Chapter Nine: Future Plans

This was a fine morning.

Of course, it was only fine for Fan Li. After killing a family of zombies, he looted their entire house. Rice, flour, cooking oil, and some half-used condiments—all these were now his. But the treasure he cherished most was a whole box of instant noodles. With this bounty, Fan Li could survive for a month; if his gas supply held out, perhaps even longer.

Because this was an old residential block, there were no gas pipelines in the corridors, so every household kept a gas cylinder. With the power out, Fan Li could still enjoy hot water and cook rice or flour dishes thanks to these cylinders. Unfortunately, his own was only half full, and after scavenging from the zombie family, he’d gained another cylinder, but it held barely a third of its contents—perhaps even less.

Fan Li had no idea how much longer he would need to stay in this building, so he had to carefully ration both his food and gas. He still held a small hope for rescue.

Why not venture out? He held the Monster Summoning Handbook and had Ellie as his powerful ally. Surely, he could explore the world outside on his own!

Take a look outside.

It was the fourth day. The streets were painted crimson, an ocean of blood and severed limbs. The zombies had thinned out since earlier days, but by his estimate, hundreds still wandered nearby. Of course, when the zombies discovered prey and began howling, the numbers would surge.

Fan Li was an orphan. The first skill he learned after becoming self-aware was caution. Without parents to rely on, he could only lick his wounds alone after being bullied, and every step he took had to be weighed for potential future trouble.

In short, Fan Li disliked risk.

Even after witnessing Ellie’s prowess, that was only against two zombies. Outside, hundreds gathered; even if Ellie could handle a hundred at once, the rest would be more than enough to tear him apart.

When fighting the zombies upstairs, Fan Li noticed that their strength had increased significantly, even though their minds were hollow. A man over fifty, with failing physical abilities, had been unnaturally strong as a zombie. So what about those who were already robust young men, or fitness enthusiasts turned monsters?

How terrifying would their strength become?

Faced with these questions, Fan Li had to prepare in advance.

After doubt, anxiety, and affirmation, Fan Li understood the wonders of the Monster Summoning Handbook. Without question, if he wanted to survive, his greatest support was the breathing book before him.

The number of monsters was far from enough.

Fan Li was cautious, but he did not underestimate his own strength. With Ellie by his side, he couldn’t yet explore outside, but he could certainly scour this six-story building.

Summoning by slaughter required a hundred kills. Fan Li set himself a small plan: first, kill a hundred zombies to complete his second summon, then begin exploring the world beyond the hallway.

Of course, that was only if rescue became utterly hopeless.

One against a thousand? Fan Li was not so naive.

His current goal was to use the building as his base, complete his second summoning, and only then think about what came next.

…………………………

All useless items in Fan Li’s home had been moved to a single room. The living room was now missing its television and refrigerator, but a bed and table had appeared. Around him were piles of things he deemed useful, both from his own home and the zombie family's.

These were his survival supplies for the apocalypse—not a single loss could be afforded.

Fan Li took out a marker and began writing on paper:

Food: Half a bag of flour, one bag of rice, half a barrel of cooking oil, soy sauce, salt, chicken essence, yellow bean paste (recommend using less salt daily).

Items: One hammer, three kitchen knives, a pair of fifty-pound detachable dumbbells.

It was worth mentioning that Fan Li had gained new weapons (three kitchen knives) and an exercise tool from the zombie family—a dumbbell, tucked under the bed and already gathering dust.

A fine tool for training!

Strength.

It was the most vital asset in these chaotic times.

Only strength could guarantee survival, and only strength could keep him from becoming a hideous zombie himself.

The apocalypse had arrived.

In this world with nothing to rely on, Fan Li could depend only on himself.

As he finished his list, Fan Li took out the Monster Handbook and opened it. Ellie’s image appeared before him. Strangely, she had always been shown from behind, but now she turned, revealing half her face. Her blade-like teeth occupied most of her cheek, yet she was still unmistakably an “excellent dancer.”

Ellie’s dance had changed! Previously, she stood with one leg straight and the other slightly bent. Now, both feet were tiptoed, her arms raised above her head, wrists pressed together.

This book was indeed alive; more precisely, it was a cage imprisoning monsters. The music box was merely a medium. After summoning, the monsters sealed within could appear in the real world at their master’s call.

But could this book capture other creatures—say, those terrifying zombies roaming outside?

The Monster Summoning Handbook had no instructions. Bound to him through fear, its strange powers could only be discovered by Fan Li through slow experimentation.

He set the book aside and picked up his pen again, writing two lines:

[Enhanced Fear Resistance]
[Basic Night Vision]

One reward came from summoning Ellie, the other from killing zombies alone—a delightful surprise.

This piqued Fan Li’s curiosity about ordinary and special achievements. Ordinary achievements seemed to offer no special rewards, while special ones granted him useful traits.

Like the Monster Summoning Handbook, these too had no explanations. Having tasted the benefits, Fan Li wanted more special achievements and traits. For that, he would have to interact with zombies and see if he could trigger new accomplishments.

“Six floors.”

Fan Li finally wrote two words in his notebook, then fell into deep thought.

“Which apartment should I choose as my next target for scavenging?”