Omega Manual chapter 36

Won’t You Come Over?

In that moment, Irey doubted his own ears, “What did you say?”

“Fifteen kilometers south from here, there’s a small village called Wasu,” Shelley said. “That’s one of the stops for the train from Chiali to Duhaat. As long as we get there…”

Irey interrupted him in time, “Are you saying we’re going to abandon this car, walk fifteen kilometers, and catch a train?”

“That’s the only way,” Shelley said.

“No way!” Irey looked incredulously at his boss. “The only way is for you to call those elite of yours and get a crane to lift the car and then go back to Nantes!”

“I’ve told you, if I do that, I’ll be sent back to Nantes, and who knows when I’ll be allowed to leave the city again!” Shelley raised his voice.

“So what if it’s delayed? What’s the big deal?” Irey countered, not understanding. “All our supplies are in this damn car! Food, water, change of clothes, toiletries, first aid kit, cold medicine, and even the suit you bought for me! Are you telling me you’d rather walk fifteen kilometers than make a phone call?”

Shelley’s expression became very impatient, even losing the patience to explain further. He cut off Irey’s words directly, “You don’t want to walk, do you? Fine, I’ll go by myself.”

After saying that, he turned and walked southward, without even giving the other party a chance to respond.

The noon sun shone directly on the golden sand, reflecting dazzling light. Shelley was wearing the least suitable custom-made leather shoes for long-distance walking. The sand rushed into the seams of his shoes, but he stubbornly continued to walk forward, seemingly unaffected.

It wasn’t until his figure had walked more than ten meters away without looking back that Irey realized his boss was serious.

“Damn,” Irey muttered under his breath, disregarding everything else, he hurriedly caught up, “You motherf— Wait for me!”

This vast expanse of desert and desert was connected together, with nothing but sand and rubble as far as the eye could see.

Fifteen kilometers was neither long nor short. If it were in the city, although it wouldn’t be easy, it wouldn’t be so exaggerated that people couldn’t walk.

But this was a deserted wilderness. Looking around, there was only the bleak sky and endless desolation.

No humans, no animals, no landmarks whatsoever. Opening the map would only reveal a vast expanse of yellow. Without the GPS positioning on their phones, they would be one hundred percent lost in this godforsaken place.

Even with the numerical hints on the GPS, walking for several hours in an environment with no changes was not something ordinary people could endure.

At least in Irey’s understanding, it wasn’t something that a noble like Shelley, who was used to a life of luxury, could endure.

But after two hours, Shelley was still walking a few steps ahead of him, and he had never looked back.

He could hardly imagine what level of perseverance it took for Shelley, who was frail, to make such a resolute choice, without even a trace of hesitation.

By the third hour, Shelley’s steps had noticeably slowed down, floating and drifting, no longer able to stay on a straight line.

Just as Irey hesitated whether to call out to him, Shelley suddenly stepped on a piece of broken stone by his feet, and immediately lost his balance and fell forward.

“Boss!” Fortunately, Irey was right beside him and quickly grabbed him.

Shelley leaned on Irey’s shoulder for a while before lifting his head. The long-term direct sunlight on his head made him dizzy, and the monotonous scenery affected his vision. He closed his eyes for a while before feeling the flickering white light gradually disappearing from his eyes.

Irey frowned, “Boss, do you want—”

Shelley glanced at him, and before he could finish his sentence, he pushed him away and tried to continue walking forward.

Irey grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, “Do you want to drink some water?”

Shelley’s reaction was somewhat sluggish. He looked at him fixedly for a moment before showing a puzzled look.

Irey took out a small bottle of water from his coat pocket, which was not even the size of his palm and hadn’t been opened yet, “From the tent, just this one bottle.”

Shelley looked at him, then at the water he handed over, and finally took it and unscrewed the cap, drinking half of it in one breath.

Irey let out a sigh of relief and patted Shelley’s shoulder. It seemed his boss wasn’t so stubborn as to refuse the water he offered.

“Rest for a while if you’re tired. It’s still early before sunset, and we can make it,” Irey said.

Shelley glanced at him, recognizing his compromise, “You’re not drinking?”

“Save it for yourself. I’m worried you’ll dehydrate and pass out in the sand if you keep walking like this.” Irey clicked his tongue in exasperation. “I really don’t know which one of us is thirty. You’re as stubborn as a three-year-old.”

Shelley didn’t respond, lowering his head to take another sip of water. Just as Irey thought he was still sulking and wouldn’t reply, Shelley suddenly looked up and beckoned him with a finger.

“?” Irey was baffled but leaned in closer.

Then Shelley hooked his hand around Irey’s neck, pulled him down, and pressed their lips together.

Cool water flowed from Shelley’s lips into Irey’s parched mouth. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, greedily using his tongue to capture the remaining moisture from Shelley’s mouth.

But Shelley didn’t respond further. He pulled back, ending the kiss as if his sole purpose was to give Irey a sip of water.

A lingering sense of intimacy still hung between them, drawing out a moist string.

“Your lips are chapped,” Shelley said. “We still have a long way to go.”

In a desert stretching hundreds of kilometers, there was a small oasis backed by a hillside. A village called Wasu lay on this oasis—remote and poor, but with a simple and monotonous life. Even the meteor shower that had upended the world seemed not to have affected the villagers much.

The train passing by the village at sunset every day was the only way for people in this remote area to leave. Every day, strong men would board the train in the evening with grains and raw meat and return the next morning, distributing the money they earned to the children and women.

After the meteor shower, fewer men and more women were boarding the train. Women who once busied themselves with household chores had differentiated into Alphas, gaining impressive strength and pheromones. They took off their aprons, donned farming attire, and calmly replaced the husbands and sons who had tragically differentiated into Omegas, becoming the new pillars of the village.

Life went on day after day, with the train passing by the village entrance and familiar faces always waiting for it.

But that day was different.

A woman with a headscarf carrying a bag of rice and meat looked past the station sign at the two strange men.

The Alpha wore an old, blackened coat, jeans worn to the point of fraying, and shoes falling apart. The Omega, however, wore what appeared to be an expensive high-end coat, with his shirt meticulously buttoned to the top, looking completely out of place in this environment. Despite his refined attire, he was just as travel-worn, his clothes covered in sand. The contrast made him seem even more disheveled.

More importantly, the Alphas in Wasu village had never seen an Omega dressed so “human” in public.

In their outdated and simple understanding, Omegas should be kept inside, raising children and managing the household, only venturing out with a black veil over their faces. To dress so neatly and finely while embarking on a long train journey was utterly against ethical norms.

Irey was the first to notice the hostile gazes. He took a deep puff of the cheap cigarette he had bought from the village store and blew the smoke towards the female Alpha staring at them.

“What are you looking at?” He flicked the ash. “Mind your own business.”

No sooner had he spoken than the train’s whistle sounded in the distance. The crowd waiting for the train stirred, each trying to secure the best spot before it arrived.

Shelley’s body had become weary and sluggish from the five-hour trek and couldn’t react to what was happening. He was pushed aside by the tide of people.

Irey, quick on his feet, grabbed him, shielding him within the protective range of his arm. The train slowly came to a stop at the station sign, its doors opening with a loud hiss of air.

It was like a small-scale war had broken out. The Alpha men at the front used their strong arms to grip the train doors, attempting to step up two steps at once. Another Alpha squeezed in, successfully shoving him aside and boarding the train first.

For a moment, the sea of people was filled with jostling heads, hands, and feet, with lost buttons and broken shoes, and even hens struggling to flap their wings to escape.

Shelley, never having seen such a scene, instinctively tried to retreat, only to be grabbed and held in front of Irey.

“If we don’t push our way in now, there won’t be any room left to stand,” Irey whispered.

Shelley looked up into the train and felt a shiver down his spine.

The train was like a container transporting slaves, every corner packed with people. People sat in the aisles, lay on the luggage racks, and even climbed onto the top of the handrails. Human ingenuity was at its peak, utilizing every conceivable space.

But Irey was clearly accustomed to this. He held Shelley’s hand with his left hand, skillfully slipped his right hand out of his sleeve, and whispered, “Keep your head down and hold on to me.”

Shelley’s sluggish brain was muddled, but he instinctively followed Irey’s instructions and tightly gripped his hand.

Irey pulled Shelley up as he squeezed through the crowd, using a low, gloomy tone, “Make way, make way.”

This strange sound drew the attention of the other passengers to Irey, then to his empty sleeve. The people pushing their way onto the train hesitated, but they eventually made space for him.

Irey took advantage of the gap and deftly climbed up, pulling Shelley along with him.

Finally entering the crowded carriage, they faced an even more stifling environment. The carriage was filled with people, mostly city-bound Alphas, whose sweaty pheromones permeated the confined space. Shelley almost fainted from the overwhelming odor.

And everywhere he looked, there were people, packed tightly together, all sorts of people. The seats were long taken, with two-person seats holding three people, and three-person seats holding six, everywhere you looked.

Shelley had looked at the map before; it would take a full twelve hours to get from here to Duhaat. Even if half of the people here left, he still wouldn’t have a seat.

Just thinking about it made him feel faint and his legs go weak.

At this moment, Irey suddenly pointed out the window and shouted loudly, “What the hell is that?”

Everyone on the train turned to look, and taking this opportunity, Irey bent down agilely like a loach and slipped to the back of the carriage. Just as a man stood up to get off, Irey swiftly claimed his seat.

His seamless maneuver left Shelley dumbfounded.

Some people realized what had happened and glared angrily at him, but Irey just leaned back nonchalantly, resting his elbow on the back of the seat.

A few seconds later, the train started moving again. Shelley stumbled a few steps, pushed by the crowd, before finally grabbing a seat back to steady himself.

“Boss!”

Irey called out to him over several pairs of legs, “What are you standing there for? Come sit!”

Shelley stared at him, then at the tight fit of people on the seat. Sit where?

Then he saw Irey pat his own lap with a grand gesture.