I Transmigrated as the Protagonist and Was Kidnapped by the Villainous Omega - Chapter 38

For over twenty years, this was the fastest Su Cheng had ever run.

Yet, even so, Ya Zhi’s distance from her was rapidly shrinking.

Watching his prey frantically flee, knowing full well she couldn’t escape his grasp no matter what, Ya Zhi thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of the chase.

It seemed there was no escaping. Su Cheng’s heart sank, thinking, “Looks like I’ll have to reveal my identity to him.”

Her feet didn’t stop. Gritting her teeth, she tore off the necklace around her neck. Unexpectedly, as she rounded a corner, she suddenly collided with a vanguard soldier head-on.

Huh?

“Excuse me, borrowing your coat!”

“Hey, hey, that’s harassment!”

Only managing to snatch his jacket, Su Cheng haphazardly threw it on as she ran, clutching the pendant and bursting into a department store by the roadside.

Seeing her vanish around the corner, Ya Zhi squinted, his peripheral vision catching the still-swinging doors of the building.

His right arm instantly tensed. He took a deep breath and violently hurled the iron hammer in his hand.

Inside the building, the moment Su Cheng’s pendant completed its identification, a muffled thud suddenly resounded behind her.

A massive iron hammer came flying in, smashing directly through and tearing straight through the entire first floor.

Like a cannonball, with a “boom,” the wall instantly shattered and collapsed.

Dust billowed, and as the building teetered, the wing-shaped pendant had already unfolded into a mask, covering Su Cheng’s face.

“What a pity.” Watching the department store instantly collapse, Ya Zhi grinned, shaking his head. “A little too much force.”

Just like that, the person was probably pulverized.

After standing for a moment, Ya Zhi turned to leave, but then, his nostrils suddenly caught a familiar scent.

Grapes and tequila, a perfect blend of fruit and strong liquor, sweet yet potent, fresh and sharp.

This… could it be her?! How is she here?

His pupils contracted sharply. Ya Zhi suddenly spun around.

The new moon had risen, a cool breeze swept through, and the dust in the air gradually dispersed. A slender, tall figure stood elegantly amidst the ruins, her dark hair flowing.

Even haphazardly dressed in a vanguard soldier’s uniform, her aura remained otherworldly.

It really was her!

Ya Zhi couldn’t help but grin, his voice chilling. “Chao Feng, I’ve been looking for you for a long time…”

Are you looking for me?

Frowning, Su Cheng raised a hand and pulled off the strip of cloth tied to her forehead, revealing the crimson flame tattoo.

“What do you mean?”

She had thought revealing her identity would save her from trouble, but now, hearing his tone, he didn’t seem to have good intentions…

“Ha ha ha, what do I mean?” Ya Zhi let out a few sneers. Gripping his remaining iron hammer, he leaped forward, veins bulging. Using seventy percent of his strength, he brought it crashing down directly on her head. “Blame yourself!”

The long-lost power surged back into her body, and Su Cheng’s senses sharpened considerably. The moment her opponent moved, she also swiftly drew her blade. S-grade power instantly erupted. With a swing of her right hand, she deflected the attack with a clang.

Her hand throbbed numbly, and both sides retreated a large step.

Ya Zhi flipped in the air, landed, then pushed off the ground and attacked again.

Although the iron hammer was extremely heavy, his swinging speed was not slow at all, and the force of each hammer blow was terrifyingly immense. With a single strike, any wall it touched instantly crumbled.

The two fought from the ground to the rooftop. Ascending and descending, they exchanged hundreds of blows, blade and hammer clashing, sparks flying.

It was still the same person, but something seemed off.

Before, her blade strikes were like wind, fierce and merciless. Anything that could be killed in one blow would never be spared for a second strike.

But now…

“Chao Feng, when did your blade become so hesitant?” Ya Zhi dodged Su Cheng’s attack, then returned with a full-force hammer swing, striking with overwhelming momentum.

Burning with killing intent in his eyes, he grinned wildly. “Being so timid won’t make you my opponent!”

*****

Cheng Su is still nowhere to be found.

Night had fallen, and Ling Yuexi had been running for a long time without food or water; her stamina was starting to give out.

Omegas really are weaker.

She panted as she walked through the streets of District 11, her jade-like eyes missing no corner.

After walking for a while, she suddenly heard voices from a corner ahead. Startled, Ling Yuexi clutched her gun and quickly hid inside a nearby two-story building.

“Did you find her?”

“No, we’ve searched the east side.”

Quietly sneaking up to the second-floor balcony, she hid among some clutter, holding her breath as she peered through a gap. She saw two groups of vanguard soldiers gathered at a crossroads, seemingly discussing something, and there were quite a few of them.

“Alright then.” One of the leading vanguard soldiers waved his hand. “You guys check over there; we’ll go this way. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can report back.” The two groups agreed and then departed in different directions.

How are Dragon Domain people here? Who are they looking for?

Could it be Cheng Su?

Uncertainty gripped her. The more Ling Yuexi thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Since she couldn’t find Cheng Su anywhere, perhaps she was hiding to evade Dragon Domain’s search.

If that was the case, it was even more urgent that she had to find her before the vanguard soldiers did.

The situation was not optimistic.

The enemy had numerical superiority, and she was currently alone.

She also didn’t know which of the Dawn generals had come this time—Ya Zhi, Bi’An, or Chao Feng…?

After the vanguard soldiers had left, she slipped out of the building and continued her search along the road.

The further she walked, the more intense the putrid smell in the air became, as if masses of zombies were piled up and fermenting. Ling Yuexi frowned, quickening her pace.

She jogged around a corner, only to see utter devastation at the intersection a dozen meters ahead. On the ground, walls, and rooftops, broken, rotting corpses were scattered everywhere, reeking of black bl00d splattered across the entire street. From a distance, it looked as horrifying as the eighteenth level of hell.

It seemed a fierce battle had taken place here.

Suppressing her discomfort, Ling Yuexi slowed her steps, scanning her surroundings. From the extent of the bl00d splatter, it appeared to be caused by powerful, blunt force trauma.

In her memory, only one person possessed such strength and such brutal, vicious methods—Ya Zhi.

Ling Yuexi paused, standing precisely at the intersection. The wall to her left had been pulverized and collapsed, and there was a deep circular pit on the ground, its radius roughly matching Ya Zhi’s iron hammer.

This further confirmed her suspicion.

But Dragon Domain had already searched District 11. Why would he be here again?

Her eyes swept across the ground. Ling Yuexi was about to turn away when her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a distinct object.

Amidst the gray and black surroundings, a small pink fragment stood out strikingly.

On one of the pieces, the vague shape of a pig’s snout could still be seen.

Her face instantly turned deathly pale, as if she had realized something. She froze for a long moment before suddenly reacting. Trembling, she picked up the shattered mask from the ground. 

Ling Yuexi felt as if all the bl00d in her body had frozen, as if she had fallen into a polar ice cavern, and an overwhelming chill engulfed her, threatening to tear her apart.

She repeatedly rubbed the fragment in her hand. This was a texture she knew all too well, and she had personally chosen the color; she absolutely wouldn’t mistake it.

Had she, after all, arrived too late? Had Ya Zhi already captured Cheng Su?

But then, she thought, if Cheng Su truly had been captured, she should at least still be alive. Otherwise, given Ya Zhi’s temper, she would have seen Cheng Su’s corpse here already.

Forcing herself to calm down, Ling Yuexi picked up the fragments one by one from the ground, carefully wrapped them, and put them into her jacket pocket. It was then that a loud “boom” suddenly echoed from a distance, like a building collapsing, causing the very ground to tremble.

Her eyes sharpened. Ling Yuexi re-slung her long rifle and quickly rushed toward the sound.

If Cheng Su truly was in Ya Zhi’s hands, she would fight tooth and nail to get her back!

At this moment, the feeling of death suddenly loomed.

*****

Clutching her blade tightly, Su Cheng clenched and pushed back with all her might. The instant the iron hammer descended from the sky and met her blade, she was violently flung backward, like a cannonball, smashing through several walls in succession before tumbling to the ground.

Crimson bl00d slowly trickled from the corner of her mouth. Su Cheng lay on the ground, coughing a few times with difficulty. The moment she tried to move, her chest ached as if it were coming apart.

Even with the same body, she still couldn’t be like the original owner…

“The Twin Blades of Nirvana—even possessing one is enough to stand proudly above all.” Putting the two giant iron hammers back on his back, Ya Zhi walked towards her bare-handed, step by step. He looked down at her and said, “Chao Feng, you are no longer worthy of it.” As he spoke, he reached out his hand towards the tangdao—

“Bang!” A gunshot rang out. Just as Ya Zhi’s hand was about to touch Nirvana, a silver bullet suddenly sliced through the air, shattering the mask on his face.

“Who’s there?!” His outstretched hand abruptly retracted. Ya Zhi broke out in a cold sweat.

Su Cheng ignored the pain. Seizing the moment, she looked around. She rolled on the ground, bracing herself with her blade, and stood up. As if sensing something, she looked up towards the top floor of a building not far away—

The moon was bright and the stars sparse. The crescent moon seemed to hang just behind that person, and a gentle, clear radiance emanated from around her. The night wind was sharp, her sleeveless mink coat swayed in the wind, and her silver hair flowed like a waterfall. In a fleeting glimpse, she looked like a goddess.

Gazing at that figure, Su Cheng’s heart suddenly burned hot.

Ling Yuexi… saved her?

Did she recognize me?

*****

From her perspective, Ling Yuexi saw that person look up and couldn’t help but pause.

The silver mask with the divine beast totem; it was clearly Chao Feng.

But for a moment just now, she had felt a strange flicker, almost mistakenly believing that person was Cheng Su…

My brain must be messed up. How could that be? No matter how similar their builds are, Cheng Su is, after all, a damaged Alpha. How could she fight against Ya Zhi for so long?

Ling Yuexi had come over after hearing the loud boom, and she had seen the battle between Ya Zhi and Chao Feng with her own eyes. Cheng Su’s strength was definitely not that powerful.

She just hadn’t expected these two tough opponents to appear in District 11 at the same time.

It was unknown why they were fighting, but it wasn’t bad for her.

After all, both were her enemies; the fiercer they fought, the better.

It was just a pity that her hand had been trembling so badly and that shot had still been a little off.

“Hong Xiu Zhao!” Ya Zhi squeezed out the three words through gritted teeth, his face contorted in a ferocious expression. “I’ll kill you first!”

He truly hated this Boss to the core. Several times when he went out to search for supplies, she and her people had ambushed and robbed him. Moreover, his remaining single ear was thanks to her.

He could put aside Chao Feng’s blade for now, but the Boss of Hong Xiu Zhao absolutely had to die!

Pulling an iron hammer from his back, Ya Zhi’s face was taut, a furious dark red, and the veins on his forehead instantly bulged. With a roar, the iron hammer spun off his hand like a whirlwind, hurled with immense power towards Ling Yuexi.

This move was Ya Zhi’s signature skill; its force was even more potent than a rocket launcher. Su Cheng had just witnessed it—an entire department store could collapse in an instant, its destructive power astonishing.

And now, Ling Yuexi was on the top floor. How could she, an Omega, possibly dodge that?!

The moment Ya Zhi’s iron hammer left his hand, an intense thought suddenly surged from the depths of Su Cheng’s heart. Her chest tightened, and her entire body trembled.

“Don’t!”

Casting everything else aside, Su Cheng’s blue eyes glowed with her Tangdao, the dark patterns on the blade reappearing even more distinctly than before.

S-grade power erupted like a volcanic explosion in an instant. With a cold expression, she swung her hand and slashed. Swish! A dazzling, semi-circular blue light soared diagonally through the sky, chasing after the iron hammer.

The second before the hammer hit the top floor, there was a crisp “clang.” The blue light came from behind, streaked towards the sky, and instantly cleaved the iron hammer in two.

“There is no such thing as ‘the safest path.'”

“Buddhism emphasizes introspection; the first step is to see oneself clearly.”

“Su Cheng, for these problems that trouble you, why not ask your own heart?”

Burning bl00d, a pounding heart—Tang Jin’s words suddenly resurfaced at this moment.

My own heart…?

In that moment, the thought in Su Cheng’s heart was crystal clear—

“She is the person I will protect with everything I have!”

It was such a simple truth, yet she had only just now seen it clearly.

All those past hesitations, uncertainties, and wavering decisions suddenly seemed to have an answer.

It turned out that when you made a firm choice, your heart felt so incredibly liberated.

Turning her blade towards Ya Zhi, a fire seemed to burn in Su Cheng’s eyes, and the power within her body churned relentlessly.

“A coward for over twenty years, this is the bravest I’ve ever been.”

“Ling Yuexi, I’m risking everything and choosing the least safe path.”

“No matter what you think, all I need is to follow my heart: to like you, to protect you, that’s enough.”