Hearing the commotion outside, Pho Noan Yi's heart itched with restless curiosity as she stared intently at the "sugar figurine" in front of her.
A voice in her head reminded her: Quick, hide the food, eat it secretly by yourself.
Hide it.
Pho Noan Yi gripped the sofa for support, struggling to stand, then easily hoisted the unconscious Xu Chi over her shoulder. She turned around, preparing to head back to the "starting point": that cabinet.
She walked through the pool of blood.
The blood had begun to coagulate, each step making a sticky, clinging sound.
It was as if the strawberry jam layer itself was pitifully crying out: Lick me! Don't go, I'm tastier than the sugar figurine!
Don't want it. I'm sick of it.
Irritated, Pho Noan Yi stomped her foot, and a faint layer of light spread from beneath her.
The sticky pool of blood instantly dried, forming a coat of blood lacquer that clung tightly to the floor.
From downstairs came a gentle female voice:
"Captain Tu, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't worry."
Another coquettish female voice sounded, full of guilt:
"It's all my fault… I felt a little dizzy and accidentally fell into the captain, affecting him."
"Minh Ha, it's not your fault. You've just awakened a Space-type ability, so of course you'd feel unwell. You're amazing—awakening a second ability as well."
"It's just luck. Sister Huong Vu's Light Healing ability is far more impressive."
The gentle voice quickly interrupted, "It's not safe out here. Let's go inside first, I'll heal Captain Tu."
Pho Noan Yi instinctively felt uneasy, quickening her pace with Xu Chi slung over her shoulder. She reached the cabinet, shoved him into the other side, then stepped inside herself and gently closed the door.
The surroundings were instantly plunged into darkness. In the enclosed space, the sweet scent grew even thicker.
Pho Noan Yi, hungry to the point of desperation, curled up close to Xu Chi, wanting to take a bite—but the helmet on her head got in the way.
Her teeth were always just short of the "sugar figurine." Lowering her head, she pressed her face against his chest—finally close enough to the "sugar figurine."
She opened her mouth wide, ready to take a hard bite.
A voice in her heart screamed repeatedly: You can't eat people! You must not eat people!
Why?
Pho Noan Yi was confused. Wasn't this a sugar figurine? It was a person? Why can't I eat people?
She was both hungry and aggrieved.
This was her food. Why couldn't she eat it?
So sad…
Chaotic footsteps sounded downstairs. Pho Noan Yi suppressed her hunger, holding Xu Chi tightly and lying perfectly still.
Trinh Huong Vu supported Tu Thuy Lang, pushing open the front doors of the furniture center and looking inside.
Everywhere, zombie corpses lay with smashed skulls.
She let out a breath of relief. "Someone's already cleared this place."
Du Minh Ha stood behind her, looking up toward the third-floor furniture showroom. Her hand trembled slightly from excitement.
This was it. This was the place.
The strongest villain of them all began his path to nearly destroying humanity here.
Du Minh Ha gripped the blue teardrop-shaped gemstone pendant at her neck, watching as Trinh Huong Vu healed Tu Thuy Lang with Light energy, her lips curling into a faint smile.
In her previous life, only after death did she learn she was merely living inside a novel.
The heroine was Trinh Huong Vu—possessing both Light Healing and an expandable spatial dimension.
Tu Thuy Lang, tall and ruggedly handsome, was the male lead paired with her.
The two had gone from trusted teammates to a life-and-death couple.
But all that time, Du Minh Ha had only been a clownish side character, no matter how deeply she loved Tu Thuy Lang—a tragic supporting role meant only to fuel their romance.
In this life, she had been reborn to the very moment the apocalypse began. She not only met Tu Thuy Lang first but also took away Trinh Huong Vu's spatial pendant.
If she could just take away the strongest villain in the book, she would be the final victor!
She dared not reveal too much. Choosing this exact moment to activate her space and display a Space-type awakening was all part of entering the furniture center at this key time.
If she could save that villain, win his gratitude, and make him fall in love with her…
She restrained her excitement—once she saved Xu Chi, she would mimic Trinh Huong Vu step by step, making Tu Thuy Lang fall for her too.
Then she would have the two most handsome, powerful men in the world, and later steal away all the future elite ability-users who would have joined Trinh Huong Vu.
So what if she lived inside a book?
She was reborn to defeat Trinh Huong Vu—making her the tragic side character and forcing her to watch Du Minh Ha become the heroine step by step!
"Sister Huong Vu, my space is quite large—should we collect some furniture?"
The apocalypse had only been going on for a month. Trinh Huong Vu was still at level one, her powers not especially strong. She was focused on healing Tu Thuy Lang's deep forehead wound from smashing into the car's windshield.
"Alright, go ahead. Be careful."
Du Minh Ha looked delicate and charming, but her smile carried a childlike sweetness.
She moved closer to Trinh Huong Vu. "Sister Huong Vu is always the best to me. Don't worry, I'm not afraid. I can kill zombies!"
Trinh Huong Vu's gentle features softened even more with her smile. "Go on."
Hiding inside the cabinet, Pho Noan Yi tilted her head curiously upon hearing the name "Huong Vu."
It seemed… she'd heard that somewhere before.
Where was it?
Du Minh Ha drew a dagger from her space and gripped it tightly. She turned to the two average-looking male team members keeping watch, flashing a confident smile.
The two men flushed and looked away awkwardly. "Be careful."
"Watch over Sister Huong Vu. Don't worry about me."
Following the staircase upward, Du Minh Ha recalled that at this time in the story, Xu Chi had just slaughtered eight ability users and was resting from his injuries.
Afterward, he had used his Darkness-type power to control these eight powerful users, marking the start of his path as the strongest villain.
If not for Trinh Huong Vu, Tu Thuy Lang, and hundreds of elite ability-users working together, Xu Chi would have been unbeatable.
Du Minh Ha had never met him, but she remembered the novel's description.
Xu Chi was devastatingly handsome—fair-skinned and flawless, tall and straight.
His peach blossom eyes had slightly upturned corners, radiating brilliance.
With just one raised eyebrow, it felt as though you'd fallen into a galaxy of glittering stars.
When he smiled, it was like the clear freshness of early spring, flowers blooming with dew, sunlight spilling across the petals, dewdrops shimmering—radiance beyond compare.
Every inch of him was perfect. Even his voice was the most beautiful—clear, melodious, and pleasant to the ear.
A faint chuckle from him could melt anyone's heart.
Compared to the male lead Tu Thuy Lang, the villain Xu Chi was even more beautiful.
And yet, he was also the most tragic man in the book. His father, Xu Duc Hung, had twisted desires.
To satisfy his own perversions, he had ordered eight male ability-users to bring his son here to "discipline" him—then return him to the base for his own enjoyment.
The first step in Xu Chi's descent into darkness began here.
Du Minh Ha grew more excited thinking about rescuing and possessing him. Her dagger hand trembled.
She quickened her pace on the third floor, following the scent of blood, until she saw the eight corpses—and her eyes lit up.
But after searching, there was no sign of the injured, peerlessly handsome man.
Nothing—just the eight corpses.
Panic set in. No footprints—meaning he hadn't gone far. Where was he?
Pho Noan Yi heard the urgent footsteps and tightened her hold on Xu Chi, afraid of being discovered.
Xu Chi, just waking from unconsciousness, still hadn't regained full clarity.
The crushing pressure on his chest made it impossible to breathe—he fainted again.
Du Minh Ha searched everywhere but couldn't find her perfect villain. She nearly stamped her foot and screamed: Where's my flawless villain?!
Before she could find him, the eight corpses on the ground began to stir.
Crack… crack… Loud noises echoed, as if all their bones were stretching.