What?! I Became the Zombie Beauty in the Villain’s Arms – CH12

Chapter 12: Under the Calm

Every ability user possessed a quantifiable strength tier. It was highly classified information, usually known only to the user themselves or the trusted comrades they fought alongside. It was a matter of life and death; revealing your tier to a stranger in the wasteland was basically handing them the knife to slit your throat.

Zhao Shunyan felt a cold, paralyzing chill run down his spine.

He forced himself to calm down. Glancing back at his heavily armed team for reassurance, he forced a confident smile. “Brother Duan, since you seem to know so much, you should also know that I’m not weak. I’m not like these other scavengers.”

Duan Xiaolin seemed to consider this for a moment. “Fifth Base.”

“Why the fifth one?”

The five major human strongholds were ranked numerically by their overall military and economic strength. Base One was the absolute pinnacle, while Base Five was the lowest.

“Because you wouldn’t survive the first four.”

Zhao Shunyan’s eyes widened in genuine disbelief. “Why not?! I control lightning! I’m the only one in my entire squad with this attribute! And I’m already Tier Three! With my strength, I can only scrape into the lowest-ranking base?!”

If he could only get into Base Five, did that mean the rest of his squad didn’t even meet the minimum baseline for entry?

Duan Xiaolin held his cigarette between his index and middle fingers, his slender thumb casually flicking a speck of ash into the wind. “You’ll understand when you get there.”

“It seems you know an awful lot about the inner workings of the strongholds.”

“I spent some time there.”

Zhao Shunyan let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Well, that puts me at ease. So, you can definitely lead us to the gates, right?”

“That depends entirely on whether your squad has the competence to survive the journey to the gates.”

“Right. Understood.”

Zhao Shunyan lowered his gaze, his mind racing.

He had never felt this way before. He absolutely could not read the man standing in front of him.

He was entirely mysterious—no insignia, no faction markers, no discernible identity. Nothing but pure, terrifying competence.

Back in his original scavenger camp, Zhao Shunyan had been the very first person to awaken an ability. Lightning was an incredibly destructive, rare attribute, and he had used it to effortlessly crush the competition and seize the position of Captain. But this talent that he was so immensely proud of seemed like nothing more than a trivial parlor trick to Duan Xiaolin.

He turned away, deep in thought, calculating his next move.

Sitting in the G-Class, Pei Xiqing watched the exchange, her curiosity toward Duan Xiaolin growing by the second.

The operatives of Franlun really live up to their terrifying reputation.

Shortly after, Zhao Shunyan’s men hurried over to the vehicle, respectfully delivering two roasted chicken legs, two bowls of steamed white rice, and a side of preserved vegetables.

In the apocalyptic era, a meal like this was an absolute luxury.

She genuinely hadn’t expected the rogue scavenger team to possess such abundant, high-quality food reserves.

And it tasted incredible.

Pei Xiqing was starving, but she forced herself not to wolf down the food too quickly.

Duan Xiaolin sat beside her in the cabin. He had rolled up the sleeves of his pristine shirt, revealing lean, heavily scarred forearms. The mechanical watch on his wrist gleamed with expensive, understated elegance. He ate his meal with the same slow, deliberate precision he applied to everything else.

Seeing his calm demeanor, she subconsciously matched his pace. After finally finishing the chicken leg, she leaned over slightly. “Do you happen to have a tissue?”

Duan Xiaolin wordlessly pulled a packet from the console and handed her two.

She wiped her mouth, her thoughts drifting back to the conversation she had just overheard. She leaned a little closer. “Do you really plan on allying with them?”

“That isn’t an alliance.” Noticing her proximity, Duan Xiaolin subtly leaned back, creating a microscopic but distinct physical boundary between them. “If they want to tail us, let them. They aren’t capable of causing any real trouble.”

“Have you… actually been to all five central bases?”

“Yes.”

“What do they look like? What stage of development has humanity reached in there?”

He lowered his heavy eyelids. “You’ve never heard of them?”

“…I’ve heard rumors, but I’ve never seen one. I’m just curious.”

She had been nothing more than an early-game cannon-fodder villainess who died screaming in a corpse pile. She had never survived long enough to see what a human stronghold actually looked like. The novel described them as majestic, impenetrable fortresses, but reading about them and seeing them were two entirely different things.

“Do you plan on tailing us all the way to the gates?” Duan Xiaolin shot her a sharp, calculating glance.

“I just want to sightsee.”

He frowned, genuinely confused by the term.

“Sightsee?”

“Yes.” She met his dark, intense gaze head-on, her voice dropping to a soft murmur. “And… since Franlun is apparently so incredibly powerful, I really want to see what your organization looks like from the inside.”

Duan Xiaolin’s eyes darkened noticeably as he absorbed her clinging, wide-eyed stare. “The central bases are overflowing with ability users. With that much concentrated power, violent conflicts are a daily occurrence. Absolute, overwhelming force is required to maintain control.”

He shifted the topic back to Zhao Shunyan. “A Tier-Three lightning user is considered entirely average. Inside the walls, there are thousands of Tier-One and Tier-Two users scrambling for resources in the outer slums.”

“No wonder you told him he’d only qualify for the Fifth Base.” Pei Xiqing narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. The heater in the G-Class was running high, and the hot food had left her feeling slightly flushed. Unthinkingly, she slipped off her heavy tactical coat, leaving only the thin, slightly sheer grey sweater underneath. She reached out, mimicking his earlier movement by rolling up her sleeves, her delicate, pale arms swaying just inches from him. As she shifted in the seat, the hem of the sweater rode up slightly, offering a fleeting glimpse of her slender waist. “What about you, Brother Duan? What’s your ability?”

“You really want to know?”

“Mhm.”

Duan Xiaolin’s Adam’s apple bobbed sharply. He abruptly tore his gaze away from her relaxed, careless posture, staring straight ahead through the windshield. His voice was low and slightly hoarse. “I’ll tell you next time.”

“Okay,” she agreed easily.

He suddenly let out a cold, sharp laugh. “But I suggest you put away those incredibly naive thoughts. Especially when it comes to Franlun.”

He rolled down his window, letting the freezing desert air flood the cabin. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, a distinct, dangerous glint flashing in his dark eyes.

Outside, the apocalyptic night was terrifying. It felt as though thousands of feral beasts were snarling in the suffocating darkness just beyond the headlights. Yet, the horrors of the wasteland couldn’t move him in the slightest. He remained a monolith of absolute calm—untroubled, detached, and entirely in control.

He had handled countless interrogations and psychological profiles for Franlun. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

Furthermore, as a man occupying the absolute zenith of the apocalyptic food chain, he understood the psychology of weaker survivors better than anyone. They worshipped strength because they had none.

Some would follow a strong man for a lifetime, offering their absolute loyalty in exchange for scraps of protection. Some would pledge their bodies. Others were childishly foolish, wasting their time trying to manipulate predators.

When facing an overwhelmingly superior force, the weak would always employ desperate measures to secure their safety.

But he was not a weapon for anyone to wield against the zombie hordes. And he certainly wasn’t going to play the role of a savior for a manipulative woman.

After finishing the meal, Pei Xiqing took the empty bowls back to the scavenger camp.

The moment she stepped near the fire, the few women in the rogue team immediately surrounded her, their eyes wide with envy. They practically dragged her into one of the larger canvas tents. “Oh my god, girl! What kind of skincare routine do you use?! How is your skin still so flawless out here? You have to give us some tips!”

“Seriously! I saw you a few days ago but didn’t dare say anything! Your complexion is insane!”

Three or four women crowded around her, enthusiastically shoving hoarded snacks into her hands. The sudden barrage of aggressive friendliness made her deeply uncomfortable.

“Life is just getting harder and harder,” one of the older women sighed. “We used to have decent skincare. Every time we raided a ruined city, we’d hit the department stores and grab whatever serums and lotions we could find. But now, all the good stuff has been scavenged or expired.”

Pei Xiqing could only offer a few polite, perfunctory smiles.

She had navigated this exact social dynamic her entire career in the entertainment industry. The original owner’s face was practically identical to her real-world appearance, so dealing with the envy of other women was second nature to her. She slipped into her polite, unbothered persona effortlessly.

“Hey,” a younger girl whispered, leaning in close with a conspiratorial smirk. “What’s the deal with you and that guy in the suit? Are you two actually sleeping together?”

“I want to know too! Oh my god, do you realize he is easily the most handsome man any of us have seen in years? What woman wouldn’t throw herself at him?”

Just as the gossip reached a fever pitch, Duan Xiaolin and Zhao Shunyan walked past the tents. As a Tier-Three ability user, Zhao Shunyan had a commanding presence, but standing next to Duan Xiaolin, he looked completely insignificant. Duan Xiaolin walked with perfect, terrifying posture, his entire being radiating a severe, freezing aura that explicitly warned everyone to stay away.

As he passed, he casually raised his eyes, his gaze piercing through the open flap of the tent and locking flawlessly onto Pei Xiqing, who was trapped in the center of the gossip circle.

The intense eye contact lasted only a fraction of a second before he looked away, continuing toward the vehicles.

Pei Xiqing felt a flutter of confusion as she watched him climb into a heavily modified off-road vehicle with Zhao Shunyan.

A scavenger jogged over to the tent. “Hey! The Captain and Brother Duan are heading out to scout the road ahead. Sounds like there’s an anomaly on the highway. The Captain said you’re supposed to stay here in the camp until they get back. We’ll keep a perimeter guard up, so just keep quiet and you’ll be fine.”

Pei Xiqing nodded. “Understood.”

The moment the scavenger left, the gossiping women pounced again. “Come on, spill it! You two are definitely a couple, right?”

“Little sister, you seriously struck gold! He definitely has a high-tier ability, which means his physical stamina must be absolutely insane in bed! High-tier users always are. But honestly… I have a strong feeling about him. Have you seen his build under that suit? Tsk, tsk… it’s guaranteed to be mind-blowing!”

“Stop being so stingy! Give us the details!”

Realizing the conversation was spiraling wildly out of control, Pei Xiqing coughed awkwardly, her face burning. “No, really. You guys are completely misunderstanding the situation.”

“How is that possible? You seriously aren’t sleeping with him?!”

“No…”

“Then why the hell haven’t you locked him down yet?! Don’t you know you have to seize opportunities like that in the apocalypse?!”

Pei Xiqing let out two dry, hollow laughs.

She lowered her eyes.

Unbidden, the image of Duan Xiaolin flooded her mind—his sharp, deep-set eyes, his freezing, unyielding expression, and the terrifying, absolute self-discipline in every movement he made.

Lock him down? I’d be lucky if he didn’t shoot me.

That night, the women refused to let her sleep in the G-Class. They practically dragged her into a large tent shared with a woman named Zhang Tian, who had short hair and a sharp, high-bridged nose.

“Hey, don’t be like that. Your guy is already allied with our Captain, so there’s no need to be so distant with us,” Zhang Tian said, tossing a heavy sleeping bag onto the ground. “You have no idea how dangerous it is to wander the camp alone at night. Just sleep in here with me. It’s my private tent, and Zhao Shunyan won’t be coming back tonight anyway, so there’s plenty of space.”

Zhang Tian forcefully shoved a thick quilt into Pei Xiqing’s arms and zipped the tent flap shut, completely isolating them from the dark camp outside. “You’re a pretty girl. It’s incredibly dangerous for you to be alone out there. The wasteland is full of starving wolves in human skin.”

“…” Her plan to sleep in the safety of the G-Class entirely thwarted, Pei Xiqing could only clutch the quilt and politely nod. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Zhang Tian replied, waving a hand. “Women have to look out for each other out here. Our lives are hard enough as it is. If we constantly suspect each other, we’ll never survive.”

The wind howled relentlessly against the canvas, but the heavy insulation of the tent kept the worst of the freezing cold at bay.

Zhang Tian even brought over a basin of warm water for her to wash her face.

“Our squad still has over a dozen crates of purified water,” Zhang Tian boasted slightly. “It’s enough to last until we hit the central base, so feel free to use it. Girls need to prioritize hygiene. Getting an infection out here is basically a death sentence.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

After washing up, Pei Xiqing slid under the heavy quilt, listening to Zhang Tian chatter intermittently. “I’ve been with Zhao Shunyan for three years. I’m his ‘girlfriend’ in name, but honestly, he’s a complete hypocrite. He hasn’t visited my tent in over a month. God knows which vixen in the squad he’s been screwing behind my back.”

Lying on her side on the camping mat, Pei Xiqing asked softly, “Sister Tian… do you actually love him?”

“I’m not afraid to admit it: to me, men are just like clothes in the apocalypse,” Zhang Tian sneered. “If one gets worn out or doesn’t fit anymore, I just change into a new one. I absolutely refuse to hang myself on one tree.” She rolled her eyes. “If he wasn’t a lightning-attribute ability user, I would have dumped his ass years ago.”

She let out a harsh laugh. “Men are garbage. If I didn’t need to use him to secure a spot in the central base, I wouldn’t even give him the time of day.”

Pei Xiqing’s lips curved in a small, genuine smile. “I agree.”

She actually found it quite easy to talk to Zhang Tian. They chatted idly until late into the night. Eventually, the camp outside fell dead silent, and Zhang Tian’s breathing evened out as she fell asleep.

Pei Xiqing pulled out the original owner’s phone, tapping the screen.

2:00 AM. Still zero network signal.

Duan Xiaolin still hadn’t returned.

She let out a long yawn. She tried to force herself to stay awake and wait for him, but the exhaustion of the road finally dragged her under, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Sometime in the dead of night, Zhang Tian was violently jolted awake. She unzipped the tent flap slightly, glaring furiously at the group of men whispering loudly outside. “Go to hell,” she hissed venomously.

Several men from the squad leered at her through the gap, their eyes filled with unfiltered lust. “Come on, Sister Tian. The Captain is gone, and he hasn’t visited you in weeks. Why don’t you let us keep you company tonight? Seems like the perfect opportunity.”

“I don’t have the patience to deal with you animals tonight. Get lost!”

One of the men noticed the second, smaller lump under the quilts in the back of the tent. Before he could push the flap wider to see the girl’s face, Zhang Tian aggressively chucked a heavy camp pillow directly at his head. “Zhao Shunyan is going to be back any minute! If you aren’t gone by the time he gets here, do you want him to fry you alive?!”

Hearing the Captain’s name, the men finally hesitated. “Aren’t there hordes on the road ahead? How could the Captain possibly get back this fast?”

“Whatever, just forget it. It’s not worth the risk. The Captain is unhinged with that lightning.”

The men lingered for a second, their greedy eyes locked onto the few strands of dark hair peeking out from beneath Pei Xiqing’s quilt, before finally turning and walking away, their dark desires entirely unsatisfied.

Pei Xiqing slept fitfully for the rest of the night.

She woke up around 6:00 AM.

Zhang Tian was already up, meticulously folding her sleeping bag. Seeing Pei Xiqing sit up, she smirked. “Your handsome man and Zhao Shunyan just pulled back into camp. They brought a massive haul of supplies with them. If you’re worried about him, you better get up and go check.”

Pei Xiqing rubbed her sleep-heavy eyes, pulled her coat on, and mirrored Zhang Tian by folding her quilt. “Sister Tian, you’re up so early.”

“They woke the whole camp up when they rolled in,” Zhang Tian sighed. “Zhao Shunyan is back, which means I have to go put on a show and pretend I care.”

“Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

“Not yet. The cooks are boiling water outside. Let’s head out and eat together.”

“Okay.”

After a quick wash, Pei Xiqing followed Zhang Tian out of the tent.

The large bonfires in the center of the camp were smoking heavily, having just been extinguished. The entire scavenger squad was awake and frantically breaking down the camp, preparing to move out.

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