Sevika Comes Knocking

During this time, Li Ke had truly been living with Jinx. During the day, Li Ke would go out to find work, and he actually found a job moving cargo at the docks. The owner of the merchant ship was from Ionia. Seeing that Li Ke had a kind face and didn't have the exaggerated tattoos of a Zaunite, looking very much like someone from Ionia, he hired Li Ke as a helper.

However, it was a merchant ship from outside, so Li Ke only worked there for two days before the ship left Zaun with its cargo. Fortunately, thanks to his strength, which was disproportionate to his appearance, Li Ke received extra rewards from the owner. These rewards were enough for Li Ke and Jinx to live on for a while longer.

Besides that, Li Ke also thoroughly studied the Golden Finger he had brought with him.

Of course, he didn't dare to descend into the Soul Blossom space again. But Li Ke seriously studied the number of descents. In the Soul Blossom space, Li Ke newly saw a box that resembled an energy bar. Once the white energy bar was full, Li Ke would gain one descent opportunity.

During the time he first discovered this, Li Ke didn't know how to replenish the energy bar. Strangely, the energy bar was increasing. Although the progress was slow to the point of being infuriating, it was indeed moving upwards. This meant that when Li Ke was in the material world, the energy bar was being replenished.

But what had he done for the energy bar to be replenished?

After studying for a while, Li Ke discovered it was because of emotions.

The reason the energy bar in the Soul Blossom space increased was because it absorbed the emotions of people in the material world. Human emotions originating from the depths of the soul – sadness, joy, anger – all replenished the energy bar's energy.

This discovery also made Li Ke excited. The Soul Blossom Golden Finger was the key to Li Ke being able to live peacefully in this world. Now that he had found a way to replenish descent opportunities, as long as he avoided Thresh, Li Ke could continuously grow stronger in the material world.

So he conducted research, and then, Li Ke discovered something very strange.

That was, the speed at which emotions emitted by others increased his energy bar seemed... far less than when he was just lying at home?

He went outside for an afternoon and encountered hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Although he didn't have close contact with them, Li Ke deliberately approached those with strong emotional fluctuations. Yet, the progress was not as much as when he was at home watching Jinx.

No, why was this happening?

After much thought, looking at Jinx, whose emotions were easily expressed, Li Ke felt this was probably a perk of mental illness?

In any case, this was still a good thing.

Late at night, in a lively small market on the outer edge of Black Alley, Li Ke stood before a stall. He took out a few coins from his pocket and placed them on the table. Then, Li Ke looked up at the creature in front of him, who was bare-chested, wearing an apron, and had green skin like a fathead fish. A human?

"Jellick, please give me one Berry Sauce Whitefish and one Spicy Bog Frog," Li Ke said.

"gahihihih." An unintelligible sound came out. The humanoid creature holding a cleaver laughed and raised the cleaver, chopping down on the cutting board, separating a sea fish.

Li Ke waited quietly.

The Bog Frog meat he had bought at a restaurant before was just boiled plain. Besides the fishy smell, there was no other taste. But the Bog Frog made by Jellick was different. This was personally certified by Vi as the best Spicy Bog Frog small shop in Zaun.

Although Li Ke still couldn't get used to the greasy texture of the Bog Frog, he could eat what Jellick made.

Moreover, Jellick's food was not only better tasting than the restaurant's, but also considerably cheaper.

Li Ke, who didn't have much money to begin with, naturally had to use it sparingly.

"guhahahai!" Jellick finished preparing the food, packed it into two large lunchboxes, and handed them to Li Ke.

Li Ke reached out and took it, touching the bottom of the food container. His palm was immediately covered in grease, the sensation making Li Ke's lips twitch slightly.

Forget it, don't expect cleanliness or hygiene from Zaun food.

It's all just tech and grit!

"Thanks, Jellick." Li Ke waved at Jellick.

Jellick looked up and let out a cackling laugh, waving back at Li Ke.

Carrying the food, Li Ke headed home.

Just a few minutes after Li Ke left the stall, a woman with her hands in her pockets, wearing a hat and a red jacket, appeared in the marketplace. She walked hunched over, with a tall, seemingly timid, slender woman behind her.

"Hey, why are we here?"

Looking at Vi ahead, Caitlyn couldn't hold back any longer.

She strode forward with her long legs, walked up to Vi, and whispered to her.

"Just follow me." Vi didn't answer Caitlyn's question, but walked straight to a stall and sat down.

"Jellick."

"Ghiaaa?" Jellick turned his head. Seeing Vi, the small pair of eyes on his round, plump face lit up.

"Gahali!"

"Yeah, it's me, I'm back. Hurry up and get me some good food, and... I have something I need to ask you for a favor." Vi said, patting her stomach.

"You have no idea how much I've missed this!" Vi said with a smile.

Even if the King of Heaven himself came, she had to eat at Jellick's today!

Who knew how much she missed this delicious taste while she was in prison?

Caitlyn stood by, completely bewildered. She looked at the stains on the counter, then at the hygiene situation inside. The corner of the beautiful enforcer's mouth twitched.

Is... is this food?

Do people from the Undercity eat food like this?

Li Ke carried the lunchbox and entered the alley. But as soon as he stepped into the alley, Li Ke narrowed his eyes.

Because downstairs, next to the escalator, two people were lying unconscious.

And his own front door was open, with loud noises coming from inside.

Seeing this, Li Ke held his lunchbox steady and lightly leaped over the people lying on the ground, walking up the stairs.

"I knew this day would come," Li Ke muttered to himself.

Li Ke had been prepared for Silco to come looking for him.

After all, Zaun was Silco's backyard, and with Jinx's graffiti all over their doorstep like a beacon attracting fireflies, it was only a matter of time before Silco's people found them.

Soon, Li Ke walked to the door and looked inside.

The house was already a mess. Li Ke's only two pieces of furniture, a wooden bed and a wooden table, were broken. Inside, Jinx was pinned against the wall by a woman, her neck held in a chokehold as she hurled a string of curses.

"Behave yourself! Do you think I want to take you back?" Sevika snarled down at the struggling Jinx.

If she had a choice, she wouldn't want to bring Jinx back at all!

This was merely Silco's order.

"Then let me go! You big idiot!" Jinx screamed, even trying to bite. Seeing this, Li Ke, who was watching, couldn't hold back a laugh.

Jinx opened her mouth and bit down with her white teeth on Sevika's mechanical arm, the crunching sound grating on the ears.

Not bad, Jinx had a strong bite.

"Ahem."

Li Ke made a sound.