After finishing his meal, Li Ke went into the nearby woods, chopped down a few trees, and gathered enough wood to construct wooden frames around the RV. With the knowledge that his stone axe could upgrade these structures, he quickly figured out the method—using the right-click action.
Upgrading one wooden frame required eight pieces of wood, and the upgraded frame boasted a durability of 500. Li Ke attempted a second upgrade and discovered that it required cobblestones, which could be crafted using clay and stones.
Pondering this, Li Ke fashioned a stone shovel and experimentally struck the ground. Instantly, the earth yielded a chunk of clay and displayed its durability. After just a few strikes, a large depression formed in the ground.
Looking at the one-meter-deep pit, Li Ke scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well... that's user-friendly."
In just three digs, such a deep hole had appeared. He was somewhat taken aback, but it also confirmed something—survival in this world wouldn't be too difficult, so long as he didn't act recklessly.
Li Ke crafted ten cobblestones—not because he didn't want to make more, but because there were no loose stones around. Using one of the cobblestones, he upgraded a wooden frame with 500 durability. To his amazement, the wooden structure instantly transformed into a brick wall.
Testing it with his stone axe, he noted the result:
1457/1500 durability.
"The defense has improved too!"
Li Ke was overjoyed. When he attempted another upgrade, the system notified him of insufficient materials, requiring cement for the next enhancement.
However, cement posed a new challenge. Unlike other materials, cement required a cement mixer, which itself needed to be crafted at a workbench. This left Li Ke somewhat frustrated.
"Looks like tomorrow, I'll officially join the miners' guild," he muttered, glancing at the sky. Realizing it was getting late, he decided to stop working. Meanwhile, Nakiri Erina had already extinguished the campfire and was helping upgrade the remaining wooden frames to planks.
The two had surrounded the RV with wooden walls and installed a system-generated wooden door for easy access. After all, upgraded wooden frames couldn't be dismantled and reused.
"Time for bed."
Stretching, the pair retreated to their respective quarters inside the RV.
While Erina slept soundly, Li Ke found himself wide awake.
The lingering effects of the meal hadn't been entirely burned off by the day's labor. On the contrary, lying down only intensified the heat coursing through his body.
Though he still felt a bit feverish, certain physiological reactions were unavoidable.
"Damn it..."
Li Ke sat up in the middle of the night, covering his face with his hands.
He couldn't sleep at all.
The restless fire in his heart wouldn't subside, leaving him at a loss for what to do.
And the worst part? He had a "perfectly acceptable" target in mind.
It wasn't Erina—Li Ke wasn't planning to take things further with her just yet. He intended to wait until their bond deepened over time.
No, the target was the merchant woman.
Her ample chest, curvaceous hips, and shapely legs were practically tailor-made to tempt him. While her face couldn't compare to Erina's, there was one undeniable advantage—no need for complicated emotional exchanges.
Erina, despite her beauty and growing dependence on him, was more of a comrade than a mere plaything. She was a partner in survival, struggling alongside him in this dangerous world.
"Am I really going to cross this line?"
Li Ke stared at his hands. Though washed clean, they still carried the faint stench of zombie blood. The thought of engaging in "handiwork" only to risk infection was almost laughable.
Getting infected in such a ridiculous way would truly be beyond words.
Yet the persistent desire gnawing at him made him pull the blanket over his head in frustration.
Little did he know, in the neighboring room, Erina lay awake as well, listening to his heavy breathing.
The human body is a curious thing. After intense battles or strenuous activity, it naturally craves connection with the opposite sex.
Adrenaline-fueled experiences can trigger a biological urge to leave behind offspring. As a result, physically active and adventurous individuals often have stronger desires. Conversely, those leading sedentary or risk-averse lives rarely experience such primal instincts.
If you're skeptical, try comparing the feeling after months of regular exercise to periods of inactivity. You'll notice the difference.
That night, Li Ke dreamed of many things. Most notably, the sensation of kissing Erina and the softness of the merchant woman's chest.
When he woke up the next morning, he couldn't help but curse under his breath, dragging himself out of bed feeling utterly drained.
Standing by the wooden wall surrounding the RV, he placed a wooden frame in front of him and jumped onto it. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him—a technique frequently used in Minecraft-like construction games.
He jumped again, this time placing another wooden frame beneath him mid-air.
In an instant, he found himself standing atop the newly placed frame!
"It actually works!"
Li Ke was thrilled. This opened up countless possibilities.
For example, he could use this technique to scale mountains or reach areas inaccessible to zombies.
"That means getting onto the gas station roof might be easier than I thought!"
With renewed excitement, Li Ke strolled along the wall, scanning the surroundings for zombies or wild animals.
Fortunately, the night had been uneventful. Neither creatures nor zombies had appeared, and the wooden wall's durability remained untouched.
At that moment, Erina emerged from the RV, carrying the leftover food from last night. Li Ke jumped down from the wall and nodded at her in greeting.
After finishing breakfast, Li Ke declared, "Once we're done eating, we'll head into town to scavenge for supplies. Top priority is duct tape and anything else that looks useful."
Erina Nakiri didn't object. Exhausted from a sleepless night, she quietly reheated their leftovers while listening to Li Ke describe his new discovery.
When he explained the ability to build blocks mid-air, her face lit up with excitement.
However, their plans took an abrupt turn. Just as they were about to eat, a piercing scream shattered the stillness outside. It sounded human, but unnervingly distorted—almost inhuman.
Li Ke and Erina tensed instantly. Li Ke scrambled onto the wooden barricade to survey the area, his eyes locking onto the source of the sound.
But any fleeting hope of a survivor was extinguished when he saw the creature.
Shambling toward them was a pale zombie, its body covered in gruesome wounds. Its resemblance to a horror movie ghost—disheveled black hair and a twisted, gaping mouth—made Li Ke's stomach churn.
"No way that's human," he muttered grimly.
The zombie locked its ravenous gaze on him and unleashed another bone-chilling scream.
The sound carried far, triggering a cacophony of shattering windows and creaking doors from the nearby town. From the shadows, at least a dozen zombies poured out, sprinting toward them at unnatural speeds.
Li Ke's heart sank. "Crap!"
Leaping off the barricade, he summoned a stone spear from his inventory and armed himself with his trusty axe. Without hesitation, he charged at the ghost-like zombie.
In just five seconds, Li Ke reached the shrieking creature. It opened its mouth to scream again, but he plunged the spear into its throat, pinning it to the ground.
With a swift follow-up, Li Ke swung his axe downward, embedding it deep into the zombie's skull. It stopped moving instantly, its lifeless body crumpling beneath him.
But there was no time to celebrate. The sprinting zombies were closing the distance fast—less than 100 meters away now.
Li Ke yanked his axe free and bolted toward the barricade. The sound of snarling and pounding feet filled the air as the horde reached just ten meters behind him.
"Grab my hand!"
Erina was already crouched on top of the barricade, her arm extended. Without slowing down, Li Ke leapt up, clasping her hand tightly as his free hand found a grip on the barricade. Together, they hauled him over just as the first zombies slammed into the wooden walls.
"Damn it... Special zombies really exist!"
Breathing heavily, Li Ke stared at the dozen snarling creatures clawing at the barricade. If he had been caught, there would have been no escape—not even an infection, just death by a ferocious mauling.
As he caught his breath, a scraping sound below drew his attention. The zombies were furiously scratching at the wooden walls, their fingers digging splinters out of the structure. A few others had turned their focus to the wooden gate, their relentless attacks testing its durability.
The only silver lining was that the zombies seemed to be slowing down, their initial frenzy subsiding.
"Thank God for small mercies," Li Ke muttered, exhaling deeply. He dropped back inside the barricade, axe in hand.
Swinging the gate open, he quickly dispatched a female zombie clawing at it, his axe cleaving through her skull. Erina followed close behind, her own axe landing with deadly precision on the next zombie.
The two worked in tandem, methodically taking down each creature trying to breach their defenses. Once the immediate threats were dealt with, they moved outside the barricade to eliminate the remaining zombies clawing at the walls.
When the last of the horde lay lifeless, Li Ke collapsed onto the grass, breathing heavily.
Erina, seemingly unfazed, approached and knelt beside him, her expression laced with concern. From his vantage point, Li Ke inadvertently caught a glimpse of her skirt, revealing more than he intended to see.
For a moment, he froze, his adrenaline-fueled mind spiraling into dangerous thoughts. To prevent himself from acting on impulse, he quickly averted his gaze, sitting up and grabbing his dulled axe.
"We need firearms—fast," he said, forcing his focus back on the aftermath. "And we need to start taking shifts for watch duty. This place isn't safe until the RV is fully repaired. We also need a proper stronghold, a lookout tower, and a rotation schedule for guarding the perimeter."
Had he been armed with a gun and proficient in its use, things would have been much easier. The ghost-like zombie could have been eliminated before it screamed, and the rest of the horde could have been dealt with from a distance.
Erina nodded. "I'll follow your lead."
Her agreement reassured Li Ke. His suggestions were practical and left little room for debate.
After eating, the two ventured cautiously back into town, both on edge. Many of the buildings remained unexplored, and they couldn't risk another encounter with one of those ghost-like zombies without a solid plan.
This time, Li Ke came prepared.
Since he lacked feathers for arrows—and wasn't proficient with a bow anyway—he had crafted an arsenal of stone spears. They were stored in his inventory, ready to be thrown if needed.
Or, more accurately, ready for Erina to throw.
Her aim and strength far surpassed his, as much as it bruised his ego. He had already tested it—when it came to throwing spears, Erina was frighteningly accurate and deadly.
As they scavenged a previously unexplored house, Li Ke found himself distracted. Watching Erina bend over to rummage through a cabinet, her graceful movements and the subtle sway of her figure sent his thoughts spiraling again.
"Is she the real protagonist of this story?" he mused bitterly.
And me…? Just a disposable side character meant to die and trigger her powers?