I Transmigrated as the Protagonist and Was Kidnapped by the Villainous Omega - Chapter 5

Isn’t Dawn meant to guide humanity toward enlightenment? Su Cheng thought.

Tang Jin saw through her thoughts instantly and said calmly, “Let me put it another way. Chao Feng, do you think Dawn is truly contributing to humanity, or is it only serving Qing Cang?”

That conversation ended abruptly. Both of them understood each other’s silence.

When Su Cheng read the original book, she hadn’t paid much attention to the details. Besides, the novel itself was full of gaps, leaving many crucial points unexplained.

In the original story, Dragon Domain was the last sanctuary for humanity after the apocalypse. The protagonist dedicated herself to protecting this place, eliminating all threats to it without hesitation.

But now, that she was transmigrated here. She had no choice but to rethink everything about the Dragon Domain.

Tang Jin once said that Dawn was originally conceived by Qiu Niu.

No one knew her real name—not even the novel itself had mentioned it.

The only information available was that this legendary woman had once been the commander of the Vanguard Army. Not only was she highly skilled in combat, but she was also a genius in technology.

All of Dragon Domain’s existing systems, including its network infrastructure and computing systems, were developed and fine-tuned by Qiu Niu.

Unfortunately, she died in battle, and from that point on, Dragon Domain’s technological advancements stagnated.

Su Cheng sighed inwardly. What a pity. If Qiu Niu were still alive, Dragon Domain wouldn’t be lagging so far behind Hong Xiu Zhao.

Two years after Qiu Niu’s death, Su Cheng, Tang Jin, and Yu Fei gradually emerged as new talents in the legion. That was when Qing Cang revived the Dawn Project.

Dragon Domain had three military divisions—the Vanguard Army, the City Guard Army, and the Imperial Guard Army. Aside from Qiu Niu, each division had a commander plus several high-ranking Alpha warriors—a total of eight people.

Later, Qing Cang abolished personal names and granted them all code names instead, posthumously bestowing Qiu Niu’s title upon the previous Vanguard Army commander.

Thus, the Nine Sons of the Dragon became known as the Dawn.

What a piece of work. Did Qing Cang think he was some sort of divine emperor? In this day and age, why did he still compare himself to the Son of the True Dragon?

Su Cheng secretly ridiculed Qing Cang but felt genuine admiration for the woman who carried the codename Qiu Niu.

When she first established Dawn, she must have sincerely wanted to do something for humanity.

*****

But before Su Cheng could fully grasp everything, Qing Cang summoned her for a private meeting.

This was the first time Su Cheng stepped into the Upper District since transmigrating here.

The Upper District was where the lord resided—named Long Xiao Palace. This grand structure, styled after medieval Western castles, stood at the very heart of Dragon Domain—the highest, safest place in the territory. From a distance, it resembled a towering black cathedral, imposing and magnificent.

Su Cheng ascended the stone steps, her vision broadening as she climbed. When she reached the halfway point, she glanced back. From her vantage point, she could see the muddy roads of the Lower District and the cramped, dilapidated houses clearly. She could even see several seven- or eight-year-old children sleeping on straw mats out in the open.

Qing Cang could see all of these too, couldn’t he?

Su Cheng finally reached the top of the stairs. She adjusted her hat at the entrance, then straightened up and walked inside.

The great hall of Long Xiao Palace was brightly illuminated. A long red carpet stretched across the smooth marble floor. At the end of the carpet sat Qing Cang upon his throne. Beside him stood a tall, thin man. His medium-length hair covered his brows, obscuring his face.

This must be the Dawn member known as Chi Wen.

She imitated the original protagonist’s gestures, raising her hand to her hat brim in a swift salute. Then, stepping forward, she respectfully addressed Qing Cang.

“Foster father.”

“Mm.” Qing Cang nodded slightly. His sharp, eagle-like gaze swept over her, exerting pressure from his lofty status.

The old man indeed possessed great skill to reign supreme in a post-apocalyptic world, wielding absolute control over life and death in Dragon Domain like an emperor.

“I received Bi An’s report. The sniper from Hong Xiu Zhao managed to face you head-on without losing—that suggests she’s an S-class Alpha, correct?”

Su Cheng’s expression stiffened. A cold sweat formed on her back.

She had fabricated that claim! But if she denied it now, wouldn’t she be charged with falsifying military intelligence?

Su Cheng broke into a sweat but quickly realized—there were no surveillance cameras there, right? No one else had witnessed what happened. Whatever was said depended entirely on her own words.

The novel never specified Ling Yuexi’s rank, but recalling the scene of her chasing on a speeding motorcycle, Su Cheng decisively confirmed:

“Yes. She’s an S-class Alpha—her combat skills are formidable.”

“Foster father, direct confrontation with them is unwise.” It would be a disaster.

“Strategic maneuvering is the best approach.” Survival first.

Qing Cang’s expression darkened. He had expected the enemy to be at most an A-class fighter. Now that Su Cheng had personally verified her rank, he had no choice but to reconsider his tactics.

“You think similarly to me. Chao Feng, seeing your progress, I am pleased.”

Su Cheng nodded, mentally adding: Heh. I’m not a fool. The original protagonist had been reckless and arrogant, getting crushed by Hong Xiu Zhao multiple times before finally learning how to strategize.

Qing Cang paused before continuing, “I have always held high expectations for you—because you are different from the others.”

“Among the Eight of Dawn, only you possess decisive ruthlessness, unmatched adaptability, and astonishing growth speed.”

Su Cheng listened to his praise but suddenly had an ominous feeling.

Qing Cang rose from his throne, walked toward her, and solemnly declared, “That’s why, after careful deliberation, I have decided that you are the best candidate for the undercover mission.”

It was as if lightning had struck Su Cheng.

What kind of nonsense was this?

An undercover mission in a post-apocalyptic world? How did the plot take such a drastic turn?!

“Wait, foster father…” Sure, I tricked you, but must you set me up like this?!

Qing Cang waved his hand, signaling her to remain silent.

“Based on the information we have, Hong Xiu Zhao seems to have set its sights on Dragon Domain. Their presence poses a great threat to us—especially that sniper.”

“We still don’t fully understand their strength, so I’ve decided to send you in. Infiltrate Hong Xiu Zhao and gather intelligence for Dragon Domain. If possible, eliminate that sniper.”

Su Cheng was stunned. In the original novel, Qing Cang hadn’t regarded Hong Xiu Zhao as a real threat at this stage.

Although the original protagonist had failed her mission, she had dealt a devastating blow to Hong Xiu Zhao, forcing them into retreat for a long time.

Now, however, with Su Cheng taking her place—the resources were gone, but the enemy had walked away completely unharmed…

Another mission she had no way of refusing. It wasn’t until she stepped out of Long Xiao Palace that she fully processed it.

Great. An apocalypse plus espionage.

Why did these wonderful assignments always land on her shoulders? One wrong move, and she could end up dead before the real battle even started.

Su Cheng’s emotions swung wildly over the next few days—from shock, denial, and frustration to begrudging acceptance.

If she really managed to take down Ling Yuexi through this mission, wouldn’t that be a good thing?

If Hong Xiu Zhao was eliminated before growing stronger, it would prevent the final war altogether, and her companions would all survive. Compared to an all-out battle, this was the best possible outcome.

No risk, no reward.

As for Dragon Domain’s internal struggles, they could be dealt with later—first, she had to remove the external threat.

The undercover mission was top secret. Other than Qing Cang and Chi Wen, no one was to know—not even Mo Mei or the rest of Dawn.

On the day of her departure, Su Cheng changed out of her military uniform, tying a cloth over her forehead to conceal her tattoo. To avoid suspicion from Hong Xiu Zhao, she carried no questionable equipment—only the “undercover kit” Qing Cang had prepared for her.

She informed Mo Mei that she’d be away for a while and entrusted Tang Jin and Yu Fei to look after her. Not a word was mentioned about the mission.

After swallowing the pill developed by Pu Lao, her pheromones and rank were completely suppressed. Even during her susceptibility period, she wouldn’t be affected—she was now like an Alpha with a damaged gland, devoid of scent and immune to Omega pheromones. Her voice had also changed due to the drug’s effects.

The only antidote was her Chao Feng mask. Modified by Pu Lao, as soon as she put it on, her brain would receive a specific radiation pulse, nullifying the drug’s effects within three seconds.

Other than that, there was no second solution.

These pills were supposed to appear much later in the story. They weren’t mass-produced yet—there were only two in all of Dragon Domain, meaning she had one chance to revert mid-mission.

As for her appearance, Hong Xiu Zhao had never seen Su Cheng before, so there was no need for disguise—this reduced some of the risks.

According to the plan, Su Cheng had to roam outside Dragon Domain alone. Two days later, Qing Cang’s team would head to the infected zone for supplies.

If she encountered Hong Xiu Zhao, she had to find a way to infiltrate them.

Upon first hearing the plan, Su Cheng’s only desire was to physically strangle Qing Cang.

It sounded so easy. The old man should try it himself!

On a moonless night, Su Cheng sneaked out of Dragon Domain, carrying only her bag and heading toward Infection Zone 14.

Perhaps under Qing Cang’s orders, the guards were lax tonight—she slipped out without alerting anyone.

The silent night stretched before her—a boundless wasteland littered with crumbling ruins. Deep cracks marred the ground, devoid of life or water.

Occasionally, a few zombies staggered by in unnatural postures. Under the dim moonlight, they resembled twisted shadows of ghosts.

If this had been the previous Su Cheng, she would have dropped dead from fear on the spot.

But ever since she had arrived in this world, she had absorbed part of the original protagonist’s instincts. She was becoming numb to these things. In her eyes, these sluggish, mindless Beta zombies posed no real threat at all.

The only truly terrifying one was that woman.

Su Cheng spent the entire night walking, contemplating how to become a convincing undercover agent.

She encountered scattered zombies from time to time—each one swiftly dealt with by her fruit knife.

Yes. The fruit knife was the weapon Qing Cang had given her.

Su Cheng cursed him under her breath.

For two days, she wandered the wasteland alone, ranting in her mind about her absurd predicament. Finally, at dawn, Dragon Domain’s convoy set out.

Three people had been dispatched—Tang Jin and Yu Fei shared one vehicle, while Ya Zhi drove another alone.

Yu Fei gripped the steering wheel while scanning the surroundings. “I heard Hong Xiu Zhao has been watching us closely. Do you think they’ll make a move this time?”

She was itching for a rematch against that mechanical girl.

Tang Jin shook his head. “Hard to say.”

They had no specific battle plan this time—the order was to protect the supplies. If they encountered Hong Xiu Zhao, they were not required to fight to the death. Capturing someone alive would be ideal.

Recalling the last encounter with that masked woman, Tang Jin’s expression darkened.

******

Meanwhile, Su Cheng, carrying her small backpack, had just scrambled up a hill, cursing under her breath.

Seriously? No high-tech gear? Was she supposed to pull an assassin-style infiltration armed with a fruit knife?!

Even Jing Ke didn’t use a fruit knife!

And how was she supposed to find them? No transportation? Was she supposed to chase them on foot?!

Before she could finish venting, a massive explosion erupted in the distance—followed by gunfire and blasts.

“…”

She stared at the rising black smoke, grabbed her fruit knife, and took off running.

Dragon Domain’s convoy had been ambushed by Hong Xiu Zhao once again. Several smoke bombs exploded, instantly clouding the battlefield.

A towering three-meter-tall mech crashed onto the scene, flipping a vehicle over. Supplies scattered everywhere as small robots swarmed in, scavenging frantically.

Yu Fei watched the mech soar through the air, firing relentlessly—it had clearly been upgraded. This time, the rabbit-mask girl was personally piloting it instead of using remote control.

It seemed they had made quite a few adjustments since last time.

Perhaps thanks to the supplies they had seized earlier, Hong Xiu Zhao’s firepower was much stronger this time.

Yu Fei (Bi An) was eager to challenge her again. “Suanni (Tang Jin), leave the mechanical girl to me!” With that, she bolted toward the mech like a lightning strike.

Suanni had no choice but to lead the soldiers in defending the transport vehicle. Ya Zhi also jumped down, swinging his massive hammer with force.

The battle raged fiercely when suddenly, a gunshot rang out from the distance—a silver bullet sliced through the crowd and struck Ya Zhi squarely in the chest!

The onlookers gasped in horror. Yet, Ya Zhi only staggered back slightly from the impact. His uniform had a gaping hole, but there was no bl00d.

Tang Jin’s sharp gaze caught sight of the black metal peeking through the torn fabric.

It was Xuanming Soft Armor—a treasure bestowed by Qing Cang, said to be impervious to blades and bullets.

Ya Zhi wasn’t just a brutal warrior—he was one of Dragon Domain’s most formidable fighters. Though ranked as an A-class Alpha, his obsession with combat pushed his abilities far beyond others in the same tier. Among the Nine of Dawn, he ranked in the top three for ferocity.

Even with only one shot fired, Ya Zhi quickly pinpointed the sniper’s approximate location.

Without hesitation, he rushed back to his vehicle, grabbed the rocket launcher he had prepared for this exact scenario, and hoisted it onto his shoulder—his eyes gleaming with madness.

Tang Jin was alarmed. She hurried to stop him. “Wait! Foster father said we need to capture them alive.” —

But before she could finish, a thunderous explosion erupted—

The missile had already been launched toward the sniper’s position.