Chapter Fifty-Six: Extremes Breed Reversals

Misfortunes never come singly; that was the truest description of Fan Li’s current plight. Though a hundred meters was not far, during his previous struggle with the monster, it had been a path from death to life. To minimize the risks, Fan Li had squeezed every ounce of strength from his legs. The outcome was favorable—the monster fell by his hand, granting him a great deal of slaughter points and unlocking a special achievement: Petrified Skin. On the surface, it seemed he had reaped a bountiful harvest.

Yet, in this world, extremes breed their opposites. It seemed slaying the monster had drained all of Fan Li’s luck. Just as he was searching for medicine and hoping to return quickly to the base, he discovered he had torn the ligaments in his leg.

If the leg injury was only the beginning of his misfortune, then Ellie’s sudden disappearance elevated it to new heights.

Without the slightest warning, after failing to find food, Ellie had stood there in a daze for more than ten seconds before fading into a shadow and vanishing without a trace. From then on, no matter how Fan Li twisted the music box, it made no sound, as though it were broken, and Ellie never appeared again.

Ellie had suffered heavy injuries fighting the monster, as she had before with the Titan. That time, however, she did not disappear because she had devoured the Titan’s life essence. But this time, the monster was slain by Fan Li, its very flesh sealed within the monster manual, leaving no life essence for Ellie to recover with. She seemed to have reached her limit and was forced to vanish before his eyes.

For a moment, Fan Li was stunned. He seemed to grasp the reason for it all; though he had taken advantage—snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with Ellie’s help—now it felt as if he had hoisted a rock only to drop it on his own foot.

With torn ligaments and Ellie gone to recover, Fan Li had only his “damaged” body to rely on. At this moment, he was little more than walking prey, and the zombies wandering the streets were sharpening their knives, hungry for the meal that was coming their way.

Understanding his predicament, Fan Li took a deep breath. He had to act quickly, or the zombies would soon close in and surround him.

“I can’t take the old route anymore. Before, with Ellie by my side, I had a helping hand in times of danger; at the very least, she could draw the zombies away. But now I’m alone—I have no way to cross that river of corpses.”

“With my leg injured, I can’t outrun anything. Any zombie could easily catch up. Even with Petrified Skin, if I’m surrounded, the outcome will be grim.”

“I need to find a place nearby to rest, heal my injury, and wait for Ellie to recover herself.”

With this in mind, Fan Li hesitated no longer. He tore strips of cloth from nearby corpses to wrap around the tip of his blade, fashioning it into a crutch. This way, the blade’s tip wouldn’t be damaged, while the rest remained exposed—after all, he didn’t know if he might encounter zombies on the way.

After quickly gathering some medical supplies, Fan Li chose a narrow alley and made his way deeper into it.

Compared to the main street, even if there were zombies in the narrow alleys, their numbers would surely be fewer.

There was another advantage: the presence of the monster had suppressed the ordinary zombies nearby, further reducing their numbers and increasing the safety of the area.

Fan Li chose a lane lined with single-story houses. In peaceful times, this place was a tourist attraction, famous for its many courtyard homes and ancient buildings from past dynasties. The old-world charm of the area had drawn many visitors to the county.

People assumed that only the wealthy lived here, but that was just an illusion. As the nation grew more protective of its cultural heritage, these ancient structures became ever harder to demolish. On one hand, their permanence made them valuable real estate, yet like a blocked spring, nothing could flow. Speculators had little interest in investing.

With the houses growing old, basic infrastructure lagged behind. Electricity was not a problem, but most homes still lacked private bathrooms, forcing several or even a dozen households to share public facilities, just as in days gone by.

Thus, the situation was awkward: everyone knew these houses were worth a fortune, but there was no market for them, and most residents remained the hardworking, ordinary folk.

But now, everything had changed.

Where once the streets bustled with people, now they were desolate. Along the way, Fan Li spotted a few stray zombies, but he neither drew his blade nor confronted them. Instead, he detoured or waited until they disappeared from sight.

Caution had become second nature to him—he could not risk being mobbed by a horde, so he strategically avoided trouble.

Fortunately, Fan Li was familiar with these streets and deliberately chose the more remote lanes to minimize contact with zombies.

After nearly forty minutes of walking, he suddenly noticed a pair of hasty characters scrawled on the gate of a secluded courtyard: “Occupied.”

Zombies couldn’t write, nor could their bloodthirsty minds comprehend the meaning of “Occupied.” This likely meant there was a survivor inside.

Fan Li needed a safe place to rest. After a brief hesitation, he approached and rapped lightly on the door.

No response.

He lowered his voice and knocked again, then called out through the crack, “Is anyone there?”

“Who’s there?” came a wary voice from inside.

Fan Li glimpsed a shadow passing by the gap, then a pair of scrutinizing eyes appeared.

He raised the medicine pack on his back and leaned his katana against the wall to show he meant no harm. “I’m out searching for supplies. I hurt my thigh running from zombies and hope to rest here for the night. I’m willing to pay for lodging with medicine.”

There was a pause, as if the person inside was weighing the decision. Soon, the door opened just a crack, revealing a bearded man of about forty. He scrutinized Fan Li with a frown, then asked, “You weren’t scratched? Or bitten?”

Fan Li raised his arms and spun around. “I was wearing thick clothes. The zombies didn’t touch me.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the man opened the door wider. “Come in quickly.”

Fan Li stepped inside. It was an ordinary courtyard, yet as he looked around, he suddenly heard faint, muffled groans—like someone’s mouth had been gagged, struggling to make a sound.

Something was amiss.

Fan Li’s muscles tensed involuntarily.

“What’s wrong?” came the man’s low, slightly sinister voice from behind. Whether it was his imagination or not, Fan Li sensed a flicker of nervousness in the man’s demeanor.

He shook his head, removed his scarf to reveal an innocent face, and said, “It’s nothing. I’m just a bit hungry. Can you spare some food? I’ve brought essential medicine, and as with the lodging, I’ll pay for the meal as well…”