Reborn As A Doomsday Villainess-Chapter 142: You were so calm and cool

Qingran didn’t speak those words with heat.

She didn’t raise her voice, didn’t turn to look at them. But the calm in her tone made her promise land heavier than a threat ever could.

The quiet sobbing stopped. No one answered her, but she didn’t expect them to.

She drove the car in silence, the streets bleeding past them like the ghost of a city long gone.

At some point, someone murmured a thank you. But Qingran didn’t respond.

By the time they reached the hotel, ir was already completely dark.

She parked out front and got out first, scanning the area with narrowed eyes.

The zombies hadn’t come out yet.

"Out, now. Move in pairs."

They filed out behind her, some still limping, some still cautious.

Lingquan floated lazily overhead, but his gaze was sharper than usual, watching their every step.

Inside, the lobby was just as quiet as when she’d left it. The faint smell of decay and dust clung to the air.

They took the elevator up, and Qingran stood at the front, eyes fixed on the flickering panel.

When the doors opened on the 39th floor, a shriek tore through the air before the metallic doors even finished sliding back.

A rotting figure lunged straight for her.

The others behind her screamed—two of them stumbling back and nearly falling. The wounded man clutched the elevator wall in panic.

But Qingran didn’t hesitate. Her body twisted, avoiding the lunging zombie with practiced grace.

A flick of her wrist sent a dagger slicing clean through its temple.

The body slumped to the floor, shaking heavily but it finally stopped.

Then another came staggering from down the hall. A third clawed at one of the suite doors.

"Stay back!" she barked.

The flames burst from her palms like wild wings, curling through the air in a tight arc.

The second zombie combusted in seconds, the third soon after, the heat from the blaze licking the walls but never touching the survivors.

Smoke curled lazily in the hallway, the only sound now the ragged breathing of the survivors and the soft thud of burning corpses collapsing.

Lingquan, now right side up, exhaled a low whistle.

[That flame though. You should thank me for giving you this ability.]

Qingran ignored him and turned toward the nearest suite. 3901.

She keyed in the passcode Lingquan had given her earlier, the panel blinking green as the lock clicked open.

"Go." she said, pushing the door wide.

They hurried in, glancing around at the clean interior like it was some kind of dream.

No broken glass. No blood. Everything was still intact.

Qingran followed them inside and immediately started issuing instructions.

"Take the bedroom and rest if you’re not injured. You" she said pointing to the man with the dislocated ankle.

"Stay off that leg. I’ll bring you a splint."

The man nodded and sat on the couch. The woman who had a cut on her arm, walked to the Qingran.

With tears in her eyes, she began thanking her.

"Thank you so much for helping us. I’ve never seen these things before, I was so scared and didn’t know what to do. But you, you were so calm, so cool, I knew if I followed you...I’d be saved."

"..."

"Don’t thank me so soon. Just be grateful you weren’t bitten by those zombies, then I would have to kill you. You don’t want that right?"

The woman shook her head as Qingran pushed her into the couch. Retrieving a first aid kit from her stockpile.

She cleaned the woman’s wound and placed a bandage on it. Apart from the man who had dislocated his ankle, the rest had minor injuries.

"I have to set your ankle now. Don’t move too much.."

Qingran wasn’t a doctor, she only had basic medical training, if it was a wound that required surgery she wouldn’t be able to do it.

"Aish.." the man gritted his teeth, Qingran set the splint as fast as she could. When she was done she passed him some painkillers.

"You’ll be living here. 2 to a bedroom. There should be food in the fridge as well as water. If you want to contact me, use this.."

She placed another communication device on the table.

"Now you can tell me your name and number on your wrist." She paused and turned to Lingquan "Take note of this."

The young woman who had spoken earlier straightened up slightly. "I’m Rina. My number is 059"

Lingquan logged it silently, fingers tracing glowing glyphs in the air.

The man with the splint nodded next. "Taejin. 119."

Another woman stepped forward, brushing dust from her sleeve. "Mina. 072."

"Yul. 140," said the man with a shaved head, still a little wary.

"Haru," came the soft voice of the youngest-looking of the bunch. "009."

The last man, quiet until now, gave a curt nod. "Jaeho. 084."

Qingran looked over each of them once. "Good. You’re now part of the count. Don’t make me regret it."

Lingquan floated back, the numbers already sorted in his mental list.

[Six registered. That makes eleven total in the building.]

"I’ll be back before morning. Don’t touch the walls, don’t open the windows, and don’t go near the elevator."

Rina stood again, wringing her hands. "You... you’re not staying with us?"

"I have work to do," Qingran said. "And people waiting."

"When will you come back?" Rina asked and Qingran pointed to the device.

"If you want to see me, call me on that. For now, goodnight.."

Qingran walked out the suite, her eyes landed on the zombie she had killed with the dagger.

"It would be best to burn the body."

She flicked her finger, and watched the flames consume the zombie until it was nothing short of dust.

Sighing she spoke to it. "I’m sorry your life had to end like this."

With that she turned on her heels and headed to the 40th floor, she too needed her rest. She would need to barricade the doors but she would start doing that tomorrow.

[Good job host.]