“I’m not leaving,” Fan Zhuo said gently, “I’m the assistant warden here. I’ll be visiting you often from now on.”
“Really?” Alfea’s eyes lit up instantly.
“Really.”
Old John:
Seeing Old John watching quietly, Alfea reluctantly loosened her grip, slowly retreating toward her room.
But every few steps she took, she would glance back at Fan Zhuo, like a child on her first day of school unwilling to leave her parent.
“Th-then… you have to come often, okay…” Her voice grew softer and softer, tinged with a hint of pleading, “I’ll… I’ll miss you so much…”
Only when the corroded alloy door shut completely did the eerie silence return to the corridor.
Old John came over and gave Fan Zhuo a heavy pat on the shoulder.
“Kid, who exactly are you?” His eyes were full of curiosity. “I’ve worked here for thirty years, but I’ve never seen a monster be so… close to a human.”
Fan Zhuo scratched his nose. “Maybe I’m just more approachable.”
“Approachable my ass!” Old John rolled his eyes. “Do you know how many people Alfea killed before coming in? Fourteen!”
“Then why is she locked up here instead of being… purified immediately?”
“Because she’s of the Slime Clan’s royal bloodline,” Old John explained helplessly, “and all her killings happened during her mating season when she lost control. Normally, she’s quite docile. The Holy Church considered her research value and special status, so they decided to confine her here.”
“As for the aggressively violent male monsters, we purified them on the spot.”
Well done, Fan Zhuo thought to himself.
He paused, then spoke more seriously, “But it seems she has a special reaction to you. Kid, you better be careful. Monsters’ feelings aren’t something to take lightly.”
Fan Zhuo nodded, though his heart burned with excitement.
If his theory was correct, then maybe the other monsters in this prison…
Hiss…
This isn’t a prison at all—it’s practically a paradise!
“Let’s go,” Old John interrupted his daydream, clapping his hands.
“I’ll take you to meet the other ‘residents.’ Next time there’s an emergency, remember to protect yourself first.”
The two continued forward, the corridor lined with tightly locked rooms on both sides.
Each heavy alloy door bore a nameplate with a number and a brief description:
【C-06: Blood Servant – Danger Level B】
【C-05: Nine-Tailed Fox – Danger Level S】
【C-04: Deep Sea Mermaid – Danger Level A+】
“What kind of monsters… I mean, creatures, are locked up here…” Fan Zhuo swallowed nervously.
“They’re all highly intelligent non-human entities, generally well-behaved,” Old John said. “Most of the time they’re quiet, as long as you don’t provoke them.”
Just then, soft knocking sounded from behind the door of C-05.
“Huh?” Old John stopped, surprised. “Ye Ying hardly interacts with us.”
“Ye Ying?”
“The Nine-Tailed Fox in C-05. She’s been locked up here for five years.”
Old John went to the monitoring screen by the door. “Let me see what she wants.”
The screen lit up, and both of them were stunned by what they saw.
An exquisite woman dressed in an elegant kimono sat upright in the center of the room. Behind her, nine huge, fluffy fox tails swayed gently.
Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her delicate face wore a faint smile. Her amber eyes gleamed with a cunning light.
More astonishingly, she was staring straight at the camera as if her gaze pierced through the screen to the two standing outside.
“A visitor…” Her voice came through the built-in communicator, tinged with natural allure. “And quite a special visitor at that…”
She slowly rose, the wide kimono sleeves parting slightly to reveal snow-white collarbones and a subtle glimpse of her chest.
Her nine tails swayed enticingly behind her, each appearing luxuriously fluffy.
“May I meet this new gentleman?” Ye Ying chuckled softly at the camera. “I smell… a very interesting scent.”
Old John and Fan Zhuo exchanged a glance. Ye Ying’s sense of smell was extraordinarily sharp; she could distinguish scents from hundreds of meters away.
The “interesting scent” she mentioned was undoubtedly Fan Zhuo.
Or rather, some kind of “trait” he carried.
“This is trouble,” Old John scratched his head. “Once a nine-tailed fox’s curiosity is piqued, it’s hard to calm her down.”
At that moment, sounds began to stir from other rooms in the corridor.
Elegant and hurried violin music came from the Blood Servant’s room in C-06.
From the Deep Sea Mermaid’s room in C-04, faint water sounds could be heard.
Even from several rooms farther away, various levels of commotion drifted out…
“Damn…” Old John’s face grew serious. “Why are they all so active today? I’ve never seen this happen before.”
Fan Zhuo’s heart soared with joy.
It seemed his guess was right.
These monster girls all had special reactions to him!
“Shall we…” Fan Zhuo tried cautiously, “go in and take a look? As assistant warden, I should understand the ‘residents’ better.”
Old John hesitated. “Alright. But be careful. These creatures are way more dangerous than that Slime.”
He walked up to C-05’s door and input a long string of codes, lifting the first layer of the lock.
“Ye Ying, I brought the new assistant to see you. Remember the rules—no attacking.”
“Of course,” Ye Ying’s voice held a hint of pleasure. “I just want to chat with a new friend.”
The heavy alloy door slowly opened, revealing a room decorated in classic Japanese style.
Tatami mats, paper sliding doors, an elegant tea table, and even a small courtyard with running water—it felt less like a prison and more like a high-end resort villa.
Ye Ying remained seated in the center. When she saw Fan Zhuo, a flicker of surprise passed through her amber eyes, quickly replaced by a gleam of excitement.
“How… unexpectedly interesting.”
She gently stroked her cheek, her nine tails behind her swaying excitedly. “To think a human male carries this kind of scent… it’s nothing short of a miracle.”
She stood gracefully, the hem of her kimono swaying with her steps, faintly revealing snow-white calves and delicate ankles.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ye Ying,” she said, bowing slightly at the threshold. “Please take care of me.”
“Hello, I’m Fan Zhuo,” he replied politely.
“Fan Zhuo… what a nice name,” Ye Ying laughed softly. “Can you tell me about this special aura you carry? It reminds me of memories from long, long ago…”
“Special aura?” Fan Zhuo feigned ignorance.
“Don’t play dumb,” Ye Ying narrowed her eyes. “Our Fox Clan is the most sensitive to auras. There are two forces blending within you. One is pure divine power, the other…”
She paused, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
“The other is… an acceptance? No, perhaps it’s better described as… affection for ‘non-human entities’ like us?”
What the hell?
You can tell just from that? No, you smelled it…
Fan Zhuo’s heart skipped a beat, surprised by the fox spirit’s keen senses.
“How interesting,” Ye Ying turned toward the tea table. “A human blessed with divine power, yet deep in your soul you hold fondness for monsters…”
“I’ve lived three hundred years, and you’re the first man like this I’ve ever met…”