Chapter 100: A New Era

"This notebook is crucial to us," the man said, his face solemn after dismissing those around him.

"I had no idea the situation outside had deteriorated to this extent."

"When we go out to scavenge for supplies, we might encounter these monsters. Having this information would significantly increase our chances of survival."

Fan Li glanced at him and replied, "What kind of compensation can you offer? I am not in need of food."

Fan Li did not mind sharing the content of his notes, as he was a human himself and accustomed to communal living. He dared not imagine the profound loneliness of being the only survivor in such a vast world. However, the man was right—he had paid a heavy price for this manual. No one owed anyone anything; Fan Li simply wanted a fair trade.

"I understand," the man said, staring at Fan Li for a few seconds before nodding. "Wait for me a moment."

As the man walked upstairs, Fan Li watched his retreating figure and pulled a button from his pocket, holding it in his palm. Caution is the parent of safety. Sometimes, the human heart is more inscrutable than Ellie. Darkness shrouded the earth, and bestiality had eclipsed the brilliance of humanity. At times, this species, capable of thought, could be crueler and more terrifying than the monsters themselves.

The man soon returned, carrying several items.

"A pneumatic nail gun. While it doesn't compare to a real firearm, it still packs decent lethality at close range compared to melee weapons."

"Detonators. We found them while scavenging a construction site. You know how destructive they can be."

"And this—these are Molotov cocktails we made. They’re filled with gasoline. If used in conjunction with the detonators, the power would be even greater."

Fan Li frowned. To be honest, he was unimpressed. Both the nail gun and the detonators were essentially useless to him now. As for the Molotov cocktails, there were resources all over the streets; he could fill a table with them in minutes if he wanted to.

The man noticed Fan Li's expression. After a moment of thought, he placed a liquor box on the table.

"This was left behind by the monster that was burned to death earlier. Its skin, which was originally tough, cracked open after it burned into charred remains, and we found this colloid inside."

The man opened the box and continued, "It’s been over ten days, but it’s still warm. At night, it even emits a faint red glow."

"Do you know what this is?"

As soon as the man finished speaking, a fist-sized, irregularly shaped object appeared in Fan Li's vision.

[Absorbable!]
[1: Convert to 30 Slaughter Points]
[2: Perform Refinement 1/2]
[3: Direct Ingestion (Not recommended; you only have a one-in-ten chance of survival)]
[Only a monster can defeat a monster.]

Fan Li remained stunned for a second before shifting his gaze away.

"I don't know. Although I've killed many monsters, I've never cut open their chests."

"Is that so..."

The man’s eyes remained fixed on Fan Li, trying to glean information, but to his disappointment, Fan Li’s calm was impenetrable.

"However, I am interested in this item. If you’re willing, I’ll trade if you include the nail gun," Fan Li said.

For a moment, the man wanted to refuse, but he held back and nodded. "Deal."

"You cannot flip to the first few pages; they contain my private journals. For the rest, you may transcribe them here in front of me," Fan Li said in a low voice.

"I understand." The man nodded, sent someone to fetch paper and pens, and began transcribing right beside Fan Li.

Fan Li sat on a stool, seemingly fiddling with the nail gun and loading the nails one by one, but his thoughts were already centered on the irregular colloid.

Being able to convert it into 30 Slaughter Points meant, without a doubt, that the entity the man had killed was a true monster. What truly caught Fan Li’s attention were the latter two options: refinement and direct ingestion. Based on the prompt, these residues inside the monsters could be of some help in gaining power.

The monsters Fan Li had previously killed had all become Sealed Items, which was why he hadn't seen these colloids before. Perhaps the generation of Slaughter Points was derived from this very object.

The kill that granted the refinement option did not show a 1/2 status, which meant the monster killed by the butcher was indeed stronger than the Titan and could be refined directly.

[Only a monster can defeat a monster.]

The Monster Manual did not speak in empty riddles. What did the last sentence mean? To defeat a monster, must one first become a monster?

In a trance, Fan Li seemed to foresee the birth of something sinister. A new species that possessed the power of a monster while retaining human intellect...

To him, a new era was dawning on this land. Just as early humans learned to make fire and sharpen weapons to resist beasts, in the face of the inescapable pressure of zombies, humans had no choice but to take the step and transform into something indescribable.

There was more than one Titan. The number of monsters was beyond imagination. Without the Monster Manual, one could not convert Slaughter Points, and when monsters were killed by humans, these irregularly shaped colloids would emerge.

Fan Li focused his gaze on the colloid. His face remained calm, but a tempest raged within him.

"I just wonder, who will be the first to take the bait?"

...

"Near the South Plaza, we encountered a monster once. It looked like a dog, but it had three heads. We only took a glance from afar before fleeing."

"Sister Xia also said she saw a figure with wings and flesh tumors covering its chest flying past while she was hanging laundry on the rooftop."

"We rarely go out. When we do, we scavenge enough food to last, so we don't have much information on the monsters."

"This is enough," Fan Li said gently.

"If you're willing, you can stay with us for a while."

Fan Li smiled and shook his head, standing up and adjusting his gear. "No thanks. I've grown accustomed to life out there."

"Goodbye, if fate allows."

Fan Li walked out of the stronghold and back onto the street. Because of the suppression from the button, the surrounding zombies had dispersed, leaving the area eerily silent. Fan Li was long familiar with such deathly stillness. He moved away from the stronghold and embarked on his new journey.

But after walking for nearly a quarter of an hour, a chill suddenly crept up his back.

Fan Li’s nerves tightened instantly. He gripped his katana and turned slowly, looking toward the source of the chill.

He saw half a face. Most of the figure was hidden behind a wall. The visible pupil was ringed in white, unlike a normal human, and a large mask covered the rest of their features.

The figure had been following Fan Li for who knows how long, watching him silently, never once interfering.