Furthermore, a Berserker's cultivation required the continuous absorption of other people's blood-qi, which specifically had to come from powerful fighters. Without a Ghost Hand to suppress it, along with the sheer mental fortitude brought by the mutation's mad intent, an ordinary person could almost never control such chaotic, mixed energies. They would literally implode before they could even make a move.
If the absolute ceiling for a normal human practicing the Blood-Qi Secret Technique was a two, then someone born with a Ghost Hand started with a ceiling of fifty—even if they had never trained a day in their life!
Worse yet, when an ordinary person practiced this technique, they risked completely destroying their own limbs during basic training. It was a thankless, unrewarding path. If someone possessed the sheer resolve and endurance required to face such immense risks and hardships, why wouldn't they just study orthodox swordsmanship instead?
It carried zero risk and yielded results far more quickly.
Of course, there were always stubborn fools. The swordsman Li Ke had blasted earlier was a prime example. Lacking a Ghost Hand, he had nearly killed himself just trying to cultivate the technique, only to end up weaker than peers of his own age.
He wasn't just losing because of his sword skills, either. It was also because his version of the Blood-Qi Secret Technique packed less than a tenth of the punch of a true Berserker's.
That was the harsh reality: the Ghost Hand itself amplified the raw destructive power of the blood-qi, simply because a mutated limb could withstand far more violent kinetic shockwaves than human flesh.
As a result, the technique was widely condemned as a heretical path.
"No wonder this stuff is practically considered exclusive to Berserkers..."
Li Ke really wanted to complain about the sheer absurdity of it. However, since the ability had basically dropped into his lap for free, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Right then, a sudden noise caught his attention. A heartbeat later, a slender dagger blade slipped through the seam of his locked window.
An accomplice?!
Li Ke's mind instantly flashed back to the two thugs from earlier today. Acting on pure survival instinct, he whipped out his machine gun. But the heavy waves of dizziness left him far less agile than he had been during the day. Before he could even push himself up from the bed, the window was flung wide open.
A lithe silhouette darted into the room. Spotting the firearm in Li Ke's hands, the intruder let out a cold snort, smoothly pulling out two throwing daggers and locking into a throwing stance.
Yet, instead of launching an attack, she spoke first.
"Hey, is this how you treat a guest?"
The familiar voice caught Li Ke off guard. Blinking away his blurred vision, he focused on the intruder. Standing right in front of him was Tangji, carrying a travel pack. The heavy chains and most of her bulky combat gear were completely missing.
Li Ke didn't lower his weapon, immediately shooting back, "Guests don't climb in through windows. Besides, did I even invite you?"
Tangji clicked her tongue and looked away in annoyance. "Then what the hell did you mean by giving me those extra ten gold coins?!"
As the pale moonlight cascaded into the room, Li Ke finally got a clear look at her.
The layer of grime that usually covered her was entirely gone. Although her clothes were worn and heavily tattered, they were completely spotless.
Not only that, she had clearly taken a bath and done her hair. While the fierce scars on her flesh remained intimidating, she looked remarkably clean, fresh, and alluring.
Her expression was a complex mix of forced resilience, embarrassment, and stubborn defiance.
"Oh ho..." Li Ke let out a deeply meaningful chuckle.
"What's with that look?!"
Tangji threw her pack onto the floor, the crisp clinking of hidden chains echoing through the room. Li Ke paid the noise no mind, stepping forward until he stood right in front of her under the moonlight.
"So, you're here to fulfill our deal?"
When he had tossed her those extra coins earlier, he was testing her and teasing her. He honestly hadn't expected Tangji to actually deliver herself right to his bed! And she had even specifically dolled herself up for it.
Hearing his words, Tangji aggressively grabbed him by the collar, looking thoroughly vexed.
"Are you messing with me?" she demanded.
"No, I just don't understand..."
"Do you think I'm the type to take money and not deliver?! I'm not spitting back a single coin I've earned! So if you think I'm ugly and don't want to sleep with me, tough luck. You're not getting a refund!"
Tangji glared fiercely at Li Ke, looking entirely prepared to pin him to the floor and beat him senseless if he dared to say she wasn't attractive right now.
"Since I paid for it, of course I want to go through with it," Li Ke said, waving his hand as he looked intently at the woman before him. "Besides, I truly do think you are beautiful."
He was being completely genuine. In Tangji's eyes, Li Ke's gaze reflected the pure white moonlight, perfectly mirroring her face and the scars that marked her cheeks.
She froze for a moment, then slowly let go of his collar and averted her gaze.
"Are you serious? Is your brain fried?"
She gestured toward the scars across her abdomen and side. These marks were testimonies of her brutal past, and the reason she felt her body was no longer beautiful.
"Not at all. To be precise, you are incredibly beautiful."
Li Ke looked at the marks, his hand gently tracing the lines on her skin. "You must have had a really rough life, haven't you?"
The scars told a story of survival. Even without medical expertise, Li Ke could tell that she had survived wounds that would have claimed the lives of most others. For someone in her line of work, these were signs of resilience. Yet, she had endured.
"You..."
Tangji tried to take a step back, but Li Ke stepped closer, placing a hand on her waist and acknowledging the history written in those scars. He reached out to tilt her chin upward and leaned in to kiss her.
The female Brawler was momentarily caught off guard, but she soon relaxed into the embrace. Li Ke found the moment revealing; despite her tough exterior, she seemed inexperienced with such tenderness. The sudden hesitation she showed was something that couldn't be faked.
His touch grew gentler, but he soon noticed something strange. There was a distinctly sweet, metallic taste—a flavor that reminded him of the potent toxins she often handled.
The effect was immediate; he felt a slight numbness beginning to spread. However, he mentally checked his inventory, which still held over a hundred First Aid Kits and various medicines, and remained undeterred.
He might have had terrible luck with other items in that previous world, but when it came to medical supplies—he had certainly hoarded more than enough!