Chapter 99: Special Attention

“Its arms were as thick as my waist, standing two meters tall, and its skin was incredibly tough. When we tried cutting it with knives, we couldn’t even pierce the surface. What’s more terrifying was its strength—it could punch through walls with a single blow.”

“Sixteen of us ambushed it, but we were no match. Fortunately, there was a gas station nearby. We lured it there, and after losing several lives, we finally managed to burn it to death.”

The man’s tone was far from calm. Whenever he mentioned certain points, his muscles instinctively tensed, revealing the lingering trauma he carried.

“Is this the kind of monster you’re describing?”

After he finished speaking, Fan Li flipped the notebook to the earlier pages and pushed it toward the man.

The man leaned in to look. The notebook contained an outline he would never forget. Though the appearance differed somewhat, the broad shoulders and burly frame confirmed one thing: the monster drawn in the collection was indeed the very one he had encountered.

Knowing that Liu Hao had studied sketching for several years, Fan Li asked the man to begin contributing some illustrations to the collection. This would aid in identification and documentation.

As the man continued reading downward, his eyes seemed magnetized by the text, unable to look away.

【Titan】

【Incredible destructive power; capable of transformation under certain conditions, which enhances its attack strength.】

【Weakness: Mutation focuses on strength, sacrificing speed.】

It was impossible for the man to have sketched the monster so quickly during his own encounter. More importantly, the notebook blended illustrations with detailed introductions and analyses of the creatures.

“May I see other records?” the man asked Fan Li, taking a deep breath.

“You can only flip backward.” The earlier pages contained markers where Fan Li had placed summoned entities like Ellie. The following pages held records of various zombies.

“Alright, I understand.”

With permission granted, the man turned to the second page. One after another, the faces and names of monsters appeared before him.

The Crying One, the Bound Beast, the Nightmare, the Vomiter, the Mist Creature, the Suffocator... and many more.

The entries didn’t just describe the monsters; they included detailed abilities, warnings, and weaknesses.

It was practically an illustrated encyclopedia of zombies in the apocalypse.

The man’s shock deepened with each page he turned. His initial astonishment gradually morphed into panic, and by the end, he was nearly numb.

The environment around him was far harsher than he had imagined.

---

Fan Li’s notebook revealed a hidden side of the apocalypse to the man trapped here for so long.

Some monsters recorded within were even more terrifying than the zombie he had faced.

This world was brutal and dark. The last flicker of hope the man clung to seemed to vanish as he skimmed through the notebook.

The guards nearby noticed the man’s odd behavior. Descending from the second floor, they stood behind him.

They too saw the nightmarish creatures documented within. Many paled visibly, clearly shaken.

The man closed the notebook, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again to meet Fan Li’s gaze. “Have you encountered all these monsters marked here?”

“I told you—I’m a monster hunter,” Fan Li said with a slight smile, no reason to hide it.

【Reputation +10】

A line of crimson text appeared before Fan Li’s eyes. His inadvertent action had evidently stirred an unimaginable reaction among all present.

What surprised Fan Li further was that the red text did not fade away but was soon followed by several more lines.

【Reputation: 20】

【Achievement unlocked: Somewhat Famous】

【Through your efforts, you’ve gained some renown in the monster community, becoming a topic of discussion among them.】

【Monsters derive pleasure from fear. You are a unique individual among humans, a man who instills terror in your kind, becoming a subject of heated debate among monsters.】

【Curious monsters may come seeking you. There is a chance to tame them, but equally, a chance to be killed by them.】

【Fortune and misfortune coexist as one.】

The blood-red text vanished, leaving Fan Li dazed in his seat, speechless for a moment.

This information clearly impacted Fan Li.

At first, he had no idea what reputation points were for, but now he understood—they were somehow connected to the monsters.

“Causing a stir among some monsters?”

In Fan Li’s mind, a group of bizarre, grotesque creatures gathered, utterly unlike humans. They whispered, their excitement evident as they dribbled corrosive saliva and danced about, revealing twisted, eerie smiles.

---

And the subject of their discussion was none other than himself!

“What kind of monsters would visit me?”

Once his emotions steadied, Fan Li grew curious rather than fearful.

“The manual says there’s a chance to tame them… I wonder if I could force them to stay?”

As soon as the thought appeared, it spread like vines throughout Fan Li’s mind.

Affection could be nurtured over time. Hadn’t Ellie become a competent employee after his constant offerings of snacks?

Even the butcher—once ruthless, indifferent to factions, and indiscriminately merciless—had increased his affection by five points through continued treats.

Button was even more so. Initially rude and turning his back on Fan Li, he later repented under Ellie’s friendly communication, becoming a loyal little sidekick. Among the three monsters, his affection was highest, reaching 80.

Monsters loved slaughter and could not be seen through the lens of normal humans, yet they still retained some capacity for thought and communication.

Fan Li had already decided that if a monster truly came to visit, he would do his utmost as a host to keep it by his side.

If at first Fan Li had been wary of monsters, after some contact and tasting enough rewards, his feelings toward these eerie beings boiled down to four words: the more, the merrier!

---

“Your courage impresses me.”

Fan Li’s thoughts were interrupted. The man before him had finished reading the notebook and handed it back, his attitude significantly improved.

It wasn’t just the man who had changed; even those standing behind him now looked at Fan Li with newfound respect, a far cry from their earlier apprehension.

“I have an impertinent request,” the man said hesitantly after a few seconds. “May I speak?”

“What is it?”

“I want to copy all this information about the monsters. Of course, I know you paid a great price to obtain these records, so I am willing to offer you suitable compensation...”