What?! I Became the Zombie Beauty in the Villain’s Arms – CH10

Chapter 10: Late at Night

Superpowers were an advanced human mutation, violently stimulated by the extreme environment of the apocalypse.

It was essentially a genetic anomaly—a radical self-preservation mechanism triggered by the human body to survive the end of the world. The strength of these abilities often correlated with a person’s baseline physical fitness, though some were simply blessed by genetic lottery or enhanced by experimental drugs.

Abilities varied wildly from person to person, manifesting in countless bizarre ways, but they could generally be classified into five major branches: Control, Attack, Defense, Demolition, and Healing.

It was a broad categorization, with countless sub-categories beneath each branch. However, the golden rule of the wasteland remained absolute: anyone who awakened two or more abilities was destined to become an apex predator among survivors.

The novel’s male protagonist, Xiao Yue, was one of these exceptionally rare dual-ability users. Possessing both devastating offensive and impenetrable defensive powers, he was the undisputed king of the apocalyptic battlefield. Similarly, the original owner’s older sister—the female protagonist, Pei Yanting—initially possessed a rare healing ability but was fated to awaken a second, terrifying control ability later in the plot.

Together, the protagonists’ dual-ability status skyrocketed them to legendary fame, cementing them as the absolute strongest force in the wasteland.

But none of the protagonist group’s future glory had anything to do with Pei Xiqing right now.

Presently, her attention was focused entirely on the sleazy scavenger standing in front of her in the dimly lit garage.

“I hear there aren’t many lightning-attribute users at the central base,” the scavenger boasted, a smug grin plastered on his face. “Do you understand the sheer firepower our squad has?”

Lightning was a Control-type ability, and universally recognized as a high-tier power.

The men around him chimed in, puffing out their chests. “Our Captain is a literal genius.”

The first man took a step closer, his gaze raking over her body. “So, what do you say? Why don’t you ditch that cold bastard and join our squad right now? I guarantee you’ll be treated like a queen. Once we reach the base, our Captain will easily secure a high-ranking military commission, and you’ll get to ride his coattails to the good life. Sound like a deal?”

They had to admit, this woman’s face was devastatingly gorgeous. She looked like a siren—an intoxicating mix of absolute purity and innate seduction.

It had been a very long time since any of them had seen a woman like her. Over the grueling years of the apocalypse, the undead had ruthlessly culled the weak. Most of the women they used to know had either been eaten, turned, or separated in the chaos. The few female survivors in their rogue faction had long been hardened by the wind, sand, and blood of the wasteland. Finding a pristine, beautiful girl out here was a miracle, and their greed was painfully obvious.

Sensing the vulgar hunger in their eyes, Pei Xiqing’s expression turned icy. “Ride your coattails? You talk as if you’re actually worth something. With the utter lack of discipline and basic decency in your squad, both your strength and character are completely questionable. You really think too highly of yourselves. If you manage to drag yourselves to the central base, I’m afraid the only commission you’ll qualify for is scrubbing the public latrines.”

“You fucking bitch!”

The scavenger’s face flushed purple with rage. The woman looked incredibly frail, but her words were like a poisoned dagger plunged directly into their deepest insecurities.

There had always been terrifying rumors that the central base’s evaluation for ability users was brutally strict. Countless rogues who thought they were wasteland gods were assigned to bottom-tier grunt work—or literally assigned to sanitation duty—after failing the base’s rigorous psychological and combat assessments. She had hit them exactly where it hurt.

“Do you people even remember how to act like human beings?” Pei Xiqing continued, her voice sharp. “If you can’t manage that, you should at least retain a basic sense of shame. Don’t use the apocalypse as an excuse to degenerate into mindless beasts trying to steal other people’s property.”

“Why you—!”

The scavenger raised his hand violently, lunging forward to slap her.

Before he could close the distance, his companions grabbed his arms, yanking him back into the shadows. “Are you insane?!” one of them hissed. “Don’t forget the monster she’s traveling with! The guy who blew our Vice-Captain’s head off without blinking! Our Captain hasn’t given the order to move on them yet, so don’t do anything stupid. If you touch her and that sniper comes down here, he’ll slaughter us!”

More importantly, they still needed Duan Xiaolin to guide them through the mutant-infested highways to the central base.

“Damn it,” the man spat, violently shaking off his friends’ grip. “Consider yourself lucky. Let’s get out of here!”

Pei Xiqing watched them reluctantly retreat into the gloom, her chest heaving with lingering anger.

If she hadn’t been so terrified of exposing her infection, she genuinely would have lunged forward and bitten their throats out.

The moment the dark thought crossed her mind, she froze.

God… I really am turning into a zombie.

The garage was bitterly cold. She exhaled a puff of white breath, rubbing her freezing hands together as she stepped up to the G-Class to inspect the damage.

The heavy lock mechanism was covered in fresh scratches and slightly loose. If she had come downstairs even a minute later, the scavengers would have successfully breached the armored doors.

Thank God Duan Xiaolin had the foresight to bring the highly classified documents and heavy ordnance up to the hotel room. If the scavengers had gotten their hands on Franlun’s top-secret intel, the resulting disaster would have been unimaginable.

Franlun was infamous for its draconian internal laws. If classified information leaked on his watch, who knew what kind of terrifying punishment the organization would inflict upon him?

She shoved the heavy car door, ensuring it was firmly shut and locked. Using the spare key he had left in the ignition, she popped the trunk, grabbed a few sealed ration packs, and headed back upstairs.

When she returned to the room, the bathroom was empty, and Duan Xiaolin was nowhere to be found.

He had told her to ignore him and take the bed, and true to his word, he seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

Pei Xiqing walked over to the window. It was exactly 10:00 PM. The promised sandstorm had arrived with a vengeance. Gale-force winds howled through the ruined city streets, carrying thick, abrasive sheets of sand that violently eroded the concrete buildings and blocked out the moon entirely.

The hurricane-force gusts were so intense that she could physically feel the entire hotel trembling, the glass panes rattling furiously in their frames.

She took two steps back, yanked the heavy blackout curtains shut, and climbed into the large bed. She pulled the thick duvet up to her chin, closed her eyes, and let out a long breath.

Whatever. I’m exhausted.

If the sky fell, she would just use it as a blanket. Why should a half-zombie stress over the collapse of the ecological environment? Humanity had brought this apocalypse upon themselves anyway.

I might as well just embrace the zombie life and lie flat.

Hovering in the hazy space between wakefulness and sleep, she vaguely heard the heavy hotel door click open. A familiar, towering silhouette stepped into the pitch-black room, moving silently to sit on the worn sofa near the corner.

Wrapped in the lingering scent of pine and cold rain, Pei Xiqing’s exhausted mind finally shut down, and she sank into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The room remained completely dark, mirroring the suffocating blackness of the sandstorm raging outside the glass.

Sitting on the sofa, Duan Xiaolin was quietly scrolling through the latest encrypted battle reports on his tactical tablet. At the faint sound of rustling fabric, his dark eyes shifted away from the glowing screen.

On the bed, the thick duvet had slipped down, exposing Pei Xiqing’s slender arm and the delicate curve of her snow-white shoulder to the biting ambient air.

He stared in silence.

The viral infection in her body was receding at an impossible rate.

The skin that had been marred by sickly, venomous green veins just a few days ago was now almost entirely clear, leaving only a few faint, scattered traces of the mutation. He observed her frail, softly breathing form, his gaze turning darker and deeper than the apocalyptic night outside.

The environmental pollution of the wasteland era was deeply pervasive, leaving everything perpetually damp and ruined. And within these dim, suffocating rooms, it was inevitable that dark, filthy desires would quietly begin to breed.

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