CHAPTER 67: INTERACTIONS WITH THE NIGHT PART 26

"This drug is amazing!" Kana exclaimed.

Heat poured from her skin in thick waves of mist, wrapping her like a personal sauna.

bang!

When she threw a punch, it sounded like a small-caliber gun going off.

It was a good thing Jun wasn’t in the motel, and the place had solid soundproofing.

bang!

Another one echoed.

Though it sounded like a gun, it wasn’t actually as strong.

The noise came from the air compressing on impact and creating friction against the skin.

"What is that technique?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"This?" Kana paused, looking at her hands.

"This is called Ki Utilization. To be honest, I only reached this level after taking that drug. Before that, I could hardly release any at all outside my body."

"So you used that to boost your strength before?"

She nodded. "Yes, strength—and also when I want to defend a part of my body."

Raising her arm, she showed how the veins along her wrist swelled slightly.

"See? If I do this, I can even stop a stab wound."

It was an impressive feat. Even Johan didn’t have anything close to this.

Luck reassessed his first impression of this world. It was more complex than he had thought.

"And how exactly did you manage to pull that off?"

She took her time explaining. "It’s about channeling internal energy—Ki—through the body’s meridian network,"

"Can you tell me the exact procedure? I’m really curious,"

"Well, it’s not something you can learn right away," she replied. "It took me almost six years just to sense Ki, and even then, all I could do was strengthen my muscles a little."

Luck stood up. "Try me. I’m a fast learner."

She was a little skeptical about his claim, but decided to humor him anyway.

With a deep breath, Kana took a step back and assumed a relaxed stance.

"Alright, pay attention," she instructed, extending her hand.

"The initial step is to become aware of the energy within you—your Ki. It’s always present, but most people are too distracted to notice it."

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Upon exhaling, a subtle warmth emanated from her skin.

"You need to silence everything: your thoughts, your breathing, even your heartbeat."

"Concentrate on the area just below your navel. That’s where the Ki is most concentrated. Once you locate it, channel it through your limbs—like this."

She brought her arm up slowly.

A faint whooshing sound followed, and the air around her hand heat up.

Then, she thrust her fist forward.

bang!

"Did you see that?" she asked, glancing at him. "That wasn’t just muscle. That was controlled Ki being channeled and released at the moment of impact."

She relaxed her stance and turned to him.

"At first, all you’ll manage is a tingle. Maybe some heat. But with time—and the right mental discipline—it becomes second nature."

Kana smirked slightly. "So? Still think you can master it right away?"

"You mean this?" Luck raised his hand already emitting the same heat.

"You lied to me! You already knew how to use it!" she exclaimed, feeling completely fooled.

"No, not at all," Luck replied, grinning. "You’re just a great teacher. I managed to grasp it instantly."

She rolled her eyes. If mastering Ki were that easy, everyone in the world would be a martial artist.

Luck wasn’t lying.

The real reason he picked it up so quickly was because his body was already perfectly suited for using Ki.

All he needed was enough clue to push him in the right direction.

Moreover, his fundamental ice manipulation worked on a similar principle, albeit with energy derived from a different source.

While Ki was centered in the navel, the ice element originate from his chest.

’It’s still hard to control, but with enough practice, I can reach the same level as her.

’But I wonder why this particular technique improved... I boosted her assassination skill, not her martial arts....’

Curious, he asked. "By the way, Kana, what’s your specialty in assassination?"

"This is what I’m best at. Unlike other assassins, my grandfather made me focus on Ki Utilization—he believed it was the most beautiful form of killing."

That answered his question.

"Then why are you only Rank 15?"

Her expression shifted, and it took her a few seconds to respond.

"I stopped improving. And while I’m stronger now, the past version of me wouldn’t have stood a chance against those in the higher ranks."

Luck noticed her insecurities and wanted to offer some words of support.

But before he could say anything, she smiled and changed the topic.

"You’re really amazing. I think you’re like the ones my grandpa always told me about—a once-in-a-billion talent that only comes around every hundred years."

"Make that once in forever," he declared smugly. "I refuse to believe anyone’s on my level. I’m basically the final boss of humanity. God probably high-fived himself and retired after making me—figured he peaked."

She burst into laughter. His over-the-top humor was ridiculous—but strangely refreshing.

"You really know how to make me smile," she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Eh?" He feigned confusion, because, as far as he was concerned, he was just stating the truth.

"I’m actually telling the truth,"

This made her laugh even more, as she thought he was simply staying in character.

In the end, he let her be, and the two of them started practicing.

He requested that she teach him more about the basics, and she happily agreed.

The day went by smoothly without any issues.

There were a few dozens of zombies during the night, but nothing they couldn’t handle.

And after handling the situation, Kana and he found themselves swept away in an intoxicating embrace, indulging in a moment of passion.

This time, he didn’t return to his office but instead stayed and slept beside her until morning.

[Congratulations! You have survived Night 3]

[Survivors 11/11]

[Daily Rewards]

[110 EC - Survivor Allowance]

bang!

A gunshot echoed off the walls, but it hadn’t come from a weapon—it came from Luck’s punch.

Kana was speechless.

In just one day, he had matched her skill. She couldn’t believe how unfair his level of comprehension was to pull off something like that.

Calling Luck a genius among genius would be an understatement.

"You were joking when you said you were the peak of humanity, right?"

"No, not at all. Gene-wise, I doubt anyone could be more perfect than me."

She sighed in defeat. She wanted to argue, but his achievements were simply too overwhelming.

So she accepted that her boyfriend was simply too perfect.

’I hope our child takes after him,’ she murmured.

.

.

.

It was already noon when they came out. The place had grown busier as more camps were set up in the shade of the wall.

The survivors moved in better sync now, with Jun and Fernando leading them.

"Any news?" he asked Dima who was located in the watch tower near the gate.

"Yeah, big boss, I saw some raiders watching us, but none of them got close. I think they’re scared of us."

"Let me see." He took the binoculars and, spotted a few people watching the walls.

It was both good and bad thing.

"Tsk." He clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Finding a way to draw more survivors to the base had become a problem.

"Just watch them for now, and be careful. Don’t stick your head out too much, or it might get blown off."

Dima immediately ducked.

"Noted!" he exclaimed, eyes darting around like a nervous rat.

Soon, night fell again.

More zombies stumbled out of the darkness, but by now the group was already used to fighting with spears and bows.

Gregor nudged Roger with his elbow. "I bet you one can of beans I can headshot more of them than you."

Roger smirked as he notched an arrow. "Make it two cans. You’ll need the extra food after crying all night."

Yuna rolled her eyes "You two are pathetic"

Below, Luck sat in a low, folding chair like the kind people used at the beach. He leaned back, resting his head as he stared up at the moon.

Though he could’ve stepped in and made things easier, he chose not to. Letting them handle it was part of their training.

"Boss, the horde is thinning out," Dima walked over and whispered.

"So it’s time for me to shine again, huh."

He casually jumped over the wall.

The zombies locked onto him right away, groaning and stumbling in his direction.

Everyone expected the usual display—him weaving through the horde, blade flashing like a dance.

But this time, when he drew his sword, one clean slash dropped six zombies in an instant.

Everyone nearly dropped their jaws. The slash moved so fast, they felt the air shift even from where they stood.

Meanwhile, Kana, the only one who understood what happened, was in total shocked.

’How did he reach Ki Projection already? I haven’t even mentioned it to him...’

Luck moved through the horde and started his massacre.

With each swing of his sword, four to six zombies dropped, and not one of them posed even the slightest challenge.

When he finished, he looked down at his blade and smiled.

It was vibrating, already on the verge of breaking through.

He could feel it—like a part of him was linked to it, sharing the same pulse.

’You’re getting excited, aren’t you, partner?’

The sword seemed to shake even more, wanting more action.

’Okay, okay, calm down,’

He decided to head back to the safety of the motel to watch over his weapon’s evolution.