Days in the Infinite

Under the moonlight, the girl appeared so beautiful that Li Ke found himself unable to leave. After taking a deep breath, he ultimately chose to stay. 

He gently sat down in the corner, and the girl leaned into his arms, burying her head against his chest. 

She had been through far too many frightening events. 

Li Ke softly wrapped his arms around her, letting her lean against him. He could clearly feel the warmth of her body and catch a faint, captivating fragrance… 

Although part of it was overshadowed by the scent of blood, there was no denying that, in this moment, the aroma posed quite the challenge for him. 

Not to mention, her body was remarkably voluptuous and soft, far from what one would expect from a mere girl. To be precise, she resembled a fully ripened peach. 

"Come to think of it, Shokugeki no Soma was kind of an ecchi series, wasn't it? She's supposed to be a blonde tsundere, right?" 

While gently stroking the girl's back to comfort her, Li Ke recalled the situation. 

If he remembered correctly, the girl was undeniably a tsundere. Yet, judging by their encounter, she didn't resemble one in the slightest—more like a classic delicate young lady. 

Despite being a chef, she was without a doubt a pampered princess, ruling over Japan's culinary world—a true heiress who even had a major meat company's heiress as her subordinate. 

"If I were in her world, there's no way I'd have a chance to interact with her. But honestly, I was more into the girl nicknamed Mi-Meat…" 

The environment was truly astounding. It had turned someone once so proud into someone so fragile. 

While reminiscing about Shokugeki no Soma, Li Ke suddenly remembered that he had a greater fondness for that character—the outright fanservice-driven blonde gal who was always raving about A5-grade meat. 

There was no particular reason; it was just because… well, she was generously proportioned and, frankly, quite revealing. 

"Ugh…" 

Erina Nakiri's soft cry startled him back to reality. Li Ke suddenly remembered that in his arms was a youthful girl whose figure rivaled that of Mi-Meat, and given her current position, she could clearly feel his... reaction. 

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Li Ke reminded himself that he wasn't in the mood for such things right now, no matter how hot and flustered he felt. What surprised him even more was that despite noticing his reaction, the girl—dressed only in a shirt—didn't pull away. 

Like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, she clung tightly to his neck, as if unwilling to face the cruel world outside. 

Li Ke sighed, pulled the blanket from the bed, and draped it over both of them. Together, they lay on the floor and slept. 

When morning came, Li Ke was the first to wake—not by choice but because of his nearly bursting bladder. 

Before Erina Nakiri woke, he carefully lifted her onto the bed and dashed to his bedroom, where he used an old plastic bottle to resolve his biological emergency. 

However, when he returned, pants now securely fastened, what greeted him was the sight of Erina Nakiri, wearing only her shirt, leaning against the doorframe with a slightly flushed face, looking in his direction. 

Caught watching, she quickly averted her gaze and murmured softly, "It's not like… I was worried about you or anything." 

Her tsundere behavior was truly delightful, especially given the looming challenges of their next adventure. 

Once Erina Nakiri had changed into proper clothes, Li Ke returned with the leftovers from the previous day and shared a can of luncheon meat with her. 

"There isn't much food left, so today we'll need to scavenge more supplies. We also need to find a safer place or tires to replace the ones on this car," Li Ke explained. 

He hadn't anticipated how powerful the zombies would be at night—their speed, strength, and even detection range had increased dramatically. 

The wolves at night were another major problem. If the zombies hadn't driven the wolf pack away, their first challenge today would have been fending off a wolf siege instead of anything else. 

"Understood." 

Erina glanced at the meager supply of food and nodded. She understood why the food was running low—it was because of her. 

It was obvious from yesterday that Li Ke had been scavenging for food before running into her. With her now in the picture, their consumption rate had doubled. She had no objections to joining him in the search for food. 

"So, wear something thick enough to protect you but not so cumbersome that it restricts movement. I'm worried there might still be wolves nearby. Wait until I say it's safe before coming down," Li Ke instructed as he ate his share of the luncheon meat. 

At this moment, he finally noticed how Erina Nakiri ate hers. 

"Understood." 

Erina took a deep breath, then, under Li Ke's gaze, she carefully sliced the luncheon meat into small, precise cubes. Pouring a large amount of honey over them, she consumed them in one go, as if taking bitter medicine. She avoided chewing and didn't want the taste to linger in her mouth. 

Compared to Li Ke's slow, methodical chewing, her actions were undeniably wasteful. Noticing his curious gaze, Erina lowered her head uneasily. 

"This… this is the only way I can eat it," she said softly. 

Li Ke didn't mind. He could sense her aversion to the food, especially the involuntary gagging motions she made—there was no way those could be faked. 

"It's fine. Everyone needs time to adjust." 

He smiled, popping the last few pieces of luncheon meat into his mouth. Then, he took out the last two bottles of water, handing one to Erina and pouring his share into a jar of honey for himself. 

Erina hesitated, holding the bottle for a long time without drinking. Her mood visibly dampened as she finally spoke up. 

"A useless person cursed with a tongue like mine… I must be such a burden." 

For the first time, she truly resented her tongue. 

If it weren't for it, she wouldn't have been so easily detected by zombies. Her meeting with Li Ke would have been more composed, not like this—she wouldn't have been a burden. Worse, a picky one at that. 

"Maybe. I don't have your tongue, so I can't understand what it's like. But I do know that right now, our top priority is staying alive." 

Li Ke remained silent, his expression unreadable. The uncertainty of surviving even another day loomed heavily over their heads. 

Erina Nakiri couldn't understand how Li Ke could maintain such composure in the face of despair. Even so, she nodded earnestly. 

"Mm." 

After Erina had forced herself to finish eating and the two of them rested briefly, they bundled up in heavy coats scavenged from the camper. Together, they ventured out to search for food. 

"If there are wolves, focus on protecting yourself. Don't worry about me." 

Before opening the door, Li Ke took a deep breath. He didn't know if there were zombies still lingering outside or if the wolf pack from last night remained nearby. Preparing for the worst, he gripped an axe in one hand while Erina, standing behind him, clutched a sharp kitchen knife with a resolute expression. 

"I'll do my best." 

"Good. Let's move!" 

Li Ke's heart pounded as he opened the door and sprang outside. His landing was quiet but loud enough to attract attention if any creatures were nearby. However, the area seemed eerily calm—no zombies, no wolves. It was as if they had all retreated elsewhere. 

After cautiously surveying the camper's surroundings and confirming the absence of any immediate threats, the pair's attention turned to a nearby house. 

Yesterday, Li Ke had avoided this area due to the sheer number of zombies present. The town's entrance was crawling with them, and the densely packed buildings bore clear signs of their presence. Any confrontation could have drawn an overwhelming horde. 

But today was different. Most of the zombies had been lured away the night before, and Li Ke needed to verify something. Additionally, a nearby supermarket—emptied of zombies by the wolves—offered the tantalizing possibility of supplies. 

Stepping softly through the grass, Li Ke and Erina approached the closest house. Peering through a shattered window, Li Ke examined the decayed flooring and interior before cautiously leading them through the broken front door. Inside, they began their meticulous search for anything useful. 

The first house yielded little: some vitamins, a few candies, and—unexpectedly—a box of gold bars. 

Under normal circumstances, Li Ke would have been thrilled. But in this world, gold was practically useless. Still, he pocketed one bar as a token before leading Erina to the next house. 

Their luck improved in the second house. They found three cans of chicken, some preserved ham, and a variety of intact condiments. 

However… 

"This is weird," Li Ke muttered, frowning as he examined the empty bedside tables and storage cabinets. 

"What is it?" Erina asked, pausing her search for edible seasonings. 

"They say every American owns a gun, but where are all the guns here?" 

Li Ke found it baffling. They had searched thoroughly, opening every drawer and cupboard, but after two houses, they hadn't seen a single firearm—or even an empty shell casing. 

"That's… Maybe the original owners took them when they fled?" Erina suggested hesitantly, offering an awkward smile. 

"Maybe," Li Ke replied, shaking his head. He couldn't help but wish for a gun—especially an automatic weapon. With one, even a large zombie horde wouldn't seem so hopeless. At the very least, he could go down fighting with dignity. 

Unfortunately, he had yet to find anything of the sort, leaving him uneasy. 

Pushing aside these thoughts, Li Ke focused on their immediate task. Last night, while holding Erina as they slept, he had noticed they were both feverish. It seemed likely neither of them would need to worry about other survivors for now. 

"Alright, let's move to the next house. We'll check the supermarket last." 

Packing their gathered food into a backpack, Li Ke motioned for Erina to follow. As they turned to leave, a sudden burst of sound stopped them in their tracks. 

"Shop's open!" 

The voice came from a broadcast, accompanied by a brief clicking noise like a lock being disengaged. Both Li Ke and Erina froze, staring in the direction of the noise. Behind the building they were in, a structure adorned with a strange flag came into view. 

Their eyes met, and they exchanged a nod. 

If there were other survivors, this could be a game-changer. A store operating meant some semblance of order still existed. 

Why did they instinctively believe the broadcast was made by humans? 

The answer was simple: 

The town's power had been out for ages. 

Broadcasts—or even functioning lights—shouldn't have been possible. 

"Let's approach cautiously. If it's an automated broadcast and there are zombies nearby, we'll retreat immediately," Li Ke instructed in a hushed tone. 

Together, they crept toward the source of the broadcast. As they drew closer, they discovered a heavily fortified structure surrounded by barbed wire and reinforced walls. The gates had been reinforced with metal plates, making the building appear as a perfect stronghold for the apocalypse. 

Inside the barbed wire perimeter stood a metal trailer outfitted with railings. Behind a counter within the trailer, a woman stood silently. A stethoscope hung around her neck, and she appeared to be breathing—her chest rising and falling in time with her breaths. 

It was clear she wasn't a zombie. 

How could Li Ke be so sure? 

Because she was moving. And more specifically, her chest was moving. 

Her very visible, very pronounced chest. 

As it swayed slightly with her breathing, Li Ke's certainty grew. There were no signs of decay, and the area around her seemed completely devoid of zombies. 

"A living person!" 

Relief and excitement flashed in both Li Ke and Erina's eyes as they began moving toward the survivor. 

Approaching cautiously, Li Ke scanned the area for potential ambushes or hidden zombies. The fortified building seemed empty—aside from the lone woman. 

However, something felt… off. 

The merchant inside… 

Didn't seem to notice them at all.