After that, Aster turned to the girls and frowned. From his earlier anger, he seemed to have forgotten something. He tried to recall his purpose for coming there and quickly remembered.
"Right, Argus! Where is he?"
He looked around, but the little, white, fluffy puppy was nowhere to be found! Kali, who still seemed a little grumpy, grumbled lightly. "Wasn't he with you? Last I saw him was just before you left."
"No, I'm pretty sure he wasn't with me." Aster shook his head. "If he was, I'd remember him being in the car."
In such a small, closed space like the car's passenger seat, it would be hard to ignore such a cute thing as Argus. Since he couldn't recall playing with Argus back then, he was sure the dog didn't come with him.
"..."
Aster turned to Cassy, the last one he remembered holding Argus. However, looking at her depressed expression, he refrained from asking. She might think he was blaming her and worsen the situation.
'But where could that little bugger have gone?'
*Arf!*
"...!"
At that moment, just like when he first showed up, a dog appeared, falling from the sky. It was Argus, without a doubt!
"Woah!" Aster groaned as the furball landed right on his face, making him fall into the hot desert sand. "Ugh, Argus? Where did you go? And how did you appear from the sky?" he asked, lifting the dog off his face.
*Arf?*
But the dog tilted his head cutely, his heterochromatic eyes glowing with curiosity, as if unable to understand Aster's question. Seeing this, Aster decided to leave the matter for now. After standing up and patting the sand off, he turned to the girls and smiled.
"Now that Argus is here, let's continue!"
They couldn't stay in place. If Lory invaded, she'd start from the 14th floor. The deeper they went, the safer they'd be.
Of course, the girls were also curious as to how Argus arrived. However, they couldn't ask Aster, since he had no idea. Only Argus knew where he went, what he did, and "who" he followed.
A magic circle appeared on the ground, its script indecipherable. When it released a bright glow, covering both the siren and Lory, Argus didn't hesitate and jumped in.
The next moment, they were in a different place. A dark, humid prison, with dull, grey walls. It was unsettling, but Argus couldn't reveal himself yet.
Before the light faded, he quickly jumped toward a nearby corner, hiding once more.
From there, he watched Lory look left and right, before moving down a passage, as if she had a destination in mind.
The siren woman stood in place, eyes glazed, drool dripping down her sleazy smile. Argus shook his head at her appearance and resumed tailing Lory.
With fewer people around, it became harder to stay hidden. Even with his ability to mask his presence, his footsteps could be heard if he got too close.
Not letting Lory's bubbly figure out of his sight, the little furball followed her until she reached a certain room, which looked like the office of a high-ranking officer. Without knocking, she kicked the door open and stared at the fat man on the other side.
"It's been a while, you bastard," Lory smiled, her eyes glowing dangerously. "Miss me?"
"Y-You are...! 280..."
The man looked shocked at first before his expression turned vacant, his gaze unfocused. Unfortunately, Argus couldn't enter the room, as he'd have to slip by Lory. He could only stay by the door and listen.
The sound of slaps followed by wild screams and creaking bones echoed. Although Argus couldn't see inside, he could tell how brutal it was. The "play" continued for a full hour until the man's voice faded to a whisper.
*Tap!* *Tap!* *Tap!*
Hearing footsteps approaching, Argus hid behind a nearby trash bin. He watched as Lory, with bloodstained clothes and a satisfied grin, walked out.
Curious, the dog peeked inside and shook his head.
Crushed eyes, broken limbs, and blood pouring from seven orifices—it was clear how intense their "session" had been.
Losing interest in the dead man, Argus resumed tailing Lory, keeping an eye on the twin cheeks he had been chasing.
After this and that, in just a short few hours of the night, he traveled across the country, encountered others like Lory, got discovered, and barely managed to escape back to the dungeon.
However, his exciting story was something he couldn't share with anyone... After all, it's not like a dog could speak.