After Transmigrating as the Scumbag Alpha in an Otherworld Novel, I Ended Up with the Villain - Chapter 9

The itchy tingle at her fingertips, the warm breath by her ear, and the phantom scent in the air—all of it tugged relentlessly at Su Xinge’s heartstrings.

Su Xinge took two steps back, her neck flushing a deep crimson. “I’m staying in the room next to yours. Call me if you need help with anything.”

With that, she turned and hurried away.

Lin Yuxuan stood frozen on the spot, murmuring to herself in self-mockery, “I don’t trust anyone.”

She lifted her hand, recalling the sensation from a moment ago; those hands had been inexplicably warm.

An Omega’s marked body would instinctively depend on its Alpha, even moving toward them involuntarily. Even if Lin Yuxuan felt nauseated by that woman, her racing heart and the electric shiver crawling over her skin betrayed her mind. Moreover, this person didn’t seem like the Su Xinge in her memories. The current Su Xinge was like a startled rabbit—more sensitive and untouchable than Lin Yuxuan herself, despite Lin Yuxuan being the Omega.

Personality can be faked, but can a flushing complexion be feigned?

Lin Yuxuan narrowed her eyes. Could my memories really be flawed?

No. The reality, the cruelty—they had swallowed her and torn her apart before. The doubt in her pupils settled back into a cold clarity. She refused to dwell on the feeling of those fingertips, that woman, her searing temperature, or her flushed skin.

Lin Yuxuan turned and entered the bedroom. Pushing the door open, she found An Le waiting for her on the bed with wide, expectant eyes.

An Le spoke cautiously, “Sister, do you not like the big sister from just now? She’s very nice; she’s the one who brought me in.”

Lin Yuxuan walked to the bedside and pinched An Le’s thin cheek. “What makes you think I don’t like her?”

An Le said without thinking, “When you were the werewolf, she was the first person you wanted to kill.”

Lin Yuxuan laughed. “Weren’t you a werewolf too? You followed my lead and wanted to kill her as well.”

An Le knit her brows, her whole face scrunching up in thought. “But… it felt different.”

Lin Yuxuan flicked An Le’s nose twice. “Go to sleep. Don’t overthink it.”

Meanwhile, in the next room.

Su Xinge leaned silently against the back of the door, her heart thumping like thunder—as if that were the only sound left in the universe. She was certain her explanation hadn’t landed. Furthermore, Lin Yuxuan kept bringing up those “marks,” yet Su Xinge had zero memory of such things. That woman was truly a temptress.

The next day, Su Xinge stepped out of her room and ran straight into Lin Yuxuan.

Feeling awkward, Su Xinge said, “Morning.”

Lin Yuxuan smiled back. “Morning.”

Both tacitly agreed to act as if nothing had happened the night before.

As the sky brightened, the group quickly assembled. In the early morning, a thin mist clung to the earth. The sky hung low, a blend of dusky yellow and pale blue sketching a picture of decay.

At the gates of the Outer City, weeds grew stubbornly in the cracks of the soil. Flies buzzed over the desolate land in search of food, and unknown bacteria lurked in the suffocating air.

A sizable team marched toward the road beyond the gates, like green leaves in a desert, adding a flicker of life to this dead earth.

Zhang Tian walked at the front, his stride full of bravado. He said to those beside him, “I reckon three cars are enough to get us into the city. Four is overkill.”

Ye Hai nodded. “True. Four is a bit of a waste.”

The base was located in a remote area. Before the catastrophe, the human population there was small, so the buildings and people suffered less damage. However, the roads were severely blocked, preventing travel. As the disaster spread and the number of survivors dwindled, the vehicles on the roads to the city were gradually cleared, finally creating a makeshift two-way lane.

Ye Hai, who hadn’t participated in a twelve-man Awakened mission before, shouted to the back, “This is quite the lineup! Liu Lindong, were you the leader for the previous missions to the branch campus?”

Liu Lindong moved to the rear and answered, “I led once before, but I shared the lead with someone else, and the teams were split. We didn’t have this many people.”

As they talked, the group reached the parking area on the base’s outskirts.

Zhang Tian walked up to An Le. “Want to ride in my car? Follow me; I guarantee it’s safe, reliable, and hazard-free.”

An Le didn’t answer. Instead, she took small steps to huddle next to Su Xinge.

Su Xinge looked at Zhang Tian and said seriously, “I’m the one who brought An Le out. Naturally, she’s with me. I’ll protect her.”

Zhang Tian replied, “A car seats five. I can begrudgingly let you join my car. I can even add one more guy to help you carry things.”

Su Xinge asked, “Are you going to drive?”

“Naturally,” Zhang Tian replied. “I love driving.”

Su Xinge nodded. “Fine. One car it is.” She didn’t hesitate. Saving energy while out in the field was priority number one; she wasn’t about to turn down a free driver.

Zhang Tian turned and pointed to a burly man. “You! Come to my car.” The man, named Su San, hurried over with a fawning smile. “Yes, sir!”

Zhang Tian handed his backpack to Su San. “Put this in the trunk. Your job is to stay by my side and handle the legwork.”

Zhang Tian hopped into the driver’s seat and told Su Xinge, “Give your stuff to him. Let’s get in.”

Su Xinge nodded. After Su San stowed the gear, he sat in the passenger seat for easy access to the luggage. Su Xinge opened the rear door for An Le and Lin Yuxuan.

Lin Yuxuan didn’t rush in. She stopped and said to An Le, “You go in first. Sit in the far corner.”

In a disaster, the most important thing was the ability to flee. Sitting by the door made escaping easier. Lin Yuxuan wasn’t a “good” person, but a lingering shred of compassion made her make this decision instinctively.

An Le sat in the far corner, Lin Yuxuan sat in the middle, and Su Xinge climbed in last, shutting the door.

They drove down a narrow road. Both sides were piled high with abandoned cars, smothered in winding emerald vines—it looked like a green city of steel. Occasionally, unidentifiable creatures trapped within the cars let out piercing howls. They looked human, yet were something else entirely.

Since the catastrophe, flora and fauna globally had mutated. New, unknown species grew wildly, making the impossible possible. Su Xinge watched the strange, shocking scenery in a daze. Do I really belong to this era? She felt like an outsider, yet she was now tangibly linked to this world.

The familiar smell of gasoline snapped her back. She looked at the dashboard; the car’s design was similar to the ones in her old world.

“The day these green things develop intelligence is the day the world truly ends,” Zhang Tian remarked, his left arm resting out the window as he kept a wary eye on their surroundings.

Su San grew visibly tense, shaking his head. “That day won’t come. It definitely won’t.”

Su Xinge remained silent. That day will come. Perhaps in the near future, perhaps in the next second.

After a while, the road was completely blocked by a chaotic jumble of cars. These obstacles acted as a shield for the base, but also isolated it.

Zhang Tian parked and got out. The other cars followed suit. “Does it feel like this lane got shorter?” Zhang Tian asked the others.

Ye Hai walked over. “I heard from my men that the zombie tide has been creeping toward the base lately. They came out a few days ago to rearrange these cars for merit points.”

Zhang Tian frowned. “How come I didn’t see that mission notice?”

Ye Hai sighed. “Ordinary people can do that job, so they didn’t waste Awakened on it. Besides, many Awakened don’t make it back. A lot of these obstacles are actually the cars belonging to teams that went missing.”

Zhang Tian’s face fell. “You’re kidding. We’re already far enough from the city center. We’re going to have to walk forever.”

Ye Hai shook his head bitterly. “It’s for the base’s safety.”

“Fine,” Zhang Tian sighed. “Let’s leave the cars here.”

Liu Lindong got out and shouted to the crowd, “Take everything you can carry from the cars! We don’t know if we’ll make it back today. If we don’t, we won’t be coming back in these same cars—we might have to hitch a ride with another team. Keep your valuables on you.”

Zhang Tian scoffed, “What valuables?”

The refugees from the Outer City scrambled back to their cars, grabbing everything from pot lids to makeshift weapons. Since teams went out every day, those who couldn’t return the same day would leave their keys in the ignition to allow returning teams to use their vehicles.

Zhang Tian opened his trunk, pulled out a jacket from his backpack, and put it on. Su Xinge’s nose wrinkled—it smelled terrible.

Ye Hai walked over. “Prepared that in advance? How long does it last?”

Zhang Tian lifted his chin. “A day shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s move fast and try to get back before dark.” He shouted to the group, “Stay centered on me! If we hit a few ordinary zombies, huddle close. If it’s a horde or a mutation, scatter and run. Liu Lindong, lead the way!”

The crowd huddled together. Despite the stench, their desire for safety outweighed their disgust.

Liu Lindong stepped forward. As they passed each other, Su Xinge whispered to him, “Your hearing has a wide range. My ability is smaller and best saved for critical moments. Keep a sharp ear out; notify us immediately if anything feels off.”

Liu Lindong nodded. “No problem.”

Awakened abilities weren’t limitless. While sensory skills like sight and hearing could be used more freely, other abilities required a price or had heavy constraints. This was why Zhang Tian prepared his “repellent” jacket in advance—his specific power wasn’t something that worked well on a whim in a sudden crisis.

Liu Lindong raised his arm. “Move out!”

The path was narrow, forcing everyone into a long line between the gaps in the wreckage. The temperature rose, and the air became increasingly stagnant. As they advanced, Su Xinge noticed the vines disappearing, replaced by dry, scorched earth.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air from the front of the line.