immediately. He gave me a long, meaningful look. His voice was quiet. “He is gone.”

I nearly spat blood. “You killed him?”

Zero shook his head. “Rules.”

Players must follow the rules.

Anomalies must follow the rules too.

Zero and Jackson appearing here at all was a violation.

A violation demands a punishment.

Only now did I realize how wrong their appearances looked. Jackson’s blood-covered clothes were an unnatural crimson, and Zero’s complexion was ghost-white.

“You two…” My throat tightened for the first time. I wanted to ask why they would risk this. The words would not come out.

“I wanted to see you,” Zero whispered against my cheek. “Missy, I missed you very much.”

Jackson wrapped his arms around me from behind. The blood on his clothes stirred like something alive, but his voice held a lazy smile.

“Relax. We cannot die. Worst case, we just cannot come see you for a while. Annoying, honestly.”

He clicked his tongue softly.

“Good thing I left you a gift.”

With that final sentence, both Jackson and Zero disappeared.

I stood alone in the hallway of the psychiatric ward as the system’s emotionless electronic voice echoed through the air.

[Unstable anomaly detected. Dungeon energy surging. Instance is upgrading.]

[Welcome back to the Psychiatric Ward.]

[Five patients still show no signs of returning to normal. They are beginning to believe they were never the problem. The problem is the world.]

[Task: Survive one full day in your patient’s hands.]

[Remaining players: 3]

[Difficulty: S]

The livestream chat exploded.

[What just happened? Why is the dungeon leveling up mid-run?]

[I only saw Zero and the pet start fighting, then my screen went black!]

[Is the system running on a rented server? Why does it break every ten minutes!]

I decided to lie low for a moment and find my teammates first.

But right as I took a step, a chill crawled across my scalp. Something dangerous was watching me.

I thought for a second, then raised my palm and made a small beckoning gesture. At the same time, I puckered my lips.

“Here, boy. Tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk.”

The chat was baffled.

[What is she doing? Casting a spell?]

[She must be losing her mind. A single woman cannot survive this.]

[Call me crazy, but… is she calling a dog?]

[My grandpa used to call the stray dogs in our neighbourhood exactly like that.]

After a few more “tsk-tsk-tsk” calls, footsteps sounded at the end of the hall.

The pet appeared.

His hair was wild, his skin reeked of blood, and the thin hospital gown strained against his chest muscles like they were two mountains fighting for territory.

In short, he looked meaner. And stronger.

[Is he fully beast-formed now? His eyes look completely feral.]

[Must be because the dungeon upgraded. He looks way stronger than before.]

[Just came from the other two streamers’ rooms. They already got eaten by their patients!]

[So our girl is the last surviving player?]

[Not for long. The pet is already attacking.]

He moved too fast. I could not react in time. He slammed me into the floor with a loud thud.

Pain shot through me. I saw stars and let out an involuntary whimper.

He pinned me down, but instead of ripping out my throat, his sharp teeth caught a tiny bit of my cheek and gently, repeatedly worried the skin.

It hurt, but mostly it just confused me.

“Wait… are you trying to be a… cuddly pet?”

I was not the only one confused.

[What is he doing? Sharpening his teeth?]

[Use a bone, dude!]

[I have a bold theory. I think the pet is… in his mating season?]

---

Silence.

So much silence the air itself felt embarrassed.

And then he broke it.

“Can you remove your hand from my chest?”

He said it between clenched teeth. No wonder my cheek suddenly hurt more.

“I will not.” The pain made my brain flip into chaotic storytelling mode. “Little buddy, you are naughty. First let go of my face, okay? Okay.”

[I was ready for an R-rated horror scene and instead she turned into a children’s storyteller.]

[Little buddy, you are naughty. I am deceased.]

[Please stop quoting children’s books. I cannot handle this whiplash.]

[My pants were already off and you give me this wholesome nonsense?]

Nobody can resist that tone, not even an anomaly.

He released my face, but he did not move off me. His breath was hot on my neck and sent a shiver down my spine.

Do anomalies get fevers?