Chapter Forty-Six: Ellie's Secret Thoughts

Although Fan Li was not obsessed with appearances, it was difficult for him to accept the idea of spewing unknown fluids from his mouth while battling enemies. Furthermore, these fluids might inflict unpredictable harm upon himself—he had a human body, after all. Spitting sulfuric acid? Such a dangerous ability required caution.

Prepared, Fan Li tapped the feeding option with his finger.

A phantom light appeared before his eyes, as if a door had suddenly opened. A slender crack split the page at its center. Beyond this gate lay the domain of the Vomiter—a place so surreal and cold, reminiscent of ancient water prisons. Even a tiny gap gave one a chilling sense of dread.

Peering through the fissure, Fan Li saw nothing but absolute darkness. He possessed night vision and should have been able to see through the gloom, yet the monster manual appeared pitch-black, rendering his ability useless.

Gradually, layers of black mist began to spread from the depths. Within the darkness, the Vomiter’s bloated body struggled desperately, as if it sensed the gate to its prison had opened. It tried to step through, but no matter how it ran, it could never reach the exit!

The prison gate seemed only a step away, yet was separated by another dimension. With its current strength, the Vomiter was incapable of touching even its edge.

Just then, the black mist from behind enveloped the Vomiter. Zombies feared no pain, but the Vomiter craved fresh flesh. If Fan Li hadn’t appeared, it would eventually have mutated, becoming a true monster, with untold amounts of food awaiting it.

But now—

All its hopes were dashed. It seemed to see Fan Li, its face contorted with madness, emitting strange sounds from its mouth. It wanted to spit acid, to drag Fan Li out of this world.

Yet, separated by the monster manual, no matter how hard the Vomiter tried, it could not break through the boundary or harm Fan Li.

The black mist, like a swarm of ants, slowly enveloped the Vomiter, crawling from behind and spreading upward. The dark hue writhed over its body, and when the last frenzied eye was shrouded, only its outline hinted at its former self.

Faintly, agonized wails could be heard. The Vomiter now endured a pain so overwhelming, even a zombie unafraid of death would quail before it—pain unimaginable to Fan Li.

A soft sound.

Fan Li’s eyes stung slightly. When he opened them again, the Vomiter’s body had vanished, and the dense black mist was tinged with vibrant crimson.

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A sudden tinkling of a music box sounded behind him, followed by the familiar melody of a dance. The music box spun on its own—an unexpected sight for Fan Li.

His vision blurred, tinged with shades of ghostly green, as if a vengeful spirit had appeared beside him.

Ellie!

After a few seconds, the green light coalesced: first a pair of dance shoes, then a green dress, and finally a face that, no matter when seen, evoked a sense of unreality.

The face was covered with teeth, spinning now, while the black mist, stained with blood from the book, drifted into the small room.

A strong scent of blood filled the air. Fan Li had grown somewhat resistant to it, but in peacetime, such an overwhelming odor would be intolerable for most.

Ellie devoured the black mist.

Fan Li understood what the black mist represented. In mere seconds, the Vomiter was corroded into bloody particles, reminiscent of beef cubes consumed by humans—perhaps easier to digest this way.

A crisp chime.

[During the fourteen days of adoption, Ellie finally enjoyed a proper meal. Its previous thoughts have changed somewhat. Without a doubt, your efforts have earned its initial approval.]

[Affection +15]

[65/100]

[Compared to the initial indifference, Ellie’s affection for you has reached a new height. It will no longer recklessly use your body as food, and during battles, you can now issue simple commands.]

Fan Li breathed a sigh of relief. The Vomiter’s demise had not been in vain. Compared to Ellie’s former unruly combat style, now that their affection had reached 65, he finally had the right to command.

So this is what it feels like to be acknowledged.

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Ellie did not leave. She stood in place, her spiral teeth still whirring. She lowered her head to inspect the floor, then looked up at the ceiling, as if making a crucial decision. Ultimately, her head remained tilted upward.

Fan Li felt a chill.

If he guessed correctly, Ellie was choosing her next meal. Compared to Yang Shuo downstairs, Hu Huayao and his daughter upstairs would undoubtedly be more filling.

“No!”

Fan Li reached out to stop Ellie’s next move. After battling the zombie hound, the importance of a team was clear. With his current strength, he could not afford to be alone. He had painstakingly assembled a small group; he did not want it destroyed.

Ellie turned to look at Fan Li, tilting her head as if to ask why.

“No.”

Fan Li shook his head as well. He offered no further explanation, merely pointed upstairs and downstairs, saying, “I’ll prepare other food for you. These—you can’t eat.”

Ellie stepped closer, as if gauging whether Fan Li was joking. Sensing his firm resolve, Ellie lowered her head, her shoulders drooping, and the spinning teeth slowed, like a machine forced to halt by a power outage.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Ellie lifted her head and let out a fierce roar at Fan Li, her teeth flaring outward. If he weren’t sure she wouldn’t eat him, Fan Li’s blood pressure would have spiked.

Ellie’s body began to dissipate.

A clear chime.

Just as Ellie vanished before Fan Li’s eyes, a crisp sound echoed in his ears. For some reason, it gave him a sudden sense of foreboding.

[Ellie doesn’t want to talk to you and bares her teeth to show her displeasure.]

[Affection -5]

[Affection wavers. Ellie is reconsidering whether her master is truly as interesting as she imagined.]

Fan Li: “…”

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