I Transmigrated as the Protagonist and Was Kidnapped by the Villainous Omega - Chapter 41

Love and hate are the strongest obsessions, inescapable for all species. — Epigraph

In this world, entrusting herself back to Tang Jin was the most reassuring thing for Su Cheng.

Even though she had tricked Tang Jin many times.

And now, just like in Dragon Domain, they fought back-to-back, trusting each other completely.

It was a peculiar feeling. If the person standing behind her were Ling Yuexi, Su Cheng wouldn’t feel this steady. She’d be tense and worried—fighting would take more energy, focusing on her.

But Tang Jin was different; in both character and capability, she was the person Su Cheng trusted the most.

She could wholeheartedly hand her back over to Tang Jin.

Tang Jin was so reliable it made Su Cheng want to cry. No wonder Hu Zao Mao (Hu Ziyuan) liked her so much.

A smile touched her lips. Su Cheng tightened her grip on her blade, and her bl00d seemed to boil once more.

Carrying everything alone for so long, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t tired. When the two zombies surrounded her, one in front and one behind, Su Cheng had actually felt a little desperate.

And now, she was finally not alone.

This was probably… the power of companionship!

“Injured for injured… Tang Jin, I find you can be quite a buzzkill sometimes.” As she spoke, she drew her blade and swung it directly at the zombie in front of her. Su Cheng’s left hand was bleeding profusely, but she was full of fighting spirit, as if feeling no pain. Every strike used more than seventy percent of her strength.

“Be careful, they’re twins. The one with the mole at the corner of its right eye is the elder brother, Wen Yan. The one on your side is the younger brother, Wen Yu!”

Although Wen Yan was severely injured, its dodging speed wasn’t slow. Its fingernails were over an inch long, and its claws struck swiftly and viciously, very sharp. Even with Nirvana in hand, Su Cheng, with her sealed gland, found it difficult to handle the zombie.

“My apologies. The situation is urgent; I spoke hastily.” Her long staff danced. The moment Su Cheng moved, Tang Jin launched a fierce attack on Wen Yu as well.

Her weapon was a special mechanical staff named Prajna. It was a pale gold color, eyebrow-height in length, thin in the middle, and thick at both ends. Normally, it could retract, and the Sanskrit carvings on its two ends fit perfectly, making it convenient to carry and aesthetically pleasing, like a finely carved work of art.

“You arrived at just the right time.” Blocking the zombie’s sharp claw with her blade, Su Cheng laughed. “…If it weren’t for Ling Yuexi, I’d want to marry you.”

She said this simply to praise Tang Jin.

Unlike Su Cheng’s side, Tang Jin’s battle with Wen Yu was much more intense. Both were fully capable A-grade Alphas. Each clash of blade and staff caused a small shockwave, blue and golden lights intertwining, air currents swirling, and clothes fluttering.

Nirvana was, after all, no ordinary object. Even if the zombie wasn’t skilled with a blade, dealing with it was still very troublesome.

But even so, Tang Jin still managed to free one hand, making a “prohibit” gesture with her palm, rejecting Su Cheng’s comment resolutely and seriously. “…Absolutely not necessary.”

Pfft—

Su Cheng couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. Does this person have to be so serious?!

“Su Cheng, one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.”

Huh???

Things are already like this, and there’s still bad news?!

The two continued to battle their respective zombies, their footsteps shifting. They briefly came back-to-back. Su Cheng seized the chance to catch her breath and said, “…I choose the good news.”

As soon as she spoke, they quickly separated again, continuing their entanglement with the zombies.

“The bad news is more urgent.” Ignoring Su Cheng’s choice, Tang Jin frowned, her face grim. “High-grade zombies might self-destruct.”

“Self-destruct!?”

Her reaction was identical to Tang Jin’s when she first heard it.

Ten minutes ago, the people of Hong Xiu Zhao were rapidly heading towards the urban area.

Shi Yunqi’s words landed in Tang Jin’s heart like a bomb, stirring up ripples. She opened her mouth in shock, her usually calm face now showing a look of utter shock.

It was utterly unheard of.

Zombies were the most selfish species in this world. No matter their grade, everything they did was solely for themselves.

How could they possibly self-destruct?

Moreover, high-grade zombies had already undergone a preliminary awakening and possessed a certain level of intelligence. They should understand that if they self-destructed, they would gain nothing.

So, Tang Jin found Shi Yunqi’s words hard to accept.

“You don’t believe me?” Shi Yunqi scoffed, gazing into the distance, her eyes darkening. “Tang Jin, how do you think my gland got injured? Although the probability of self-destruction is very small, what if some zombies, knowing their inevitable demise, choose to take everyone down with them?”

“Humans have pheromones; zombies are no different.”

“Once a Zombie King self-destructs, it’s a devastating disaster. All the zombies in the city will go mad and converge!”

Like a needle piercing the back of her head, the rest didn’t need to be explained in detail; Tang Jin already understood. She suddenly felt her scalp tingle, and a chill spread through her entire body.

If that were truly the case, not encountering it before was pure dumb luck.

Thinking of the A-grade zombie whose death was still unconfirmed, Tang Jin’s eyes sharpened. “…I’ll go ahead.“

Her fingertips growing cold, Su Cheng’s mind froze the moment she heard Tang Jin’s words, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

If an A-grade zombie self-destructed, zombies from all over the city could be drawn to the pheromones. At that point, no matter how strong they were, they wouldn’t be able to cope.

Whether they could even leave District 11 alive was still unknown.

“So we need to finish this quickly and not give it a chance to self-destruct.” The Prajna in her hand glowed golden. Tang Jin swung her staff, fiercely attacking Wen Yu. In between blows, she managed to tell Su Cheng, “The good news is, Hong Xiu Zhao has deployed seven mechs, and they’re already looking for the four Betas.”

“They didn’t encounter Ling Yuexi?”

Tang Jin paused slightly, then realized. “She’s not with you?”

“…We got separated.” She thought she could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but now, learning this, Su Cheng felt as if a ticking time bomb was strapped to her.

If they didn’t resolve this immediately, everyone in District 11—herself, Tang Jin, Ling Yuexi, Hong Xiu Zhao, even the vanguard soldiers who came with Ya Zhi—could all be blown to small pieces.

A sense of urgency immediately surged within her. Su Cheng’s brows furrowed into a (river) shape. She charged at the zombie as if fearless of death, wielding her blade in a relentless assault.

Nirvana’s power was too immense. Wen Yan, without a weapon, could only dodge. In a moment of carelessness, he was slashed across the waist. His twisted body swayed, and he staggered back a few steps.

Wen Yu, who was fighting, seemed to sense something. It suddenly turned its head to look at Su Cheng, its bl00d-red eyes full of hatred. It abruptly leaped with its blade, charging directly at her.

Tang Jin was startled that the zombie was still concerned about the other side. She quickly pursued him, intending to protect Su Cheng.

Just as she moved, a sharp shout came. “Deal with Wen Yan!”

They were separated by a distance, and their eyes met. With just one look, Tang Jin understood what she meant.

It was the unspoken understanding forged through many life-and-death situations.

They swapped opponents: Tang Jin would handle the heavily injured Wen Yan, and Su Cheng would take on the fully capable Wen Yu. Who would win was instantly clear. But the gamble was which side would finish faster!

In a flash of lightning, Tang Jin shifted her stance, instantly changing direction and charging straight for Wen Yan.

She wasn’t abandoning her comrade; she was trusting her comrade’s judgment.

Just as Su Cheng trusted her.

Prajna flared with golden light, and the Sanskrit carvings on it smoked faintly. Tang Jin swung her long staff in a wide arc, striking fiercely at Wen Yan’s head.

At the same time, Wen Yu’s blade bore down directly on Su Cheng’s face.

Wen Yan swung its claws to meet the attack. The moment they met Prajna, its proud nails were instantly shattered. The golden light unabated, its arm began to burst from the palm upwards, inch by inch, then rapidly melted. In moments, the entire arm was gone, not a single bone remaining.

But because of this, it managed to block the fatal blow. It howled, swaying to the side, its head unharmed.

On the other side, Su Cheng gritted her teeth and blocked with her blade. The astonishing force instantly sent her flying back. Her Nirvana scraped along the ground, leaving a trail of sparks. Even so, she only stopped when she hit a broken wall.

Her mind reeled. Su Cheng tasted sweetness in her throat and spat out a mouthful of bl00d. This strike had severely injured her internal organs.

A shattering sound came from behind. Wen Yu froze and then violently turned its head to look. In an instant, its eyes widened with rage, and it turned back, charging at Tang Jin like crazy.

Take one out first!

With half-closed eyes, Su Cheng endured the sharp pain. She clenched and put all her strength into throwing her Tangdao. The Nirvana transformed into a blue light, chasing directly after Wen Yu.

With her current strength, she couldn’t deliver a fatal blow, but she could interfere, buying time for the other side.

Although it sacrificed an arm to block the attack, Tang Jin gave it no chance to breathe. She swiftly raised her staff and used it to pierce Wen Yan’s chest, tossing it into the air.

Its body was suspended in mid-air, with nowhere to dodge.

The phantom images of the Sanskrit carvings on Prajna shimmered. Tang Jin leaped up, her long staff pointed directly at Wen Yan.

In that critical moment, a fierce roar ripped through the sky…

*****

The four Betas found the car they had driven. Yet, Shi Yunqi’s unease only grew. She had no idea where Cheng Su had taken Ling Yuexi or why they had separated from the rest of the group.

The seven mechs split up. Shi Yunqi, Pupu, and Hu Ziyuan formed one group. Two mechs went with the four Betas, and the remaining three mechs formed another, each heading in different directions to search for Ling Yuexi and Cheng Su.

“This is outrageous!” The street they were on seemed to have been the site of an intense battle. There were shattered walls and crumbling ruins everywhere, collapsed buildings, and a cracked, pitted ground—a truly terrible sight.

This level of destruction definitely wasn’t caused by zombies. Shi Yunqi gripped her control stick tightly, gritting her teeth. “…When we get back, I’m going to beat that brat Cheng Su black and blue! No one stop me!”

“You call that ‘small-time trouble’? Now it’s gotten serious! Taking Ling Yuexi to District 11, what was she even thinking?!”

“+1,” Hu Ziyuan chimed in. Though they were allies, she also felt Cheng Su had gone too far this time. “…That collar, she should wear it again.”

“Good point!” Shi Yunqi nodded heavily. “That little brat just needs discipline. Don’t we have matching chains? Put those on her too!”

Pupu blinked, reminding them, “Her gland is damaged; the collar probably won’t work, right?”

“…”

BOOM!

An earth-shattering explosion shook the entire street block.

The three in mid-conversation froze for a moment, then simultaneously looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a violent wave surge from a building not far away. Starting from the top floor, thick red smoke spread wildly, engulfing everything like a sandstorm, accompanied by crimson sparks…

*****

In a corner of District 11, Ling Yuexi, who had just evaded a team of vanguard soldiers, was hidden in the shadows. Hearing the enormous explosion, she also froze.

It self-destructed?!

Crimson smoke, mixed with the scent of cocoa powder, washed over her. Su Cheng squinted, swaying as she struggled to steady herself. Her long hair was a chaotic mess, blown by the violent air current. All she could see was rolling smoke, making it impossible to see her hand in front of her face.

“…Tang Jin!” The shock in her heart was indescribable; her entire body trembled slightly.

Some high-grade zombies, knowing they were doomed, would choose to self-destruct in a moment of intense hatred to take their enemy down with them.

But the younger brother, Wen Yu, clearly wouldn’t. With Nirvana in hand, it could barely hold its own against any of the Dawn generals. If it truly couldn’t win, fleeing wasn’t impossible.

However, the elder brother, Wen Yan, was different.

Already severely injured and without any weapons, encountering Tang Jin meant it couldn’t win, and fleeing was even less possible.

They had originally planned to quickly deal with Wen Yan, then team up to defeat Wen Yu.

Less than a minute after swapping opponents, Tang Jin had immediately used her ultimate skill, pressing her attacks relentlessly, giving it no time to breathe.

The plan was going smoothly, yet what she never expected was—

The moment Tang Jin leaped, it was actually Wen Yu who self-destructed…!

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Su Cheng would hardly believe it.

That blade had been firmly embedded in Wen Yu, but it wasn’t fatal.

It seemed to have no intention of dodging at all.

Why?

Why didn’t it dodge? Why did it self-destruct?!

Could it be, could it be…

She frantically waved away the smoke in front of her eyes, and an incredible thought slowly formed in her mind.

Even transformed into a zombie, even having lost all memories, it would still subconsciously protect its…

Wen Yu’s self-destruction might not have been for itself.

But, for its brother…

The moment the explosion occurred, the glass in the surrounding buildings shattered simultaneously, falling like a spray of snowflakes.

Wen Yan and Tang Jin were both sent flying by a massive wave of searing heat. The blow that was meant for Wen Yan’s head was brutally cut short.

Two figures slammed into another building, “banging” through the wall and crashing inside with debris.

After rolling twice on the ground, Tang Jin quickly got to her feet. Her body hadn’t fully stopped from the momentum, but she pushed off with her toes, swinging Prajna at Wen Yan.

The moment she heard the explosion, she had already activated her internal energy. Thus, even being thrown and crashing through a building only looked severe.

In reality, she didn’t even have a scratch.

The golden light sliced through the sky. This time, with no obstruction, Tang Jin severed Wen Yan’s head with a single strike.

The self-destruction had already happened; she dared not waste a single second. After dispatching the zombie, she immediately turned back.

Leaping into the sky, Tang Jin held her long staff and waved it through the air, clearing a gap in the smoke on the top floor with a powerful gust of wind. She focused her gaze and saw that the cleared space where the zombie self-destructed had collapsed. Two faintly glowing Tangdaos were conspicuously stuck in the rubble of the floor below.

Swiftly retrieving Nirvana, Tang Jin put away her long staff, securing it at her waist, and returned to the top floor. “…Su Cheng, where are you? We need to evacuate quickly!”

Red smoke permeated the air, thick with the scent of cocoa powder. Wen Yu’s self-destruction meant its pheromones were rapidly spreading. Soon, all the zombies in District 11 would gather. The Hong Xiu Zhao members were also in the city center, and everyone would be trapped, surrounded by zombies surging from all directions.

“Over here!” Hearing the call, Su Cheng hastily responded.

“Go!” The moment they met, Tang Jin immediately returned  the Nirvana to her. While supporting Su Cheng, she flipped and leaped, using the wall between the two buildings to repeatedly brace and slow their descent. In just a few seconds, they rapidly landed from the high-rise building, over ten stories up.

Just as they caught their breath, they suddenly heard a series of intense gunshots, the crackling sounds particularly clear in the silent night.

The night sky in the distance flickered, ablaze with gunfire.

Such dense gunfire could only mean that it was Hong Xiu Zhao’s mechs…

They had already encountered zombies!