126 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

**Title: Trapped in a Wasteland Novel as a Destructive Alpha - Chapter 126** A few minutes later, Han Qi had led Shen Ming Yan and the others to the front of the warehouse. Many villagers had already gathered there and when Shen Ming Yan's group arrived, the villagers' demeanor changed from friendly to hostile, surrounding them. Jiang Yan Xin and her group remained composed, but Chu Li Li and Hao Jie seemed somewhat panicked. "Village head, where are Fei Ming and the others? What's happening here?" Chu Li Li asked. "Nothing much, just what you see. They're all inside the warehouse, probably still breathing," Han Qi replied, shedding his earlier gentle facade. He signaled to the people standing by the big door, and two alphas moved to slowly pull open the large iron door of the warehouse. As soon as the door opened, Fei Ming and his group tried to rush out, only to find that half-human-high barriers, covered in spikes, had already been set up. They couldn't climb over, nor could they push through, with four male alphas reinforcing the barricade from outside. Upon seeing the scene inside the warehouse, Chu Li Li's eyes reddened, "What are you doing? How can there be zombies in there?" Han Qi turned to fiercely stare at Chu Li Li, "Nonsense! Those inside are villagers. They're just hungry. Do you understand hunger? Once they’ve eaten, they’ll settle down. Your husbands will soon become food for the villagers." "You madman." Chu Li Li lunged, attempting to push Han Qi away to rescue Fei Ming, but before she moved, an alpha behind her held her down tightly. "I advise you to behave. Be good and follow our village's ways as a wife, or end up as food with your worthless husband," Han Qi laughed, focusing his attention next on Chen Wan and Qin Ke, standing at the warehouse entrance. He sneered, saying, “You two are quite lucky. Chen Wan, right? I've matched you with Liu Mei Mei as her alpha. As for Qin Ke, you'll become shared property among the village Omegas. I'll take good care of your Omegas for you. Just nod and agree now, and I'll let you out. Think carefully, being alive is more valuable than anything." "Maybe it's you who should think carefully. Those inside are zombies. Using humans as food for zombies—have you considered if your loved ones could see this, would they want to be turned into this?" Chen Wan coldly questioned Han Qi. Han Qi got agitated, "I told you they're not zombies! They're still alive. Other than getting a bit aggressive when hungry, they're no different from normal people. My mom is still living well inside." "Feeding zombies with living humans, it seems you villagers are all accomplices," Chen Wan shook her head. Han Qi, now furious, shouted at Chen Wan, "Enough with your nonsense! I’ve changed my mind. You'll join them as food. Qin Ke, will you accept my earlier proposal? If not, you won’t live either." Qin Ke glanced at Chen Wan and calmly said, "I'll stay with her." "Fine, you’ve got guts. Fatty, release the villagers inside. They're hungry anyway," Han Qi coldly ordered. "Hey Qi, wait a minute, weren’t you giving me that alpha?" Liu Mei Mei seemed reluctant to let go of Chen Wan, as she hadn’t even had a chance to claim her. "There will be plenty more good-looking alphas in the future. No point keeping defiant ones. Fatty, don’t wait, let loose the chains enough for the villagers to reach Chen Wan's group," Han Qi ordered coldly. Fatty and a dozen strong young alphas slightly loosened the ropes. The zombies inside desperately surged toward Chen Wan and her group, and they were just a few steps away from Chen Wan. Just as Fei Ming, quivering, prepared to fight the zombies, an unexpected halt came as the zombies charged at Chen Wan but suddenly stopped in their tracks. Han Qi stood perplexed at this unforeseen event. In the past, letting the villagers loose always led to them devouring the warehouse's live inhabitants clean. Yet, this time, no harm came to Chen Wan's people. "What is going on?" Han Qi asked his lackey, who was even more bewildered than Han Qi, clearly clueless about what had transpired. Meanwhile, Chen Wan activated her ability, commanding the iron-bound zombies to remove the spiked barricade in front of the warehouse. With that, Chen Wan and her group calmly exited. Chen Wan directed the zombies to break free from their chains and step out of the warehouse. Dumbfounded by the scene before him, Han Qi could only stammer. After a long pause, he grabbed an older Omega by the wrist, asking, "Mom, are you cured?" Chen Wan shook her head and said, "Of course not. Since you think they’re not dead and use passerby humans to feed them, why don’t you feed your own to them?" Having said that, Chen Wan glanced at Fei Ming and Xu Wan Kun, who were still reeling from their confusion, "The two of you should stand over there." Chen Wan pointed to a spot near Shen Ming Yan, acknowledging their innocence. Though somewhat foolish, they were victims. Standing near Shen Ming Yan meant the zombies wouldn't approach, as she was about to release her control over them. Fei Ming finally grasped the situation. Without needing a word, Shen Ming Yan swiftly punched down the alpha restraining Chu Li Li and Hao Jie, sending them flying several meters away. Not only Fei Ming's group was stunned by Shen Ming Yan's swift skills, but Han Qi was too. Yet there was no time to ponder. Chen Wan released her control over the zombies. Except for the area near Shen Ming Yan where the zombies dared not tread, the rest began to attack the accomplices. The zombies' growls and villagers' cries for help echoed throughout the village. At that moment, Han Qi was pinned to the ground by his own zombified mother. Only then did he accept the reality of her condition, but it was too late—another zombie lunged at him. Desperately, Han Qi struggled, pleading with Chen Wan's group, "Help me, I…" But before he could finish, he was bitten and silenced forever. Shen Ming Yan shook her head. Had these villagers not indulged in such evil, perhaps the village could have peacefully endured for a long period during the apocalypse. Unfortunately, many people's nature turned insatiable with the apocalyptic arrival, leading to their downfall. Chu Li Li and the others were thoroughly frightened. However, Fei Ming realized Chen Wan's group was not ordinary, quickly expressing gratitude, "Thank you for saving us. We never expected the village to be like this." "It's fine. Just be less trusting in the future," Chen Wan replied faintly. The zombies continued to attack, tearing through recently complicit villagers. Bodies lay strewn, yet Chen Wan's group remained unfazed—these monsters were cultivated by the villagers, their grim fate well-deserved. Having gone through this ordeal, Chen Wan's group decided not to linger further in the village. They sought a quiet, safe village, with many options to choose from, not necessarily here. As they traveled back, rain began to drizzle from the sky. Initially oblivious, as the rain wasn’t heavy, a minute or two later Chen Wan noticed her skin tingling with a burning sensation as the rain touched it. "Let's hurry," Yi Yi advised. "The rain contains excessive sulfur; it's acid rain." "Understood." The group swiftly returned to their motorhome, seeking refuge and cleansing themselves to ease the discomfort. Peering at the heavy downpour outside, Chen Wan idly watched. Over the sound of rain, faint screams and cries for help could occasionally be heard. Clasping her hands tighter, she looked at Yi Yi, inquiring, "How much more do we need to level up our motorhome to level 5?" "Apart from enough heavy trucks, we're short of over six hundred smaller vehicles, more than two thousand level 2 zombie crystals, and crucially, three level 3 mutant animal crystals," Yi Yi calculated, reflecting how they hadn't encountered any level 3 mutants yet. "Alright, once the rain stops, let's continue our journey. Gathering the required materials for the motorhome’s upgrade is a priority. Every level higher means more safety for all of us," Chen Wan eyed the dense clouds, a sense of unease settling within her. The acidic rain persisted for an entire day, only slightly subsiding as darkness fell, yet still continuing. Nestled in Chen Wan’s embrace, Zai Zai pointed outside with a small finger, "Mummy, it’s still raining." "Yes, it is. Hopefully, by tomorrow it’ll stop, and we can move to another place for some adventure. Would you like that?" Chen Wan cradled Zai Zai, kissing his cheek, his warm little body bringing a touch of reality back to her. "Okay," Zai Zai nodded his little head in agreement, nestled comfortably in Chen Wan's arms, watching the scenery outside the window alongside her. By the next morning, the sky had cleared slightly, though a light drizzle continued to fall. Fortunately, the visibility outside was much better than the day before. After some discussion with Yi Yi, Chen Wan prepared to set off. The slight rain was no threat to the motorhome, but it served as a timely reminder of their vulnerability. Even with formidable abilities, humanity remains insignificant against the might of nature. This sense of urgency made Chen Wan eager to upgrade the motorhome to level 5, which would unlock its second form. Since they needed a large number of level 2 zombie crystals, Chen Wan's group had no choice but to return to the zombie-infested center of Funan City, where both the cars and level 2 zombie crystals issues could be addressed. With Yi Yi at the wheel, the motorhome moved along the wet roads. Perhaps due to the weather, the group’s spirits were low, and they gathered in small groups for conversation. Jiang Yan Xin leaned on the back of Chen Wan's seat, staring at the damp highway ahead, gradually feeling uneasy. What if the rain never stopped?