I Transmigrated as the Protagonist and Was Kidnapped by the Villainous Omega - Chapter 25.2

As the sun was about to set, Su Cheng straightened up from the field, resting her hand on the rake and taking a deep breath.

She couldn’t help but feel speechless. For such a large stronghold, aside from Shi Yunqi—that genuinely disabled Alpha—she hadn’t seen a single other Alpha.

Clearly lacking in manpower, the place seemed to rely entirely on equipment for defense.

In the latter part of the original novel, Red Sleeve mechas filled the skies, storming into Longxiao Palace—incredibly formidable.

Besides that, the most feared weapon was Ling Yuexi’s sniper rifle.

With an extremely long range and immense power, it could take someone out with a single shot from a thousand miles away.

Right now, all of that was probably hidden in the Water Curtain Cave.

If only she could destroy it, she thought.

And she had to do it without anyone noticing, without drawing suspicion toward herself.

It was not an easy task.

Just as she was deep in thought, someone gently tapped her on the shoulder from behind.

Su Cheng turned around and saw Ling Yuexi standing behind her. Her expression was cold and aloof, and she held a long knife in her hand.

Su Cheng immediately began to sweat profusely. Wh-why was she suddenly here in the field?

She had only thought about destroying the cave—was this woman was here to kill her?

Su Cheng grew alert, quietly tightening her grip on the rake.

“You’ve been behaving yourself lately.” Ling Yuexi brushed aside a stray lock of hair and turned her head slightly with an awkward air. “This knife is for you. Carry it for self-defense.”

With that, she stiffly held the knife up and pushed it toward her face.

Su Cheng instinctively leaned back. When she got a clearer look, she finally realized—

Huh???

A gift for her…?

On closer inspection, it was a ring-hand Tang knife, about four feet long. The silver ring and dark blue sheath gave it a quiet, lethal aura.

The more she looked, the more familiar it seemed—wait, wasn’t this her own knife?

Her mouth twitched.

Ling Yuexi turned her head aside, her red lips tightly pressed together. Her arm holding the knife stayed rigidly extended, as if determined to keep holding it out until Su Cheng took it.

“This is… for me?” Su Cheng pointed to herself in surprise.

Unbelievable. She was being given something that was already hers. And—

Who gives gifts this aggressively…?

Ling Yuexi’s expression stiffened. “I have guns now. There is no use keeping it.” She paused, then added, “Ziyuan said Alphas are better with knives. I saw you know some hand-to-hand combat, so I figured it suits you.”

Ah, so that’s why…

The conversation sounded casual enough.

If you ignored the fact that she had specifically come all the way down the mountain just to give it to her.

“But I don’t know how to use a knife,” Su Cheng said, spreading her hands helplessly.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t use it—she shouldn’t.

She was way too familiar with this weapon. The original host had trained with it for years. Even though her glands were now sealed, she could still fight a B-rank Alpha with just this blade.

If she slipped up, she’d expose her real strength.

And if she ever went up against Longyu, the moment she used her technique, the people from Dawn would instantly recognize her.

“If you don’t like it, throw it away.” Ling Yuexi’s face darkened, her tone turning cold. She frowned, shoved the knife into Su Cheng’s arms, and turned to leave.

“Wait, wait, don’t be so hasty—I can learn to use it!” Su Cheng quickly hugged the knife and chased after her, tugging on her sleeve. “How could I bear to throw away something you gave me?”

“I just wanted to tease you a little, hear you say something sweet.”

“……”

Su Cheng pulled her to face her, a growing smile in her eyes. “You give a girl a gift and act all fierce about it. Why not just kiss her instead~?”

“What’s with all this ‘bestowing’ nonsense? Can’t you just say you like me, missed me, and brought me something special?”

Su Cheng had a cold, sharp appearance, but her smile was stunning—her eyes sparkled like starlight, making it impossible to look away.

Ling Yuexi stared at her. The sweet talk came so naturally to this woman, but…

It sounded pretty nice.

Still grinning, Su Cheng suddenly leaned in and whispered by her ear, “I really like it.” Then she turned her head and planted a kiss on her cheek.

Ling Yuexi immediately stepped back, glancing around nervously.

“They already left,” Su Cheng stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her. In a low voice, she said, “It’s just the two of us now. Want to try again?”

“Try what?”

Wrapping her hand around the back of Ling Yuexi’s neck, she lowered her head slightly and captured those red lips.

The field was quiet, filled only with the scent of lime and mint in their breaths.

******

Three days flew by. Early that morning, Su Cheng was fully geared up and riding in a vehicle with Ling Yuexi and Hu Ziyuan.

Shi Yunqi drove alone in the front, while Pupu piloted a mecha and was flying alongside them.

Although she couldn’t enter the Water Curtain Cave, Su Cheng observed that the mecha appeared to have descended from the mountain.

Could it be that the cave was at the mountaintop?

Ling Yuexi rested her sniper rifle beside her and frowned at the rake in Su Cheng’s hands. “Where’s the knife?”

“It’s safely tucked away,” Su Cheng quickly reassured her as she noticed the displeasure. “I’m not used to it yet. Once I learn, I’ll show off with it every day, okay~?”

“Weren’t you in the vanguard army before? You’ve never used a knife?” Hu Ziyuan glanced at her through the rearview mirror in surprise. “Using a rake instead?”

“Well, I used to use a staff. But I’ve been farming every day lately—the rake just feels natural now.”

Hu Ziyuan raised an eyebrow. “Then that’s perfect~”

Perfect for what?

While Su Cheng was still puzzled, Ling Yuexi suddenly handed her a light pink mask. “This is for you.”

It had a simple cartoonish design like hers, except there was a pig snout in the middle.

“……”

“Hahaha,” Hu Ziyuan laughed so hard that the car swerved. “You’ve been covering up so tightly—just wear a mask instead.”

“Hands on the wheel!” Su Cheng quickly grabbed the side handle in alarm.

Wasn’t she bundled up like this to avoid being recognized by the Dawn team? And now Ling Yuexi even brought her a mask…

“There’s a voice changer. The switch is here.” Ling Yuexi leaned in, lifting her hands as if to encircle her, and gently helped her put on the mask. She pressed a button near the ear area.

“Did my voice change?” She spoke, and out came a cutesy, doll-like voice—identical to someone else’s.

Crap…

Ling Yuexi chuckled, tapping the pig nose with her fingertip. “Sounds good.”

“…”

Damn it.

Su Cheng gritted her teeth but still replied sweetly, “Thank you.”

“Mhm. Don’t wander off later. Stay close to me.” Ling Yuexi turned around and put on her own mask.

Same style, different color—one pink, one white. One was a pig, the other was a smiley face.

Their vehicle exited the peach forest and entered the barren desert. After a while, Shi Yunqi split off with Pupu, leaving the two of them to proceed alone.

Hu Ziyuan drove to a nearby high point and parked the vehicle. Ling Yuexi got out and set up her sniper rifle in position.

Su Cheng watched them work. It felt like replaying the same game, only this time, she was following the villain’s route.

But…

“How are you so sure Longyu will come through here?”

Hong Xiu Zhao had clearly planned the situation in advance, using the terrain to trap them, just as she had ambushed her before.

“Longyu’s heading to Zone 15. There are only a few possible routes,” Hu Ziyuan explained while fiddling with her computer. “Given how well Yunqi knows Qing Cang, he’ll definitely choose the shortest one.”

Seeing Su Cheng’s confused expression, she added, “Yunqi can hack into Longyu’s network.”

!!!

She hadn’t expected this troublemaker to be so capable.

Su Cheng was a little surprised. “So you’ve seen everything?”

“…”

“We can only access their recently uploaded files,” Ling Yuexi replied while adjusting the sniper scope. “We can’t crack the contents yet.”

Whew.

So they probably didn’t know about the undercover mission. Those kinds of classified tasks would never be uploaded.

Before every operation, Longyu would first send Yu Fei (Bi’an)  to scout the infection zone. He’d report back on danger levels, the number of zombies, and so on. Qing Cang would then pick the personnel, and they’d usually set off three days later.

What she hadn’t expected was how thoroughly Hong Xiu Zhao understood Longyu.

This Shi Yunqi… was no ordinary person.

Su Cheng crouched down next to Ling Yuexi. “Can you hit your target from this far?”

“Underestimating me?” The woman shot her a sideways glance and flipped her silver braid behind her with flair.

Although both women were wearing masks, they had not activated the voice changers and were speaking in their natural voices.

It seemed that whenever she was in action, she’d braid her hair. It did look more practical than usual.

“I wouldn’t dare,” Su Cheng said with a smile. Of course she knew Ling Yuexi’s skills—she was just looking for a chance to mess with her.

“Can I take a look?” She asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve never seen a sniper rifle up close.”

“…”

“Come on, Longyu’s not even here yet. Just let me hold it for a second.” She extended her fingers, symbolizing a minuscule quantity.

“…”

Seeing the other woman unmoved, Su Cheng blurted, “Why are you so stingy? You already got all the benefits—kisses, hugs, the whole package—”

“Get over here!” Ling Yuexi couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed her in a panic—what kind of nonsense was this person spouting?

What do you mean she took advantage? It was mutual, alright?! Don’t make it sound like she got shortchanged!

“What did I just hear? Did something juicy happen?” Shi Yunqi’s voice chimed in from the computer speaker.

“N-Nothing,” Hu Ziyuan said, pulling back her stunned expression. “Just hide already! Don’t get all jumpy.”

“Who’s jumpy?!” Shi Yunqi shouted through the comms. “Aren’t you going to do something? At this rate, Yuexi’s gonna get eaten alive!”

Ahem. Ling Yuexi coughed awkwardly and pretended not to hear, focusing instead on guiding Su Cheng’s hands. “Hold it here. Look through the scope.”

What a classic case of covering one’s ears and pretending nothing happened…

Su Cheng muttered to herself. It was so loud, and she was still acting like nothing happened.

The sniper rifle felt heavy in her hands, its body a dull silver. It didn’t look as high-tech as she imagined—in fact, it looked a bit worn out, like it had been in use for many years.

Following Ling Yuexi’s instructions, she peered through the scope. It really could see quite far. Shifting slightly to the side, she could even spot Pupu’s white mech.

“What do you mean, eaten alive?” Hu Ziyuan yelled back. “Her glands are busted.” Furthermore, is there any chance that Cheng Su could defeat Ling Yuexi in a fight? We don’t even know who’s topping who here!”

Su Cheng’s hand slipped, and she almost pulled the trigger.

Seriously?! Who would discuss such topics in front of others?!

Ling Yuexi didn’t fare much better—her face was instantly flushed pink. Though it was hidden behind the mask. Su Cheng couldn’t see it.

She didn’t say a word. She just turned toward Hu Ziyuan and glared daggers at her, all while wearing that ridiculous “smiley face” mask.

The chill that radiated from her gaze hit like a barrage of arrows. Hu Ziyuan shuddered involuntarily. She turned to look at Ling Yuexi—somehow, that adorable smiley mask now looked… sinister.

So scary.

“Ahem, uh… Y-you better hide. Longyu’s team is almost here.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Cheng spotted a familiar armored vehicle through the scope. In the lead vehicle sat two figures in white uniforms. Judging by their hair color, it was Tang Jin and Yu Fei.

“They’re here, they’re here.” The moment she saw the two of them, she tensed up. Her palms even started sweating.

She had to find a way to keep these people safe, she told herself.

“Alright, I’ll teach you more next time,” Ling Yuexi said. “Give it back for now.”

“Let me hold it a bit longer.” Su Cheng clung to the rifle. “Didn’t you say we’re waiting until they return from the infected zone? There’s still time.”

Zone 15 was pretty dangerous. It’d probably take Longyu a good while to finish this trip.

Ling Yuexi paused but said nothing more.

Oh well. She simply returned to the vehicle, shut her eyes, and started resting.

On the other side, Shi Yunqi checked the robots on the truck once more. Once the entire Longyu convoy had passed, she and Pupu began planting mines on the road.

Su Cheng watched the convoy disappear through the rearview mirror, then propped up her sniper rifle and started aiming around like a three-year-old playing pretend. She even added her own sound effects, murmuring, “Piu piu piu…”

Damn it, if she didn’t act like she really liked this stuff, she would never play around like such an idiot…

Her hands kept moving, but her mind was still turning over this part of the plot.

In the original novel, Hong Xiu Zhao had ambushed Longyu several times. She couldn’t remember the details of this particular event, but something about it felt off—like she’d forgotten something important.

Whatever. She would simply rely on her intuition.

Hu Ziyuan kept her eyes on the laptop screen. Not long after, she spotted the Longyu convoy entering Zone 15.

Everything was going according to plan. Now they just had to wait for the Longyu convoy to come out.

Glancing at the time, she set the laptop aside, got out of the car, and walked over to Su Cheng.

“Hey, stop messing around.” She gave her a light push and whispered, “What if we run into Tang Jin later? You’re wrapped up so tight—how is she supposed to recognize you?”

That’s the whole point—so she can’t recognize me…

“It’s fine. We have a signal,” Su Cheng lied without batting an eye. “Just don’t hurt anyone. If she sees that, she shouldn’t give us too much trouble.”

That part, at least, was true. Tang Jin was incredibly kind. In this apocalypse, she was the type to go hungry herself just to give someone else half a loaf of bread.

“Don’t worry. We will not harm her in any way. Hu Ziyuan gave her a satisfied pat. “Everything depends on you later~”

Yeah, depends on your ass…

Her head hurt just thinking about it. She didn’t even have a plan yet!

The three of them waited in silence for two or three hours. During that time, Su Cheng kept eating, drinking, and casually playing with her gun like it was a toy.

After a while, Hu Ziyuan suddenly spotted the Longyu convoy on screen again.

“They’re back already?” She quickly put on her headset and called Shi Yunqi. “Longyu is coming out! Get ready!”

Hearing that, Ling Yuexi immediately opened her eyes, rolled out of the car, and strode toward Su Cheng.

Soon, Pupu’s mecha would charge from the front while she stayed hidden in the shadows, prioritizing the snipers from Po Xiao. Based on strength, Chao Feng and Ya Zi were the top threats.

But… they didn’t seem to be here this time.

Seeing Ling Yuexi march over with that aura, Su Cheng didn’t dare delay. She stepped aside and quietly made a room for Yuexi.

Ling Yuexi took the sniper rifle and set it up quickly. She leaned in and peered through the scope—

Her vision blurred.

“…What did you do?” She turned and questioned Su Cheng beside her in a sharp voice.

The scope was smeared. At this distance, she couldn’t see a thing clearly.

“Why are you so fierce? I didn’t do anything!” Su Cheng put on a totally innocent face, even feigning concern. “What happened? Did I accidentally bump something?”

Seeing that startled expression, Ling Yuexi suddenly felt like maybe she’d overreacted. Cheng Su didn’t understand guns—maybe it really was an accident.

“…It’s nothing. Just don’t touch the scope next time.” She forced down her suspicion while pulling out a cloth to wipe the lens.

But the more she wiped, the worse it got. There was oil on it—it just smeared more.

Su Cheng squatted beside her, holding her breath, even her expression looking anxious. She was acting her heart out.

“Ahh, it’s all my fault,” she said, almost on the verge of tears. She tugged at her hair in frustration. “What do we do now? I deserve to be shot!”

Hahaha, like hell you can wipe it clean.

She had eaten a chicken leg earlier and deliberately smeared the oil all over the scope—front and back.

“It’s not that bad.” The cloth was getting dirtier and more soaked in oil. Even though Ling Yuexi felt anxious, she managed to keep her composure and calmly said, “We’ll just make do for now.”

Once the situation was over, she’d deal with someone properly.

Huh???

Su Cheng narrowed her eyes. You can still use it like this?

That scope was hazy as an old man’s reading glasses. Good luck seeing anything through that.

“At least we can still threaten them a bit.” Seeing there was no way to clean it completely, Ling Yuexi gave up and started aiming anyway.

“They’re about to enter the ambush zone,” Hu Ziyuan reminded. She spoke into her headset, “Yunqi, Pupu, get ready.”