Chapter 18: Mistrust Among Allies

When Li Ke regained consciousness, he found himself inside a tent. The aroma of meat soup wafted through the air, tickling his senses.

Although his head still felt foggy, he forced himself to sit up and climb off the makeshift bed.

To his surprise, despite the faint ache in his limbs—now splinted with crudely crafted braces from small branches—the pain in his internal organs and head had vanished. Moving his arms caused only a mild, stinging discomfort, a far cry from the agony he had expected.

"Strange... how long was I out?"

Stepping out of the tent, he was greeted by the sight of a campfire and two women cooking meat in an iron pot. They were dressed the same as he had last seen them.

Looking at the boyish woman by the fire, his thoughts gradually cleared. Tentatively, he called out, "Lady Kiri?"

Hearing him, Kiri turned her head and gave him a confident smile, waving the wooden stick she was using in place of a ladle.

"Oh, you're awake! The food will be ready soon. Have a seat and wait a bit… Oh, and this is Tsunade Senju. She's the one who saved your life, so make sure to thank her properly."

Tsunade Senju?

Li Ke's chest tightened. Of course, he knew the name and who it belonged to, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would meet Tsunade from Naruto.

Still… hemophobia. Did it mean all her loved ones were already gone?

He glanced at Tsunade and bowed deeply to her. "Thank you for saving me."

Tsunade didn't seem particularly moved by his gratitude. She sat silently by the fire, staring at the pot with an air of melancholy.

"It was nothing," she said, her tone distant. "But it wasn't without a price."

Turning her gaze to Li Ke, she added, "Now, as payment, it's time you explained what's going on in this place."

The circumstances of her arrival still puzzled her. One moment, she had been leaving Konoha with Shizune, hoping to find a quiet place to live. The next, she found herself surrounded by corpses in this nightmarish world.

She almost believed she had entered hell itself.

"This place?" Li Ke sighed, sitting down on the ground. "Well, it's not far from hell, to be honest."

He began explaining the state of the world.

"This world's humans have been afflicted by some unknown disaster, turning them into mindless corpses that crave human flesh. The only way to kill them is to destroy their brains. But that's not the worst part." He paused for emphasis. "The strangest thing about this place is its bizarre rules. Here, killing zombies grants you experience points. As your level increases, you unlock abilities unique to this world. The abilities you saw me use earlier are a result of this system."

Li Ke hesitated for a moment, then instinctively checked his status screen. What he saw left him stunned.

He had leveled up to 51!

Hurriedly, he opened various menus, discovering that not only was the map now accessible, but both the quest and skill sections were unlocked as well.

Even more surprising, a small clock and compass appeared above his field of vision, marking the time as 8:20 AM and indicating he was facing north.

Unfortunately, the quest log was empty, and the skill tree only displayed basic attributes like Perception, Strength, Endurance, Agility, and Intelligence, all available for upgrades. As for specialized skills, those remained locked. It seemed further leveling was necessary to unlock them.

For now, he only had one skill point, leaving him uncertain of what to prioritize.

Still, the system gave him hope—a glimmer of survival against the endless tide of zombies.

And with these two by his side...

Li Ke glanced at Tsunade and Kiri, feeling a measure of relief.

Kiri's strength aside—her survival skills alone were proof of her capability—Tsunade was a powerhouse in her own right. Even if her hemophobia hindered her ability to kill zombies, her potential to build fortifications or gather resources would be invaluable.

At the very least, she'd be an asset for mining or construction.

As Li Ke mulled over these thoughts, Kiri broke the silence.

"You're saying the powers to summon wood or create guns out of thin air come from this world's system?" She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were using some kind of spatial equipment. Also… do you have a way to get us out of here?"

Tsunade nodded slightly at Kiri's words. When she had first seen Li Ke materialize wood, she had briefly suspected it to be a variant of Wood Release. But it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Yes," Li Ke admitted. "And as thanks for saving me, I can use my experience points to grant you both player status. Do you want to become players?"

He could tell from their expressions that they were still skeptical. To address their doubts, he continued.

"Without player status, you won't be able to interact with this world's unique features. For example, over there is a perfectly intact room containing a merchant. While she looks human, she's not. Her position and surroundings are completely invulnerable. Without becoming players, you won't even be able to buy items from her. By the way…" He hesitated. "How long was I unconscious?"

"A day," Kiri replied.

"Damn… That means there are only four days left until the next zombie horde."

Li Ke felt a pang of frustration. With so little time, there wasn't much he could do. Perhaps digging an underground bunker was his only option.

"Zombie horde?"

"Yes. Seven days ago, I was surrounded by zombies moving en masse toward a single direction. When the moon turned blood red, an endless swarm of zombies charged at me, destroying everything in their path. Honestly, I don't even know how I survived. Thinking back, it was probably the gas station fire I accidentally caused."

"As for a way out…"

Li Ke hesitated before continuing, "I haven't found a way yet, but there should be a method."

He accepted the cup of hot water Kiri handed him and glanced at the clear blue sky. Despite his words, his thoughts drifted to Erina. Was she safe?

"So that's how it is..." Kiri crossed her arms, looking thoughtful. Tsunade, however, fixed Li Ke with a cold stare.

"Becoming a player can wait. If you ended up here suddenly, doesn't that mean someone else might've come with you? Did you send them back already? And…" Her voice turned icy. "What's the cost of your so-called method?"

Tsunade's sharp gaze locked onto Li Ke as she asked her question, unwilling to let him avoid it. She was scrutinizing every detail, hoping to uncover the truth behind his words.

Li Ke nodded, deciding not to hide anything.

"Yes, I sent her back to her original world. As for the method I mentioned, it stems from that event. After experiencing fear and various emotions together, I discovered I possessed an ability: when I share a deep emotional bond with someone, I can collect a type of energy. Once this energy reaches 1,000 points, I can send them away. However, whether they truly return to their original world... I can't be entirely sure."

"Huh?"

Kiri tilted her head slightly, her expression incredulous as she jabbed her finger at her chest.

"So, you're saying that if I want to go back using your method, I'd need to sleep with you? What kind of absurd nonsense is that? You're just taking advantage of people."

Her face clearly conveyed her disbelief and irritation.

"Well," Li Ke replied awkwardly, "this is just based on the information I've gathered so far. I don't think intimacy is strictly required. Since the ability involves emotional resonance, maybe becoming partners or building trust might also work."

Tsunade turned her head away, unwilling to engage further.

"Let's hope so," she muttered coldly.

Despite her disinterest in showing it, she remained suspicious of Li Ke, believing there was more he wasn't saying. After all, this was a strange and dangerous world, and with no one else around besides Li Ke, trusting his words entirely would be foolish.

Li Ke knew this all too well.

Tsunade was a ninja—trust didn't come easily to someone like her. And Lady Kiri? If she were the type to trust people easily, she wouldn't have survived in a harsh world like hers.

"I understand that it's difficult for you to trust me," Li Ke said seriously. "But with the zombie horde approaching, I urge you to at least cooperate with me until it's over."

He met their eyes with earnest determination. If trust couldn't be achieved immediately, then he would earn it through actions. His first priority: building an underground shelter for himself.

As for trying to fortify a structure above ground?

Recalling the overwhelming sea of zombies from his last encounter, Li Ke dismissed that idea outright.

Instead, he continued with a sincere tone, addressing the two women.

"I won't force you to do anything. You're free to explore and find out more about this world on your own. Consider this my repayment for saving me: I'll provide you with some resources and food. However, please try to avoid getting scratched or bitten. Without medicine, the chances of infection are extremely high. And if you ever encounter a Screamer zombie, kill it immediately. Those things summon other zombies, massively increasing their numbers, strength, and speed."

He paused briefly before adding, "One last thing. By the third day, no matter where you are or what you've uncovered, please return here. Without a proper base, surviving the zombie horde will be almost impossible."

Li Ke's tone was calm but firm, with no signs of deceit or manipulation. His transparent approach seemed to make an impression on the two women.

"I see," Tsunade said, glancing at Lady Kiri.

Lady Kiri met her gaze, nodded, and then turned back to Li Ke.

"Alright, we'll cooperate for now. We'll be relying on you."

This arrangement was the best solution for the moment. Both women planned to explore the area and gather information before deciding whether Li Ke was trustworthy. His cooperative attitude so far had left them reasonably satisfied.

After discussing a few more things, including the different types of zombies they might encounter, the three quietly ate their meal together.

The stew Lady Kiri made was, frankly, barely edible—especially when compared to the exquisite dishes Erina Nakiri had once prepared. But in these circumstances, there was little room for complaints.

Once they finished eating, the two women prepared to head out and investigate the surroundings. Neither of them seemed interested in visiting the peculiar merchant Li Ke had mentioned.

As Li Ke watched their elegant figures gradually disappear from the ruined town, he sighed to himself.

"What a shame."

If only Tsunade and Lady Kiri trusted him, things would be much simpler.

Lady Kiri had taken his battered machine gun with her, but only about a hundred bullets. Tsunade, on the other hand, hadn't taken anything—apparently trusting Lady Kiri to handle the fighting.

"Time for me to get to work."

Taking a deep breath, Li Ke entered the merchant's shop. It looked the same as before, unchanged even by the chaos outside. The merchant herself remained still, with the same unchanging smile as if she weren't even alive.

Li Ke said nothing and instead accessed the merchant's menu, selecting the option: "Do you have any tasks for me?"

The merchant finally moved, her soft voice breaking the silence.

"Oh, you've come at just the right time. I have plenty of work that needs doing."

The merchant spoke flawless English, but Li Ke could somehow understand her perfectly. While her voice lacked the distinct charm of Erina's, it was gentle and soothing nonetheless.

A series of tasks appeared before him:

Clear all zombies from the fire station (214 meters).

Retrieve smuggled goods from a three-story building (200 meters).

Collect food supplies from a wooden white house (160 meters).

Clear all zombies from a wooden bungalow (121 meters).

Li Ke scanned the options and immediately chose the fourth task, the closest one. He wanted to see how the mission system in this world operated.

Curiously, though, the town had been reduced to ashes during the earlier fire. How could any of these places even exist?

"Oh, you're such a big help! My previous hires didn't survive, and I was worried about who else could assist me," the merchant said enthusiastically.

A new mission prompt appeared in Li Ke's view, and his map now displayed a large exclamation mark labeled "Clear" in the middle of the charred ruins.

"So, even if the houses were destroyed, it doesn't affect the mission system. But will zombies simply spawn there, or will the mission complete as soon as I arrive?"

His curiosity piqued, Li Ke licked his lips, ready to leave the shop. Just as he turned to go, a thought struck him.

Could the merchant herself be used to upgrade his world-traveling ability?

His gaze drifted back to her, still clad in revealing attire, her demeanor calm and unbothered. Li Ke hesitated, torn.

Should he? Or shouldn't he?

Deep down, he already knew the answer. The fact that he was even considering it meant the idea had taken root in his mind.

But…

"Not now."