207 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

**Chapter 207 (Additional)** Chen Wan dealt with a zombie on one side, and soon she, Qin Ke, and Wei Si Yu charged into the crowd to capture more zombies. Both Chen Wan and Qin Ke were covered in blood, terrifying the ordinary people who had been dragged in with them. Shao Yu and Da Ge were being chased by a zombie; both were unarmed, leaving them only able to dodge. Shao Yu, focused entirely on the zombie behind her, didn't watch her step and slipped, falling straight down. The zombie pounced towards her immediately. Chen Wan reached out and yanked Shao Yu, tossing her towards Wei Si Yu behind them. In one swift motion, she swung her axe and decapitated the zombie pursuing Shao Yu, quickly following up by beheading two more zombies that charged at them. Propelled by both inertia and Chen Wan's shove, Shao Yu collided directly into Wei Si Yu, who steadied her, continuing to kick at the zombies closing in while asking, "Are you okay?" "I'm fine." Shao Yu was still a bit shaken. Had it not been for Chen Wan, she would have been dragged away by the zombies. "Thank you." After expressing her gratitude, Shao Yu quickly adjusted her stance, imitating Wei Si Yu and the others by trying to kick away the zombies closing in. Chen Wan felled another zombie, then turned and swung to eliminate two more threatening Wei Si Yu and Shao Yu. On the other end, Qin Ke was similarly engrossed in her battle. A zombie was about to bite a girl who looked like a student, when Qin Ke swiftly reached from behind, grabbing the zombie and swiftly beheading it with her axe. The girl's face was splattered with zombie blood, leaving her too frightened to even cry. Turning back to kick another zombie, Qin Ke's axe landed once more, causing another zombie head to hit the ground. She immediately focused on another zombie on her left. By this point, there was only one remaining live zombie, which, having acquired a bit of intelligence, discerned that Chen Wan and Qin Ke were not to be trifled with. It tried to escape back to the iron door it had entered from. Chen Wan flexed her right arm, hurling her axe toward the fleeing zombie, pinning it to the ground, preventing any further escape. Now, the arena was devoid of any standing zombies. The spectators were silent, as if in disbelief of the events below. In less than five minutes, 20 zombies had been killed by Chen Wan and Qin Ke, while out of the 50 participants, only 5 had died. The rest were still alive and intact. Instead of the anticipated bloody spectacle, the viewers saw zombies being chased around by Chen Wan and her group. "What the heck? Isn't this place supposed to suppress abilities? How are these two female alphas so fierce?" "This is the first time I've seen someone chasing down a Level 2 zombie. How do we even calculate the odds on this match?" "Right? Who would have thought only five people would die, but all the zombies got wiped out?" "Are they even human? They managed this in five minutes. Who are these women?" "No idea. Haven't seen them before. They must be new. Do you think they'll choose a reward and move on to the next stage?" "Do they even need to? With such prowess, why not just enjoy the first stage?" "True." The spectators started buzzing with conversation, some Omegas even throwing flowers and rings onto the arena. Chen Wan remained indifferent, removing her jacket to wipe off the unpleasant blood on her face, revealing her appearance. Qin Ke did the same. Soon after, the Left Protector arrived with a small team, speaking into a microphone, "All of you have passed the first round. However, we observed that the survival of so many is solely due to Chen Wan and Qin Ke killing the zombies. Thus, the leader has decided that only Chen Wan and Qin Ke can choose rewards for the first round. The rest may have their lives spared but will not receive any reward choice. Chen Wan, Qin Ke, state your desired rewards, but understand that requests like leaving are out of the question, as that cannot be granted." Chen Wan looked coldly at the Left Protector and replied, "We want hot water and towels, and three clean jackets to wash off this blood." "Agreed. And you, Qin Ke?" the woman asked, turning to Qin Ke. "Prepare various dishes, staples, and fruits. We need to replenish our strength," Qin Ke responded after a moment's thought. "Alright, I'll have it prepared and sent to your cell shortly," the Left Protector said, adding, "Will you stay in this round, or proceed to the second game?" Chen Wan glanced at Qin Ke and Wei Si Yu before looking back at the woman and asking, "If we clear the rounds, can we meet your leader?" The Left Protector seemed surprised by this question. She typed a few words on her tablet, appearing to communicate with someone, and then replied, "Yes, if you pass all four rounds, you can meet the leader. The leader will even personally host a feast in your honor." Chen Wan nodded. They intended to rescue the innocents on the fourth underground level, and meeting the leader—the primary target—would be the most effective strategy, minimizing unnecessary casualties. "We'll choose the second game." As soon as she said this, the stands erupted with chatter. Nobody had opted for the second game in over a month. The Left Protector did not expect this decision from Chen Wan and, after a brief moment of hesitation, looked at her tablet, where she received orders from the leader. Nodding, she announced to Chen Wan and Qin Ke, "Choosing the second game grants you an hour of rest before entering the next stage. The rest can register their choice with me: stay in the first stage or proceed to the second." Following this, Wei Si Yu was the first to declare her intent to move to the second stage. They had entered together and needed to stick together. However, others were hesitant. Two male alphas in their thirties approached Chen Wan, trying to dissuade her. "Listen to some advice: don't go to the second stage. You could lead everyone through the first and just rest easy. Why the second stage?" "Exactly, if you want to die, we don't want to." "Please, we beg of you, have some pity on us." Chen Wan coldly surveyed the crowd, letting out a sarcastic chuckle, "If you don't want to choose the second stage, don't. No one's stopping you. Why morally guilt-trip us? We saved you today as a courtesy, but don’t expect constant help out of your own ineptitude." These people were unfortunate to be dragged into forced competitions, but pitying them without condition could be exasperating, leading Chen Wan to clap back adamantly. "What do you mean? We didn't ask for your help..." The man began to retort but clammed up under Chen Wan's increasingly steely gaze. In the end, apart from Chen Wan's group, Da Ge, Shao Yu, Hei Kuang Yan Jing Nan, three high school students, and four male alphas from the opposite cell also chose to play the second game—totaling 13 participants, the largest number since the Azure Dragon Bar opened. A door on one side of the arena swung open, and Chen Wan’s group exited, following the guards back to the fourth underground level. The guards began to regard Chen Wan and Qin Ke with a peculiar respect. No one dared give them a hard stare anymore, likely due to the intimidating image of the two women hunting zombies across the arena with axes. When Chen Wan and her group returned to the fourth underground level, the initially surprised inmates quickly became frantic, seeing so many of them back. It was as if almost everyone had returned, with hardly any missing. "Impossible. The match can't have even started. Not half an hour has passed. How are they all back?" "Will they swap us out? Please don’t. I don't want to go." "What is going on here anyway?" Voices of questioning and chaos slowly rose from the fourth underground level. Eventually, the guards had to fire shots to bring some order to the area. Chen Wan's group was placed back in Cell 148. Except for the girl with the rebellious streak who didn’t return, everyone else who went out came back alive. Quickly, those returning started boasting about the events that transpired outside, regaling the neighboring cells with tales. "Hey, how are you all back? Is the arena planning a switch out?" "Oh, we beat the zombies. But it wasn't me who fought—it was those two female alphas from Cell 148. They're incredible; the two of them took down 20 Level 2 mutated zombies." "You're exaggerating, aren't you? Two people killed 20 zombies? Fifty people would run at the sight of a zombie." "Believe it or not, you'll see their rewards soon enough. This time, Azure Dragon Bar only gave the rewards to those two female alphas who actually fought the zombies." The chatter among the inmates grew louder, most unwilling to believe that two female alphas had taken down all those zombies. Even when presented with the blood on Chen Wan and Qin Ke, they dismissed it as having splashed on them while they ran. Shortly, guards delivered hot water, towels, and three sets of clean clothes to Cell 148. Following that, a massive table brimming with meats, vegetables, and fruits was brought in. Chen Wan and her group used the hot water to clean the blood off their faces and changed into fresh jackets. Glancing at the others in the cell, Chen Wan said, "Come on over and eat with us. There's no way the three of us can finish this big feast alone." "Alright, thanks," Da Ge responded, a bit sheepishly, before joining them to eat. Chen Wan noticed Shao Yu hesitating and called out, "Aren't you going to join us? You've opted for the second stage in an hour, and knowing this place's twisted nature, who knows what horrors that stage holds. Better eat and conserve your strength." "Thank you. You've already saved me once today. I'm really grateful," Shao Yu expressed her gratitude again and, after a moment's hesitation, joined them in eating.