This matter was more important than whether or not she was also from another world. After all, Li Ke himself was currently in the state of being scratched by a zombie and was basically done for. The girl he had so painstakingly saved was also in a similar, near-fatal situation. This was truly a sad state of affairs.
"Don't even try to speak. Your leg is also scratched. You must have seen zombie movies before, right? You should know what's going to happen to you after something like this."
Li Ke pointed to the girl's calf. Blood continuously flowed onto her black stockings and delicate small leather shoes, leaving streaks and making her fair calf look gruesome. There was no way around it; anything stained with blood rarely looked good, let alone a wound as monstrous as that. There was no beauty to be found.
"Ah!"
The girl, named Erina Nakiri, shrieked. She stared in shock at her calf and stumbled to the ground. Although she was the young lady of a famous culinary family, she had watched many movies for entertainment and was naturally familiar with zombie films and how infections spread in most of them. She looked at her calf in a panic, wanting to touch her wound with her pristine hand but not daring to.
The pain she had ignored because of her struggle for survival suddenly became so clear and obvious due to Li Ke's reminder, plunging the girl's heart back into despair.
Hunger, the inability to eat Spam made from low-quality ingredients—her God's Tongue, no, it should be called a curse. On top of that, the cruel fact that after meeting another person and getting a chance at life, she discovered she might also be infected—all of it pushed the girl into a bottomless despair.
Tears instantly filled her eyes. The girl was originally a very strong, even arrogant person, but that was based on everything she possessed. Her distinguished background, superior talent, and hard-earned practice were the sources of her pride. But in this cruel zombie world, all of those advantages vanished, leaving only the threat of death.
"Looks like we can only leave it to fate, huh?"
Li Ke chuckled. The despair in the girl's eyes was exactly what he had experienced before. However, he was caught unprepared by a zombie attack at the very beginning, while the girl in front of him was hurt due to her own mistake. How to put it? There was no schadenfreude, but rather a kind of helpless amusement at the irony of fate.
Under the girl's astonished gaze, he unwrapped the bandage on his arm, revealing his own grotesque wound, and showed it to her.
"Me too. So, let's just cherish our last moments. Besides, maybe being scratched isn't fatal."
Li Ke crouched down. He took out the few bottles of water he had scavenged and his saved medical supplies from his backpack, then reached for the girl's shoes. Her delicate little leather shoes encased a pair of equally delicate feet. Although they were a bit dirty from the blood, when Li Ke pulled the stockings off her foot, he saw a truly beautiful pair of feet—exquisite, small, and somewhat cute. The only issue was the heavy smell of blood.
Erina Nakiri watched as Li Ke held her calf. She bit back her shyness and didn't pull her leg away, just watching Li Ke's actions in a slight panic. She had no other choice but to follow Li Ke's lead.
Li Ke used gauze and clean water to wash the girl's wound. He poured the remaining alcohol over the injury, making sure to cover every exposed area. The pain from the alcohol made the girl clench her fists, but she held back from making a sound, which greatly surprised Li Ke, who had been ready to stuff her mouth with a cloth.
To distract the girl from the pain, Li Ke casually asked, "You said you also just suddenly arrived in this world?"
Erina Nakiri nodded. She could clearly see that the medical kit Li Ke took out didn't contain any antibiotics. This meant Li Ke didn't have any medicine either, or he had already used it all up.
However, if medicine really worked, the world shouldn't be full of zombies. The girl looked up in despair. "Yes, I just suddenly came to this world." She had originally planned to keep it a secret, after all, this was the first time she had met this man. But being a fellow "infected" person made her lose the interest to hide anything.
"I see. You seem to be able to endure pain well. So why did you make a sound because you couldn't eat something?" Li Ke knew about the "God's Tongue," but he hadn't finished the anime, so he couldn't quite understand why she wouldn't just endure it in such a dangerous situation, no matter how bad it tasted.
"Because of a curse."
"A curse?"
"That's right. I bear an enviable curse called the God's Tongue. No matter how delicious the food is, its flaws are infinitely magnified on my tongue. Combined with the culinary skills I've honed since childhood and the food I usually eat, when it comes to industrially produced food like this, I can only taste the additives, motor oil, and those inferior ingredients and crude manufacturing processes."
As she spoke about her own situation, a hint of her usual spirited self and a touch of her aristocratic demeanor returned to Erina Nakiri's face, though she was still a bit listless from blood loss.
"I see. I don't really understand, but you can at least eat honey, right?"
Li Ke wrapped gauze around Erina Nakiri's calf. He had done his best to treat her, but unfortunately, this was all he could do. He hadn't found any medicine in the vicinity, only some alcohol, gauze, and various odds and ends like vitamins.
"It should be okay, right?"
Erina Nakiri nodded, but with some uncertainty. Honey also had different grades, and storage and other conditions could cause it to taste bad. But, it should be edible.
"Then, here's to despair."
Wiping his hand on his clothes, Li Ke took out an unopened jar of honey, thoughtfully unscrewed the lid, and handed it to Erina Nakiri. She smelled the honey, and tears involuntarily flowed. She looked at the smile on Li Ke's face, unable to understand why he could still smile in a situation like this. But she wiped her eyes and clinked her honey jar against the bottle in Li Ke's hand.
"To despair."
Li Ke smiled, took a big drink of honey, and gave Erina Nakiri a thumbs-up. He had thought he would die alone, but he didn't expect to meet a cute girl. This was lucky enough. At least in what might be the last moments of his life, he wouldn't die alone.
Though the thick honey didn't taste good because it was too sweet and of a low, mediocre quality, she could only taste the thick stickiness and the muddled floral scents. But it was truly, truly sweet.
Erina Nakiri was still able to swallow it with effort. Hunger, death, and fear were the best seasonings.
But she couldn't help but speak, wiping away her tears.
"It's so awful..."
Saying something contrary to her feelings, Erina Nakiri closed the honey jar. With Li Ke's help, she stood up and took a couple of shaky steps.
"Can't be helped. It is what it is."
Li Ke smiled soothingly and let go of her hand, allowing Erina Nakiri to try walking on her own. But unfortunately, due to weakness and her injury, Erina Nakiri was unable to move. This forced Li Ke to open his backpack and carry the girl on his back.
It was only when the girl's soft chest was pressed against his back that Li Ke realized how full her chest was, giving him a rare, pleasant sensation. And when he handed her the bag and held onto her thighs, the girl's softness made him feel a rare sense of warmth and comfort. That smooth sensation was a powerful, almost unbearable stimulus for him. The girl, meanwhile, couldn't help but frown slightly because the smell of Li Ke's sweat and blood made her a little uncomfortable. But this discomfort was nothing compared to the sense of security Li Ke gave her. As he carried her on his back, she finally felt a little bit safe. This made her rest her head on Li Ke's shoulder without thinking.
Li Ke carefully walked toward the shelter he had chosen, the RV with flat tires. He had checked it before. While the tires were all flat, it had two rooms, a sturdy metal exterior, and barred windows. Most importantly, the gas tank was full, and the key was still in the ignition. It was clear the original owners had planned to escape but failed. Ordinary zombies simply couldn't get into the RV. After all, even zombies are just flesh and blood. How could bones compare to metal?
They cautiously made their way through the woods. Although there might not be zombies in the forest, Li Ke was as careful as possible, conserving his strength every now and then to ensure he had the energy to respond to any unexpected situations. The two of them didn't say much to each other during the journey, silently feeling the other's presence and watching for possible dangers around them.
In this way, the two of them took half an hour to return to the RV, a journey that would have taken Li Ke ten minutes alone. Looking at the zombies still wandering in their dilapidated houses, Li Ke quietly shut the RV door and finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay, one room for each of us."
Once inside the RV, Li Ke finally relaxed. He pointed to the two separate rooms in the RV, smiled at Erina Nakiri, and handed her an axe.
"Remember to lock the door and keep this close. That way, if one of us turns into a zombie, the other can take care of it and live on alone. It's also a good idea to block the door with a small cabinet. That'll help a lot."
Li Ke paused, then took out the can of Spam the girl had put back in the backpack, as well as the honey she had drunk from, and handed them to her along with a bottle of water.
"I'll put the rest of the food in the RV kitchen. Try not to eat it all. We'll need our strength tomorrow."
He gave her the items without asking for anything in return. Although the girl in front of him was very beautiful and lovely, and he had indeed felt a reaction while carrying her, he...
How to put it? Li Ke felt that the first half of his life had been difficult enough—school, work, and various social obligations. So, at the end of his life, he wanted to pursue a peaceful existence.
Although it wasn't exactly peaceful.
Of course, if the girl was willing, he wouldn't mind taking their relationship further, but right now... Food was scarce, and he lacked strength. What if he wasn't infected?
Most importantly... he was really tired right now.
Li Ke touched his forehead and felt that it was warm, making him feel a bit helpless. He had already fought hard against the zombies, otherwise a grown man carrying a girl on his back wouldn't have taken half an hour to return. He was already showing signs of infection. A fever, weakness, and fatigue. If this wasn't an infection, what else could it be?
Although it wasn't yet greatly affecting his body, Li Ke didn't want to waste energy on that. If the girl resisted, it would be troublesome. If she fought to the death, it would only worsen their relationship, or even lead to both of them dying. He just wanted to enjoy his last moments as much as possible, not get entangled in schemes.
Erina Nakiri didn't speak. She knew Li Ke was doing what was best for her, and for them both. This way, if one of them became infected, the other could safely leave. Even if the door was breached, they could use their weapons to kill the other person.
Why could this man so calmly accept this hopeless reality?
"Mr. Li Ke." Erina Nakiri pursed her lips. "Why are you being so kind to me?" She had read novels and knew what girls like her would face in a world like this. But the fact that Li Ke had given her a weapon, food, and treated her wound meant he didn't have those intentions right now.
"Because I want to live the rest of my life without any regrets," Li Ke smiled, putting a cabinet in front of the RV's door. He waved to Erina Nakiri, took his share of the food, and went into his own room, closing the door behind him.
"Live the rest of my life without any regrets?"
Erina Nakiri looked at Li Ke's door. A feeling of powerlessness and unease washed over her body, followed by a deep sense of sadness and helplessness. She took the food into her room. After a moment of hesitation, she took the axe with her.
Li Ke started eating as soon as he got back to his room. The Spam was indeed not very tasty. If he could, Li Ke would have liked to heat it up, but he didn't dare to make too much noise, even though the RV had cooking facilities. The sweetness of the honey made up for the disappointment. Although the thick honey didn't taste great either, it was a rare sweetness. By the time he finished the can of Spam, he was halfway through his jar of honey.
After eating, he lay down on the soft bed. The soft, comfortable feeling brought a long-lost sense of relief to his weary body.
"Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've slept like this. No worries, no thoughts. No need to think about work or social obligations... It's ironic."
Li Ke closed his eyes. All he wanted to do now was sleep. A heavy drowsiness quickly came over him. Before he fell asleep, Li Ke glanced at the cabinet he had placed in front of the door and then finally fell asleep with a sense of peace. After all, he couldn't be sure he would wake up again.
The heavy sleep didn't last long. Li Ke was soon woken by the urge to urinate. He got up and walked toward the bathroom, but then he heard a strange sound. Something was hitting the RV.
Li Ke immediately became alert. He held his axe and quietly approached Erina Nakiri's room.
"Did she turn so fast?"
With a sigh of helplessness, Li Ke put his hand on the doorknob. The door wasn't locked, which surprised Li Ke. It didn't matter even if it was locked since he had the keys, but the fact that it wasn't blocked by a cabinet worried him a little.
"She won't just jump on me when I open the door, will she?"
He was a little worried, so he picked up his hammer. If she did jump on him, he could push her away with it. Taking a deep breath, Li Ke pushed the door open. The next moment, a short shriek rang out. What Li Ke saw was a brightly lit room and Erina Nakiri huddled in a corner in fear. The source of the noise was the window.
To be precise, it was a pack of wolves with glowing green eyes!
Seeing Li Ke rush in, Erina Nakiri instinctively wanted to scream. But Li Ke, who realized something was wrong, immediately rushed over and covered her mouth, and at the same time, switched off the room light.
The girl's soft body struggled for a few moments in Li Ke's arms before she stopped. She stared in horror at the world outside the RV, where countless swaying figures had appeared. They rushed toward the wolves that were hitting the RV at an unimaginable speed, and then began tearing at them!
One figure even overshot its target and crashed into the RV, making a loud thud and revealing its monstrous form in the moonlight!
Zombies!
"So fast! Are they weaker during the day?"
Li Ke watched the zombies tearing at the wolf pack and gradually moving away from the RV. He couldn't help but gape, because these were nothing like the shuffling zombies he had imagined! If they all moved at this speed, he never would have survived!
The wolves' howls gradually woke up the entire town. One after another, different-looking zombies crashed through doors or shattered windows, their speed far exceeding that of any athlete. Each one of them looked like Usain Bolt!
Seeing so many zombies, the wolf pack had no intention of fighting and quickly retreated. So, Li Ke and Erina Nakiri watched a scene of dozens of zombies chasing a wolf pack at a full sprint! The noise from the zombies woke up even more of them. More doors were opened, and more zombies came out.
Zombie after zombie passed by their RV. Though a few occasionally looked at the RV, the sounds from the wolf pack were more enticing. So, they ignored the RV and continued in the direction the wolf pack had fled.
Finally, when the last zombie had chased the wolf pack away, Li Ke let go of Erina Nakiri. He didn't say anything or turn on the light. He stood up and intended to return to his own room.
This was too terrifying.
However, Erina Nakiri held his hand tightly. In the moonlight, Erina Nakiri, wearing only a shirt, spoke in a voice that was barely a whisper.
"Don't go..."