I Became the Omega in a Game - Chapter 31

For it to be ineffective, as Laska claimed, was indeed a serious problem.

But…

Riche felt oddly detached from the concern. After all, she had never personally experienced the effects of a heat cycle. Whether Obsagen worked or not was irrelevant to her—because she had never gone into heat in the first place.

It had been over a year since she became an inferior Omega, one incapable of even releasing pheromones. She had tentatively concluded that perhaps she simply didn’t experience heat cycles. Even after regaining the ability to emit Omega pheromones following her night with Kairos, nothing had changed.

“My healing abilities were of no help to my patient at the time. The frustration kept me up at night.”

“…”

“But now, I’ve made some progress. I’ve been testing a new medication as an alternative to Obsagen. If you’d like, I can provide it to you.”

Obsagen must have been developed specifically for naturally manifested Omegas. So what was the fundamental difference between an acquired and a natural Omega?

Hormones? If it was hormones, did that mean it all came down to genetics?

She had transformed from a Beta into an Omega. If Alpha pheromones had triggered that change… could pheromones actually alter genetic traits?

A terrifying thought.

Despite her pheromone concentration being lower than that of a typical Omega, many Alphas—including Raymond—had struggled to endure its effects. Was this discrepancy the reason why?

Even though she was an acquired Omega and a recessive one at that, Riche had concluded that her pheromones were surprisingly potent. She couldn’t compare them directly to those of other Omegas, so she had to rely on indirect observations.

She became aware of Laska’s gaze on her. His black eyes were filled with pure, untainted goodwill. Only then did she realize—despite being exposed to her pheromones, he remained utterly unaffected.

“Miss?”

His curious call snapped her from her thoughts. Riche responded softly.

“I would appreciate that.”

“Please wait here. Ah, damn.”

A crowd of people was approaching from the other end of the corridor. Laska glanced at Riche with a troubled expression. After the long struggle with Gobert, her clothes were rumpled, her hair disheveled—she hardly looked presentable.

“It would be difficult for you to wait here looking like that.”

“In that case, would it be alright if I followed you?”

“To my laboratory?”

Riche nodded. Laska hesitated briefly but, deciding there was no real issue, gestured toward the hallway beyond.

“Follow me.”

She nodded again and trailed behind him. His steps were calm and measured—an extension of his composed demeanor.

As she observed how unaffected he seemed by her pheromones, Riche was overcome with curiosity. Was he simply an Alpha with exceptional self-control? Or did he possess a natural resistance to Omega pheromones?

‘I want to get my hands on the knowledge he has. But how?’

Just as she pondered this while watching his retreating figure, a large translucent window appeared before her.

[Quest Activated.
Laska Medichina is an Alpha and a master of Alpha-Omega research.
He is interested in studying you, an acquired Omega.
Assist him in completing his research.
Success Reward: Research Data.
Failure Penalty: None.]

There was no penalty, but there was no way she would refuse. This was exactly what she had been hoping for.

Despite the surge of excitement, Riche hesitated. Laska’s knowledge would greatly accelerate her own research into this world’s native inhabitants.

‘And when my research here is complete…’

She bit her lip slightly.

‘If I’m not rescued by then, what am I supposed to do?’

“Wait here for a moment.”

Snapping out of her thoughts, she realized they had already entered a building. Laska gave a small nod of his head before opening a door. As she watched his back, Riche forced herself to brush away the unproductive worries clouding her mind.

Feeling lost about the future was no excuse to avoid doing what needed to be done. If she let uncertainty hold her back, she’d only end up resenting herself.

No, she would use Laska—this anthropologist of another world—to her advantage. First, she needed to uncover the truth behind his resistance to Omega pheromones.

Creaaak.

The door opened. Laska had turned to a small cabinet, retrieving a vial when he suddenly froze with a puzzled expression.

“I told you to wait outside…”

Riche quietly opened the faucet inside her body.

A thick haze of pheromones filled the room. Laska’s face hardened instantly.

An Omega releasing pheromones toward an Alpha—there was only one possible meaning.

“What are you doing?”

Riche watched his expression closely. The warmth of his usual goodwill faded, replaced by wariness. But that was all.

There was no heat stirring in his gaze, no flush of lust creeping over his skin, no tension of suppressed desire—none of the reactions she had come to expect from an Alpha exposed to Omega pheromones.

‘He definitely has pheromone resistance.’

She neatly reined her pheromones back in.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to confirm something. My apologies.”

“…Haah. Don’t ever do that again. It was unpleasant.”

Riche deliberately put on an apologetic expression. Seeing her look so delicate and remorseful, Laska’s features softened slightly. He didn’t seem to think she had acted with ill intent.

She was relieved by his naivety.

“Has it not been long since your manifestation? If you have trouble controlling your pheromones, I can introduce you to a healer who specializes in such things.”

Riche shook her head lightly, as if to say she had no need for such things. Then, she took a step closer.

“Healer.”

Laska stiffened slightly, eyeing her warily. Riche smiled faintly at his reaction.

“Aren’t you tempted by me?”

It was the kind of line a flirt might use, as if suggesting, Since we’ve met like this, why not give it a try? She hadn’t intended to sound so crude, but in her eagerness, she had been too hasty.

Sure enough, Laska’s expression grew cold, his interest fading instead of sharpening.

“Because you’re an Omega, you assume I must want you?” His voice was icy. “You’re already trying to seduce an Alpha? You should first learn that there’s a time and place for such things.”

His words didn’t just carry the distaste of someone rejecting a street flirtation—they had the scorn of someone looking at a brothel worker.

Too hasty.

Riche let out a sigh and shook her head.

“No.”

“…”

“I wasn’t talking about physical desire. You want to study the body of an acquired Omega, don’t you?”

Laska’s brow twitched slightly. His expression remained neutral, but Riche nodded as if she had already seen through him.

Of course, I know. I felt it the moment I first saw him.

The familiar black eyes, the scent of someone like herself—Riche recognized that instinctive connection. She grinned, her face lighting up with the same excitement she always felt when discovering a fascinating research subject in her original world.

“I’ll let you study me.”

“You’re offering up your body for research?”

Riche nodded. Laska eyed her suspiciously.

“And what do you gain from this?”

“I need your knowledge. Your wisdom about humans.”

She tapped her temple lightly with her index finger.

“I give you me, and you give me what you know. Sounds like a fair trade, doesn’t it?”

Laska stared at her, frozen as if hearing something utterly absurd.

“Not interested?”

“…No. It’s not a bad proposition. In fact, it’s something I was planning to ask of you.”

He placed the vial in his palm.

“This medication is still experimental—it can only temporarily suppress heat cycles. But if you cooperate, it will greatly help in completing the formula. The sooner we finish it, the fewer patients will suffer from their traits.”

A humanitarian?

Riche narrowed her eyes slightly as she sensed the faint traces of her own pheromones lingering in the enclosed laboratory. Despite the situation, Laska remained composed, speaking about helping others.

“You really do resist Omega pheromones with ease,” she mused. “Are they simply ineffective against you? Is pheromone resistance an actual trait?”

She spoke in a tone filled with curiosity. Laska, who had remained silent for a moment, finally responded.

“I don’t have any kind of pheromone resistance.”

His voice sounded… off.

Riche sharpened her focus, listening closely. His breathing had grown slightly ragged. With an almost frustrated shake of his head, his silver-gray hair shifted lazily.

“I’m simply enduring it through willpower.”

“…”

“Truthfully…”

Laska lifted a hand to cover his mouth, his broad palm concealing the lower half of his face. But his eyes—he couldn’t hide those.

And at that moment, Riche realized.

Ah. It’s not that my pheromones don’t affect him…

His face had flushed red, his black eyes glaring at her with unmistakable tension.

“Step back,” he growled. “Releasing pheromones like that—how foolish. I have no desire to—”

Riche’s lips curled into a quiet smile.

Laska faltered.

“…I have no desire to do anything with you.”

“I have a proposal for you, Laska Medichina.”

Rather than stepping back, Riche took a step closer. Her lips curved into a picture-perfect smile. The movement of her red lips was alluring—so much so that Laska’s gaze was drawn to them like a magnet.

“Will you hear me out?”

Her soft voice carried the scent of peach-sweet pheromones, thick in the air.

A moment later—

“I-I don’t like this! I really don’t like this!”

Dressed just as neatly as when she had entered the room, Riche responded calmly.

“I’m not particularly fond of it either.”

Her words trailed off ambiguously.

Sitting in the research lab’s chair, his body responding involuntarily, Laska’s expression was a mixture of embarrassment and reluctant attention as he listened to her.

“I didn’t expect you to be… this big.”

“H-Hey!”

“Riche. My name is Riche.”

“Miss Riche. You said you don’t enjoy things like this.”

She glanced up at him, her expression unreadable.

“I did say that. But after seeing you, Healer…”

Riche, unlike an omega who was deliberately trying to seduce an alpha, spoke with an innocent, almost pure expression.

“I think this might be more fun than I expected.”