The water mechanics in this world were incredibly bizarre. After scooping up several buckets, Li Ke realized the fluid physics shared a striking similarity with Minecraft.
The moment he filled a system bucket and poured it onto the ground, a perfectly distinct source block of water materialized.
From there, this single block could yield an infinite supply.
It didn't spread or flow outward like standard water. Instead, whenever a pipe or any container interacted with it, water could be extracted indefinitely. And the craziest part?
That gelatinous, jello-like block of water never shrunk in size!
"Well, this is officially creeping me out," Kiri muttered, scratching her head in sheer bewilderment. Even though mind-boggling logic-defiers were a dime a dozen in this place, she still couldn't help but marvel every time she witnessed them firsthand.
"Hey, it plays to our advantage. We only need to haul a few buckets back to base."
Li Ke stared at the rushing river beside them. If this universe didn't lack those indestructible baseline blocks—meaning they faced a constant risk of digging through their foundations and causing the system structures providing their structural integrity to collapse instantly—he would have seriously considered building a base right here to exploit water physics for automated zombie traps.
Unfortunately, engineering that kind of setup was impossible. Attempting to build a perpetual hydro-loop back at their main compound was practically begging for a death sentence.
'What a waste,' Li Ke sighed inwardly.
As he lamented their limitations, he noticed Kiri had already unzipped her leather jacket. She pulled out a pristine set of bedding from her inventory, laid it out to one side, and even deployed a few system building blocks along the riverbank.
Li Ke's senses instantly locked onto her. As Kiri slipped off her boots and socks, his eyes drifted toward her bare feet.
It was honestly a miracle. Logically speaking, the feet of a battle-hardened woman like Kiri shouldn't look particularly delicate or attractive.
The reasoning was simple enough.
Her livelihood demanded constant, grueling physical exertion and endless running. Coupled with the absolute worst conditions of active combat zones, taking a shower—let alone soaking her feet—was a luxury she could rarely afford.
Because of this, Li Ke had never expected much in that department. He was more than content as long as her exceptionally long, gorgeous legs remained intact.
Yet, Kiri was currently putting a pair of remarkably flawless feet on display.
While they weren't as daintily petite as Erina's, they were beautifully proportioned and exceptionally elegant given Kiri's towering height.
Her pink, well-formed toes paired with a graceful arch and perfect contours.
They looked like meticulously sculpted pieces of jade artwork. This was especially true when Kiri dipped a foot into the water to test the temperature—her toes reflexively curled upward, adding a sudden splash of adorable, playful charm to the otherwise fierce and dashing older sister archetype.
'Is this another hidden perk of traveling between different universes?'
Li Ke felt a powerful urge to reach out and squeeze those adorable feet. However, he knew better than to cross the line before Kiri explicitly gave him the green light.
Instead, he decided to walk a short distance down the riverbank to give his own body a proper wash.
After all, Kiri's intentions couldn't be any more glaringly obvious.
It would be incredibly bad manners if he didn't clean himself up first.
Yet, just as he turned around to leave, Kiri's voice cut through the sound of the rushing water.
"And where do you think you're going?"
Kiri turned her head. As she draped her leather jacket over a wooden frame, her eyes locked onto Li Ke. Without breaking eye contact, her fingers slid down to unbutton her tight jeans, gradually exposing the full, voluptuous curve of her hips and the sweeping length of her long, slender legs to the open air.
Kiri's height was already considered tall — a full 1.8 meters.
But the most striking part was her legs.
In proportion to her body, Kiri's legs were just a little longer than those of an ordinary Earthling, yet they were exceptionally beautiful and slender.
Her thighs, however, were not the thin, delicate type. Instead, they were unusually full and firm, clearly shaped by long years of training.
Even so, there was no sense of bulkiness. By Earth standards they would still be called "slim," but set against the distinctive slender height of the Heavenly Realm people, those same thighs looked slightly thicker.
Feeling Li Ke's gaze on her, Kiri blushed despite having already prepared herself.
She had always felt her legs were too thick. Living in the Lawless Zone left its mark on a person; no matter how naturally beautiful someone was, the battlefield eventually changed the body.
She had once envied the life of a proper lady — simply marrying, raising children, and dressing up prettily every day.
But she knew she was not suited for that kind of life. After thinking it through, she also found it rather boring.
Perhaps one day, when she grew tired of adventure or was forced to worry about making a living, she would settle down somewhere.
Kiri was thinking these things when she realized she no longer needed to pull down her own underwear — Li Ke had already stepped behind her.
His arms slid around her slender waist. His palms moved slowly, deliberately, over the defined lines of her abs, tracing each firm ridge with the pads of his fingers. The light, ticklish pressure made Kiri's stomach flutter; a soft, involuntary laugh slipped from her lips.
"Mm… I was thinking of finding a place to take a bath," Li Ke murmured against her ear.
Kiri chuckled quietly.
"And now?"
"Bathing together with you sounds far more interesting."
One of his hands slid lower, following the smooth plane of her lower belly until it slipped beneath the last remaining piece of cloth. His fingers sank into a thick, soft thatch of hair.
Just like Tsunade, Kiri was quite lush down there. The hair was dense and dark, yet neatly kept, carrying a faint, clean feminine scent that rose the moment his fingers parted the soft curls. He let his fingertips explore slowly, stroking through the warm thicket, feeling the heat that was already gathering underneath.
His other hand slipped under the fabric covering her upper body. He cupped one of her breasts fully in his palm.
Kiri's breasts were not enormous, yet on her tall, athletic frame they looked full and proud. By ordinary standards they were certainly large enough — a perfect, heavy handful.
After spending the morning handling Tsunade's almost overwhelming weight, Li Ke felt a faint sense of regret at how easily Kiri's soft, firm flesh filled his hand.
But that same size meant her breasts were wonderfully firm and high. Even years from now they would never sag.
He kneaded slowly, deliberately, feeling the resilient flesh yield and then spring back against his fingers. His thumb found the nipple that was already beginning to stiffen and circled it with light, teasing pressure until the little peak hardened fully against his skin.
"Nn… that feels… really good…"
Kiri's voice came out soft and shaky. A low, involuntary moan escaped her as he continued the slow, thorough massage. Her hand rose almost without thought and closed around his forearm, holding on as the pleasant heat spread through her chest.
"No wonder Varracht never forgot to drink with the girls even while on the run… and why those guys get so addicted…"
Kiri had never experienced anything like this before. Rather than fear, a quiet curiosity and faint anticipation stirred inside her. She had wondered about these sensations for a long time, but the opportunity had never come.
"Let me think…"
Recalling the things she had glimpsed in the taverns, Kiri tried to turn around.
Li Ke's arms tightened instantly, locking her in place. He buried his face against the side of her elegant neck, lips brushing the sensitive skin just below her ear.
Kiri's entire body went rigid.
Earlier, when his fingers had stroked through the soft hair between her legs or played with her hardening nipples, her reactions had been mild.
But the moment his warm breath and soft lips touched the nape of her neck from behind, a sharp, uncontrollable shiver ran through her from head to toe.
She… did not like having someone behind her.