Kiri was undoubtedly a spirited girl. Aside from today, Li Ke had rarely seen her unhappy. Only when things seemed utterly hopeless would she show a serious expression.
But now, as Li Ke lit his lighter to illuminate their surrounding, he noticed a smile returning to Kiri's face.
Seeing Li Ke's distressed expression, Kiri smiled and pulled him to sit next to Tsunade. She placed a glass of wine beside Tsunade and waved to Li Ke with a smile.
"Well, don't look so miserable, okay? After all, there's nothing we can do about this situation."
Li Ke felt a pang of sadness. If he remembered correctly, he had said those words to Erina before, but now Kiri was saying them to him. Honestly, it was a rather strange feeling, leaving him speechless.
"Yes, after all, we're powerless. We have to face this hopeless situation."
Li Ke smiled. He'd practically been given a second chance at life. Whether it was the infection, the first Blood Moon, or the struggles he endured when he was weak, his life had always been hanging by a thread. Even now, with the steel fortress breached and him dying, it wouldn't be surprising. There was no need to worry too much about such things.
Fight if you have the chance, fight if you don't. Just smile and get through the rest of the days. The outcome is unchangeable anyway.
"Let's drink!"
Kiri cheered, raising her glass. Li Ke smiled and clinked glasses with her. Only Tsunade, still trembling, didn't drink. She clutched her head, shaking as if Li Ke and Kiri were just illusions beside her.
Li Ke and Kiri drank several glasses, finishing almost all the remaining beer amidst the continuous roars and scratches of the zombies. Although it was not a good thing to do so, the two of them had no reason to complain in their current situation.
The zombies roared incessantly, and the steel walls clanged and pounded, but soon the tearing sounds ceased, leaving only the zombies' howls and the occasional gnawing and sliding sounds.
The last glimmer of light in their dark space vanished.
Kiri and Li Ke knew that the zombies hadn't stopped attacking; rather, they had completely surrounded the house. Zombies in the distance were constantly engulfing those closer, while the innermost zombies were pinned down, unable to move further, only able to slide their arms and teeth relentlessly against the steel walls, making some noises.
But soon, even these sounds disappeared, leaving only roars. Li Ke relaxed somewhat, and under the influence of alcohol, he quickly became drowsy and leaned against the most vulnerable door, ready to react immediately to any movement.
The two chatted casually about various things, from the differences between their hometowns to the unique foods of their respective regions. They talked about a lot of things, but nothing particularly stood out.
Tsunade seemed to have recovered somewhat as the zombie sounds faded away. She picked up her glass and slowly leaned closer to Li Ke and Kiri, sipping her beer without speaking. She simply listened quietly to their conversation, savoring the taste of other world's beverage.
Li Ke had to admit that the beer in this world called 7 Days to Die was indeed quite good. Aside from being a bit intoxicating, it was otherwise impeccable.
If she weren't averse to alcohol, she certainly wouldn't have hesitated.
In this atmosphere and darkness, the zombie sounds grew fainter and fainter. At first, Li Ke thought it was because he was about to fall asleep, so he quickly washed his face with cold water. But he immediately realized it wasn't his imagination; the zombie sounds outside were indeed getting quieter.
He glanced at the time; it was already four o'clock. He leaned his head against the steel wall, listening intently to the sounds outside, but apart from occasional roars, he could hear nothing more.
He didn't try to go out, but continued to wait by the gate, waiting for dawn.
Kiri did the same, leaning against Li Ke, guarding the gate that was most likely to be breached.
However, in the darkness and growing silence, Li Ke's consciousness became increasingly hazy. Even though he chatted with Kiri in a daze and hadn't drunk much, he still became confused.
"Damn it..."
He splashed his face with bottled water from his inventory again, rubbing his temples to try and clear his head. But just as he was about to change position, he realized that Tsunade had fallen asleep in his arms.
He moved slightly and immediately felt a softness. Tsunade's short stature and voluptuous figure created an indescribable sensation.
How to put it?
An unusually full feeling; just by leaning against him, Li Ke could feel something about to explode.
In fact, something really was about to explode.
He hadn't felt it before because his mind was a bit foggy, but now that he was clear-headed, he clearly felt that excessively soft thing.
This directly caused his previously excessively soft thing to now begin to harden.
Although he was mentally exhausted, he remained completely focused in this aspect, as if his little brother had gained five times the strength, and ten times the stamina and endurance.
"..."
That's really true.
Li Ke lit the lighter and looked at Tsunade's sleeping face, tinged with fear and tears. He sighed helplessly, put his arm around Tsunade's shoulder to help her sleep more peacefully, and then continued to sit by the door, waiting for dawn.
However, he didn't forget to glance at Kiri.
Kiri was currently fiddling with her revolver. When she noticed Li Ke looking over, a smile appeared on her lips.
"What, one isn't enough?"
"...I mean, do you want to rest for a while too? I've already rested."
Li Ke was telling the truth; he had indeed accidentally dozed off earlier, and now he was completely incapable of sleeping. Looking at Kiri's sleepy expression, he tentatively invited her.
Kiri gave a mischievous smile, and then, in the next moment, this tall, beautiful woman gracefully walked to the front door and landed lightly beside Li Ke.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony. After all, sometimes I need to rely on someone!"