Chapter Two: The Monster Summoner’s Handbook

When the cold, emotionless mechanical voice resounded in Fan Li’s mind once more, he finally snapped back to his senses.

Under normal circumstances, Fan Li might have suspected someone was playing a prank on him, but right now, with zombies rampaging outside and everything spinning out of control, he had no choice but to investigate further. He spoke aloud, “Bind!”

The moment the words left his mouth, the voice in his mind responded again:

“Host binding successful. Congratulations, you have obtained the Monster Summoning Manual.”

A wave of dizziness washed over Fan Li, and then, floating in the air before his eyes, a line of three-dimensional text appeared.

Monster Summoning Manual

Status: Unopened

Monster Members: 0

Item Inventory: 0

Achievements Unlocked: None

Draws Available: 1

Fan Li stared at the words before him, bewildered. He had no idea how any of this had happened—much like the sudden advent of this apocalypse, everything was a confounding mystery.

He scrutinized the text. “Monster Summoning Manual.” As a university student and a staunch atheist, Fan Li had always clung to his beliefs. Yet in less than an hour, the convictions he’d held for years had been utterly shattered.

A pending draw?

Did this mean he possessed a chance to draw, just like in a game? No matter how insidious the later mechanics, every game offered enough enticement at the start to lure players in, step by step, until they were hopelessly addicted.

As a child of the new century, Fan Li often read novels and watched movies. Summing up his current situation, he could only think: he’d just received his golden cheat.

And yet, this Monster Summoning Manual seemed almost too sinister. In his vision, it was an entirely black book, without any decoration, covered only in countless white dots—each dot resembling an imprisoned, vengeful spirit. If he looked too closely, it felt as though his very soul might be snatched away.

“Should I try it?” he wondered.

“Try it!”

Fan Li hesitated, but the mournful screams outside his window became the catalyst for his courage. No matter how bizarre all of this was, if it could improve his chance of survival, he had no choice.

“Draw!” he announced, following the voice in his mind.

Instantly, the scene before him twisted and changed. A pitch-black book materialized in front of him. As the book opened, a chilling wind swept through; ghostly wails and howls filled the air. Fan Li felt his very spirit tainted, his face draining of all color.

For at that moment, he heard a cacophony of voices:

“After the first light of dawn, there is endless darkness—creatures of hell, an unceasing nightmare.”

“I continue to burn my soul, filled with a sense of worship.”

Unimaginable, piercing voices flooded his mind—some dissonant opera, some the creak of wood, others the tinkling of a music box—all weaving together into a dreadful net that enshrouded him.

Visions appeared before his eyes: a cramped room, packed with strange artifacts—a pair of red embroidered shoes, an ancient mirror, a European music box, a bloodstained chainsaw, and in one corner, a coffin covered with talismans.

The sounds and sights were like needles stabbing into his brain. Just as Fan Li’s endurance reached its limit, the hallucinations vanished. The black book stopped flipping, settling on a single page.

On that page was the image of a music box, pure white. In the center stood a little girl in a beige dress, arms outstretched, one leg raised behind her in a dancing pose. But the girl’s back was turned; Fan Li could not see her face.

“Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the item—Ellie’s Music Box.”

The mechanical voice echoed again. The black book snapped shut. Fan Li’s head spun; before he could react, he fell unconscious.

“Ugh…”

When he awoke, night had already fallen. The room was deathly silent, yet the wailing of zombies outside still sent chills down his spine.

At some point, the television had lost its signal; the screen now flickered with static. Shaking off his dizziness, Fan Li got to his feet. By the weak glow of the television, he looked around—and was startled to see, at the other side of his bed, a girl in a dress had appeared. Most striking of all, she was standing on her toes, performing a basic ballet position.

Fan Li had almost convinced himself this was all a dream, but the shrieks of the zombies outside shattered any hope of that.

It was all real!

Which meant everything he’d seen and heard before losing consciousness was also real.

Something still felt wrong to Fan Li. Compared to the fear and anxiety he’d felt at the start of the apocalypse, he was now eerily calm. Even with a bizarre ballet girl standing less than two meters away, he felt not terror, but a surge of curiosity—an urge to approach and see her up close.

The mechanical voice returned in his mind:

“Congratulations, Host, for binding to the Monster Summoning Manual. This book contains sealed monsters from countless planes. Its possessor is granted the title: Monster Controller.”

[Monster Controller: Trait effect activated.]

Trait Acquired: Enhanced Fear Resistance.

The voice had revealed the answer. With the binding, he had gained the title of Monster Controller. Its bonus effect—enhanced resistance to fear—was likely the reason he could face all of this so calmly.

But one thing puzzled him… Was the “monster” the system referred to this slender, ballet-dancing little girl?

Fan Li stood up. Though he hadn’t received any boost in strength, the enhanced fear resistance allowed his rational mind to work at full capacity. He felt as if he now possessed something truly remarkable.

With this thought, he moved to the bedside. Even with his fear resistance, the moment of unveiling secrets still brought a flicker of curiosity. From behind, the girl looked seven or eight years old, graceful, her ballet pose elegant and practiced. Fan Li could hardly imagine what sort of face would lead the system to classify her as a monster.

Perhaps sensing his approach, the girl turned around at that exact moment. Fan Li’s breath caught in his throat.

She faced him, wearing a simple princess dress, a bow at her waist adding a touch of sweetness and nobility. At any dance, she would have stood out as a charming protagonist. But her face… she had no features at all.

No nose, no eyes—below her forehead was a gaping, blood-red maw, surrounded by spiraling, interlocking rows of razor-sharp teeth. So many teeth, packed tightly together, like a monstrous meat grinder. Fan Li had no doubt that if he reached out now, his arm would be shredded to pulp in seconds.

Even with preparation, Fan Li could not help but lose his composure at the sight. Staring at the scene before him, he muttered under his breath, “So this… is the first monster I possess?”