Chapter 17: Two Women

Li Ke remembered very clearly what Lady Kiri looked like. To be precise, any player of Dungeon Fighter Online could never forget her appearance.

From the two large hairpins stuck in her updo, to the cheongsam-like outfit, and the single lace glove adorning her arm, everything about her screamed one thing:

This person was Lady Kiri.

The other woman, however, was a mystery. Li Ke couldn't make out her face. She was wearing what appeared to be a kimono-like outfit, and upon landing, she began trembling uncontrollably, as though utterly terrified.

"Is her mental fortitude really that weak?"

Even so, Li Ke wasn't about to take any risks. Sitting on his makeshift platform, he pulled out his gun and quietly waited, conserving his strength and keeping a watchful eye on them, ready for any sudden moves.

However, he underestimated Lady Kiri's keen intuition and sharp senses. It didn't take long for her to notice him. As soon as her gaze landed on his gun, her demeanor shifted for a brief moment—alert and dangerous—before softening. A smile spread across her face.

She waved at him enthusiastically, her chest heaving in a way that made it seem as if one more motion might reveal more than intended.

When she spoke, her voice carried a distinctive drawl, confident yet tinged with sly charm.

"Hey there, handsome. You look like you could use some help. Lost your group, maybe? Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, could you tell me where the hell we are?"

The tone was unmistakably Lady Kiri's. Her voice matched the character Li Ke knew from the game to perfection. As he observed her further, his eyes fell upon the two peculiar revolvers holstered at her waist.

If this really was Lady Kiri—the Lady Kiri from Arad—Li Ke had no doubt that she could shoot him in the head the moment he pulled the trigger.

Taking a deep breath, he aimed at her head through his game system's targeting mode and replied hoarsely, "I don't know where we are either, but it's an incredibly dangerous place. And yes, I do need help. But tell me, why should I trust you?"

The sound of his own voice surprised him. It was rough and strained, and just speaking made his head spin and his stomach churn.

The severe internal injuries he had sustained were taking their toll, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Lady Kiri, noticing his sorry state, shook her head with a helpless smile. She knew basic field medicine, but not enough to patch him up properly. To make matters worse, she didn't have any medical supplies on her. If she had, she wouldn't have ended up jumping into the ocean in a desperate gamble to survive.

"Ah, well… even if you wanted me to, I don't have anything on me to treat you. And this place—what is it? Arad? It looks more like Empyrean. Except, you know, filled with corpses and gunpowder. Anyway, relax. As long as you don't attack me, I won't attack you either. I, the great Lady Kiri, wouldn't stoop so low."

She gestured to herself with a thumb, flashing a confident grin before giving a resigned shrug.

At that moment, the other woman, the one who had arrived with Lady Kiri, spoke up. She clutched her abdomen, her breathing labored, but she managed to get her words out.

"I'm a medic… Start by treating his external injuries… I'll handle the rest."

The blonde woman threw down a bundle of bandages and gauze before collapsing to her knees, clutching her chest and gasping for air.

It was then that Li Ke finally got a good look at her face.

She was stunning. Her figure even surpassed Nakiri Erina's, and her outfit was just as revealing as Lady Kiri's, designed in a way that made one suspect it might slip with even the slightest movement.

Still, despite her striking appearance, Li Ke couldn't recall any character fitting her description. A medic with such a frail condition? Her disheveled state mirrored his own, leaving him perplexed.

"Alright then, handsome, don't go shooting me, okay? Once we patch you up, you'll tell us everything you know about this place. Sound good? Now hold tight; I'll go look for something useful around here."

Lady Kiri waved him off and turned to search the area for supplies. Li Ke shook his head weakly.

"No need. I'll come down myself…"

Coughing, Li Ke forced himself to stand. He moved to the edge of his platform, surveying the wooden supports he had previously constructed. Most of them were already damaged, leaving him no choice but to resort to a more tedious approach.

He began building a spiral staircase down the metal pillar, piece by piece.

Wooden blocks materialized in his hands, which he placed one after another, forming a path downward. Below, Lady Kiri watched, utterly dumbfounded.

From her perspective, Li Ke was conjuring planks of wood out of thin air, constructing a staircase as though by magic.

"My god… Are you a wizard or something?"

Watching Li Ke descend the spiral staircase step by step, Lady Kiri kept her gaze fixed on him. She was ready to catch him should he lose his balance and fall, all the while curiously asking questions.

Li Ke, however, could only cough weakly and wave her off—he genuinely didn't have the strength to talk.

Step by step, he climbed down, his body feeling like it was on the brink of collapse. With every step, the sensation of inching closer to death became more pronounced. Finally, just as he was about to reach the bottom, he couldn't hold on any longer and toppled forward.

The ground loomed larger in his vision as he fell. Just when he thought he would hit the pavement, a soft, snow-white presence suddenly cushioned his face. His head came to rest on something incredibly soft, faintly fragrant with the scent of gunpowder and smoke.

Li Ke was momentarily stunned before realizing that Lady Kiri had caught him. It was only then that he allowed his mental guard to drop, relaxing his strained spirit.

His body instinctively leaned against Lady Kiri as she supported him, guiding him to a relatively clean and flat patch of asphalt where he could lie down and rest.

However, both of them were puzzled as the blonde woman who had identified herself as a doctor remained trembling in place, making no move to assist.

Li Ke glanced at Lady Kiri, then tried to move his arm, but it wouldn't budge. Even trying to lift his head caused a wave of dizziness.

Not wanting to delay any longer, he brought out his makeshift gun and ammunition, pointing toward the back of a gas station.

"There are guns and bullets here," he rasped weakly. "And over there, there's a pond with tools for boiling water. But be careful—this world is crawling with zombies. The only way to kill them is with a headshot."

Having said this, Li Ke felt another surge of dizziness. His vision went dark, and he fainted again.

Lady Kiri scratched her head, looking at the unconscious Li Ke and the inexplicably appearing gun and ammo. Then, she turned her gaze toward the trembling blonde doctor.

Originally, she had intended to ask why the doctor wasn't beginning treatment, but seeing her barely maintaining her composure and fighting off what seemed like fear-induced breakdown, she understood.

"Is it hemophobia?"

Saying no more, Lady Kiri picked up the gun Li Ke had handed her and gathered the scattered bullets. She then headed toward the back of the gas station.

Fortunately, the pond behind the station had been spared from contamination. Though it was covered with ash and debris, there wasn't time to be picky. Using her clothing as a crude filter, Lady Kiri filled a bucket with water and returned to Li Ke.

She cleaned his face before tearing apart his clothes to inspect his injuries.

"This guy sure is lucky to be alive…"

Looking at the deep cuts, bruises, and obviously dislocated bones covering Li Ke's body, Lady Kiri couldn't help but click her tongue in disbelief.

A slight shift in the angle of one of the injuries could have driven a bone straight into his lung, making survival impossible. Frankly, it was a miracle he had held out long enough for them to arrive.

After cleaning most of the blood, Lady Kiri glanced at the still-trembling blonde doctor. Seeing that she still hadn't moved, Lady Kiri asked bluntly:

"I've done my best to clean him up, but I couldn't get everything. Can you actually treat him or not?"

While it was clear the woman had some kind of trauma or PTSD, Li Ke's condition was dire, and time was running out.

"I… I'll try. Take my hand and place it on his chest. I can heal him," the blonde murmured, eyes shut tight.

Lady Kiri could still see her trembling despite her closed eyes. She wanted to make a snarky remark about how someone could heal without looking, but she held back, recalling the strange powers Li Ke had demonstrated earlier.

Maybe this woman had something similar.

Under Lady Kiri's guidance, the blonde slowly approached Li Ke. Her hand shook as she reached out, trembling each time she touched the blood on his wounds.

Then, something miraculous happened.

A green light burst forth from her palm, the glow flowing into Li Ke's body. His wounds began healing visibly, and his faint breathing gradually grew steadier.

However, the cost of this miracle was evident—the blonde began sweating profusely, her body trembling and swaying, as if she might collapse at any moment.

"My chakra… How is it this low?" the blonde muttered weakly. As she continued to heal Li Ke, she felt her strength draining at an alarming rate—something that had never happened before.

Just as Li Ke opened his eyes and regained consciousness, the blonde's body finally gave out, collapsing on top of him.

For a brief moment, Li Ke saw the bright sun overhead, only for his vision to be replaced by soft, snow-white mounds pressing down on his face. His breath was instantly cut off, and his brain, already oxygen-deprived, plunged back into unconsciousness.