Yu Zhizhi didn't dare move.
She could clearly hear the powerful thumping of Tang Luo Ke's heart...
Her side quest was still on her mind.
The "carrier" mentioned by the system had to be the Cat Clan female lying nearby, her body already cold.
Yu Zhizhi had witnessed her death with her own eyes.
And the one who killed her was the Wolf Clan male right in front of her.
She couldn't help but feel a flicker of fear.
Tang Luo Ke never hesitated for a second, whether he was killing a mutant or a female from the Beast Clan.
His red eyes were bloodthirsty and icy.
'The crystal-clear Jade Treasure Pearl...'
Yu Zhizhi repeated the name in her mind, her gaze slipping past Tang Luo Ke's arm to land on the corpse.
'I have to get that elevator key quickly. It's my only chance to get out of here.'
Tang Luo Ke's Berserk state was terrifying.
The next second, she could end up just like that Cat Clan female, dead beneath his claws.
'Not to mention, if I'm not pregnant in a week...'
'Jiru must be a mutant, too, right...?'
'A mutant that loves to eat rabbit meat.'
'I don't want to end up as food for Jiru!'
At the thought, Yu Zhizhi struggled slightly.
Sensing the female in his arms squirm, Tang Luo Ke buried his nose in her hair, refusing to let go.
"Tang..." Yu Zhizhi whispered.
"Hmm?"
"I-I want that—"
She had spotted the necklace on the corpse, the one with the emerald-green Treasure Bead.
'Is that the item I need to complete the quest?'
The little female's voice was gentle and soft, and Tang Luo Ke felt the frenzy inside him gradually begin to subside.
His Berserk state hadn't ended, but his sanity had returned.
Tang Luo Ke looked over.
It was a jade necklace, nothing remarkable about it.
He released her, walked over, and yanked the necklace from the corpse's neck.
He handed it to Yu Zhizhi without a word.
Yu Zhizhi took it with caution.
"BEEP! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the 'Crystal-Clear Jade Treasure Pearl.' Side Quest [Elevator Key] is complete. Reward distribution initiated!"
Hearing the system's notification, Yu Zhizhi couldn't hide her delight.
Tang Luo Ke's eyes were fixed on her.
A soft, sweet smile appeared on the little female's palm-sized face. Her eyes curved into crescents, a sight that made one's heart flutter.
'So she likes jewelry?'
Tang Luo Ke raised an eyebrow slightly.
To him, these glittering trinkets were just junk.
But in that moment, they seemed to have gained a little value.
So as not to arouse his suspicion, Yu Zhizhi slipped the necklace into her pocket.
A new line appeared on the pale blue item list that only she could see—
[Elevator Key x1]
To Tang Luo Ke, it just looked like the little female was staring blankly into space.
She looked a bit dopey.
A hint of a smile touched his eyes.
He sauntered over to the elevator, activated the adjacent screen, and began to order food.
Steak, carrots, and a vegetable salad...
「Back in the room.」
Yu Zhizhi stared at the vegetable salad and carrots in front of her, her mouth watering.
Then her eyes fell on the fork in Tang Luo Ke's hand.
His steak was completely raw, dripping with blood.
"Want some?" Tang Luo Ke held a piece of bloody steak out to her on his fork.
Bile immediately rose in Yu Zhizhi's throat—
She shook her head vigorously and snatched up her plate of salad, starting to eat.
Yu Zhizhi discovered she wasn't interested in any kind of meat.
She especially loved leafy greens and carrots!
The room reeked of disinfectant. The bedsheets were in disarray, and a piece of mechanical equipment to the side cast a faint red glow...
The only table was cluttered with all sorts of bottles and jars.
They were filled with what looked like multicolored "crystals."
"What's this?"
Yu Zhizhi pointed at one of them.
"Mutant organs."
Tang Luo Ke leaned back lazily in his chair, head tilted back as he chewed on the raw meat.
'How long has it been since I've eaten a meal with another living being?'
'As far back as I can remember, I've always been alone.'
Keeping her had just been a passing whim for Tang Luo Ke.
But now, it seemed having her around added a bit of amusement to his life.
Yu Zhizhi was stunned. She never would have guessed mutant organs looked like that.
Tang Luo Ke glanced at her and noticed a dab of salad dressing at the corner of her mouth.
He reached out and turned her face to him.
His thumb gently wiped the dressing from the corner of her mouth...
"Four days left,"
he reminded her.
Only four days left of the week.
'So, is the little female actually pregnant?'
Seeing the dazed look in her watery eyes, Tang Luo Ke's mood lifted considerably.
He suddenly thought that even if she wasn't pregnant, he could still keep her as a pet.
'She was chosen and sent here to serve me, after all.'
'All the previous "prey" had died.'
'Only this little rabbit was different.'
Yu Zhizhi forced a stiff smile. She tried to laugh, but the oppressive aura of the Wolf Clan member was too intense...
The closer Tang Luo Ke got, the more the rabbit blood in her veins seemed to cringe in fear.
'But it's fine. As long as I wait for him to fall asleep, I'll have my chance to escape...'
Tang Luo Ke's gaze fell to the little female's flat abdomen.
'If she's really carrying my cub, given the K family's obsession with continuing the bloodline, her status would skyrocket overnight.'
'She would become the wife of the K family heir, responsible for one thing: bearing wolf cubs.'
That position had remained vacant for so long that the family elders were running around in a panic.
Tang Luo Ke detested the idea of taking a wife.
'But if it were this little female...'
'...he thought he might just be able to accept it.'
His stare made Yu Zhizhi's scalp tingle with dread. Forgetting her salad, she picked up a carrot.
"D-do you want a carrot?"
Yu Zhizhi could feel Tang Luo Ke's gaze darken, as if he wanted to devour her whole.
'He's not going Berserk again, is he?'
'I'm panicking!'
Tang Luo Ke laughed. "Wolves only eat meat."
'What a silly rabbit.'
He took her hand, plucked the carrot from her grasp, and tossed it onto the table.
The carrot hit a glass jar with a sharp CLINK.
Just as Yu Zhizhi turned to look, Tang Luo Ke grabbed her by the chin.
The next second, he kissed her.
...
'So strange.'
Lying on the bed, Yu Zhizhi's eyes were filled with confusion.
'The time limit on the [Crazy-making pheromones] I used should be up by now.'
'Tang Luo Ke was wild before, and he's still wild now.'
'But the pheromones should be gone, right?'
Yu Zhizhi couldn't resist lifting her arm to give it a little sniff.
A fine sheen of sweat from the "exertion" coated her delicate, snow-white arm, and the air was thick with a humid, amorous scent...
Tang Luo Ke was gone.
After getting dressed, Yu Zhizhi couldn't find her shoes and had to walk barefoot to the door.
She pushed the door open gently and peeked left and right. The pitch-black corridor was silent.
Spotting an oil lamp in the corner, she grabbed it.
'These Wolf Clan males are insane...'
'If I stay any longer, he might actually work me to death.'
'And that's not even mentioning that if they find out I'm not pregnant, I'll be thrown to Jiru as a snack.'
Following the route from memory, Yu Zhizhi passed the familiar, red-mist-shrouded steps and arrived at the sealed elevator doors.
From her inventory, she took out the emerald-green key.