Chapter Seven: The First Drop of Blood

Even though Fan Li still had many questions about the so-called Summoning Manual, at that moment, he was left with no choice.

The teacher and the girl, now turned into zombies, were charging at him. Despite his thick clothing, it was mere fantasy to think he could fend off two zombies. After their mutation, the zombies’ minds had become hollow, bereft of any memory, but their strength and vitality had grown stronger. Fan Li clearly remembered the teacher before him was over fifty, his body surely aged with time, yet in their brief clash, Fan Li felt the teacher’s force was not weaker than his own—perhaps even stronger.

Was this some sort of “benefit” granted by becoming a zombie?

The beautiful music pulled Fan Li’s consciousness back to reality. The music box began to spin, and the little girl atop it twirled gracefully with the tune.

But the lovely music did not affect the zombies. To the teacher and the girl, these were merely chaotic sounds, while Fan Li standing before them was the genuine delicacy to sate their hunger.

In this room, all parties were hunters.

They did not truly understand what “delicacy” meant; for zombies, devouring was not a pleasure, but simply a craving for the blood and thrill that accompanied it.

Heavy footsteps echoed across the floor.

They were closing in!

Fan Li’s breath quickened. The two zombies were already preparing to leap, about to pounce—and just then, a head suddenly appeared from the wall near the doorway.

She wore the same dress as before. One hand reached forward, the other pressed against the doorframe. She tilted her head slightly, and her face was revealed to the zombies.

If zombies’ faces were merely grotesque, the girl’s was truly terrifying.

Her face, covered with teeth, stared directly at the charging zombies.

Ellie!

This was Fan Li’s first monster, one who looked and dressed like a little ballerina, but whose face had no features, only two concentric circles—each formed from countless teeth.

Ellie’s arrival did not halt the zombies’ assault. The teacher, already at the doorway, lunged toward Fan Li. The distance between them was less than two meters. In that instant, the teacher’s exertion caused fresh blood to spray from his neck, some of which splattered onto Fan Li’s face.

Feeling the blood slowly drip from his forehead, Fan Li’s expression grew dazed. Resistance to fear did not mean immunity—before zombies, Fan Li was still just an ordinary human.

The pungent scent of blood intensified. In this life-or-death moment, Fan Li was prepared to fight for his life. Yet suddenly—

Bang!

A thunderous crash. The teacher’s body flew backward, slamming hard against the wall.

Such unimaginable power!

The teacher collapsed against the wall by the door, blood streaming from his mouth and nose. He still tried to bite, but as soon as he opened his mouth, shattered teeth spilled onto the floor.

Fan Li instinctively glanced aside—Ellie still held her punching posture. It was hard to imagine that such a small fist could wield such terrifying force. With a single punch, she had slammed the zombie into the wall and shattered its teeth.

Ellie’s strength exceeded Fan Li’s expectations.

He had wondered about Ellie’s true power, but what he saw dispelled any doubts.

The teacher was left with half a life. Ellie’s punch had not only crushed his teeth, but caved in half his face, and upon impact with the wall, his body suffered various fractures. He wanted to attack Fan Li again, but now, stumbling like an infant, posed no threat at all.

Fan Li stepped forward and kicked him to the ground, where he remained, unable to rise.

One down. As Fan Li turned his attention to the other zombie, the next scene gave him a new understanding of Ellie’s abilities.

At some point, Ellie stood before the girl zombie. The once ferocious creature now seemed as if an invisible hand gripped its throat, rooted in place.

The ponytailed zombie tried to resist, but before Ellie, she was like a guinea pig, utterly subdued.

Each summoning required offering a life as a price!

Fan Li recalled the Summoning Manual’s description of Ellie.

The girl zombie's eyes still burned with greedy hunger, but soon she opened her mouth. From within, strands of blood began to emerge, writhing as if they possessed their own life, spilling out from her lips.

Veins bulged beneath her skin, as though she endured some agony beyond all sensation. The pain was so great that even a zombie could not withstand it. In the next instant, her mouth opened wide—her palate and throat covered in blood-red threads.

Before her, Ellie’s twin rings of teeth began to spin. The gaping maw seemed to possess tremendous suction, drawing the blood threads from the girl zombie’s mouth into her belly in one gulp.

The girl zombie collapsed. Her once taut and pale skin was now dark and shriveled, like deadwood.

“So this is how she devours life?” Fan Li felt fortunate that he had resisted curiosity and not turned the music box. Otherwise, he might have been the one lying on the floor.

Ding!

“Feeding successful. Congratulations, host: Ellie’s affection +5.”

“Affection 30/100.”

[To Ellie, you are still a stranger as her master, but compared to her previous indifference, she now finds you much more agreeable. At the very least, she won’t bite your head off while you sleep.]

“At least she won’t bite my head off?”

Fan Li shuddered, feeling grateful that he had fed her in time.

Ding!

Another message flashed in Fan Li’s mind.

Congratulations, host, for achieving the special feat: [First Blood].

[Killed a zombie. Kill Value *1.]

[Monster Summoning Manual officially activated!]

[Summoning Kill Value: 1/100]

Reward received: [Basic Night Vision].