"Well, now..."
This changes everything.
Li Ke scanned the surrounding area, ensuring no shifting shadows remained in the dark corridor. Satisfied they were alone, he knelt down and scooped up the Loot Bag from the cobblestones. His immediate, instinctual reaction was to pocket it and save it for Kiri to open.
After all, history had repeatedly proven that Kiri's gacha luck was a terrifying anomaly. There was practically nothing her absurd fortune couldn't pull off.
However, whether due to differing world laws or system constraints, the moment Li Ke's fingers made physical contact with the blood-stained canvas bag, a heavy, leather-bound volume materialized directly into his palm, completely robbing him of the chance to rely on his luck-goddess proxy.
When Li Ke's eyes adjusted to the bold text emblazoned across the cover, he couldn't help but read it aloud.
"Secret Technique of Blood Qi?"
He stored the manual away into his 7 Days to Die inventory with a mental flick, bringing up its floating item description to break down its detailed attributes.
[Secret Technique of Blood Qi]
Description: Upon learning, active blood Qi within the body is unlocked, allowing the user to shape it into various crimson constructs, weapons, and devastating offensive payloads. This technique exponentially enhances physical movement speed, cognitive reaction time, and raw bodily defense. It further grants the ability to siphon the blood of others to close and mend physical wounds. Includes methodologies on how to naturally cultivate your internal blood vitality and refine it by absorbing the essence of stronger foes.Passive Effect: Base health regeneration rate is permanently increased by 25%. At the user's discretion, every offensive strike carries a baseline 2% probability to inflict varying tiers of standard or critical Bleed status effects based on damage output and location. These wounds cannot be easily staunched or dispelled through normal short-term recovery.Note 1: Active channeling carries a marginal risk of triggering cardiovascular and circulatory complications, including but not limited to: severe blood disorders, localized thrombosis, myocardial infarction, cerebral hemorrhages, and vascular ruptures, alongside endocrine imbalances or acute internal organ failure.Note 2: Due to the total absence of the Curse of Kazan, you lack the pure, unbridled berserker state typical of this world's traditional Berserkers. You will not completely lose your sanity in combat, though the actions of an adrenaline-addled mind remain highly unpredictable.Note 3: This is technically not an official Berserker Class Advancement Book. However, once mastered, your combat style will be indistinguishable from a Berserker in the eyes of onlookers.Note 4: Strictly speaking, this is merely a comprehensive guide on how to channel, manipulate, and govern the inherent kinetic energy stored within your bloodstream. It will not conflict with or lock you out of utilizing alternative power sources—unless your blood vitality eventually grows to an absolute, ungodly threshold.Note 5: Acquiring this technique automatically unlocks the active sub-skills: [Cross Slash] and [Derange / Blood Lust].Note 6: Seriously, this is definitely not a Berserker Class Advancement Book.
"..."
If this isn't a Berserker Class Advancement Book, then what the hell is it?!
Li Ke was hit with an overwhelming urge to flame the system aloud. The accompanying skill packages, the passive modifiers, the exact operational mechanics—every single aspect was a carbon copy of this world's standard Berserker class!
How could the system claim with a straight face that it had absolutely nothing to do with them?
"Wait... so that dead guy back there was actually a Berserker?"
Li Ke cast a brief glance back down the alley toward the fallen corpse, having no intention of overstaying his welcome. He also wasn't stupid enough to rip open the skill manual right then and there—the agonizing, mind-melting sensory overload from learning his last skill book was a traumatic memory he hadn't forgotten yet.
Instead, he bolted down the intersecting pathway, following the distant sounds of combat to catch up with Roche.
The assassin he had blasted with the shotgun was undoubtedly dead. The point-blank buckshot had been aimed squarely at his chest, leaving his ribcage visibly shattered from the back. There was zero reason to worry about the man getting back up to mount a counter-attack.
Perhaps in this highly magical world, certain individuals possessed high-tier regenerative abilities, but a pair of cheap, opportunistic street thugs certainly didn't belong to that caliber.
Which meant that as long as they neutralized the remaining heavy, the immediate threat would be entirely resolved.
Gripping his firearm tightly, Li Ke sprinted around a sharp corner, arriving just in time to witness Roche deploying two roaring Fire Chasers to successfully cut off the greatsword-wielding brute's escape route. Seizing the window of opportunity, Li Ke raised his barrel. The exact millisecond Roche slipped under a wide, horizontal sweep of the man's massive iron slab, Li Ke slammed his finger onto the trigger.
A hail of high-velocity rounds streaked across the dark alley like a cluster of fallen stars. To Li Ke's utter astonishment, however, the heavy brute reacted with unnatural agility. The moment the muzzle flashed, the man abandoned his pursuit of Roche, halting his momentum with a jarring pivot to bring his massive greatsword up. Using the broad fifteen-centimeter width of the iron blade, he perfectly shielded his chest and face, deflecting the heavy rounds meant for his vital organs in a shower of sparks.
However—
Li Ke's marksmanship was actually utter garbage.
While a couple of shots hit the mark as Li Ke intended, most of the burst went wide, striking the man's torso and leaving him severely wounded.
"Damn it!"
The brute roared internally, staring at Li Ke in disbelief. He mistakenly believed he was facing a master marksman. Though he couldn't understand what kind of rapid-fire device Li Ke was using, the sheer speed and the perceived strategy of the attack forced him to acknowledge his opponent's skill.
But the fight wasn't over.
"Then we go down together!"
With a desperate shout, the brute gathered his remaining strength and hurled his massive greatsword toward Li Ke.
Li Ke reacted instantly, performing a quick roll to the side. As he moved, he swapped his empty weapon for a revolver.
Six sharp shots rang out in the narrow alley. A moment later, the man slumped against the wall and slowly slid to the ground, defeated.
This time, however, no special items appeared.
Li Ke took a deep breath, feeling a mix of relief and disappointment. He stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and turned to Roche.
"Thanks for the help, Roche."
If she hadn't warned him and stepped in earlier, the situation could have turned out much worse for him. Even with the supplies in his bag, a serious injury in this environment would have been incredibly dangerous.
"Hehehe, it's nothing! You did buy me a meal, after all!"
Roche patted her chest proudly, clearly pleased with herself.
"I'll treat you to barbecue tonight," Li Ke said, looking around at the silent houses. "But is it really okay that we fought here?"
The nearby windows and doors remained tightly shut, and people on the distant main street seemed to pay no mind to the commotion.
"It seems you really are new here," Roche noted with surprise. "As long as it's not on the main streets, the Hendon Myre guards don't interfere, especially this close to the sewers."
She pointed toward a nearby tunnel entrance.
"The sewers are right there. As long as you aren't causing trouble for the regular citizens or starting a massive riot, no one is going to care about what happens in a back alley like this."
Her expression then shifted, and she once again took a defensive stance.
"But while the guards won't come, we still have to watch out for their allies and the scavengers who hang around here!"
As she spoke, several figures draped in chains and spikes emerged from the shadows of the alley. Li Ke tensed up, but as he saw the person leading the group, he felt the tension leave his body.
He recognized the newcomer.