Chapter 131: Special Meeting

Brother Li was angry, and the consequences were dire.

As a seasoned monster hunter, upon learning that a mutant capable of controlling zombies was lurking in the vicinity, Fan Li paid close attention. He even went as far as recalling the Xenomorphs he had sent out hunting, fearing he might alert the enemy prematurely.

Fan Li was certain that what Yang Shuo and the others had encountered was a mutant. Had it been a mere monster, he would not have returned to find Hu Huayao merely bandaged, but rather four sets of picked-clean bones.

Ordering minions to lay siege, launching surprise attacks, executing strategic retreats, and that final, resentful glare—by every measure, the creature was no ordinary zombie driven solely by the instinct to feed.

Fan Li was intrigued by it. However, after listening to Yang Shuo and his companions recount the harrowing experience with vivid, fear-stricken expressions, he managed to hold back the urge to say he was looking forward to the creature coming back for revenge.

It was no longer a secret that Fan Li could control terrifying monsters. While Ellie’s appearance was eerie, her height of only 1.4 meters lacked a certain sense of intimidation.

The Xenomorph, however, was different. Hatched from a zombie, it stood 2.3 meters tall. Whether it was the formidable, abnormal exoskeleton or the grotesque, humanoid face, it left the group in awe. Naturally, people tend to experience a period of fear when encountering something unfamiliar; when cameras were first invented, there were even ridiculous rumors that the developed photographs were actually capturing people's souls.

The group found the Xenomorph terrifying because of its appearance as a killing machine, but once they accepted it as an ally, that fear dissipated considerably.

Powerful, terrifying ally Xenomorph = increased safety.

This was the calculation etched into everyone’s mind.

"Brother Li, it was only thanks to my quick thinking that I charged out at the critical moment, otherwise, old Hu wouldn't have survived!" Yang Shuo gestured wildly, pointing back at Hu Huayao’s arm, conveniently forgetting that Hu had only been ambushed by the mutant after he had already cut down a dozen zombies.

Hu Huayao, who always presented himself with poise and—due to some inner burdens—was mostly a man of few words, save for when he was being gentle with his daughter, suddenly lowered his head and broke into a series of coughs. The once successful businessman was now wondering if reconciling with Yang Shuo had been a mistake.

Fan Li had originally expected Hu Huayao to retort, but to his surprise, Hu chose to remain silent, seemingly agreeing with some of what was said. When had the two of them stopped resenting each other and started getting along so harmoniously?

Although Yang Shuo tended to exaggerate, he had ultimately saved Hu Huayao’s life. For that man, after killing his own mutated wife, his daughter had become his final pillar of support. He did not live for himself, but for Hu Jia.

He was grateful to Yang Shuo for saving his life, and equally grateful for the chance it gave him to continue caring for his daughter.

They were a team, and naturally, Fan Li did not want them harboring ulterior motives. Based on their current behavior, he was quite satisfied.

Compared to the boisterous Yang Shuo and the silent Hu Huayao, Liu Hao, who served as the team’s medic, had been bustling about, serving up food—cooked noodles and warm water. After Fan Li mentioned that he had gone to the hospital and killed the multi-limbed monster, Liu Hao had been stunned for a moment before becoming exceptionally attentive.

Having lived through the apocalypse, everyone had their own stories. Most of Liu Hao’s teachers, colleagues, and patients had been slaughtered by that monster with regenerative abilities, their bodies even repurposed after death. Out of gratitude, and because Fan Li had demonstrated strength beyond that of an ordinary person, Liu Hao was in a state of both thankfulness and awe.

After briefly asking about what happened while he was away and confirming that Hu Huayao’s arm was only a minor fracture that didn't require surgery, Fan Li dismissed them from the room. He had other things to attend to.

For the few days he had been out, Fan Li had mostly eaten puffed snacks or canned goods. He had never imagined a bag of instant noodles could bring him such a sense of satisfaction.

Looking at the steaming noodles and the scattered spicy strips and sausages beside them, Fan Li felt even hungrier.

After finishing the noodles and putting the bowl in the sink, Fan Li took out the items from his backpack: the music box, the crucifix pendant, the button, and the obsession textbook. Since the Xenomorph was still outside the door, the Xenomorph egg had not yet been restored.

Summoning the Xenomorph egg had cost 500 slaughter points, and combined with the rewards gained from killing zombies while traveling, Fan Li now had a total of 180 slaughter points remaining.

Although his "granary" wasn't overflowing, he still had to perform basic maintenance. Aside from Ellie and the Xenomorph, the other monsters were still in a wounded state.

What Fan Li needed to do now was use his slaughter points to heal these monsters and restore them to their peak condition.

"Restore!"

[Heal Button: Consumes 20 slaughter points!]

[Heal Endangered Obsession Textbook: Consumes 40 slaughter points!]

[Heal Butcher: Consumes 20 slaughter points!]

Even though he was prepared, seeing the lines of blood-red text appear before him still made his heart ache.

[Obsession Textbook wounds restored, favorability +10]

[The Obsession Textbook cannot forget what you did to it. After you dealt it such heavy damage, this resentment is unavoidable; favorability has increased, but there will be no bonus damage when summoned.]

You can't treat family like strangers.

The Butcher was an embodiment of darkness and resentment, yet in their time together, its favorability had risen to 30.

As for the Obsession Textbook, Fan Li felt he had been more than benevolent. After the book had tried to coerce him, he had still forgiven it, so why was it still angry? And it was the kind of anger that couldn't be soothed.

An excellent leader, in addition to providing necessary rewards, must occasionally use the stick. Only by balancing kindness with authority could one lead a group well and go further.

"The harder a monster is to tame, the more satisfying it is to train," Fan Li thought, his gaze playful as he looked at the two figures on the book pages that seemed to come to life.

Following that, Fan Li wiped the button three times, causing his body to shiver involuntarily, and then picked up the music box and wound it.

The previously plain room was suddenly filled with an intense, icy chill and malice. Two shadows condensed, transforming into two figures—one large and one small, one tall and one short.