Days in the Infinite

This was a far more pressing matter than whether or not they were from another world. After all, Li Ke himself was already in a dire situation, having been scratched by a zombie. His fate was nearly sealed. 

To think that the young girl he had just saved was now in a similarly grim state—it was truly disheartening. 

"Let's put that aside for now. Your leg has also been scratched. You've seen zombie movies, haven't you? You should know what happens next in situations like this." 

Li Ke gestured toward the girl's calf, where fresh blood was trickling down onto her black stockings and elegant leather boots, leaving streaks as it flowed. Her once pristine white leg had become unsightly. 

Blood has a way of making everything ugly, and the jagged wound only added to the grotesque sight, leaving no room for aesthetics. 

"Ah!" 

The girl, who had introduced herself as Erina Nakiri, let out a startled cry. She stared at her injured leg in shock before collapsing to the ground in a daze. 

Though she was the heiress of a culinary dynasty, she had seen her share of zombie movies for entertainment. Naturally, she understood the typical transmission methods in these stories. Staring at her leg, her delicate hand hovered over the wound, hesitant to touch it. 

The pain she had previously ignored in the struggle for survival now came into sharp focus thanks to Li Ke's reminder, sending her back into the depths of despair. 

Hunger gnawed at her stomach, but her God Tongue—no, her curse—made it impossible to stomach the low-quality canned meat she'd found. 

And now, just when she'd found another person and a glimmer of hope, she was struck by the cruel realization that she might already be infected. 

Tears welled up in her eyes. Though Erina had always been a strong and proud individual, her pride was rooted in her upbringing and accomplishments. 

A prestigious family background, exceptional talent, and rigorous training—these were the pillars of her confidence. But in this harsh, zombie-infested world, those advantages were meaningless. 

All that remained was the threat to her life. 

"Looks like we're both at the mercy of fate, huh?" 

Li Ke let out a dry laugh. The despair in Erina's eyes mirrored his own earlier experience. His situation had been even worse—an ambush by zombies right at the start, leaving him no time to prepare. The girl, on the other hand, was a victim of her own oversight. 

He wasn't gloating, though. It was more a bitter sense of resignation at the absurdity of fate. 

Under Erina's stunned gaze, Li Ke unwrapped the bandage around his arm, revealing his own grotesque wound. He held it up for her to see. 

"I'm in the same boat. So, let's make the most of the time we have left. Who knows? Maybe being scratched doesn't mean certain death." 

Squatting down, Li Ke rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a few bottles of water and what little medical supplies he had scavenged. Then, without hesitation, he reached for Erina's boot. 

Her delicate leather shoe encased an equally delicate foot. Though it was dirtied by blood, when Li Ke removed her stocking, he was struck by how fair and elegant her foot was. 

Exquisite. Small. Almost cute. 

If only it didn't reek of blood. 

Erina, watching Li Ke handle her leg, blushed but didn't pull away. Flustered, she could only observe his actions in silence. 

At this moment, her only option was to trust him. 

Li Ke carefully cleaned her wound with gauze and water, then poured the remainder of his alcohol over it, ensuring not to miss a single exposed area. 

The sting of the alcohol made Erina clench her fists tightly, yet she endured without a sound. This surprised Li Ke, as he had already prepared to gag her if necessary to stifle her screams. 

To distract her from the pain, he casually struck up a conversation. 

"You said earlier that you were suddenly brought to this world?" 

Erina nodded. She had noticed that Li Ke's medical kit lacked antibiotics or anything particularly useful, indicating that either he had run out or never had any to begin with. 

But then again, if medicine worked, this world wouldn't be overrun by zombies. 

Leaning her head back in despair, she replied, "Yes, I suddenly found myself here." 

Initially, she had thought to keep this information to herself—it wasn't something you casually told a stranger. But now, as a fellow "infected," she saw no point in hiding it. 

"I see. You seem to have a high pain tolerance, though. Why were you making noise earlier over not being able to eat?" 

Li Ke had heard of the God Tongue before, but he hadn't watched enough to fully grasp its implications. He couldn't understand why, in such a dangerous situation, someone wouldn't just eat whatever they could stomach. 

"Because of my curse." 

"Curse?" 

"Yes, the so-called God Tongue is more of a curse than a gift. Even the finest food has its flaws amplified when it touches my tongue. Coupled with my culinary training and the high-quality meals I'm accustomed to, mass-produced food tastes like nothing but additives, grease, and subpar ingredients hastily thrown together." 

Talking about herself brought a faint light back to Erina's face, restoring some of her pride as a culinary heiress. But her blood loss left her visibly drained. 

"I see. I don't fully get it, but you should be able to manage honey, right?" 

Li Ke finished wrapping her leg in gauze. He'd done everything he could for her, but without proper medicine, it wasn't much. Alcohol, gauze, and some scattered vitamins were all he had found nearby. 

"Probably," Erina replied, though she sounded uncertain. Honey had its own variations in quality and storage conditions, which could affect its taste. But it should, at the very least, be edible. 

"Then let's toast to despair." 

Li Ke wiped his hands on his clothes before taking out an unopened jar of honey. He opened the lid and handed it to Erina, making it easier for her to take. 

The sweet aroma of honey wafted through the air, bringing tears to Erina's eyes once again. She didn't understand how Li Ke could smile under such bleak circumstances, but she wiped her face and raised the jar. 

"To despair." 

Li Ke took a large gulp of the honey and gave Erina a thumbs-up. He hadn't expected to meet someone, let alone a cute girl, in what he thought were his final days. 

That was already a blessing. 

At least, in the likely final moments of his life, he wouldn't die alone. 

---

"Alright, one room for each of us."

Inside the RV, Li Ke finally breathed a sigh of relief. He gestured towards the two separate rooms in the vehicle and smiled at Nakiri Erina before handing her an axe.

"Make sure to lock your door. Also, keep this with you. That way, if one of us turns into a zombie, the other can deal with it and survive alone. It's best to block the door with a cabinet too—it'll give you more security."

After a brief pause, Li Ke took out the canned luncheon meat and the honey Erina had drunk from earlier, along with a bottle of water, and handed them to her.

"The rest of the food is in the RV's kitchen. Try not to finish it all; we'll need our strength tomorrow."

He was straightforward, with no ulterior motives, despite the undeniable charm of the girl in front of him. Carrying her earlier had even stirred certain reactions within him, but...

How should he put it?

Li Ke felt that the first half of his life had been miserable enough—school, work, and endless social obligations. Now, at the end of the world, all he wanted was a semblance of peace.

Even if it wasn't truly peaceful.

Of course, if the girl was willing, he wouldn't refuse to cross that line with her. But for now...

There wasn't even enough food to go around, and his energy was running low. What if he wasn't infected?

More importantly...

He was just too tired.

Li Ke touched his forehead, feeling its heat, and sighed helplessly.

He had already been pushing himself to the limit in his fight with the zombies earlier. Carrying a girl on his back for half an hour to get here hadn't been easy either.

The signs of infection were already there.

Fever, fatigue, and weakness.

If that wasn't an infection, then what else could it be?

Though the symptoms hadn't severely impacted him yet, Li Ke wasn't about to waste his remaining strength on unnecessary efforts.

Besides, if the girl resisted, it would only make things more complicated. If she chose to fight to the death, it could ruin their relationship—or worse, lead to mutual destruction.

All he wanted was to enjoy the rest of his life, however short, without scheming or conflict.

Nakiri Erina remained silent. She understood that Li Ke's precautions were for her own good. It was the best way to ensure that even if one of them became infected, the other could escape unharmed.

If the door was breached, the weapon in hand would allow her to fight back.

But what kind of person could accept such a hopeless reality so calmly?

"Mr. Li Ke," she said softly, her lips trembling.

"Why are you being so kind to me?"

She wasn't ignorant. She had read enough stories to know what could happen to a girl like her in a world like this. Yet Li Ke had given her a weapon, food, and even tended to her injuries—clearly without ulterior motives.

"Because I want to live out the rest of my life without regrets."

Li Ke smiled faintly, pushing a cabinet in front of the RV door. Waving at her, he picked up his share of the food and entered his own room, shutting the door behind him.

"Live without regrets, huh?"

Nakiri Erina stared at the closed door, a wave of helplessness and unease washing over her. Along with it came an overwhelming sense of sorrow and resignation.

Clutching the food in her hands, she walked into her room. After a moment's hesitation, she took the axe with her as well.

Back in his own room, Li Ke started eating.

The canned luncheon meat wasn't particularly appetizing. If possible, he would have preferred to heat it up first. Unfortunately, while the RV had cooking facilities, he didn't dare make too much noise.

The sweetness of the honey, however, made up for the blandness of the meal. It wasn't amazing, but the rare sweetness was comforting. By the time he finished the can of luncheon meat, he had consumed half the honey as well.

With his meal done, he lay down on the soft bed. The comfort of it was a rare luxury, and he relished the feeling.

"It's been so long since I've slept like this… without worrying about work, social obligations, or anything else. How ironic."

Closing his eyes, Li Ke let the fatigue take over. Before drifting off, he glanced at the cabinet blocking the door, feeling a small sense of relief.

After all, he couldn't guarantee he'd wake up again.

His deep sleep didn't last long. A sudden urge to use the bathroom woke him up. As he got up to head to the restroom, a strange sound caught his attention.

Something was hitting the RV.

Instantly alert, Li Ke grabbed his axe and crept towards Nakiri Erina's room.

"Did she turn into a zombie already?"

Sighing, Li Ke placed his hand on the doorknob.

It wasn't locked, which surprised him. Not that it mattered—he had the key. But the absence of the cabinet blocking the door made him uneasy.

"Is she going to lunge at me the moment I open the door?"

Just in case, Li Ke picked up his hammer. If something lunged at him, he could use it to push them back.

Taking a deep breath, he flung the door open.

A brief scream pierced the air. Li Ke saw a well-lit room and a terrified Nakiri Erina curled up in the corner. The noise, however, was coming from the window.

To be precise, from wolves. Their eyes glowed green in the darkness.

Seeing him burst in, Erina instinctively wanted to scream again, but Li Ke quickly rushed over and clamped a hand over her mouth. As he did so, he turned off the room's lights.

Erina's soft body squirmed against his for a moment before falling still. Her frightened gaze was fixed outside the RV.

There, countless shadowy figures darted with inhuman speed, tearing into the wolves.

One particularly clumsy figure slammed into the RV itself, shaking it with a loud thud. In the moonlight, its grotesque appearance was unmistakable.

Zombies.

"They're this fast already? Are they weakened during the day?" Li Ke muttered, stunned as he watched the zombies and wolves viciously attack one another.

These weren't the slow, shambling zombies he was familiar with. With this kind of speed, survival was impossible.

The wolves' howls stirred the sleeping town. More zombies burst through doors and windows, their speed rivaling that of Olympic sprinters.

Faced with the overwhelming horde, the wolves quickly retreated. What followed was a surreal sight: dozens of zombies chasing after the fleeing wolves at breakneck speed.

The sound of the chase woke even more zombies, who emerged from buildings and joined the pursuit.

Occasionally, a zombie would glance at the RV, but the noises from the wolves drew their attention away, sparing the vehicle.

When the last zombie disappeared into the distance, Li Ke finally let go of Nakiri Erina.

He didn't speak or turn the lights back on. Instead, he stood up and prepared to return to his room.

This was too terrifying.

But just as he was about to leave, Nakiri Erina grabbed his hand tightly. Under the moonlight, wearing nothing but a shirt, she whispered almost inaudibly:

"Don't go…"