Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The wrist held by Jue Ning was pale yet lean and wiry, as if containing boundless strength.

Meng Shijiu scanned the unfamiliar Alpha's face before him—arrogant, aloof, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

The inexplicable black mist and strange floral scent made irritation flare up uncontrollably.

The silver-haired Alpha's brow furrowed slightly.

His wrist, which should have been weak from the electric shock, suddenly exerted force, wrenching free from Jue Ning's grip.

A glint of silver made Jue Ning's eyes narrow.

Meng Shijiu suddenly let a faint smile touch his lips.

The sound of a blade slicing through flesh was piercingly clear—so shallow and fleeting, yet so familiar it sent shivers down his spine, a thrill ten thousand times more intense than the numbness from the electric shock.

Jue Ning's expression darkened.

Where did the knife come from?

The black mist and floral scent were gracefully withdrawn by their master, leaving no trace behind.

The long-haired Alpha before him executed a casual knife flourish, his beautiful fingertips grazing dangerously close to the blade's tip. His green eyes shimmered with a captivating yet perilous hue, his exquisite features radiant under the sunlight, betraying none of the limp powerlessness he'd shown just moments ago.

See: "………………?"

Meng Shijiu: What's wrong?

See: "Nothing. It just felt like the magnetic field was disturbed just now."

Paying it no mind, Meng Shijiu looked at Jue Ning and raised an eyebrow.

"Get lost." A lazy, crisp voice.

Jue Ning calmly withdrew his hand, his expression quickly returning to its usual composure, showing no sign of taking offense at the provocation.

Hearing his arrogant words, Jue Ning showed no reaction, only sweeping his deep, inscrutable gaze inch by inch across his face.

Blood splattered onto the sand, a faint metallic scent dispersing.

Meng Shijiu realized that his senses—taste, sight, touch... all five—were several times sharper in this world than usual.

Alpha? Meng Shijiu mused.

He glanced at the other man's hand.

The spot where blood had beaded was healing at a visible rate.

Was this also a perk of the new gender?

Seeming to detect something else, Meng Shijiu sniffed lightly. Beyond the metallic tang of blood and the sea breeze, the air carried a faint, cool fragrance.

...A subtle scent reminiscent of snowfields and icy rivers, wrapped in the aroma of snow-covered cold bamboo, mixed with the crisp, earthy smell after rain.

Lightly fragrant at first, but prickling upon closer inhalation.

Meng Shijiu raised an eyebrow coolly again. "What's that smell?"

See: "Your pheromones."

He didn't understand.

But.

Meng Shijiu took a deep breath. "Smells good."

Even better mixed with the scent of blood and the salty tang of sea breeze, like now, Meng Shijiu thought.

See vaguely realized that the personality its host was displaying seemed different from what the data indicated.

But the Bureau's Data Department was supposed to carefully select hosts who were easily controlled and had vulnerabilities. The data showed that 99.85% of hosts hesitated upon hearing "erasure."

Moreover, the data indicated that before transmigrating, Meng Shijiu came from a privileged, happy family, both psychologically and physically healthy.

—Happy people were the easiest to have vulnerabilities.

Seeing that Jue Ning hadn't "gotten lost," Meng Shijiu didn't mind. After all, the other hadn't done anything substantial, and he couldn't be bothered to engage.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, the Alpha who had been staring at him like a wolf earlier, now putting on a civilized front, sat down beside him.

"Hello, I'm Jue Ning." As if nothing had happened, Jue Ning extended his hand courteously toward the handsome youth.

Meng Shijiu stared at the offered hand for a moment.

Jue Ning rarely encountered situations where his active overture was ignored, but not a trace of displeasure showed on his face. His cold profile was like a perfectly programmed facade, calm and unruffled.

One of the three "Never" principles from Meng Shijiu's post-apocalyptic life—

Never let a conversation drop.

—Because once it dropped, there might be no one left to talk to him.

He slowly extended his hand. "Hello, I'm Pikachu. You can also call me See."

See: "?"

Meng Shijiu gripped Jue Ning's hand and exerted a slight pressure. "See-kachu, now's the time. Give him a little shock, show him what we're made of."

See: "...Not allowed."

Meng Shijiu: "Oh. ￣へ￣"

Meng Shijiu lazily released his hand.

The lukewarm sensation left his palm, and Jue Ning unconsciously curled his fingertips.

The tall, gloomy gray-haired Alpha always wore a cold expression, easily mistaken for an unapproachable, aloof flower on a high peak.

The "aloof flower" took out a terminal from his pocket and offered it to the Alpha basking in the sun. The cold Alpha continued playing the gentleman, his icy voice deliberately lowered to feign a surface-level gentleness. "Is it convenient?"

Meng Shijiu found it amusing.

The blood on the knife's tip hadn't been wiped off and was now dried. Propping himself up on one arm, Meng Shijiu turned over and looked down at Jue Ning.

The cold blade tip lifted the chin of the gray-haired, black-eyed Alpha.

As if indulging him, Jue Ning raised his head following the motion. Meng Shijiu finally looked at this person properly.

The man's eyes were jet-black and pure, as if they could devour all light—deep and icy-cold, devoid of any light.

Meng Shijiu grinned and retorted, "Kitten, huh?"

Was this Alpha using "being a gentleman" to lull the kitten into a false sense of security, leading it step by step into his trap—

Or was he using it to mask his awkwardness when it came to approaching a kitten or winning its favor?

Meng Shijiu leaned in closer, his jade-green eyes fixed on those deep, dark pupils, his gaze shimmering with a sky-blue hue and a child's reckless curiosity, as if trying to peer through those cold eyes into his heart.

As he moved, soft strands of his hair fell, and Jue Ning found himself instinctively catching them.

As if he were holding expensive silk or fragile snow, Jue Ning's hand suddenly froze, his jet-black pupils momentarily vacant.

He let out two quick, sharp breaths. Beyond the agitation sparked by the other Alpha's pheromones, another hidden, uncontrollable thirst began to sprout like bamboo shoots after rain.

Meng Shijiu narrowed his eyes. His bright, dazzling face resembled cherry blossoms blooming on a spring branch.

"Did you... just pull my hair earlier?"

—He was referring to when he was electrocuted by See and lay unconscious on the beach.

A flicker of panic shot through Jue Ning. Suppressing the inexplicable feeling, he frowned and said, "My apologies."

Meng Shijiu remained silent.

His eyes slowly trailed down, settling on Jue Ning's impeccably buttoned, high collar.

Noble Alphas underwent rigorous daily physical and practical training; combined with a top-tier Alpha physique, his figure was perfectly maintained, the clear lines of muscle visible even through the fabric of his shirt.

Meng Shijiu made an ambiguous sound. "Tsk."

He twisted the knife tip, deftly undoing the top two buttons and parting the collar.

The snow-white blade pressed firmly against Jue Ning's skin, a thin line of blood gradually welling up on the pale flesh.

The sensation of the blade gliding over his body wasn't painful, but it was far from pleasant.

Whether out of indulgence or disdain, Jue Ning remained motionless, feeling the tingling that spread with Meng Shijiu's movements, his eyes fixed intently on the Alpha poised above him.

In that moment, he became like the Jue Ning who had stared at the unconscious Alpha—gone was the cold indifference, replaced by a gaze that greedily and unabashedly swept over Meng Shijiu's slender neck, pale chin, and enticing lips...

Until, through Meng Shijiu's romantic and unique jade-green eyes, Jue Ning saw the elegant characters etched into his own collarbone—

"Bad Dog"

Jue Ning's eyes widened, a flicker of astonishment passing through his usually placid, dark pupils.

The proud Alpha, used to being in charge since childhood, seemed to encounter such a situation for the first time, standing frozen in shock.

A thunderous crash—

As if a blinding golden light flashed through his mind, the shock surged like a mountain flood, flooding his pounding heart and washing over the ends of his soul.

A momentary suffocation brought a tingling sensation rising from the tailbone, as if his most sensitive nerves had been whipped.

A dark mist seeped out silently, the thick, overwhelming scent of datura filling the air.

Meng Shijiu, also an Alpha, got up in disgust.

Only Jue Ning's sharp eyes remained fixed unwaveringly on Meng Shijiu.

"You..." The slowly rising anger didn't seem as intense as he'd imagined. Jue Ning's voice was hoarse.

Meng Shijiu, seeing his lack of reaction, remarked, "He really is a pervert."

See had no words.

Chaotic data flickered slowly.

See: "...Stay away from him."

Meng Shijiu bent down and wiped the knife clean on Jue Ning's body, staining the haze-blue shirt. The noble, aloof Alpha instinctively reached out to grasp his wrist.

—The next second, Meng Shijiu was already far away, not even the hem of his clothes visible.

See, once again plunged into magnetic field chaos: "???"

……

……

Meng Shijiu wandered aimlessly down the street. This was a commercial street in Qiyu, the capital of Lottelance. Bustling shops and crowds interwove, the noisy clamor filling Meng Shijiu with an unprecedented sense of novelty.

Electronic screens displayed luxury advertisements, featuring fresh-faced Omegas with sweet smiles. Countless colorful balloons danced and leaped against the azure sky. Glass window walls reflected the surreal scenery like giant mirrors.

Just a day ago, he had been leading weary teammates through dilapidated stores, scavenging supplies to evade a zombie horde. Today, he found himself on this lively street, seemingly blending in with everything.

The Alpha youth strolled through the bustling streets, basking in the frequent glances from passersby. The wind lifted the ends of his hair, and the faint smile at the corner of his mouth stirred a restless itch in people's hearts.

His tall, straight shoulders and back carried a rare air of casual ease, as if he were walking at the unconstrained end of the world.

In his mind, See inquired if he would accept the mission.

Meng Shijiu: "Send the memories over first. I'll take a look."

See: "Should we find a place? It might cause a headache."

"Fine."

Meng Shijiu found a quiet park and sat on a bench.

By now, the sun was gradually setting, casting a golden glow upon him, like a scene of divine creation.

"Begin."

See fell silent.

"Signal connected."

"Information transmitting..."

"..."

First came "Meng Shijiu's" memories.

Countless images flashed through his mind, their edges tinged with slightly distorted colors.

The scenes sped by like frames of a rapid-fire slideshow until the final moment. Innumerable waves, like plucked piano keys, surged and receded. The images vanished, and his mind returned to pitch darkness.

Then came the worldline's "detailed introduction."

A black-bound book materialized out of thin air in Meng Shijiu's mind.

On the exquisite cover was an unfamiliar, beautiful Omega, hands clasped, amber eyes half-closed, with a face part demon, part deity.

*But the Sunlight is So Good*

...The name sounds quite nice, Meng Shijiu thought drowsily.

The pages began to flip unnaturally, as if blown by the wind, accompanied by a "rustling" sound effect echoing in Meng Shijiu's mind.

Meng Shijiu: "What's the point of this sound?"

The rustling sound immediately stopped, acting obediently.

See said, sounding aggrieved: "I just wanted to give you a sense of realism."

Meng Shijiu didn't speak. He was speechless.

The pages continued to flip silently.

Overall, this was a cliché but addictive ABO aristocratic academy novel—a real guilty pleasure.

Its theme supposedly reflected the contradiction between growing emotional needs and the unbalanced development of effective information.

Meng Shijiu: "I don't get it."

See comforted him: "Whatever you don't understand isn't important."

Meng Shijiu laughed: "You're still here."

The erratic data fluctuated for a moment. See: "I've always been here."

Meng Shijiu didn't speak.

See was friendly, but no one liked an unknown entity speaking in their mind, even if it wore a gentle facade.

He was no exception.

*Think of a way to dismantle it.* Meng Shijiu's fingers tapped slowly on the armrest.

The pages kept turning.

The novel primarily took place at St. Mary's Academy, the most elite aristocratic school in Qiyu.

This academy was a typical product of the bourgeoisie disguised as democratic.

The school had nearly three thousand students: 10% Alpha, 5% Omega, and 85% Beta.

Compared to other aristocratic academies, nobles and the wealthy made up less than 40% of St. Mary's; the rest were commoners.

But this was also the academy in Lottelance with the most severe status discrimination and a complete monopoly on capitalist class privilege. Compared to the minor bullying in other schools—where oppression was lighter than a beating from one's own parents—the commoners at St. Mary's truly lived in dire straits.

However, the protagonist Omega was not a poor Omega with a disabled father and sick brother. Ye Lingxi was the illegitimate child of a prominent noble, seen by outsiders as an empty-headed, pretty vase—

In the plot described by the author, Ye Lingxi fainted at the sight of blood, got carsick, and was terrified of sharp objects—even the thorns on a rose.

He was afraid of the dark, heights, and water, suffering from various PTSD; he was practically a born victim.

—But he was the protagonist.

According to the storyline, Ye Lingxi should have had a constitution that couldn't be left alone and a heart that pursued independence and freedom.

The original line was: He was aloof yet fragile, like a dust-covered moon.

The story began with Ye Lingxi insisting on studying alone in the library, where he was targeted by a twisted top student Beta and forced into non-consensual situations.

Ye Lingxi was not favored within his family, and in the novel, because he was unwilling to rely on that cold and distant family, he actually chose to endure in silence.

The top student Beta not only violated his body but also imprisoned his soul. In the plot, under the Beta's threats, Ye Lingxi provoked the so-called "most untouchable F4" of St. Mary's Academy.

The protagonist first had physical relationships with the campus F4, then emotional ones, suffering physical torment before emotional anguish. In the open-ended ending, Ye Lingxi was still torn between F1 and F2.

—But in the deviated worldline, the corrupted protagonist went on a rampage and destroyed the world.

Meng Shijiu: "Spectacular."

Meng Shijiu got the redemption script. The worldline he needed to repair was: Save the world—prevent the protagonist from turning dark.

Meng Shijiu: ………………

*Classic high schooler saves the world.*

In this novel, he was Ye Lingxi's blind fiancé (an arranged marriage from childhood) living abroad, who made only a few appearances before quickly exiting the story.

—The blindness was the setting before Meng Shijiu arrived. After merging with this world, in the new worldline, he had regained his sight and returned to the country a month ago.

After reading the plot, Meng Shijiu fell silent for a long time.

See: "Good luck, Host. As long as you prevent Ye Lingxi from turning dark, you can go home."

Hearing the word "home," Meng Shijiu smiled: "In that case, forget it. You might as well let me die right here."

Thinking he was joking, See sent a long string of ellipses.

See: "So, will you take on this mission?"

Meng Shijiu opened his eyes on the park bench and reached up to touch the back of his neck.

The bulge at the nape confirmed the reality of everything.

The long-haired Alpha, now with his memories, completely absorbed the faint, cold pheromones in the air.

Meng Shijiu sank into thought.

In this ABO world, Alphas and Omegas made up only 2%. Alphas had rut cycles, Omegas had heat cycles, and Betas had no pheromones and couldn't smell them either.

Superficially democratic, it actually mixed conflicts of dominance, submission, power, and gender, bringing them all to the forefront.

A novel is just a novel, but this world was clearly one with logical consistency.

Was Ye Lingxi's desire to destroy the world really just due to absurd romance?

Meng Shijiu's gaze fell on the gravel path beneath his feet.

"Let's give it a try," Meng Shijiu said lazily.

Might as well consider it early retirement.

Former apocalypse S-class ability user, Six-star Commander, Chief Meng yawned and thought.

See, who didn't know what he was thinking and simply didn't want to eliminate Meng Shijiu, breathed a sigh of relief.