The old dog’s face twisted in shame and anger, but Zack’s words hit home. In a world as brutal as this one, cowards and opportunists like him mao scrape by—but only until they ran into someone like Zack. “Do you have to kill me?” the old dog asked, a hint of defiance creeping into his tone.

  “Yeah,” Zack replied bluntly, “but not just yet. Once I’m sure the serum’s side effects are under trol, you’ll get your turn.”

  “Damn you!” the old dog cursed, his fa?ade crag entirely. But before he could say more, Zack shut the iron door with a resounding g, leaving him in darkness.

  “Monitor Subjeo. 2 for any ges and notify me immediately,” Zastructed his meical assistant. Peeling off his gloves, he washed his hands thhly, thehe b without a backward gnce.

  As Zack stepped out of the b, he was met by Erza, a fiery redhead lounging on the wall of Mansion No. 13. Her sharp eyes bore into him, suspi written all over her face. “I’ve been watg you for days!” she announced, sliding down from the wall and sauntering toward him. “What’s the deal? Did you kidnap a bunch of i girls to... have fun or something?”

  Zack raised an eyebrow, pletely baffled. “What?”

  “Don’t py dumb! I’ve seen the soundproofing and sealed windows! You’re hiding something in there, aren’t you?”

  Zack sighed, ping the bridge of his nose. “You’ve said all that just to ask if you go in and take a look, haven’t you?”

  “Maybe,” Erza replied with a mischievous grin. “Will you let me?”

  “Widow.” Zack’s voice dropped to a anding tone. A meical spider skittered out from behind him. “On it! Little dy, scram!” Gwen hissed in her metallic voice.

  Erza immediately bolted, but not without yelling over her shoulder, “You’re no fun!” She wasn’t here just out of her own curiosity. Sophia and Annie had expressed about Zack’s safety and the nature of his experiments, and Erza had volunteered to iigate. Still, she wasirely sure if her motivations were for their sake—or her own.

  That night, Zack returo the Mansion and took a rare evening to rest. Though his body didn’t feel fatigue, the relentless pace of his work weighed heavily on his mind. Even while lying on the sofa, he couldn’t pletely rex. Images of mutating zombies, the mysterious vanguard anization, and other looming threats raced through his thoughts.“If this keeps up, I’ll develop a full-blown persecution plex,” he muttered.

  Just then, a pair of slender hands gently pressed against his temples, massaging away the tension. “Are you overw yourself again?”

  Without looking, Zaew it was Sophia. She leaned closer, her voice soft with . “You’ve been pushing yourself too hard. I know you’re worried about what’s out there, but yoing to burn out if you keep this up.”

  “Don’t worry,” Zack replied, his lips curving into a small smile. “The ants are doing most of the heavy lifting now. I’ve even mao sneak in some ziness. Being a full-blown business owner is just around the er.”

  Sophia chuckled, shaking her head. “Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that.” But she didn’t press further, fog instead on soothing him. Slowly, Zack let his mind drift, her presence calming the storm of thoughts.

  He leaned bato the sofa, his body finally giving in to the rest it desperately needed. Before long, he was sound asleep, the tension in his features easing for the first time in days. Even for someone as close as Sophia, Ego’s protocols dictated stant surveilnce. While Zack was asleep, Ego diligently monitored her behavior to ensure no harm came his way. Deep down, though, Ego khe odds of Sophia betraying Zack were as likely as Mars crashing into the sun.

  “Is big brother asleep?” Annie’s voice chimed from the living room doorway not long after Zack dozed off.

  Covered in engine grease, her face smudged with grime, she stood there looking every bit like someone who had spent hours tinkering in a workshop. “Shh. Don’t wake him up,” Sophia whispered, raising a fio her lips.

  “Aww, but I wao share the good news!” Annie pouted, l her voice. Over the past few days, she had finally pleted Tarantu’s ultimate transformation. The meical marvel could now perfectly keep up with her sharp reflexes.

  “Go take a shower first,” Annie sighed, muttering under her breath. "Sister Sophia, make sure you cover him with a b. Don’t let him freeze.”

  Sophia rolled her eyes, nodding as Annie scurried off to up. “You’re so bossy sometimes,” Sophia muttered to herself. Despite her lighthearted pint, she couldn't help but wo Annie’s overly intimate attitude toward Zack. Still, she reminded herself that Zack was likely Annie’s sole pilr of support, which eased her s.

  When Zack woke the m, he found himself in his bed instead of on the sofa. fused, he rubbed his fad muttered, “Who carried me here? It’s not like Sophia could have do. Annie, maybe?”

  “Actually, sir, it was Ms. Erza,” Ego chimed in, his tone ced with hesitation. “She didn’t carry you on her back, though... she carried you like a sack of potatoes.”

  Zack sat upright, startled. “What?!” Ego pulled up the surveilnce footage from the previous night. On the s, Erza ehe Mansion to find Zack passed out on the sofa while Sophia crouched nearby, stretg her legs after what must have been a tiring vigil. Without a word, Erza walked over, lifted Zack like a bundle of undry, and hauled him upstairs.

  “This womaed me like cargo!” Zack fumed, his face turning an amusing shade of blue. “Where is she now?”

  “She left early this m,” Ego replied. “The GPS shows her at the steel pnt.”

  Zack shook his head in disbelief, muttering, “She ran off fast enough.” He got dressed and headed downstairs. “Ego, how’s Subjeo. 2 doing?” Zack asked as he desded the stairs.

  “The subject is highly agitated but otherwise stable. Early this m, the damaged joints began healing themselves. To prevent a breakout, the spider interrupted the subject’s limbs again.”

  “Well done,” Zack said with a nod. After washing up quickly, he made his way to the b.Inside, a pitiful sight greeted him. The test subject, an old enemy dubbed "Old Dog," y sprawled on the floor, his hands a shattered, his body limp like a broken puppet.

  “Ahhh! I’ll kill you!” Old Dog roared, writhing like an enraged worm at the sight of Zack.

  “Funal tests firm the serum’s viability,” Ego reported.

  “Good.” Zack’s voice was cold. “But there’s o thing to take care of.” With that, Zack grabbed a polished Desert Eagle from his colle, cocked the pistol, aered Old Dog’s tai room. The shot echoed sharply through the b. When Zack emerged, his expression was bnk. He set the pistol down and said, “Ego, have the spider up the mess.”