《Dimensional Codex System I m really not a cultist》


 Chapter 3 - 2 Dimensional Codex

    Chapter 3: Chapter 2 Dimensional Codex


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    One night passed.


    As the morning sun¡¯s radiance appeared from the other side of the horizon, Fang Zheng had finally sorted out the memories in his mind and figured out the cause and effect of things.


    First of all, he was indeed dead. This left Fang Zheng speechless. All along, he considered himself to be a cautious person. He always prepared for various unforeseen risks. From a girlfriend breaking up to apany going bankrupt, from a cash flow rupture to a partner absconding with the funds, from a robber attempting murder for money to encountering a drunk driver while crossing the street. Fang Zheng would consider all sorts of risks and possible unforeseen events and make corresponding preparations. He liked this kind of controlled life, where unchanging principles could cope with ever-changing situations. This philosophy of life was what had brought him sess today.@@novelbin@@


    But what Fang Zheng hadn¡¯t expected was that the world is always so wondrous, full of unimaginable surprises.


    Like when he jumped into the river to save someone, he never thought that after sessfully rescuing the person and watching them get on the ambnce, he would be struck directly by a suddenly snapped high-voltage line overhead.


    What was even more unexpected was that after he died, he woke up in another world.


    As for the current body he had resurrected in, its owner¡¯s experiences left Fang Zheng utterly speechless.


    Actually, the story was notplicated. The small noble family he was residing in had a secret treasure, and not long ago, a group of knights from the Kingdom of the Holy Church found this small noble and imed that the secret treasure passed down in his family was an evil and ominous thing, demanding that he hand it over. Of course, the small noble was unwilling and directly drove the knights away. Originally, the noble hadn¡¯t thought much about it, but little did they expect that on the night they drove the knights away, the knights would raid their manor and start a bloodbath.


    This small noble named Williams was merely a junior knight and had never seen such a scene. Naturally, he was scared out of his wits and fled immediately with the secret treasure. He had hoped to seek assistance from other noble families in the city, but upon arriving, he found out that the Kingdom of the Holy Church had publicly announced that the Williams family was colluding with cultists and had been dered enemies of order, with a bounty ced on their heads.


    The Kingdom of the Holy Church held a reverent position on this continent, whereas a small noble like Williams was nothing more than a small fry and could not possiblypare. Helpless, they continued fleeing but ultimately couldn¡¯t escape the Holy Church¡¯s chase, meeting their end here.


    If seen from Fang Zheng¡¯s perspective as an outsider, it would be easy to think that the Kingdom of the Holy Church was the sort that appeared dignified on the surface but was full of depravity and corruption underneath, ying with boys and girls. However, after absorbing the small noble¡¯s memories, Fang Zheng frustratingly discovered that the Kingdom of the Holy Church¡¯s arrest warrant¡­ was well-deserved.


    Because ording to Williams¡¯s memories, though they outwardly worshipped the Goddess of Order, they were, in fact, devout believers of a cult named the ¡°Doomsday Sect.¡± This cult believed in the end of all things, iming that one day everything in the world would be destroyed, even gods would fall, and the God of Destruction would rise again to rule the world. What the cultists aimed to do was weaken the forces of those order followers as much as possible, waiting for the return of the God of Destruction, among other nonsensical tasks.


    As expected, the Williams family secretly engaged in many dirty and dark dealings. From Fang Zheng¡¯s viewpoint, even without the Kingdom of the Holy Church enacting justice, their actions would be enough to get them executed multiple times under his own world¡¯sws.


    How did he get reborn into such a person?


    Thinking about this gave Fang Zheng a massive headache. Everyone else who time-traveled either had deep-seated vengeance or the hidden attributes of a protagonist. Why did he reincarnate as a universally despised cultist?


    What¡¯s even more frustrating was that upon absorbing Williams¡¯s memories, Fang Zheng helplessly discovered that not only was he already a wanted criminal in the Kingdom of the Holy Church, but he also couldn¡¯t go back to the Doomsday Sect. The reason was simple: ording to Williams¡¯s memories, the so-called sect secret treasure had been damaged during his escape!


    The process of damaging the treasure wasn¡¯t worth mentioning. Facing the Holy Church¡¯s pursuers, Williams intended to stake everything and activate the secret artifact for a mutual wipeout, but whether it was due to incorrect steps or bad luck, the artifact shattered with a ¡°pop¡± while Williams was channeling magic into it, causing him to lose consciousness¡ªbringing Fang Zheng onto the stage.


    No wonder he was hunted for life!


    Fang Zheng could imagine if he were found by the Doomsday Sect and couldn¡¯t produce the secret treasure, he would be dead meat. Cults are the same in any world, boasting various tortures that would make one unable to live or diefortably. Thinking like this, getting caught by the Holy Church might even be better¡ªthey would at least give you a clean death with a single sword stroke¡­


    Not only that, through Williams¡¯s memories, Fang Zheng learned that this was a world with a very advanced power system. In this world, not only were there magic and knights but also dragons, undead, and various other monsters and entities. Not to mention deities and divine envoys¡­ Unlike the scammy religions in Fang Zheng¡¯s world, these cults genuinely had backing up top!


    Inparison, although Fang Zheng had some skills, he believed he was nothingpared to magic and those unbelievably skilled swordsmen. As for this body he had reincarnated into? Ha, Fang Zheng already knew that Williams only had the strength of an Apprentice Knight. The Doomsday Sect he believed in hadn¡¯t provided him any divine blessings. Unless something unexpected happened, any one of those knights Fang Zheng had seen earlier could beat him easily.


    Fortunately, the world was never short of surprises.


    Thinking of this, Fang Zheng raised his hand. With his motion, the luxurious, thick book appeared again. Until now, Fang Zheng hadn¡¯t carefully inspected therge book that had appeared out of thin air in his hand. It looked as thick as a lexicon, but when held, it was surprisingly as light as a feather. On the pitch-ck, heavy cover, a luxurious gemstone that shone with multicolored radiance was embedded at its center, and silvery circles radiated outward from the gemstone, resembling the orbiting paths ofs in the cosmos.


    Opening the book, Fang Zheng saw that at the top of the page was his own name. In the center was a groove where a beautiful white gemstone was embedded. Cold frost swirled around the gem¡¯s surface, adding a touch of chilliness.


    At the bottom of the interface were three options: [Summon], [Enhance], and [Teleport].


    This was what Fang Zheng had gained after arriving in this world¡ªthe Dimensional Codex!


    More importantly, this was the game system that Fang Zheng had designed before his rebirth!


    Looking at the familiar cover, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but twitch his mouth. He had initially only spected, but now he was sure¡ªthis was the system he developed!


    This was a new mobile game still under development, named ¡°Dimensional Codex.¡± In it, the yer was a young person, with customizable gender and avatar. ording to the game¡¯s setting, yers would, for some reason, be swept away by time-space turbulence and awaken to find themselves in a brand-new world. There, they would encounter arge book named ¡°Dimensional Codex¡± and begin their new journey.


    In the game, after obtaining the Dimensional Codex, the yer would be a ¡°Dimensional Mage.¡± As the name implies, they traveled between dimensional worlds. They could use the Codex to teleport to various dimensional nes toplete different tasks and earn Dimensional Points. These points could be used to summon soulstones that harbored ¡°the power of a mighty soul from another realm¡± or enhance the power of these soulstones¡¯ attributes.


    At this moment, what Fang Zheng had equipped was the soulstone he received from his first ¡°newbie summon¡±¡ªthe Lich King Arthas.


    As the game¡¯s producer, Fang Zheng certainly knew how to use soulstones. There were two ways to use a soulstone. One was simply embedding it in the Dimensional Codex like this, enabling Fang Zheng to receive a permanent buff. This buff would offer Fang Zheng a certain level of enhancement, and unless Fang Zheng used Dimensional Points to enhance the soulstone, he wouldn¡¯t gain new abilities and skills, simr to leveling up in a game.


    The other way was to fully activate the soulstone¡¯s power. When activated, Fang Zheng could use all the abilities of the existence bound to the soulstone, almost identical to the original. Just like in his battle with those knights earlier, he had used the real strength of the Lich King Arthas, rendering the Holy Church¡¯s knights fragile andughable.


    Unfortunately, while the activation mode seemed exhrating, it had many restrictions. First, it would enter a cooldown period after activation, just like a skill CD. Second, the activation had a limited number of uses. For instance, the [Arthas] soulstone that Fang Zheng summoned could only be activated five times in total, and once those activations were depleted, the [Arthas] soulstone would shatter and vanish.


    In that case, Fang Zheng would either have to summon a different soulstone or¡­ be left to die.


    [Executor: Fang Zheng]


    [Dimensional Points: 0]


    [Equipped Soulstone: Arthas]


    [Received Buff: Undying Ruler (Increased undead creature detection by 50%, undead creature damage by 50%, undead creature defense by 50%)]


    [Strength: E (You are no different from an ordinary person)]


    [Agility: D (Running faster than others always has its advantages)]


    [Constitution: E (When a person is killed, they die)]


    [Perception: D (Perceiving six directions and listening to all sounds is basic for you)]


    [Charm: D (As long as someone isn¡¯t blind, they¡¯ll notice your external beauty)]


    [Equipped Skills: None]


    [Exclusive Task: Curse of Frostmourne]


    [This magic sword desires to devour souls filled with pain, and your task is to satisfy its craving¡ªFrostmourne is hungry (Requires the holder to obtain no less than 1000 units of Power of the Soul in the next mission world. Sess will grant random rewards +1, failure will result in the curse of Frostmourne on the holder. Countdown 24H)]


    ¡°This is really outrageous¡­¡±


    Looking at this task prompt, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth. He understood that the Power of the Soul mentioned was probably human souls. Toplete this task, he had to kill a thousand people¡­ this wasn¡¯t the same as killing a thousand pigs! Even if a thousand pigs were lined up for him to chop, he wouldn¡¯t finish the job in a day!


    But to give up on this task? Ha¡­ Fang Zheng had yed Warcraft and knew well how terrifying this sword was. The curse of Frostmourne¡­ it would be a miracle if he could survive it.


    What frustrated Fang Zheng even more was that he had no idea how he managed to draw this item because he remembered clearly that he had onlypleted the main framework and settings of the system. As for the soulstones and other mission nes, Fang Zheng hadn¡¯t finished them, and the programming team hadn¡¯t started on them. So why was he able to summon a soulstone, and it happened to be the Lich King¡¯s?


    And this teleportation¡­


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Looking at the interface before him, Fang Zheng let out a long sigh. If he could, he really didn¡¯t want toplete this task. After all, no one knew to which world the system would send him. But if he didn¡¯t go, Fang Zheng knew very well that with his current strength, if the Holy Church came for him, he would be captured effortlessly.


    Fang Zheng had considered hiding in the mission world, but he knew very well that he had set a time limit for staying in each mission world. Not only that, like the soulstones, each time Fang Zhengpleted a mission and returned, the teleportation function would enter a cooldown period and only activate after some time. Therefore, Fang Zheng could neither hide forever in the mission world nor avoid the Holy Church and the Doomsday Sect¡¯s pursuit by continually undertaking missions.


    He had no choice but to enhance his strength. Moreover, Fang Zheng had a premonition that if he didn¡¯t go to the instance now, he might never get away.


    And his premonitions were always urate.


    ¡°Teleport!¡±


    With that thought, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t hesitate any longer. He pped the Codex shut with a ¡°snap¡± and murmured to himself. Quickly, the thick Dimensional Codex in his hand dissolved into glowing rings that surrounded Fang Zheng. In the next second, his figure vanished, and the rings dispersed into glimmering particles and disappeared without a trace.


    ¡°Whoosh¡­ whoosh¡­!¡±


    Not long after Fang Zheng vanished, a flurry of wing pping sounds arose. Several pure-white Pegasi descended from the sky,nding at the spot where Fang Zheng had hidden earlier.


    ¡°My sister, have you found anything?¡±


    Riding one of the Pegasi, a man dressed simrly to the Silver Knights Fang Zheng had seen before, carefully examined the ground and asked in a low voice. Hearing his question, a female knight on another Pegasus closed her eyes and sensed for a moment, then shook her head.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t detected any aura, friend. I think the target has already left this ce.¡±


    ¡°Damn cultist¡­¡±


    Hearing the female knight¡¯s response, the man clenched his fists tightly.


    ¡°Not only did he kill ourrades, but he also desecrated their bodies and souls! Such actions are utterly unforgivable. In the name of the Goddess of Order, we will not let ourrades die in vain! Justice will prevail!¡±


    Saying this, the man waved his hand firmly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move out, keep searching. That cultist can¡¯t have gone far! He must be nearby, spread out and search!¡±

 Chapter 4 - 3: This is an incredibly dark and despairing world

    Chapter 4: Chapter 3: This is an incredibly dark and despairing world


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    For Fang Zheng, the feeling of teleportation was anything but pleasant.


    In the moment he disappeared, Fang Zheng felt his feet instantly transform into a void beneath him. Then, it was as if he were on an endless slide, rapidly falling downward. He couldn¡¯t even tell if he was actually falling; it felt like countless stars were flickering around him, a dizzying whirl¡ªuntil suddenly, Fang Zheng felt his body soar high into the air.


    The next moment, gravity mercilessly captured his body once again.


    ¡°Bang!!¡±


    Once again crashing heavily to the ground, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but cry out. He felt like his entire body was falling apart, with not a single part left unscathed.


    Why am I so unlucky, crossing through worlds twice and getting thrown to the ground both times? Is there no justice?


    ¡°Fang Zheng!!¡±


    While Fang Zheng was cursing in his heart, he heard a man¡¯s voice next to his ear. Then, he felt someone grab him and pull him up from the ground. He opened his eyes and looked ahead, only to see a man in armor staring him down.


    ¡°Are you alright? Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t know who the man in front of him was, Fang Zheng shook his head and forced himself to wake up before responding. Hearing his reply, the man finally breathed a sigh of relief, then released Fang Zheng and raised the longsword in his hand.


    ¡°Quick, we need to get out of here! Damn Undead are about to surround us! If we don¡¯t leave now, we¡¯ll never get another chance!!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s words, Fang Zheng looked to the side, only to realize that in the pouring rain, dozens of rotting monsters, like those undead creatures from movies, were approaching them. Not far from them, several soldiersy dead in pools of blood, no longer breathing.


    What the hell, this again?


    Seeing this scene, Fang Zheng was at a loss for words. System, are you trying to kill me? I just got reborn and was chased; to escape, I switched worlds and now I¡¯m surrounded again?


    But luckily, this time he wasn¡¯t being attacked by those terrifying Pdins, but by zombies¡­ well, that¡¯s little better.


    Thinking of this, Fang Zheng swiftly drew Frostmourne and followed the man in front of him, running quickly towards the edge of the wilderness. The undead were not fast, but they were numerous. If Fang Zheng and the man hadn¡¯t run fast, they probably wouldn¡¯t have escaped the encirclement.


    ¡°Damnable!¡±


    Not until they were out of the encirclement did the man punch the air in frustration.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there are so many undead creatures near the church! Those poords¡­ I can¡¯t even bury them.¡±


    Sighing, the man nced at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s return to Tristram. These damned undead will attack there. We must protect it!¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯smand, Fang Zheng said nothing and just nodded. It seemed that his identity was already arranged by the system in this mission world. But until now, he still hadn¡¯t figured out which world this was. Judging from the man¡¯s attire, it seemed simr to his rebirth in the Main World.


    The rain poured down harder as Fang Zheng and the man returned to the small town called Tristram, looking like drowned rats. The town gate was tightly closed, and only two militiamen with longbows stood on the watchtowers. As the two of them approached the gate, the guards on the watchtowers immediately drew their bows, aiming at Fang Zheng and the others.


    ¡°Who are you? What are you here for?!¡±


    Facing the guards¡¯ inquiry, the man beside Fang Zheng shouted loudly.


    ¡°It¡¯s me! Rumford! And Fang Zheng! We¡¯ve returned!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Captain Rumford!¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s voice, the guards on the watchtower were momentarily stunned and then waved and shouted.


    ¡°Open the gate! Captain Rumford has returned!¡±


    With the guards¡¯ shout, the gate slowly opened, and Rumford led Fang Zheng inside.


    As soon as they entered the town, Fang Zheng sensed the tense atmosphere. Under the torrential rain, the entire town seemed eerie and deste. Not far from them, in front of arge pit,y several corpses of militiamen. Seeing these bodies, Rumford frowned deeply.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t they been cremated?¡±


    ¡°The rain is too heavy, Captain!¡±


    Hearing Rumford¡¯s question, a guard wiped the rain from his face and shouted back.


    ¡°We can¡¯t light them¡­¡±


    ¡°Then cover them with a tarp to keep off the rain! Use oil! Do you want to see them rise and drag you into the abyss of death?! Move it!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Following Rumford¡¯s orders, the guard quickly turned and left. Only then did Rumford exhale and looked at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Alright, Fang Zheng, you¡¯re lucky to be alive¡­ go rest at the ughtered Calf Inn, change your clothes, and get something to eat. Tell the innkeeper it¡¯s on my tab.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Captain Rumford.¡±


    Hearing Rumford¡¯s words, Fang Zheng nodded and then turned to leave. He needed some time to think about what kind of world he had arrived in. Rumford¡¯s previous words had conveyed a lot of information, leaving Fang Zheng quite bewildered. He vaguely felt that Tristram seemed familiar, as if he had heard of it somewhere before¡­


    Initially, Fang Zheng nned to ask someone for directions to the ughtered Calf Inn, but he quickly found that it wasn¡¯t necessary¡ªthis small town had only one inn, and the sign was hanging right over the door.


    ¡°Ding-a-ling.¡±


    Opening the inn door and walking into the hall, Fang Zheng was first hit by a pungent smell of medicine. Looking around, he saw several severely wounded soldiers lying against the hall¡¯s walls, moaning in pain. Seeing Fang Zheng, the innkeeper behind the counter waved at him.


    ¡°Hey, Fang Zheng! Lucky you made it back alive!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got lucky, boss.¡±


    Responding to the innkeeper¡¯s greeting with a smile, Fang Zheng saw the innkeeper nodding with a cheerful grin.


    ¡°Indeed, you went with sixteen people, and only you and Captain Rumford made it back alive. That¡¯s quite some luck¡­ Well, enough chit-chat. I¡¯ve prepared dry clothes, hot soup, and bread for you in your room!¡±


    Fang Zheng was starving since he had been reborn and hadn¡¯t eaten a single meal. Hearing the innkeeper¡¯s words, he hurriedly changed his clothes and then came out to enjoy his dinner. To be fair, the food wasn¡¯t particrly delicious, but when you¡¯re starving, anything tastes good, and Fang Zheng was no exception. Someone else was paying, so he ate heartily,plimenting the innkeeper¡¯s cooking. Living in what appeared to be a medieval-style world, the innkeeper had never heard such praise from a modern person ustomed to information overload, which made him beam with joy. Not only did he serve extra food, but he also waived the bill.


    At the same time, Fang Zheng finally managed to learn about what had happened from the innkeeper.


    ¡°You mean¡­ a meteorite?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Nodding solemnly at Fang Zheng¡¯s inquiry, the innkeeper continued.


    ¡°A meteorite fell from the sky and hit the church, copsing itpletely! Ah, it was terrifying. Then Lia came and called for the militia to find her uncle¡­ I didn¡¯t expect something like this to happen¡­¡±


    ¡°A meteorite?¡±


    Frowning at this, Fang Zheng seemed to have realized something and looked at the innkeeper.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s Miss Lia¡¯s uncle¡¯s name?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Um¡­ I think it¡¯s¡­ Deckard Cain.¡±


    Finally, Fang Zheng knew which world he had arrived in.


    This was a world of unparalleled darkness and despair, where everyone struggled to survive yet could only helplessly ept their fate.


    Diablo.

 Chapter 6 - 5: This is the Top Graphics Quality Skill Effect!

    Chapter 6: Chapter 5: This is the Top Graphics Quality Skill Effect!


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    ¡°Choose Crusader Strike.¡±


    Although Fang Zheng really wanted to choose Frost Strike, after some careful consideration, he finally went with Crusader Strike. The reason was simple; he could imagine that the people in the main world must have already discovered the bodies of the knights he had taken down. While Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t sure how much they could glean from those corpses, it was certain they would obtain some intel. If he learned Frost Strike, it would easily draw the knights¡¯ attention. After all, Death Knights and the Lich King came from the same school. If anyone with half a brain watched Fang Zheng in battle a few times, they would immediately see the connection between the two. Rather than handing over the evidence to the pdins of the main world on a silver tter, it was better to mislead them. At least a person using sacred power wouldn¡¯t be thought of as rted to the Lich King, the undead monarch.


    ¡°Ding!¡±


    No sooner had Fang Zheng spoken than he heard a light ring in his ear. Then, a wave of dizziness overcame him, followed by the sudden appearance of previously unknown data in his mind. Shortly after, a line of system prompts appeared before him again.


    [Crusader Strike Learned]


    [Possessed Skill: Crusader Strike]


    [Proficiency Level: D (Beginner)]


    [Upgradeable]


    Upgrade?


    Seeing this, Fang Zheng paused for a moment. He opened the interface and saw a gray progress bar under the Crusader Strike skill, divided into five segments. Fang Zheng reached out and tapped it, and soon another prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Use dimensional points to enhance proficiency level?]


    ¡°No.¡±


    Looking at the system prompt, Fang Zheng decisively chose not to upgrade. As the designer of the system, Fang Zheng certainly knew what it was. Dimensional points were extremely precious. ording to Fang Zheng¡¯s previous design, ten dimensional points could summon a Soulstone. The Dimensional Codex Fang Zheng held was basically a mobile game system that couldn¡¯t use top-up currency. Common sense also dictated that since he couldn¡¯t use real money, the stones that could be used for summoning should be saved and not wasted.


    This was the self-discipline of a non-paying yer.


    After doing all this, Fang Zheng closed the system and looked around again. Although it seemed like he had been thinking for a long time, less than half a minute had actually passed. At this moment, the militia were starting to deal with the undead around them, preparing for the next battle. The earlier victory had lifted their previously low spirits a little, but each person¡¯s face was still clouded with worry.


    However, to Fang Zheng, this was entirely normal. Almost everywhere outside was crawling with undead creatures. Compared to that, Tristram¡¯s manpower was pitifully insufficient. Depending on the town¡¯s defenses, they might be able to avoid destruction for a while, but if the undead joined forces, Tristram would undoubtedly fall.


    What they were doing now was ultimately a futile struggle.


    ¡°Thud, thud, thud¡­¡±


    At that moment, a series of heavy footsteps sounded. Hearing this, the militia quickly stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction of the noise. Soon, a figure appeared before them. She wore heavy white armor and carried a longsword and shield. From this ssic look, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t even need to guess her true identity.


    The Holy Church Army!


    The Nephalem made a stunning entrance!


    Under Fang Zheng¡¯s gaze, the Holy Church member walked right up to Captain Rumford, put down her shield, and nodded to him.


    ¡°I am a Holy Church Crusader devoted to Sacrumm. I saw a meteorite fall into this town.¡±


    ¡°Crusader?¡±


    Hearing the name, Captain Rumford seemed to let out a sigh of relief. He shrugged his shoulders and spoke.


    ¡°It crashed through the roof of the old church. There was only one survivor¡ªLia. You should talk to her¡­¡±


    But before Captain Rumford could finish, one of the militia let out a loud scream.


    ¡°Captain, they¡¯reing again!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Hearing the militiaman¡¯s words, Captain Rumford was taken aback, and Fang Zheng quickly turned his head to look aside. Under their watchful eyes, the ground gradually swelled. Then, several grayish-white undead crawled out and staggered toward them.


    ¡°Damn!¡±


    Seeing this, Captain Rumford frowned and rushed forward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with this wave of undead first; then I¡¯ll let you in. Everyone, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Hearing Captain Rumford¡¯s orders, Fang Zheng gripped Frostmourne again. This time, however, he looked at the undead with eager eyes.


    Now that he had learned Crusader Strike, could he not handle these zombies?


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng charged at one of the undead, raising Frostmourne high and swinging down forcefully.


    Crusader Strike!


    As the skill activated, Fang Zheng saw a brilliant golden radiance appear on Frostmourne¡¯s de. He struck the undead with the longsword. At the same moment that Frostmourne hit the undead, Fang Zheng clearly felt a burst of holy power attach itself to Frostmourne, erupting instantly!


    ¡°Boom!!¡±


    Fang Zheng almost felt like he was holding a giant hammer instead of a longsword. The undead struck by Fang Zheng¡¯s blow exploded from the holy power. Fang Zheng even saw cracks appear on its previously tough body, with golden light shining from the fissures. The next moment, a holy cross emblem appeared on the undead¡¯s body. With a wail, the undead was sent flying and burst into fragments upon hitting the ground.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The whole process took less than five seconds, but Fang Zheng was dumbfounded.


    This is Crusader Strike?


    This dazzling special effect, this brilliant sh¡ªyou tell me this is a basic attack skill?


    Is this the visual effect set at top-tier quality?


    Did Arthas train with a Royal Limited Edition Crusader Strike?


    This doesn¡¯t seem right.


    Fang Zheng took down an undead with one Crusader Strike, but he also managed to draw the aggro of the other undead. Soon, several undead abandoned their original targets and staggered towards him. Although these undead didn¡¯t seem very threatening individually, their numbers made them a significant nuisance.


    But Fang Zheng was no longer his former self. Upon mastering Crusader Strike, a series ofbat technique knowledge had also emerged in his mind. He chose not to retreat. Instead, he seized a gap before the surrounding zombies could fully form, raised Frostmourne high, and charged at one of them!


    The dazzling holy radiance appeared on Frostmourne again. This time, Fang Zheng could even feel Frostmourne¡¯s displeasure and frustration through the hilt. It was no wonder; it was meant to be a scourge¡¯s divine artifact and was being used against undead creatures¡ªin itself an irony. On top of it, you use Holy Light?


    Now Frostmourne gave off a clear sense of a beautiful woman forced into rogues¡¯pany.@@novelbin@@


    But Fang Zheng obviously didn¡¯t have the time to appease a sword right now. He focused on an undead ahead, slicing down once more and sending it flying. He immediately rolled to dodge the attacks of two other undead from behind. Then, gripping his longsword tightly, he swung it fiercely backward. A swath of golden light swept out and sent the two approaching undead flying.


    Just as Fang Zheng took a breath and prepared to continue fighting, a shout of ¡°For Sacrumm!¡± pierced the air. The next moment, Fang Zheng saw the Holy Church Crusader, with her shield raised, charging into the battlefield!

 Chapter 9 - 8: Your acting skills are terrible, go home and practice more

    Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Your acting skills are terrible, go home and practice more@@novelbin@@


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    From Tristram to Watson, the journey took even longer than Fang Zheng had imagined. When he was awakened by the boatman and stepped onto Watson¡¯s pier, five hours had already passed.


    Did I just waste five hours?


    Watching the boatman¡¯s figure fade into the distance, Fang Zheng furrowed his brow. He hadn¡¯t expected Watson to be so far from Tristram, and it was a one-way trip¡ªthe boatman had told him that he was responsible for transport only one way. Originally, Fang Zheng was puzzled, but then he realized that there was a teleportation array under the small chapel in Watson; that thing was much faster than any boat.


    Forget it, let¡¯s find the fragment first.


    With that thought, Fang Zheng stepped towards the small town of Watson.


    At this time, Watson had not yet faced the attacks from cultists as it did in the game. People still lived in peaceful and tranquil times. asionally, he could see passing fishing boats and children ying in the fields. Seeing this, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit mncholic. He could imagine that once the cultists attacked, almost nothing here could remain intact.


    Unfortunately, Fang Zheng was no better than a y Bodhisattva fording a river, unable to protect himself. He now only hoped he could quickly take away the fragment. Maybe then the cultists would have no reason to attack Watson and might divert their attention, preserving the peace of this small vige.


    Fang Zheng, being a stranger, did not attract much attention in the town, probably because most people were busy with work. The whole town looked calm and serene. Fang Zheng had no intention of causing any disturbance and quickly found the church in the town, knocking on its door. Soon, a man dressed as a priest came out of the church, curiously looking at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Hello, stranger, may I ask why you havee to Watson?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Priest.¡±


    Looking at the priest, Fang Zheng nodded and then pulled out Captain Rumford¡¯s letter from his pocket and handed it over.


    ¡°I am a militiaman from Tristram. Previously, a meteorite fell there, and I heard some fragmentsnded in Watson, so I came to see if there are any clues.¡±


    ¡°A meteorite?¡±


    Upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s response, the priest froze for a moment, then nodded as if suddenly understanding.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re talking about; coincidentally, we did find something quite peculiar. Please, follow me¡­¡±


    Saying this, the priest stepped aside, motioning Fang Zheng to enter. Listening to the priest, Fang Zheng looked at him meaningfully, then walked into the church.


    The entire church was dimly lit, with only the faint light of candles barely illuminating the surroundings.


    ¡°What exactly is it?¡±


    As Fang Zheng walked deeper into the church, he casually asked. At that moment, there was a creaking sound as the church doors closed behind him. Then, the priest¡¯s voice came again.


    ¡°Oh, a fisherman caught it while fishing. It asionally emits a very strange power. The fisherman didn¡¯t know what it was and brought it to the church. I intended to store it, not expecting it to be rted to the meteorite¡­¡±


    While speaking, the priest fixed his gaze on Fang Zheng¡¯s back. Then, he reached into his pocket, silently pulling out a dagger. Fang Zheng seemed unaware, curiously looking around and casually asking.


    ¡°Where is the fragment?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over there¡­¡±


    As he spoke, the priest quickened his pace quietly, moving behind Fang Zheng. He gripped the dagger tightly and aimed it at Fang Zheng, stabbing with force!


    At the same time, a glint of cold light shed!


    ¡°Splurt!¡±


    ¡°How is this¡­ possible¡­¡±


    The priest¡¯s eyes widened in shock, staring at the icy de embedded in his body. The chill of Frostmourne spread rapidly, even making him feel a fear that seemed to freeze his very soul.


    ¡°How did you¡­ discover¡­¡±


    ¡°Your acting is terrible; go home and practice.¡±


    Looking at the stunned priest, Fang Zheng sneered. In fact, Fang Zheng had sensed something off about the priest as soon as they met. The priest¡¯s eyes were filled with worry at first, then anxiety when he heard Fang Zheng¡¯s purpose. The most suspicious part was the priest¡¯s cursory nce at Captain Rumford¡¯s letter; he merely skimmed it before hastily allowing Fang Zheng into the church.


    Fang Zheng had always been good at reading people, which helped him gather information, and now he used this skill to judge that something was wrong.


    Even more confirming was that the priest walked behind him instead of leading him once inside the church. Normally, if the fragment was hidden, the priest would guide the way. Instead, he fell behind under the pretext of closing the door. This raised rms for Fang Zheng.


    Most importantly, when the priest moved to attack, Fang Zheng clearly heard his breath grow heavier¡ªa natural human reaction, indicating excitement or nervousness. Therefore, without hesitation, Fang Zheng summoned Frostmourne and swung it toward his rear.


    The fact proved Fang Zheng¡¯s judgment right.


    This priest was indeed a cultist!


    With a scream, the cultist¡¯s soul was forcefully extracted from his body and absorbed into Frostmourne. At the same time, a line of information appeared before Fang Zheng.


    [Power of the Soul +45]


    Indeed, the souls of the living are stronger than those of the undead.


    Seeing the system notification, Fang Zheng curled his lip, then sheathed Frostmourne and began searching for the Holy Sword fragment. Since this priest was a cultist, Magda likely already knew about the fragment. Reflecting on the situation, it seemed likely that the dy was intentional to lead the Nephalem in circles! Probably, in the game, by the time the Nephalem reached Watson, Magda had already taken the fragment!


    The more Fang Zheng thought about it, the more it seemed usible. Why else, in the game, did the Nephalem find only Magda¡¯s illusion waiting in the cer, calmly as if expecting him? It was obviously a trap!


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s not here.¡±


    After thoroughly checking the church, Fang Zheng found nothing. However, this did not make him anxious; instead, it confirmed his judgment that the fragment was always hidden in the cer, not moved there from the church.


    The cultist probably believed his n was foolproof, but little did he know Fang Zheng already knew the cers¡¯ location from the game. After finding nothing in the church, Fang Zheng left through the backdoor and headed straight to the cer. Although it was locked, Fang Zheng, keeping his guard up and wary of the cultists appearing at any moment, sliced the cer door open with his sword and walked inside.


    The cer looked much like it did in the game. Walking through the corridor, Fang Zheng soon reached the central tform, where he saw the sword hilt emitting a soft radiance.


    This was the fragment of the Holy Sword! Fortunately, it was still here!


    Seeing the fragment, Fang Zheng finally felt relieved. He approached the tform and carefully examined the surroundings. Finding no traps, he reached out, took the hilt, and ced it in his pocket. Only then did Fang Zheng feel truly at ease.


    ¡°Alright, everything¡¯s settled. Now to return to Tristram¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoosh!!¡±


    But before Fang Zheng could finish speaking, suddenly, a sh of light appeared behind the tform. Several figures in yellow robes, clearly cultists, emerged from the light. They looked at Fang Zheng and froze for a moment, and Fang Zheng, seeing the sudden appearance of cultists, was momentarily stunned. Quickly, he realized what had happened.


    These cultists had teleported here using a teleportation array!

 Chapter 12 - 11: It Must Become Stronger!

    Chapter 12: Chapter 11: It Must Be Stronger!


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    The three fragments, radiating a faint glow, floated slowly into the air and merged into one under the elderly man¡¯s chant. Soon, they restored to their original form, bing a dazzling and shining Light de.


    ¡°It¡¯s done¡­¡­¡±


    Deckard Cain stared at the sword before his eyes, emotions swirling within him. He turned to look at the stranger cloaked entirely in a cape standing beside him.


    ¡°Come, take up your longsword. I know who you are¡­¡­stranger. Now, it¡¯s time you remember everything.¡±


    ¡°I can feel it¡­this sword is calling to me¡­¡±


    The stranger muttered softly, reaching out to take the longsword. Suddenly, a glint shed in his eyes!


    ¡°I remember now¡­everything! My name is Tyrell. I was once an angel¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Tyrell.¡±


    Deckard Cain nodded cheerfully upon hearing Tyrell¡¯s words.


    ¡°You have finally recalled your identity. We now have more strength tobat evil¡­and you, young man.¡±


    As he spoke, Deckard Cain turned to Fang Zheng, standing nearby.


    ¡°Thanks to you, we found the third fragment in time. Not only that, you even vanquished Magda, that wickedckey¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me; I was merely doing what I should.¡±


    Hearing Deckard Cain¡¯s gratitude, Fang Zheng forced a faint smile. Although he had recovered the fragment, Deckard Cain had sessfully restored the Holy Sword, and his third task waspleted, he could not feel any joy. Looking at the system showing only three remaining uses of the Arthas Soulstone, he remained glum.


    He was still too weak!


    In Fang Zheng¡¯s ns, the activation of the Soulstone was always hisst resort. He intended to use it only when facing Demon Gods like Mephisto or Baal, or some powerful legendary beings in the Main World. But unexpectedly, he was forced to activate the Soulstone while dealing with Magda!


    Magda was nothing, a mere minor boss in the second chapter¡¯s prologue, yet it forced him to use his ultimate move!


    It was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!


    What frustrated Fang Zheng even more was that without the sledgehammer, he couldn¡¯t even kill the nut!


    He was too weak!


    At that moment, Fang Zheng deeply felt his powerlessness. In his original ordinary world, he could still make a difference relying on his skills. But here, in the Main World, those with extraordinary abilities could easily threaten his life.


    He had to be stronger!


    He made a firm resolution. If he didn¡¯t be stronger, would he always have to rely on ultimate moves to get by whenever he met an enemy?


    How many times could he use the ultimate move?!


    Once the Soulstone was exhausted, would he have to lie down and wait for death?


    The only constion for Fang Zheng was that after finishing off Magda, he hadpleted his two quests, ¡°Curse of Frostmourne¡± and ¡°Guardian¡±.


    Among them, ¡°Curse of Frostmourne¡± waspleted when Fang Zheng transformed into the Lich King and ughtered Magda and the cultists. Judging by the number of absorbed souls, it was ovepleted. However, whether Frostmourne considered Fang Zheng constantly invoking Holy Light too demeaning, despite the ovepletion, Fang Zheng only received double rewards¡ªFrostmourne upgraded his ¡°Crusader Strike¡± proficiency from C to A and left in a huff.


    The A-level proficiency in ¡°Crusader Strike¡± transformed into a permanent swordsmanship skill called ¡°Royal Cross Swordsmanship¡±. Fang Zheng also gained knowledge of this swordsmanship, which was somewhat akin to a hybrid of Yamaguchi Mountain and Diablo¡¯s dual skills. It retained most of the Pdin characteristics of Yamaguchi Mountain in terms of swordsmanship, but its group AOE aspects were closer to Diablo¡­


    Okay, Fang Zheng now wanted to joke, Arthas, did you practice the Royal Limited Edition or something?


    Compared to Frostmourne¡¯s measly rewards, the ¡°Guardian¡± quest¡¯s rewards were more substantial. Besides gaining three more Dimensional Points, Fang Zheng¡¯s random reward was a title called ¡°Holy Protector¡±.


    [Holy Protector: You have changed an unavoidable fate and dispelled the fog obscuring the future. Although we still do not know what awaits us at the end, your efforts are worthy of praise (When this title is equipped, all friendly faction characters start with a favorable reputation, you deal 100% more damage to evil factions, and evil factions deal 30% less damage to you)]


    This title brought Fang Zheng some relief.


    At least the Arthas summon wasn¡¯t wasted after all!


    Although it was just a system title that wouldn¡¯t show any visible change, its special effects were quite significant. In fact, be it Deckard Cain, Lia, or Tyrell, all appeared quite friendly toward Fang Zheng at the moment¡­of course, just friendly.


    More importantly, this title effect was also effective in the Main World!


    This was great news for Fang Zheng, who was being pursued by Holy Church Knights in the Main World. As someone who often hovered between life and death, Fang Zheng understood that having goodwill andcking goodwill could sometimes be the difference between Heaven and Hell.


    Even if it was just friendly, it was enough.


    Thinking of this, Fang Zheng suddenly thought of something, then he turned to the Archangel Tyrell and spoke.


    ¡°Master Tyrell, I have something I need your help with.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s request, Tyrell paused, then smiled at him. Fang Zheng took a deep breath before speaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡±


    He lowered his voice, exining his request to Tyrell. Tyrell thought for a moment, then nodded.


    ¡°Alright, of course, no problem, young warrior¡­¡±


    Leaving the room, the sky outside was still gloomy, filled with despair and fear, just like this world. Fang Zheng took a deep breath and reached out his hand. As he did so, the Dimensional Codex reappeared in his hand, calmly floating there.


    [You have sessfully changed this world¡¯s destiny and progression. You are about to return to the Main World. Please prepare yourself.]


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡±


    A dazzling beam of light exploded instantly, and without looking back, Fang Zheng stepped into the light.


    His adventure in this world hade to an end.


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t immediately return to the Main World. First, he arrived in a pure white space. Here, the system would evaluate the tasks Fang Zhengpleted in the Dimensional World. For now, Fang Zheng stood quietly, watching the system panel¡¯s rapid rotation before him.


    [Commencing evaluation of user¡¯s taskpletion]


    [Main Quest ¡°Guardian¡±¡ªprogress rating¡ªA]


    [Side Quest ¡°Curse of Frostmourne¡±¡ªprogress rating¡ªA]


    [Overall rating: A]


    [User receives additional reward: Soulbound Weapon¡ªSky-Cleaving Sword]


    ¡°Ding.¡±


    After the settlement screen disappeared, soft and bright light emerged before Fang Zheng. Soon, a Holy Sword with a silver-white de and a golden hilt silently appeared before him.


    [Sky-Cleaving Sword (One-Handed Sword): Holy Damage increased by 100%, Holy Skill damage increased by 15%. You have a certain chance in battle to summon an angel to fight for you (Angel Legion crushes through, demons fall, and the battlefield of the Eternal War is bathed in blood)]


    This wave was not a loss.@@novelbin@@


    Seeing the longsword before him, Fang Zheng nodded in satisfaction. Although losing one use of the Arthas Soulstone caused him some heartache, obtaining the ¡°Holy Protector¡± title and this Sky-Cleaving Sword made it all worthwhile.


    So, next¡­


    Thinking of this, Fang Zheng reached out to grasp the longsword in his hand. Soon, the world around him began to tremble, and the pure white infinite space swiftly retreated, reced by a forest bathed in the light of a crimson sunset. Fang Zheng sheathed his sword and looked solemnly at the unfamiliar sky.


    Next¡­was figuring out how to survive here.

 Chapter 15 - 14 The Most Dangerous Place Is the Safest Place

    Chapter 15: Chapter 14 The Most Dangerous ce Is the Safest ce


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Watching the girl crouch with her head in her hands, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t know what to say. He thought for a moment, sighed helplessly, and extended his hand. After all, he couldn¡¯t just leave her squatting there.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s voice, the girl trembled again. She carefully looked at Fang Zheng¡¯s outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, then cautiously reached out and grasped it. Fang Zheng pulled her to her feet.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m very sorry for embarrassing you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°W-well¡­¡­ please wait a moment¡­¡­¡±


    The girl took a deep breath and put her hood back on, which seemed to rx her. She went to the bookshelf, took out a thick book, ced it on the table, and opened it. She picked up the feather pen beside her and made a gesture towards the crystal ball. Fang Zheng saw a mysterious azure power emerge from the crystal ball and guide the pen to the book. A peculiar and mysterious symbol appeared on the nk page. It was a cross-shaped star surrounded by a circle inscribed with strange characters that looked like oracle bone script. Although Fang Zheng didn¡¯t understand it, he recognized it as the ¡°Language of the Stars,¡± said to have been created by the Goddess of Order to stabilize the world by giving each star its own meaning. However, only deities could decipher thisnguage.


    ¡°Deste Realm¡­¡­ Reappearance of the Star¡­¡­¡±


    The girl muttered to herself. Even Fang Zheng didn¡¯t understand what she was saying. Soon the girl closed the book, took out a silver badge from a drawer, and ced it in front of her. She raised the feather pen again and pointed to the crystal ball. Another wave of the same power was drawn from it and absorbed into the silver badge. The crystal ball dimmed.


    ¡°Alright, sir. Please take this badge. It has collected your Star Pattern.¡±


    For some reason, the girl¡¯s voice was no longer the low tone she had adopted earlier but was now pleasantly melodious. Fang Zheng realized why she had put on such an act¡ªher natural voicecked any intimidation and sounded as though she were meekly pleading.


    Though her voice and cute appearance made her seem like the perfect candidate for endearing gestures, it was clearly insufficient for her role as a government official to maintain authority.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Saying this, Fang Zheng took the badge, closed his eyes, and infused it with his power. Soon, a pitch-ck starry sky appeared in his mind, filled with numerous shining stars. The brightest star was in the center.


    This was his destiny star. However¡­¡­


    Fang Zhengpared it with the Star Pattern that originally belonged to Williams from his memory and nodded in satisfaction. Though he wasn¡¯t an astrologist and couldn¡¯t read star maps, he couldpare the differences between two star maps. It was obvious that the stars were inpletely different positions, with no simrities between them.


    Then, I can proceed.


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng smiled and put away the badge, then looked at the girl before him again.


    ¡°Miss, I have a small request.¡±


    ¡°What request?¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s question, the girl tilted her head curiously, then waved her hands as she realized something.


    ¡°W-well, my teacher said I can¡¯t go out for meals with strange men¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Though Fang Zheng wanted to tell her she was overthinking it, he thought that if he weren¡¯t dealing with these troubles, he might have actually invited her out. Nheless, he decided to save this matter forter.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng coughed, pushing aside these odd thoughts.


    ¡°I want to visit the Sanctuary and would like you to provide a letter of introduction.¡±


    ¡°The Sanctuary? A letter of introduction?¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s words, the girl hesitated, then understood.


    ¡°Sir, you intend to join the Sanctuary?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At this, Fang Zheng finally felt relieved. Though the girl seemed puzzled, she was at least rational. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t need an introduction to enter the Sanctuary to pray. Fang Zheng¡¯s purpose in visiting was not to pray for the Goddess of Order¡¯s forgiveness or to sightsee. He intended to join the Sanctuary.


    Of course, any stringent religious organization has strict procedures for admitting new members. In a theocratic country like the Kingdom of the Holy Church, an outsider like Fang Zheng wanting to join the Sanctuary must first apply to be an Apprentice Guardian Knight.


    Don¡¯t think it¡¯s a grand title. Although ¡°Knight¡± sounds prestigious, being an Apprentice Guardian Knight is much like the intellectuals in Fang Zheng¡¯s world who underwent the ¡°Send-Down Movement.¡± They carried a divine mission to the most difficult and poor areas, battling evil and guarding the people. Their enemies included native creatures like gnolls and goblins, rampant bandits, and, of course, cultists and necromancers, not to mention various chaotic monsters.


    Of course, dangers came with opportunities. If the Apprentice Guardian Knights survived andpleted their tasks, they would be recognized as Knights by the Sanctuary. Should they achieve great deeds, they might even be promoted to Grand Knights or Knight Captains with their ownnds and armies.


    For nobility, even if they didn¡¯t aplish major feats,pleting this process withoutmitting severe errors would add prestige to their records, aiding future advancement.


    Generally, only lower and minor nobility chose this path due to its hardships. Those who couldn¡¯t sleep withoutfort and luxury wouldn¡¯t endure the dangers of the wilderness.


    Fang Zheng watched the girl pick up a piece of paper and write on it, then ce arge ivory stamp on it with some effort, seal it, and hand it to him.


    ¡°Please keep this safe, sir.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, miss.¡±


    Fang Zheng took the letter, put it in his pocket, and smiled at the girl before him.


    ¡°If you have time, let¡¯s have a meal together sometime.¡±


    After saying this, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t wait for a response and left with a smile.


    The safest ce is often the most dangerous.


    When Fang Zheng left the town hall and entered the Sanctuary without any obstructions, he couldn¡¯t help but reflect on the age-old truth of this saying.


    Compared to the nearly empty town hall, the Sanctuary¡¯s security was much stricter. Though not to the extent of a guard every three steps and an outpost every five, numerous fully armed Sanctuary Warriors stood guard and patrolled. Even so, these warriors, with long spears and swords, paid no attention to Fang Zheng, remaining as focused and motionless as statues. Perhaps they couldn¡¯t imagine that a cultist wanted by the Sanctuary would boldly walk into this sacred ce.


    It seems that in any world, themonalities of intelligent beings are the same.


    ¡°Ie from the Silver Duchy.¡±


    Fang Zheng found a bishop in the Sanctuary, briefly exined his purpose, and handed over the letter he had received from the girl.


    ¡°I seek the guidance and illumination of Order.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    The bishop was an old man with white hair and beard, evidently experienced in dealing with noble offspring like Fang Zheng. He opened the letter, read it carefully, examined the seal and signature, then nodded at Fang Zheng calmly.


    ¡°Follow me, child.¡±


    With this, the old man turned and led the way to the inner courtyard. Fang Zheng followed silently. They crossed the corridor and entered the inner courtyard. The old man stopped in front of a circr marble Holy Emblem, turned to Fang Zheng, and said:


    ¡°Stand here, young man.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Fang Zheng¡¯s hand lightly pressed the hilt of his sword, feeling his palms sweat. This was the final and most crucial step. He had prepared thoroughly for this trial.


    He knew what this was; everyone on the continent knew, and cultists feared it most.


    Everyone had to ount for their actions, their deeds written into the fabric of destiny, just as ink leaves marks on parchment. No one could alter past events, and history¡¯s dust could never fully conceal the truth.


    Order endures.


    Fang Zheng understood that once he stood on this tform, Order¡¯s radiance would begin the search, like antivirus software determining whether he was a virus¡ªthe enemy of Order.


    Or, specifically, one of those damned chaos-worshipping cultists.


    All of this was decided by Fang Zheng¡¯s soul star.


    Though Fang Zheng was certain he wasn¡¯t a cultist, he couldn¡¯t be sure how urate the scan was.


    Even antivirus software sometimes mistakenly gged system files.


    He hoped this firewall was more precise¡ªat least more so than Kaspersky.


    With this thought, Fang Zheng took a deep breath and stepped onto the tform.


    The next moment, a pure white radiance fell from the sky, enveloping his body.

 Chapter 16 - 15: Being Treated Differently Comes at a Price

    Chapter 16: Chapter 15: Being Treated Differently Comes at a Price


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    What greeted his eyes was a world of pure white.


    Fang Zheng stood in the center of the tform, not feeling anything amiss at all. But this did not put him at ease, because he inherited the memories of this body, so Fang Zheng was very clear that the power level of this world was incredibly high. He had read many web novels, and in many of them, the so-called ¡°rules-based¡± powers were powerful trump cards only mastered by the top elites. But in this world, people had even learned to use these ¡°rules-based¡± powers as their weapons and tools!


    Just like the array on the tform in front of him, it used the ¡°order¡± and ¡°purification¡± rules of power that cultists hated most. And this power was something that cultists could not resist at all because it was the fundamentalw of this world; opposing it was tantamount to opposing the entire world.


    What worried Fang Zheng was what kind of impact this power would have on him.


    He was not a cultist, and he had no interest in the chaotic beliefs in this body¡¯s mind, but Fang Zheng was not sure if, as a reborn transmigrator, he would cause some disturbance in the world¡¯s orderws.


    It¡¯s like antivirus software; if it¡¯s just ¡°killing viruses,¡± it¡¯s simple. You just need to find the ¡°virus¡± that once harmed the system and eliminate it.


    But don¡¯t forget that sometimes the firewall also alerts you that ¡°unknown software is trying to modify system settings.¡±


    ¡°Ding.¡±


    His worry proved prophetic as that clear system notification sound reached his ears just as Fang Zheng had this thought, followed by a line of information appearing before him.


    [Order parallel port detected]


    [Starting port activation]


    Oh,e on, at least tell me what this thing is first!


    Seeing this line of extremely vague information, Fang Zheng was utterly shocked, but before he could contact customer support to figure out what was going on, that line of prompt disappeared with a ¡°swoosh.¡± Next, Fang Zheng suddenly felt that the pure white light around him began to tremble.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°This is¡­!?¡±


    The old man lifted his head in surprise, looking at the tform ahead. The pure white beam of light was shining even more intensely before his eyes. Not only that, but even the order array carved under the tform also emitted a golden radiance at this moment. They transformed into lines of light, appearing silently around the white pir and then turning into runes filled with a divine aura.


    ¡°This is¡­ Law Resonance!!¡±


    A ¡°whoosh¡± sound, and the white beam of light dissipated instantly. Fang Zheng still stood at the center of the tform, as if everything before was just an illusion. If not for that sudden system prompt, Fang Zheng would probably not think anything was unusual. But now¡­ ha! Seeing the old archbishop¡¯s ghost-like expression, Fang Zheng himself wasn¡¯t feeling any better.


    Didn¡¯t they say golden fingers were supposed to be cheat codes for the protagonist? Why is this system always screwing with me?


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    While cursing the system deep down for causing trouble, Fang Zheng feigned curiosity and looked at the old man before him. The old archbishop shivered upon hearing him, then gazed at him in shock.


    ¡°By Order, I never expected you to cause a Law Resonance!¡±


    ¡°Law Resonance?¡±


    Hearing this term, Fang Zheng was bewildered, having no idea what it meant. However, judging from the old archbishop¡¯s expression, it didn¡¯t seem to be a bad thing?


    ¡°Yes, sir, please follow me¡­¡±


    The old archbishop¡¯s attitude became much more respectful, having referred to Fang Zheng as ¡°young man¡± before, now switching to ¡°sir¡±. As he led Fang Zheng inside, he exined what Law Resonance was. Through his exnation, Fang Zheng understood its meaning.


    In short, the so-called ¡°Law Resonance¡± was not like Fang Zheng imagined¡ªsome sign of a savior or a symbol of a legendary hero. In fact, it was more of a harbinger; the appearance of this phenomenon meant that the person causing the resonance was not rejected by the order but weed. This indicated that the order weed his arrival here and believed that Fang Zheng¡¯s presence would benefit the order here.


    It¡¯s like drawing a ¡°good luck¡± lot. Though not as good as ¡°great fortune,¡± it¡¯s still better than ¡°misfortune.¡±


    ¡°I remember thest person who caused Law Resonance was a brave warrior who helped us eliminate the necromancer upying the ck Tower¡­ It was a fierce battle¡­¡±


    The old archbishop talked excitedly about his past as they walked. Listening to his words, Fang Zheng rxed significantly. Though he still didn¡¯t know what this Law Resonance was, it seemed to be beneficial to him¡­ hopefully.


    ¡°¡­I understand your intention. Normally, it would be difficult for me to find a guide for you. But thank heavens, Grand Knight Shi Dong is here. I believe he would be very interested in someone who caused Law Resonance!¡±


    Oh damn!!


    Upon hearing the old man¡¯s words, Fang Zheng felt his face turn pale. A Grand Knight was a rank above knights, regarded as one of the mid-to-high-end powers of this world. Initially, he just wanted to join the Sanctuary as an ordinary Apprentice Guardian Knight and take up some simple tasks. But from the looks of it, the old man intended to find him a mentor?


    And it had to be a Grand Knight?


    Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t guarantee whether the higher-ups knew about his existence. What if they knew this body¡¯s identity and drew their swords on him at first sight?


    He had originally nned to follow the lower ranks!


    But now, it seemed the n needed to change again.


    Meanwhile, the old man had already led Fang Zheng to a training ground on the side of the Sanctuary. This area was spacious, with only one tall figure swinging a longsword in training.


    It was a middle-aged man with golden hair and the typical strong build of a Westerner, standing two meters tall. He was bare-chested, vigorously swinging a two-handed giant sword. That sword was two palms wide and taller than a person. Yet in the man¡¯s hands, it seemed as light as a willow twig. Fang Zheng could barely track his sword movements. After a while, the blond man suddenly stopped and withdrew. At the same moment, a powerful sword qi burst forth, smashing all the wooden stakes around into pieces.


    This is the power of a Grand Knight?!


    Seeing this scene, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but feel moved. Such immense power nearly seemed to qualify as a one-man army!


    ¡°Yo, Huck, what are you doing here?¡±


    The man turned his head, looking at the old archbishop beside Fang Zheng, grinning smugly.


    ¡°What, are you nning to spar with me?¡±


    ¡°Count me out, these old bones can¡¯t handle your beatings, Shi Dong.¡±


    Hearing Shi Dong¡¯s words, the old archbishop rolled his eyes and then made a gesture.


    ¡°I brought him to see you.¡±


    ¡°A noble dandy?¡±


    Hearing the archbishop¡¯s words, Shi Dong nced at Fang Zheng, curled his lip disdainfully.


    ¡°Why did you bring him here? He¡¯s no nobledy.¡±


    ¡°He wants to join the Sanctuary as an Apprentice Guardian Knight.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you handle this? You¡¯re the one good at dealing with idle noble brats anyway.¡±


    Clearly, Shi Dong had no interest in Fang Zheng. And it was understandable; Fang Zheng¡¯s body seemed not particrly strong¡ªin fact, it was almost frail. To Shi Dong, this probably looked like another pampered noble scion, whom he had always despised.


    But the old archbishop didn¡¯t mind Shi Dong¡¯s words. He just smiled slightly and hinted.


    ¡°He just caused Law Resonance.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Hearing this, Shi Dong finally stopped, squinting his eyes to take a serious look at Fang Zheng for the first time.


    ¡°You, boy, you want to be an Apprentice Guardian Knight?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In response to Shi Dong¡¯s question, Fang Zheng nodded. Havinge this far, he had no way back. Hearing his answer, a mocking smile appeared on Shi Dong¡¯s face.


    ¡°Well, since you want to be an Apprentice Guardian Knight, you should know that everyone must pass an assessment.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ of course.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    Saying this, Shi Dong stood on the training ground again, swinging his giant sword, looking at Fang Zheng with a smirk.


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re lucky; I will personally oversee your assessment¡­ How¡¯s that? Isn¡¯t it an honor?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Looking at the muscle-bound man before him, Fang Zheng was at a loss for words. The old archbishop, however, frowned.


    ¡°Shi Dong, don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the harm, old man.¡±


    Shi Dong didn¡¯t pay the old archbishop¡¯sint any mind, casually waving his hand.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he caused Law Resonance? Let¡¯s see what this skinny kid can do to cause Law Resonance!¡±


    Indeed, being treated differently came with a price.


    Hearing Shi Dong¡¯s words, Fang Zheng sighed inwardly but only hesitated for a moment before stepping down the stairs to the training ground. Seeing this, both the old archbishop and Shi Dong were taken aback. Then the old man¡¯s face showed concern, while Shi Dong whistled.


    ¡°Well, boy, you¡¯ve got guts. Are you ready now? Show me your full strength; let¡¯s see your limits.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Sir Shi Dong.¡±


    As he spoke, Fang Zheng slowly drew the Sky-Cleaving Sword from his waist. He had already decided that, given how things had unfolded, he needed to modify his n. If the lower ranks weren¡¯t an option, then he would showcase his power and take the upper route. With a ¡°Law Resonance¡± buff on him, it was eptable for a chosen one to exhibit unexpectedly strong abilities, right?


    Besides¡­ Fang Zheng also wanted to experience the true power of a strong one in this world.


    ¡°Please guide me.¡±


    Looking at Shi Dong, Fang Zheng whispered and then his whole body suddenly moved. The longsword in his hand turned into a sh of lightning, stabbing forward!

 Chapter 19 - 18: The Moment to Enter the New World Has Arrived!

    Chapter 19: Chapter 18: The Moment to Enter the New World Has Arrived!


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    ¡°ng!!¡±


    With a crisp collision sound, the longsword in Fang Zheng¡¯s hand spun and flew out,nding on the ground. He himself was knocked backward by the immense force, falling to the ground and gasping for breath.


    ¡°Get up, continue!¡±


    Hearing Shi Dong¡¯s words, Fang Zheng hurriedly rolled over and got up from the ground, grabbing the longsword. At this moment, the steel-made longsword felt as heavy as a thousand pounds in Fang Zheng¡¯s hand. But even so, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth, staring at the fully armored Grand Knight in front of him. After a brief thought, he swiftly moved to Shi Dong¡¯s right side and swung his sword. However, this time, Shi Dong didn¡¯t even nce at him. A casual swing from Shi Dong brought his enormous two-handed sword straight at him.


    Facing the oing two-handed giant sword, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth and tightly gripped the longsword to meet it.


    As the swords crossed, Fang Zheng struggled to hold the hilt and angled the de, attempting to deflect the force of the blow. The steel longsword screeched and twisted to the side. Then, with another ¡°ng,¡± Fang Zheng¡¯s hand couldn¡¯t withstand the force of the giant sword, and his fingers loosened. The longsword flew backward once again. Fortunately, this time Fang Zheng didn¡¯t fall with it.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for today.¡±


    Shi Dong sheathed his two-handed giant sword, looking at Fang Zheng with a gaze of appreciation.


    ¡°I have to say, kid, your body is too weak¡­ but your perseverance is not bad. I¡¯ve seen some ckers who start whining after training for just a short time, acting like I¡¯m trying to kill them. You¡¯re not bad; you haven¡¯tined once until now. You have potential!¡±


    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ th¡­ thank you¡­¡±


    Hearing Shi Dong¡¯s praise, Fang Zheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied breathlessly. He felt like he could hardly stand. His hands were sore and numb, and he looked as exhausted as if he had been pulled out of a pond.


    On the second day of bing Shi Dong¡¯s student, Fang Zheng understood what the old bishop¡¯s sympathetic look meant. In fact, he was dragged out of bed before dawn by Shi Dong to start running and practicing swordsmanship¡ªtotally different from what Fang Zheng imagined. Shi Dong didn¡¯t teach any knight¡¯s sword skills but made him repeatedly practice the basic sword techniques.


    Cut, sh, block, stab, thrust¡­ Fang Zheng followed Shi Dong¡¯s orders and practiced these monotonous basic techniques repeatedly. ording to Shi Dong, the Royal Cross Swordsmanship he used was already quite powerful. But because Fang Zhengcked understanding of the sword, he couldn¡¯t fully harness its power.


    Fang Zheng deeply agreed with this. Initially, when he sparred with Shi Dong, because his opponent wasn¡¯t familiar with this swordsmanship, Fang Zheng barely managed to gain the upper hand and win. But since that assessment, Fang Zheng had never won against Shi Dong again, even when Shi Dong used the most ordinary weapons. Fang Zheng always felt pressured and overwhelmed.


    ¡°You¡¯re really a weirdo, kid.¡±


    Looking at the sweat-drenched Fang Zheng, Shi Dong curled his lips.


    ¡°Usually, people with strong willpower don¡¯t have weak bodies. But why is your body so weak? And I see you¡¯ve achieved a decent level of power. Why can¡¯t you swing a sword properly?¡±


    Hearing Shi Dong¡¯s mockery, Fang Zheng rolled his eyes helplessly. Indeed, he had strong willpower. Without it, he couldn¡¯t have worked overtime without rest. As for this body¡­ does he wish it were stronger? His original body at least had some abs. This damned cultist should be thankful his body hasn¡¯t beenpletely hollowed out¡­


    Fang Zheng was well aware of the world¡¯s energy system, so he understood why Shi Dong said that. On this continent, people used a type of energy called ¡°Power of the Star Spirits.¡± However, to Fang Zheng, it was fundamentally no different from the ¡°Inner Strength¡± in martial arts novels. In fact, their grading system was quite simr.


    On this continent, the Power of the Star Spirits was divided into six levels: Entry, Standard, Elite, Grandmaster, Legendary, and Transcendent.


    Entry-level professionals are like themon folks in martial arts novels who might know a bit of Shaolin Boxing or ck Tiger Heart Extraction. They mainly improve their physical quality without any notable changes. Most militiamen in this world are at this level.@@novelbin@@


    Standard-level professionals are like disciples from major sects who have cultivated inner strength, far superior to those who only know a move or two of street fighting. They can use their power to enhance their bodies, surpassing ordinary people. For example, jumping several meters high or running a hundred meters in less than ten seconds. These people have mastered the use of Power of the Star Spirits to enhance their physical attributes and can use techniques like the ¡°Golden Bell Shield¡± or ¡°Cloud Ladder¡± that aren¡¯t particrly scientific.


    Elite-level professionals go a step further. It¡¯s easy to identify an Elite professional by seeing if they can make the Power of the Star Spirits unleash an attack outside their body. Whether they¡¯re mages, knights, assassins, or thieves, if they can do this, it means they¡¯ve surpassed ordinary warriors and be elites.


    Grandmasters are even more formidable. Not only do they possess powerful strength, but they also innovate and have unique skills andbat techniques of their own. For example, the Great Knight Shi Dong is a Grandmaster. Those at this level are like sect leaders in martial arts novels, not only powerful but also having their signature techniques.


    As for Legendary, they are even scarier. While Grandmasters are still within the realm of martial arts, Legends are almost at the level of immortal heroes in fiction. Their moves can shake the heavens and make darkness fall. They are nearly as powerful as deities. When they fight, areas spanning hundreds of miles can be affected. In this world, true Legendary powerhouses are the strategic weapons of each country. They rarely make moves. Their existence ensures peace on this continent.


    But that¡¯s not all. Mortals are ultimately impulsive, greedy, and blind creatures. Restraint for a moment doesn¡¯t mean eternal restraint. Some may seek revenge, and others may fall into darkness to destroy the world. But none of this happens because there¡¯s an even more powerful level above Legendary.


    Transcendent.


    If Legendary is the pinnacle of the mundane, then Transcendent beings, as the name suggests, surpass the mundane. Transcendents are never mortals. They are incarnations and envoys of deities or demon kings, possessing power beyond humans. Sometimes, they can do whatever they want!


    Because of this, the continent remains peaceful. Even Legendary powerhouses cannot create much chaos. After all, on this continent, good and evil are not eternal enemies. If someone attempts to destroy the world, their first hurdle might not be divine punishment but the demon king¡¯s dagger¡ªafter all, recruiting believers isn¡¯t free. Destroying the world would ruin it all.


    That¡¯s why Shi Dong called Fang Zheng a weirdo. Fang Zheng¡¯s strength level was in the middle of the Elite rank, but physically, he seemed entirely untrained. It was as if Linghu Chong, with no inner strength, had learned the Six-Meridian Divine Sword and kept using BIUBIUBIU non-stop. Is that even possible?


    Fang Zheng also realized his w: sword skills. The longsword was an unfamiliar weapon to him. In his previous life, he had never held one. Since his rebirth, he had only wielded a sword for less than a month. The system gave him the skills and knowledge, but experience couldn¡¯t be rushed. It required time and steady umtion.


    Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t entirely without options.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for today. Go rest.¡±


    Shi Dong was very satisfied with Fang Zheng. Although he found Fang Zheng¡¯s mastery of sword skills inconsistent with his experience, it wasn¡¯t surprising. Swordsmanship required perception and intelligence. Even a fool could learn by copying. Plus, Fang Zheng had the Holy Spirit Protection, so some anomalies were normal.


    As for Fang Zheng¡¯sck of physical strength, Shi Dong wasn¡¯t doubtful. One look at Fang Zheng¡¯s hands told him that this young man probably hadn¡¯t held a sword for more than two months. Thus, a noble who usually enjoyed himself wouldn¡¯t have superior physical fitness.


    Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Fang Zheng put down his longsword and left the training field. Along the way, he encountered several Sanctuary Warriors who burst into friendlyughter at his sorry state.


    ¡°Hey, Fang Zheng, did Shi Dong-sama beat you to the ground again?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. He got up, didn¡¯t he? And he¡¯s walking.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re lucky. I wanted Shi Dong to be my guide back then, but he didn¡¯t think much of me. Such a pity¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng rolled his eyes at these gloating fellows.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so regretful, should I say something good for you to Shi Dong-sama?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ better not¡­ You see, I¡¯m getting old. You should respect the elderly, right?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    Watching that unfortunate guy¡¯s bitter smile made the others burst intoughter. The previously somber atmosphere lightened considerably.


    Fang Zheng had only been in the Sanctuary for just over ten days, yet he had gotten along quite well with many people here. This was partly because his Holy Protection increased their natural goodwill toward him, and partly because Fang Zheng was generous. Whenever he had free time, he¡¯d invite them to a tavern for a drink. Generous people are never disliked, so Fang Zheng¡¯s favorability among them soared.


    But the fundamental reason the Sanctuary Warriors epted Fang Zheng was his effort and determination. The Great Knight Shi Dong¡¯s training was famously strict. Many had witnessed apprentice knights being trained to the brink of death, treated like they were being punished. Most whined and gave up after a few days, but this frail young man managed to persevere for over ten days¡ªa given for a warrior, but impressive for a young, frail noble.


    After exchanging a few jokes with the others, Fang Zheng left the Sanctuary. He rented a small house nearby for living, thanks to the Star Pattern and the Sanctuary¡¯s endorsement. Originally, Shi Dong wanted Fang Zheng to stay in the Sanctuary, but Fang Zheng declined the invitation. Some things were unsuitable to be done in the Sanctuary.


    Like now.


    Back in his room, Fang Zheng sat on a chair, looking at the Dimensional Codex in front of him. The sun was setting, and night was about to fall.


    Stretching out his hand, he gently opened the Codex, and a peculiar projection emerged from its pages. It looked like an Earth projection, but numerous satellites orbited it. They revolved around the Earth. Fang Zheng could clearly see the text appearing in his vision.


    [Dimensional World][Free World]


    In Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes, [Dimensional World] was still grayed out and unresponsive, but [Free World] was essible. Fang Zheng understood this well.


    Unlike [Dimensional World], when Fang Zheng traveled to [Free World], the time in the Main World would not flow. This meant that no matter how long he stayed in that world, time in the Main World would remain where he left it. Fang Zheng could stay in [Free World] indefinitely and leave anytime. He could even choose to forcibly exit if he encountered life-threatening danger¡­


    This made [Free World] seem better than [Dimensional World]. However, the system wasn¡¯t that lenient. Although [Free World] seemed great, it had its limitations.


    First, in [Free World], Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t gain Dimensional Points, equipment, or skills bypleting tasks. He could only receive attribute-rted rewards. Second, in [Free World], Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t use any of the skills and equipment he obtained, nor activate Soulstone. In [Free World], Fang Zheng would just be an ordinary person, with attributes merely enhanced by titles and basic stats.


    Moreover, [Free World] was divided into three categories: Mind, Skill, and Body. Fang Zheng had been pondering which world to visit for improvement, but after extensive training with Shi Dong, he clearly understood his current shorings. He quickly made his decision.


    This is it.


    Looking at the teleportation icon, Fang Zheng took a deep breath and then reached out to tap on [Skill]. Soon, dazzling light dots appeared before him, intertwining to form a beam that enveloped him.


    The time to enter the new world had arrived!

 Chapter 20 - 19: What Just Happened?

    Chapter 20: Chapter 19: What Just Happened?


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    ¡°Dong¡­ dong¡­ dong¡­¡±


    A low, deep bell tolled as Fang Zheng opened his eyes and looked towards the sky in front of him.


    ¡°Where is this¡­¡±


    He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but quickly realized with surprise that his voice had be hoarse and gloomy. Not only that, he felt that his body seemed strange as well. It wasn¡¯t his familiar physique, but more like a foreign shell.


    What¡¯s going on?


    Fang Zheng shook his head and slowly stood up. It was only then that he discovered he was in a cemetery. At this moment, he was wearing heavy armor, with a longsword and a shield by his side. From a surface perspective, it looked as if ¡°Fang Zheng¡± had been buried as a knight in a coffin.


    So that¡¯s it. Only the spirit has entered this world? No wonder I can leave at any time¡­


    After moving his body a bit, Fang Zheng finally understood the concept of the Free World. It seemed that in this ce, he wasn¡¯t using his own body, but a body that already existed in this world. He was more like a spirit possessing someone. To Fang Zheng, this was like another ¡°rebirth.¡± However,pared to rebirth in the Main World, the rebirth in this world didn¡¯t seem to offer him any benefits. The original owner of this body didn¡¯t seem to have any inherited memories, nor was there any item to prove his identity. The only useful things were the shield and longsword by his side.


    Is this another game world? Could it be Dark World again?


    Looking up at the dark, cloudy sky simr to that of the Dark World, Fang Zheng frowned involuntarily. But fortunately, though this body did not provide him with memories of the previous life of its owner, it did offer him somebat skills. Fang Zheng then discovered, quite frustratingly¡­ these were indeed justbat skills!


    Forget about the cool sword skills of the Main World; there were not even any skills from the Dark World. The memories of this body contained only simplebat techniques like thrusting, shing, rolling, and blocking, all of which were things Fang Zheng had learned from Shi Dong. If there was any difference, it was an extra technique called ¡°Bounce Back,¡± a skill that involved deflecting an enemy¡¯s attack at the moment of impact and then seizing the opening for a critical strike.


    No shy skills, no unique moves¡ªjust mundanebat techniques.


    This isn¡¯t the Dark World. Where exactly is this?


    Curious, Fang Zheng looked around and then walked out of the coffin, following the path ahead.


    ¡°Uuuu¡­¡±


    At that moment, a skeletal figure slowly crawled up from the ground, blocking Fang Zheng¡¯s path.


    An enemy? A zombie? Or a living dead?


    Looking at the creature before him, Fang Zheng¡¯s expression turned serious. He tightly gripped his sword with his right hand and, before the creature could stand up, shed down with his sword.


    To Fang Zheng¡¯s surprise, the creature in this world didn¡¯t seem as tough as those in the Dark World. With a single stroke, he had felled the opponent to the ground. Whatever it was, at least it seemed as weak as it looked.


    Doesn¡¯t seem too dangerous. How can a world like this trainbat skills?


    ¡°Whoosh!!¡±


    While Fang Zheng was still puzzled, he suddenly heard the sound of wind by his ear and instinctively rolled forward without hesitation. A burning arrow narrowly missed him. When Fang Zheng looked up, he saw another skeletal figure not far ahead, reloading a crossbow.


    What the hell! These guys can use weapons?


    Seeing this, Fang Zheng was slightly startled. He had thought these creatures were just like zombies, attacking only out of instinct, but they could actually use weapons?


    That¡¯s uneptable!


    Thinking about it, Fang Zheng swiftly rushed forward, shing down with his sword once again. He sent the figure back to its grave.


    What a strange ce¡­


    Looking at the corpse on the ground, Fang Zheng frowned. The sky was dark and gloomy, and even the cold wind felt chilling to the bone. Everything around him was shrouded in darkness, like ashes after a fire, giving off an unsettling vibe.


    In any case, let¡¯s investigate this world¡¯s situation first.


    After that, Fang Zheng followed the mountain path out of the cemetery, killing a few more ¡°living dead¡± along the way. Then he came to a bonfire. Looking at the bonfire, Fang Zheng felt as if he recalled something. He reached out towards the mes, and soon, he felt a mysterious power silently disappear from within him. The next moment, the bonfire red up.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Watching the amber mes, Fang Zheng let out a sigh of relief. The creatures in this world didn¡¯t seem very formidable, but looking at the ruins around him and the endless clouds in the distance, Fang Zheng had a bad feeling. It seemed this world was not as simple as it appeared.


    Keep moving forward.


    After sitting by the bonfire for a few minutes, Fang Zheng decided to continue exploring the world. So far, he hadn¡¯t encountered another living soul, which made him uneasy. Could this be a wastnd-like world, where everyone but himself was dead? It couldn¡¯t be as awful as ¡°I Am Legend.¡±


    Moreover, Fang Zheng did not feel threatened by these slow-moving creatures. The living dead in the Dark World, though slow, had terrifying strength and defense. But the creatures here had no defense and were slow to move. Several times, Fang Zheng had reached them before they could even climb up, moving lethargically like ordinary people.


    How could a world like this help me trainbat skills?


    After a circuit along the mountain path and killing a monster guarding a gate, Fang Zheng arrived at a za. It was empty except for a gigantic knight dressed in armor, two or three meters tall, who crouched in the center of the za. Beside the knighty a battle axe, and a ck spiral sword pierced through his chest¡­ From any angle, it looked like he was dead.


    But Fang Zheng didn¡¯t choose to approach him. From experience, he knew that such an eerie ce with such an object undoubtedly had a problem. It could either be a trap or a boss, and caution was the best course. So he decided to circumvent the knight and continue exploring. His efforts paid off when he discovered a building behind the knight. Unfortunately, the front door seemed sealed by something, and no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn¡¯t open the wooden door.


    Do I really have to deal with that knight?


    Feeling helpless, Fang Zheng returned to the knight, approaching him cautiously. To his surprise, the knight didn¡¯t jump up unexpectedly, nor did monsters ambush him. The knight remained silently crouched, faithfully ying the role of a dedicated dead man.


    Am I supposed to pull out the sword from his chest?


    Hesitating for a moment, Fang Zheng decided to pull out the sword. Although his intuition told him it might trigger a ¡°boss battle,¡± the earlier fights showed him that those creatures posed no real threat and didn¡¯t help train his sword skills. But this was at least a boss, so there shouldn¡¯t be any disappointment.


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng reached out decisively, grabbing the spiral sword lodged in the knight¡¯s chest, and pulled it out.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Gurgle¡­¡±


    As Fang Zheng extracted the spiral sword, he saw the dark, gooey substance in the knight¡¯s wound begin to wriggle, like a sentient life form, and then flow back into the knight¡¯s body. This sudden scene shocked Fang Zheng, and the knight stood up, grabbed the battle axe beside him, and swung it fiercely toward Fang Zheng!


    Damn! What¡¯s with the sudden attack? I¡¯m your savior here!


    Shocked at this unexpected assault, Fang Zheng quickly rolled on the ground, dodging the knight¡¯s axe. But before he could get up, the giant knight rushed at him, crashing into him, sending Fang Zheng flying. The knight then raised the axe again, bringing it down ferociously on Fang Zheng.


    This is bad!


    Seeing the gleaming axe, Fang Zheng was stunned. He hurriedly raised his shield, blocking the axe just in time.


    ¡°ng!!¡±


    The massive force struck, almost buckling Fang Zheng¡¯s knees. But the knight wasn¡¯t done; after the first strike was blocked, he immediately swung the axe again. This time, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t hold on and was knocked to the ground. The knight then leaped high, axe and all, and came crashing down.


    ¡°Thud!!¡±


    The next moment, Fang Zheng felt the de pierce his body. His vision went ck, and everything around him plunged into darkness.


    Fang Zheng then felt as if he were floating like a balloon, being pulled upwards and then slowly descending. When he opened his eyes again, he saw only the burning bonfire and the broken longsword stuck in the mes.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Dazed and confused, Fang Zheng stared at the bonfire, his mind in chaos, not knowing what to do.


    What just happened?


    Where am I?


    How did I die?!

 Chapter 21 - 20: This is simply a nightmare!

    Chapter 21: Chapter 20: This is simply a nightmare!


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    What kind of hellish world is this?


    After being killed for the nth time, Fang Zheng sat by the bonfire, speechless.


    At this moment, he had felt the deep malice this world had towards him.


    Initially, Fang Zheng thought this was a seemingly ordinary world, but now he no longer believed that. If the first time he was killed by the knight could be considered carelessness, then the subsequent times, even though Fang Zheng had prepared thoroughly, he would still be ruthlessly beaten to the ground by the opponent. However, these efforts were not in vain; after several attempts, he found that the ¡°Bounce Back¡± skill, which he previously thought was useless, was unexpectedly effective. After mastering this skill, he sessfully blocked and countered the knight¡¯s attack, then seized the opportunity to plunge his sword into the opponent¡¯s chest.


    Originally, Fang Zheng thought it was all over, but before he could pull out his sword, he saw a pitch-ck, eerie liquid appear behind the knight, then twist and coalesce into a giant creature with a snakehead, which lunged at him with a bite.


    At that moment, Fang Zheng¡¯s heart shattered.


    At first, he thought this was an ordinary wastnd-like world.


    Then, he thought it should be an ordinary world with strongbat capabilities.


    But now¡­what kind of monstrosity is this!!


    Does he have to rely on swords and knives to fight such huge, inhuman creatures?


    This world is too despairing!!


    Although there are creatures in the Dark World, at least they have skills for protection!


    And here, I can only roll, block, and sh? No skills, no magic, no divine artifacts, and not even any teammates?


    His mindset was about to explode!


    This is simply a nightmare!


    Luckily, Fang Zheng remembered that he came to this world to train his swordsmanship and awareness; otherwise, he would probably choose tomit suicide. Surviving in such a world requires more than just a big heart.


    But fortunately, in this grim world, there was also a small sanctuary. After a hard-fought battle against that knight, Fang Zheng passed through a gate and entered a ce called Firelink Altar, where he met a girl wearing a blindfold ¨C she called herself the Fire Keeper. From the Fire Keeper, Fang Zheng learned about this world¡¯s situation.


    This world was originally a realm of Chaos, but one day, a fire known as the Primordial Fire was born. Humans found the King¡¯s Soul near the fire and used its power to defeat the Ancient Dragons. After that, the age of fire began, and humanity built a glorious civilization. But the fire would eventually die out. To maintain the me, powerful heroes sacrificed themselves as Firewood to keep the fire burning.


    However, all of this has reached its end.


    The inherited me had already extinguished, the bell tolled, awakening the ancient Kings of Sry who were in slumber.


    But they had abandoned their thrones.


    His duty was to defeat these Kings of Sry and reignite the remaining mes.


    After talking with the Fire Keeper, Fang Zheng finally understood the general ¡°setting¡± of this world. It¡¯s like a bonfire that once burned, bringing light and warmth. But now, it was a pile of ash. His job was to find enough wood and relight the bonfire¡­ otherwise, everything would be lost.


    This really was a hopeless world.


    But fortunately, there was at least the soft-hearted Fire Keeper to soothe Fang Zheng¡¯s ravaged soul, much better than the muscr cksmith and the old witch. Compared to her, those two were like trapped Undead¡ªoh, and that guy sitting on the steps holding a sword, mumbling all day long.


    Initially, after surviving that tough battle, Fang Zheng thought he had mastered the skills to survive in this world, so he confidently followed the Fire Keeper¡¯s guidance and teleported via the bonfire to the walls of Lothric, nning to start his next adventure. In fact, the creatures on those walls did not pose much of a threat to Fang Zheng at first. Even those Undead wielding giant axes were easily countered and executed by Fang Zheng.


    This inted Fang Zheng¡¯s confidence¡­well, not entirely, but at least he felt he had grasped the essence ofbat.


    Until he encountered a guy called the Lothric Knight.


    This guy, like the knight he faced before, was dressed impably but was nonmunicative. The moment he saw Fang Zheng, he immediately charged at him, roaring.


    Fang Zheng was no longer as surprised as before. He had realized that besides the few at the Firelink Altar, everyone else he encountered outside seemed like unreasoning beasts that immediately attacked upon seeing him. So Fang Zheng decisively moved forward, wielding his shield, ready to counter and execute again.


    But to Fang Zheng¡¯s surprise, after the Lothric Knight charged, he raised his shield and mmed it down, knocking Fang Zheng out. Before he could regain his senses, he saw the knight raise his sword¡­swish, the world went silent.@@novelbin@@


    Fang Zheng finally realized that with cold weapons, he was still a rookie.


    Previously, he defeated Shi Dong relying on the unique effects of Royal Cross Swordsmanship and Skybreaker. Although Shi Dongter pointed out Fang Zheng¡¯sck of deep understanding of swordsmanship, Fang Zheng had been somewhat dismissive. He thought that maybe he hadn¡¯t used all hisbat skills; if he had started with an invincibility spell and thenunched a Divine Storm at Shi Dong, the opponent would have suffered more¡­


    Not to mention, even if he encountered strong enemies in the future, he still had the Soulstone.


    But now, in this world, Fang Zheng realized for the first time how powerless he was without the Soulstone enhancements and unable to use Pdin skills.


    From the time he arrived at this high wall until now, how many times had he died?


    Sitting by the bonfire, Fang Zheng frowned tightly. If previously he had enough confidence in his abilities, his experiences in this world made him realize how weak he truly was. Thinking back, during his first battle after being reborn into this world, he escaped death relying on the power of the Soulstone. In the Dark World, he also depended on the Soulstone to kill Magda. These were granted by the system but were not entirely his own strength; it was the system providing him with cheats.


    Had he been somewhat lost before?


    Initially, Fang Zheng came here with the intention of training, but now he began to seriously reflect on whether his previous thoughts were correct. Should he rely on the system¡¯s help for his entire life? The system might indeed provide considerable assistance, but if he himself did not be stronger, wouldn¡¯t it all be in vain?


    ¡°Still too careless¡­¡±


    Shaking his head silently, Fang Zheng bitterly smiled as he stood up. Before his rebirth, he wasn¡¯t a warrior; although he had received some training, he had never experienced brutalbat. He originally did not see this as an issue, but now he realized what hecked.


    Perhaps, this was why the system chose this world for him.


    As he thought about this, Fang Zheng gripped his longsword again, stood up, walked to the edge of the tform, and looked out over the already ruined city below. He could hear the howling wind, and everywhere there were hoarse, ominous growls and heavy footsteps; those zombie-like creatures continued to wander the city, wielding their weapons and trying to kill everything in sight.


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t know who they originally were, what they had done, or why they fought, but now, there was one thing he understood clearly.


    Those standing in his way were his enemies.


    With this thought in mind, Fang Zheng gripped his longsword tightly and strode down the stairs.

 Chapter 24 - 23 Skill Expertise [Weapon Mastery]

    Chapter 24: Chapter 23 Skill Expertise [Weapon Mastery]


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    With Shi Dong¡¯s guidance, Fang Zheng clearly felt much better in that world.


    Previously, the reason Fang Zheng died so miserably was not just because of hisck of understanding about that world, but also because he had no clue on how to handle sudden situations. Especially when facing those four or five meters tall giants or some bizarre creatures, Fang Zheng had no idea how to deal with them. Was he supposed to charge with a sword?


    No matter how tough one is, one can¡¯t withstand that, not to mention those damned, malicious mimic chests!


    In this regard, Shi Dong was experienced. Just a few tips could benefit Fang Zheng immensely. In return, Fang Zheng often talked to Shi Dong about that world. Shi Dong himself seemed quite interested in it, frequently pulling Fang Zheng to ask about the current state there. This asionally gave Fang Zheng the illusion of discussing game strategies with ssmates during school days.


    However, the hard work finally paid off. Fang Zheng clearly felt that his deaths from sudden incidents in that world were decreasing. After sessfully defeating the Abyssal Guardian deep inside Farron Fortress without any injuries, Fang Zheng finally gained his first reward in the Free Instance.


    Skill Expertise: [Weapon Mastery]!


    [Weapon Mastery: In the endless cycle of death, you have grasped the essence ofbat. Starting with just a sword, life and death are at the whims of fate. You havee to understand that, in this world, the weapon in your hand is your most trustworthypanion (initial proficiency level with all weapons is 100%)]


    After gaining this expertise, Fang Zheng curiously went to experiment, and the results delighted him greatly. Fang Zheng found that with the boost from [Weapon Mastery], not only did he be more fluent in wielding the Royal Cross Swordsmanship, but even when he picked up weapons like greatswords and daggers, they felt like extensions of his body, effortlessly reaching the level of ease and control.


    Indeed, this was quite a rewarding expertise.


    From this expertise reward, Fang Zheng also discovered that the instance rewards seemed to be given based on whether he could defeat the boss without injury. Previously, Fang Zheng died several times fighting other bosses, and even if he won, he was exhausted. This time, defeating the enemy without injury was entirely due to Shi Dong¡¯s guidance, Fang Zheng¡¯s sufficient preparation, and a bit of luck.


    After mastering this expertise, Fang Zheng enthusiastically went to the Sanctuary to practice with Shi Dong. However, he hadn¡¯t expected that before he could step through the Sanctuary¡¯s gate, he saw Shi Dong in armor striding out, pping Fang Zheng¡¯s shoulder and dragging him inside.


    ¡°Come on, kid, we have something to do!¡±


    ¡°Is it a fight?¡±


    Familiar with Shi Dong¡¯s unconventional actions, Fang Zheng just paused for a moment before reacting. After all, the Sanctuary wasn¡¯t a charity. As an Apprentice Guardian Knight enjoying its benefits, Fang Zheng naturally had to contribute.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Leading Fang Zheng through the corridor, Shi Dong quickly exined.


    ¡°Just now, we received a distress call from Shadow Canyon. A team of knights tracing cultists¡¯ tracks entered deep into the canyon but fell into their trap and got trapped in the White Bone ins. What fools, who allowed them to go to Shadow Canyon? Don¡¯t they know it¡¯s the Twilight Frontier? And now, I have to clean up their mess.¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but twitch his mouth. Somehow, he felt that these Pdins might be the unlucky guys killed by his body.


    ¡°Me too?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Of course, kid, your strength isn¡¯t weak now, and you don¡¯tckbat experience. Star Moon City is short-handed, so it¡¯s just you and me who can be relied on. Plus, your power is Holy Power, perfect for restraining those undead bastards. Let me see your skills!¡±


    As they talked, they reached the corridor¡¯s end. Seeing Shi Dong and Fang Zheng, the Sanctuary Warriors at the end quickly saluted and pushed open the heavy stone gate behind them.


    Behind the stone gate was a massive circr Teleportation Array, the Sanctuary¡¯s most powerful weapon. This Teleportation Array could achieve unlimited long-distance teleportation. In wartime, it could directly transport troops to the battlefield by borrowing the Archbishop¡¯s power.


    Of course, this Teleportation Array, while seemingly invincible, had its restraints. If the opponent casually set a spatial anchor to lock the space, the array became useless.


    Yet even so, the Teleportation Array was an excellent choice for traveling.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    But what Fang Zheng didn¡¯t expect was that upon entering the teleportation hall, he quickly saw two figures beside the array. One was the old Archbishop he was familiar with, and the other was a cute girl in a ck robe. Seeing Fang Zheng, the girl¡¯s face turned slightly red, then she lowered her head, staring silently at the ground.


    ¡­¡­If he remembered correctly, wasn¡¯t she the soft girl from the city hall who verified his star pattern? What was she doing here?


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    Entering the teleportation hall, Shi Dong immediately looked at the old Archbishop beside the array. Upon hearing Shi Dong¡¯s question, the old Archbishop shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°The situation isn¡¯t good. I just managed to contact them, but it was quickly cut off again.¡±


    ¡°These idiots.¡±


    Hearing the old Archbishop¡¯s response, Shi Dong rolled his eyes helplessly.


    ¡°What about their Teleportation Crystals?¡±


    ¡°The enemy set a spatial restriction, rendering the Teleportation Crystals unusable.¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s at least a Lich-level opponent waiting for us?¡±


    The more information Shi Dong received, the darker his expression grew.


    ¡°What¡¯s with these fools? Fighting a Lich in the White Bone ins? If they¡¯re so capable, why not storm into the Twilight Frontier? Do they think they¡¯re invincible now? I always said those directly under the Bishopric were unreliable, all arrogant and self-righteous, but utterly useless. They think they can save the world just because they¡¯ve crawled out of their mama¡¯sp.¡±


    One has to admit, proximity to ink makes one ck. Hanging out with Fang Zheng for so long, Shi Dong had naturally picked up some of his seemingly nonsensical but oddly logical phrases.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Next, it¡¯s up to her.¡±


    As he spoke, the old Archbishop nced at the girl beside him. Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze, the girl trembled and then timidly raised her head, nodding to the crowd.


    ¡°Miss M here can provide coordinates that will allow you to teleport to the nearest point¡­¡±


    M¡­


    Hearing this name, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He wasn¡¯t surprised. During his time in the Sanctuary, he had learned that for an Astrologer, names held special secrets. Astrologers believed their names were linked to the stars, so they typically used code names rather than their real names, which were known only to their mentors and families.


    However¡­


    ncing at the timid girl resembling a frightened squirrel, Fang Zheng thought the code name suited her¡­ she really looked like a ¡°softie.¡±


    ¡°Her?¡±


    To Shi Dong, the concerny elsewhere.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that ce under spatial restriction? How can she lead us in?¡±


    Here, the girl finally spoke in a soft voice.


    ¡°Well¡­ actually¡­ I can observe the trajectory of the constetions to point out a Path of the Stars unaffected by the spatial restriction¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°Can you do that?¡±


    Hearing this, Shi Dong was genuinely surprised.


    ¡°Finding the Path of the Stars is something even advanced Astrologers struggle with!¡±


    ¡°Miss M is the most prized disciple of Royal Astrologer Oscar.¡±


    The old Archbishop finally chimed in.


    ¡°So, you must ensure her safety. If anything happens to this youngdy, I can¡¯t handle it if her mentores looking for trouble.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ what do you mean?¡±


    Hearing the old Archbishop¡¯s response, Shi Dong¡¯s expression changed again. The old Archbishop just smiled.


    ¡°Just like you heard, this youngdy will apany you to the White Bone ins¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­Huh?¡±

 Chapter 26 - 25: Traps and Conspiracies

    Chapter 26: Chapter 25: Traps and Conspiracies


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    ¡°Who are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°My name is Fang Zheng. I¡¯m an Apprentice Guardian Knight from the Sanctuary of Star Moon City, here to assist you with Great Knight Shi Dong.¡±


    ¡°Star Moon City¡­ Are you saying that Great Knight Shi Dong is here too?¡±


    But to Fang Zheng¡¯s surprise, upon hearing his reply, instead of showing joy, the knight¡¯s face changed dramatically.


    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t havee here! It¡¯s a trap, damn it, we all fell for it¡­ cough cough¡­!¡±


    Maybe because he was too anxious, the knight started coughing up blood before he finished speaking. Seeing this, Fang Zheng stepped forward and held his shoulder. After closely inspecting the knight¡¯s condition, Fang Zheng quickly discovered a deep wound on the knight¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t get so worked up. We¡¯re already here, and now you can¡¯t send us back¡­ In any case, let¡¯s treat your wound first.¡±


    As he spoke, Fang Zheng raised his hand. A warm, pure white light surrounded the knight¡¯s body, and under the radiance, the gory wound on the knight¡¯s waist quickly healed, bing as good as new within moments.


    ¡°So quickly?!¡±


    Feeling theforting warmth and seeing his wound heal so fast, the knight was a bit stunned. Although he was just an ordinary knight and not as powerful as a Grand Knight like Shi Dong, he had fought for the Sanctuary for many years and was at least experienced. He could tell that the healing technique Fang Zheng used far surpassed that of the Apprentice Priests in the Sanctuary. Ordinary healing techniques could close wounds but couldn¡¯t restore strength. However, this young man¡¯s healing technique not only swiftly healed his injuries but also made him feel his strength rapidly recover¡ªthis was at least a Bishop-level healing technique!


    Who on earth was this young man?


    The knight was bing more puzzled about Fang Zheng. He had indeed seen the emblem Fang Zheng wore, bearing the Sanctuary¡¯s insignia, which couldn¡¯t be faked. If Fang Zheng were a Cleric or Priest specialized in healing, he could ept that. But Fang Zheng had also shown greatbat ability during the fight, which was hard to believe. A knight specializing in bothbat and healing, and so young? Why had he never heard of him before?


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re okay now.¡±


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t know what the knight was thinking. He just nced at him and, after confirming his wounds were mostly healed, extended his hand.


    ¡°Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°Of course, thank you, young man.¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s words, the knight was startled, then smiled and reached out to shake Fang Zheng¡¯s hand as he stood up.


    ¡°My name is Conan, a Knight from the 13th Squadron directly under the Bishopric¡­ uh, why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, just¡­ nothing¡­¡±


    In response to Knight Conan¡¯s query, Fang Zheng smiled and shook his head, then quietly stepped back two steps. It wasn¡¯t that Fang Zheng intended to do anything to the knight; it was just that the name was too terrifying. Hearing it made his heart instinctively jump¡­ Although he didn¡¯t know what kind of ghost this was, Fang Zheng felt it was best to keep a little distance from this man.


    After all, this name was infamous in his world, with countless kills to its credit, striking fear into many¡­


    ¡°By the way, where are the others? Why are you alone here?¡±


    ¡°s¡­¡±


    Upon Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Knight Conan sighed deeply before he began to speak.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what happened¡­¡±


    The situation was just as Fang Zheng had expected. These knights were part of the forces pursuing him. Williams was already an enemy of the Sanctuary, and after Fang Zheng inexplicably fought and killed several of his knights, the grudge only deepened. The others sought revenge for their fallenrades, looking for clues about Williams everywhere.


    As Fang Zheng had used the Lich King¡¯s power in the wilderness, these knights naturally assumed that the cultist must be connected to the necromancers and other undead creatures, leading them to search and investigate. They received a tip from an old farmer in a town¡ªrecently, undead creatures often appeared in Shadow Canyon, with reports of a powerful and terrifying Lich! This Lich had been terrorizing the area, kidnapping children, and many vige children had mysteriously disappeared! Armed with this clue, the squad reported to the Sanctuary and awaited orders. Though they believed the Lich might be the one who killed theirrades, as Sanctuary knights, they had to follow orders.


    But as the squad waited for the Sanctuary¡¯s response, the old farmer who provided the information came to them weeping, begging them to save his grandson. Unable to turn a cold shoulder to the old man¡¯s pleas and eager for revenge, the Pdins decided to scout Shadow Canyon. Even if they couldn¡¯t confront the Lich, gathering more clues would still be worthwhile.


    They never expected it was all a trap from the start. The old farmer was actually a cultist!


    He led them into Shadow Canyon, winding through the paths until the knights were lost. By the time they realized the situation, the old man had disappeared, and they were surrounded!


    Hundreds of undead creatures encircled the knights. Realizing the danger, they fought desperately to break the siege. But their foes were overwhelming in number, and someone had cast a barrier that sealed the teleportation channels, trapping the unfortunate knights. Their main force was cut off and besieged by the undead creatures. Knight Conan, now in front of Fang Zheng, had been separated during the chaos, barely escaping. If Fang Zheng hadn¡¯t arrived in time, he would¡¯ve died here.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    After listening to Conan¡¯s recount, Fang Zheng grasped what had happened and frowned in thought. Conan nced around, still puzzled.


    ¡°Anyway, we should reunite with Great Knight Shi Dong ASAP¡­ Fang Zheng, didn¡¯t you say you came with him? By the way, space is sealed here, how did you get in?¡±


    ¡°We used the Path of the Stars to teleport here. As for why we got separated¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Sighing helplessly, Fang Zheng exined. Ever since he was reborn in this world, his teleportations had been unreliable¡ªonce dropping him before a BOSS in the Dark World, and now separating the three of them. No point in dwelling on it.


    ¡°What are your ns now?¡±@@novelbin@@


    Shaking off these thoughts, Fang Zheng looked at Knight Conan. This was beyond what he could handle alone. He hoped the other two had been teleported together. Great Knight Shi Dong would be fine, but as for the girl called M¡­ well, next year on this day, Fang Zheng might light a candle for her.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Conan hesitated at Fang Zheng¡¯s question, thinking for a moment before speaking.


    ¡°Originally, I nned to escape the undead creatures and reunite with themander. This is Shadow Canyon. With space sealed, it¡¯s unwise to act alone. And I can¡¯t leave here alone¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you know where they are?¡±


    ¡°Of course, before we got separated, we were retreating to the Blood Riverbank. If they broke the undead creatures¡¯ siege, we¡¯d regroup there.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng nodded, sheathing his longsword, and gestured to Conan.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s head to the Blood Riverbank.¡±

 Chapter 30 - 29: What’s the Difference Between Not Top-up and Being a Slacker?

    Chapter 30: Chapter 29: What¡¯s the Difference Between Not Top-up and Being a cker?


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    Atst, Fang Zheng decided to head into the depths of Shadow Canyon with Mart and the others to thwart the Lich¡¯s evil n. In fact, he had no other choice; Fang Zheng alone definitely couldn¡¯t make it out of Shadow Canyon, and since Mart and the others were determined to return, he had no choice but to go along. Thinking carefully, this might be a good idea; following these people might lead him to Shi Dong and Miss M, making it easier to leaveter on.


    The battle at Blood Riverbank had resulted in heavy casualties for the team; including Mart and Conan, only five knights survived. Among them, two were gravely injured, forcing Fang Zheng to once again y the role of a priest and use the Pdin¡¯s Holy Light sh to heal their wounds. This naturally left Mart amazed, but unfortunately, Fang Zheng did not possess the Pdin skill Resurrection Technique, so he couldn¡¯t help those who had died. Even if he had, he likely wouldn¡¯t have saved them anyway. During his time with Knight Conan, Fang Zheng had learned that in this world, as long as one had a breath of life left, they could be saved, but resurrection was a different matter. That was in the domain of deities; any ordinary person trying to bring the dead back to life would likely be associated with Undead Mages who tamper with souls. Fang Zheng, still bearing thebel of a Cultist, didn¡¯t want any more trouble by adding the title of a Necromancer.


    ording to Mart, the group chasing them was the main force that had previously ambushed them. They fought while retreating, losing many in the process, and finally decided to make ast stand at Blood Riverbank when they had no other options. If Fang Zheng hadn¡¯t arrived in time, it truly would have been a ¡°fight to the death.¡± Nevertheless, the situation turned out better than expected; of the group, including Mart and Conan, five Temrs survived, which was some semnce of good news.


    After Fang Zheng treated their wounds, the group immediately withdrew from Blood Riverbank. To their surprise, the journey was strangely peaceful with no further encounters with enemies. This was both good and bad news. The good news was they seemed to no longer be the primary target of the Lich; the bad news was that the Lich, no longer needing them, probably had enough assurance toplete the ritual. This meant they needed to hurry even more to stop his evil ns.


    The night grew deeper.


    Fang Zheng sat on a rock, watching the campfire before him. In the pitch-ck wilderness, the orange-red mes were particrly reassuring, while the night wind swirled across the wastnd, strange sounds echoing from afar. It was unclear whether those were the roars of beasts or the screams of ghosts.


    How interesting¡­


    Seeing everything before him, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes and leanfortably against the rock. He had grown up in the city and had traveled to some ces before, but camping out in the endless wilderness with a campfire was a first. The novelty alone was quite intoxicating. It even made him feel as if he had traveled back in time to the wild eras centuries ago. Perhaps primitive people of ancient times did the same, sitting around a campfire, enjoying the warmth and driving away the darkness. This overwhelming sense of the passage of time hit him, causing Fang Zheng to be momentarily lost in thought.


    ¡°You don¡¯t travel much, do you?¡±


    As Fang Zheng was enjoying the scenery, Mart walked over and sat beside him. Hearing Mart¡¯s question, Fang Zheng nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, not much. I was really busy before. To be honest, I can¡¯t even remember when was thest time I looked up at the starry sky.¡±


    ¡°People often focus too much on the immediate, neglecting the beautiful scenery around them.¡±


    Mart smiled and looked at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°To be honest, sometimes it¡¯s better to take a walk, even in situations like this. After all, no one knows if they¡¯ll live to see tomorrow, so we must immerse ourselves in the present and enjoy it wholeheartedly. Only then will we not regret the beautiful moments we missed when we are about to die.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you make a good point.¡±


    Fang Zheng nodded in agreement at Mart¡¯s reflection. Those living in the city were no different. They were always busy with work and household chores, concerned only with mundane matters such as the price of food, medical insurance reimbursement, and other trivialities. Work, socializing with colleagues, worrying about children¡¯s studies and mortgage payments at home¡ªthey might even have to consider if gas prices had gone up recently. Who among them would truly care about what their city was like?@@novelbin@@


    What is the purpose of one¡¯s life?


    This question has different answers for everyone.


    But the most important thing is¡­


    ¡°A person¡¯s life should be lived in such a way that when they look back, they won¡¯t regret wasting their time nor feel ashamed of doing nothing worthwhile¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s quite interesting. Did youe up with that yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, I read it in a book a long time ago.¡±


    Noticing Mart¡¯s curious gaze, Fang Zheng shrugged.


    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t take it seriously at the time. After all, everyone can preach grand philosophies, but¡­ such talk usually isn¡¯t useful¡­ But now, I kind of understand it.¡±


    ¡°The advantage of youth is fearlessness; living cautiously may be stable, but it¡¯s also rather dull. If you ask me, it might be better not to understand some grand philosophies. If you do understand them, it probably means that in gaining something, you¡¯ve lost something else.¡±


    Mart stood up and patted Fang Zheng¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Aren¡¯t you going to rest? We still have a journey ahead of us tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be careful. The scenery is beautiful, but danger is always present. Life is a journey shrouded in fog, and no one knows what will happen next.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that.¡±


    Fang Zheng resonated with Mart¡¯s sentiment¡ªthere was probably no one else who understood it better than him. Struck by a high-voltage line and then traveling through time and being reborn, what more could he possibly encounter in life?


    Mart went back to rest, leaving Fang Zheng alone. But he didn¡¯t stay behind just to admire the scenery. After ensuring that no one was around, Fang Zheng took out a few Spirit Crystals he had stored earlier. Ever since learning from the system that he could top up, Fang Zheng could hardly wait. Now that he had the chance, he immediately began trying to recharge.


    As soon as Fang Zheng took out the Spirit Crystals, the system¡¯s notification appeared before his eyes again.


    [Valuable convertible materials detected. Proceed with conversion for recharge?]


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Looking at the message, Fang Zheng unhesitatingly confirmed. He soon saw a golden circr array appear in his palm, and the Spirit Crystals within the array silently disintegrated into countless golden particles. These particles floated like iron filings attracted to a ma and were absorbed into the array. Momentster, another system notification appeared before Fang Zheng.


    [190 points of Crystal Energy absorbed. Please select usage]


    190?


    Seeing the number, Fang Zheng was stunned for a moment. ording to his design, Crystal Energy converted at a 1:1 ratio for currency. So, these Spirit Crystals were only worth this much? But wait¡­ if he remembered correctly, Crystal Energy converted to Dimensional Points at a 1:5 ratio. Did this mean he could only get a maximum of 38 Dimensional Points?


    Fang Zheng¡¯s expression became stiff.


    So, with his previous 5 Dimensional Points, he could only draw four times?


    The question now was, should he draw? Draw? Or draw?


    Fang Zheng thought this was a stupid question, one that didn¡¯t even need answering¡ªif he didn¡¯t draw after topping up, how was he different from a salted fish?


    Fang Zheng made a decisive choice.


    Draw!

 Chapter 33 - 32: Finally Found You!

    Chapter 33: Chapter 32: Finally Found You!


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    Appearing in front of Fang Zheng was the cute and delicate astrologer girl. She was beaming with joy, sping her hands together in an expression of delight.


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you¡¯re okay. I was worried something might have gone wrong¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, it¡¯s myck of skill¡­ But I¡¯m really d to find you here!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you came here specifically to wait for me?¡±


    Hearing the girl¡¯s words, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback, while the cute girl nodded in response.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Fang Zheng, didn¡¯t you know? The Destiny Star has the ability to designate directions. I judged that you were safe through your star, and the star¡¯s position indicated you should be heading in this direction. That¡¯s why Master Shi Dong and I came here. But¡­ it does look quite dangerous here.¡±


    ¡°Shi Dong? By the way, where is my teacher?¡±


    Hearing the girl¡¯s response, Fang Zheng was secretly shocked. He had no idea his Destiny Star had such a function. No wonder this world felt like it had excellent security, this thing was scarier than DNA and fingerprint verification. At least those require someparison, but here they can almost pinpoint someone¡¯s location just by their Destiny Star. If someonemitted a crime, they wouldn¡¯t even need a city-wide search; just follow the direction of the Destiny Star and send someone to investigate. Wouldn¡¯t that solve everything?


    ¡°Master Shi Dong went down to investigate. When we arrived, we saw a lot of undead creatures, and they seemed to have captured a few pdins. Master Shi Dong felt something was off, so he decided to go down for a closer look and left me here to wait.¡±


    Perhaps seeing someone she knew made the soft-spoken girl less tense than she was initially.


    ¡°You¡¯re here alone¡­?¡±


    Fang Zheng said this while eyeing the strange ck panther beside the girl. It seemed that the panther had realized Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t an enemy, as it returned to the girl¡¯s side and began to look around warily. However, if Fang Zheng remembered correctly, he hadn¡¯t seen anything like this beside the girl before.


    ¡°Ah, this is my goodpanion¡ªStar Spirit. I specifically summoned it to protect me. I apologize; it only sensed someone approaching earlier and didn¡¯t mean to attack you, Mr. Fang Zheng. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Noticing Fang Zheng¡¯s curious gaze, the girl hurriedly exined. It had to be said, her voice was incredibly suitable for apologizing. She would lift her head, look at you uneasily, and then softly say sorry in such an earnestly cute voice that it made you feel as though you¡¯d be struck down if you gave her a hard time. Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but think that if she opened an apologypany on Earth, handling apologies on behalf of others, she would surely make a fortune.


    But ncing at the ck panther beside the girl, Fang Zheng was once again amazed at thebat abilities of this world. After training with Shi Dong for so long, he had roughly developed the skills of an official knight. During the brief engagement with the panther, Fang Zheng realized that its strength was close to those sanctuary warriors responsible for guarding the Sanctuary. Truth be told, with such a guardian at her side, the girl should be quite safe here.


    What Fang Zheng didn¡¯t expect was that this seemingly harmless and delicate girl also possessed significantbat abilities. He had originally thought that astrologers were a support ss simr to alchemists, but it seemed that in this world, every ss had some degree ofbat power.


    Fortunately, since both the girl and Shi Dong were here, Fang Zheng felt a sense of relief. He had been contemting how to leave, but it seemed he no longer needed to worry about that.


    ¡°Tap, tap, tap¡­¡±


    At this moment, Fang Zheng heard a series of footsteps behind him. He was slightly taken aback, as the footsteps sounded like they belonged to Mart and his group, but something was a bit off. Before Fang Zheng could turn around, he saw the girl¡¯s expression light up as she waved toward someone behind him.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back, Miss Connie. I found mypanion.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s wonderful¡­¡±


    Hearing the voice from behind, Fang Zheng turned to look and saw a young woman d in silver-white armor simr to Mart¡¯s. She appeared to be in her early twenties with short blonde hair, giving her apetent look. She was smiling at first, but as soon as she got a clear view of Fang Zheng, her expression changed dramatically!


    ¡°So, you¡¯re here, Williams! Take this sword!¡±


    Without another word, the female knight drew the longsword from her waist. Fang Zheng saw a sh of lightning before she vanished on the spot. The next moment, the howling wind from her sword appeared behind him, aiming straight at his heart!


    What the hell?


    Fang Zheng was initially stunned by the sudden attack. But after dying hundreds of times in the world of Dark Souls, his body instinctively reacted to the feeling of an attack. He sidestepped to avoid the strike from behind. Then, grasping the hilt of his longsword, he turned and parried the iing strike with a swift draw, deflecting Connie¡¯s longsword with a sharp ng.


    But the woman showed no signs of stopping. With an icy look, she swung her longsword imbued with lightning at Fang Zheng again. Lightning exploded from her de, enveloping Fang Zheng in a web of electricity.


    Damn it, do you really think I¡¯m some kind of pushover?


    Fang Zheng, fueled by anger at the relentless attack, swung his sword fiercely. The ground shook, and a massive crimson longsword sprang from below, lunging straight at the female knight.


    Sword of Justice!


    Forced to retreat by the unexpected assault, the female knight quickly withdrew. But Fang Zheng saw the opportunity and shed through the electric web surrounding him,unching a golden beam from his sword straight at her chest.


    ¡°You want to die!¡±


    Seeing the golden sword light approaching, the female knight roared in anger. She raised her longsword high, and a bolt of lightning struck her from above. Encased in dazzling white lightning, she lunged forward, transforming into a giant lion formed of thunder that charged straight at Fang Zheng. Fang Zheng¡¯s sword Qi was shattered by the surging lightning, dissipating totally.


    But Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t about to give up that easily. Basic attacks weren¡¯t meant to kill; as holy energy surged in him, the golden swords condensed into a roaring dragon. It met the thundering lion¡¯s w head-on!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The blue thunder and golden storm collided fiercely. The next moment, the giant thunder lion was pierced by the dragon formed of light swords, but it didn¡¯t relent, its ws tearing deeply into the dragon.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°What are you doing? Stop at once!¡±


    ¡°Cease now, Mr. Fang Zheng!¡±


    Two voices rang out as Mart and Shi Dong rushed up from either side. They exchanged nces, then swung their weapons together. A whirlwind mixed with mes descended like a massive de, cleaving the entangled lion and dragon. With a deep explosion, the golden storm and thunderous lion dissipated, revealing Fang Zheng and Connie.


    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡±


    The female knight was half-kneeling on the ground, clutching her longsword and gasping for breath. Her armor was shed and battered, oozing blood from various cuts, making her appear quite pitiful.


    Compared to Connie, Fang Zheng was slightly better off. He hadn¡¯t sustained serious injuries, but Connie¡¯s lightning power had worn him out. His once clean clothes now bore scorch marks, and his right hand, gripping the longsword, emitted wisps of ck smoke¡­


    ¡°What the hell is going on? Why are you fighting?¡±


    Shi Dong frowned as he hurried over to Fang Zheng, asking. Fang Zheng just shrugged, not bothering to exin. How was he to know a pdin would suddenly show up and try to kill him? He never expected things to escte, but the other party had been relentless. What else could he do? Offer his neck to be chopped?


    ¡°Connie, what are you doing!¡±


    Mart also frowned and approached the female knight, looking at her sternly.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Commander¡­¡±


    Hearing Mart¡¯s voice, the female knight lifted her head to look at him, then turned to re at Fang Zheng with fury.


    ¡°Commander! He is the cultist we¡¯re searching for! He is Williams!¡±

 Chapter 35 - 34: The Battle of the Quarry (Part 1)

    Chapter 35: Chapter 34: The Battle of the Quarry (Part 1)


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t pay any attention to Connie. He knew she was more severely injured than he was, and Mart and his Temrs weren¡¯t skilled at healing. In fact, the cleric responsible for healing had died in the previous ambush, which was why Mart¡¯s group had been fighting so hard ever since. If Fang Zheng hadn¡¯t healed themter, they likely wouldn¡¯t have regained their fighting strength by now.


    Although Connie was a trouble, Fang Zheng and Shi Dong had still sessfullypleted half the mission and had found the Temrs lingering here. ording to the n, they only needed to bring the Temrs back to resolve the trouble. However, it seemed neither Mart nor Shi Dong intended to leave.


    Mart knew the Lich¡¯s sinister n, while Shi Dong wasn¡¯t entirely sure what had happened here. However, he sensed something was off¡ªShi Dong, along with Connie and Miss M, discovered the presence of Undead Creatures here. They even saw the Undead Creatures dragging the Temrs into the quarry. To find out what these Undead Creatures were up to and to rescue hisrades, Shi Dong ventured in alone. He had sent Connie back to leave a message for Miss M to prevent her from worrying, but unexpectedly ran into Fang Zheng. And then¡­ well, what could he say?


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time to waste. The Lich must have sensed something is happening up above.¡±


    Shi Dong spoke while ring at Connie and Fang Zheng. Under his gaze, Connie lowered her head in silence while Fang Zheng shrugged, indicating it wasn¡¯t his problem. Seeing their reactions, Shi Dong rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned back to Mart.


    ¡°What do you think, Mart?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    At Shi Dong¡¯s question, Mart thought for a moment before raising his head to look at Shi Dong again.


    ¡°Are you sure myrades are still alive?¡±


    ¡°At least they were alive when they were taken inside. Now¡­ I can¡¯t guarantee.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Mart was silent for even longer this time. Eventually, he looked at the others and seemed to make up his mind.


    ¡°Shi Dong, I need your help with something.¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°I want you to help distract the Lich, then¡­we will find an opportunity to rush in and see if we can rescue ourrades. If possible, we might even destroy their dark ritual¡­¡±


    Mart turned to nce at Connie.


    ¡°Please take care of this girl too. She¡¯s severely injured, and taking her with us would be a burden. It¡¯s better to leave her here. If we don¡¯t make it back, take her back to the Sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Shi Dong was stunned, and even Fang Zheng widened his eyes at Mart. He wasn¡¯t stupid; he understood what Mart meant. If an ordinary person heard Mart¡¯s request, they might think it was unreasonable, but on closer inspection, it was actually a burden only Shi Dong and Fang Zheng could bear easily!


    Mart only asked them to act as bait to attract the Lich¡¯s attention. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t difficult and not too dangerous. Mart¡¯s group, on the other hand, had to venture deep into the trap. Shi Dong and Fang Zheng just had to distract the boss, but Mart¡¯s group had to infiltrate the core area. While Mart imed they were rescuingrades, Shi Dong and Fang Zheng weren¡¯t so naive. The core zone was surely perilous, and Mart¡¯s team was likely marching towards a deathly mission.


    Fang Zheng frowned but stayed silent next to Shi Dong. To be honest, he respected Mart and his team¡¯s dedication to their title of Temr. He didn¡¯t want to see them go to their deaths, but Mart¡¯s mind was apparently made up, and Shi Dong had no intention of stopping him, so Fang Zheng kept his thoughts to himself.


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    Finally, Shi Dong sighed deeply.


    ¡°Mart,e back alive. I¡¯m still waiting for you to buy me a drink.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t die that easily.¡±


    With that, Mart smiled and waved at Fang Zheng and Miss M before turning and leading hispanions away. Watching Mart¡¯s departing figure, Fang Zheng felt speechless¡­ The g on your back is three meters high, Grand Knight Mart. How am I supposed to save you? And Shi Dong, you¡¯re just as bad, setting gs so readily. Can¡¯t you cut yourrades some ck? Haven¡¯t you heard of leaving some room for reconciliation? With gs set like this, how could they not perish?


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move.¡±


    Unaware of Fang Zheng¡¯s inner grumbling, Shi Dong simply watched Mart¡¯s silhouette disappear before turning to Fang Zheng.


    ¡°You know our mission is to attract the Lich¡¯s attention. Luckily, you and that girl¡¯s fight must have already alerted it. Now we need to draw the Lich out so it gets distracted.¡±


    ¡°Draw it out? How?¡±


    Fang Zheng was surprised by Shi Dong¡¯smand and stared at his mentor in bewilderment. Despite spending so much time with Shi Dong, Fang Zheng understood him quite well. Shi Dong was more of a frontline warrior than a strategist. Hence, Fang Zheng felt a bad premonition upon hearing Shi Dong¡¯smand.


    In response to Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Shi Dong clenched his fists, revealing a bright smile.


    ¡°We¡¯re charging in head-on!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    For the first time, Fang Zheng wondered if he should find a new mentor¡­ Maybe Mart was a good alternative?


    Meanwhile, in the depths of the dark, obscure quarry, a different scene unfolded.


    In a huge underground cavern, eerie blue mes flickered. In the center, a blood-painted magic array glowed faintly. Above it hovered a Lich, draped in a ck robe. It lifted its head, its hollow eye sockets shing with a crimson glow. It then turned to the skeleton soldiers beside it and issued a lowmand.


    ¡°Go and see what¡¯s happening outside.¡±


    At the Lich¡¯smand, the fully armed skeleton soldiers bowed respectfully and marched out. In life, they were brave warriors, but now they were undead ves, their souls unable to rest and forced to serve the dark and deathly force.


    Indeed, darkness and death were the true essence of this world.


    Contemting this, the crimson me in the Lich¡¯s eyes flickered. It then issued anothermand.


    ¡°Bring up the sacrifice.¡±


    Soon, two tall Necromancer Golems dragged a Temr forward. The young Temr, severely injured, red weakly but fiercely at the Lich, his eyes burning with intense anger.


    ¡°You ursed undead creature, your schemes will fail. Everything you¡¯ve done will be met with proper judgment!¡±


    ¡°How tedious.¡±@@novelbin@@


    At the Temr¡¯s words, the Lich snorted. It raised a hand and pointed at the young Temr. A pitch-ck beam shot from its fingertip, striking the Temr¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Ah¡­ah¡­!¡±


    Upon being hit, the young Temr turned pale, letting out a pained scream. His body trembled uncontrobly, and soon, blood poured from his eyes, nose, and mouth like a waterfall. He seemed to suffer immense pain, attempting to scream but repeatedly choking on his gushing blood.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ugh!!!¡±


    The young Temr¡¯s eyes widened in desperation. He wed at his throat like a drowning man struggling for breath, but nothing helped. The blood suffocating him came from within.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!¡±


    Finally, his body convulsed violently, his hands iling as if gone mad. He opened his mouth but made no sound as blood mixed with bubbles spurted out, streaming down his body. Eventually, he fell silent, bing a lifeless corpse.


    He had drowned in his own blood!


    Though the young Temr died, blood continued to flow from his body. Gradually, his body withered like a deting balloon, turning into a mere skeleton. The blood, influenced by some mysterious force, formed arge crimson array. Onceplete, a spectral figure emerged, struggling vainly to escape. But it was abruptly pulled back like a leashed dog, disappearing into the array.


    Soon, a stone coffin at the array¡¯s center shook violently, then went still.


    ¡°Still not enough¡­¡±


    Watching the array, the Lich snorted coldly and issued anothermand.


    ¡°Next one.¡±

 Chapter 37 - 36: The Battle of the Quarry (Part 2)

    Chapter 37: Chapter 36: The Battle of the Quarry (Part 2)


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    Not only was Shi Dong¡¯s face pale at the moment, but Fang Zheng¡¯s face wasn¡¯t much better. Just imagine, you were nning to explore the Castle of Shadow Fangs, and as soon as you entered, you encountered Kel¡¯Thuzad. How would you feel?


    This wasn¡¯t following the script at all! The versions weren¡¯t even the same.


    Looking at the lich floating in the air before him, Fang Zheng quietly took a few steps back. It was no wonder he and Shi Dong hadn¡¯t anticipated this; the other party¡¯s disguise was just too convincing. One of the top powerhouses of the Council of the Fallen, the opponent surely possessed Legendary Domain abilities. Generally speaking, beings like this would have no weak soldiers under theirmand. Basic undead creatures like Necromancer Skeletons are standard operating procedure; having a few Banshee Bone Dragons certainly wouldn¡¯t be out of the question. If Fang Zheng and his group had encountered more advanced troops, they might not have made it this far so easily.


    But what was the result? This master must have been a seasoned strategy yer; he yed the ¡°pig pretending to be a tiger¡± routine wlessly! Throughout their journey, Fang Zheng and Shi Dong encountered only Skeleton Soldiers and Necromancer Golems, basic undead creatures, and so neither Fang Zheng nor Shi Dong took it seriously. They both thought there might just be a crazy Lich inside. A regr Lich, while still dangerous for Grand Knights like Shi Dong and Mart, was at least manageable.


    What they didn¡¯t expect was that inside was actually one of the most terrifyingly powerful entities of the Council of the Fallen¡ªa Master of Lich!


    You¡¯re somewhat of a boss-level entity; can you at least have some dignity? Do you have to mess with us this way? And why dress so discreetly? Usually, game bosses are decked out in gold and silver, but here you are in a tattered ck robe¡­ Fang Zheng admitted he was totally fooled.


    Oh¡­ right, liches don¡¯t have faces.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, you might as well stay¡­¡±


    Frank still maintained an extraordinarily calm demeanor as he extended his hand, making a grasping motion toward Fang Zheng and Shi Dong.


    But at that very moment, suddenly, a burst of me appeared from the side of the Master of Lich, shooting forward like a meteor.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Grand Knight Mart raised his longsword high, mes burning intensely on its de. He roared, gripping the longsword tightly and swinging it down. The zing mes spiraled towards the Master of Lich. However, the Master of Lich didn¡¯t even nce at Grand Knight Mart. Before the menacing mes could reach it, a semi-transparent spectral barrier appeared around the lich, and the once raging mes shrank like candles in the wind, extinguishingpletely.


    And the Master of Lich¡¯s actions did not pause. He reached out with his right hand and lightly grabbed the air. The next second, Fang Zheng and Shi Dong felt the ground shake, then a wall of bones rose from the ground behind them, quickly blocking their retreat.


    What a disaster!


    Seeing this, Fang Zheng¡¯s face turned ashen. He gripped his Sky-Cleaving Sword tightly, his eyes full of hesitation. Honestly, Fang Zheng hadn¡¯t expected these main world entities to all be so cunning. Even if he had been more cautious¡­ it wouldn¡¯t have helped! His understanding of this world was shallow, and without enough intelligence, he had to rely on someone else¡¯s judgment.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re guests, why don¡¯t you join my ritual?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡±


    Hearing the Master of Lich¡¯s words, Shi Dong roared and charged forward with his giant sword. However, the Master of Lich clearly understood that the viin dies from talking too much. He said no more, just extended his hand and made a few gestures in the air. Following this, a terrifying scene unfolded.


    The corpses of over a dozen Temrs lying on the ground suddenly ¡°cracked¡± and burst. Their bones, as if pulled by invisible strings, emerged from their flesh, spun, and reassembled into a horrifying monster with a gigantic upper body and a long scythe in its hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Death Envoy, be careful!¡±


    Seeing the monster before him, Mart¡¯s face turned pale. He hurriedly rushed forward to join Shi Dong in attempting to nk the terrifying creature. But their opponent¡¯s reactions exceeded their expectations. Almost instantly upon its formation, the Death Envoy swung its scythe in a 180-degree arc, striking the weapons of both Mart and Shi Dong. The two Grand Knights shuddered and retreated, but they could see a chilling frost quickly spreading up their arms, forming a thickyer of ice in no time.


    What terrifying power!


    Mart and Shi Dong shook their hands to shatter the ice binding their arms. They exchanged nces, seeing the shock and fear in each other¡¯s eyes. This was merely a Death Envoy casually summoned by the Master of Lich, yet it was able to match them both?


    Even though Mart and Shi Dong were both brave Grand Knights, cold sweat broke out. The Council of the Fallen didn¡¯t have a good reputation, but they rarely appeared in the public eye. Unlike the Doomsday Church or the Twilight Legion, who loved to cause trouble everywhere, the Council of the Fallen believed ¡°all things will die.¡± They had enough patience to wait for their enemies to self-destruct. Thus, the Council was more active in graveyards or battlefields, often engaging in the revival of powerful entities as undead creatures. Naturally, these acts of desecration were not sanctioned or epted by the Sanctuary.


    There were even rumors within the Sanctuary that the Council of the Fallen, despite its low profile, was actually the most terrifying enemy of all living beings. If they encountered formidable foes, they wouldn¡¯t resort to the desperate measures like the Twilight Legion or the Doomsday Church; they would simply wait patiently.


    After all, time was their ally. They didn¡¯t need to take action themselves; they only needed to wait patiently, letting those once-powerful enemies die of old age or be killed by others. Then, they could leisurelye out and dig graves. Wouldn¡¯t that be delightful?


    Due to the Council¡¯s passive and reserved attitude towardsbat, most of the world regarded them as petty like the Doomsday Church, adept only at covert schemes and falling apart the moment they faced realbat, like mice scurrying away.


    But the Master of Lich had immediately shattered this misconception. They truly disliked frontal confrontations, but that didn¡¯t mean the Council of the Fallen was just a gang of clowns hiding in the shadows. Even their hastily summoned Death Envoy could stand against thebined full-strength attacks of two Grand Knights, Mart and Shi Dong. In fact, up to now, Frank had yet to make a move; he seemed more interested in that ritual.


    But that didn¡¯t mean Frank would just sit by and let them cause trouble. With a snap of his right fingers, the torn flesh of the fallen Temrs began to squirm and merge like melting pudding, transforming into two humanoid flesh monsters, which charged towards Fang Zheng and the remaining Temrs.


    Damn it!


    Seeing this, Fang Zheng almost popped his eyes out. He¡¯d only heard from Shi Dong that the Council of the Fallen had profound skills in life and death transformation. But it wasn¡¯t until now that Fang Zheng realised just how terrifying these liches were. Extracting bones to make a Death Envoy was one thing, but reusing the remaining flesh to create two Flesh Puppets was horrifying. These creatures were intermediate undead, their power dependent on their ¡°raw materials¡±. If these puppets were made from peasant flesh, Fang Zheng would have no problem. But since these were the flesh of Temrs, it was a different story.


    The Flesh Puppets were faster than he expected, reaching Fang Zheng within a few breaths. Staring at therge, jelly-like entity before him made Fang Zheng¡¯s scalp tingle. Despite having faced disgusting creatures in the worlds of Diablo and Dark Soul, this one took the cake.@@novelbin@@


    While he didn¡¯t know the principles behind the creation of Flesh Puppets, Fang Zheng could see at a nce that the puppet¡¯s body seemed to be a fusion of the semi-melted limbs of the fallen Temrs, furtherbined. What made it even more nauseating was that these organs seemed to be operational?


    Particrly the five misced eyes blinking at him, making Fang Zheng feel so sick he almost wanted to vomit.


    ¡°Roar¡ª!!¡±


    But the Flesh Puppet had no such feelings. It roared like a beast acting on instinct, charging at Fang Zheng. Its arms shot out from its jelly-like body, gripping two blood-stained longswords.


    Damn it!


    Facing this monster, Fang Zheng cursed under his breath and rolled to the side, narrowly dodging its double sh. He then countered with a swing of his sword, and Judgment¡¯s radiance erupted, creating small holes in the Flesh Puppet¡¯s body.


    Without blood, the flesh appeared disturbingly pale, revealing shriveled blood vessels and organs. To make matters worse, these organs seemed to be functioning, likely due to magical influence!


    Fang Zheng felt like he needed a bathroom trip to vomit his guts out. But unfortunately, there was no bathroom nearby, nor did he have the time. After receiving the attack, the Flesh Puppet shuddered, and two more arms sprouted from the wounded area, again wielding longswords to attack Fang Zheng. But this time, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t retreat. He flipped his longsword, and a dazzling Holy Light drew a pleasing silver arc in the air, severing the puppet¡¯s arms. Fang Zheng then raised his sword, and the Lightsabers formed around him, rushing forward with a whistle.


    In a moment, countless Swords of Light riddled the Flesh Puppet with holes, turning it from jelly into cheese. But that didn¡¯t seem to be much of a problem for the puppet; its body just shuddered and began merging and reshaping again.


    Meanwhile, Necromancer Golems on both sides started closing in with heavy strides.

 Chapter 40 - 39: The Indestructible Creature

    Chapter 40: Chapter 39: The Indestructible Creature


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    The billowing smoke and dust obstructed Fang Zheng¡¯s vision, but he didn¡¯t need to see to be sure that thing was still alive. The fact that he still couldn¡¯t use his skills indicated that the opponent was still exerting oppressive force on them. Although he had indeed sent the opponent flying just now, the recoil force was enough to¡­ make it hurt.


    ¡°Hiss¡­¡±


    Carefully moving his body, Fang Zheng sucked in a breath of cold air. He opened and closed his right hand, which was gripping the sword hilt, then grasped the hilt again, finally dispelling the faint feeling of paralysis in his fingers. In that other world, he hadn¡¯t used his own body, so he could perform any exaggerated action. But in the Dark Soul world, aside from the weapon mastery skill, he had brought nothing out. Although the battle techniques were still in his memory, fully executing them with his current body was not easy. If he still had his original strength, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but who told this bastard to block the Power of Order?


    Although Fang Zheng¡¯s body had grown stronger with training over time, it was clearly impossible to possess the strengthparable to a barbarian.


    He had no choice but to try that move.


    Thinking of this, Fang Zheng tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand, staring intently at the billowing smoke and dust ahead.


    ¡°Hoo!!¡±


    The smoke rolled, and the Child of Chaos roared as it leaped out again, raising itsrge pitch-ck sword and swinging it down fiercely towards Fang Zheng.


    Now!


    Just as the Child of Chaos was raising its giant sword, Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes lit up. He rolled forward to close the distance between himself and the Child of Chaos. Then, raising his left hand, Fang Zheng swung the dagger upward. Just as the giant sword was about toe down, the dagger struck the part of the sword near the hilt.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Seeing this, Mart couldn¡¯t help but shout. The scene was so astonishing. In front of the massive Child of Chaos, Fang Zheng looked like a five or six-year-old child. It made thebat between the two seem like a battle between a strong warrior and a child barely reaching the warrior¡¯s waist. Fang Zheng¡¯s action of striking the sword with his own looked like a mantis trying to stop a cart. Both Mart and the other temrs almost expected the next moment when the young man would scream and be sent flying. Without the augmentation of the Power of Order, they were even weaker than usual. Although the young man could move freely, his strength hadn¡¯t increased.


    The Child of Chaos¡¯s own power exceeded that of ordinary people by dozens of times. The gap between them was like that of a tiger versus a rabbit. Under the opponent¡¯s full-force strike, what were the chances of Fang Zheng retreating unscathed?


    Almost zero.


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the dagger in Fang Zheng¡¯s reverse grip collided with the giant sword. Apanied by a ¡°thud,¡± the next moment, an unbelievable scene unfolded.


    The giant sword in the Child of Chaos¡¯s hand, which was about to swing down, suddenly flew back as if it had struck an invisible, solid wall. Simultaneously, the Child of Chaos let out a wail, copsing in front of Fang Zheng as if it had lost all its strength. And Fang Zheng did not miss this opportunity; he stepped forward, swung his Sky-Cleaving Sword with no hesitation, chopping into the gap in the armor at the Child of Chaos¡¯s neck, then kicked the enormous creature in the chest, sending it tumbling to the ground.


    Fang Zheng raised his longsword again, attempting to deliver a killing blow, but before he had a chance to act, he saw the Child of Chaos gripping its giant sword and swinging at him again. This forced Fang Zheng to roll backward to avoid the attack. Meanwhile, the Child of Chaos slowly stood up again, letting out a muddled roar. Though no one could understand what it was saying, its anger was clear.


    ¡°How do you kill this thing?¡±


    Fang Zheng cautiously watched his opponent, asking without turning his head. He was sure his de had struck deep into the neck, nearly severing it. Yet, the creature¡¯s behavior indicated nothing had happened. There was no blood, not even a drop on the Sky-Cleaving Sword. It was frustrating; clearly, this enemy wasn¡¯t easy to take down.


    And to make matters worse, the system didn¡¯t recognize the Child of Chaos as an undead creature, so the damage he could inflict was reduced.


    ¡°The Child of Chaos can¡¯t be killed!¡±


    Shi Dong¡¯s voice called out loudly as he came to his senses.


    ¡°It¡¯s a creation of Chaos; it has no concept of life and death. No matter how much damage you do, it will never die.¡±


    ¡°What now?¡±


    Hearing Shi Dong, Fang Zheng was even more speechless. He hadn¡¯t expected this world to contain such things¡­ a boss with no health bar¡­ that was lethal!


    ¡°Normally, we could defeat it, then seal it while it¡¯s weakened, but now¡­ we don¡¯t have a cleric¡­¡±


    ¡°No, there¡¯s another way!¡±


    Before Shi Dong could finish, Grand Knight Mart seemed to have thought of something and spoke.


    ¡°We can request the Goddess of Order¡¯s guidance to banish it from this world!¡±


    ¡°You mean the banishment spell?¡±


    Hearing Mart¡¯s words, Shi Dong¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°In the Chaos Force Field? We don¡¯t even have a holy artifact!¡±


    ¡°No, we do!¡±


    As Mart spoke, he looked towards a nearby stone b¡ªthe cover of the stone coffin that had once sealed the Child of Chaos. Upon closer inspection, the b was engraved with intricate patterns and sacred texts.


    ¡°This was used to borrow the Goddess¡¯s power to seal the Child of Chaos. If we can use it to connect with the Goddess¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re nning, you¡¯d better hurry!¡±


    Mart had not finished speaking when Fang Zheng cut him off impatiently. He intently watched the Child of Chaos rushing towards him yet again, then raised one long sword and one short sword in his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to hold him off, but I can¡¯t guarantee for how long!¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than the Child of Chaos¡¯s giant sword once again swung down at Fang Zheng. Choosing to roll backward to avoid the blow, Fang Zheng had decided to stall for time. In the world of the Dark Soul, Fang Zheng had learned many things, and patience was foremost among them¡ªdealing with a mere Child of Chaos was nothing. He used to take an hour to defeat any boss.


    The Child of Chaos attacked once more. Its swordsmanship was uncoordinated, simply wild shes. Fang Zheng didn¡¯t mind. In the world of the Dark Soul, he had fought countless battles, faced many predicaments, and died countless times. His umted experience was more than Shi Dong and Mart¡¯sbined. No matter how chaotic the attacks were, Fang Zheng could react and dodge them in time. The Child of Chaos seemed tock intelligence and didn¡¯t realize what the others were doing, focusing all its attention on Fang Zheng.


    As time passed, the situation grew increasingly tense for Fang Zheng. Despite having the experience to handle the fight, hecked the stamina and physical strength. The constant dodging of the Child of Chaos¡¯s attacks was sapping his energy quickly. He even felt fatigue setting in, his legs aching and barely able to move.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Roar¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡±


    With the Child of Chaos¡¯s roar, another sword strike came down from above. Facing this lightning-fast attack, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth and tried to sidestep. Unexpectedly, just as his left leg was about to support his body, he felt his legs give out, as if his muscles had lost all strength.


    Not good!


    Realizing his physical condition had changed, Fang Zheng was shocked. The Child of Chaos¡¯s attack was already in front of him, and he had no time to dodge.


    No choice but to go all out!


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng dropped the dagger in his left hand and gripped the Sky-Cleaving Sword tightly with both hands. He raised the longsword to meet the iing giant sword.


    ¡°ng!!¡±


    The giant sword smashed heavily onto Fang Zheng¡¯s Sky-Cleaving Sword, making him shudder and dropping to a half-kneeling position. The giant sword continued its strong downward momentum, slicing swiftly toward Fang Zheng¡¯s head. Clenching his teeth, Fang Zheng pushed the Sky-Cleaving Sword sideways. The giant sword¡¯s de nearly grazed his head, causing the Sky-Cleaving Sword to angle downward beforeing to rest on Fang Zheng¡¯s shoulder.


    The intense pain made Fang Zheng almost scream, but he clenched his teeth and held back the nearly unavoidable strike. However, he had reached his limit.


    At this moment, Shi Dong¡¯s voice suddenly rang out behind Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Sess! Fang Zheng, move away!¡±


    Hearing Shi Dong, Fang Zheng felt as if he had heard celestial music. He quickly rolled on the ground, using the Child of Chaos¡¯s remaining momentum to evade to the side. The Child of Chaos didn¡¯t expect his enemy to dodge at thest moment and lost its bnce.


    As soon as Fang Zheng rolled away, a white ray shot out from his original position, directly hitting the Child of Chaos!

 Chapter 42 - 41: A World without Tomorrow

    Chapter 42: Chapter 41: A World without Tomorrow


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    The sense of weightlessness suddenly vanished.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    Fang Zheng flew out of the Light Gate andnded heavily on the ground, emitting a groan.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Feeling a dull ache from below, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth. He seriously began to suspect that he had some kind of grudge against teleportation. Ever since his rebirth in this world, every teleportation had ended with him in ridiculous situations: the first time, he was thrown into a horde of the living dead in the Dark World; the second time, he was teleported right in front of Magda, forcing him into an unnned boss fight. Returning to the Main World, his first attempt at teleportation on the Path of the Stars separated him from hispanions, and now this¡­ It seemed he was inherently ipatible with teleportation!


    ¡°What rotten luck!¡±


    Grumbling, Fang Zheng stood up and quickly scanned his surroundings. He sighed in relief seeing he wasn¡¯t thrown into a nest of creatures this time. Instead, he found himself in a narrow, dark alleyway nked by tall concrete walls. In the distance, he could hear the re of horns. The scene before him was both familiar and strange; familiar because it was reminiscent of his everyday life before, and strange because¡­ he no longer belonged to this world.


    ¡°Hey, brothers, look who it is!¡±@@novelbin@@


    As Fang Zheng was nostalgically absorbing the scene, an unwee voice interrupted him. He turned towards the source of the voice to find three white-skinned, blonde-haired men in scruffy clothes grinning at him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to find a stray cat here. How¡¯s it going, little master?¡±


    The lead man sneered, cracking his knuckles as he swaggered towards Fang Zheng.


    ¡°This is Kafter Brothers¡¯ territory. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing here, but don¡¯t you think you owe us an apology?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Alright, scratch that. His past life¡¯s neighborhood didn¡¯t have such poor security.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Looking at the three punks, Fang Zheng sighed helplessly.


    ¡°Apologies, then¡­!¡±


    Suddenly, Fang Zheng turned into a blur and appeared in front of the lead thug. He didn¡¯t use the Sky-Cleaving Sword, but instead punched the man hard in the chest, sending him flying back about ten meters before he crashed to the ground.


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    Seeing this, the other two followers cried out in rm. One of them pulled out a switchde, but Fang Zheng grabbed his head and smashed it into the ground before he could make another move. The unlucky fellow copsed, bleeding from the nose.


    ¡°Help, help!!¡±


    This all happened in mere moments. From knocking out the leader to taking care of hisckeys, it took less than five seconds. Finally, thest thug snapped out of it and tried to scream for help, but Fang Zheng silenced him by gripping his throat and pinning him to the wall.


    ¡°Shh¡­ keep it down. I just want to ask you a few questions.¡±


    Facing the trembling thug, Fang Zheng remained calm. He was no longer the newly reborn man. He had fought cultists, battled the living dead, danced with the Abyss in his dreams, and just faced the Master of Lich head on. If this was just a normal world, he had nothing to fear.


    However¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a normal world.¡±


    Emerging from the alleyway, Fang Zheng counted the money he took from the thugs and sighed. He walked to a nearby shop and looked at the TV in the window. On the screen, the host excitedly reported thetest news.


    ¡°Five yearster, we have finally scored our first victory! This footagees from Verdun¡­¡±


    As the host narrated, the screen showed people cheering with excitement as armored vehicles sped down the central road. Soldiers on the vehicles stood and waved to the crowd, eliciting waves of cheers and joy.


    The camera cut back to the smiling host, who continued the report.


    ¡°Remarkably, the casualties and damage have been minimal this time, making it a tremendous victory! This isrgely thanks to the new powerbat armor. With these armors, training soldiers into super warriors takes only a short time. They can then enter the battlefield and defeat those aliens!¡±


    Yes, aliens.


    This was a world where humanity was fighting against aliens.


    From what Fang Zheng gathered from the thugs, five years ago a mysterious group of aliens arrived on Earth,unching an all-out attack. These aliens, called ¡°mimics¡± by humans, caused catastrophic damage from the outset. Completely unprepared, humanity stood little chance. They nearly lost all of Europe. But just yesterday, humanity celebrated its first victory over the aliens.


    At first, Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t sure which world he was in until he saw Tom Cruise in a military uniform speaking on TV, alongside aliens that looked like bundles of wires. At that moment, Fang Zheng finally recalled the name of this world.


    Edge of Tomorrow.


    This was a science fiction movie with a simple plot: aliens invade Earth, pushing humanity to the brink of defeat. Tom Cruise yed an officer assigned to the front lines for recording andbat. Naturally, he resisted, as he was meant for PR, notbat. However, the general wasn¡¯t swayed, having Cruise arrested and sent to the front as a deserter.


    As a rookie, Cruise was terrified but managed to hold the line, ultimately detonating a bomb to take an alien with him. To his surprise, the alien was special; its blood caused Cruise to wake up at the beginning of the same day. Everything started over!


    From then on, Cruise repeatedly fought, died, and grew stronger. Eventually, he met the female lead who had experienced the same phenomenon. Together, they fought and, in true Hollywood fashion, used the knowledge gained from their loops to find the alien leader. They sessfully eliminated the boss and saved Earth.


    The movie was popr among game developers like Fang Zheng, who joked that it was like a yer repeatedly loading saves to defeat a boss, though the forced death-to-reload mechanic was tough. Otherwise, it was considered a time-travel perk!


    To be honest, Fang Zheng felt a kinship with Cruise now, reminiscing about his time in the ck Soul World¡­ never mind, it was too painful to recall.


    Who would have thought he¡¯d travel to a movie world?


    Fang Zheng had assumed he would end up in a game world, given his previous experiences. The first world he visited was game-like, and the Free Instance, ck Soul World, also appeared game-based. So, he thought the third instance would also be a fantasy game world.


    But unexpectedly, it turned out to be a science fiction movie world.


    So, what should he do next?


    While pondering this and watching the hosts on TV, Fang Zheng mused. The plot of this world was straightforward. Fang Zheng knew exactly where the alien boss was. But what was his mission? If it involved enlisting and fighting those creatures, he didn¡¯t want any part of it. He had just escaped constant battle in the Main World and didn¡¯t want to jump into another fight.


    ¡°Ding.¡±


    As Fang Zheng pondered, a soft chime sounded, and a system prompt appeared in front of him.


    [Main Quest Issued]

 Chapter 44 - 43: Isnt living good?

    Chapter 44: Chapter 43: Isn¡¯t living good?


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    Upon hearing the gunshots, Fang Zheng¡¯s eyelids twitched. He nced at the smoking hole in the ground nearby and turned helplessly. Behind him stood six or seven young men pointing their pistols at him. Leading them was the ruffian leader he had beaten to a pulp earlier, his face still swollen and bruised.


    ¡°Hey, you bastard!¡±


    The ruffian leader raised his gun, ring viciously at Fang Zheng. His aplices beside him exuded arrogance, emboldened by their firearms. Just moments ago, they were on the verge of kneeling before Fang Zheng, but now they seemed eager to make Fang Zheng kneel before them instead.


    ¡°Had your fun hitting me earlier, huh? Think you¡¯re tough? Come on, let¡¯s see which is tougher, your fists or my gun!¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng felt no fear as he stared down the barrel of the gun; he almost found itughable. He never expected that simply roughing up a couple of ruffians would lead them to track him down for revenge. What kind of absurdity was this?


    ¡°So, what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Simple.¡±


    Seeing Fang Zheng¡¯s calm expression, the ruffian leader smirked triumphantly. He signaled to his cohorts before turning back to Fang Zheng and raising his gun.


    ¡°Return Laozi¡¯s money! Then kneel down so Laozi can teach you a lesson! Oh, and strip off your clothes, so we can take pictures and post them online! That¡¯s the price for messing with the ¡®Kafter Brothers¡¯! Now grab him, and you!¡±


    He gestured to a heavily made-up woman beside him, her face painted ghostly.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Make sure you take good pictures, this is tonight¡¯s headline!¡±


    The woman giggled at his words and raised her phone at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng shook his head in resignation. He looked at the ruffian leader and spread his hands.


    ¡°Apologies, I have important matters to attend to and no time to y with you. How about this: I¡¯ll give you the remaining money, and you leave. I don¡¯t wish for conflict, but you wouldn¡¯t actually kill someone, would you?¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    The ruffian leader sneered at Fang Zheng¡¯s response.


    ¡°In times like these, who knows when those damn aliens might invade. Plus, people disappearing in the forest and getting killed by aliens isn¡¯t unheard of¡­ I¡¯m sure the police wouldn¡¯t mind adding another name. Now, kid, raise your hands! I won¡¯t repeat myself. Grab him and show him our might!¡±


    At hismand, two of his aplices rolled up their sleeves and approached Fang Zheng with sinister grins. They reached out to grab him, but what happened next caught everyone off guard. Just as they were about to seize Fang Zheng, a parasitic creature jumped out from his feet, emitting a ¡°chirp chirp chirp¡± sound.


    ¡°What the hell is that?!¡±


    The sight of the parasite shocked the two aplices, causing them to retreat hastily. But the creature was relentless, leaping onto one of the men. Tendrils emerged from its body, prating the man¡¯s flesh!


    ¡°Aaaahhh!!¡±


    The man screamed in agony before he turned, eyes bloodshot, and attacked his fellow cohort with a steel pipe.


    ¡°Hey, stop!¡±


    The ruffian leader, surprised, quickly aimed his gun at his berserk subordinate. But before he could pull the trigger, he watched in horror as the man exploded into a mass of bloody flesh, and the other victim began screaming, clutching his head in pain. The leader¡¯s face turned pale.


    ¡°What did you do to them?!¡±


    He roared and aimed his gun at Fang Zheng, ready to pull the trigger. But before he could act, he felt a powerful, mysterious force gripping him and his aplices, holding them tightly in ce.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ isn¡¯t living good enough?¡±


    Fang Zheng sighed at the sight of their reddening faces and futile struggles. He wasn¡¯t inherently evil nor fond of killing, but these people became more brazen with leniency, especially after witnessing the parasite. They had to be dealt with.


    With this realization, Fang Zheng prepared to end their lives. Before he could proceed, the parasite jumped over to him, emitting a ¡°chirp chirp chirp.¡± Though Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t understand its speech, heprehended its intention.


    ¡°You want to absorb their life energy?¡±


    Surprised, Fang Zheng nced at the struggling ruffians suspended in mid-air by his psionic power. He pondered briefly before nodding.


    ¡°Alright¡­ but be quick.¡±


    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±


    The parasite chirped excitedly and bounded off toward the ruffians. Fang Zheng waved his hand, releasing the psionic hold, causing the ruffians to crash to the ground.


    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡±


    The ruffian leader gasped for air, his body wracked with pain. He had no idea what had happened, only feeling as though an invisible hand had choked him, lifting him off the ground despite his desperate struggles. He feared he would have suffocated if it went on.


    ¡°Chirp!¡±


    Suddenly, a strange sound reached his ears. Instinctively, he turned to see a shadow pounce on him.


    ¡°Aaaahhh!!¡±


    Screams echoed through the forest, then faded. Peace returned momentster.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng shook his head at the dismembered remains. These people were indeed courting death. He hadn¡¯t expected them to sneakily follow him for revenge. Now, they no longer had to worry about payback.


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t dwell on it. The dead were gone, and although he felt slightly sorry, killing them was necessary since they attacked first. Shifting his attention to a human-sized insect egg not far away, which had evolved from the parasite after absorbing the ruffians¡¯ life energy, Fang Zheng observed its swelling form, wondering how long it would take to hatch. Reality differed from games, after all.


    Time ticked by. In Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes, the insect egg began to change rapidly. Initially like an opaque balloon, it grewrger and brightened, revealing a moving insect inside. The creature expanded, the egg darkening within.


    The giant egg trembled, its sides deforming. With a ¡°pop,¡± it burst like an overinted balloon, revealing a towering figure.


    It was an insect matriarch.


    Unlike the familiar ones, this matriarch appeared more ¡°elegant.¡± Her upper body resembled a human female, while her lower half, deviating from the spider type seen in games, was that of a deer, likely due to the parasite¡¯s initial host.


    ¡°Master¡­¡±


    The matriarch bowed respectfully before Fang Zheng, who noted her hair¡¯s resemnce to Kerrigan¡¯s tendrils. Despite her alien features, she possessed a unique charm.


    Hmm¡­ ording to Zerg customs, it was time to name her¡­


    Recalling Kerrigan¡¯s data, Fang Zheng pondered briefly, then smiled at the insect matriarch.


    ¡°Alright, from today, you¡¯ll be called Mirune.¡±

 Chapter 47: 46. This protagonists aura is really strong!

    Chapter 47: 46. This protagonist¡¯s aura is really strong!


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    Fang Zheng could imagine, Tom Cruise must be in a miserable state.


    It wasn¡¯t obvious in the movie, but after actuallying into this world, Fang Zheng could confirm that he had died more than a hundred times.


    This conclusion came after Fang Zheng, while bored, counted the number of times he loaded his save file to the one hundred and first time. But what did it matter? A real man had to die a few hundred times. Back then, when he faced those two Rat Kings in the sewer, didn¡¯t he also die¡­ how many times was it again? Forget it, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t be bothered to remember.


    It should be enough now.


    After yet another load, Fang Zheng let out a breath, then turned his head to look at the forest behind him. Viewed from a distance, the forest appeared normal. But Fang Zheng knew very well that beneath the lush trees and underbrush of this forest surrounded by mountains, Zerg lurked everywhere. Hydralisks were hiding underground, Jumping Bugs prowled in the grass, and Flying Dragons nestled quietly among the branches. Everything was ready. After so many loops and reloads, Fang Zheng¡¯s Zerg army numbered in the tens of thousands, and he was confident that this wave of attack would make those alien life forms understand what true destruction was. Compared to the Zerg, which could easily destroy hundreds ofs, these aliens didn¡¯t impress Fang Zheng, aside from their time maniption skills.


    What Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t figure out was, leaving the time paradox aside, how did energy conservation work here? He had emptied the mines underneath multiple times, even drained the shale oil, yet whenever the resources reset, they came back. So where were these resourcesing from?


    He knew his Zerg hadn¡¯t disappeared due to time retrospection. They genuinely used up all those resources.


    Was it parallel worlds? Or something else entirely?@@novelbin@@


    Fang Zheng thought about it for a long time but couldn¡¯t find an answer, so he stopped thinking about it. This stuff was tooplicated. He wasn¡¯t a scientist in his past life, didn¡¯t study quantum mechanics or rtivity theory. Anyway, he was using it happily now, so he¡¯d just keep using it. As for potential problems? He¡¯d deal with them when they happened.


    So next, he needed to¡­ stop time from resetting again.


    Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t worried about the aliens, but he was very concerned about Tom Cruise, the ticking time bomb. The intervals between loading the save were getting longer, which suggested the plot was already advancing to the mid or evente stages. But Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t willing to give Tom Cruise the chance to save humanity. He needed that boss for his mission, and it would be a disaster if a grenade killed it.


    So he came here.


    London, Hisro Frontline Base.


    Fang Zheng carefully observed the figure of a man in a military uniform ahead. He was runningps with other soldiers, but he looked at ease, as if he had experienced this many times before. If you were seeing him for the first time, you would never associate him with a staff officer; instead, you would think he was a battle-hardened veteran.


    This was the protagonist of ¡°Edge of Tomorrow,¡± the unlucky yet lucky man, Tom Cruise.


    The entire base was heavily guarded. Under normal circumstances, Fang Zheng would never get inside. But in fact, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t need to get in. He used his psionic ability to project his spiritual power throughout the Hisro Base, locking onto any target he wanted.


    Honestly, Fang Zheng found psionic power quite useful, except for one downside: when he embedded Kerrigan¡¯s Soulstone, he couldn¡¯t use Arthas¡¯s skills, and naturally, he couldn¡¯t use the Holy Light. This was probably a w of the Dimensional Mage system. Even though Fang Zheng¡¯s Zerg were unbeatable now, he knew if he didn¡¯t have Kerrigan¡¯s Soulstone embedded, the Zerg wouldn¡¯t recognize him as their master.


    Don¡¯t ask how Fang Zheng knew that. It¡¯s a tale of sorrow.


    But Fang Zheng was also helpless because this was how the Dimensional Codex was initially designed. In fact, skills learned from a Soulstone were essentially its derivative skills. For example, Fang Zheng¡¯s Royal Cross Swordsmanship was under Arthas¡¯s Soulstone branch. Therefore, this skill only took effect when Fang Zheng had it equipped. Without it, Fang Zheng could only make gestures with the sword, but he couldn¡¯t use the Holy Light, rendering the skill ineffective.


    When the Soulstone was used up and shattered, yers could choose to inherit the highest proficiency skill to their panel. At that point, the skill would detach from the Soulstone and be the yer¡¯s skill. Of course, if the yer didn¡¯t level up the skill proficiency much, then it woulde down to luck or even be randomized.


    At first, Fang Zheng thought his design was brilliant and that it would make whales spend a lot. But looking at it now¡­ one should always leave some room for maneuver.


    Using his psionic power, Fang Zheng watched as Tom Cruise did push-ups under the instructor¡¯s orders. He knew that soon Tom Cruise would find a cover and leave that spot when a vehicle passed by, going to meet the female lead to continue their endless ughter journey.


    What Fang Zheng had to do was take care of Tom Cruise during this opportunity.


    Interestingly, most movies never exin how to neutralize the protagonist¡¯s cheat. But in ¡°Edge of Tomorrow,¡± almost every audience member knew how to remove Tom Cruise¡¯s hack. The process was brutally simple: don¡¯t kill him immediately; instead, make him bleed out slowly or give him a blood transfusion. Then Tom Cruise¡¯s cheat would bepletely nullified.


    So, what Fang Zheng needed to do was straightforward: critically injure Tom Cruise, force him to get a blood transfusion, and then it would be his and his team¡¯s turn to shine.


    As for how to do it¡­ ever watched ¡°Death Has Arrived¡±?


    At this moment, a vehicle drove by the group doing push-ups. Seeing the approaching vehicle, Tom Cruise¡¯s eyes shed. He nced around, and in that instant, he rolled under the car. At the same time, Fang Zheng activated his psionic power, causing the vehicle to suddenly swerve, with its rear wheel heading straight for Tom Cruise¡¯s legs.


    This was Fang Zheng¡¯s n.


    In Fang Zheng¡¯s view, if he could sessfully crush Tom Cruise¡¯s legs, Tom would be sent for treatment immediately. After the blood transfusion, Fang Zheng¡¯s mission would beplete. Then the Zerg army would mobilize, and everything else would be a non-issue.


    But what happened next surprised Fang Zheng.


    Not sure whether the driver was too skilled or too poor, the vehicle¡¯s rear wheel suddenly veered before hitting Tom Cruise¡¯s legs, causing the vehicle to flip to the roadside. This incident rmed others, and soon soldiers rushed to help. Tom Cruise, visibly startled, stood up, nced at the overturned vehicle with uncertainty, and quickly walked towards the end of the road when no one was looking.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Okay, maybe I¡¯m not proficient with psionics yet.


    Watching Tom Cruise¡¯s departing figure helplessly, Fang Zheng shrugged and refocused on him. There would be more opportunities on his way to meet the female lead; no need to rush.


    He watched as Tom Cruise entered the training ground and, risking danger, walked towards the female lead. Meanwhile, Fang Zheng made another move.


    ¡°Whoosh!!¡±


    An inactive mechanical target suddenly started spinning, rushing towards Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise, slightly taken aback, was about to get hit, but just then, the mechanical target¡¯s base snapped with a ¡°pop,¡± and the spinning target whizzed past Tom Cruise, hitting the wall heavily.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Alright, I knew these old machines couldn¡¯t be trusted.


    In the training ground, Tom Cruise met up with the female lead. After a brief conversation, they turned and left, driving off under the female lead¡¯s direction towards the repair center.


    ¡°Bang!!¡±


    But just as they approached the repair center entrance, the left front tire blew out. The out-of-control Jeep swerved towards the wall, and the female lead mmed on the brakes. Under her control, the Jeep¡¯s speed gradually decreased, finally stopping just before hitting the wall.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Alright, miscalcting the forces was my mistake.


    As they rushed into the factory and headed inside, a mech fragment being repaired suddenly popped up. It flew towards Tom Cruise¡¯s arm, but just before it could sever his arm, a gust of wind blew, diverting the fragment to the wall beside Tom Cruise, startling him.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Alright, I didn¡¯t ount for aerodynamics¡­ Not!


    Seeing this through his psionic power, Fang Zheng almost flipped the table.


    Once or twice could be coincidental. Three or four times? Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng realized he needed to aplish something else before neutralizing the opponent¡¯s cheat.


    He had to withstand Tom Cruise¡¯s protagonist halo and finish him off.

 Chapter 48 - 47: This is Really a Sudden Rash Operation

    Chapter 48: Chapter 47: This is Really a Sudden Rash Operation


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    Fang Zheng used to think that the so-called ¡°protagonist¡¯s halo¡± was just a somewhat exaggerated metaphor. But now, he had no choice but to admit that this thing really exists!


    What? You ask why Fang Zheng was so sure?


    Come on, he used psionic energy on Tom Cruise thirty times with a sess rate of zero. Could that possibly be chalked up to good luck?!


    The protagonist¡¯s halo was way too obvious!


    Damn it, those worthless aliens could kill Tom Cruise in one hit, so why was it so hard for him to just severely injure the guy and draw some blood? If he didn¡¯t believe there was something fishy going on, Fang Zheng would never buy it. Now he finally understood how frustrated the Grim Reaper in ¡°Death Has Arrived¡± must have felt. After working so hard and going to so much trouble to quietly kill someone, only for them to escape, who wouldn¡¯t get upset?


    No choice but to do it himself.


    After reloading two more times, Fang Zheng had to make this decision. He noticed the plot was progressing to theter stages, and Tom Cruise had already realized that the dam illusion he had seen before was just a trap. The other side wanted to lure him there to bleed him slowly, causing him to lose his powers.


    Fang Zheng always thought this BOSS was really stupid. If you wanted to draw blood, couldn¡¯t you do it anywhere? On the battlefield, where you have the advantage in numbers, you could just send a hundred creatures to surround the protagonist and slowly draw his blood, and no one would dare bother you, right? Or just knock him out and drag him away, wouldn¡¯t that work? But no, you had to lure the guy to an abandoned, deste dam. And in the end, he even figured it out. These alien creatures¡¯ intelligence was really¡­ worrying.


    With the stupid alien creatures being unreliable, and the underhanded tactics being countered by the protagonist¡¯s halo, Fang Zheng had no choice but to go with n B¡ªdo it himself and reap the rewards.


    In this loop, using psionic energy, Fang Zheng had already learned the general progress of the plot: Tom Cruise followed the illusion he saw upon death and headed for the dam, nning to face the BOSS alone. When he discovered it was a trap, he decisivelymitted suicide to reload. In this loop, after discussing with the heroine and her allies, one of the heroine¡¯s helpers mentioned creating a signal emitter that could enhance Tom Cruise¡¯s signal connection with the BOSS, allowing them to find the true location of the alien BOSS.


    In this loop, the two of them were heading to themand center in London, where they nned to find themander who had previously sent Tom Cruise to the front lines and obtain the emitter created by the heroine¡¯s helper. When you think about it, this story is full of holes. The heroine¡¯s helper lost his job and became a repairman because no one believed him, yet the device he created was well-kept by the general. If the general didn¡¯t believe their story, why keep the emitter in a safe? Normally, wouldn¡¯t he have just smashed it to pieces?


    Oh well, there¡¯s no point in looking for logic in a Hollywood movie. As long as there¡¯s plenty of action and excitement, who cares about reason? You already bought the movie ticket, it¡¯s not like you can ask for a refund after watching it.


    With American superheroes, there¡¯s barely a handful with normal intelligence, so let¡¯s not expect too much from these popcorn flicks.


    ¡°Vroom¡­!!¡±


    Fang Zheng snapped out of his thoughts and stared at the road ahead. Through his psionic energy, he could see Tom Cruise and the heroine driving towards themand center. Thankfully, Fang Zheng had anticipated their route when he saved the gamest time, otherwise, it would have been difficult to find them.


    Soon, the car they were driving appeared before Fang Zheng. The heroine looked as calm as ever, while Tom Cruise seemed a bit nervous, frequently looking around. Fang Zheng understood why he would feel that way; his previous attempts to mess with Tom Cruise didn¡¯t cause any real harm but definitely scared him. After all, Tom Cruise had always thought that after reloading, everything would restart in order. Fang Zheng¡¯s ¡°mischievous acts¡± had no pattern and were not in Tom Cruise¡¯s memory. Although the oues were all close calls, it was enough to make Tom Cruise worried and nervous.


    But this time, Tom Cruise could rx because Fang Zheng had given up on messing around and nned to handle it himself.


    ¡°Remember, when we reach themand center, you need to¡­ oh, damn!!¡±


    Tom Cruise and the heroine were quietly discussing their next steps when they rounded a corner and saw a young man standing in the middle of the road in front of their car. He was dressed casually and simply stood there, watching the approaching car. Seeing this unexpected person, Tom Cruise shouted in surprise; he never expected such a situation since there had been no one on the road thest time he came here!


    The heroine reacted quickly. Upon seeing someone in front of them, she promptly turned the steering wheel, making the car swerve. But just then, they saw the young man raise his right hand suddenly.


    The next moment, their car seemed to be violently struck by something, flying off with a ¡°boom¡± and crashing into a nearby wall before halting.


    ¡°Phew¡­ I don¡¯t believe I won¡¯t manage this time.¡±


    Lowering his right hand, Fang Zheng let out a sigh of relief. Ignoring his surroundings, he walked directly to the car and peered inside. Through his psionic energy, Fang Zheng saw that neither of them was dead, just unconscious. Nodding in satisfaction, he noted that his psionic control derived from Kerrigan was quite adept. He should havee down hard directly at first instead of trying to imitate the Grim Reaper¡¯s tricks. A straightforward approach would have spared him all this trouble.


    With that thought, Fang Zheng extended his hand, and under the influence of psionic energy, the car began to disassemble. Soon, he pulled the two people out and then casually tossed the heroine by the roadside, striding off with Tom Cruise.


    News of the incident quickly caused a stir throughout the city, as many people saw what Fang Zheng did, especially the scene where he used psionic energy to dismantle the car. Numerous forces took notice of this mysterious and powerful young man. The city went into lock-down, and many soldiers were dispatched, searching everywhere for clues about Fang Zheng.


    The heroine was unlucky too, getting arrested and interrogated. But when she woke up, she was utterly distraught. How could she know who the young man who suddenly appeared in front of her car was, and he even kidnapped Tom Cruise!


    The heroine felt utterly hopeless¡ªthis must be the end for Britain.


    While everyone was busy, Fang Zheng had already returned to the Insect Hive with Tom Cruise. It seemed the protagonist¡¯s halo had limits. Fang Zheng might not be able to sneakily take him down, but in a direct confrontation, he couldpletely overpower him, rendering any protagonist¡¯s halo useless.


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Master.¡±


    As soon as Fang Zheng entered the Insect Hive, Mirune eagerly hopped over¡ªthis Insect Matriarch was starting to look more and more like a dryad.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Hearing Mirune¡¯s greeting, Fang Zheng nodded at her and casually tossed Tom Cruise to the ground.


    ¡°Who is this¡­?¡±


    Mirune nced at Tom Cruise curiously.


    ¡°A human? Master, I sense some sort of Time Gene sequence in him.¡±


    ¡°A lucky guy.¡±


    Fang Zheng gestured to Mirune.


    ¡°Can you extract the gene sequence from his body without harming him?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Master.¡±


    ¡°Then go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Upon receiving Fang Zheng¡¯smand, Mirune bowed and retreated, and a few drones came over to drag the unconscious Tom Cruise away. When it came to biotechnology, nothing could surpass the Zerg. Within half a day, Mirune reported back to Fang Zheng that the gene sequence extraction from Tom Cruise¡¯s body waspleted. Tom Cruise was now an ordinary person again, but there was also an unexpected bonus.


    ¡°Master, the gene sequence extracted from this human is far stronger than what we¡¯ve consumed before, I¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want it, just take it.¡±


    Before Mirune could finish, Fang Zheng already understood her intent. Zerg instinctively craved powerful forces. The alien blood in Tom Cruise¡¯s body was just an inferior product to Fang Zheng. His target was the power core of the alien BOSS, that was the real prize. Compared to that, these small, hors d¡¯oeuvres didn¡¯t interest him at all.


    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡±


    Mirune was visibly thrilled, thanking Fang Zheng earnestly before hopping away. Fang Zheng looked at the unconscious Tom Cruise and shook his head helplessly before pping him a few times to wake him up.


    ¡°Uh¡­ where¡­ who are you?¡±


    Tom Cruise, who experienced countless reboots, immediately sensed something was wrong upon waking up. He jumped up and stared at Fang Zheng warily. Fang Zheng, seeing his surprised expression, just smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the reason I brought you here isn¡¯t malicious. In fact, I wanted to tell you that your ability¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng intended to say, ¡°your ability has disappeared,¡± but before he could finish, Tom Cruise seemed to realize something. He quickly pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head!


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±@@novelbin@@


    Fang Zheng watched Tom Cruise slump to the ground, truly dead, his mouth twitching at a loss for words.


    ¡°Master? What happened?¡±


    Hearing the gunshot, Mirune and a group of Jumping Bugs rushed over, stunned by the scene.


    ¡°This human¡­ how did he die?¡±


    ¡°¡­A bit of an ident, bury him in a mine pit.¡±


    What else could Fang Zheng say? Well, at least Tom Cruise proved with his life that his ability was indeed gone.


    As for whether he died with regrets¡­ Fang Zheng had no idea.


    Come to think of it¡­ this should count as suicide, right?

 Chapter 50 - 49: Shocking the World

    Chapter 50: Chapter 49: Shocking the World


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    As someone who had yed games before, Fang Zheng always believed that in terms of frontal assault, the Zerg¡¯s sense of oppression was the greatest.


    The human steel flood seemed invincible, a beauty of iron and order. When they advanced, it was like a giant steel machine rolling forward, making people shiver. The individualbat power of the Divine Race was second to none in the world, and when they charged, it felt like the fearless assault of a group of warriors, inspiring awe.


    But the Zerg were different. When that overwhelming swarm appeared before your eyes, it was more like a natural disaster you could not stop, resist, or even evade. Just like an avnche, flood, or tsunami, the Zerg¡¯s battle was an ultimate use of quantity. Facing the Zerg¡¯s charge, what you felt was not the courage to fight, nor anger and madness, but the insignificance and instinctual fear of facing numbers beyondprehension and eptance. This was an indispensable part of any creature¡¯s natural evolution process. You could block a copsing dam, resist a raging flood, but facing a tsunami tens of meters high and a sky-covering hurricane, it was hard to change anything.


    And this was the Zerg.


    Tens of thousands of Jumping Bugs poured out of the forest, turning into a turbid tide sweeping forward. From afar, it even looked like the entire battlefield was covered with ayer of blood-red carpet in an instant. Above them, the Flying Dragons pped their wings, turning into a dense cloudyer. This wave of attack made people feel as if they were witnessing the arrival of Purgatory¡ªthe gates of Hell had opened, and the crimson mes of Purgatory were scorching everything from the ground to the sky, rapidly approaching them.


    Captain Wang put down the machine gun in his hand. He stared nkly at the Zerg swarm before him, not even caring about the alien monsters behind him. Extreme fear brought despair. They had never felt this way facing the Mimic Aliens, for while they were numerous, their attacks had no pattern. Often hiding underground, these alien monsters¡¯ offensives seemed not as fierce as they actually were.


    But the Zerg were different. They had not yet reached the battlefield, and their terrifying aura was enough to capture one¡¯s soul.


    This was the Swarm.<div>


    Nobody fired. They even gave up struggling. In the face of such numbers, all they felt was powerlessness and despair. Some soldiers even closed their eyes, waiting for death.


    But¡­ a miracle happened.


    Those terrifying creatures did not kill these soldiers. Instead, the rushing Jumping Bugs even made way for them. Their massive bodies seemedpletely unaffected, moving around the few warriors like a flowing river, continuing forward, forward, and even further forward.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Captain Wang opened his eyes. He had been ready to die, but after waiting for a long time without death, he couldn¡¯t help but open his eyes and found that those terrifying bugs never intended to hurt him¡ªthey even avoided him?


    Not only him, when Captain Wang looked around, he was surprised to find that his other subordinates were also standing there unharmed. Some were dumbfounded, while others still had their eyes tightly closed, waiting for death. It looked somewhatical, but at this moment, no one couldugh.


    A momentter, the swarm had already disappeared from their sight. They entered the battlefield and began to fight. Everything around was so quiet it felt a bit unreal. A few soldiers stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do.


    ¡°My God, what was that?¡±


    After an unknown amount of time, a soldier broke the silence. He turned his head and looked behind him. Others also turned their heads suspiciously towards the battlefield. There, the Zerg were frantically ughtering everything they saw, and the Mimic Aliens could hardly put up a fight.


    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ attacking those alien monsters?¡±


    The scene before them was hard for the soldiers to believe. But the truth was, these terrifying and ugly creatures that looked as if they hade straight from Hell seemed to be¡­ on their side?


    ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s get out of here immediately!¡±


    The group still didn¡¯t understand what had happened, but Captain Wang immediately made a decision. The situation had exceeded their handling capability; they needed to return to themand post and report, then consider the next action. Hearing his order, the other soldiers promptly followed his instruction and left the area.


    This was no longer their battlefield. Although they didn¡¯t know where these creatures came from, since they were attacking the alien life forms, they hoped the creatures wouldn¡¯t lose.


    If Fang Zheng knew what these soldiers were thinking, he would disdainfully tell them.


    ¡°How could the Flying Dragons lose while riding on their face?!¡±


    Fang Zheng was not worried about being jinxed. There was no way he could lose. With such arge poption advantage, he could only rely on a wave of Dragon Dogs. How could he lose?


    And facts proved that Fang Zheng¡¯s guess was correct.


    Although these Mimic Monsters had versatile attack capabilities, their fatal w was theck of air force. Coupled with being vastly outnumbered by the Zerg, during the first wave of the charge, the Mimic Monsters were torn to pieces by the Jumping Bugs and Flying Dragons, routed in disarray. From above, it would be seen that the previously menacing Mimic Monsters were like seashells on the beach, washed away cleanly by the swarm that was several times their number.


    However, Fang Zheng did not immediately go all-in. He knew that the Mimic Monsters¡¯ most powerful ability was not battlefieldbat but their save-load ability. To avoid being hit by an SL tactic, Fang Zheng ordered his Zerg to capture those peculiar nodal monsters and bring them back to the base for gene harvesting before killing them, just like dealing with Tom Cruise.


    This indeed limited the monsters¡¯ save-load ability. In just one day, the Zerg had captured the entire front line.


    At this point, the human world was inplete chaos. The sudden emergence of the Zerg shocked everyone. Humans had thought that after fighting aliens, they were immune to surprises. But seeing these terrifying Zerg, they realized they were still too naive.


    Military leaders from various countries immediately gathered to hold meetings and study the matter.


    The group, just back at themand post, didn¡¯t even have time to change clothes before being taken to the United Army¡¯smand center to report the situation.


    ¡°Captain Wang Dong of the Fifth Armored Battalion reporting!¡±


    In his bloodstained uniform, Wang Dong walked into themand center solemnly, saluted the people in front, and spoke.


    ¡°At ease.¡±


    Seeing Wang Dong walk in, the elderly man at the head seat raised his hand in a gesture.


    ¡°Wang Dong, I believe you know why we called you here.¡±


    ¡°Is it about those suddenly appearing creatures?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Upon hearing Wang Dong¡¯s answer, the elderly man¡¯s face became serious. The expressions of the high-ranking officers of varying skin colors around him also changed.


    ¡°I heard your squad had direct contact with those creatures? Can you share your thoughts?¡±


    ¡°My thoughts?¡±


    Hearing the question, Wang Dong¡¯s expression changed. He recalled the nearly unstoppable, overwhelming swarm rushing towards him. For a moment, Wang Dong felt his legs almost give way, but he quickly relied on his strong will to pull himself together. He looked at the senior officers in front of him and slowly spoke.


    ¡°They¡­ are nearly unstoppable.¡±


    Hearing Wang Dong¡¯s response, everyone present frowned, even the leading elder. They were all military men and looked down on cowardice. What Wang Dong exhibited seemed like fear to them.


    ¡°You may think I¡¯m making excuses, but gentlemen, I¡¯m merely stating the fact from the perspective of a frontline soldier andmander. This was my first impression when facing them. Of course, if you don¡¯t believe me, I have battlefield footage. I believe once you see it, you¡¯ll understand what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see it.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the elder signaled, and Wang Dong took out a memory card from his pocket and handed it over. Shortly, a staff member inserted the memory card into a yback device, and the battle scenes began to appear on the screen behind.


    The screen initially showed Wang Dong¡¯s squad fighting the Mimic Monsters. Though intense, the military attendees, many of whom had fought these monsters, were not particrly impressed. When only Wang Dong and a few others remained, on the verge of being surrounded, the elder nodded with appreciation at Wang Dong¡¯s courage.


    But the subsequent scenes changed everyone¡¯s expressions.


    When the Mimic Aliens suddenly halted their attack, everyone grew tense. Reading about it in the reports was one thing, but seeing it was another.


    Then, the camera turned, revealing the¡­ swarm.


    ¡°WTF?!¡±


    ¡°My God¡­¡±


    ¡°Lord, what is that?!¡±


    Seeing the swarm rushing from afar, everyone¡¯s face changed. Many screamed, cursed, and some even stood up, pale-faced. Those who stayed seated were barelyposed, forcing themselves to remain calm, knowing it was just a video.


    But when the swarm reached Wang Dong, those overwhelming bugs charging at him, these people finally couldn¡¯t sit still. Most instinctively stood up in defense. Some showed desperate expressions, and a few with weaker resolve screamed and fell over with their chairs, hitting the ground hard. When these few looked around, realizing they were in a meeting room and not on a battlefield, they showed expressions of relief!


    And that was just the military top brass¡ªnearby civilians fared even worse. Several young female clerks fainted from fright, and even the guards standing watch gripped their guns tightly, nearly opening fire.@@novelbin@@


    Seeing this, Wang Dong clenched his fists. Embarrassingly, he had closed his eyes waiting for death when the swarm rushed at him, unaware of the exact situation. But his camera recorded everything, showing Zerg flying past him, not even ncing at him. Even so, watching those sharp ws and fangs on screen made him shiver. If those creatures had attacked, he would be long dead.


    Looking back, it was a miracle he was alive!


    The video finally finished, but no one moved. Even the elder clenched his fists. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he looked at the others and coughed, then spoke gravely.


    ¡°It seems we must make a n.¡±

 Chapter 52 - 51 Third Kind of Contact (Part 1)

    Chapter 52: Chapter 51 Third Kind of Contact (Part 1)


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    ¡°Is this where those alien creatures are?¡±


    Looking at the city before him, Wang Dong frowned, and the expressions of the people around him were not much better.


    But this was quite normal. After all, the Zerg¡ªeverything from their soldiers to their buildings exuded a sort of¡­ well, saying they had a viin¡¯s aura was a bit much. However, calling them like a Demon Lord wouldn¡¯t be far off. Moreover, the Zerg particrly likedying carpets for themselves, pretty much wherever they went. This led to humans¡¯ first impression of them being¡­ anything but an Angel or a Savior.


    ¡°Should we go over there?¡±


    Gazing at the thick, constantly wriggling fungal carpet at his feet, Wang Dong frowned and turned to look at the middle-aged woman with sses behind him. This time, Wang Dong came here as a member of the United Command¡¯s investigation team to protect the representatives sent by headquarters and make contact with these strange creatures. The main purpose was to figure out whether these creatures were friends or foes, why they came to Earth, and why they were fighting the Mimic Aliens¡­


    ¡°These strange big bugs, I think they¡¯re here to take over the Earth!¡±


    Looking at the continuously wriggling fungal carpet in front of him, a blonde man snorted and spoke dissatisfied. Hearing hisint, the woman with sses red at him with a serious expression.


    ¡°Shut up, fool! We are here tomunicate with them on behalf of all humanity, not to dere war! Put your gun away! Our situation is already bad enough. I don¡¯t want any more trouble.¡±<div>


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    Faced with the woman¡¯s words, the blonde man spread his hands and pouted.


    ¡°So what do we do now? Do we keep moving forward?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s best not to do that.¡±


    This time, the woman with sses thought for a moment and then gave an answer.


    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what this is, it looks like they¡¯re marking their territory. These creatures might have a strong territorial instinct. If we suddenly step in, it could provoke their hostility.¡±


    ¡°Alright, damn it, this is our city!¡±


    Seeing the blonde man¡¯s annoyed expression, Wang Dong and the woman with sses exchanged a look and both showed a helpless expression. Just like the online debates, even within the United Command, there were widespread disputes about how to deal with these suddenly appearing alien creatures. Especially after viewing the footage Wang Dong provided, many people were frightened and uneasy about this mysterious race that had suddenly appeared.


    Wang Dong knew well that even those in the Command who supportedmunicating with the aliens were more driven by fear of their formidablebat power rather than any hope of peaceful coexistence. But who could me them? The Zerg looked anything but¡­ appealing to any normal human.


    ¡°So what now?¡±


    Another portly man curiously asked the question. He was a very famous psychologist and a member of the ¡°Negotiation Team,¡± responsible for evaluating the psychology of both sides and hoping to get a rough idea of the alien civilization¡¯s development.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just stay here, doing nothing.¡±


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s not take any rash actions. We are the first human team to enter their territory. If they want tomunicate with us, then¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, excuse me, madam, I need to correct you.¡±


    However, before the woman with sses could finish speaking, the blonde man suddenly interrupted her. The woman, clearly displeased at being interrupted, frowned and red at him.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°I think¡­ we are not the first human team to enter their territory.¡±


    As he spoke, the blonde man pointed to the sky with a bemused expression. Seeing his gesture, everyone in the team was taken aback. They quickly turned their heads to look in the direction he indicated and soon saw a helicopter whizzing through the sky, entering the city. Wang Dong hastily activated his mecha¡¯s long-range scan to lock onto the helicopter.


    ¡°Is that¡­ BBC?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Those damned media! Are they out of their minds?!¡±


    Hearing Wang Dong¡¯s reply, the woman with sses began to scream.


    ¡°Those bastards care more about their news than the survival of humanity!¡±


    If Fang Zheng were there, he would certainly fort¡± the woman with sses and tell her not to worry because reporters destroying the world is amon trope in sci-fi movies. For example, they would dig up some doomsday news and report it, causing global chaos, making people who could have leisurely awaited their end panic and leading to aplete societal copse. Or, they might release animals meant for experiments in the name of freedom and justice, causing viruses to spread and wipe out humanity. So, in sci-fi movies, reporters, like scientists, are considered high-risk professions capable of destroying the world.


    Clearly, as a sci-fi film, ¡°Edge of Tomorrow¡± carried on the tradition of unafraid and self-destructive journalists. It was evident when the TV station¡¯s helicopter entered the city, not cautiously but deliberately flying low and hovering. Wang Dong could even see a suicidal cameraman filming the Zerg up close!


    ¡°Those bastards!!¡±


    At this moment, Wang Dong wished he could justunch an RPG and blow them up. They hadn¡¯t even figured out the intentions of the aliens, and these fools went in to get themselves killed! What if the aliens perceived them as hostile?! Don¡¯t those damned bastards worry about dragging all of humanity down with them?!


    ¡°¡ª!!¡±


    At that moment, as if responding to their worst fears, a huge Corruptor slowly rose into the sky with a roar, heading toward the helicopter. Following closely behind was a King Worm. Seeing the creatures heading their way, the helicopter began to sway nervously, trying to escape, but the Corruptor was much faster. It wobbled up to the helicopter, reached out with its tentacles, and grabbed the helicopter, while the rotor des tore into the Corruptor, ripping off chunks of flesh.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a machine¡­ just a machine¡­!!¡±


    Seeing this, everyone in the delegation turned pale, and the woman with sses sped her hands tightly, muttering prayers as if trying to exin to someone. But Wang Dong understood her panic. They were not certain why the alien lifeform grabbed the helicopter¡ªmaybe to attack, maybe out of curiosity¡ªbut clearly, the helicopter¡¯s reaction was far from their expectation. And more importantly, it hurt the alien!!


    Empathetically, Wang Dong didn¡¯t believe that anyone would reach out to grab something strange, get hurt by it, and still think it was a harmless little bunny. This could be considered a near deration of war for many races!


    Would humanity face an onught from these terrifying Zerg due to this?


    And the cause would be a damned media helicopter ignoring warnings to take pictures?


    Wang Dong thought that if this were how history recorded the events, he wouldn¡¯t have the face to meet future generations!

 Chapter 55 - 54: Zerg Modification is the Best in the World

    Chapter 55: Chapter 54: Zerg Modification is the Best in the World


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    Regarding the matter of using Zerg technology to modify his body, Fang Zheng had long nned it.


    In fact, when he learned that this world was ¡°Edge of Tomorrow¡±, Fang Zheng already had this idea. Among the three interster races, the Zerg¡¯s biotechnology was unparalleled in the world; no one could surpass their modification of the physical body. Therefore, Fang Zheng had been fully prepared since that time. During the battle with the Master of Lich, Fang Zheng found that his physical attributes were really too poor and could not be of any use. Training slowly was too time-consuming, so handing it over to the Zerg for enhancement might be better.


    However, after Mirune checked, she told Fang Zheng a bit helplessly that his current body was too weak to withstand core power. Even the modification was the same. Because the power bnce was unequal, forcibly imnting the other party¡¯s gene sequence might cause mutations. Of course, the Zerg might not care about their appearance, but Fang Zheng still cared.@@novelbin@@


    However, Mirune also offered another suggestion.


    ¡°You mean¡­ body reorganization?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Mirune nodded, swaying the tentacles behind her before she started to speak.


    ¡°Frankly speaking, the efficiency of your current body is too low. I think the best way is to first dpose your body and then reassemble it. During this process, I will integrate the core gene sequence and the alien insect¡¯s gene sequence with your gene sequence step by step. This can maximize the fusion of the time gene¡¯s power¡­¡±<div>


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Although he had mentally prepared himself, Fang Zheng still felt nervous after hearing Mirune¡¯s exnation. You know, even in the game, Kerrigan did not have this treatment. But before that, there was one thing Fang Zheng had to ask clearly.


    ¡°Can I choose my own appearance?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ of course, you can. Psionic power can help you maintain your form. But Master, I think this is somewhat counterproductive. After all, a form that meets the needs is more suitable for evolution¡­¡±


    ¡°No, for me, there are other uses, so that¡¯s settled.¡±


    Fang Zheng decisively refused Mirune¡¯s temptation. Kerrigan could give up anything for revenge, but he had not reached the level of transforming all his hair into insect whips. Moreover, dposing and reorganizing this body would be better for Fang Zheng. Although this body looked seven or eight points simr to his own, it was still someone else¡¯s body and using it felt really awkward. But with reorganization, it would be entirely his own body!


    Also, the human body has its limits, so¡­ I¡¯m not human anymore!


    Thus, after making the decision, Fang Zheng took off his clothes and entered the incubation pool, starting his ¡°rebirth¡± journey.


    For Fang Zheng, this was an extraordinary experience.


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure what Kerrigan¡¯s transformation was like, but Fang Zheng¡¯s reconstruction was noticeably different. Hey in the incubation pool, letting the strange liquid engulf his body. Strangely enough, even though he was submerged in the liquid, Fang Zheng had no sense of suffocation. Gradually, he felt like he was floating, and then Fang Zheng found his body gradually bing numb, spreading from the fingertips to the arms and then to the shoulders, and finally throughout his entire body. If Fang Zheng could turn his head to look, he would find that his fingers were slowly dissolving and melting into the liquid.


    But fortunately, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t feel anything now. Thus, he didn¡¯t have to watch the eerie scene of his scalp dissolving, his skull being separated, and his brain melting¡­


    Time passed second by second.


    Fang Zheng felt nothing. In front of him was only pitch ckness, and the only thing he could feel was a warm breath, like being in his mother¡¯s womb¡ªwait! Who would remember what it was like in their mother¡¯s womb!


    Okay, to use another metaphor, it was like being cradled in his mother¡¯s warm embrace¡­


    Indeed, Chinese culture is extensive and profound.


    In the darkness, Fang Zheng had nothing to do but think about such boring things. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, nor did he know his current state. After all, after his eyeballs dissolved, Fang Zheng had no organs to observe with¡­


    ¡°Ding.¡±


    As Fang Zheng was waiting bitterly in the dark, his ears suddenly picked up the system prompt tone again. Hearing the prompt tone, Fang Zheng¡¯s heart moved, and he quickly activated the information system. Soon, a line of system messages appeared in front of Fang Zheng.


    [Main quest ¡°Trial¡±pleted]


    [User received one random reward]


    [User received the talent ¡°Perfect Body¡±]


    [Begin body reshaping]


    Immediately, Fang Zheng finally had other sensations.


    It was a very peculiar feeling.


    In the previously murky liquid, Fang Zheng felt something in his body starting to condense. He could even clearly experience the process of creation from nothing¡ªthe smooth surface and the deep grooves¡ªokay, that must be the brain.


    Following closely were the nerves and eyes. Fang Zheng felt fment-like things separating from his cerebral cortex, intertwining like living snakes and then stretching forward as the crystals began to form. Soon, the pitch ckness in front of Fang Zheng began to dissipate.


    The reshaping of his body continued¡ªnerves, muscles, bones, internal organs. If at first, Fang Zheng did not feel much, the intense pain in his bodyter on made it difficult for him to bear. The Zerg¡¯s cosmetic surgery did not seem to be popr for anesthesia, so as his body healed, Fang Zheng felt a burning pain all over. Especially before the skin covered the muscles, the feeling was unbearably intense¡­


    Luckily, this feelingsted only a short while. Fang Zheng soon felt that he regained control over his body, and he opened his eyes and stood up abruptly.


    ¡°Snap!¡±


    At this moment, Fang Zheng realized that his body was covered with a thick membrane. This membrane looked very tough but was surprisingly fragile. When Fang Zheng stood up, he passed through the membrane easily without feeling any resistance. The cold, clear air hit his face, making Fang Zheng close his eyes and take a deep breath. He then opened his eyes again and looked around.


    What greeted his eyes was still the familiarrge water pond of The Louvre, and there seemed to be no change around. Meanwhile, Mirune had been waiting for him by the side. Seeing Fang Zheng, she hurriedly walked over and respectfully said.


    ¡°Hello, Master, it seems your transformation isplete.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I feel¡­ pretty good.¡±


    As he spoke, Fang Zheng looked down at his body and nodded in satisfaction when he saw the four-pack abs. After the reshaping, his body was no longer the weak form of that spoiled rich kid Williams and hadpletely restored his own form. That¡¯s right; even though his soul was his own, being reborn in that kind of body was quite ufortable.


    And now¡­ indeed, using his own body felt much morefortable.


    He put on the clothes Mirune handed to him, then Fang Zheng eagerly picked up a mirror and carefully examined himself. The face reflected in the mirror made Fang Zheng very satisfied. From head to toe, it matched his memory perfectly. Before, Fang Zheng always felt a bit off looking at his face, but now¡­ that sense of discord was finally gone.


    ¡°How about the result of the transformation?¡±


    ¡°Surprisingly sessful, Master.¡±


    Facing Fang Zheng¡¯s inquiry, Mirune didn¡¯t hide her surprise and doubt.


    ¡°Logically speaking, the rbination and adjustment of gene sequences should take a lot of time, and even if fusion seeds, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to restore the original state. But you managed to fully restore your original form¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Hearing Mirune¡¯s words, Fang Zheng nodded. ording to Mirune, it should have been a long process, but it didn¡¯t take much time. Given the previous system prompts, this was clearly a benefit from the system.


    Now, what are my body¡¯s attributes like?


    Curious and excited, Fang Zheng opened his character attribute panel.


    Soon, a line of information appeared before him.

 Chapter 57 - 56: How long has it been?

    Chapter 57: Chapter 56: How long has it been?


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    To the humans in ¡°Edge of Tomorrow,¡± it felt like they had a dream. Just yesterday, they were discussing when those terrifying alien creatures would leave Earth. But when they woke up, they were shocked to find that the once vast Zerg army had quietly vanished without a trace. The fungal carpet covering the ground hadpletely retreated. By the time Wang Dong and the bespectacled woman hurriedly got the news and rushed to the Zerg base they had previously visited, it was already deserted, leaving only an empty city behind.


    ¡°Phew¡­ It¡¯s finally done.¡±


    Watching the Leviathan disappear into space, Fang Zheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Frankly speaking, persuading Mirune to leave Earth had cost him quite some effort. Although the Zerg didn¡¯t care much for humans, they still needed to develop. If Fang Zheng didn¡¯t have the Soulstone of Kerrigan with him, Mirune might have long since taken over Earth and turned it into a Zerg base.


    However, it didn¡¯te without a price.


    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s rest first, then we¡¯ll talk¡­¡±


    Throwing his troubles behind him, Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders and reached out his hand. Soon, the Dimensional Codex reappeared in his palm. Radiant auras floated out of nowhere, enveloping Fang Zheng. Then he disappeared into the auras, vanishing without a trace.


    As before, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t return to the Main World immediately. After leaving ¡°Edge of Tomorrow,¡± he arrived once again in the nk Main World. Shortly after, the system evaluation list appeared, spinning rapidly.


    [Beginning to evaluate the user¡¯s missionpletion]<div>


    [Main Mission ¡°Trial¡± ¡ª Progress Evaluation ¡ª A]


    [Faction Mission ¡°ck and White¡± ¡ª Progress Evaluation ¡ª B]


    [Overall Evaluation: A-]


    [User receives an additional +5 Dimensional Points]


    Evaluation B?


    Seeing the settlement evaluation for the faction mission, Fang Zheng was taken aback. This faction mission was not settled until he left Earth. But¡­ why a B?


    Fang Zheng remembered clearly that whilepleting this faction mission wasn¡¯t crucial, its reward was what he valued most. The mission reward for ¡°ck and White¡± was to designate the faction for the next summoned Soulstone. This was exceedingly important to Fang Zheng. Although he had summoned two powerful Soulstones before, he didn¡¯t dare to use them. Now Fang Zheng hoped to summon a Soulstone he could use in the Main World!


    But what does this B evaluation mean?


    Since the ¡°ck and White¡± mission didn¡¯t provide clear conditions and just said it would evaluate based on Fang Zheng¡¯s actions in ¡°Edge of Tomorrow,¡± Fang Zheng could only guess. He spected that it might be rted to his behavior. If he had done good deeds anonymously, he might have gotten a Soulstone from the Good faction¡­ Of course, this was just a guess.


    Fang Zheng carefully thought back and didn¡¯t feel he did anything wrong in the ¡°Edge of Tomorrow¡± world. He didn¡¯t attack humans and even helped them exterminate those Mimic aliens without any cost to them. He didn¡¯t take anything from the public; he was self-sufficient¡­ so how did he only get a B?


    This evaluation is quite subtle.


    If it were an A or S, it would indicate excellent missionpletion. If it were a C or D, at least it would confirm the mission was botched. But this in-between B, what is that? Did Iplete it or not? Do I get my Miss Angel or not? Can you give a definitive answer?


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t know the reason, and now that he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure it out. He decided not to dwell on it. No matter what, it was a gamble. If he could summon Miss Angel, it would be a sure win.


    Even if he couldn¡¯t summon Miss Angel, summoning something simr would be good, as long as it wasn¡¯t another big shot like Kerrigan or Arthas!


    That¡¯s something I really can¡¯t handle!


    Sighing helplessly, Fang Zheng awaited for himself to be teleported back to the Main World.


    But to his surprise, this time he waited for quite a while without being teleported back. This made Fang Zheng freeze. What happened? What¡¯s going on?@@novelbin@@


    [Ding¡ª]


    Before Fang Zheng could figure it out, a soft chime rang out. Then a line of system prompts appeared before him.


    [Detected that the teleportation site is unreachable. Searching for a new teleport marker. Initiating random teleportation¡­]


    ¡°Oh,e on!¡±


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t know that the underground cave he was in had copsed after his time travel. Therefore, seeing this system prompt startled him. He then felt a surge of terror.


    He had had enough of random teleportation to unknown destinations!


    ¡°Wait, tell me where I¡¯m going first¡­¡±


    ¡°Swish.¡±


    Before Fang Zheng could finish his sentence, that familiar feeling of weightlessness captured him again. He saw darkness before his eyes and then felt himself being ¡°thrown¡± out once more.


    Radiant auras appeared before him. Previously, this would have made Fang Zheng dizzy, but luckily, after reconstituting his body, he could easily withstand this degree of ¡°torment.¡± Momentster, Fang Zheng saw a bright light. Next, it felt like he was sliding down a slide, flying forward.


    If it were the previous Fang Zheng, he would havended on his butt. But this time, he showed extraordinary reflexes. He flipped in mid-air andnded steadily on the ground, like a gymnast, smooth and pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Only then did Fang Zheng have a chance to look around. Soon, he froze in ce.


    Because this wasn¡¯t Shadow Canyon.


    Fang Zheng clearly remembered that Shadow Canyon was a wastnd. But now he found himself in rugged mountains, surrounded by dense tall trees. Not just that, the ground was covered with a thinyer of snow?!


    How long did I take to get here?


    Staring at the snow-d forest, Fang Zheng was dumbfounded. He clearly remembered leaving in early summer. Now it looked like winter¡­ Wait, no way!


    Suddenly, Fang Zheng remembered something and his expression turned ugly. Because of how ¡°Edge of Tomorrow¡± was repeatedly reset by Tom Cruise, he always felt time hadn¡¯t passed that long. But upon thinking, who knows how the Dimensional Codex measures time progression? What if it wasn¡¯t based on that world¡¯s standard but on the duration Fang Zheng stayed?


    Wow, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ve stayed in ¡°Edge of Tomorrow¡± for over half a year!


    Fang Zheng¡¯s face turned pale. He had felt a bit guilty about making Tom Cruisemit suicide repeatedly. Now¡­ If you hadn¡¯t died so many times, wouldn¡¯t there have been fewer issues?


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Inhaling the icy air, Fang Zheng nced around. Initially, he thought he might be on some high mountain, but now it seemed his location wasn¡¯t at a high altitude. This cold was not due to the terrain but the climate.


    In any case, first, he had to figure out where he was.

 Chapter 60 - 59 Black-clad Swordsman

    Chapter 60: Chapter 59 ck-d Swordsman


    Editor:Exodus Tales


    ¡°Boom!!¡±


    The white light fell like a meteor, crashing into the pack of wolves. Faced with this sudden attack, the wolves momentarily scattered. The powerful shockwave swept across the entire battlefield, and the few ck wolves hit directly by the white light were blown away, howling as they crashed heavily back into the pack. Their bodies, which had been impervious to arrows and spears, now seemed as fragile as paper. Before they even hit the ground, their bodies were torn to shreds by the sword Qi radiating from the st, leaving only a bloody mess.


    The sudden scene stunned both the wolf pack and the soldiers on the wall. Both sides turned their heads to look in the direction where the light beamnded. They were surprised to see a young man dressed in ck slowly standing up. He held a longsword shimmering with pure radiance in his right hand, pointing it at the pack of wolves. He looked like an unstoppable sharp de.


    The pack of wolves paused for a second in front of the young man, then the ck wolves roared and turned, charging at the unexpected intruder. The sight of blood aroused their primal nature, and the human who attacked them was now their target to be eliminated.@@novelbin@@


    Nothing more than this.


    Fang Zheng looked up at the pack of wolves before him. For an ordinary person, having over a hundred ck wolves charging at them would be enough to make them wet their pants. But for Fang Zheng, whomanded the Zerg army, a mere one hundred and eighty ck wolves were hardly worth his attention.


    So, in the face of the iing ck wolves, Fang Zheng merely tightened his grip on his Sky-Cleaving Sword and swung it forward.


    A dazzling light condensed into a silver line shed through the sky, several Crusader¡¯s holy crosses appeared before the ck wolves, and then they exploded!<div>


    ¡°Boom Boom Boom!!¡±


    A series of explosions caught the charging ck wolves off guard. Their tough hides, resistant to iron swords and arrows, were unable to withstand the powerful sacred light. Not to mention, Fang Zheng¡¯s power had already been upgraded from E to D.


    Punching a bear to death was no joke!


    Under the Crusader Strike, the vanguard of the ck wolves scattered like they had collided with an invisible wall. But Fang Zheng didn¡¯t stop there; he fixed his gaze on the ck wolves ahead, raised his longsword, and swung it again!


    As Fang Zheng raised his longsword, the Sky-Cleaving Sword in his hand began to tremble slightly. When Fang Zheng shed it forward, the Holy Light attached to the de split into several rays, fanning out like a meat grinder, tearing through the hides of the ck wolves that couldn¡¯t dodge in time, reducing them to bloody chunks of flesh.


    ¡°Awooo!!¡±


    Seeing his pack of ck wolves suffer heavy casualties, the head wolf on the hillside howled again. Hearing the head wolf¡¯s howl, the advancing wolf pack skidded to a halt. Then two groups of ck wolves split off from the left and right sides, nking the area. The ck wolves moved rapidly; before Fang Zheng could retrieve his longsword, they had already surrounded him from behind!


    ¡°Watch out!!¡±


    Seeing this, rk and the others felt their hearts leap into their throats. They hadn¡¯t expected the ck wolves to be so cunning. Now the young man waspletely surrounded, and even if he had three heads and six arms, it would be hard to fend off attacks from all sides. Not to mention the leading ck wolves had opened their mouths, with pitch-ck energy gathering, the demonic mes formed by chaos magic ready to be unleashed¡­


    But for Fang Zheng, this was of no concern.


    Of course, he could sense the thick chaos magic in the air. Demon Beasts could manipte such power, which is what made them Demon Beasts. Fang Zheng had caught them off guard with his initial swift attack, but now, the ck wolves had clearly figured out how to handle their prey.


    Still, Fang Zheng had his own methods.


    The ck wolves were already within five yards of Fang Zheng. Their gaping maws sprayed sparks, and given a bit more time, they¡¯d be spewing mes to incinerate their quarry.


    In the observers¡¯ eyes, they saw the young man standing still, then flipping his longsword and plunging it into the ground.


    The next moment, a miracle urred.


    From the ground around the young man burst forth a dazzling Holy Light, breaking through the soil as if it had been released from underground. The ck wolves that charged into this Holy Light screamed in agony as their pitch-ck bodies erupted into mes. White fire consumed them mercilessly, burning and spreading.


    At this moment, the pack of wolves finally halted. They let out terrified cries and instinctively began to retreat from the area imbued with Sacred Power. Demon Beasts polluted by chaos magic might be able to spit fire, but that didn¡¯t mean they were immune to it, especially not when it contained Sacred Power.


    ¡°Awooo¡­ Awooo!!¡±


    Witnessing this, the head wolf finally showed agitation. It paced anxiously on the hillside, then made a firm decision and howled once more. Hearing its howl, the ck wolves, initially disturbed by the Sacred me, immediately regrouped and once again charged fearlessly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fight them head-on!!¡±


    Watching the scene unfold, rk furrowed his brow and shouted down to the young man below.


    ¡°The ck wolves won¡¯t retreat unless you kill the head wolf, otherwise they¡¯ll fight to the death!¡±


    The head wolf.


    Hearing rk¡¯s shout, Fang Zheng frowned. He quickly lifted his head, scanning the surroundings. Soon, he locked onto the huge shadow on the hill. The head wolf turned to meet Fang Zheng¡¯s gaze, its red eyes gleaming with rage and madness. To Fang Zheng, these ck wolves were nothing more than walking snacks, but saving time¡­ Thinking this, a smile yed at Fang Zheng¡¯s lips.


    Time to test that move.


    Gripping his longsword tightly, Fang Zheng prepared for action.


    rk had no idea what he was seeing. Watching the young man raise his longsword and make a charging motion towards the oing wolves, rk blinked, and in that blink, the young man vanished from his sight.


    rk didn¡¯t know how the young man disappeared. He felt like he had just blinked, and the next thing he knew, the person who had been standing there vanished. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, finally spotting the young man¡¯s figure.


    He was standing behind the giant head wolf, motionless.


    How did the young man get there?


    ¡°Swish¡ª¡±


    The Sky-Cleaving Sword sliced through the air, casting a shower of blood. Fang Zheng turned to nce at the head wolf by his side, then sheathed his sword.


    ¡°ck.¡±


    As the longsword slid into its sheath, the head wolf finally moved. Its head tilted slightly and then fell to the ground with a ¡°thud,¡± blood spurting from its neck, staining the pristine snow. Its body copsed heavily, lifeless.


    What just happened?


    rk¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn¡¯tprehend what he had just witnessed. The head wolf had been killed that easily? Wait, and the wolves?


    Turning quickly, rk looked at the pack of wolves not far from the wall, only to find them standing still, like sculptures. They seemed frozen in time, caught in the harsh wind.


    Then, time resumed.


    Countless radiant Light des bloomed like a lotus,pletely engulfing the pitch-ck beasts.

 Chapter 63 - 62: The Stubborn Rookie

    Chapter 63: Chapter 62: The Stubborn Rookie


    The first snowfall of winter wasn¡¯t too heavy, cloaking the entire forest in a silver-white that looked exceptionally beautiful under the sunlight. Fang Zheng leaned against the carriage door, yawning as he gazed at the scenery outside, apanied by the incessant rocking of the carriage.


    Although rk prepared the best carriage in Sweetwater Town for Fang Zheng, it was still a small ce after all, and this carriage was said to be handed down generation after generation by the town mayor. Not to mention anything else, at least a sense of history surged forth. And the current carriage, swaying left and right, could indeed be seen as¡­ well, it was quite an achievement not to have fallen apart.


    With this in mind, Fang Zheng nced over at the young girl sitting beside him. She appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen, with curly golden hair that matched her fair skin, making her look quite like an adorable doll. At the moment, the girl sped her hands tightly to her chest, devoutly offering her morning prayer. She said it was to bless those who had died in battle, hoping their souls could find eternal peace.


    After a moment, the girl sighed deeply and then opened her eyes, looking apologetically at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Fang Zheng¡­ Did I disturb you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Lady Fina.¡±


    Upon hearing the girl¡¯s inquiry, Fang Zheng shook his head with a smile. He had already introduced himself to her the day before; the girl¡¯s name was Fina Carlsti Nateli, an Apprentice Priest roaming from ce to ce. What was referred to as roaming was actually what Fang Zheng viewed as a sort of ¡°going to the countryside,¡± but Clerics had much better conditions than Apprentice Knights, as Clerics were not abat-focused profession. Thus, an Apprentice Priest like Fina didn¡¯t need to follow the likes of Shi Dong around to take on Cultists or the Undead like Fang Zheng did. Instead, upon reaching a new ce, they would stay in the local Sanctuary and do whatever work they could handle. Such as preparing medicines or treating some patients.


    However, for this young girl, her roaming journey had been a bit too thrilling.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem very happy. Are you troubled by something?¡±<div>


    Perhaps due to boredom, Fang Zheng curiously asked. He had noticed that ever since Fina woke up, she had been rather listless, as if she was preupied with something on her mind.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, why not share and let me listen?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not really anything important¡­¡±


    In response to Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Fina revealed a wry smile and then sighed helplessly.


    ¡°I just feel¡­ that I¡¯m too stupid¡­¡±


    ¡°Stupid?¡±


    Fang Zheng honestly found this answer quite unexpected; he had thought the young Cleric was still mourning for the deceased but couldn¡¯t understand why she¡¯d switch the topic to this.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    At that point, Fina shrank into herself and bowed her head deeply.


    ¡°Was what I did yesterday stupid? If I could have been like you, Mr. Fang Zheng, then those Soldiers wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much pain. And¡­ in the previous battle, if I had thought things through more, I might have been able to save even more people¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    At this point, Fang Zheng was slightly taken aback. Although Fina hadn¡¯t been explicit, he could guess why she was feeling down. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the young Cleric had fallen prey to amon condition among rookie priests¡ªobsessiveness!


    Probably she was the type that wouldn¡¯t switch targets until their health bars werepletely full.


    ¡°You¡­ always do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Fina pressed her head even lower in response to Fang Zheng¡¯s question, looking as though she¡¯d bury herself in the ground if there were a hole avable.


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see them suffering. Every time I look into the eyes of those wounded, I can¡¯t help but feel I need to heal thempletely¡­¡±


    You must be a Libra, right? That¡¯s a clear case of obsessivepulsive disorder there.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so downcast. Well¡­ It¡¯s amon mistake many rookies make, very normal.¡±


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t really know what else to say, so he could only try to console her reluctantly. He didn¡¯t notice that when he said ¡°rookies,¡± Fina¡¯s expression changed, and then she lifted her head and looked at him in surprise.


    ¡°Is that true, Mr. Fang Zheng?¡±


    ¡°Almost there¡­ at least I¡¯ve seen plenty.¡±


    Yeah, he had indeed seen many a healer with full health OCD in games, but this was his first time encountering one in reality.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s response, Fina¡¯s expression turnedplex, seemingly a mix of disappointed and yet somewhat relieved, but tinged with a bit of mncholy. However, she quickly shivered violently and let out a small sneeze.


    ¡°Achoo!¡±


    ¡°Is it very cold?¡±


    Observing the girl ceaselessly rubbing her pale hands together, Fang Zheng was taken aback. It must be said that although the carriage spared them the hardship of a long journey on foot, the carriage itself was terribly dpidated, with draftsing through gaps everywhere. Fang Zheng didn¡¯t mind since his body, enhanced by Zerg modifications, probably wouldn¡¯t freeze even if thrown into space. But it was clear that the girl was struggling to cope, so without a second word, he took off his own coat and draped it over her.


    ¡°This, how could I¡­ Mr. Fang Zheng¡­¡±


    Noticing Fang Zheng¡¯s action, Fina hurriedly waved her hands, looking flustered in an attempt to refuse, but Fang Zheng clearly didn¡¯t care about such formalities.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m not cold anyway, regardless of whether I wear it or not. On the other hand, Lady Fina, you fainted from exhaustion just yesterday, so it¡¯s best not to overdo it now. It would be troublesome if you got sick.¡±


    ¡°Ooo¡­¡±


    Facing Fang Zheng¡¯s reply, Fina obviously felt a little defiant and puffed her cheeks, but she couldn¡¯t argue. After all, the bitter cold inside the carriage was a fact, and she indeed had fainted the day before, feeling much weaker than usual now. Taking a look at Fang Zheng and ensuring that he didn¡¯t harbor any ulterior motives like those she had encountered before, Fina bit her lip and finally reached out to take the coat he offered.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯m sorry for the imposition, please allow me to borrow it for a while.¡±


    As she took Fang Zheng¡¯s coat and draped it over herself, Fina¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    For after putting on the coat, she soon found that her body, which had felt icy, was gradually warming up?


    This wasn¡¯t Magic Equipment, was it?


    There were many pieces of Magic Equipment on this continent, and the middle ss could afford to buy some. Of course, these were basic items, like Spirit Crystal Lamps and Magic Furnaces for lighting and heating. Magic Apparel, tools, equipment, and weapons, on the other hand, were exclusive to the higher sses.


    The reason was simple¡ªsuch items were too expensive.


    To put it in perspective, in Fang Zheng¡¯s world, an average family could basically afford to have electric lights and gas, but they couldn¡¯t afford more expensive electronics. Even a piece of Magic Apparel with a temperature constant Array etched in, was only affordable by the Nobility¡ªprohibitively expensive for ordinary people.


    If it were a piece of Magic Apparel, Fina wouldn¡¯t have been so surprised. The Sanctuary was full of descendants from various noble families, and she had seen plenty of such things. But the problem was, Fina didn¡¯t sense any magical fluctuations from this simple overcoat, nor did it have the Engraving Talisman typical of Magic Apparel. It seemed to be nothing more than a standard overcoat.


    Watching Fina¡¯s surprised expression, Fang Zheng smiled slightly and leaned back in his seat.


    What he was wearing now was, of course, not the outfit he¡¯d had when he time-traveled to ¡°Edge of Tomorrow¡±, as that outfit was dirty and torn. Moreover, after Fang Zheng¡¯s body was remade, it no longer fit him due to the height difference with the original owner, so he¡¯d simply thrown it away.


    In fact, the clothing Fang Zheng was wearing now was specially tailored for him in the world of ¡°Edge of Tomorrow¡±.


    Even though the civilization in that world was beaten down by Aliens, their technology was still a notch higher than the one Fang Zheng lived in before his Rebirth. So, getting a custom-made outfit from head to toe in a clothing shop there was nothing out of the ordinary. These garments were made of lightweight nanomaterials, offering not only a degree of physical protection but also great flexibility as well as being waterproof, fireproof, and insting. Of course, such a set of clothing was not cheap, and Fang Zheng had spent a fair amount of money on it.


    What? You ask where Fang Zheng got the money?


    Ha ha ha, of course, he didn¡¯t rob or steal. Why would he do such things? He simply opened up the vault of Banque de Paris and took a little ¡°reward¡±.


    You see, in RPG games, isn¡¯t looting chests in NPC houses part of the basic operations for a Hero?


    ¡°Creak¡ª¡±


    Just as Fang Zheng was looking at Fina before him, thinking of saying something more, the carriage came to a slow halt, and then a voice came from outside.


    ¡°Master, Miss Cleric, something seems off ahead.¡±

 Chapter 64 - 63: The Attacked Stronghold

    Chapter 64: Chapter 63: The Attacked Stronghold


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Upon hearing the noise outside, Fang Zheng immediately spoke up. Of course, the carriage wasn¡¯t equipped with the high-tech ability of autopilot¡ªthe coachman was a youngd sent by rk named Garrison, quite a clever fellow. Because of his young age, he had not previously been on the frontline in battle but had instead been responsible for logistical work at the rear, thus he was uninjured. His clever nature and familiarity with the terrain made rk choose him to take charge of driving the carriage.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this, the outpost seems a bit¡­ off¡­¡±


    ¡°The outpost?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fang Zheng raised his eyebrows, then he stepped out of the carriage and walked over to the coachman¡¯s side. Seeing him approaching, the keen young man immediately nodded respectfully towards him, then pointed ahead.


    ¡°Master, you see¡­¡±


    Following the direction of Garrison¡¯s finger, Fang Zheng quickly saw the outpost not far down the hillside; ording to rk, this outpost was the safest ce in the area, always manned with fifty soldiers and a Temr. It served as a link between the Order Fortress and the Northern Alliance¡¯s rear, which made it usually very bustling and heavily guarded.


    But now, it appeared in disrepair, with the once-solid outer walls missing several pieces, and ck smoke was visible as it burned. This was not just a little off; no matter how one looked at it, something was very wrong.


    ¡°How is that possible? Has the outpost also been breached?¡±<div>


    Fang Zheng¡¯s body, enhanced by Zerg genes, had vision ten times greater than that of an ordinary person, almost akin to carrying binocrs. Thus, he only nced once and immediately understood the situation at the outpost. The young man, clearlycking this ability, saw the outpost merely as a small ck dot; if not for relying on experience to confirm that the ck smoke wasing from the outpost, he wouldn¡¯t have suspected anything wrong there.


    But now, standing here staring at that distant little ck dot, thed felt increasingly uneasy.


    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be, even if there were a pack of ck wolves, the outpost should have enough strength to withstand the attack, how could it¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and check the situation.¡±


    Fang Zheng cut off the young man¡¯s muttering, patted his shoulder, then scanned the surroundings.


    ¡°You drive the carriage to a safe ce, I¡¯ll go investigate what happened there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going alone? Master, will you be alright¡­¡±


    But before the young man could finish speaking, he suddenly heard a ¡°swoosh¡± sound by his ear. When he turned his head back, he was shocked to discover that Fang Zheng, who should have been standing not far beside him, had vanished without a trace like a ghost.


    ¡°¡­This is really frightening.¡±


    Looking at the empty ground, Garrison patted his chest. If it were not for witnessing Fang Zheng¡¯s teleportation-like ability on the city walls, he might have thought he was encountering a mythical forest creature or a ghost¡­


    Unaware of what was going through Garrison¡¯s mind, Fang Zheng had already arrived in front of the great gates near the outpost, his expression grave as he scrutinized the outpost before him.


    If earlier Fang Zheng had only been specting, now he could almost be certain that the outpost had indeed fallen. The gates of the outpost were wide open; blood was sttered everywhere on the walls and the ground, with scattered weapons and charred corpses visible on the ground¡ªclear evidence of an intense battle having taken ce.


    However, the reason Fang Zheng had such a serious expression on his face was not because the stronghold had been breached, but because he detected a faint scent of sulfur among those ashes burned to the ground. The ck wolves could indeed breathe fire, but their mes, infused with magic power, were clean and odorless. In fact, there was only one type of me that carried this unique sulfur scent.


    It was the me from Hell.


    In Fang Zheng¡¯s memory, on this continent, there was only one type of people who used this me.


    Cultists.


    Specifically, the believers of the Doomsday Church. Their ¡°Holy Scripture¡± detailed a prophecy that the world would ultimately be consumed and destroyed by mes. Therefore, the followers of the Doomsday Church particrly favored using the power of mes to demonstrate their power and authority, and the primitive, berserk nature of Hellfire, which could turn everything into ash, perfectly illustrated the cultists¡¯ imagination of the mes of destruction. Hence, they had learned how to borrow this fiery power from Hell forbat. The more outstanding the cultist, the more skillful they were in harnessing this power.


    As for how Fang Zheng knew all this? Quite simple, although he had changed bodies, Williams¡¯s memory was still not forgotten in his brain! As a cultist, that guy was quite qualified. Even Fang Zheng dug up a little secret from his memories¡ªthe heavier the scent of Hellfire on a cultist, the stronger their power.


    Fang Zheng also learned from Williams¡¯s memories that some crazed high-tier believers would evenpletely infuse Hellfire into their bodies, using secret techniques to bind its power. This allowed these high-tier believers to use the extremely powerful Hellfire anytime, anywhere, and they could even self-detonate if they were losing¡­


    The situation at this stronghold seemed a bit odd to Fang Zheng. From the outside, it looked like it had suffered a fierce attack. It was evident that this stronghold had faced a very fierce assault initially. However, the interior was rtively calm byparison; most of the rooms were intact, though there were traces of having been searched. This meant that after the stronghold was breached, it quickly surrendered, and then everyone was taken away¡­ Hm?


    Just then, Fang Zheng¡¯s ears twitched, he then turned his head and looked toward the wall next to him. Soon, Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes began to change; his originally deep brown eyes rapidly turned golden, and his pupils transformed into vertical slits.


    This too was a power Fang Zheng had inherited from the Zerg genes. With this ability, not only could he easily see in the dark, but he could also use a skill simr to ¡°Infrared Detection¡± to scan for the presence of life forms. However, convenient as these abilities were, Fang Zheng could not use them at will. When deploying these skills, his eyes would inevitably transform into the Zerg form. This was naturally hard to exin to others, so unless he was alone or it was absolutely necessary, Fang Zheng was reluctant to reveal the abilities he had from the Zerg.


    Soon, in Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes, the world began to change, a vivid red enveloped everything and then dimmed. Right after, Fang Zheng saw a vivid red silhouette leaning against the door on the other side of the wall, taking a fighting stance¡ªit was apparent that the person had sensed something and was nning tounch a surprise attack on him.


    Was it a survivor? Or an invader?


    Fang Zheng gripped his longsword, blinked his eyes, and shifted his gaze back. Then, Fang Zheng reached out his hand, grasped the longsword, and forcefully chopped down at that wall!


    The dazzling sword light, like a battering ram, heavily smashed into the hard wall, causing the stone-constructed wall to cave in and burst. At the same time, the world before Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes began to change again.


    The flying stone fragments suddenly slowed down, turning leisurely in the air, drifting like snails across the sky. This resembled the bullet-time scenes during a raid in FPS games Fang Zheng had yed in his previous life, and in fact, this was also the inspiration for his use of his Time Ability, one of the methods he had devised.


    After all, in the games he yed in his previous life, there were numerous ways to utilize time!


    Fang Zheng leaped into the hole and quickly saw a figure scrambling back, clearly not expecting his adversary to break right through the wall instead of using the door. The person raised their longsword, trying to counterattack. Unfortunately for them, their movements were excruciatingly slow in Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes, resembling a turtle¡¯s crawl. Before they could even lift their longsword, Fang Zheng¡¯s Sky-Cleaving Sword was already pressed against their neck.


    At that moment, time resumed.


    ¡°tter¡­¡±@@novelbin@@


    Scattered stones flew in every direction, dust spreading all around; the person struggled briefly, but before they could make a next move, Fang Zheng had clearly seen the face of the person in front of him, then he couldn¡¯t help but pause.


    ¡°Knight Conan? Why is it you? What are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 65 - 64: Reuniting with an Old Acquaintance

    Chapter 65: Chapter 64: Reuniting with an Old Acquaintance


    It was no wonder Fang Zheng was so surprised, for just as he was about to subdue his opponent, he saw the man¡¯s face clearly¡ªit was the very dangerous Knight he had once fought alongside. Fang Zheng just hadn¡¯t expected to encounter him again here.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Startled by Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Knight Conan also paused, his struggling hands alsoing to a rest. He had thought the other party was a cultist, but to his surprise, this person had recognized him by name, and he looked¡­ somewhat familiar?


    At that thought, Knight Conan furrowed his brows, looking toward Fang Zheng while desperately searching his memory for his name. However, soon enough, Fang Zheng revealed the answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m Fang Zheng.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°You are Mr. Fang Zheng?¡±


    Upon hearing this answer, Conan¡¯s realization dawned on him; he eyed Fang Zheng from head to toe, finally recognizing the familiar traces on the young man.


    ¡°So, you really are alive, Mr. Fang Zheng. Where have you been these past six months? There¡¯s been no news of you at all, and, well, the change in you is quite drastic¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng understood Conan¡¯s puzzlement. The body he originally had appeared to be about 18 or 19 years old. When remodeling his body, Fang Zheng had chosen how he looked at age 20, so the difference wouldn¡¯t be too great. It was fortunate he had been away for over half a year; if it had been just a few days or months, such a change would have been hard to exin.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, actually. I only returned here a few days ago¡­ I didn¡¯t even realize I had been gone for so long.¡±


    As he sheathed his longsword, Fang Zheng answered. He wasn¡¯t worried that his response would raise any suspicions in Knight Conan. This was a world where magical civilization was considerably developed, and many mages mastered spells that could connect to different dimensional nes. Moreover, there were many recorded tales of people identally entering some worlds. In fact, Fang Zheng had prepared for his return¡­ and yes, he had another daring idea.


    ¡°I see¡­ Now that makes sense, Great Knight Shi Dong and Grand Knight Mart will be thrilled to know this.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s save catching up forter.¡±


    Since the other party was someone he knew, Fang Zheng rxed his guard, looked around again, and then curiously asked,


    ¡°What exactly happened here? It looks like you¡¯ve been attacked?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly right! Those damn cultists¡­¡±


    When this matter was brought up, Knight Conan was also filled with anger, and he recounted the whole event to Fang Zheng. Now, Fang Zheng finally understood what had happened in the Main World after his time travel.


    After he had defeated the Child of Chaos, the underground cavern had copsed (which finally exined why he had been teleported to this forsaken ce). Fortunately, Great Knight Shi Dong and Grand Knight Mart, along with a few remaining Temrs, had sessfully escaped. The Master of Lich had also vanished without a trace, and the spatial barrier that had been used to block the area was lifted, allowing everyone to return to the Sanctuary subsequently.


    As a member of the group, Knight Conan was relieved of his squad duties upon his return to the Sanctuary. This was not due to any dissatisfaction from the Bishopric, but rather because the search squad had been a temporary assembly, and now that the mission waspleted, everyone naturally disbanded and returned to their respective homes.


    Incidentally, ording to Knight Conan, the Bishopric seemed to have concluded that the Temrs who were killed while chasing the cultists were in by the Master of Lich. Moreover, this time the enemy had killed more than ten Temrs toplete the ritual of unsealing the Child of Chaos, firmly pinning the me on the Master of Lich.


    Afterpleting his mission, Knight Conan returned to the Northern Alliance, his birthce and the ce where he had be a Temr. He was originally supposed to head to the Order Fortress to participate in battle, but he had been severely injured during the fight with the Master of Lich and was further weakened by a magic-suppressing debuff from the Child of Chaos. Therefore, Conan was appointed to stay behind to monitor the supply lines and to recuperate, as it was rtively safer to be in the rear than at the front. Moreover, with Knight Conan¡¯s abilities, his presence there was naturally fit; otherwise, he would not have been chosen to join the squad that went to Shadow Canyon.


    At first, his duties were rtively leisurely, but as days passed, Knight Conan began to feel more apprehensive. He was a member of the Order Fortress and knew about the impending Demon Beast disaster. Although he was only able to contribute from behind the lines, he ordered everyone to stay alert and prepare for the Demon Beast onught, even dispatching two cavalry squads to patrol between the rear and the frontline.


    But something strange happened three days ago.


    It was just as the first snow had fallen. Knight Conan noticed that he had not received anymunication from the Order Fortress, which puzzled him. ording to protocol, the Order Fortress should have contacted the rear positions as soon as the first snow fell to ensure that everyone was prepared for the Demon Beast disaster. This procedure had not changed since Conan joined the Sanctuary, but byte at night when the first snowfall continued, he still had not received anymunication, prompting Conan to immediately dispatch a cavalry squad to the Order Fortress to check on the situation while trying to contact the frontline using the Sanctuary¡¯smunication crystal.


    Still, there was no response.


    At this point, Knight Conan felt that something was terribly wrong, and he immediately reported back to the headquarters of the Sanctuary, only to find that he could not make contact with headquarters either.


    In that moment, Knight Conan was greatly rmed, having never encountered such a situation before. But being an elite knight who had confronted the Master of Lich in Shadow Canyon, his reaction was swift. He urgently ordered the entire base to lock down and initiated Level One battle readiness.


    Unfortunately, the enemy¡¯s actions were quicker than Conan had anticipated. Before his orders could even bemunicated, those damn cultists hadunched an attack. They assaulted the entire base, and initially, the Sanctuary Soldiers fought against the cultists, but their opponents were overwhelmingly strong, including among them a Destruction Mage who could manipte Hellfire!


    The Destruction Mage was a central figure of the Doomsday Sect, equivalent in power to a Grand Knight. If Shi Dong or Mart had been there, perhaps they could have stalled their advance. But Conan, merely a Temr and recently recovered from grave illness, was no match for them. Before he could even act, the enemy had deployed a Hellfire Explosion that demolished the tower he was in, burying Conan in the rubble.


    Fortunately, his life was spared, for this unluckyd was not crushed to death, but upon waking, he found the entire base deserted. Conan himself barely managed to escape from the debris, and just as he was tending his wounds and nning to track down those cultists, Fang Zheng appeared. At that moment, Conan did not realize it was Fang Zheng; he thought the cultists had returned, so he hid by the wall, waiting to take a hostage, but unexpectedly¡­ he encountered Fang Zheng.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡±


    After listening to Knight Conan¡¯s ount, Fang Zheng had not much to say but sighed and patted the other man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Alright, rx a bit. At least you¡¯re still alive, and that¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    After all, considering your name¡­ I won¡¯t say anything more.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    However, Knight Conan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look too good.


    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m only worried about what exactly happened at the fortress. Facing the Demon Beast disaster, they simply couldn¡¯t detach themselves. Without supplies from the rear, the fortress can¡¯t hold out for a month! And now, ourmunication with the rear has beenpletely cut off¡­ Those cultists also captured my subordinates, and I¡¯m really worried about what they might do¡­¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no reaction from our base after losing contact?¡±


    Faced with Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Knight Conan shook his head with a grim expression.


    ¡°Though nominally, the Northern Alliance should send someone to check, in reality, it¡¯s us, the Sanctuary, handling everything. Moreover¡­¡±


    At this point, Knight Conan didn¡¯t say much more, just let out a long sigh.


    Fang Zheng naturally understood his meaning. In this continent, the rtionships between nations were very delicate, even more so than on Earth. Although this continent was headed by a few of the strongest nations like the Kingdom of the Holy Church, other nations couldn¡¯tpare with them. But these powerful nations also couldn¡¯t oppress the smaller ones as they wished, like those on Earth.


    He had initially thought that the great powers in this world could do as they pleased. However, after reviewing the Sanctuary¡¯s records, Fang Zheng realized that this world was not exactly as he had perceived.


    The reason is simple, because this is a world of magic!


    A weak nation bullied by a great power, then destroyed, with their prince having to flee from home, subsequently encountering adventures and ultimately bing a powerful Legendary Powerhouse who returns for revenge. These plots aren¡¯t just the stuff of novels on this continent; they¡¯ve genuinely happened, and more than once!


    There have even been instances where weak nations, unable to resist oppression, ultimately fell intoplete despair and sacrificed their citizens to open the gates of Hell, plunging the entire continent into a dark period of warfaresting a full one hundred fifty years. These events aren¡¯t just fiction, but are genuinely written in history books!


    This is a world of magic, anything is possible!


    Although those people ultimately perished for various reasons, and that mad nation waspletely destroyed, these are bloody lessons! How can you be sure that there won¡¯t be another Long Aotian among those weak nations?


    Not to mention destroying your entire country, just casually killing a few members of your royal family, or targeting your capital with a series of Five Fireballs explosive attacks, wouldn¡¯t you be throwing away centuries of dignity? Even without magic, Earthlings can crash nes into buildings, y with human bombs just as smoothly. In this world, those aren¡¯t just human bombs; they¡¯re nuclear bombs!


    You might end up creating disasterssting for centuries.


    This is also why those small countries haven¡¯t beenpletely swallowed up by therge nations. In the past, there hasn¡¯t been ack of ambitious monarchs trying to obliterate these small nations, but all were ultimately thwarted for reasons like this. After stirring chaos across the continent for several hundred years, these great nations have reached a consensus¡ªwhy forcibly drive people into despair? The barefoot aren¡¯t afraid of the shoed. With our vastnd, abundant resources, and such a harmonious and stable society, why force people to their deaths, and then sacrifice a flood through Hell¡¯s gates, dragging us down too? Isn¡¯t that just madness?


    Finally, after the event of that cataclysmic sacrifice, all the nations across the continent gathered in Caron and signed the world-renowned ¡®Violet Pact¡¯, agreeing that unless in an emergency, no nation shall lightly dere war on another. It also set the terms of alliances between various nations.


    So now, the situation on this continent is essentially that all the nations form alliances with each other, binding themselves together through economic or military means.


    The rtionship between the Northern Alliance and the Kingdom of the Holy Church is just like that. The Northern Alliance, originally a union of smaller tribes from the north, then sent representatives to forge an alliance with the Kingdom of the Holy Church. The Kingdom assists them in guarding the borders, maintaining order, and eliminating Chaos. As a return, the Northern Alliance is responsible for supplying logistical support and materials to the Order Fortress.


    The partnership had always been good, but Knight Conan knew that things weren¡¯t actually that simple. There were many troubles within the Northern Alliance itself¡­


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to talk about these, so he quickly shifted the topic.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng, what is your view?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Hearing Knight Conan¡¯s question, Fang Zheng thought for a moment.


    ¡°In short, let¡¯s see how things y out first.¡±

 Chapter 66 - 65 Top-up to Change Fate

    Chapter 66: Chapter 65 Top-up to Change Fate


    ¡°No, it¡¯spletely damaged.¡±


    Looking at the dimly coloredmunication crystal in front of him, Knight Conan wore a dejected expression. Themunication crystal was a uniquemunication device specific to this continent, functioning simrly to video chatting. However, because it required a significant amount of energy to operate and wasplex in construction and expensive, only various organizations could afford it; ordinary civilians couldn¡¯t use it. This particrmunication crystal was even more tragic; it had been directly dismantled.


    Looking at the contact crystal before him, Mr. Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders. He had learned about the workings of themunication crystal from Knight Conan, which essentially operated like radiomunication. But the enemy wasn¡¯t foolish either; they understood how to employ electronic warfare to suppressmunication¡­ In another dimension, this would definitely qualify as high-tech warfare.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng, we need you to think of something. Honestly, I¡¯ve got no good ideas left.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Hearing Knight Conan¡¯s request, Mr. Fang Zheng furrowed his brows and thought for a moment before speaking.


    ¡°Under the current circumstances, I think the most important thing is to ry the information here to the front lines and the rear. Since the enemy has cut off ourmunication this way, naturally, restoringmunication is the highest priority. So¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Mr. Fang Zheng looked toward the three people in front of him¡ªaside from Conan, Garrison and Lady Fina had also arrived here. After hearing about the outpost¡¯s situation, both were taken aback and, of course, felt obliged to stay and help.


    ¡°I suggest we split into three groups. One group should head to the fortress to inform them of the situation at the rear and also hope they can devise a strategy to address the problem. Another group should go to the rear to notify the Sanctuary headquarters about what¡¯s happened here. Thest group should track those cultists. Since they¡¯ve cut offmunication, they must be nning something. We need to figure out the cultists¡¯ objective so that we can be somewhat prepared.¡±<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s a great n!¡±


    Hearing this, Knight Conan¡¯s eyes lit up, continuously nodding in agreement. It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t thought of a simr strategy; it just wasn¡¯t asprehensive as Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s. Of course, by that time, Knight Conan didn¡¯t have enough hands, and he probably couldn¡¯t have done it even if he had thought of it.


    But now there was another problem: How exactly should the groups be divided?


    ¡°I can track those cultists!¡±


    Yet surprisingly, Garrison was the first to volunteer.


    ¡°I am a local. I know this environment well, and having grown up hunting in the forest with my brother, I¡¯m also skilled at tracking. I¡¯m certain I can find those cultists!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    But unexpectedly, Mr. Fang Zheng shook his head.


    ¡°Tracking cultists is the heaviest task of the three. The Order Fortress and the rear only need urate information, and I think both sides will take measures as soon as they perceive something is wrong, so nothing but time is wasted. However, the cultists¡¯ intent is critical. We don¡¯t know exactly what those cultists want to do, but from what Knight Conan has described, their actions are clearly premeditated, not impulsive. And you are just an ordinary person; if anything happens to you, no one can save you, and the leads could be lost.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do, Mr. Fang Zheng?¡±


    Hearing this, Lady Fina also uneasily spoke up, as Mr. Fang Zheng scanned everyone before making a decision.


    ¡°Here is what we¡¯ll do, Knight Conan, you will be responsible for contacting the Order Fortress. You¡¯re the only face they recognize, and only by your going personally to the Order Fortress can their concerns be alleviated. As for the rear¡­ I¡¯m afraid Garrison and Lady Fina will have to make the trip. Garrison is a local and familiar with the terrain. Lady Fina is an apprentice priest at the Sanctuary, and as long as Knight Conan writes a letter, having Lady Fina deliver it to the Sanctuary headquarters should provoke a reaction. As for those cultists¡­¡±


    While he spoke, Mr. Fang Zheng pointed to himself.


    ¡°Leave them to me to handle. Although I¡¯m not particrly familiar with this area, I¡¯m somewhat skilled in tracking. And I¡¯m confident in my own strength; even if I can¡¯t beat them, I can run.¡±


    ¡°Is this not too dangerous?¡±


    Although Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s n made sense, Knight Conan was still worried.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng, are you sure you¡¯ll be alright on your own?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Fang Zheng, it¡¯s really too dangerous for you to be alone here, especially in winter¡­¡±


    At that moment, Garrison also began to persuade him.


    ¡°Not to mention the Forest of No Return, the Dark Marsh is also a very terrifying ce. It is said that there are many areas that even a Grand Knight would not dare to venture into alone. What would happen if something happened to you alone?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Hearing the persuasion from both, Fang Zheng also slightly furrowed his brow. While he had considered these issues, he had not expected the ce to be this dangerous. Although Fang Zheng felt confident with his time maniption, along with two Soulstones, he thought nothing could possibly go wrong. But who knows? After all, no one could guarantee such things, right? Not to mention that Fang Zheng¡¯s dimensional teleportation was still in cooldown. If he encountered troubles he couldn¡¯t deal with, he really would have nowhere to run.


    At that moment, Fina stood up, timidly raising her hand.


    ¡°Um¡­ I have a suggestion. Why don¡¯t I go with Mr. Fang Zheng?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°You?¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng was momentarily stunned, and Fina nodded vigorously.


    ¡°Yes, ording to Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s n, we need two groups to ride quickly to notify the fortress and the rear, but currently there are no spare warhorses at the base, only our two draft horses. If I go with Garrison, I would slow him down. Moreover, ording to Sir Conan, the enemy has a Destruction Mage¡­ I am a cleric of the Sanctuary, and a spellcaster myself, so I think I could be somewhat helpful in this respect.¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng was genuinely tempted by Fina¡¯s proposal. Although the apprentice priest was rather single-minded, she had her strengths. Furthermore, she was right. Since arriving in this world, Fang Zheng had only encountered Miss Angel and the Master of Lich among the spellcasters, both of whom were more bizarre than the other. There was no need to mention the Master of Lich, who even made Mart and Shi Dong struggle. But even that gentle astrologer was able to conjure a Star Spirit in a mysterious way, which really said something. The enemy had a Destruction Mage, they had spellcasters, so he couldn¡¯t afford to take things lightly. Even with the capability of time maniption, if he identally found himself overturned in a ditch, it would really be tragic.


    Moreover, Fina was right about the horses. With Garrison and Knight Conan each having one, naturally, there was none left for Fina. Time was of the essence, and sharing one horse between two was neither convenient nor fast. Therefore, in the end, Fang Zheng agreed to Fina¡¯s request to take her along, while Knight Conan and Garrison would head separately to the Order Fortress and the Sanctuary.


    With time pressing, once the decision was made, they wasted no more time. Although the warhorses at the base had been killed by the cultists, the harnesses were still there. Thus, it didn¡¯t take much effort for them to unhook the two draft horses from the cart, harness them up, and set off immediately after a brief preparation. As Garrison and Knight Conan left one after the other, soon, only Fang Zheng and Fina were left at the base.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng, when do we depart?¡±


    ¡°Prepare some supplies first. Unlike them, we might face more difficulties, and I¡­ need to make some preparations.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s order, Fina nodded without hesitation, and immediately went to the warehouse to prepare the supplies. Although the cultists had abducted people, they had not taken the supplies. Of course, most things were burnt by them, but some supplies had survived. Perhaps not enough for a base, but for Fang Zheng and Fina, it was already enough.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    Watching Fina turn away to leave, Fang Zheng sighed deeply and then reached out, looking at the Spirit Crystal in his hand. This was something he had asked from Knight Conan before he left. Although Knight Conan did not know what Fang Zheng needed them for, he had quickly given him the remaining dozen Spirit Crystals from the fortress. After all, this was the rearguard of the Order Fortress, where countless demon beasts were killed every year, making Spirit Crystals more abundant here. Even though the reserve Spirit Crystals in the warehouse had been stolen by the cultists, Knight Conan, as the basemander, still had some private property, which he had promptly given to Fang Zheng.


    Fang Zheng naturally felt embarrassed¡­ but he epted them.


    ¡°Transformation!¡±


    As Fang Zheng murmured, the Spirit Crystal in his palm began to gradually dpose into photon particles, then disappeared into the air. Concurrently, the transformed Crystal Energy also appeared in front of Fang Zheng.


    ¡°485 Crystal Energy, huh? Plus the previous¡­ about 575 Crystal Energy¡­ that¡¯s enough!¡±


    Seeing the Crystal Energy appear before him, Fang Zheng excitedly clenched his fists.


    Next, it was time to summon his own Miss Angel!

 Chapter 67 - 66: Come Out, My Miss Angel!

    Chapter 67: Chapter 66: Come Out, My Miss Angel!


    Fang Zheng¡¯s confidence wasn¡¯t without reason. Generally speaking, there are several ways to do card draws in mobile games, with the mostmon being single draws and ten-packs, and perhaps even friendship draws. But beyond that, there¡¯s a situation that designers must take into ount.


    After all, in mobile games, top-ups rule. But the problem is that the controlled probability in mobile games is limited. You can¡¯t guarantee that every top-up tycoon will be able to escape Africa and enter Europe. What if someone is born with an African aura, and no matter how much they draw, they can¡¯t get the card they want? What then? Could you really afford to drive away a top-up tycoon who¡¯s finally willing to spend money?


    Of course, that¡¯s impossible. But what if the tycoon doesn¡¯t get a five-star and doesn¡¯t want to y anymore?


    That¡¯s when a new way to top-up emerges.


    That is¡­ Special Summon!


    As with many mobile games, in ¡°Dimensional Codex¡±, there are two types of Dimensional Count: the nonpensatory and thepensatory. The nonpensatory Dimensional Count is what yers earn frompleting tasks, and thepensatory¡­ is naturally from topping-up.


    Special Summon is a way to summon exclusively usingpensatory Dimensional Points. yers can perform a ten-pack draw withpensatory Dimensional Points, and a Special Summon will always yield a Gold or Fantasy-grade Soulstone. That¡¯s why Fang Zheng was so oddly confident¡ªtopping-up can change your fate!


    Generally, Special Summons are only avable during events, but Fang Zheng has a test build, so he set it to open once a month. Originally, Fang Zheng had not considered resorting to such a ¡°top-up-esque¡± method to escape Africa and enter Europe, but now it seems he has no choice but to¡­ Relying on instance-derived Dimensional Points, who knows when he would have enough for a ten-pack.


    Of course, Crystal Top-ups were a bit of a challenge too, considering Spirit Crystals weren¡¯t exactly a circting currency and were hard to collect. Even the many years of Knight Conan¡¯s collection barely amounted to enough for a ten-pack, and if it hadn¡¯t been for the fifty Dimensional Points he got from cleaning up a pack of ck Wolves in Sweetwater Town, he wouldn¡¯t even have enough for a ten-pack now.<div>


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start. Escape from Africa, change fate with a top-up. Spirits of the earth and sky, may the cute Miss Angel manifest quickly!¡±


    After exchanging 500 Crystal Energy for 100 Dimensional Points, Fang Zheng immediately opened the Dimensional Codex, rubbed his hands together, and made a sincere praying gesture. If there really were deities in this world¡­ Well, there definitely were deities in this world, if they could hear my prayers, please grace me with a workable Archangel! I¡¯m fed up with hiding and not daring to show my face with the Lich King and Queen of des!


    While praying in his heart, Fang Zheng took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands once more, took a deep breath, and then ced his hand on the Dimensional Codex. The next moment, a dazzling array unfolded before him. Then, ten tiny light points began to rotate around Fang Zheng, picking up speed. As they spun, countless golden photon particles appeared out of thin air, merging into the ten light points and causing them to grow into ten light orbs, and then¡­


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    With a soft sound, the first light orb burst open, revealing a golden pentagonal crystal.


    Reinforcement Stone, next!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The second light orb burst open, containing a silvery-white, spherical crystal ball.


    Energy Stone, next!


    ¡°Boom boom boom boom boom!!!¡±


    Fang Zheng sted open seven in a row, all of which were damned Reinforcement Stones or Energy Stones, which was quite frustrating. Luckily, there was the guaranteed Gold, so he patiently clicked on the eighth Soulstone.


    ¡°Boom!!¡±


    This time Fang Zheng¡¯s patience finally paid off, as the aura burst apart, and a Soulstone shimmering with golden radiance appeared before him, and to his greater joy, it was imprinted with a pair of wings!


    Ha ha ha, my desired Miss Angel ising!@@novelbin@@


    Seeing this Soulstone, Fang Zheng¡¯s face broke into an excited smile, and then he reached out and grabbed it.


    Then, everything transformed.


    First, a void appeared before his eyes. At the same time, a deep voice echoed in Fang Zheng¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I heard a voice, but I don¡¯t know what it is¡­¡±


    The scene spun, the void transformed, and a golden, ornate cup appeared before Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t filled with drink, but with a swirling cosmos. Inside, Fang Zheng felt as if he saw something, yet as if he saw nothing at all.


    ¡°I sought answers from the Holy Grail but received no response. However, I knew where the voice came from¡­¡±


    The scene changed again, the viewer¡¯s perspective descended silently from the Peak of White Clouds, feather-like onto a brand-new continent.


    ¡°I arrived at Sanctuary, the world where humans dwell. The souls calling me were not there. I pursued those voices relentlessly, and finally, I understood where they were¡­¡±


    ¡°`


    The next moment, the world began to change, a blood-red sky and shattered earth enveloping the entire view. Looking up, there were countless souls wandering here, emitting painful wails that seemed to narrate their unfortunate fates.


    ¡°Souls spiraled and churned. I suddenly understood the truth of mortals. Whether in struggling agony or soaring triumphs, all paths of life inevitably lead to death. This¡­ is wisdom¡­¡±


    The world grew dimmer, and scenes shed before Fang Zheng. Among them were brave warriors as well as vile viins. Some were willing to fight for justice until the veryst moment, while others sumbed to the temptations of evil, bing servants of darkness.


    ¡°Human souls disy tremendous potential, they can be as virtuous and valiant as Angels in heaven, or as vile and cruel as Demons in hell. This free will to choose shouldn¡¯t be granted to them because they are nothing more than flesh and blood, born only to die¡­¡±


    Soon, everything would vanish. Fang Zheng saw cities burning in fierce mes, and death was omnipresent. Savage Devils ughtered innocent civilians, and Angels too raised their spears against those who dared to resist them.


    ¡°Humans are inherently fallen and don¡¯t deserve the right to choose between good and evil. Neither Angels nor Demons make choices, and that is the truth¡­¡±


    The world gradually turned pitch ck, the icy Wings of Death beginning to spread, overshadowing everything.


    ¡°Demons are easy to deal with, but before humans be too powerful, I must exterminate them root and branch. Only in this way can the eternal war end, because¡­ no one can stop death!¡±


    The shattered scenes restored themselves, and Fang Zheng stood dumbfounded in his room, looking at the pure white Soulstone in his hand, glowing with a golden radiance,pletely at a loss for words.


    Well, the Angel of Death is still an Angel, no problem there!


    I have a word MMP! I don¡¯t know whether to say it or not!!


    Fang Zheng now had a feeling that he was straying further and further from the path of a big BOSS¡­


    What did I do wrong? Why do things have to be this hard for me?


    ¡°Ding!¡±


    Just as Fang Zheng was wordlessly questioning the heavens, suddenly a system prompt sounded in his ear and a line of information appeared before his eyes.


    [User has obtained a Soul Summoning Stone]


    [Summon Binding initiated]


    [User has gained Summon Binding slot: 1]


    A Soul Summoning Stone?


    Seeing this prompt, Fang Zheng was startled, then quickly turned to look, only to find that behind this Soulstone, in thest two spheres, one burst with an Energy Stone, and the other¡­ was a hexagonal white crystal stone shape, with angel-like wings imprinted on it!


    This was a Silver Rank Soul Summoning Stone!


    How could there be a Soul Summoning Stone?


    Of course, Fang Zheng knew he had designed something called the Soul Summoning Stone, after all, nurturing followers and growing affinity was also a major selling point of top-up mobile games. The Soul Summoning Stone was a special type of Soulstone that yers could ce in their soul space and then summon to fight alongside them. ording to Fang Zheng¡¯s design, these Soul Summoning Stones were supposed to be obtained by yers through unlocking story processes in chapter challenges, then acquiring Soul Fragments, and finally piecing them together.


    However, considering the nature of the game, these Summoning Soulstones came in different strengths, and there were various ways to match them¡­ It¡¯s just that Fang Zheng didn¡¯t get to finish them before he time-traveled.


    So, from which world did this Summoning Soulstonee?


    Just as Fang Zheng was about to pick up the Soul Summoning Stone to take a closer look, suddenly, Fina¡¯s voice came from outside the door.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Ready!¡±


    Hearing Fina¡¯s inquiry, Fang Zheng quickly snapped his fingers and stowed away the Soulstone and the Dimensional Codex. Then he strode to the door and pulled it open. Outside, Miss Cleric was already fully armed, waiting for his appearance.


    ¡°Time waits for no one, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 68 - 67: Pursuit

    Chapter 68: Chapter 67: Pursuit


    The cultists had left their base for some time, but this wasn¡¯t much of a problem for Fang Zheng. With the keen perception of the Zerg, he quickly picked up the faint smell of sulfur lingering in the air. Following the scent, he and Fina didn¡¯t have to work too hard to find the lingering traces left by the cultists.


    In fact, this wasn¡¯t difficult at all. ording to Knight Conan, aside from the cavalry patrolling outside, there were a total of thirty Sanctuary Warriors inside the base. That was no small number. Moreover, the cultists didn¡¯t kill them all but took them captive instead and left. Moving so many people at once without leaving traces would have been an impossible story.


    Therefore, it didn¡¯t take much time for Fang Zheng and Fina to determine the direction the cultists had left in, and they tracked them down without dy.


    Fang Zheng was mainly responsible for tracking, and Fina wasn¡¯t idle either. Although this rookie Cleric was somewhat dogmatic, the benefit of dogmatism was that at least she knew everything she was taught in the books. So, along the way, Fina was in charge of detecting any potential Magic Seals left behind by the cultists. ording to Fina, to avoid detection, cultists often released warning seals in ces they passed through. This was a very simple spell that would immediately alert the caster if someone crossed the seal.


    Because this spell was very convenient and onlysted for half an hour¡ªneither too long nor too short¡ªit had be a signature spell for many spellcasters to use as an alert. As a Cleric, Fina had naturally learned to use and detect this kind of spell. Right now, she was responsible for analyzing and searching for these seals to avoid Fang Zheng identally activating an rm, which would certainlyplicate matters.


    So, Fang Zheng was left to track the residual traces of the cultists while Fina followed by his side, guarding their surroundings and searching for Magic Seals. The two cooperated quite well. What Fang Zheng found interesting was that this Apprentice Priest, though seemingly fragile, actually had excellent physical quality. They had been traveling since leaving the base; half a day had passed, and they had climbed over a mountain, yet Fina by his side was still not showing any signs of strain or breathlessness.


    Fang Zheng himself had the physical quality of the Zerg, so he had no concerns about physical strength, but he was surprised that this Apprentice Cleric had such fortitude. Then again, he thought, people in this world seemed to temper their bodies through the cultivation of the Power of the Star Spirits, which exined her endurance.


    Of course, this also had its disadvantages, like Shi Dong and Mart, who usually seemed invincible, but were immediately incapacitated by a DEBUFF thrown by the Child of Chaos¡­


    Perhaps the cultists were overconfident after breaking the base or they had more important matters to attend to. Thus, throughout their journey, they didn¡¯t seem to hide their traces, and with Fina responsible for guarding against the Magic Seals, Fang Zheng was able to speed up his search. Atst, as the day approached dusk, Fina finally made a new discovery.<div>


    ¡°There¡¯s a fluctuation from a Magic Seal ahead, Mr. Fang Zheng!¡±


    ¡°Magic Seal?¡±


    On hearing Fina¡¯s warning, Fang Zheng quickly halted his steps, feeling a surge of excitement in his heart. ording to Fina, a Magic Seal onlysted for half an hour. They hadn¡¯t seen any Magic Seals all this way, which might indicate that the cultists weren¡¯t on guard or that the effect of the Magic Seals had expired. If thetter were true, it meant they were still quite far from their quarry. The appearance of a Magic Seal now suggested they had closed the distance, and they might be no more than half an hour away from the cultists.


    ¡°Is there a way?¡±


    Responding to Fang Zheng¡¯s inquiry, Fina nodded confidently.


    ¡°Certainly, I can temporarily block the power of the Magic Seal. I can only maintain it for about ten seconds, but I believe that will be enough.¡±


    The manifestation of a Magic Seal was linear rather than circr, meaning it was more like an invisible wall formed by magic. Anyone crossing this wall would be detected. This was why Magic Seals were difficult to bypass, and thus, weremonly used in tracking and guarding.


    However, for spellcasters, naturally, there are means to deal with it.


    Mr. Fang Zheng looked at the cleric maiden beside him, only to see Lady Fina take a couple of steps forward, staring at the empty air in front of her, then she took a deep breath and raised the scepter in her hand.


    This was the object Fina had been holding all along, around the length of a person¡¯s forearm, entirely in silver-white, with strange patterns and characters carved upon it, and a round, white crystal embedded at the tip of the scepter. Mr. Fang Zheng was not sure whether this was standard equipment for a cleric, but judging by Fina¡¯s demeanor, it seemed likely that it was.


    ¡°Holy Light of Order, please grant me the power to shield the truth!¡±


    Chanting softly, Lady Fina raised her scepter and gently touched the empty air in front of her. Quickly, Mr. Fang Zheng saw a white light beam shoot out from the tip of the scepter, striking the air. Then, the air in front of him began to ripple like water, and suddenly, a peculiar wall appeared before Mr. Fang Zheng.


    It was entirely transparent blue, with mysterious runes glittering on it. These runesbined to form a wall about ten centimeters thick that stretched out, resembling a tall city wall blocking the way in front of the two of them. Except this wall, although it appeared towering, was not at all substantial, looking instead like a theatrical backdrop.


    Under the scepter¡¯s light beam, the initially shining wall gradually dimmed, and soon, Mr. Fang Zheng watched as the floating rune glows were extinguished one by one. Afterward, the formerly blue barrier turned into a shade of gray.


    ¡°Now, Mr. Fang Zheng!¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied.


    Hearing Lady Fina¡¯s words, he nodded and then looked up at the barrier before him and stepped into it.


    Passing through the entire barrier was just a blink of an eye for Mr. Fang Zheng, and what surprised him was that despite having entered the barrier, he felt absolutely nothing. Even the keen senses granted to him by the Zerg did not detect any movement. This deepened Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s curiosity and solemnity regarding the magic of this world.


    It seems he must find a way to investigate how exactly the magic of this world works.


    ¡°Strange¡­¡±@@novelbin@@


    While Mr. Fang Zheng was pondering his future ns, Lady Fina also passed through the barrier, but at this moment, there was not a trace of excitement on her face. Instead, she turned her head, looking back at the barrier with full-faced confusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lady Fina?¡±


    Seeing Lady Fina¡¯s puzzled expression, Mr. Fang Zheng timely asked, since she, although not a mage, was also a spellcaster, it would be good to gather a bit of information from her. Lady Fina didn¡¯t think much before she quickly spoke out.


    ¡°Just now, Sir Knight Conan mentioned that they have a Destruction Mage, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, he did say that.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s strange¡­ I don¡¯t feel the presence of Hell on this magic seal¡­¡±


    ¡°Does that mean there¡¯s another spellcaster?¡±


    Hearing Fina¡¯s reply, Fang Zheng paused for a moment, then quickly thought of something.


    ¡°Could it be a Necromancer or a Lich? They¡¯ve always been close to the cultists¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s different, Mr. Fang Zheng. You¡¯re not a spellcaster, so perhaps you don¡¯t understand this aspect. Although many professions are able to cast spells, there¡¯s always a remnant aura on their spells. Just like Destruction Mages, their released spells will definitely carry the presence of Hell, while the spells cast by Necromancers and Liches will mix with the aura of death. Even the Divine Arts we clerics and bishops release contain a simr sacred aura. But the aura on the magic seal just now isn¡¯t evil, nor does it have that sense of death and destruction. It feels very intricate, more like¡­¡±


    ¡°More like what?¡±


    This time Fina hesitated for quite a while before she finally gave a low reply.


    ¡°It¡¯s more like a spell released by a Mage from the Order School¡­ and moreover, it seems that the caster is of no low rank¡­¡±


    ¡°About what rank?¡±


    ¡°Judging by the power of the magic seal, at the very least, it¡¯s of Elite Level.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Upon hearing Fina¡¯s answer, Fang Zheng nodded. He had some idea of his own strength, too. Before he had traveled to ¡®Edge of Tomorrow,¡¯ ording to Shi Dong, his normal strength should be about average among the elites. In the battle at Shadow Canyon, Fang Zheng could confirm that if he fought with all his strength, an ordinary Temr was no match for him at all. Even if faced with Shi Dong and Mart, he still had the power to fight, and if he activated the Soulstone, the two of them would surely die. As for the Master of Lich, Fang Zheng felt that only by activating the Soulstone would he be able to fight it, though the oue of the battle was uncertain.


    Now, with the Time Ability and significantly enhanced physical quality, it meant that he already possessed the strength of the Elite Pinnacle level in his daily life. If he activated the skill of the Soulstone, he would definitely reach Grandmaster, and if he activated the Soulstone, he would assuredly attain Legendary status. This was also why Fang Zheng volunteered toe here to track down those cultists. As long as there were no forces at the level of the Master of Lich among the opponents, in theory, dealing with these guys should be as easy as dealing with grandchildren for him.


    Moreover, Fang Zheng wanted to try out the performance of the Time Ability in actualbat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    Although Fang Zheng was a bit curious about a Mage from the Order School popping out among cultists, he didn¡¯t dwell on it too much. Instead, Fina looked solemn and seemed to be pondering something.


    Next, the two of them connected several more times, passing through the magic seal barriers, and finally, they stopped at the edge of a forest.


    The reason was simple¡­ even Fina could no longer find a way through this time.


    ¡°No good, this forest is protected by a very strong Illusion Barrier and rm Barrier.¡±


    After some attempts, Fina had no choice but to convey this unfortunate news to Fang Zheng.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried to bypass it, but these barriers are interlocked. If there¡¯s an issue with one barrier, the other barriers will immediately be activated, causing a chain reaction¡­ I think this must be the cultists¡¯ camp.¡±


    ¡°It seems they indeed have something to hide¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Fina¡¯s report, Fang Zheng frowned. If there wasn¡¯t a problem, would these cultists bother to set up such borate stuff?


    No matter what, there must be something fishy inside!


    However¡­ Fang Zheng simply couldn¡¯t enter the forest right now. Although he could use the Time Ability to elerate, ording to Fina, those barriers would react immediately upon detecting traces. Fang Zheng¡¯s ability didn¡¯t involve space, and so if he were to enter the barrier, he could at most only dy the reaction time of the barrier.


    ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    Through the life detection of the Zerg, Fang Zheng could clearly feel that there were indeed several life forms deep inside the forest. It seemed that the cultists and their captives must be there. But the dense forest blocked his view, so even if Fang Zheng had excellent vision, he couldn¡¯t possibly see what the other party was doing.


    If only there was an unmanned aircraft for aerial reconnaissance¡­ Hmm?


    At this thought, Fang Zheng suddenly brightened.


    Hadn¡¯t he just summoned a Soulstone? If he remembered correctly, it was an Angel, right?


    If it was an Angel¡­ at least¡­ it should be able to fly, right?

 Chapter 69 - 68: The Summon Falling from the Sky

    Chapter 69: Chapter 68: The Summon Falling from the Sky


    ¡°Miss Fina, please wait here for a moment.¡±


    After making his decision, Fang Zheng immediately stood up and looked at the Cleric Maiden beside him.


    ¡°Huh? Of course, no problem¡­ But Mr. Fang Zheng, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I want to try to break through these barriers.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s reply, Fina was instantly shocked. Throughout their journey, she had already discovered that the young man beside her knew nothing about spells. Now, why did he suddenly think about breaking through barriers?


    ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡±


    Taking into ount the action he was about to take, Fang Zheng pondered for a moment and then organized his thoughts before speaking again.


    ¡°I have a special ability that allows me tomunicate and summon beings from Another World. Since I now have such power, maybe I can summon an existence that can solve these problems.¡±<div>


    Of course, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t speak with absolute certainty. Although, theoretically, summoning an Angel seemed much more reassuring than summoning a Demon, considering his past three absurd summoning results, Fang Zheng had to be extremely cautious. It was fine when he summoned Little Brother Ma, but if the Soul Summoning Stone summoned Izuor, that would indeed be problematic beyond exnation.


    Therefore, to be safe, Fang Zheng nned to stealthily summon by himself first to see who the other party was. If the being was presentable, he would bring it out; if not, he would dismiss it.


    And upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s exnation, Fina showed a surprised expression.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng, are you actually a Summoner?¡±


    ¡°I just have that ability, and sess isn¡¯t guaranteed.¡±


    Fang Zheng certainly wouldn¡¯t admit he was a Summoner¡­ although he indeed seemed to be one.


    ¡°But please be careful. After all, summoning creatures from Another World is a very dangerous matter. If you summon some dangerous being¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits.¡±


    Fang Zheng knew what Fina wanted to say, but he wasn¡¯t very worried. Although he wasn¡¯t sure what he could summon, at least he designed the system himself. He had considered everything that should be considered while designing his system, although it was not yet perfect, he had thought of the important aspects. The only thing missing was the details¡­ and now that the Dimensional Codex had automatically filled in these details, he had no other choice but to use it.@@novelbin@@


    After persuading Fina, Fang Zheng turned around and walked behind arge boulder. Then he reached out his hand, and soon the Dimensional Codex appeared in his hands again, opening automatically. The heavy pages slowly turned and then came to a stop.


    ¡°Is it here?¡±


    Looking at the hexagonal copper frame on the page in front of him, Fang Zheng nodded. Summoning and binding required embedding the Soul Summoning Stone in this way, and the initial binding space was only one. To open others, yers had to top-up. ording to the settings, yers could simultaneously summon up to ten souls. Of course¡­ the top-up amount required wouldn¡¯t be small.


    However, for Fang Zheng, this was enough for now.


    At this thought, he raised his right hand and made a grabbing motion towards the empty air, quickly revealing the Silver Grade Soul Summoning Stone between his fingers. Then he took the Soulstone and squinted, examining it closely.


    But he found nothing, and in Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes, the Soulstone carried no information.


    This was, of course, expected, because when Fang Zheng set up the system, the Soul Summoning Stone had to be embedded for summoning before its true nature would be revealed. Not only that, but initially, yers knew very little about these summoned souls. They could only understand each other by fighting side by side, raising affection, and gradually making more in-depth connections. As affection increased, yers would gradually discover and master the powerful forces hidden within these souls.


    The one thing that provided Fang Zheng with a bit of relief was that, if he remembered correctly, he had once requested the development team to set ny percent of the summonable souls as cute girls.


    Hmm? You ask why?


    Is that even a question? With no digital girlfriend, who¡¯s going to spend on the game?


    Now, he just hoped that things here would be the same as his settings¡ªa cute girl would be great¡­ of course, it would be even better if she could be brought out!


    With those thoughts in mind, Fang Zheng silently prayed while cing the Soul Summoning Stone into the recess on the pages.


    ¡°Click.¡±


    With a light click, the Dimensional Codex, now embedded with the Soulstone, closed once again and began to spin rapidly. Then, Fang Zheng saw a dazzling Light Orb streak across the sky like a shooting star, before descending from the heavens andnding on the Codex.


    ¡°Boom!!¡±


    Apanied by a low rumble, violent air currents suddenly erupted from the center of the Light Orb, so fierce that even Fang Zheng had to turn away and shield his face with his hand to block the flying sand and stones.


    After a moment, when the violent air currents calmed down, Fang Zheng turned to look ahead, then his eyes widened in astonishment.


    What appeared before Fang Zheng was a girl who seemed to be no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. She had azure long hair tied into two ponytails hanging at her sides, porcin-like fair skin, a cute face, azure eyes, and delicate features that made her look as adorable as a doll.


    She wore an outfit resembling a super short dress with a white base and ck trim, and her lower half was adorned with white boots and ck thigh-high stockings, all under the cover of a white cloak. However, what intrigued Fang Zheng the most were her ears and the enormous pitch-ck cor around her neck. Her ears were not of the human shape Fang Zheng had imagined. They protruded from her hair as two white, elongated objects, resembling some kind of high-tech gear. The girl¡¯s cor was even more startling. It was sorge that it looked like it could bury her chin, and although it appeared to be a typical metal cor on the surface, whenbined with a few segments of chains, it gave off an odd feeling.


    Furthermore, behind the girl was a pair of wings shimmering with colorful radiance, transparent and beautiful, gently fluttering.


    With a quiet gaze, the girl looked at Fang Zheng and then spoke.


    ¡°Electronic Warfare Omnipotent Angel, TYPE ¦Â, Nymph reporting for duty. Please issue yourmand, Master.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Facing the petite and adorable girl before him, Fang Zheng was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say. Although he was mentally prepared that he might not summon a normal angel, the girl that appeared still left Fang Zheng at a loss for words.


    Electronic Warfare Omnipotent Angel?


    What in the world is that?


    And that TYPE ¦Â, why does it sound like a robot¡¯s code? Wait, her ears also look mechanical, right? Don¡¯t tell me I have summoned an Artificial Angel? Is that even possible?¡­ Well, Artificial Angel or not, an angel is an angel, no problem!


    With the precedent set by Little Brother Ma, Fang Zheng quickly regained hisposure. He cursed his own system inwardly for not doing the right thing and then turned to the girl with a slight smile.


    ¡°Hello, Nymph, my name is Fang Zheng. I hope you can fight alongside me¡­¡­¡­..¡±


    ¡°No, that is my duty, Master.¡±


    But before Fang Zheng could finish speaking, he was interrupted by an anxious and fearful Nymph.


    ¡°Whatever you need, I¡¯m willing to do anything!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡­¡±


    As Fang Zheng faced Nymph, he waspletely at a loss for what to say. Although she imed to be an Electronic Warfare Omnipotent Angel, she was still an angel, and even called Omnipotent Angel, why did she seem so subservient? With that in mind, Fang Zheng then asked another question that piqued his curiosity.


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s the deal with the cor around your neck?¡±


    ¡°Ah, this?¡±


    For some reason, mentioning the cor seemed to bring a smile to Nymph¡¯s face.


    ¡°This is the sign of my subjugation to my master, please look, Master¡­¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Nymph took hold of the chain hanging from the cor, which seemed to be broken off, and to Fang Zheng¡¯s astonishment it began to materialize from thin air. It continued to extend, wrapping itself around his hand?!


    ¡°The chain allows the Master to issuemands to me at any time and monitor my movements. That is the purpose of the cor.¡±


    Wait a minute, this doesn¡¯t seem quite right!


    Looking at the girl excitedly exining the function of the cor, Fang Zheng was dumbstruck. Even if this girl wasn¡¯t human, she was an angel, yet why did it feel like he was treating her like a pet,plete with a cor and a leash? What kind of bizarre situation was this? Treating a person like a pet? And this ¡°pet¡± seemed very proud of it?


    Wait, something must be wrong here.


    Is it me or the world that¡¯s off?


    ¡°Excuse me for a moment, Nymph¡­¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng shook his head, helplessly extended his hand to halt the girl¡¯s speech, and then pointed at the cor around her neck.


    ¡°Could you remove that¡­ I feel like it¡¯s not quite right¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Remove the cor?!!¡±


    Before Fang Zheng could finish his sentence, Nymph¡¯s face suddenly turned pale, and then she actually kneeled on the ground, looking terrified at Fang Zheng. To her, it seemed as if Fang Zheng had spoken an unspeakable atrocity.


    ¡°Master, Master! Please don¡¯t do this! Please don¡¯t abandon me! I will do anything, just not that¡­¡­!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Looking at the tearful girl staring at him, Fang Zheng felt utterly overwhelmed.


    What on earth is going on here?

 Chapter 70 - 69 This is simply black technology!

    Chapter 70: Chapter 69 This is simply ck technology!


    It took Fang Zheng a good while to calm the excited Nymph down, which gave him an immense headache. Normally, ording to the tropes of web novels, when someone encounters a ve or such who recognizes them as their master, shouldn¡¯t it be time to suavely say something like, ¡°You are free now, go choose your own destiny,¡± and then annul their bindings, leading to their profound gratitude and growing closeness with you?


    So why did it seem like trying to remove that dog cor from Nymph would make her act as though he was about to kill her entire family?


    What kind of twisted world did this poor childe from, to be so distorted?


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    Looking at Nymph with tears in her eyes, gazing earnestly at him like an abandoned puppy, Fang Zheng found himself at a loss for words. He sighed helplessly and gave up on the idea of taking the cor off her neck. Frankly, he was ufortable seeing such a young child wearing such arge cor, but if Nymph t-out refused to take it off, what could he do?


    It was just as well that the chain linked to his right hand could, ording to Nymph, stretch and disappear at will; otherwise, if Miss Cleric saw him walking around with a girl on a chain, she might very well think he was some kind of pervert. But now¡­ oh well, it looked good enough for the moment.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng? How are things on your end? Is there a problem?¡±


    Just then, Fina¡¯s voice reached him from not too far away, and upon hearing Miss Cleric¡¯s inquiry, Fang Zheng sighed helplessly and turned to reply.


    ¡°No problem now,e over here.¡±<div>


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s response, Fina hurried over with a worried expression. Seeing Fang Zheng safe and sound, she let out a sigh of relief, and only then did she turn her attention to Nymph.


    ¡°I¡¯m so relieved you¡¯re okay, Mr. Fang Zheng¡­ Is this the otherworldly creature you summoned?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much¡­¡±


    Faced with Fina¡¯s question, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t quite know how to respond. However, Fina didn¡¯t seem to mind; she ran over to Nymph, eyes wide with curiosity, examining her closely.


    ¡°Such a cute child¡­ Hello, my name is Fina, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Nymph.¡±


    Confronted with Fina¡¯s enthusiastic greeting, Nymph seemed somewhat unustomed and instinctively hid behind Fang Zheng. The girl quietly turned her head to nce at Fang Zheng, and only after noticing no sign of dissatisfaction on his face did she rx and edge closer to him.


    ¡°I am TYPE ¦Â, an Omnipotent Angel specialized in electronic warfare¡­¡±


    ¡°Beta?¡­ Electronic what-now¡­ wait, Angel?¡±


    Though Fina didn¡¯t understand a word of what Nymph had said earlier, she definitely grasped thest part about angels. At that, she stared in amazement, her eyes widening; only now did she notice the beautiful, transparent, and colorful shimmering wings behind Nymph.


    ¡°Such gorgeous wings, it¡¯s my first time seeing this kind of angel¡­ Mr. Fang Zheng, I truly didn¡¯t expect you could summon an angel!¡±


    Neither did I expect to see this kind of angel.


    Fang Zheng was rendered speechless; Nymph hadpletely cast herself in the role of a ve, giving off an aura that if he didn¡¯t ept her as his servant, she might just die. In hisst life, Fang Zheng had seen many web novels, anime, and yed numerous games, but he had never encountered such an odd angel.


    ¡°So, Nymph¡­¡±


    Discarding the myriad of thoughts swirling in his head, Fang Zheng coughed and looked back at the little one behind him.


    ¡°What can you do?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s query, Nymph was momentarily startled before hurriedly responding with fear and trepidation.


    ¡°I am an Omnipotent Angel for electronic warfare, my master can send me as he wishes, I am willing to do anything¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡±


    Now just hearing the phrase ¡°I am willing to do anything¡± from Nymph was enough to give Fang Zheng a headache. It was only them and Fina for now, which was manageable, but if they went out and Nymph kept uttering that phrase, Fang Zheng feared for his life. He decided that he needed to have a serious talk with Nymphter; at the very least, she should stop saying that line so readily, making it seem as though he was going to harm her.


    ¡°What I mean is¡­ look, I¡¯ve only just summoned you, so I¡¯m not too familiar with your capabilities. Could you please introduce them?¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course, there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Having finally grasped what Fang Zheng meant, Nymph quickly began to exin.


    ¡°I can invade and interfere with any object and I also possess search and scanning abilities. I am confident that I can be of help to my master.¡±


    ¡°So you mean¡­ you don¡¯t really havebat abilities?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry, master, please don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant, I was just asking.¡±


    Seeing Nymph scared and about to kneel again, Fang Zheng had to quickly interrupt and calm her down. It seemed that the little angel was more of a support type, and although support types typically aren¡¯t devoid ofbat abilities, expecting significant fighting prowess from them was¡­ well, basically a lost cause.


    Yet conversely, Fang Zheng was quite intrigued by Nymph¡¯s ability to ¡°invade and disrupt.¡±


    ¡°Can it manipte anything?¡±


    ¡°Basically, it¡¯s just that I¡¯m not very good at controlling nts¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Hearing Nymph¡¯s somewhat tremulous answer, Fang Zheng nodded and then led her out of the shadow of the huge rock, pointing toward the forest not far away.


    ¡°Do you see that forest?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°Now tell me, what can you sense there.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Upon receiving Fang Zheng¡¯smand, Nymph nodded and then looked toward the forest.@@novelbin@@


    At that moment, Fang Zheng noticed a change ur in the girl¡¯s blue eyes.


    If before, her eyes had seemed no different from those of an ordinary person, now they presented apletely different picture. Nymph¡¯s eyes began to emit a faint blue radiance, and shortly thereafter, a strange aura spun into existence within her eyes, looking as though a focusing lens was adjusting its direction. At the same time, the rainbow-hued wings on Nymph¡¯s back seemed to flicker in resonance with some sort of fluctuation.


    ¡°Wide-Area Radar activated¡­ Rank III energy scanningmenced, unidentified energy field detected, analyzing¡­¡±


    If just a moment ago Nymph had seemed like a weak little girl, now she was expressionless, more reminiscent of a cold machine. It wasn¡¯t long before Fang Zheng saw the blue-haired girl next to him suddenly look up at him.


    ¡°Energy field analysisplete, please instruct, Master.¡±


    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s done just like that?¡±


    Startled by Nymph¡¯s response, Fang Zheng was rather taken aback. Although Fina seemed utterly confused and didn¡¯t understand anything Nymph was saying, Fang Zheng could somewhat make sense of it, and it was clear that the ¡°Omnipotent Angel¡± must be a product of technology. Thus, he was quite skeptical about Nymph¡¯s ability to handle Magic Barriers, and now¡­ she had actually done it?


    What happened to the ipatibility of science and magic?


    ¡°Well¡­ then, can you stop the Barrier covering the forest from activating without letting the person who released it notice anything amiss?¡±


    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±


    Upon Fang Zheng¡¯smand, Nymph crouched down and stretched out her right hand to touch the ground. Soon after, Fang Zheng and Fina saw a faint glow emerge from Nymph¡¯s palm, spreading along the ground and into the forest.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    There was no sound, at least not that Fang Zheng and Fina could perceive. To them, the forest still appeared the same as before. However, at this point, Nymph had already stood up and spoke to Fang Zheng with a smile.


    ¡°Master, I have fully infiltrated the energy field and seized control permissions; the barrier that covers the forest will not be triggered now.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ could you please put that in simpler terms¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, in other words¡­ the Barriers that cover the forest, which Master refers to as ¡®Barriers,¡¯ are now under my control. Therefore, Master cane and go freely without worrying about triggering any form of fluctuations or rms.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    No sooner had Nymph finished speaking than the astonished Fina beside Fang Zheng widened her eyes in surprise.


    ¡°How is that possible?!¡±


    ¡°Is that impressive?¡±


    Looking at Fina¡¯s wide eyes, Fang Zheng asked curiously. The Cleric Maiden,ing back to her senses, nodded vigorously.


    ¡°This is truly incredible, Mr. Fang Zheng! You are not a Spellcaster, and you might not know, but every Spellcaster¡¯s released magic has a unique imprint, meaning that these magics can only be controlled by the one who cast them. To forcibly take control of magic from someone else, I have never heard of such a thing!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult.¡±


    Perhaps because she had helped Fang Zheng, Nymph now wore a smug expression.


    ¡°My ability is to infiltrate and interfere with everything, so whether it¡¯s magic or humans, it¡¯s all the same.¡±


    ¡°Holy moly!¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng was dumbfounded. He hadn¡¯t paid much attention when Nymph said she could ¡°infiltrate and interfere with all objects¡± because she had introduced herself as an ¡°Electronic Warfare Omnipotent Angel,¡± and Fina might not know what electronic warfare meant, but Fang Zheng, whose soul was from the modern world, certainly understood its essence. At that time, he thought that Nymph¡¯s abilities were probably simr to radar plus an early-warning aircraft with electronic interference¡ªa high-tech existence.


    Now, Fang Zheng also understood what Nymph had referred to earlier; if those Barriers werepared to firewalls, then Nymph was like a Hacker who had directly breached the firewall, then seized the permissions and shut down the rm system, after which she could do as she pleased.


    But ¡­ this is science, and that¡¯s magic!


    This isn¡¯t just high technology anymore, this is outright magical technology!

 Chapter 71 - 70: Deep in the Jungle

    Chapter 71: Chapter 70: Deep in the Jungle


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect Sister Nymph to be so powerful¡­¡±


    As they walked through the dark forest, Fina still had not recovered from her surprise. She looked around, at a loss for words. Being a spellcaster, she could clearly sense the magic essence emanating from all around, and in Fina¡¯s eyes, the numerous interlocking and circting barriers felt close at hand, almost within reach.


    Logically speaking, being in such a massive chain of barriers, they should have been detected as soon as they stepped in unless the entire barrier was destroyed. However, now, Fina could feel that these barriers were still operational, but theypletely disregarded their presence, as if the two of them were the masters of the barrier.


    The thought that all of this was the doing of that petite, adorable girl made Fina extremely emotional, unsure of what to say.


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect it either.¡±


    Hearing Fina¡¯s sentiments, Fang Zheng also shook his head. To be honest, he had not held much hope for Nymph¡¯s level of power initially because, firstly, she was a silver-rank summoning stone, which generally meant a basic guarantee in Africa. Secondly, her frail appearance when she first appeared had somewhat disappointed Fang Zheng. Typically, individuals like her would not possess great strength. But¡­ damn, she was ying an unexpected hand!


    You can hack magic barriers, and you¡¯re pretending to be a little white rabbit here!


    Fang Zheng genuinely couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of world Nymph came from. With her abilities, she still lived on thin ice, nervously and willingly enving herself to others?


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng nced up at the treetops. Nymph had note along with them. Being an artificial angel, she could fly. Therefore, Fang Zheng had assigned her the task of aerial surveince. Not only that, but the little one also possessed the ability to turn invisible, which eased Fang Zheng¡¯s worries considerably. Otherwise, if Nymph were to encounter any danger and he couldn¡¯t help, that would be a problem.<div>


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    Just then, Fang Zheng suddenly stopped in his tracks and gestured to Fina beside him. Fina quickly crouched down and moved closer to Fang Zheng, clutching her staff tightly. Soon, they heard footsteps, and then saw several figures draped in ck robes emerge from the depths of the forest. They weren¡¯t armed, but the sulfuric smell on them already betrayed their identities.


    Cultists.


    ¡°The master¡¯smand must be followed.¡±


    These cultists had not noticed Fang Zheng and Fina nearby and were whispering among themselves. Their voices were not loud, but for Fang Zheng, who had senses as sharp as the Zerg¡¯s, it was as if they were singing right by his ear.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t it too soon? We just caught these dogs of the Sanctuary¡­¡±


    ¡°For the master¡¯s n, all this is unnecessary! Don¡¯t forget our mission! The master just sent a message; he has reached an agreement with that master. As long as we deliver these prisoners as agreed, that¡¯s enough. We don¡¯t need to worry about the rest!¡±


    ¡°But can we really trust that mage?¡±


    At this moment, one of the cultists asked in a somber tone. Hearing this, another cultist sneered.


    ¡°He¡¯s a traitor; we don¡¯t need traitors. Only the Twilight Legion, those corrupt fools, would fancy such an idiot. But for our master, his power is necessary. Since that foolish mage thinks he can gain power through negotiation, let him indulge in this brief and beautiful fantasy. I believe when that master arrives, he will understand what his choice truly means.¡±


    With that, these cultists broke into a series of sinisterughter and then turned away and left.


    ¡°Such sphemy¡­¡±


    Listening to the cultists¡¯ speeches, Fina gripped her staff tightly, her expression filled with anger. Meanwhile, Fang Zheng narrowed his eyes and scanned the surroundings. Perhaps it was because of the magic barrier, so these cultists did not conceal their actions and were not very vignt. But because of this, Fang Zheng finally got a bit of useful information from these dedicated ¡°NPCs¡± mouths.


    Clearly, the cultists¡¯ attack on the stronghold was premeditated, and these prisoners seemed to have been brought here for someone. As for the use of these prisoners? Well, it¡¯s just a sacrifice, a sacrifice, a sacrifice¡­ After all, cultists seem to know nothing else.


    Beyond that, the words of this group of cultists also revealed something else: there was a mage with them, who, from their speech, seemed to be a traitor. But none of that was important to Fang Zheng. What was crucial was the secret the cultists had just revealed.


    Their master had reached an agreement with a master.


    ¡°Nymph.¡±


    With that thought, Fang Zheng immediately tightened his invisible chains and muttered to himself. Soon, he heard Nymph¡¯s voice in his ear.


    ¡°Yes, Master, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Can you check where the captured Sanctuary Warriors are located?¡±


    ¡°Of course, no problem, please wait¡­ found them. The detector scanned twenty-three disarmed humans; they are located in the northwest corner, surrounded by ten soldiers on guard.¡±


    ¡°What about the Mage?¡±


    ¡°It seems he is not in the camp; I didn¡¯t detect his energy fluctuation.¡±


    ¡°This is really interesting.¡±


    Hearing Nymph¡¯s report, Fang Zheng¡¯s lips curled slightly, and then he recounted the situation to Fina standing beside him. After hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s ount, Fina also frowned deeply.


    ¡°So, what do we do next?¡±


    ¡°In any case, let¡¯s first rescue those Sanctuary Warriors. There are too many Cultists here. Just the two of us can¡¯t handle them all.¡±


    Fang Zheng certainly didn¡¯t tell the whole truth; if he were to summon the Lich King or Kerrigan, it would simply be a massacre. What¡¯s more, who could outnumber the Scourge Legion and the Zerg? However, given the current situation, he still didn¡¯t want to use these two. As for the Sanctuary Warriors, although they were captured, they should still be able to fight. Even if they couldn¡¯t defeat the Mage, they should have no problem dealing with the ordinary Cultists.


    With Nymph serving as an aerial radar, avoiding the Cultists¡¯ sentries was remarkably easy for the duo. Moreover, perhaps due to overreliance on the external magic barrier, these Cultists never considered the possibility of someone sneaking in. This led to their internal defense being as empty as if it were non-existent. Not only did Fang Zheng feel as though he was strolling in his own backyard, but even Fina yed the role of a top agent¡ªthe ipetence of their adversaries yed a huge part in this.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the two to stealthily arrive where the Sanctuary Warriors were held captive. It had to be said that the Sanctuary Warriors were indeed in a pitiful state. By the light of the fire, Fang Zheng could see that their armors had been stripped off, leaving them only in thin outer garments. Moreover, each of them was tightly bound by iron chains. It was a very bizarre kind of chain, appearing rusty and dark red, looking exceedingly fragile as if a normal person could break it simply by twisting it. But in reality, the Sanctuary Warriors werepletely enervated, copsed on the ground with a lifeless gaze, appearing as though their bodies were hollowed out.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with those guys?¡±


    Staring at the Sanctuary Warriors lying on the ground with a despondent expression, Fang Zheng was taken aback. He had thought that these Sanctuary Warriors would have some resilience even if they were wounded. What was going on with this defenseless, dead-fish-like state?


    ¡°It¡¯s because of the Chaos Shackles, Mr. Fang Zheng.¡±


    As a Cleric, Fina noticed the problem at once.


    ¡°These are shackles forged by the Cultists using Chaos Energy, specifically designed to imprison the offspring of order. As long as one is bound by the Chaos Shackles, they can¡¯t exert any of their powers.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Hearing Fina¡¯s exnation, Fang Zheng suddenly understood. This was essentially a tangible version of the Child of Chaos DEBUFF. It seemed that these years of conflict between the Cultists and the Sanctuary had indeed honed their abilities.@@novelbin@@


    Now that they understood the reason behind the Sanctuary Warriors¡¯ enervated state, the next step was figuring out how to rescue them. With this in mind, Fang Zheng peered around, taking advantage of the firelight. Compared to other areas, the security here was slightly stricter. Ten Cultists were responsible for guarding, all d in long robes and standing so still under the illumination of the firelight that they looked like corpses. If Fina hadn¡¯t sensed the absence of a Necromancer¡¯s aura from them, Fang Zheng might have even suspected that these Cultists were some kind of Undead Creatures.


    But no matter what, what needed to be done still had to be done.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s no problem, Mr. Fang Zheng? The adversaries are quite strong.¡±


    As Fang Zheng made his preparations for battle, Fina anxiously voiced her concerns. The sulphurous aura from each of those ten Cultists was very intense, each of their strengthsparable to that of Knight Conan. This meant that all these Cultists were of Elite Rank. Fina was not worried about one or two, but with ten of them, and spread out, if something went wrong, they could immediately be surrounded by arge group of Cultists!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me.¡±


    Drawing the Sky-Cleaving Sword from his waist, Fang Zheng nodded to Fina, then he looked forward, slightly crouching his body.


    The next moment, Fang Zheng¡¯s figurepletely vanished from Fina¡¯s sight.

 Chapter 73 - 72 City of the Fallen

    Chapter 73: Chapter 72 City of the Fallen


    Rescuing these Sanctuary Warriors wasn¡¯t difficult; after finding the keys on the Cultists, Fina and Fang Zheng quickly opened the Chaos Shackles binding the Sanctuary Warriors. Free from their shackles, these warriors seemed much better off.


    ¡°Thank you both for your assistance.¡±


    The leading Sanctuary Warrior bowed respectfully to Fang Zheng, having already been informed of his identity. To Fang Zheng¡¯s surprise, the warriors had somehow heard of his ¡°heroic deeds.¡± Apparently, Knight Conan hadn¡¯t spared any details at the base about the events in Shadow Canyon, prompting a respectful attitude from the warriors toward him.


    Of course, this was a good thing for Fang Zheng; at least he didn¡¯t have to go to great lengths to gain their trust.


    ¡°No need for formalities. In fact, the reason I pursued you was not only to rescue you but mainly to find out what these Cultists are up to. Do you have any leads?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡­.¡±


    At Fang Zheng¡¯s question, the Sanctuary Warrior named John looked visibly troubled.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Lord Fang Zheng, we don¡¯t know the true intentions of these Cultists. They¡¯ve been tight-lipped all along the way, and we¡¯ve been unable to uncover any clues. All we know is that the Cultists intended to take us to the Dark Marsh¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Dark Marsh?!¡±<div>


    Upon hearing this, Fina suddenly cried out, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at the Sanctuary Warrior.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they said they would take us to the Dark Marsh¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is there a problem?¡±


    Seeing Fina¡¯s pallor, Fang Zheng furrowed his brows and asked. At his question, Fina blinked and then shook her head.


    ¡°No, Mr. Fang Zheng, perhaps I¡¯m overthinking it¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°In any case, go ahead and speak. Regardless, it¡¯s still a clue. I doubt these Cultists are taking their captives to the Dark Marsh for a vacation.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡­. if I remember correctly,¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng speak, Fina hesitated before finally muttering through clenched teeth.


    ¡°That is¡­¡­. if my memory serves, deep within the Dark Marsh¡­¡­. lies the ruins of that forgotten kingdom¡­¡­. Samer¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Samer?!¡±@@novelbin@@


    At this, Fang Zheng had yet to respond, but Sanctuary Warrior John¡¯splexion drastically changed.


    ¡°Are you suggesting that these Cultists intend to take us to that cursed City of the Fallen?!¡±


    So that¡¯s the ce¡­¡­


    Fang Zheng finally understood what Fina was referring to.


    It was mentioned before that a long time ago, this continent was rife with wars, and because a certain nation ultimately sacrificed its entire poption to open the gates to Hell under threat, the continent underwent a dark periodsting over one hundred and fifty years. Afterward, the nations of the continent signed the Violet Pact to end the hostilities.


    And the originstator of it all was Samer.


    ording to the historical records Fang Zheng saw in the Sanctuary, Samer was once a very prosperous small nation. However, as the mes of war spread, their country, due to its wealth and superior geographic location, came under threat from a nation called Kadra nearby, which was one of the very powerful countries on the continent at the time. Coveting Samer¡¯s position and wealth, Kadra dispatched arge army to invade Samer, aiming topletely annex it.


    But the people of Samer were tough, strong-willed, and full of fighting spirit. Despite the vast disparity in strength between the two sides, they still fought fearlessly to the death. Even so, Kadra ultimately destroyed the entire country and surrounded its capital, Radiant City. The Emperor of Kadra sent an ultimatum to the people of Samer, demanding they surrender and open the gates within three days, otherwise, he threatened to massacre the Royal Capital.


    Under immense pressure, the people of Samer eventually agreed to the demands of the Emperor of Kadra, and on the third day, they would surrender and open the city gates.


    But on the third day, Radiant City¡¯s gates remained shut, and the infuriated Emperor of Kadra personally led his army to break down the city gates. What they saw next was a horrifying sight.


    The city was strewn with corpses everywhere.


    The bodies of men, women, children, and even infants all formed a giant and evil magic circle. Just as the Emperor of Kadra entered the city, the magic circle activated.


    It tore apart the very fabric of space, and using the entire city along with the souls of all the people of Samer who died unjustly as a sacrifice, it summoned one of the most powerful Demon Kings from Hell¡ªGletus. Drake. Ba.


    The dark legion annihted the entire army of Kadra in an instant. They then began to spread out, and the rulers of Samer made a pact with the Demon King with the souls of all their people, asking it to exterminate all countries that had invaded Samer or turned a blind eye to their plight during wartime. Ba was more than happy to fulfill this agreement, his devil legionid waste to Kadra and the surrounding nations, then began a frenzied invasion into every corner of the continent.


    For the next one hundred and fifty years, the entire continent was engulfed in darkness, death, blood, and chaos. The Twilight Legion of the Order Frontier mobilized in full force, while darkness and devils rampaged in the mes of death and evil. Countless nations were destroyed, vanishing amidst the mes.


    Eventually, under the leadership of the Kingdom of the Holy Church and the Magitech Nation, the remaining forces of the continent united to mount a desperate counterattack. A group of warriors blessed with Divine Favor formed a suicide squad which, following the clich¨¦ of a Hollywood blockbuster, disguised themselves as the evil Fallen, infiltrated the dark magitech nest that Radiant City had be. There, they burned their own souls to summon the power of the True God,pletely sealing the spatial passage and banishing the Demon God Babu from the Main World. The devil legion, without any reinforcements, was powerless and ultimately annihted by the coalition forces.


    This Dark Warsted one hundred and fifty years, with countless lives lost in the fight against the darkness. More importantly, it was an invasion of Chaos into the Order World. Remember, before that campaign, Chaos was far from this continent. Now, why would the Order Fortress be built not far from the edge of the Dark Marsh?


    Because what once belonged to the vast territories of Kadra has now be a yground for the minions of Chaos!


    And all this stemmed from just one major nation¡¯s attempt to annex a smaller one.


    It was only after that when everyone finally understood to never push a country to the brink of desperation because if you do¡­ who knows if they might choose to drag others down with them.


    ¡°But wasn¡¯t that cepletely sealed? I remember the records also mentioned that the Goddess of Order personally applied the seal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too, but I still have some worries¡­ Sorry, maybe I¡¯m thinking too much¡­¡±


    Seeing Fina¡¯s hesitant expression, Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t without understanding for her concerns. It was like a police officer going on a mission to catch a criminal. If you bring back a murderer, and it turns out they¡¯re involved with guns and drugs, it¡¯s still considered normal and understandable. But if you catch a criminal who turns out to be nning to detonate a nuclear bomb to destroy the world, you¡¯d also question your life for a moment.


    That script is just not realistic.


    ¡°In any case, as long as we catch these cultists and interrogate them, we¡¯ll know what they¡¯re up to.¡±


    Fang Zheng waved his hand, about to say something more when suddenly, at this moment, the voice of Nymph rang in his ears.


    ¡°Master! I¡¯ve detected the energy fluctuations of that mage; he¡¯s already returned to the camp!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Upon hearing Nymph¡¯s reply, Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll soon find out what¡¯s going on.¡±

 Chapter 75 - 74 This Isnt Science, but Its Very Magic

    Chapter 75: Chapter 74 This Isn¡¯t Science, but It¡¯s Very Magic


    What is this?


    Watching the circle that suddenly enveloped him, Charles was stunned for a moment, then he cautiously raised his hands, the radiance of magic flickering in his palms. As a mage, Charles knew better than to make hasty judgments about anything unfamiliar, although he could clearly feel that the girl¡¯s power was inferior to his. But she was an angel, and that alone was reason enough to treat her differently.


    However, Nymph did notunch an attack, instead, she hid behind Fang Zheng after deploying that domain. Fang Zheng, on the other hand, moved with a sh, his longsword transforming into a burst of silver light, followed by countless lightsabers that materialized out of thin air and bombarded the Bald Mage.


    Divine Storm!


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Watching the overwhelming Sword Qi barrageing toward him, Charles snorted coldly. Though he looked down on warriors, it didn¡¯t mean he could emerge unscathed from Fang Zheng¡¯s attack filled with sacred power. As a mage, he obviously had a method to counter it. Charles took a step back and spread his arms. Then, a barrier shimmering with a rainbow¡¯s radiance unfolded by his side, attempting to block Fang Zheng¡¯s all-out strike.


    In Charles¡¯s view, his response was wless. Wall of the Rainbow could withstand any attack below Legendary, and all he had to do was prepare the next spell under its protection to take out the bothersome warrior and that cleric. With this in mind, a cold smile appeared in Charles¡¯s eyes. His hands trembled unceasingly as he drew the power of magic from the air, concentrating and amassing it into a formidable force, ready to explode¡­


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    But just then, Charles suddenly felt something was amiss before his eyes.<div>


    Where¡¯s my Wall of the Rainbow?


    Such a huge Wall of the Rainbow, it was just right here, why has it disappeared?


    What is this exactly¡­?


    Before Charles could understand, the roaring Divine Storm came howling in, engulfing him like a tidal wave. The Lightning Shield on Charlessted less than three seconds under the onught before beingpletely torn to shreds, and Charles himself let out a miserable scream as he was overwhelmed by the white Holy Light.


    ¡°Finally took care of that¡­¡±


    Looking at the Bald Mage lying on the ground, now unconscious, Fang Zheng also wiped a cold sweat. He had to admit, the mage had been tough to handle. If it hadn¡¯t been for Nymph¡¯s intrusion and interference, directly seizing control of the opponent¡¯s Defensive Magic, it would have probably been quite a chore to take this guy down.


    After dealing with the Bald Mage, the remaining cultists were basically sitting ducks for Fang Zheng. These cultists could summon projections of lower Demon Creatures from Hell tomand, but they themselves had littlebat power ¨C or to be precise, anyone with realbat power had been silently taken out by Fang Zheng during the earlier rescue. With their forces significantly reduced, what remained was easily overwhelmed; the Sanctuary Warriors swiftly took control of the situation.


    With that, the operation could be considered a great sess, not only had they rescued the Sanctuary Warriors, but they had also captured the Bald Mage¡ªwho Fang Zheng didn¡¯t know, but could confirm was a person of importance.@@novelbin@@


    However, one thing still baffled Fang Zheng up to now, and that was¡­ why did his own ability stop working?


    Is this mage very powerful?


    To be honest, it was Fang Zheng¡¯s first time battling a mage from the Main World, but at least from his feeling, this mage was not weak at all. What was most important was that this Bald Mage was just like a hedgehog, giving people no way to start. He had tried several times to take advantage of his own speed to stealth attack the Bald Mage before he could react, only to be blocked by the Lightning Shield surrounding him. And what was even more deadly was that the magic released by the other party was either a wide-area attack or came with tracking that didn¡¯t even require aiming! As for Fang Zheng, aside from the invincible Hearthstone, he didn¡¯t have any other good defense methods; he could only take the hit hard or rely on Fina, the Divine Shepherd.


    Damn, no matter the world, an archmage is an archmage.


    As for assassination? Fang Zheng still hadn¡¯t forgotten that his first move was to stop time only to be countered directly by the opponent!


    What on earth was going on?


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng? What should we do now?¡±


    As Fang Zheng pondered, Fina appeared in front of him, curiously asking. Fang Zheng also withdrew his thoughts, shook his head, and then looked forward. The entire camp was already under the control of the Sanctuary Warriors, and corpses of cultists were everywhere. The Demon Creature projections they controlled dissipated automatically after their masters died, returning to Hell.


    The losses of the Sanctuary Warriors were not small either; after all, they were not Temrs like Conan, their strength was just barely entering the elite standard. About five people had died in battle, but fortunately, most of them had survived.


    ¡°Have you gotten any information from those cultists?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Responding to Fang Zheng¡¯s inquiry, Fina shook her head.


    ¡°Theymitted suicide immediately after being captured, we didn¡¯t even have time to stop them¡­¡±


    ¡°These guys are really determined¡­¡±


    Hearing Fina¡¯s response, Fang Zheng was also taken aback. He had originally nned to capture a live one to ask about the situation, but he didn¡¯t expect these cultists to be even more resolute than he imagined,mitting suicide when things went awry. This wasn¡¯t scientific. What about the established notion that cultists were supposed to be sneaky, evil, cunning, and as scared as mice?


    However, they still had one prisoner.


    That Bald Mage was still lying on the ground unconscious, not sure if it was because of his poor physical condition, but right now Fang Zheng saw him with a pale face, breathing rapidly, looking like he was about to be rushed to the ICU. However, Fang Zheng obviously wasn¡¯t going to worry about his life or death; he just stared at the Bald Mage lying in front of him, wondering how he could wake him up. Too troublesome tasks were beyond him anyway, better to just p him first.


    ¡°Hold on, Mr. Fang Zheng!¡±


    But just as Fang Zheng was about to make his move, Fina hurriedly stopped him.


    ¡°It¡¯s very dangerous to wake a mage like this! I think we should make some preparations first¡­¡±


    ¡°Ready? It seems indeed necessary.¡±


    Upon hearing Fina¡¯sment, Fang Zheng nodded his head as well. He hade to the realization that the mages here were even more dangerous than those in the games. Who knew if this guy would wake up and activate some sort of shield or something and then beat a hasty retreat? Many mages in games have spells like teleportation gates; he didn¡¯t know if the Bald Mage could do the same, but there was always a chance he might. If he truly intended to flee, Fang Zheng¡¯s efforts would have been in vain. His control was over time, not space¡ªoh, but even then, it seemed to have no effect on this guy.


    However¡­


    ¡°Do you have any good solutions?¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I don¡¯t have any good solutions, I¡¯m just a Cleric¡­¡±


    Fina was helpless in this situation; she was but an Apprentice Priest, the individual before her was a mage more powerful than she, and Clerics themselves were a profession inclined more towards healing and protection, not skilled in imprisoning skills.


    But just then, Nymph suddenly raised her hand.


    ¡°Master, I think I can give it a try.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Upon hearing Nymph¡¯s offer, Fang Zheng looked at the Little Angel beside him.


    ¡°You have a method?¡±


    ¡°I think there shouldn¡¯t be a problem, but¡­¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re confident, go ahead and try.¡±


    Although she appeared somewhat uneasy in front of Fang Zheng, after considering for a moment, he decided to let Nymph give it a try. After all, she had disyed incredible power before and had yed a key role in defeating the mage. Therefore, Fang Zheng trusted Nymph quite a bit.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Having received Fang Zheng¡¯s response, Nymph walked over to the unconscious Bald Mage and then extended her right hand, pressing it firmly against his forehead.


    ¡°Initiating the invasion!¡±


    With Nymph¡¯s soft utterance, in the next moment, her hand suddenly emitted a shining radiance that enveloped the Bald Mage before her. The light maintained its glow for a few seconds before quietly fading away; meanwhile, Nymph withdrew her hand from the forehead and turned to nod at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Master, missionplete.¡±


    ¡°Good, now wake him up.¡±


    Hearing Nymph¡¯s reply, Fang Zheng nodded and then approached the Bald Mage, extending his hand to deliver a series of ps.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Whether it was Fang Zheng¡¯s forceful pping or the mage¡¯s low tolerance for pain, after a few ps, the Bald Mage slowly regained consciousness, shaking his head and opening his eyes. When he clearly saw Fang Zheng before him, the Bald Mage¡¯s expression dramatically changed, and hurriedly he raised his right hand.


    ¡°Burst!¡±


    With a loud shout, the Bald Mage extended his right hand, pointing his fingers at Fang Zheng, however¡­ nothing happened.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Observing Fang Zheng unharmed, the Bald Mage¡¯splexion turned ashen. He widened his eyes, incredulously staring at his own hands, then began to wildly wave them while loudly reciting a variety of arcane Spell Texts. But no matter how he recited them, there was no effect; instead, he seemed to be behaving like someone in the grips of insanity.


    ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    Looking at the frantic Bald Mage, Fang Zheng curiously turned to Nymph and asked, to which Nymph smiled faintly and provided the answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Master. I simply invaded his brain and applied a lock on the portion of his memory that pertains to the use of magic.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.. So what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means he has forgotten how to use magic.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Fang Zheng thought, even though every word she spoke sounded scientific, why did it all sound so magical? Invade the brain? Apply a locking program? Are we sure we¡¯re discussing the real world and not The Matrix of Hackers?


    But anyway¡­


    Looking at the Bald Mage, who stood there dumbfounded and open-mouthed, Fang Zheng smiled faintly.


    ¡°Hello, sir, it seems we have quite a bit to discuss, don¡¯t we?¡±

 Chapter 76 - 75 This is All a Routine

    Chapter 76: Chapter 75 This is All a Routine


    ¡°What have you done to me, where is my magic? Why can¡¯t I cast any spells?!¡±


    Charles had never felt such panic before. When he opened his eyes, his power hadpletely vanished¡­ No, it wasn¡¯t his power that had vanished. Charles clearly remembered he was a mage, and furthermore, a Three-Star Mage of the Order School.


    He knew he specialized in the Elemental System within the Order School and was adept at using elemental spells; he could even recite the names of instructors from every ss he had attended.


    But, he just couldn¡¯t cast any spells!


    It was like a person starving to death, knowing that if they didn¡¯t eat, they would die, and knowing what food was, but just ¡°forgetting¡± how to eat!


    No, for a mage, this was even more cruel than starving to death!


    ¡°Give me back my magic! Give it back!!¡±


    Although Charles had been a powerful mage, without his magic, he was now merely an ordinary person. Hence, facing the furiously shouting Charles, Fang Zheng just snorted coldly and then raised the Sky-Cleaving Sword, pressing it against the other¡¯s neck. Feeling the cold de, Charles involuntarily shut his mouth¡ªhe didn¡¯t have the Protective des spell to use now; one strike would utterly end his life.


    ¡°Alright, Bald Guy, now I ask one question, and you answer one. If you utter an extra word of nonsense, I can¡¯t guarantee I won¡¯t let my hand slip¡­ Understand?¡±<div>


    ¡°You, you dare threaten me, do you know who I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Shush!¡±


    But before Charles could finish speaking, he saw a sh of the sword before his eyes, then he felt a chill between his legs, and as Charles looked down, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp¡ªFang Zheng¡¯s sword tip was pointing right between his legs, even less than a finger¡¯s distance away.


    ¡°Now, I ask, you answer, understood?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Charles swallowed hard and nodded vigorously. Now, whether he understood or not was beside the point.


    ¡°Good, start with your name and identity.¡±


    ¡°I, I am Charles Lawrence, I am a mage of the Tower of Heaven¡­¡±


    ¡°The Tower of Heaven, you¡¯re really from the White Tower?¡±


    Hearing Charles¡¯s answer, Fina couldn¡¯t help but exim, and even Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow. Of course, he knew what the Tower of Heaven was. To protect the ¡°Violet Pact,¡± the forces of order on this continent had formed an Order Alliance, which aimed to uphold order and eradicate chaos. As part of this alliance, there were four organizations, each the core organizational force of their respective nations.


    For example, Fang Zheng¡¯s Kingdom of the Holy Church was represented within the alliance by the ¡°Sanctuary of Reflection,¡± and the Magitech Nation was represented by the ¡°Tower of Heaven.¡± It was said that the Tower of Heaven was where all the elite mages of the Magitech Nation were located, much like the highest academic institution in the Land of Mages, where only students who passed the ¡°university entrance exams¡± were qualified to enter to study further and gain even greater power and lofty status.


    However¡­ it seemed that high credentials but low ability wasn¡¯t unique to any particr world.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe mages from the White Tower would actually collude with cultists.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea what I have experienced!¡±


    Angered by Fang Zheng¡¯s mockery, Charlesshed out.


    ¡°Those damned colleagues, always scheming against me, even mocking me! I was expelled from the core circle, assigned to this godforsaken ce as a Watcher, and I¡¯m fed up! I clearly¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your past, no need for more nonsense.¡±


    Fang Zheng truly didn¡¯t care about Charles¡¯sints. He had seen too many of these freshly graduated young people during interviews, always quick with ¡°it¡¯s not me, it¡¯s the world that¡¯s wrong¡± or ¡°my ideas are correct, just give me enough resources and I¡¯ll definitely seed¡±¡­ yet none of these had any real use; you can¡¯t even handle things under limited resource conditions, yet you expect thepany to rely on you? Must be delusional?


    ¡°Tell me something useful. What are these cultists nning? Why did they attack the stronghold, what are they intending to do with these Temrs? Exin everything you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    But this time, Charles didn¡¯t answer; instead, he looked at the Sky-Cleaving Sword in Fang Zheng¡¯s hand with aplex expression, seeming to ponder something. Watching his expression, Fang Zheng simply smiled slightly.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think we don¡¯t already know just about everything, would you? Honestly, we¡¯ve almost gotten all the information we need from other prisoners already. Now it¡¯s just about verification, so confess for leniency or resist for severity. If you cooperate, we might consider letting you go. But if you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    When Fang Zheng spoke, both Fina and John looked at him in surprise. Captives? Where did captivese from? Hadn¡¯t all those cultistsmitted suicide after being captured?


    ¡°Humph, I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Charles, on the other hand, scoffed at Fang Zheng¡¯s words. He was well aware of what kind of ruthless individuals those cultists were. In Charles¡¯s view, although the cultists were insane, their fanaticism towards their belief was terrifying. He simply couldn¡¯t believe that these cultists would betray their own, much less betray their master.


    ¡°Alright, it looks like you n to resist to the end.¡±


    Seeing Charles¡¯s disdainful expression, Fang Zheng shrugged.


    ¡°I can understand you worrying that we¡¯re bluffing you, so here¡¯s a hint¡­ The City of the Fallen, Sanatoga, that¡¯s your destination, right?¡±


    ¡°How did you know¡ª!?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Charles was immediately shocked; he couldn¡¯t understand how the other party knew. He had only just learned about their destination from his master, and he hadn¡¯t even notified the other cultists. Logically speaking, this young man couldn¡¯t possibly know this secret!


    But when Charles saw Fang Zheng¡¯s expression, he finally realized.


    ¡°You tricked me?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ I thought mages were all quite smart, but it seems¡­ Well, intelligence and emotional intelligence have never been directly proportional.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s answer, Charles¡¯s face turned livid. If it wasn¡¯t for his concern about the other¡¯s longsword, and for some reason his current inability to cast magic, he would have even wanted to rush up and fight this young man to the death!


    At this moment, Charles was filled with rage, while Fina and John were utterly stunned by the news.


    ¡°Could it be that those cultists really n to reopen the Gates of Hell?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    At this point, Charles had nothing left to lose. He had lost his magic and had been captured by the Sanctuary, essentially ruining his reputation. He could even imagine what he would be once he returned. Thus, Charles had nothing else to worry about.


    ¡°That master is about to open the Gates of Hell and summon the Devil Legion to this world again. By then, all of you will die!¡±


    ¡°This is impossible!!¡±


    But Fina shook her head vigorously, utterly unwilling to believe Charles¡¯s words.


    ¡°The Gates of Hell were personally sealed by the Goddess of Order; it is absolutely impossible to open them, whether from the inside or the outside. Even if Sanatoga himself came, it would be impossible!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I say, being stupid is a lifelong thing.¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng looked at Charles with a pitying gaze, then shrugged.


    ¡°It seems there are plenty of fools among mages. You believe whatever others say. I guess by the time they sell you out, you will probably be counting money for them¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, you brain-damaged believers in god won¡¯t understand!¡±


    Facing Fang Zheng¡¯s taunt, Charles simply sneered.


    ¡°Indeed, the Goddess¡¯s seal is very strong, and reopening it is impossible. But who said that the sealed gates must be reopened? If the gates can¡¯t be opened, can¡¯t we just create a new breach? Hahaha, you¡¯re all so foolish¡­ you just don¡¯t understand¡­ hahaha¡­¡±@@novelbin@@


    By now, John and Fina werepletely at a loss for words, especially Fina. She knew very well that Fang Zheng knew nothing, and her previous remarks were only spections. But she hadn¡¯t expected that this young man could be so formidable, convincing Charles to admit it with just a few equivocal guesses.


    ¡°¡­So, being stupid is a lifelong thing.¡±


    Looking at the bewildered Charles, Fang Zheng shrugged again, then turned his head to look at Fina beside him.


    ¡°It seems we need to carefully consider our next moves now.¡±

 Chapter 78 - 77: Oh my, this idea is really too bold.

    Chapter 78: Chapter 77: Oh my, this idea is really too bold.


    ¡°About Mages?¡±


    The Cleric Maiden blinked curiously and looked toward Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng wishes to know about Spellcasters?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. During the previous battles, I found myself quite unfamiliar with Spellcasters, so I¡¯d like to ask Miss Fina about theirbat methods and such.¡±


    Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t making excuses; on the contrary, if he had felt no need to understand the Mage profession before, he now had to change his mind. A single Bald Guy, Charles, had managed to embarrass him, and had it not been for Nymph¡¯s assistance, he probably would have had to flee in disarray. Considering that they might encounter a Destruction Mage among their future enemies, Fang Zheng naturally intended to gather some information on Spellcasters first.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not a problem. What would you like to know, Mr. Fang Zheng?¡±


    ¡°What exactly is that Lightning Shield all about? Why did it appear suddenly when Iunched an attack?¡±


    This was Fang Zheng¡¯s most confounding issue. At that time, he could have sworn the Bald Mage had been stopped by his Time Stop, and theoretically, he should have been an easy target. However, just as his sword was about to strike, the lightning appeared out of nowhere, repelling him, and disrupting his maniption of time, which was the most perplexing part for Fang Zheng.


    However, Fina quickly provided an answer.<div>


    ¡°Based on Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s description, I believe that must be the Mage¡¯s stored Spell Trigger¡­ It¡¯s a technique where a Spell is stored in advance and then automatically triggered under specific circumstances; most Intermediate Mages possess this Skill. I suppose that Mage Charles had set up the trigger to release a Lightning Shield upon being attacked, hence your attack being blocked, Mr. Fang Zheng.¡±


    Well, that¡¯s just like an automatic cheat, isn¡¯t it?


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes, reminded of the many cheat programs in online games of the past, such as automatically drinking a Blood Bottle when HP fell to a certain level or regenerating mana once MP dropped¡­ Damn, an Archmage is truly an Archmage!


    ¡°Then Miss Fina, do you possess this Skill too?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Facing Fang Zheng¡¯s curious inquiry, Fina showed a troubled expression.


    ¡°Spell Trigger is a Skill known by Intermediate and higher-level Spellcasters. However, there are Divine Arts that can achieve simr effects, though they must be cast in advance¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Then, how should one deal with such a situation?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fang Zheng frowned. ording to Fina¡¯s words, Mages seemed invincible, impervious to sneak attacks and tough in battle, and capable of escaping when overpowered. It was fortunate he had the Little Angel, Nymph, who could invade and take control of the Mage¡¯s Spells. Otherwise, facing a Mage, would he have to give up fighting and just go home to sleep?


    ¡°Spellcasters prepare specialized Spells to remove another¡¯s defenses when fighting each other, and there are also some weapons capable of breaking magic¡­ Besides that, using overwhelming power to break through is another method¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    After Fina¡¯s response, Fang Zheng¡¯s brows furrowed. He didn¡¯t have any magic-breaking weapons, and using overwhelming force was a solution, having eventually broken through the Bald Guy¡¯s Lightning Shield with Divine Storm. However, that was because Nymph had prematurely nullified the Bald Mage¡¯s Protection Magic. As the saying goes, ¡°Know thy self, know thy enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles¡±¡­ It seems¡­


    ¡°Miss Fina.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here, what is it?¡±


    ¡°If I want to learn magic, are there any restrictions?¡±


    ¡°Restrictions?¡±


    Upon Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Fina paused, then shook her head.


    ¡°Well¡­ the Sanctuary doesn¡¯t impose any restrictions, but magic is a highlyplex and difficult Spellcasting technique that requires a significant amount of effort and is not easily mastered. Thus, it¡¯s rare for someone to study magic while also specializing in swordsmanship¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, I was being a bit impatient, thank you.¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng¡¯s initially vexed mood finally calmed down. As Fina said, he had yet to perfect his swordsmanship; considering magic might indeed be premature. However, Fang Zheng wouldn¡¯t give up on studying magic because of this. From that Bald Mage alone, he saw many useful aspects of magic that were far more beneficial than simple swordsmanship.


    And besides¡­ damn it, he was a Dimensional Mage, what sort of mage doesn¡¯t know any spells? Just a Holy Light and Weapon Mastery would be following the Gandalf temte.


    So now there was only one question left.


    ¡°Lady Fina, you mentioned earlier that Divine Arts also has simr effects¡­ Can you perform it? I would like to conduct a small experiment.¡±


    ¡°Ah, of course, that¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Fina readily nodded in agreement to Fang Zheng¡¯s request. Although she hadn¡¯t spent much time with him, the intelligence and wisdom he had disyed had already filled her with trust in him. Not only had he easily extracted their conspiracies from Charles, but he could even use these vague pieces of evidence to deduce the enemy¡¯s actions. It was a skill that made Fina feel inferior, so even though she didn¡¯t know why Fang Zheng wanted to do this now, she quickly agreed, raised her staff, and Fang Zheng saw a beam of light suddenly appear, enshrouding Fina and then disappearing into specks of radiance.


    ¡°This is Holy Armor, it will actively manifest to block an attack when I¡¯m under attack, and the effect should be simr to the spells cast by mages¡­ It just needs to be actively released¡­¡±


    ¡°Um, I understand.¡±


    Staring at the radiance around the girl, Fang Zheng nodded.


    The next moment, time stopped.


    In Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes, the girl before him suddenly froze in ce, standing there like a statue without moving, her eyes staring ahead, looking just like a wax figure.


    Fang Zheng reached out and gently patted her shoulder; it was warm and soft to the touch, but the girl did not show any reaction.


    Um¡­ in this situation, I suddenly have a bold idea.


    Looking at the Cleric Maiden before him, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help swallowing hard; for some reason, he suddenly remembered certain scenes from the adult films he had seen in the past¡­ Speaking of which, it seems time stop does have such uses!


    Cough cough¡­ Thinking too much, thinking too much, stop right there.


    Patting his head and tossing away the movie scenarios in his mind, Fang Zheng started to carefully observe the girl before him, then he raised his longsword and thrust at the girl¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Ding!¡±


    Fang Zheng¡¯s strike was not fast, but just as he was about to pierce her body, a golden barrier suddenly appeared and blocked his strike, and along with the appearance of the barrier, Fang Zheng quickly felt his grasp on time begin to weaken, with the duration of the effect rapidly decreasing. Perhaps it was because Fina was not as strong as the Bald Mage, so Fang Zheng still had time to grasp and feel.


    Indeed, if I face an enemy¡¯s released Skill while manipting time, will my maintained duration decrease?


    Fang Zheng had considered this while he was performing hisbo attacks, and now after battling the Bald Mage and practicing with Fina, he was increasingly certain his spection was correct. The time maniption he wielded wasn¡¯t invincible; quite the contrary, this ability had many restrictions, and there was the danger of being resisted and immuned.


    Even when facing an Apprentice Priest like Fina, my time maniption is at risk of being weakened. So, it¡¯s not surprising that it was directly countered by the Bald Mage; he said he was a Three-Star Mage¡­ It must be the baseline for Africa, at least stronger than One-Star and Two-Star, right?@@novelbin@@


    I wonder what a Five-Star Mage is like?


    While his mind wandered aimlessly, Fang Zheng snapped his fingers, and time began to flow again. Fina, in front of him, also returned to normal.


    ¡°Thank you for your help, Lady Fina.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, Mr. Fang Zheng.¡±


    Although Fina didn¡¯t know what exactly Fang Zheng had done, she quickly bowed her head in response. And then¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s set off.¡±


    While speaking, Fang Zheng nced over the encampment strewn with corpses; this ce was not suitable for camping out.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find a safe ce to rest first, then head to the Dark Marsh¡­ I¡¯m also curious about what those Cultists are really up to.¡±

 Chapter 80 - 79: Land Abandoned by God

    Chapter 80: Chapter 79: Land Abandoned by God


    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±


    Seeing the imposing figure before him, Mr. Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but whistle. Lady Fina, even more surprised, widened her eyes and opened her mouth, unable to speak.


    In front of the two, stood a massive ck bear. However,pared to the bears Mr. Fang Zheng had seen in the animal world, this ck bear was enormous, with its body lying t on the ground measuring nearly two meters tall. It stood there in front of Mr. Fang Zheng and Lady Fina, watching the two humans. Shortly afterward, Mr. Fang Zheng saw the Little Angel with blue haire around from behind the giant bear.


    ¡°How about it, Master? Look, this is what I just found. I¡¯ve already made an arrangement with it, and it has agreed to serve temporarily as your mount to carry both of you down the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Very nice.¡±


    Mr. Fang Zheng patted the Nymph¡¯s little head, and the Little Angel revealed a delighted smile. Then, she reached out, ced her hand on top of the giant bear¡¯s head, as if tomunicate. Subsequently, the giant bear obediently crouched down, signaling for the two to mount its back. Since such a useful mode of transportation was avable, Mr. Fang Zheng naturally did not hesitate to mount it. As for Lady Fina, the Cleric Maiden hesitated for a moment but eventually gingerly seated herself behind Mr. Fang Zheng.


    Then, the giant bear stood up and swiftly ran towards the base of the mountain with the two on its back.


    The bear was massive, but its run was very steady, making Mr. Fang Zheng and Lady Fina feel even more stable than riding on horseback. Mr. Fang Zheng wondered where the Nymph had found this giant bear and how she had ¡°convinced¡± it to serve as their mount.


    Regardless, with this giant bear, the journey ahead was much easier. As one of the top predators in the forest, this bear obviously belonged to the category of the kings of the mountain, with no animal daring to provoke it. And despite its huge size, the bear¡¯s speed was also surprisingly swift, making Mr. Fang Zheng even think that if it were equipped with battle armor, it could probably go directly to Zu Oman to serve as a mount¡­<div>


    <div>


    Ever heard of the Amani War Bear?


    Of course, that was just Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s idle thoughts to pass the time. The bear obviously livedfortably in the forest and had no intentions of wandering into a wretched ce like Zu Oman. In fact, in less than an hour, it had carried Mr. Fang Zheng and Lady Fina through the forest and arrived at the Dark Marsh.


    This was a dark swamp.


    Though he had heard about the Dark Marsh from Garrison and Knight Conan, and Lady Fina had introduced its history to him, when Mr. Fang Zheng actually saw this pitch-cknd, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit dazed.


    Snow was still falling, the pristine snowkesnding on the ground, enveloping the entirend in a nket of white. However, this was limited to the mountains and forest where Mr. Fang Zheng was located. In front of him, at the foot of the mountain bordering the Dark Marsh, a clear ck-and-white boundary stretched forth. The snowkes seemed to leave no mark whatsoever on the swamp, only the pitch-ck soil and the sporadic ruins in the distance.


    The Dark Marsh was indeed dark.


    ¡°Roar¡­¡­ Roar¡­¡­¡±


    Standing at the foot of the hillside, the giant bear also stopped moving, opened its mouth, and let out a low growl towards the dark swamp, as if it was facing some terrifying enemy. The Nymph flew to its side, ced her hand on the bear¡¯s head, and after a moment, turned around to face Mr. Fang Zheng, shaking her head.


    ¡°This child can only take Master this far; it doesn¡¯t want to enter that swamp¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±


    Hearing Nymph¡¯s response filled with unease and apology, Mr. Fang Zheng waved his hand. Then, he flipped off the bear¡¯s back, came in front of it, and stealthily patted it. The next moment, he had a salmon in his hand.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t have anything better; consider this as the fare.¡±


    ¡°Ouch¡­¡±


    As Fang Zheng held the salmon in his hands, the giant bear paused, then cautiously approached. It first sniffed the salmon in Fang Zheng¡¯s hand and, after confirming there was nothing wrong, took it in one bite. Then, with a low growl, the bear nodded at Fang Zheng and turned to disappear into the forest.


    ¡°Indeed, having a mount does feel quite nice.¡±


    Watching the bear¡¯s figure vanish, Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders, then turned to look at the young girls beside him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The path through the Dark Marsh was not easy to navigate. In fact, if Fang Zheng were to describe it, walking on the marsh felt simr to walking on a Zerg fungal carpet. The ground underfoot was not hard but rather soft and squishy soil. Even through leather boots, one could feel a warm pulsation beneath, as if walking not onnd but on the body of a foul-smelling creature.


    The fluttering snowkes had also disappeared. In fact, upon entering the marsh, it felt as though he had stepped into another world. Dense clouds above nearly blocked out all light, making it appear gloomy and dark even during the day. The cold wind passing through the marsh wailed like the mournful cries of ghosts, as if vengeful spirits from centuries ago still lingered over thisnd.


    ¡°This ce was once a prosperous nation¡­¡±


    Lady Fina lookedplexly at a ruin beside her, its appearance still vaguely resembling a manor. But now, the manor waspletely burned into pitch-ck ruins. The columns had copsed, leaving only a few walls still standing, which continued to tell of its former glory.


    ¡°But it was humans who destroyed it, not devils.¡±


    After scanning his surroundings, Fang Zheng took out a map to check their bearings and casually answered. Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s reply, Fina¡¯s expression turnedplex; she hesitated for a moment before speaking.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng, do you think wars will ever cease?¡±


    ¡°War, war never changes,¡± he said,paring directions and continuing forward without looking back.


    ¡°Frankly, from my standpoint, I¡¯d of course hope for a lifetime of peace and stability where I canfortably idle at home, not caring for or doing anything, and enjoy my days in leisure. However, unfortunately, the world will never offer such good fortunes. Conflict is everywhere, and sometimes, you must fight for something. Honestly, I can somewhat understand that nation¡¯s thinking¡ªtheir only mistake was underestimating the opposing side¡¯s resolution to resist till the end.¡±


    ¡°And what about the battle between order and chaos?¡±


    ¡°Chaos¡­ frankly, it¡¯s still too far away from me at the moment, although I have encountered a Child of Chaos once¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Fang Zheng paused for a moment, then turned his head to look at Fina, shing an intriguing smile.


    ¡°By the way, Miss Fina, have you ever thought about one thing?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Perhaps it was Fang Zheng¡¯s somewhat ¡°malicious¡± gaze, so Fina also tensed up instinctively and asked.


    ¡°Could it be¡­ that Chaos might also be a part of order?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ What?!!!¡±


    This time, Fina seemed utterly shocked, her eyes widened, and she screamed even before Mr. Fang Zheng had finished speaking.


    ¡°How could that be possible? Order and Chaos are mortal enemies! Moreover, they arepletely different!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then tell me, ording to your understanding, what is Order? What is Chaos?¡±


    ¡°Well, order is¡­¡±


    Perhaps Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s question was too bizarre, so much so that Fina did not know how to respond for a moment. She opened her mouth, stunned for a while, before it seemed like she remembered something and pped her hands.


    ¡°Order has identifiable features, and it conforms to rules and regrities. Meanwhile, Chaos is disorganized and has now or regrity¡­ How could they be the same?¡±


    ¡°ording to what you just said, then Chaos indeed is a part of order.¡±


    ¡°How could that be possible? Chaos has absolutely no regrity and¡­¡±


    ¡°The characteristics of Chaos, didn¡¯t you just mention them?¡±


    At this point, Mr. Fang Zheng winked yfully at Fina.


    ¡°You said Chaos is disorganized, withoutws or regrities¡­ Isn¡¯t that its identifiable characteristic?¡±


    ¡°Could that be?¡±


    At this point, Fina waspletely thrown, her mouth agape, staring at Mr. Fang Zheng as if he had dered something utterly sacrilegious.


    ¡°What could not be?¡±


    Seeing Fina¡¯s puzzled expression, Mr. Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but smile. He stretched out his hand, pointed at the ground beneath their feet, and then to the distant mountains shrouded in Shirayuki.


    ¡°Just like ck and white, even though they are so different, aren¡¯t they both part of color?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    This time, Fina did not counter, she lowered her head, her expression fluctuating. Mr. Fang Zheng, meanwhile, turned and continued walking forward¡­ thankfully, Nymph was on watch above, otherwise, Fina¡¯s scream might have drawn the Cultist.


    Watching Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s receding figure, Fina bit her lower lip, then followed him.


    ¡°So, Mr. Fang Zheng¡­ do you think our war against Chaos is wrong?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°But you just mentioned that Chaos is also a part of order¡­¡±


    ¡°I also said that they are like ck and white.¡±


    Mr. Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t a Cultist, so he naturally had no intention of brainwashing this poor girl. He just suddenly thought of this paradox and decided to tease her a bit. Leading her astray would be quite troublesome.


    ¡°Ifpared to nations, then we are citizens of White Kingdom, and Chaos is from ck Kingdom. They want to turn us ck, and we naturally refuse¡­ I suppose, Lady Fina, you wouldn¡¯t want to be dyed ck either, it wouldn¡¯t look good.¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­ Hehe, Mr. Fang Zheng, your words are really interesting.¡±


    At this, a smile finally appeared on Fina¡¯s face, but her eyes looking at Mr. Fang Zheng were increasinglyplex.


    ¡°So, Mr. Fang Zheng, if we are the citizens of the White Kingdom, who is the painter then?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know that. Perhaps the Goddess knows the answer.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    This time, Fina did not say anything else. She lowered her head to look at her toes and then murmured softly to herself.


    ¡°Perhaps¡­ even the Goddess¡­¡±


    But before Fina finished speaking, Mr. Fang Zheng suddenly changed his expression and pulled Fina to hide behind the nearby ruins¡¯ shadow.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng?¡±


    ¡°Shh¡­¡±


    As Fina looked astonished, Mr. Fang Zheng made a gesture while looking upward to the sky.


    Soon, under their gaze, a pitch-ck shadow with pping wings soared through the sky.


    It had a head resembling a hyena¡¯s, the wings of a bat, a humanoid body, and a long ck tail. In fact, when he saw this creature, Mr. Fang Zheng knew its identity without Fina having to exin.


    It was a Devil.

 Chapter 82 - 81: Reinforcements

    82 Chapter 81: Reinforcements @@novelbin@@


    "Miss Nymph still hasn''t returned?"


    Hidden within the shadows of the ruins, Fina anxiously gazed into the distant sky. Under the gloomy, overcast sky, one could see things resembling insects circling overhead the ruins, those were the Little Demons swirling around within the ruins. Although from the distance where Fina and Fang Zheng stood it was hard to see clearly, it was certain that the area was fraught with danger.


    "Mr. Fang Zheng, is Miss Nymph really alright?"


    "There shouldn''t be a problem."


    Fang Zheng could only be sure of this much. Previously, Nymph had told him that she was going on a reconnaissance mission before she vanished without a trace, which caused Fang Zheng some worry. However, he could still feel those transparent chains in his hand, and the Soulstone embedded in the Dimensional Codex showed no issues, which somewhat relieved him.


    "I think that child wouldn''t deliberately seek out danger, so long as we wait a while... Hmm?"


    At that moment, Fang Zheng suddenly felt something vibrating in his pocket. He quickly reached in and pulled out a badge¡ª¡ªhis Sanctuary badge. At this moment, the badge faintly emitted a white light and vibration, looking as if a mobile phone''s vibration mode had been activated. Seeing this, a smile spread across Fang Zheng''s face.


    "Reinforcements have arrived!"


    During his time at the Sanctuary, Fang Zheng had learned some intelligence about it. One of them was the mutual resonance of these badges, because this world had spatial restrictions andmunication blocking spells, hence people naturally developed corresponding methods.


    The resonance of the badge in Fang Zheng''s hand was one of the rtively simple methods. The badges of the Sanctuary were blessed with order, within a certain range, just by injecting power they would resonate and vibrate automatically, and along with direction and distance, its shing frequency and brightness would also change, this was actually somewhat simr to a light-emitting metal detector.


    Clutching the badge, Fang Zheng injected a thread of power into it, soon enough, the badge in his hand became hotter, and its glow began to shine. Not long after, Fang Zheng heard a series of wing pping sounds, and then he saw several dark figures descending from the sky, flying in his direction.


    They were knights riding Pegasuses.


    "Tsk tsk tsk, really handsome."


    Looking at those knights dressed in white armor, with capes fluttering, Fang Zheng couldn''t help but remark to himself; the style of the Sanctuary truly had a regal ir to it, not to say anything else but one word¡ª¡ªhandsome!


    And with them riding the Pegasus, it was even more striking.


    Fang Zheng didn''t choose to foolishly wave towards them. He was long past his impulsive younger age; moreover, in such a dangerous ce, he only hoped that the Pegasus knights wouldn''t attract the Little Demons'' attention, otherwise the situation might worsen.


    Fortunately, these Sanctuary-sent Pegasus Knights weren''t foolish enough to let themselves be discovered by enemies, they spiraled down in the air and then came tond in front of Fang Zheng and Fina. As soon as the Pegasusnded, Fang Zheng saw the knight at the forefront dismount energetically and walk over to him. Before Fang Zheng could open his mouth to say anything, the knight pped Fang Zheng on the shoulder.


    "Hey, kid! I knew you wouldn''t be so easily killed!"


    "Mentor?"


    Hearing this familiar voice, Fang Zheng was clearly taken aback, while the knight in front of him took off his helmet, revealing Great Knight Shi Dong''s "very characteristic" face, who was grinning at Fang Zheng.


    "To be honest, when I got the message, I thought someone was pulling my leg. Didn''t expect it to be true! Hey, you little rascal, howe you didn''t say hello when you came back? And where have you been? Not a single word for over half a year, but looking at you, you seem to have changed quite a bit, your body has gotten a lot sturdier too, looks like you''ve been doing quite well!"


    As he spoke, Shi Dong pped Fang Zheng hard, which in the past would have been enough to knock him over, but now Fang Zheng''s body had been enhanced by the Zerg, so these ps were nothing to him now.


    "Please wait, Your Excellency Shi Dong."


    Just then, an icy voice emerged behind Shi Dong, and hearing this voice, Shi Dong''s expression slightly changed. He helplessly made a face at Fang Zheng before stepping aside, and subsequently, Fang Zheng saw an old man in a white robe emerging from behind and walking towards him.


    On the surface, this old man seemed no different from an ordinary elder. He was tall and thin with white hair and beard, yet his movements carried an air of elegance. He looked at Fang Zheng with a stern gaze, and after a moment, he finally asked softly.


    "Are you Fang Zheng? From the Silver Nation, the Apprentice Guardian Knight serving at the Star Moon City Sanctuary?"


    "Indeed."


    Although the old man''s tone was not very polite, Fang Zheng nced at Shi Dong and still obediently nodded his head. He had outgrown the age of youthful impulsiveness. Even though the old man''s tone was not nice, since even his mentor had to stand obediently and deal with him, Fang Zheng certainly wouldn''t be foolish enough to trouble himself at this moment.


    "I need to see your proof; show me your badge and Star Pattern."


    "Alright."


    Hearing the old man''smand, Fang Zheng took out a badge and Star Pattern from his bosom, while the old man approached, first carefully examining the Temr badge in Fang Zheng''s hand, then looked at his Star Pattern, and subsequently took out a scroll, murmured a few lines of blessing, and with the old man''s chanting, the scroll turned into a golden light and shot into the Star Pattern in Fang Zheng''s hand. Soon after, Fang Zheng felt a gentle white radiance emanating from his body, and at the same time, his Star Pattern began to flicker.


    A momentter, the radiance disappeared, and only then did a slight smile appear on the old man''s face, which seemed unchanged for tens of thousands of years.


    "Wee back to the Sanctuary, Your Excellency Fang Zheng."


    "Wait, Your Excellency?"


    Hearing this address, Fang Zheng was taken aback and then looked at Shi Dong in astonishment. If he remembered correctly, in the Sanctuary, only Grand Knights and higher ranks are addressed as ''Your Excellency''. How could he, an Apprentice Guardian Knight, be referred to as ''Your Excellency''?


    Perhaps sensing Fang Zheng''s confusion, the old man slowly began to speak.


    "Your heroic actions in Shadow Canyon have been reported to the Bishopric by Grand Knight Mart and Great Knight Shi Dong. Your willingness to sacrifice for order and justice, and your courage to face the Child of Chaos are admirable. Hence, after deliberation, the Bishopric decided to bestow upon you the title of Grand Knight; thus, you are now a Grand Knight, just like Great Knight Shi Dong."


    "Huh?"


    Hearing the old man''s reply, Fang Zheng was even more stunned. He knew well that the title of Grand Knight was not just a symbol of strength, but also of honor, experience, and achievements¡ªin Fang Zheng''s own case, his abilities were slightly superior to Connie''s. If the ranking were based on ability alone, then Fang Zheng would definitely be a fully-fledged Guardian Knight.


    Yet, he had to start as an apprentice. And now, to suddenly be promoted from an Apprentice Guardian Knight to a Grand Knight...wait, he recalled, wasn''t this double promotion kind of a martyr''s treatment?


    "Hahahahaha."


    Seeing Fang Zheng''s tormented expression, Shi Dong finally burst outughing.


    "You''ve finally realized, hahaha, me too¡ªIugh so hard that it kills me, those stubborn old men, I''ve told them so many times that you weren''t that easy to kill, yet they insisted on treating it like you were deceased. Well, now it turned out great, hahaha, kid, you should have seen it, when your news reached the Sanctuary, the faces of those old men...thinking about it still brings me toughter!"


    "Uh..."


    Seeing his mentor''s cheerful demeanor, Fang Zheng didn''t know what to say, he hadn''t expected such an event...it seemed like, even returning to the Sanctuary, there might still be a multitude of troubles. No wonder the old man was so serious earlier, checking both his badge and Star Pattern...it turned out, he was a Grand Knight now?


    "Okay, don''t look so glum."


    Seeing Fang Zheng''s expression, Shi Dongughed even more joyfully.


    "No matter what, it''s a good thing, isn''t it? A Grand Knight, many never achieve that in their lifetimes, and besides, you have the strength. That Child of Chaos was defeated by you alone, Mart and I hardly helped a bit. From that perspective, both your strength and qualifications are sufficient for a Grand Knight, plus you also brought back intelligence...Oh, what''s the situation now?"


    "Please wait a moment, mentor."


    At this point, Fang Zheng also finally got in touch with Nymph, and after learning that she had safely returned, he could finally rx a bit.


    "Mypanion has gone to scout; she should be back soon, we''ll know the details once we ask her, ah, here shees."


    "She?"


    Just then, Shi Dong saw a blue-haired girl, who seemed like a fairy, flying down from the sky andnding beside Fang Zheng.


    "Report, master, I have returned...who are these people?"


    Seeing so many unfamiliar faces, Nymph seemed a bit uneasy. While warily eyeing the Pegasus Knights, she quietly moved behind Fang Zheng.


    "..."


    Seeing the multi-colored radiance emanating from the wings behind the blue-haired girl, Shi Dong and the Pegasus Knights behind him were astonished.


    "An angel?!"

 Chapter 84 - 83: Overwhelmingly Powerful Strength

    Chapter 84: Chapter 83: Overwhelmingly Powerful Strength


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Shi Dong was clearly interested, and after all, as a mentor, it was his duty to assist his students.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng pondered while carefully organizing his words.


    ¡°In another world, I unintentionally obtained a certain ability, but I found this ability somewhat difficult to control¡­ I don¡¯t know why¡­¡±<div>


    <div>


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s words, Shi Dong showed clear interest. He looked around and then walked with Fang Zheng behind arge boulder.


    ¡°A new power?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are really lucky, kid.¡±


    Amazed by Fang Zheng¡¯s response, Shi Dong clicked his tongue in wonder. Then, he squinted his eyes and took a careful look at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ but if you ask me, aside from being quite sturdy, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything special about you¡­ I don¡¯t feel anything strange either¡­ Let¡¯s do this, disy that ability for me to see.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Fang Zheng nodded and looked towards Shi Dong. In fact, he indeed needed someone to help him resolve his confusion. The Time Ability was undoubtedly a very powerful force, something Fang Zheng had already experienced. However, what baffled Fang Zheng was that sometimes it seemed extremely fragile. For instance, when facing the Bald Mage, although Fina mentioned that the opponent was a Three-Star Mage, simr in strength to Fang Zheng¡¯s usual encounters, Fang Zheng still couldn¡¯t ept that his ability to manipte time could be so easily shattered by a Bald Mage.@@novelbin@@<div>


    <div>


    He must figure out what the situation with the Time Ability was in this world, but naturally, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t just tell anyone about it, and Shi Dong was clearly the best choice.


    Moreover, Fang Zheng also wanted to test if this ability was effective against the Grand Knight rank.


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng concentrated and ced his hand on the hilt of his sword, staring at Shi Dong in front of him.


    The next moment, the power of time unfolded instantly.


    However, to Fang Zheng¡¯s surprise, just as his power enveloped Shi Dong, Fang Zheng felt as though he was a bird suddenly caught in a berserk tornado. His whole body shook violently, and soon, he rapidly lost control of the Time Ability. Time, which had originally stopped around them, once again began to flow, and the bacsh returned along the same path into Fang Zheng¡¯s body, making him feel as if his internal organs were struck by an invisible heavy punch!


    ¡°Pu!!¡±


    A mouthful of fresh blood spurted from Fang Zheng¡¯s mouth. He covered his mouth, feeling a burning pain all over his body¡ªnow Fang Zheng finally understood what a Martial Hero novel described about Inner Strength bacsh.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a minor injury¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng resignedly wiped his mouth, then cast a healing spell on himself. He had not expected it to turn out like this; his ability not only failed to have an impact, but copsed the moment it was deployed?


    ¡°So, mentor, do you have any idea?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    To Fang Zheng¡¯s surprise, this time Shi Dong did not immediately respond. He frowned, gazed at Fang Zheng thoughtfully for quite a while, and then finally spoke.


    ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t know whether to say you are lucky or unlucky¡­ Ah, of course, if you ask me, I would definitely say your luck is good.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mentor?¡±


    This time, Shi Dong did not say much else but waved his hand and sat down on a nearbyrge boulder. He then gestured for Fang Zheng to sit down.


    ¡°You should know, on this continent, aside from those Transcendent creatures, the most formidable are the Legendary Powerhouses. So, how powerful do you think a Legendary Powerhouse should be?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Hearing Shi Dong¡¯s question, Fang Zheng was startled, then shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple.¡±


    Having said this, Shi Dong smiled and then pointed at himself.


    ¡°If there were a Legendary Powerhouse here, then a hundred of me plus a hundred Marts would still be no match for him.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Shi Dong¡¯s response, Fang Zheng was instantly dumbfounded. Although he understood that a Legendary Powerhouse must be much more powerful than a Grandmaster, Shi Dong¡¯s statement seemed exaggerated¡ªcould a hundred of him plus a hundred Marts really not stand a chance? That number should be enough to exhaust the opponent to death.


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    Perhaps seeing Fang Zheng¡¯s expression, Shi Dong chuckled.


    ¡°Once you witness it with your own eyes, you¡¯ll understand what I mean. In fact, at the level of Legendary and Transcendent, numbers have bepletely meaningless to them. Not to mention a hundred of me, even a thousand of me¡ªin front of a Legendary Powerhouse, we could only line up to be ughtered. Do you know why?¡±


    Fang Zheng shook his head; his knowledge mainly came from Williams¡¯s memories, and he knew nothing about how formidable a Legendary Powerhouse could be. Williams was only a Lower Rank Cultist, who could hardly ever meet a Grandmaster like Shi Dong, let alone a Legendary Powerhouse.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple.¡±


    While speaking, Shi Dong reached out his hand as if grasping the sky and clenched his fist tightly.


    ¡°Because any Legendary Powerhouse possesses the power of a Domain. Within their Domain, they are like Generals, Kings, wielding the authority over life and death. Unless you also possess this kind of power, you simply cannot withstand their presence. Even I would be the same; if I were to fight a Legendary Powerhouse who masters the Domain of Wind, I would be utterly defeated.¡±


    Having said this, Shi Dong turned his head and smiled at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    ¡°¡­ so what you mean is¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng was no fool, and he naturally understood that Shi Dong was not just telling him a story.


    ¡°The power I possess is the power of a Domain?¡±


    ¡°More or less.¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Shi Dong nodded.


    ¡°I was once fortunate to meet a Legendary Powerhouse and received his guidance. At that time, I personally experienced the power of the Domain of Legends. And just a moment ago, I felt the same sensation. But¡­¡±


    At this point, Shi Dong looked at Fang Zheng with a half-smile.


    ¡°¡­pared to that Master, you are much weaker.¡±


    Damn it!!


    Hearing Shi Dong¡¯s answer, Fang Zheng helplessly rolled his eyes.


    By now, he had finally understood Shi Dong¡¯s meaning. Thinking about it carefully, his own power was indeed somewhat simr to the Domain of Legends Shi Dong mentioned. Previously, when facing beings weaker than himself, Fang Zheng had effortlessly harvested them in an instant. He wouldn¡¯t care if there were even a hundred more such weaklings.


    Thispletely matched what Shi Dong had described.


    However¡­ the disparity between their power ranks was as vast as the heavens and the earth.


    And Fang Zheng also understood the reason Shi Dong said he was both lucky and unlucky. Saying he was lucky was because he had the power of a Domain, which only Legendary Powerhouses could control and utilize. Saying he was unlucky was because¡­ the reason the Domain of Legends was a capability only Legendary Powerhouses possessed was exactly because only they could master it!


    It truly hits home!


    If his Time Ability were likened to a huge and sharp sword, then Fang Zheng was just a child. Perhaps he could swing the sword a few times ordinarily and pose a little, but once he faced an adult, no matter how sharp or gigantic the sword in his hand was, due to his ownck of strength, Fang Zheng would ultimately be defeated.


    And the only way to fix this w was¡­ to be as powerful as his opponent!


    But before that¡­ his power would probably only be useful for bullying the weak.


    Realizing this, Fang Zheng was thoroughly speechless.


    This is truly a trap!

 Chapter 87 - 86: Attack (I)

    Chapter 87: Chapter 86: Attack (I)


    Although the method of humanmunication Fang Zheng used was very ancient, it had to be said that it was extremely effective. Knight Conan arrived at Order Fortress with the greatest speed, and reported the situation of the rear base to the higher-ups. After receiving Knight Conan¡¯s report, Order Fortress was greatly shocked. In fact, due to the loss ofmunication with the rear base, Order Fortress had guessed that there might be a problem at the back, but they did not expect the situation to be so serious.


    Not to mention, the situation in Order Fortress itself was far from good.


    Because this year¡¯s Demon Beast Disaster had already be too much for them to resist!


    In this year¡¯s Demon Beast Disaster, not only was the number and strength several times that of previous years, but there were also three Lord-ss Demon Beasts among the army attacking Order Fortress!


    It was these three Lord-ss Demon Beasts that made Order Fortress dare not dispatch anyone to explore the unknown, and the two powerhouses stationed at Order Fortress had already reached their limits. They were tied up by the three Demon Beast Lords, with no chance to leave.


    After learning about the situation, Order Fortress immediately dispatched a small squad to break through the blockade and seek support from the rear.


    Upon learning of the situation at Order Fortress, the Sanctuary was greatly shaken!!


    Order Fortress was the only barrier protecting the Nortnds, and if it truly fell, when the Demon Beast Disaster charged straight in, the whole Nortnds would suffer!


    In such circumstances, the Sanctuary immediately withdrew all the forces they could muster in the Nortnds and sent them to Order Fortress, hoping to withstand the terrifying Demon Beast Disaster. However, when it rains it pours, the Sanctuary headquarters in the Nortnds had barely managed to assemble reinforcements to send off when the request for help from Shi Dong came in.


    And after seeing Shi Dong¡¯s request for help, the Sanctuary had another headache.


    Be, Six-Armed Snake Demon!!


    The Demon Beast Disaster was troublesome, but Be, Six-Armed Serpent Lord, was also notoriously fearsome, terrifying people at the mere mention of its name. In fact, the high echelons of the Sanctuary almost peed their pants when they heard this name from the Pegasus Knights! Although they did not know what those cultists intended to do by collecting statues of Be, could anything the cultists do ever be good?


    Not to mention, especially at this critical juncture, coupled with the abnormal attacks Order Fortress was experiencing¡­a thick sense of conspiratorial clouds gathering before a storm was tantly obvious.


    But the Sanctuary was helpless, as the Kingdom of the Holy Church was a huge nation, with armies to maintain stability throughout itsnds, not to be easily mobilized. Moreover, the Northern Alliance did not border the Kingdom of the Holy Church, this area could be considered an ¡°enve¡± of the Kingdom of the Holy Church. Although the Kingdom of the Holy Church also had administrative rights over Order Fortress, that was limited to Order Fortress alone.


    Even putting that aside, it was not so much that the Sanctuary couldn¡¯t muster enough Army forces here in a short time, but even if they did, they definitely couldn¡¯t just use Teleportation Arrays to arrive in the Northern Alliance, as this was basically akin to a major nation¡¯s Army dropping into the hearnd of another country ¡ª¡ª it could almost signify the vanguard of a war!!


    Besides, distant waters can¡¯t put out a nearby fire, and it was unknown how long it would take for the forces of the Kingdom of the Holy Church to gather reinforcements. By that time, it would probably be toote.


    Fortunately, the Sanctuary was not stubborn and obsolete.


    I truly never expected the Sanctuary of this world to be so adaptable.


    Looking at these disheveled warriors before him, Fang Zheng was at a loss for words. In fact, in the second batch of reinforcements brought back by the Pegasus Knights, only half were warriors and Pegasus Knights of the Sanctuary; the rest ¡­ were mercenaries!@@novelbin@@


    That¡¯s right, ording to that Pegasus Knight, after realizing they were short-staffed, the Sanctuary went directly to the mercenary guilds and issuedmissions ¡ª¡ª after all, as such arge organization, the Sanctuary certainly was not short of money, and the problem now wasck of manpower. In the eyes of the Sanctuary, a problem that money could solve was obviously not a problem at all.


    This time the Sanctuary sent out ten Pegasus Knights and ten mercenaries ¡ª¡ª this was also because each Pegasus could at most carry two people, and the Sanctuary now truly had no more Pegasus Knights avable.


    Fang Zheng now felt more than ever that the Sanctuary of this world waspletely different from what he had envisioned. His initial impression of the Sanctuary came from Williams¡¯s memories, and of course, one could imagine that a cultist would certainly not have a good impression of the Order Sanctuary. After that, during his brief stay at the Sanctuary, Fang Zheng only felt that it seemed simr to the religious sects he saw in novels or in games and animations.


    But today, Fang Zheng saw another side of the colossal entity that is the Sanctuary. This immense organization didn¡¯t possess that binary value system that paints everything in ck and white, believing that they are the embodiment of good and all who oppose them are the forces of evil. Moreover, they did not seem to especially value certain statuses or be constrained by rules. They adeptly and flexibly wielded all the power they could ess¡­ But when you think about it, it makes sense, after all, the deity they worship isn¡¯t one associated with concepts like justice, benevolence, or light, but rather the god of order.


    But order has never been simply ck or white.


    ¡°If we dy further, the Destruction Mage will surely grow suspicious, we must act immediately.¡±


    The Old Archbishop looked up at the sky, the guiding star was already nearing its appointed position.


    ¡°I suggest we divide our forces into two groups.¡±


    When it came to battle strategies, perhaps only Shi Dong was truly experienced here.


    ¡°Those flies above are quite bothersome. I propose that the Pegasus Knights first scatter and destroy those Little Demons, then take advantage of the enemies¡¯ ensuing chaos for our ground forces to charge in andpletely disrupt their ritual.¡±


    It was still a coordinated strike from air and ground.


    ¡°So the Pegasus Knights will be in charge of dealing with the Little Demons, and we¡¯ll leave the ground enemies to those mercenaries.¡±


    The Old Archbishop made the decision quickly, as there really wasn¡¯t enough time left to waste.


    ¡°The Pegasus Knights Order will be led by Your Excellency Shi Dong, as for the mercenaries on the ground¡­¡±


    ¡°Leave them to me.¡±


    At this moment, Fang Zheng stepped forward, having volunteered himself. Of course, he had seen Shi Dong signaling to him to join in the aerial raid, but after thinking about it, Fang Zheng decided to refuse that suggestion. To be honest, while the Sanctuary¡¯s Pegasus Knights had many good points, they were a bit too militarized for his liking, which made him feel ufortable fighting alongside them. On the other hand, the mercenaries felt more familiar to him, a bit like randomly teaming up with newpanions in a pick-up group.


    Besides, mercenaries were generally easygoing and not bothered by trivial matters. If Fang Zheng were forced to use some of his powers, it would be easier to fool them. It would be much more difficult under the watchful eyes of the Pegasus Knights.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, Your Excellency Fang Zheng.¡±


    The Old Archbishop looked at Fang Zheng and confirmed the decision, then he reached into his robe and took out a crystal the size of a fingertip.


    ¡°This is a Communication Crystal, which can pratemunication blocks over short distances. I know you have a unique way ofmunicating with that Angel, thus I hope you can use this crystal to report the enemy¡¯s situation to us¡ªthe mercenaries are yours tomand. I will take the remaining few people and provide support from the side.¡±


    The Old Archbishop spoke these words almost instantly and handed the Communication Crystal to Fang Zheng, then he turned his head to nce at the Little Demon and, shortly after, the Little Demon previously under the Old Archbishop¡¯s control stood up and flew off into the night sky.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken control of it. When it returns, it will tell the Destruction Mage that the person he¡¯s waiting for was dyed by a wolf attack in the forest. I think this will buy us some time, but not for long.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Upon hearing the Old Archbishop¡¯s n, Shi Dong nodded, and then he nced at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the operation.¡±

 Chapter 90 - 89: Strong Attack (IV)

    Chapter 90: Chapter 89: Strong Attack (IV)


    ¡°Performing your tricks!¡±


    Facing Fang Zheng, who was lunging at him once again, the Destruction Mage roared. He raised his hands, and the zing Hellfire me gathered in his palms. Then, with a swift wave forward, the searing mes erupted and engulfed Fang Zheng entirely.


    But in the next moment, the mes began to swell and burst, revealing Fang Zheng once again. However, this time, a circr transparent shield appeared in front of him.


    This, of course, seemed trivial to the Destruction Mage. With another gesture, the scattered Hellfire mes recondensed and transformed into a giant, ferocious beast resembling a lion, roaring as it pounced on its prey.


    At the same time, Fang Zheng also raised his right hand.


    The invisible psionic force burst out in the blink of an eye. The Destruction Mage only saw the air in front of him twist violently, and the next moment, the beast formed by Hellfire was torn into shreds by the potent invisible force. Seeing this, the Destruction Mage¡¯s eyes widened as he stared intensely at the man before him.


    ¡°Is it just a long-range attack? I can do that too,¡±


    A sinister smile curled at the corners of Fang Zheng¡¯s mouth. ¡°Feeling great as an Archmage, aren¡¯t you? How about you experience some psionics?¡±


    Is it just a shootout? I¡¯m not afraid of you! Arthas and Malthael wouldn¡¯t dare to use Kerrigan? Damn it, even if I don¡¯t call upon the Swarm for a Psionic Rush, I¡¯ll still kill you!


    With that thought, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t stop his hand movements and condensed another wave of psionic energy,unching it at the Destruction Mage! Facing Fang Zheng¡¯s renewed attack, the Destruction Mage roared again and summoned Hellfire, hurling it forward. Soon, the invisible psionics shed with Hellfire, exploding on contact.


    However, the Destruction Mage did not notice that behind him, a small figure had quietly appeared next to the fragmented statue.


    Looking at the statue before her, Nymph furrowed her brows. Just moments ago, she had received an order from Fang Zheng ¡ª find a way to destroy this statue, no matter what it was doing; just thoroughly disrupt the ritual!


    Now was the moment¡ªseeing that the Destruction Mage¡¯s attention was entirely on Fang Zheng, Nymph quickly extended her hand to the statue and whispered softly.


    ¡°Intrusion begins!¡±


    Soon, a faint blue radiance emerged from the palm of Nymph¡¯s hand, gradually spreading inside the statue. However, Nymph¡¯s expression did not lighten; on the contrary, as the intrusion intensified, herplexion grew increasingly pale.


    ¡°How could this be, is this meant for¡­ oh no!¡±


    But before Nymph could react, the bizarre Six-Armed Serpent Lord statue suddenly turned its head to stare at her, and then, two beams of green light shot out from its eyes, striking Nymph!@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Aah¡ª¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    Hearing Nymph¡¯s scream, both the Destruction Mage and Fang Zheng were stunned. They quickly turned towards the source of the sound, only to see the Six-Armed Serpent Lord statue emitting green radiance, with the green light seemingly transforming into a giant python that tightly coiled around Nymph!


    ¡°What have you done to the sacred statue!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Shocked by what he saw, Fang Zheng swiftly dashed toward Nymph, leaving a trail of illusions as he moved. Seeing Fang Zheng¡¯s actions, the Destruction Mage hastily summoned Hellfire again and sted it towards him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare get close to the sacred statue!¡±


    ¡°Cut it out!¡±


    Sensing the Hellfire sting towards him, Fang Zheng clenched his teeth. Then, his right hand flickered with the radiance of a sword, and in the next moment, stone bs on the ground flew up like dragon scales reversed, forming a rather frail shield in front of the Hellfire. At the same time, Fang Zheng switched back to Arthas¡¯s Soulstone, pointing his sword at Nymph.


    Protective Blessing!


    With Fang Zheng¡¯s movement, a transparent oval barrier appeared out of thin air, enveloping Nymph. The green snake that had been tightly coiled around the girl was shaken backward by this strong force. However, the green snake seemed unwilling to give up just like that. Instead, it hissed and lunged at the Little Angel again, but was blocked outside by the seemingly transparent and fragile barrier.


    ¡°Get lost!¡±


    At the same time, Fang Zheng also reached Nymph¡¯s side, and without hesitation, he chopped down at the green creature with his longsword. Sensing the Power of the Holy Light on Fang Zheng¡¯s longsword, the creature let out an angry cry, then retreated back into the statue.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you okay, are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, Master, thank you¡­ But I¡¯ve just discovered how this statue works, please be careful, Master. This statue is just a pointer, its real function is¡­¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    But Nymph hadn¡¯t finished her sentence when the originally battered statue suddenly exploded. Right after that, Fang Zheng saw the green, eerie snake that had escaped from the statue reappear and lunge at the following Destruction Mage. Instead of showing any hint of panic, the Destruction Mage watched the green creature approach, his face breaking into an irrepressible smile.


    ¡°Finally, my Doomsday hase! My Lord, please make full use of my body!¡±


    Before Fang Zheng could react, he saw the creature climb onto the Destruction Mage and then it actually burrowed directly into his mouth!


    Gosh, that¡¯s disgusting!


    Although inwardly disgusted, Fang Zheng¡¯s actions didn¡¯t stop. Almost simultaneously as the snake burrowed into the Destruction Mage¡¯s mouth, he had already reappeared in front of the mage, his Sky-Cleaving Sword raised high, its Holy Light shining ever brighter.


    Judgment of the Temr!


    The silvery light of the sword seemed to tear apart the world; even in the pitch-ck wilderness, it lit up the surroundings with bursting Holy Light. To Fang Zheng, this thunder-like strike should have been enough topletely annihte his enemy.


    But, he had not managed to strike true.


    The de of the Sky-Cleaving Sword stopped mid-air, the Destruction Mage reached out his right hand, blocking this nearly unstoppable sword. He lifted his head, staring coldly at Fang Zheng, then suddenly bared his teeth in a fierce grin. Meanwhile, Fang Zheng saw sparks of fire sh across the Destruction Mage¡¯s eyes.


    Not good!


    Acting entirely on an instinct honed by being killed hundreds of times in the ck Soul World, Fang Zheng quickly retracted his sword and retreated, grabbing Nymph and holding her close as he quickly rolled backward. At the same time, the body of the Destruction Magepletely exploded.


    ¡°Roarrrrrr¡ª¡±


    At this moment, it seemed as if even the earth was trembling, the huge mes that erupted engulfed the entire altar, and the rising mushroom cloud was a sight to behold. Fang Zheng even felt his ears buzzing; luckily, his body had been modified by the Swarm, otherwise, who knows what would have happened.


    This damn bastard, always self-detonating without a word, what exactly is he trying to do?


    While inwardly cursing, Fang Zheng looked up, then his eyes widened in surprise.


    At the altar, where the Destruction Mage had once been, there was now no trace of him. Instead, a creature stood two meters tall, with a female upper body and a serpent lower body. She had six arms, each holding various types of weapons like swords and shields, and at that moment, the Six-Armed Serpent Lord simply stared coldly at Fang Zheng and Nymph, silent.


    Could this be Be, the Six-Armed Serpent Lord?

 Chapter 93 - 92 Dilemma

    Chapter 93: Chapter 92 Dilemma


    To be frank, if it were a one-on-one duel, Be would not fear Fang Zheng. This young man indeed possesses strange and formidable powers, and Be could sense that he hasn¡¯t yed all his cards yet. But so what? As a servant of the Demon King, in the Abyss Be had seen countless demons and devils, all equally cunning and sinister.


    But the issue is, it isn¡¯t a duel between the two of them!


    Be hadn¡¯t forgotten that it was Fang Zheng who ordered that little angel to sabotage the altar. But for Be, the altar was absolutely off-limits for destruction, as it was the most crucial part of her n. If the altar were destroyed, it would essentially spell the failure of her n once more¡ªan experience Be had tasted before, but she really hoped to seed this time after waking up.


    Initially, Be thought she could easily kill the mortal in front of her and then find that angel¡ªthe opponent seemed so weak it was beyond her imagination. Even though she had some abilities that, in Be¡¯s eyes, seemed odd, when it came to fighting, Be thought that angel was utterly useless. To deal with her would be nothing more than child¡¯s y.


    But Be didn¡¯t expect that, due to a moment¡¯s distraction, she¡¯d be held up by Fang Zheng!


    The current situation was that Be didn¡¯t want to fight, but Fang Zheng wouldn¡¯t let her leave. And because Be¡¯s strength was restricted to that of a Grandmaster¡¯s rank, there wasn¡¯t a significant difference between her and Fang Zheng. But that wasn¡¯t the most important thing; what mattered was the terrifying scent of death she felt emanating from Fang Zheng!


    If it had been Holy Light or that strange, fierce beast¡¯s aura, Be wouldn¡¯t have cared. But that particr scent of death was different¡ªBe had an intense premonition that if she were struck by that aura, she might actually die!


    Keep in mind, Be didn¡¯t currently possess a physical body; the body she had was recreated using the power sacrificed by the Destruction Mage and her own soul, not just a mere clone!


    In other words, if she died, she would truly be dead!


    For this reason, Be hesitated in the face of Fang Zheng. She had been revived with great difficulty and, naturally, it wasn¡¯t so that someone could kill her off again. The current situation was not in her favor, the little demons were still resisting the attacks of the Pegasus Knights, but were gradually hard-pressed. If she were able to move now, she would first get rid of those damned mercenaries, and then¡­ But such thoughts were pointless now.


    A bunch of good-for-nothings!


    Be was infuriated, clenching her teeth as she observed the cultists who were blocked outside by the mercenaries. If those cultists could get rid of the interfering mercenaries ande to help, even if they only managed to dy for a few seconds, it would be enough for her to escape. But now, those cultists were utterly useless!


    And that angel, where on earth was she?!


    Be surveyed her surroundings cautiously, but she couldn¡¯t spot Nymph anywhere. If it were an ordinary angel, Be could easily track their position through the Sacred Aura. But the Sacred Power in Nymph, the angel, was so weak it was nearly non-existent, not to mention that she didn¡¯t resemble the angels from Be¡¯s memory¡ªwho were ¡°open and noble¡±¡ªbut was incredibly sly instead. Just thinking about that angel hiding invisibly nearby, waiting for an opportunity, made Be all the more frustrated.


    Who is the angel here, and who is the demon?


    Compared to the anxious Be, Fang Zheng seemed very calm. To tell the truth, Fang Zheng still didn¡¯t understand what Be and the Destruction Mage nned to do with that Daimon, but it didn¡¯t matter¡ªhis mission objective was very clear: destroy the altar!


    So when in doubt, breaking up the scene was definitely the way to go!


    That¡¯s why Fang Zheng had ordered Nymph to destroy the altar while he restrained Be. That was the only thing he could do at the moment since the Six-Armed Serpent Lord was also not easy to deal with. Without activating the Soulstone, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t possibly kill her. However¡ªunder the current circumstances, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t possibly activate the Soulstone either.


    If he did, it was very likely that the Six-Armed Serpent Lord in front of him would consider switching allegiance.


    Thus, the altar once again descended into an eerie equilibrium, and if one wanted to break this bnce next, either those cultists needed to breach the mercenaries¡¯ defensive line first, or the Pegasus Knights had to repel the attacks of the little demons.


    It all depended on whose reinforcements were more effective.


    While Fang Zheng stood off against Be, Nymph quietly reached the Core Zone of the altar.


    As an Omnipotent Electronic Warfare Angel, Nymph had first-rate capabilities in searching and investigation. In fact, when she infiltrated the statue earlier, she immediately noticed that beneath the entire altar there was a hidden massive Array, which seemed to have some connection to the statue above.


    Unfortunately, Nymph hadn¡¯t had the chance to explore further before that statue initiated its counterattack mode, which forced her to abandon the search.


    But now¡­


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s still iprehensible,¡± she said.


    Looking at the engravings that seemed like gibberish on the ground, Nymph furrowed her brows. If the Array were to act, she might be able to make a rough judgment and spection by observing the energy fluctuations, spatial axis discement, and so on. But since the Array was inactive, and Nymph had no knowledge of magic in this world, she could only stare helplessly at the runic engravings and Array before her.


    However, it was okay because her mission from Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t to explore but to destroy!


    Although Nymph didn¡¯t know the true function of the Array, it didn¡¯t stop her from finding its core. After all, energy flows in the same way everywhere, so discovering the core of the energy flow was not hard.


    Is that it?


    Looking at the gigantic pir in the center of the altar, Nymph frowned slightly. Herbat strength wasn¡¯t very strong; to be precise, Nymph only had one fighting technique at her disposal.


    But this technique was enough to cause destruction!


    With this thought in mind, Nymph opened her small mouth, gazed at the pir before her, and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Boom!!¡±


    Swords shed.


    Be quietly retreated, her six scimitars still shining with a silver glow, while in front of her, Fang Zheng rolled up from the ground. His exquisitely made clothes were now covered in dust.


    ¡°How disheveled.¡±


    Seeing Fang Zheng¡¯s current state, Be couldn¡¯t help but mock him.


    ¡°Look at you, mortal. What¡¯s the point of persisting like this? Moreover, I can feel that you are not one of those brainwashed fools, your power hides a darkness¡­¡±


    ¡°If you said ¡®I¡¯m your father!¡¯ right now, I might actually consider it¡­¡±


    Before the Six-Armed Serpent Lord could finish her speech, Fang Zheng interrupted her with a coldugh, then twirled his Sky-Cleaving Sword and pointed it once more at his enemy.


    ¡°Sorry, the prophecy says I will destroy Xis, not join them. I¡¯m supposed to bring bnce to the Primordial Force, not fall into darkness.¡±


    ¡°What? Xis? Primordial Force?¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s words, the Six-Armed Serpent Lord was taken aback, but the next moment, she revealed a triumphant smile.


    ¡°I may not know what you are talking about, but¡­ it seems you have already failed.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng, we can¡¯t hold them back any longer!¡±


    Just then, an anxious voice from Fina reached Fang Zheng from behind. Clearly, the cultists had finally broken through the mercenaries¡¯ defensive line and were moving towards Fang Zheng¡¯s position!


    There was no helping it; after all, the mercenaries were of limited strength, and there were simply too many cultists on the ground. To have held their ground until now was already quite an achievement.


    ¡°Now, what can you do?¡±


    ncing at the sky, Be smiled confidently. The Pegasus Knights Order was still entangled with Little Demons and couldn¡¯t spare any effort to help. As long as those cultists arrived, she would surely hold victory in her hands!


    What the Six-Armed Serpent Lord didn¡¯t expect was that in response to her question, Fang Zheng gave a slight smile, then nted his longsword in the ground.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Are you trying to surrender?¡±


    ¡°No, I was going to say¡­¡±


    While speaking, Fang Zheng nced at the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Boom¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!¡±


    Before he could finish, suddenly, a fierce explosion rang out, and then Be was shocked to see the altar beneath her feet begin to copse like a stack of tumbling blocks!

 Chapter 95 - 94: An Unexpected Ending

    Chapter 95: Chapter 94: An Unexpected Ending


    Just as mentioned before, there are many ways to utilize time.


    Besides affecting enemies, it can also affect oneself.


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t care about Emiya Kiritsugu¡¯s low-level Inherent Time Control; it was merely speeding up or slowing down his own body. To put it inly, that method was only necessary for mortals like Kiritsugu to rely on inbat. For Fang Zheng, his speed,parable to that of a Jumping Bug, was sufficient to pin Kiritsugu, even with ten times the Inherent Time Control enhancement, to the ground and beat him a hundred times.


    Of course, whether Fang Zheng would die with a body modified by the Zerg was still a question, but whether Emiya Kiritsugu could survive was definitely not.


    So, for Fang Zheng, there was only one other method of manipting time that could allow him to benefit while weakening the enemy.


    Future Sight.


    This was also why Fang Zheng could always dodge Be¡¯s attacks in time. Apart from the evasion skills he learned in the ck Soul World, it was also because he harnessed the power of Future Sight. Fang Zheng concentrated all his Time Ability into his left eye to foresee the future a few seconds ahead. This was precisely why he could continue to fight evenly with Be. Without such Prophet-like power, Be wanting to escape would indeed have been troublesome for him.


    No, to tell the truth, Fang Zheng¡¯s head was actually hurting now.


    Looking at the Six-Armed Snake Demon pinned under a huge rock, Fang Zheng reached up to press his forehead, one eye on the present, the other looking to the future. It might sound cool, but the actual use was indeed headache-inducing. Fang Zheng didn¡¯t know if real Future Sight caused headaches, but after maintaining it for so long now, he felt his head starting to throb. This was not only due to using the ability but also because Fang Zheng had to choose between the two visions he saw: not to mistake the present for the future, nor the future for the present.


    Otherwise, this wouldn¡¯t be a Golden Finger, but rather a deadly poison leading one to doom.


    But thanks to Future Sight, Fang Zheng was able to effortlessly kill the Six-Armed Snake Demon¡­ Oh, I misspoke, she isn¡¯t dead yet, but in Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes, her death was just a matter of time.


    Meanwhile, Nymph reappeared at Fang Zheng¡¯s side and revealed herself, vigntly staring at the Six-Armed Snake Demon and cautiously hiding behind Fang Zheng.


    ¡°A mortal, an angel weaker than a Demon of Cowardice, and yet I¡¯m defeated by you two!!¡±


    Be red at Fang Zheng, her six arms clenched into fists.


    ¡°But don¡¯t you dare¡­ Aaargh!!¡±


    Before Be could finish her sentence, suddenly, a column of light descended from the sky, engulfing her, while simultaneously, the Old Archbishop¡¯s voice echoed over the ruins.


    ¡°Demon, this is not where you belong, ept your fate!¡±


    With the Old Archbishop¡¯s roar, the column of Holy Light grew brighter, and at the same time, Fang Zheng saw countless pitch ck bats fluttering out of the darkness and gathering together. Then, the Vampire Old Archbishop emerged from the swarm of bats, radiating holy radiance, holding a Holy Scripture in both hands, and striding forward.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Seeing this scene, Fang Zheng hesitated briefly, ultimately choosing to remain silent.


    Using Holy Light as a vampire¡­ this is too ironic for me to evenment.


    ¡°This time, you will have no chance to escape! Be, be purified in the Holy Light!¡±


    With the Old Archbishop¡¯s roar, the light column rapidly expanded, and soon Fang Zheng saw the countenance of the Six-Armed Serpent Lord grow unsightly, the shadows around her began to dissipate, but that wasn¡¯t important. What was important was that, as the shadows melted away like snow, a small Green Snake appeared from beneath, painfully writhing and loudly shrieking in sharp, angry cries.


    ¡°You people ying with Holy Light have dirty hearts!!¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk¡­¡±


    Watching this scene, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. That Six-Armed Snake Demon was truly cunning, pretending to be the big boss and spewing harsh words to buy time on one hand and secretly nning to escape on the other. That¡¯s a typical boss tactic, although¡­


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng nced at the Vampire Old Archbishop, who now seemed solemn and sacred under the glow of Holy Light, a formidable aura emanating from him. Hmm, if only the light were red, then he would perfectly embody a grand vampire, like Count Drac¡­


    Fang Zheng really wanted to ask him if, before joining the Sanctuary, he was also a boss-level figure; otherwise, how could he be so familiar with a boss¡¯s tricks?


    But the next moment, his expression abruptly changed.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Not good, retreat quickly!!¡±


    ¡°You will pay for everything you have done!!¡±


    Before Fang Zheng could finish speaking, he saw the small Green Snake, symbolizing Be¡¯s true form, suddenly roar in anger. Right after, Fang Zheng felt a dark energy burst forth from the Green Snake, forming a semi-circr pitch-ck barrier that spread outwards, sessfully blocking the Holy Light¡¯s assault. Meanwhile, the body of the Green Snake and the Six-Armed Snake Demon began to fade away, soon reced by a muchrger phantom of a Six-Armed Snake Demon.


    ¡°Darn it!¡±


    At this scene, the Old Archbishop¡¯s expression drastically changed as well. He hurriedly raised the Holy Scripture in his hand, but in the next moment, suddenly apanied by the sound of thunder, countless pitch-ck lightning bolts abruptly materialized from thin air, bombarding the ground around them. Meanwhile, the figure of the Six-Armed Snake Demon also grew increasinglyrger.


    Indeed, the second stage transformation is a standard procedure in a boss fight!


    Facing this sudden lightning, Fang Zheng hurriedly pulled Nymph over, then raised his right hand and swiftly switched to the Kerrigan¡¯s Soulstone to deploy a Psionic Shield. He had no idea how powerful this thing was, but Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t eager to find out, especially since the ground that got hit by the ck lightning, breaking apart, was enough to prove that this ck lightning wasn¡¯t just a time-wasting cutscene during the transformation process!


    ¡°No good! She¡¯s about to activate the Eye of the Soul!¡±


    The Old Archbishop was also greatly rmed at this moment, he hurried back to Fang Zheng¡¯s side, hiding within Fang Zheng¡¯s Psionic Barrier as well, ncing at the Vampire Bishop beside him with a wry smile.


    ¡°What is that? Do we have a way to deal with it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult!¡±


    In response to Fang Zheng¡¯s inquiry, the Old Archbishop frowned deeply, the radiance of his Holy Scripture had dimmed significantly, perhaps for this reason, the column of light that had been striking the Six-Armed Snake Demon also began to darken gradually.


    ¡°I have only heard the legend of the Six-Armed Serpent Lord¡¯s third eye, which is said to have been born with three eyes in the Abyss. The third eye allows her to absorb the power of souls, making her always the frontline warrior as carnage makes her grow stronger! Also, there is a rumor that this third eye is where the soul of the Six-Armed Serpent Lord resides¡­ ¡±


    Isn¡¯t this just a real version of gaining experience points to level up?


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng looked at the Six-Armed Serpent Lord in surprise.


    Could it be that thisdy is also a transmigrator?


    ¡°None of you will escape!!¡±


    With Be¡¯s roar, Fang Zheng saw the surroundings suddenly covered with fresh blood. The corpses of the mercenaries and cultists scattered around suddenly shriveled up as if their blood was being extracted by an invisible force, along with their souls, merging into Be¡¯s apparition. And at that moment, she seemed like the god of this ce, the God of Blood!


    ¡°You are all going to die here, tremble before my Eye of the Soul, I will suck your souls into¡­ ¡±


    While speaking, the Six-Armed Serpent Lord slowly raised her hand to her forehead, while Fang Zheng, Nymph, and the Old Archbishop had a solemn expression. However, Fang Zheng¡¯s expression was a bit weird, as he had already seen what was about to happen through Future Sight; only, that future¡­


    Had he not fully mastered it yet?


    Just at that moment, the Six-Armed Serpent Lord¡¯s arm had already reached the center of her forehead, then¡­ her expression suddenly changed.


    ¡°Where is my Eye of the Soul? My third eye, how could it be with you? How did you¡­ ¡±


    At this point, Be seemed to realize something, her gaze in astonishment turned towards Fang Zheng and hispanions. And just then, Nymph was holding a bright red orb¡ªthis was what she had earlier taken from the head of a broken statue.


    ¡°Is this what you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    Fang Zheng and the Old Archbishop weren¡¯t fools, following Be¡¯s gaze, they immediately spotted the issue.


    ¡°Give it back to me¡ª!!¡±


    Watching this scene, Be screamed and her figure moved rapidly, the torrent of blood, mixed with anger, furiously charging towards the three of them.


    But at the same time, the Old Archbishop turned to look at the gemstone in Nymph¡¯s hand, then roared angrily.


    ¡°Holy Light Judgment!!¡±


    Apanying the old man¡¯s roar, the Holy Scripture in his hands suddenly burst, transforming into a bright Light Orb. Meanwhile, the blood-red gemstone in Nymph¡¯s hand seemed to sense something, furiously erupting with a powerful force, trying to disengage from the Little Angel¡¯s hand to escape the Light Orb. But at that moment, Fang Zheng suddenly reached out his hand, and an invisible Psionic force instantly bound the gemstone firmly.


    Immediately following, the Light Orb shed and directly hit the bright red gemstone.


    ¡°No!!!¡±


    Apanied by this scream, the approaching Be instantly turned into a pool of blood, utterly bursting!

 Chapter 97 - 96: Return to the Sanctuary

    Chapter 97: Chapter 96: Return to the Sanctuary


    Putting aside his brief sentimentality for a moment, it took a further two days of searching before Fang Zheng, convinced that the Dark Marsh had no more issues left, could finally depart with Shi Dong and the others. Of course, the most crucial factor was still relying on Nymph¡¯s search abilities, considering that Little Angel¡¯s ck technology from Synapsus was super first-ss in this regard.


    Riding on Pegasus, the group returned to the Sanctuary, exhausted. Unfortunately, the grand wee ceremony that Shi Dong had anticipated did not ur. Only a few Clerics stationed within the Sanctuary came out to greet them. ording to them, almost all the Sanctuary¡¯s manpower had been deployed to the Order Fortress. Fortunately, because the news had arrived on time, the situation at the Order Fortress had stabilized, and there was no need to worry about it being breached anytime soon.


    ¡°Ah, the peaceful life¡­¡±


    Sitting in a chair and looking out the window, Fang Zheng sighed deeply. They were now at the Sanctuary headquartered in the Northern Alliance, which, unlike the delicate and beautiful architectural style of Star Moon City, was marked by the rugged and wild characteristics of the north.


    The more he learned about the Sanctuary, the more Fang Zheng realized this organization was unlike any religion he knew of. In his memory, religions always seemed to want to create their churches and followers as if they were products from the same mold. Moreover, they seemed to want their priests to have the same predilections¡­ Indeed, from this perspective, Fang Zheng regarded the religions on Earth as assembly lines, mass-producing believers with the same thoughts, churches with the same design, uniforms with the same style, and priests with the same preferences¡­@@novelbin@@


    Updated by ?¡ðvG¡ð.c¡ð


    And their doctrines were quite simr too.


    However, the Sanctuary in this world wasn¡¯t like that; it didn¡¯t have the homogeneity that Fang Zheng expected. Quite the contrary, the architecture of the Northern Temple looked no different from the ordinary northern-style buildings in the area, justrger and more distinctive, with only a Sanctuary symbol to mark its difference. If judged by appearances alone, Fang Zheng could hardly see any familial resemnce to the Sanctuary in Star Moon City.


    It must be said, the Sanctuary was good at adapting local customs.


    But where there are people, there are ¡®Jianghu¡¯.


    Looking at the scenery outside, Fang Zheng narrowed his eyes, reminiscing about what Shi Dong had said to him.


    ¡°You should know, Grand Knights have their own fiefs. Of course, domains like Knight¡¯s Domain are things only Ambassador Knights have, and we Grand Knights can at most be granted a small town. But, to mend¡¯ your heroic sacrifice, the Bishopric couldn¡¯t be too harsh, so they assigned Silver Flower Town as your Knight¡¯s Domain. It¡¯s a key transport hub, convenient and wealthy, you know? Technically, ording to records, you were ¡®fallen¡¯ and had no descendants, so the town was ¡®managed¡¯ by the Bishopric, but now you¡¯ve returned¡­ Hehe, you get my point, right?¡±


    Of course, he understood.


    Having been a high-level leader in his previous life, Fang Zheng knew how awkward this was. It was like knowing a programmer couldn¡¯t possibly develop a game engine that met the requirements, yet still assigning him the task and publicly announcing that if he seeded, he would be made the CEO. And somehow, the programmer actually seeded! How embarrassing for a leader like him!


    But that was exactly right. It was normal for organizations to have internal power struggles. Total harmony¡­ was terrifying!


    Updated by N¡ðvG¡ð.c¡ð


    Perhaps for ordinary employees, it would be best if apany was united and harmonious. But for a leader, it was far less interesting if there wasn¡¯t anypetition within the group. In fact, Fang Zheng had more than once created situations between the nning and character design teams, sometimes even dragging the programming team into the mix. It was better to spurpetitiveness among them rather than forcing them to work relentlessly.


    After all, if they were forced, whether the oue was good or bad, their resentment would be directed at thepany. Withpetition, however, they would focus only on their rivals and goals. Moreover, with rewards also came penalties, which was the right way to allocate resources.


    Although this world had a higher level of martial prowess than Fang Zheng¡¯s original world, interpersonal matters were mostly the same; hence, Fang Zheng was very aware that his current situation was not really that favorable. On one hand, the Bishopric had sealed him a particrly wealthy town as a show of their ¡°magnanimity,¡± but everyone knew he had died and left no heirs, so for the Bishopric, this was just ¡°shifting from one hand to the other.¡± It didn¡¯t cost them anything, and yet it showcased the Bishopric¡¯s ¡°clear rewards and punishments.¡±


    Of course, seeing Shi Dong¡¯s smugness when discussing the matter, Fang Zheng knew that Shi Dong must have yed a disreputable role, although Shi Dong alwaysined to him that ¡°those old geezers never believed you were still alive¡±. Fang Zheng guessed that Shi Dong must have anticipated his return, thus deliberately leading to such an oue. After all, as long as Fang Zheng returned, the reward from the Bishopric was still his!


    After all, others might not know his identity, but how could Shi Dong not? Hadn¡¯t he already considered him a Holy Spirit Knight?


    Now¡­


    ¡°This is really a headache¡­¡±


    Fang Zheng pressed his hand against his forehead, currently awaiting the Bishopric¡¯s summons. Although Shi Dong assured him that there would be no problems, Fang Zheng knew that matters were not as simple as Shi Dong thought. Humans are creatures that seek advantages and avoid harms. Although Archbishop Carl had also promised to speak well on his behalf, just depending on someone else¡¯s friendship was not enough.


    More importantly, Fang Zheng himself was also hesitant about the road ahead.


    Because Fang Zheng didn¡¯t particrly want to ept this award.


    For Shi Dong, this award was a good thing, but Fang Zheng thought deeper. If he epted the award, it would imply a deeper connection with the Sanctuary.


    Of course, to put it bluntly, he was afraid the Sanctuary would send him to his death.


    This wasn¡¯t to suggest that the Sanctuary wanted to eliminate dissidents or intentionally send him to die. In fact, from the behavior of Mart and Shi Dong, Fang Zheng could see that their current positions were not only due to their strength, but also their devotion.


    To phrase it rather quaintly¡ªit was the devotion to sacrifice one¡¯s life for the people¡¯s happiness and the preservation of order!


    Actually, it was only natural that if you wanted to join an organization and be part of its higher echelons, you had to follow the leadership of the organization, uphold its charter, and dedicate your own strength to the organization.


    If Fang Zheng had grown up in this world since he was young and had received the local cultural education here, he might actually have had such thoughts.


    Unfortunately, Fang Zheng was an outsider! He certainly did not possess the ideological awakening to die for this world, and maybe as time passed, he would gradually change his mind. But, that was definitely not now!


    Moreover, most people in this world have blond hair and blue eyes, and they do not seem to have any nostalgia when fellow countrymen meet each other.


    So,pared to Shi Dong, Fang Zheng actually did not particrly want to ept the position and identity of a Grand Knight¡ªhe really was indifferent to the idea of sacrificing his own life to save order.


    However, if he refused, it would definitely leave a bad impression on Shi Dong and Mart, after all, their values and the worlds they live in were different. Of course, this was also a result of Fang Zheng¡¯s own making. If he had not joined the Sanctuary initially to conceal his identity, it would not have ended up like this¡­ Whose fault was it?


    It was surely Shichen¡¯s fault!


    Quietly cursing the person whose whereabouts were unknown, Fang Zheng collected his thoughts once again. There were certainly ways, and if everything went smoothly, he could still achieve his goal. Right now he just did not know what the situation inside the Bishopric was like, but judging by his own experience, um¡­


    ¡°Knock knock.¡±


    Just then, a knock on the door interrupted Fang Zheng¡¯s thoughts. He looked up and nced at the door.


    ¡°Pleasee in.¡±


    ¡°Click.¡±


    The door opened, and a nun walked in. She bowed respectfully to Fang Zheng and then began to speak.


    ¡°Your Excellency Fang Zheng, the bishops are waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I know, thank you.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Fang Zheng stood up and nodded with a smile to the nun. Then, he nced outside the window¡ªNymph was leaning against an evergreen tree in the courtyard, ying gleefully with a squirrel in her hand.


    This was the expression a child of her age should have.


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng turned his gaze back from the window and looked at the nun once more.


    ¡°Please lead the way.¡±


    Perhaps because the frontlines were tense at the moment, only three members of the Bishopric appeared before Fang Zheng this time, one of whom was the Vampire Bishop Carl, whom he had met before. The other two were one plump round face and one skinny as a rail¡ªsince they didn¡¯t n on introducing themselves, Fang Zheng felt no remorse in nicknaming them on his own.


    Fang Zheng walked into the hall and approached the trio, offering them a bow, which they acknowledged with a nod. Then the skinny rail picked up a document in front of him, nced at it for a moment, and began to speak.


    ¡°You are the Apprentice Guardian Knight of Star Moon City, Fang Zheng?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Fang Zheng lifted his head and responded while looking at the three of them. Bishop Carl appeared calm, the skinny rail¡¯s expression was somewhat stern, and only the plump round face seemed amiable, smiling merrily. However, Fang Zheng could keenly sense the hidden nuances beneath that smile.


    From Fang Zheng¡¯s experience, when someone smiled at you for no reason, they either needed something from you or were masking their real feelings.


    Thinking of this, Fang Zheng smiled inwardly.


    He already had an idea.

 Chapter 98 - 97: Villains Are Good Stuff

    Chapter 98: Chapter 97: Viins Are Good Stuff


    ¡°As a loyal Guardian Knight of the Sanctuary, you have fulfilled your mission very well,¡± the thin man said at a leisurely pace, while the other two showed no intention of speaking.


    ¡°The Bishopric has reviewed Bishop Carl¡¯s report, and you have performed admirably in the Dark Marsh. Not only did you uncover the conspiracy of the cultists in time, but you also promptly informed the Sanctuary, thwarting their ns to reopen the Gates of Hell. Not to mention the incident involved Be¡­¡±


    At this point, a barely perceptible calm surfaced in the thin man¡¯s tone.


    ¡°¡­Everything you have done will forever be remembered by the Order.¡±


    ¡°It is my honor.¡±


    Updated by ?¡ðvG¡ð.c¡ð


    Upon hearing the thin man¡¯s words, Fang Zheng inwardly chuckled. This was exactly the oue he had hoped for. After all, reality wasn¡¯t a game ¨C you couldn¡¯t simply click on a mission point and proceed. You had to consider your status. Politics are an inseparable part of human life, whether in aboratory, an office, or a boardroom. Networking is key to climbing thedder, and if you don¡¯t have that ability, then exceptional talent mustpensate.


    Fang Zheng had opted not to directly attack using the Soulstone for several reasons ¨C caution was one, but also considering factors within the Sanctuary was another. Although he was nominally affiliated with the Sanctuary, he had been missing for a long time. To return to the Sanctuary without being subject to investigation or suppression, he needed to win some people to his side. Shi Dong was, of course, a reliable support, but one should never put all their eggs in one basket.


    This was another reason Fang Zheng had chosen to wait for reinforcements. He was acutely aware that the more perilous the mission, the more generous the rewards that followed. It was like apany tackling a key technology project ¨C the task was inevitably difficult, but if you aplished it, anypetent leader would not overlook the significant contributions made by your department.


    Moreover, from the tone of Fina and the other Sanctuary Warriors, Fang Zheng could deduce that reopening the Gates of Hell was, undoubtedly, a terrifying and significant affair. Logically, the Sanctuary should be the one to take charge of such a matter. That was another reason Fang Zheng refrained from a direct attack, choosing instead to wait for reinforcements.


    As the saying goes, share the wealth in prosperous times and face difficulties together.


    If Fang Zheng had gone ahead and handled everything without saying a word, though he would have naturally received credit for his Guardian Knight status, it would have been limited to him alone. Honestly, with Fang Zheng¡¯s current status, he wasn¡¯t yet in a position to act independently.


    It¡¯s like apprehending a criminal: if you¡¯re a passerby who spots an escaped fugitive and decides to catch them, your heroism is acknowledged if you seed, and if not, you¡¯re forgiven given your civilian status. But if you¡¯re a police officer, even a rookie, and you rashly jump into action, you¡¯re bound to face scrutiny and criticism, sessful or not.


    Questions like why didn¡¯t you contact your superiors, why did you act alone, why didn¡¯t you consider the environment¡­


    Fang Zheng¡¯s current status at the Sanctuary was like that of the rookie officer: no matter what you do, you must first contact the organization and leave the decisions to them.


    Updated by N¡ðvG¡ð.c¡ð


    In this way, if you seed, everyone is happy, and no one thinks you¡¯re glory-hogging or acting solo. If it fails, you aren¡¯t the one carrying the can alone.


    Collective decision-making is a treasure; you heave the me onto it. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of having a board of directors?


    This is also why the Northern Temple¡¯s attitude toward Fang Zheng is quite favorable now. Although, ording to Bishop Carl¡¯s report, Fang Zheng did the lion¡¯s share, the Sanctuary also contributed to this brutal battle. Though the twenty-odd Pegasus Knights weren¡¯t many, they effectively tied up the enemy¡¯s air forces. Going by a 40-60 split of rewards, they should at least get a ¡°forty,¡± right?


    As a result, their scores for the annual evaluation would undoubtedly rise, and the Northern Temple made a name for itself amongst its peers.


    But if Fang Zheng had done it alone, even if the Northern Temple wouldn¡¯t openlyin, they would be discontent internally. If you handle everything solo, what are we ¨C useless? Stepping out in the future, people would mock them saying, ¡°Can¡¯t believe the Northern Temple consists of ipetents, in the end, it took an apprentice Guardian Knight ¨C oh, just an apprentice ¨C to rescue you. Isn¡¯t that shameful?¡±


    Where would they put their faces then?


    In doing so, Fang Zheng would gain no advantage and earn great enmity from the Northern Temple, apletely lose-lose situation.@@novelbin@@


    As for now¡­ his reputation within the Northern Temple was probably, if not respectful, at least friendly.


    ¡°I believe you¡¯re aware, thanks to your prior actions, the Bishopric has already granted you the title of Grand Knight. And this time, in the Dark Marsh, you¡¯ve defended the glory of the Order¡­ um¡­¡±


    As he spoke to this point, the skinny man paused for a moment, evidently at a loss for words. However, Fang Zheng also understood why the other party was having difficulty. Logically speaking, the out-of-turn promotion was already a reward for himself, but the problem was that the Bishopric had treated him as a martyr, which made this time¡¯s reward somewhat tricky to handle. With his identity and strength, of course, he wasn¡¯t qualified to be a Knight Captain, but Fang Zheng¡¯s undeniable merit in defeating Be, the Six-Armed Serpent Lord, and destroying the Gates of Hell Array in the Dark Marsh was clear for all to see¡ªthere were so many witnesses that if you didn¡¯t award anything, it definitely would be hard to exin.


    But this reward in itself was a difficult matter. Reward too little, and people would feel disheartened thinking that after fighting so hard for you, this meager reward is how you treat those in need. Give too much, and Fang Zheng¡¯s age and experience would be awkward, possibly inciting dissatisfaction among many elders. So the best solution was¡­


    ¡°After the Bishopric¡¯s discussion, we have decided that the Sanctuary can satisfy all your demands. Just state your request, and as the citizens of order and Guardians, we will definitely not be stingy with any reward,¡±


    See, they¡¯ve tossed the hot potato back.


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow. MD, it seems bargaining is the same anywhere. Don¡¯t be fooled by how open-handed they sound, saying any request can be made. But if Fang Zheng naively made some impractical demands, that would be problematic. Even if the Sanctuary agreed to his conditions, it would likely lower Fang Zheng¡¯s reputation. But if the demands Fang Zheng made were simple and not much of a bother, then the Sanctuary naturally wouldn¡¯t be stingy, and might even engage in a bit of mutual ttery publicly, letting others know about Fang Zheng¡¯s understanding of propriety and frugality¡ªsubtext: it¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t give him better, it¡¯s just that he only wants these, and we can¡¯t help it.


    They¡¯ve shrugged off all responsibility.


    MD, isn¡¯t it just mutually beneficial ttery and bargaining? Magic I can¡¯t do, swordsmanship I don¡¯t yet understand, but this¡­ this is my domain!


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng¡¯s face also revealed aplex and conflicted expression. Then he hesitated for a moment, raised his right hand to his chest, and gave a slight bow to the three men.


    ¡°Thank you for the Sanctuary¡¯s grace. In truth, I only did a trivial task and feel quite ashamed. Even though it¡¯s hard for me, there¡¯s indeed something that I have to ask¡­¡±


    ¡°Please speak.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this,¡±


    As he spoke, Fang Zheng showed a somewhat troubled expression.


    ¡°If possible, I hope to obtain some Spirit Crystals¡­¡±


    ¡°Spirit Crystals?¡±


    Upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s request, the three Bishops were taken aback. They clearly hadn¡¯t expected Fang Zheng to make such a demand. And Fang Zheng lowered his head, a faint smile emerging on his lips.


    Good, the exchange of interests is a sess. I¡¯ve told you what I want, now how much you give depends on your own conscience.


    After all, ¡°some¡± is a very delicate word. A jin is some, a kilogram is also some, a ton is also some¡­ Are you going to be generous?


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no problem,¡±


    And at that moment, finally, the fat round-faced man spoke. He still looked at Fang Zheng with a smile, but his tone was a bit strange.


    ¡°I am just curious, Knight Fang Zheng, what do you need the Spirit Crystals for? Don¡¯t tell me you n to learn magic?¡±


    That¡¯s more like it.


    When Fang Zheng heard the sarcasm in the other man¡¯s voice, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Indeed, without a viin to y the opposing role on a stage, the y simply can¡¯t go on¡­

 Chapter 100 - 99 Farewell

    Chapter 100: Chapter 99 Farewell


    Ultimately, under Fang Zheng¡¯s deliberate guidance, the matter came to a sessful conclusion. The round-faced Bishop believed he had tricked Fang Zheng, the ¡°naive and upright¡± young man, and felt extremely pleased with himself. By using the round-faced Bishop¡¯s maniption, Fang Zheng also distanced himself from the Sanctuary. Each had gotten what they needed, and both were very satisfied. Therefore, every time Fang Zheng saw the round-faced Bishop, he would always wear a big, beaming smile. The round-faced Bishop was quite enthusiastic as well, although deep down he probably still mocked Fang Zheng as a foolish idiot who had cut off his own escape route.


    But how does the saying go? Everyone has their own kind of happiness.


    Shi Dong, on the other hand, was quite angry when he heard about this, and grabbed Fang Zheng nning to confront the Bishopric for an exnation. However, Fang Zheng eventually persuaded Shi Dong to drop the idea.


    Just as Fang Zheng had predicted, he lost his fiefdom. ording to the orders from the Bishopric, Fang Zheng was to go study at White Tower, which meant his fiefdom would continue to be managed by the Sanctuary during this time. Fang Zheng was already mentally prepared for this, recognizing it as amon tactic. It was like the carrot dangled in front of a mule, a so-called ¡°wait-and-see policy¡±. If Fang Zheng eventually ¡°saw the light¡± at White Tower and decided the Sanctuary was better, he would naturally regain his territory.@@novelbin@@


    But if Fang Zheng remained ¡°stubbornly deluded,¡± then the Sanctuary would probably find an excuse to give his fiefdom to someone else.


    Updated by ?¡ðvG¡ð.c¡ð


    Fang Zheng originally hadn¡¯t nned to keep it, so he let them y their games.


    The situation at Order Fortress stabilized for the time being, and there was no need for more manpower. And as gathering Spirit Crystals also took time, Fang Zheng took the opportunity to hang out with Fina and Nymph, strolling through the streets leisurely.


    With two cute girls for a date, how could he pass up such a great opportunity!


    Unfortunately, both this world and Nymph, the Little Angel who had been summoned, seemed unaware of what ¡°dating¡± meant, but being out and about with Fang Zheng was certainly a delightful matter for them. Thus, they dly epted Fang Zheng¡¯s invitation and started exploring the city.


    The Northern Temple was located in the Royal Capital of the Northern Alliance, a city built halfway up a mountain, and its overall style was filled with the rich, wild essence of the northern tribes.


    To Fang Zheng¡¯s surprise, he encountered a unique Northern snack here. It was a snack where wild fruits were skewered on wooden sticks, dipped in sugary syrup, and then enjoyed after they had set in the cold wind. Each bite was sour and crunchy, with the sweet fragrance of wild fruit and a hint of coldness, making it quite enjoyable.


    This instantly reminded Fang Zheng of the tanghulu from his own world, and he promptly bought some to relish. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to buy one for both Nymph and Fina as well, and both enjoyed it immensely.


    ¡°This is really tasty,¡± Nymph said, taking small bites and happily squinting her eyes. Although Nymph was still wearing her peculiar clothing, it did not cause much of a stir, since Fang Zheng had already ordered her to hide her wings. The Sanctuary was one thing, but if rumors about an angel spread outside, it would not be good for Nymph. In fact, up to now, very few people were aware of Fang Zheng having an angelpanion. The higher-ups in the Sanctuary might know a bit, but they apparently did not seem inclined to interfere.


    But this was just as well. If those people dared to do something, they couldn¡¯t me Fang Zheng for turning ruthless and unforgiving.


    Updated by N¡ðvG¡ð.c¡ð


    ¡°Eat as much as you like; I¡¯m treating,¡± Fang Zheng said, looking at Nymph and patting her head with a generous smile¡ªthe mission had also rewarded him with Gold Coins besides Spirit Crystals. It was a considerable amount, five thousand Gold Coins, roughly equivalent to a year-end bonus in his own world, enough to feast on salted fish for a whole year without worries.


    Although Fang Zheng said so, Nymph and Fina were still a bit shy about it. Out of helplessness, Fang Zheng personally took action. He bought Nymph a bunch of snacks from the specialty products of the Nortnds, and for Fina, he gave her a piece of silver jewelry crafted by Nortnd artisans as a gift. Fina, though somewhat bashful, eventually epted it gracefully.


    Although the silver jewelry was quite expensive, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t mind because this outing was not just a ¡°date¡± but also a ¡°farewell¡±.


    ¡°Have you really decided to leave this ce?¡± Fang Zheng asked, standing at the gates of the Royal Capital of the Nortnds, looking at the Cleric Maiden before him. Noticing Fang Zheng¡¯s gaze, Fina nodded shyly.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Fang Zheng, my pilgrimage is not yetplete, so I must continue on my journey.¡±


    So it goes, the unpredictability of life.


    Looking at the Cleric Maiden before him, Fang Zheng shrugged. He hadn¡¯t expected that he would still be here while Fina had decided to leave the Sanctuary first. Originally, Fang Zheng thought that after reaching the Northern Temple, Fina would stay here. After all, the pilgrimage was just a trial, not a marathon. Just like Fang Zheng, who as an Apprentice Guardian Knight was supposed to ¡°go to the countryside,¡± but having dealt with a Child of Chaos with Shi Dong also fulfilled the requirements for his advancement, allowing him to ¡°turn professional¡±.


    It was for this reason that Mr. Fang Zheng thought that Lady Fina probably deserved a promotion, after all, the ¡°Gates of Hell¡± incident, although it didn¡¯t lead to serious consequences, was still dangerous. And as one of the members who prevented the Gates of Hell from reopening, wasn¡¯t it natural for Fina to get a promotion and official recognition?


    To Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s surprise, when he went to find Lady Fina, he discovered to his astonishment that she intended to pack up and leave, and since they had fought together, they were friends. This prompted Mr. Fang Zheng to invite her out for a meal, following the customs of his hometown, and to take a stroll afterwards.


    ¡°You, Mr. Fang Zheng, are you really going to the White Tower?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Upon hearing Lady Fina¡¯s slightly worried inquiry, Mr. Fang Zheng nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m very interested in the mysteries of magic, and to tell you the truth, I am a veryzy person. Magic seems to help reduce a lot of trouble for me.¡±


    ¡°Huff huff¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Lady Fina couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth and giggle.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true at all, Mr. Fang Zheng. Studying magic is much more difficult than you think¡ªeven more so than Divine Arts. If you¡¯re just embracing it with the idea of beingzy, you¡¯re going to have a hard time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because people want to bezy that they make progress.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s ways of speaking are still so unusual.¡±


    Lady Fina helplessly shook her head, then looked at Nymph beside Mr. Fang Zheng with a smile.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m leaving, Sister Nymph, take good care of yourself.¡±


    In response to Lady Fina¡¯s words, Nymph bit her ¡°sugar-coated haws¡± in small nibbles, slightly nodding her head as a response. Looking at Nymph, Lady Fina smiled softly, then looked back at Mr. Fang Zheng.


    ¡°So, Mr. Fang Zheng, I¡¯m leaving. I hope everything goes well for you at the White Tower, and¡­ it¡¯s best not to disclose Sister Nymph¡¯s identity. Although the White Tower is part of the Order Faction, their attitude towards angels is not as respectful as the Sanctuary¡¯s. Some there might harbor ill intentions toward Sister Nymph, so please be careful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder.¡±


    Mr. Fang Zheng also had such concerns, but he wasn¡¯t particrly worried. After all, Nymph¡¯s ability was almost a Mage¡¯s bane, and while she might struggle against the muscr Pdin, she just had to deploy her ¡°Invasion Field¡± against those Mages, and it was basically one word¡ªstable!


    Of course, blind arrogance was uneptable, and necessary preparations had to be made.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m off then.¡±


    ¡°Have a safe journey, Lady Fina.¡±


    ¡°You too, Mr. Fang Zheng. May the Goddess bless you.¡±


    As she spoke, Lady Fina respectfully bowed, then she turned and walked away. Mr. Fang Zheng watched as the Cleric Maiden¡¯s figure disappeared into the crowd, soon out of sight.


    Watching Lady Fina leave, Mr. Fang Zheng remained silent for a moment, then turned around and patted Nymph on the head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 103 - 102 Easy-to-Understand Arcane Magic (Part 2)

    Chapter 103: Chapter 102 Easy-to-Understand Arcane Magic (Part 2)


    ¡°¡­Are you really learning magic for the first time?¡±


    Rex red fiercely at Fang Zheng, like a ravenous wolf ready to devour him, and Fang Zheng simply nodded in response.


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Rex.¡±


    Like hell!!


    Looking at Fang Zheng before him, Rex really wanted to smack him across the face. Although he didn¡¯t think this young man had much potential, as a teacher, he was naturallymitted to teaching wholeheartedly. Although the White Tower and the Sanctuary didn¡¯t get along well, he still had to do the job well. The ¡°textbook¡± he had given to Fang Zheng was a beginner¡¯s textbook studied by all Mages in the Magitech Nation.


    But¡­ normally speaking, those Mages would need at least a year to grasp the contents!


    You¡¯ve mastered it in two days and then youe here asking me what to do next?


    Rex had seen his fair share of remarkably talented Mages. The Sanctuary had Holy Spirit Knights and Divine Favorers, and there were simr beings among the Mages since both groups worshipped the Goddess of Order. But¡­ someone who could master the basics of spells in just two days was unheard of to Rex!


    Oh, right, the kid hadn¡¯t even chanted the Spell Text; he used Silent Spell!


    Compared to Rex, Fang Zheng seemed quiteposed, not because he was pretending to be, but after going through modern educational trials, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t find these materials challenging. The so-called Magic Runes just needed to be memorized like an Elemental Periodic Table¡ªdidn¡¯t everyone emerge victorious from their college entrance exams by doing just that?


    As for Spell Text? He refused to believe it could be more difficult than C++, which ranged from beginner to grave!


    In fact, it was quite simple.


    Perhaps Spell Text was indeed challenging for the average person, but for Fang Zheng, who had survived coding, how could Spell Text, which was infinitely simpler than code, pose a challenge? There were no circr references or destructor functions to worry about, just a game of text elimination¡ªhow hard could that be?


    As for Silent Spell¡­ of course, Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t aware of the principles behind Silent Spell, but after reading the whole textbook, he grasped its essence. After all, it¡¯s easier to invoke and remember words when you vocalized them, so Mages chanted spells not because they needed to, but because it helped reinforce memory while utilizing the Power of the Soul to trace Runes.


    However, for Fang Zheng, who possessed a Perfect Body, his memory, though not quite as perfect as those with absolute recall, wasn¡¯t far off, so he didn¡¯t need to chant and could quickly use the Power of the Soul to trace Magic Runes in his mind and Release spells.


    Unfortunately, Fang Zheng had also wanted Nymph to learn magic incidentally, but Nymph just couldn¡¯t cast spells. Oddly enough, Nymph could invade others¡¯ spells to control them; however, she was incapable of casting even a Level Zero Trick. Of course, this definitely wasn¡¯t a matter of her intelligence; as an Artificial Angel, Nymph truly had a photographic memory, grasping things upon a single exposure, but she just couldn¡¯t Release magic, which was quite awkward.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Rex looked at Fang Zheng with aplex expression, at a loss for words. Simr to the Sanctuary, anyone wishing to enter the White Tower had to undergo a thorough investigation. They had also received information about Fang Zheng from the Sanctuary. ording to the information, this young man was of Fallen Nobility, and his abilities were decent. But there had never been any evidence that he knew magic before, only that the immortal old man had once mentioned some special traits about this young man¡­


    Could there really be someone so favored by the Goddess in this world?


    Of course, if tranted into Fang Zheng¡¯s world terms, what was going on in Rex¡¯s mind would be, ¡°To cheat so egregiously, how are other yers supposed to survive? Don¡¯t think you can do whatever you want just because you¡¯re clinging to a GM¡¯s coattails! Everyone¡¯s here to win!¡±


    After the initial shock, what Rex felt was anger and excitement.


    The cause of his anger was¡ªsuch a promising magic talent had been squandered by those immortals at the Sanctuary!


    And what excited him was¡ªhe might witness the emergence of a legend!


    Hehehe, who knows how far this kid can go?


    Thinking this, Rex narrowed his eyes, fell silent for a moment, and then stood up to look at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Very well, since you have passed the basic test, next, you must choose your own specialization faction,¡± he said.


    For Fang Zheng, the spells of this world werepletely foreign to him, but after some fervent cramming, he had finally grasped the formation of spells in this world.


    In the Main World, spells were divided into eight major systems.


    Protection ss, Spellcraft System, Prophecy System, Enchantment School, Shaping Type, School of Illusions, Necromancer ss, and Transmutation.


    The Protection ss, as the name suggests, specialized in defensive and istive spells. If one were to borate, the Protection ss would be the sturdiest shield among the magic, used to shield mages from harm and iste enemies.


    To Fang Zheng¡¯s understanding from his world, the Spellcraft System resembled that of a summoner. The essence of the Spellcraft System was to use magic power to summon various things and creatures from alternate dimensional spaces for battle¡ªin simple terms, ganging up on the few with many.@@novelbin@@


    Compared to other factions, the Prophecy System appeared to be a very ¡°harmless¡± spell school, although it did not allow one topletely and thoroughly master one¡¯s destiny, it could alert the spellcaster about what was happening or was about to happen somewhere. Sometimes, just a premonition, a revtion, was enough to change the entire course of a battle.


    As an outlier among the spell schools, the Enchantment School to Fang Zheng seemed a particrly malevolent school, as its essence involved using Arcane Magic to influence and distort others¡¯ spirit and will, targeting the mind and soul specifically. Well¡­ it was hard not to think of harmonious titles such as ¡°Hypnotism Ryo Academy¡± and ¡°O Mother Brainwashing¡± when Fang Zheng encountered this school¡¯s spells.


    The Shaping Type needs no further boration¡ªfamously known as the Five Fireballs Sect, wielding the Elemental Power to destroy everything. If the Protection ss is the mage¡¯s sturdiest shield, then the Shaping Type is the mage¡¯s sharpest spear. Creating tsunamis and tornadoes with powerful spells is effortlessly easy for them, impossible for ordinary people to withstand.


    But the most indomitable enemy one faces is always oneself. Precisely for this reason, the School of Illusions became one of the eight major spell schools. It crafts the scariest scenarios in one¡¯s heart through illusions, thus transforming one¡¯s will. Superficially, the School of Illusions doesn¡¯t seem much different from the Enchantment School, but in reality, they are quite distinct. If Enchantment is likened to ¡°hypnosis,¡± then in Fang Zheng¡¯s view, the School of Illusions seemed more akin to ¡°conditioning¡±¡ªwhile hypnosis might one day be broken, once a person autonomously transforms their will within an illusion, it¡¯s very difficult to revert to the past.


    The Necromancer ss also needs no further boration¡ªa profession dealing with skeletal frameworks and souls. However, what surprised Fang Zheng was that the White Tower actually did not prohibit the existence of the Necromancer Faction. Although Shi Dong had once told him that the Sanctuary absolutely could not allow the maniption and y with the dead¡¯s souls to ur. But for Rex, he evidently had a different exnation.


    ¡°Those grave-diggers are just summoning other people¡¯s souls for trading, nothing as evil as the idiots at the Sanctuary say!¡± he exined.


    Thus, Fang Zheng immediately understood where the values of the White Tower and the Sanctuary diverged.


    And as thest of the eight factions, the Transmutation focused on the word transformation, capable of changing the properties of any object through the power of Arcane Magic, whether turning wood into steel or a person into a chicken, all at their whim. Even advanced Transformation Spells could change the weather and terrain of an entire area¡ªviewed from a certain angle¡­ Transmutation Mages were much more reliable than artificial rain.


    Honestly, Fang Zheng wanted to master all eight factions, but regretfully, Rex was not nning to give him that chance.


    ¡°Stop dreaming, kid! ording to the rules of the White Tower, a mage can only specialize in one spell school while studying up to three more! All others must be restricted! You must make your own choice!¡± he dered.


    To choose four out of the eight factions and then restrict four?


    This was torment for someone with decision paralysis!

 Chapter 105 - 104: Climb the Stairway to Heaven

    Chapter 105: Chapter 104: Climb the Stairway to Heaven


    In the following days, Fang Zheng stayed in the Mage Tower, learning spells as quickly as possible.


    Although he was well aware that haste made waste, at the present time, unting one¡¯s strength was the best way to get the White Tower to pay more attention to him. Otherwise, once the White Tower deemed him of no value, Fang Zheng might have to face the choice of returning to the Sanctuary. That¡¯s why Fang Zheng didn¡¯t intend to conceal his abilities at all, voraciously learning every magic spell at the fastest pace.


    Watching Fang Zheng¡¯s rate of growth, Rex had no more energy to sigh. He had predicted early on that Fang Zheng definitely possessed considerable talent, but the other¡¯s progress was simply too fast. It had been only a little over half a month since he started teaching Fang Zheng magic, yet Fang Zheng had alreadypletely mastered Level Four Magic¡ªbearing in mind he was learning four spell schools simultaneously, one could describe his growth rate as freakishly fast.


    One must know that even for mages of the White Tower, reaching this level would be impossible without over a decade of umtion and learning.


    What was even more blood-boiling for Rex¡­ was that Fang Zheng¡¯s disyed aptitude wasn¡¯t limited to just his talent in learning spells. Truth be told, every time he saw Fang Zheng now, Rex couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he¡¯d wasted the previous decades of his life like they were nothing.


    That feeling was not pleasant at all.


    And that was why Fang Zheng was standing here now,


    ¡°While I¡¯ve adjusted your schedule as much as possible, to be honest, I think you¡¯ve gone beyond any limit I could have imagined. But this is still not enough, mages aren¡¯t bookworms. Even if you learn Ninth-Level Spells by heart, they¡¯re useless without sufficient experience. So, I¡¯m sending you to a ce next¡ªan arena for mages, if you will. As of now, your knowledge is notcking, only experience. So, I suggest you go there and have a good fight with those mages, hone your skills¡­ you¡¯ll be told how to proceed once you¡¯re there. Right, I¡¯ve prepared a wizard robe and a magic wand for you. Take off these ridiculous clothes before you go. That ce is no noble ball or banquet, and no youngdy will invite you to dance dressed like that!¡±


    ¡°Is this the ce?¡±


    Dressed in a white robe and holding a magic wand, Fang Zheng lifted his head, gazing at the space before him. He had been teleported to this strange space after being hustled into the Teleportation Array by Rex.


    Looking around, everything seemed to float in the air as if suspended. Fang Zheng could see floating bs of stone, a massive za close at hand, and circles moving automatically like elevators. He turned his head to look around and saw pure white clouds hanging in the sky, but strangely enough, though the ce was extremely bright, the sun was nowhere to be seen. Even more, when Fang Zheng looked down, he couldn¡¯t see the ground either.


    Is this a Demi-ne?


    After a period of intensive study, Fang Zheng hade to understand some of the basic knowledge of mages, including their fondness for using demi-nes to solve problems. After all, a demi-ne is an often-employed method by mages, with rumors that some powerful mages could even create demi-ne spaces as vast as half a country. Judging by what Fang Zheng was seeing now, this wasn¡¯t far off.


    ¡°The spatial axis here is very precise, with signs of artificial adjustment, master, I think this space must have been man-made.¡±


    At this point, Nymph, following beside Fang Zheng, spoke up¡ªoddly enough, despite her outstanding abilities in this aspect, she couldn¡¯t use a single spell, which was somewhat puzzling.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    After a nce around, Fang Zheng moved forward. His location was a small tform with a closed stone gate behind it, carved with a peculiar and mysterious symbol. However, Fang Zheng knew it was Rex¡¯s symbol¡­ which is why he was in this ce now.


    Together with Nymph, Fang Zheng stepped onto a silver disc in front of the tform. After activating it with the Power of the Soul, the silver disc automatically ferried them swiftly towards the central za. The whole process looked straight out of a science fiction movie, even impressing Fang Zheng, who couldn¡¯t help but marvel. Nymph, on the other hand, showed no special expression¡ªperhaps in her world, such a thing was not considered remarkable.


    The silver disc carried Fang Zheng and Nymph to a corner of the aerial za, and the moment the disc stabilized, Fang Zheng saw an invisible servant made entirely of runes ¡°float¡± up to his side.


    ¡°Greetings, mage. Is this your first time at the Sky Arena?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing the Invisible Servant¡¯s inquiry, Fang Zheng nodded. After obtaining the answer, the Invisible Servant quickly took out a scroll and handed it to Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Then, please sign your name here, as well as the Star Pattern seal.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Having lived in this world for so long, Fang Zheng understood that this was essentially tantamount to ¡°signing your name plus handing over a copy of your ID card,¡± so he skillfully epted the scroll and feather pen handed over to him, first signing his name, then taking out the Star Pattern and stamping it on the ce of the signature on the scroll. A sh of light passed by, and the next moment, a peculiar Star Pattern appeared there.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng from Thunder Tower¡­ Your queue number is 876. The first match will begin in two minutes, please prepare yourself. Your servant may remain on the disc for a close-up view, of course, you may also request her to join the fight. The rules ofpetition are simple, whatever means you use, knocking your opponent off the stage will determine the victor, or if the opponent surrenders directly, or loses consciousness as well. There is no need to worry about causing physical or mental harm to other participants; any magic that would cause bodily or mental damage will be strictly limited in power, so please don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After listening to the Invisible Servant¡¯s speech, Fang Zheng nodded. He could already hear the cheersing from the square, along with explosions caused by the collision of spells and simr noises.


    Clearly, from this situation, it was apparent that these mages were evidently not the types who would settle things verbally rather than physically.


    As Fang Zheng contemted this, the disc at his feet rose again and flew to another side. Soon after, he saw his disc silentlynd in a small, circr arena¡ªit was about half the size of a ser field, circr like the arenas of Ancient Rome. On the spectator seats on both sides sat a sparse few spectators. Fang Zheng raised his head and saw a man in a red Mage Robe on the opposite side, staring at him with a serious expression.


    ¡°Time to climb thedder.¡±


    Muttering to himself, Fang Zheng stepped off the disc, then stood at the position designated by the light cursor. Right behind him, a wall of light emerged, separating him and Nymph. After that, a voice appeared in the center of the arena.


    ¡°The match begins.¡±@@novelbin@@


    As soon as the words were spoken, Fang Zheng saw the Red Robed Mage opposite him start dancing with his Magic Wand and chanting the Spell Text. His wand began emitting a dazzling red light, and the voice of the Red Robed Mage chanting the spell grew louder in the arena. Soon, a bright red barrier appeared beside him, forming a sturdy shield¡­


    Until the Red Robed Mage had finished casting his first spell, Fang Zheng remained unresponsive, standing there. Seeing this, a smug smile appeared on the Red Robed Mage¡¯s face. As a regr of the arena, he certainly knew that many rookie mages who came here would have this initial reaction, just like fools not knowing how to fight at all; a duel between mages wasn¡¯t as brutish as that of warriors, rather it was a collision of wits that was the main melody here. It seemed that this young man before him was the same, so, let him, himself, teach him the basic know-how of this ce!


    With this in mind, the hands of the Red Robed Mage began to move, once again conjuring runes with the Power of the Soul, when at that moment, he saw the ck-haired young man raise his Magic Wand, pointing it towards him.


    Hmph, a rookie indeed, not chanting or casting, merely relying on¡­


    ¡°Snap.¡±


    However, before the Red Robed Mage could finish his thought, the Elemental Shield in front of him burst like a bubble with a ¡°snap,¡± and immediately a series of shes appeared before the Red Robed Mage¡¯s eyes. The merciless Magic Missiles whistled past and, without any hesitation, prated the shattered Magic Barrier, sending the Red Robed Mage flying violently.


    How could this be?!


    Feeling the searing pain on his body, the Red Robed Mage¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. But before he could get up, that previous voice emerged again.


    ¡°Number 812 has been defeated, number 876¡¯s ranking has risen to 812.¡±

 Chapter 107 - 106: New Assassin

    Chapter 107: Chapter 106: New Assassin


    ¡°About time.¡±


    Looking at the ranking in front of him, Fang Zheng furrowed his brows. The Sky Arena didn¡¯t require one to challenge others in sequential order; instead, it offered a general range of opponents. For instance, since Fang Zheng was currently ranked 652, his opponent woulde from within the range of number 600 to 650. As long as he could defeat the opponent, Fang Zheng would take over that person¡¯s ranking, while the defeated would automatically drop down a rank.


    Since entering the Sky Arena, Fang Zheng had defeated over forty Mage Apprentices, though this was also partly because these apprentices were woefully inferior. Deep down, Fang Zhengpared them to Charles and that Destruction Mage, feeling they were considerably lesser in caliber.


    Now, Fang Zheng only hoped that after rising in rank, he could encounter some truly formidable mages.


    ¡°Ding-dong.¡±


    At that moment, a crisp bell sound rang, followed by a voice near Fang Zheng¡¯s ear.


    ¡°yer number 652, yer number 500 has challenged you, do you ept?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Upon hearing the magicmand ryed through themunication, Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Although he had learned from his Invisible Servant that members with enough points in the Sky Arena could spend points to specifically challenge opponents, Fang Zheng had no ns to do so. His current goal was not to sh with any specific person but to gradually understand thebat styles of mages at various levels. However, it seemed now that he was being targeted?


    ¡°ept.¡±


    With this thought, Fang Zheng promptly chose to ept, guessing that probably someone was displeased with him or just looking for some fun. This type of rookie targeting was all toomon in gaming, especially in online games where blocking the entrance to the Beginner Viges to attack neers wasn¡¯t rare. That¡¯s why many online games had set a level cap before which yer killing wasn¡¯t allowed, to prevent neers from having such poor game experiences that they might quit in frustration.


    And as a game lead designer, Fang Zheng always had his ways to make these troublemakers respectfully call him ¡®grandfather¡¯.


    Soon, the tform moved again,ing to another arena. Stepping off the tform, Fang Zheng took his ce and soon saw a brown-haired mage wearing round sses across from him. The mage wore a pitch-ck Mage Robe and held a Magic Wand embedded with crystals, which seemed quite more imposing than the previous mages.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the Wild Mage from Thunder Tower.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Looking at Fang Zheng, the man disyed unmistakable arrogance on his face.


    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t expect a Wild Mage like you to defeat so many younger apprentices in the Sky Arena¡­ Honestly, I must say, you¡¯ve done quite well. But unfortunately, this is where it ends.¡±


    As he spoke, the man with sses raised the Magic Wand in his hand.


    ¡°The Sky Arena is the hunting ground of the White Tower, and for a Wild Mage like you to havee this far is quite promising. However, it¡¯s unfortunate that you¡¯re not a mage of the White Tower, so I¡¯m sorry, but this is as far as you go.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng raised his eyebrows. He clearly understood the underlying meaning of the man¡¯s words, which was to say, the Sky Arena was created to train mages of the White Tower. Those mages not qualified to enter the White Tower came here essentially as free sparring partners.


    As he said, this ce was a hunting ground, and Wild Mages like himself were the prey, while the mages of the White Tower were the hunters. They would hone their skills and improve themselves in the process of chasing down their prey.


    But once the roles were reversed, it was a different matter altogether.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying, you¡¯re the watchdog of the White Tower?¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s relentless taunt, the bespectacled man¡¯s face darkened instantly, andughter erupted from the nearby spectator seats. Many of them were mages from the White Tower, and while Fang Zheng didn¡¯t know the specifics about the bespectacled man, they did. Although this man was also a White Tower mage, his limited talent meant rising further was difficult. Holding the 500th rank was already his peak, and he had stayed in that position using the excuse of ¡°teaching¡± to suppress the neers, especially the Wild Mages.


    After all, the reason Wild Mages were called such was because their inheritance wasn¡¯tprehensive, and as a Spellcraft System mage from the White Tower who had undergone systematic training, the bespectacled man did possess a few ace skills, making it possible for him to generally secure victories.


    Although there were many in the White Tower who disliked the bespectacled man¡¯s actions, they, due to their status, did not wish to interact with such people. Now, hearing how vividly Fang Zheng put it, many of them couldn¡¯t help but rejoice at his misfortune. After all, to most mages, losing the motivation to progress meant no longer being a part of them, and for someone like the bespectacled man, who could stoop to bullying neers just to stay in the White Tower, they naturally looked down upon him.


    With that thought, he really did seem like the White Tower¡¯s guard dog.


    Hearing theughtering from the audience, the bespectacled man¡¯splexion grew even more livid, knowing he didn¡¯t have much status within the White Tower, but was still somewhat of a figure. And now, this damned Wild Mage had reduced him to a mere guard dog with a single sentence ¡ª the bespectacled man was well aware that, after today¡¯s duel, regardless of the oue, the title ¡°guard dog¡± might begin to circte within the White Tower.


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Thinking this, the bespectacled man¡¯s expression turned much gloomier.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re quite arrogant, Wild Mage, I really do find you annoying.¡±


    ¡°Understandable, since you¡¯re uglier than me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡­!!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha!!¡±


    By then, theughter from the nearby audience had escted from a hushed giggle to a boisterous uproar. After all, what Fang Zheng had said was true, as the face is the mirror of the mind, the bespectacled man was rather ordinary-looking with round sses, and unlike Harry Potter, his forehead bore no lightning scar, so he naturallycked charm. But Fang Zheng was on another level; his charm rating was C++, making him the center of attention wherever he stood, outshining even ordinary celebrities.


    Although nobody had initially thought that far, once Fang Zheng pointed it out, aparison made the crowd burst intoughter.


    ¡°You¡­very well!¡±


    By then, the bespectacled man had turned deathly pale, abandoning his efforts to suppress Fang Zheng. The typical Wild Mages would tremble before him or curse furiously, but none of that had harmed him. However, he hadn¡¯t expected this man in front of him to be so formidable, infuriating him almost to the point of madness with just a couple of sentences. Thus, he had decided not to engage verbally any longer and was ready to take action.


    ¡°Let me show you the true power of a White Tower Mage!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d advise you to not casually represent the White Tower.¡±


    Looking at the bespectacled man before him, Fang Zheng smiled slightly once again.


    ¡°Honestly, if I were a White Tower Mage, I wouldn¡¯t want to be represented by you; it¡¯s too embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Fortunately, the bespectacled man didn¡¯t have a heart condition, or else he definitely would have been angered to death by Fang Zheng right there. Because he could feel the gazes from all around, most of which were full of displeasure and disdain, and even some gloating. Clearly, just as Fang Zheng had said, they did not want to be represented by such a guy.


    ¡°Go to hell!!¡±


    By then the bespectacled man was almost in tears, not having expected that thest scene-stealing phrase he threw out would still be turned against him by this damned bastard. Now it was clear, regardless of the oue of this battle, he was doomed to fail within the White Tower.


    But before that, he also wanted to vent his own inner fury!!


    With this thought, the bespectacled man decided not to hold back any longer. He reached out to lightly swipe his ring, and the next moment, twin bursts of light erupted, and then, from the brightness, emerged two white wolves asrge as battle horses, viciously staring at Fang Zheng before them, and growling angrily.


    Who would have thought, they¡¯re of the same trade after all.


    Seeing the two summoned Otherworld white wolves, Fang Zheng was also somewhat surprised. But soon, he sighed.


    When like meets like, it¡¯s about time to get serious.


    With that thought, Fang Zheng casually tossed aside his Magic Wand.


    Then he silently took out his Sky-Cleaving Sword.

 Chapter 109 - 108: Returning to the Free World

    Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Returning to the Free World


    In the Sky Arena, the White Tower Mage was thrown into utter chaos, and Fang Zheng had contentedly acquired what he desired.


    However, unfortunately for him, the oue was not wonderful.


    ¡°How is it? Nymph?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master, during today¡¯s battle, you were controlled by Enchantment School mages eighteen times and fell into illusions seven times, with the shortest breakout time being one second and the longest five seconds.¡±


    ¡°The situation is not good¡­¡±


    Hearing Nymph¡¯s report, Fang Zheng furrowed his brows and crossed his arms in thought.


    If there were any troublesome foes in the Sky Arena for Fang Zheng, then mages of the Enchantment and Illusion Schools were his most headache-inducing adversaries.


    The School of Illusions was manageable, as the Prophecy System countered illusions, and under True Vision, all illusions were exposed. But the Enchantment School was different. Various psychic maniption spells emerged continuously, causing Fang Zheng endlessints. Fortunately, the Enchantment School mages he currently encountered were mostly of low rank, using only rudimentary spells like the Sleep Spell. Even so, it frightened Fang Zheng, who for the first time realized, no matter how powerful hisbat skills, how mighty his spells, and how perfect his physique were, his spirit was still so vulnerable. Even a minor Enchantment School mage could impact him.


    What disturbed Fang Zheng more was that within the Enchantment School were many bizarre and terrifying techniques. For instance, he had once read about a spell called ¡°Binds of Mercy¡±, which simply forced a creature to fight in a more merciful manner¡ªno poisoning, no infliction of fatal injuries, no deadly strikes on non-threatening targets¡­ When Fang Zheng read this, he felt chilled from head to toe.


    This was simply forcing a boss to set up a g for defeat!


    Fang Zheng could almost confirm that this spell effect could exin the death of over ny-nine percent of bosses across various worlds.


    At its zenith, the Enchantment School even possessed horrifying spells such as ¡°Weave Memories,¡± ¡°Invade the Mind,¡± and ¡°Decree of Death¡±¡ªFang Zheng was not willing to experiment with whether he could withstand these spells.


    Unfortunately, when Fang Zheng consulted Rex about this, he also said that there were very few real methods to counter the Enchantment School.


    ¡°Like the Prophecy System, the Enchantment School isn¡¯t suited for directbat. But, as the future represented by prophecy cannot be avoided by anyone, the same is true for the Enchantment School, as human will and spirit are always the mostplex and elusive. People yearn to escape fate, to change the future, but they will eventually find that everything they do is a part of fate. And the same goes for will and spirit, always sought to be escaped from and changed but ultimately it is in themselves.¡±


    ¡°But no one can be sure whether ites from the outside or is born within.¡±


    In response to Fang Zheng¡¯s rebuttal, Rex remained silent for a long time, finally giving him this answer.


    ¡°Does it matter? After all, you are the only one who knows.¡±


    ording to Rex¡¯s words, regarding spells of the Enchantment School, one could either rely on one¡¯s own strong willpower to break free or wear magic equipment that provides immunity to mind control.


    Thetter Fang Zheng currentlycked, and regarding the former¡­ after these days of battle, he was not very confident.


    He felt he should be strong, but now Fang Zheng was no longer so sure.


    Fortunately, Nymph was by his side, the Artificial Angel who did not dream and was immune to all Psychic System and illusionary techniques. Therefore, Fang Zheng was always able to break free in time, and of course, this was inseparable from hisplete trust in Nymph.


    But Fang Zheng was worried¡ªwhat if he encountered more formidable mages from the Enchantment School?


    The techniques of mages of this rank were still rather simple, but having seen plenty of novels, animations, movies, and games, Fang Zheng knew all too well how easy it was to destroy someone from the depths of their will. He could now trust Nymph without reservation, but what if someday someone purposefully targeted him with a suggestion?


    Quick and forceful methods like sleep and paralysis could be resisted by will, but the most frightening were subtle suggestions. What if Fang Zheng no longer trusted his summoned beings? Or if he even started doubt himself?


    Thinking of this, Fang Zheng felt worried. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. He once thought he was very strong. After all, dying hundreds of times in the ck Soul World made him indifferent to death; what else could be frightening?


    But now it seemed he was not as strong as he had imagined.


    Regarding this, Rex did not have good advice, as a qualified Prophecy Mage would never let themselves be controlled or influenced by an Enchantment School mage. This was the mutual restraint among the various Spell Schools; while the Enchantment School could influence a person¡¯s spirit and will, the Prophecy System could sense danger in advance and avoid it. Each had their own methods, and the less skilled one deserved their misfortune.


    However, Rex also agreed that Fang Zheng should train his spirit and will, as for mages, a firm will is essential. Especially so for Prophecy Mages.


    ¡°The future is not unchangeable, nor is it predetermined fate. What is woven into the web of fate is not necessarily fact; it can also be a deceptive dream. How to see through the fog of fate, everything depends on your inner strength. Those who are too fragile cannot be Prophecy Mages; this is also a path you must take, so strive hard.¡±


    ¡°Master, are you really prepared?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Facing Nymph¡¯s inquiry, Fang Zheng nodded, then he reached out his hand and touched the head of the Little Angel.


    ¡°During this period, I¡¯ll trouble you to look after things. If anything happens, remember to record it and tell me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, no problem, Master.¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯smand, Nymph nodded with a smile.


    ¡°I hope you can return safely.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    With that, Fang Zheng once again opened the Dimensional Codex.


    While Teleportation to other worlds was still cooling down, the teleportation to the Free World could be used. Previously, out of the ¡°Spirit,¡± ¡°Skill,¡± and ¡°Body¡± Free Worlds, Fang Zheng had only visited the ¡°Skill¡¯s¡± ck Soul World, and had not visited the other two worlds. However, now, Fang Zheng decided to open another new instance of the Free World.


    ¡°Spirit.¡±


    ¡°Skill¡± had honed Fang Zheng¡¯s abilities, so ¡°Spirit¡± must be about training the soul and mind.


    It was just unknown what kind of world he would visit this time.


    Looking at the Dimensional Codex before him, Fang Zheng felt somewhat apprehensive. It was no surprise, as in Fang Zheng¡¯s understanding, any world rted to the ¡°soul¡± and ¡°will¡± was not easy to deal with. Physical pain could be endured, but pain inflicted on the soul was true torture.


    Even Fang Zheng was not sure if he could resolve it smoothly.


    But after all, this was the path he had chosen.


    Thinking thus, Fang Zheng¡¯s gaze grew much more determined. He took another look at Nymph standing beside him, then firmly pressed the button.


    The next moment, the Dimensional Codex instantly dissolved, turning into photon particles that enveloped Fang Zheng.


    In just the blink of an eye, the light ascended, then disappeared into thin air.@@novelbin@@


    This time, it was not soul transference.


    When Fang Zheng opened his eyes again, he was sitting in a minibus, a rather old one. Apart from himself, there was only an olddy on the bus who was squinting her eyes, speaking with the driver driving the minibus.


    It was Japanese.


    Listening to their conversation, Fang Zheng looked down at his attire. His outfit was different from before. Now, Fang Zheng was wearing only a in shirt and trousers, with a small travel bag beside him. Looking out of the bus window, he could see dense forests on both sides of the road and fields in the distance.


    The time seemed to be¡­ modern, and the ce was¡­ Japan, more precisely, the countryside of Japan?


    What world was this?


    ¡°This stop, sir,¡±


    As Fang Zheng pondered, the bus had already slowly stopped in front of a dpidated bus station, and the olddy who had been on the bus before had already alighted. Then the driver turned his head and greeted Fang Zheng. Hearing the driver¡¯s words, Fang Zheng nodded, then picked up his travel bag and disembarked.


    It was already dusk. Looking into the distance, one could see the bright red sunset shining over thend.


    And softly echoing in Fang Zheng¡¯s ears, was the sound of cicadas chirping from somewhere unknown¡­

 Chapter 112 - 111: Discussing Strategies for the World of Cicadas Song

    Chapter 112: Chapter 111: Discussing Strategies for the World of Cicada¡¯s Song


    Upon hearing Mion¡¯s proposal, everyone was stunned, and after a moment, Satoko finally spoke up with trepidation.


    ¡°Mion, can teachers join too?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Fang Zheng cane and be our advisor, all the clubs usually have a teacher advisor, right?¡±


    ¡°Even if I be your advisor, you won¡¯t have any club funds to use.¡±


    Fang Zheng wouldn¡¯t miss the invitation from Mion, as he had been considering ways to infiltrate the protagonist¡¯s group. Now with this opportunity, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let it slip by.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the funds, Mion¡¯s family is a well-knownndowner.¡±


    Rika also smiled and chimed in at this point. Fang Zheng could sense, however, that Rika was looking at him with a mix of wariness and curiosity.


    Fang Zheng thought for a moment and found it no wonder, Rika, in a sense, wasn¡¯t much different from Tom Cruise; both had reincarnated hundreds of times. The only advantage for Tom Cruise was that he was an adult, with no physical issues. He onlycked experience and awareness. Rika, on the other hand, was different. Her body was so frail she could hardly do anything physically. Apart from reincarnation, Rika was almost defenseless. Honestly, Fang Zheng truly felt pity for Rika; a child who had reincarnated hundreds of times, each time bearing the fear of death yet without any means to escape. It was a tale heartbreaking to hear and sorrowful to witness.


    For Rika, this world was but one of her countless reincarnations, but now, a new character who had never appeared in dozens of past lives had emerged. It would have been strange for Rika to not react at all.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I ept your invitation, Mion, to take the position of advisor¡­ By the way, what¡¯s the name of our club?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    At Fang Zheng¡¯s question, this time everyone was stumped, and Keiichi also scratched his head, curiously looking at the others.


    ¡°Right, I don¡¯t know either, our club has to have a name, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I haven¡¯t thought of a name at all.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Mion! Think of one right now!¡±


    ¡°Even if you ask me to think of one now¡­ how about the Game Club?¡±


    ¡°Toomon! Or should I say, too old-fashioned!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Uh¡­.¡±


    ¡°You can do it! Go, Mion!¡±


    Watching Mion hold her head in agony, the girls surrounding her couldn¡¯t help but cheer her on. Unfortunately, Mion seemed tock talent in naming, as she finally let out a scream and then copsed onto the table as if she had exploded.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it, I can¡¯te up with a name for the club! All I can think of are names that are too in!¡±


    ¡°Mion, you¡¯re really hopeless¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Rena¡¯s words, Mion puffed out her cheeks defiantly, then her eyes lit up, and she swiftly turned to Fang Zheng.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, let Fang Zheng decide our club¡¯s name! Since the teacher is our advisor now, this task is all yours!¡±


    True to the sessor of The Three Noble Houses, she deftly passed the buck with skill rivaling a seasoned politician; her mastery was noted.


    Silentlybeling Mion in his heart, Fang Zheng pondered for a moment before speaking up.


    ¡°Then, how about the Academy Life Division?¡±


    ¡°Academy¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Life Division?¡±


    ¡°It sounds quite nice,¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided, starting today, our club will be called the Academy Life Division!¡±


    With Mion¡¯s words, the name was firmly established.


    Afterward, everyone left the school chattering andughing, heading home. Fang Zheng returned to his own room in the school¡ªonce a clinic, it now served as a decent temporary dwelling, at least equipped with essentials like a refrigerator and a gas stove, sufficient for daily living.


    As the sun set, the night grew deep. Looking out the window, the fields were pitch ck, with only the bleak white light from the roadmps along the countryne, which somewhat evoked the atmosphere of a rural ghost story. However, Fang Zheng certainly wasn¡¯t afraid of such things. In this world, he couldn¡¯t use the power of the Soulstone, but he could rely on his own abilities. Setting aside his now-transformed Zerg body, even without the Royal Cross Swordsmanship, the magic Fang Zheng had learned was enough to handle the crises here.


    However, since this world was meant to train the mind and the will, strength alone was definitely not enough.@@novelbin@@


    Should I be thankful the Codex didn¡¯t throw me into the world of Danganronpa at this point?


    Sighing, Fang Zheng began to write and draw on the nk cards in front of him. As the advisor of the ¡°Academy Life Division,¡± he had promised Mion and Rena that he would create a new game for the club. There wasn¡¯t much for Fang Zheng to worry about in this regard, as a game designer, even a simple board game was something he was quite familiar with, not to mention it was the 1980s, an era where such resources were scarce, so producing a satisfactory game for everyone would surely be a piece of cake for Fang Zheng.


    But for Fang Zheng, that wasn¡¯t his main focus. What he needed to consider was how to ¡°clear¡± this world.


    In the world of ¡°When the Cicadas Cry,¡± everyone had a reason to darken, and in fact, for Fang Zheng, Miyo Takano, the mastermind, was the least of his concerns. Since she acted solely out of brute force, something Fang Zheng was least afraid of, he excluded her first despite her role as the world¡¯s final boss.


    But it was the problems that couldn¡¯t be solved by violence that were the most troubling for Fang Zheng.


    The story of ¡°When the Cicadas Cry¡± made it clear, out of the five protagonists, three would be driven to a corner and snap, darkening and starting tomit murder. The best approach for Fang Zheng was to eradicate the cause of their darkening. And this was the most difficult part.


    And the cause was the Hojo Family.


    In the story of ¡°When the Cicadas Cry,¡± a key background element was that the government once wanted to build a dam in Hinamizawa. The vigers of Hinamizawa didn¡¯t want to leave their homes. Thus, a division was formed between those in favor and those opposed to the dam construction, with the Hojo Family siding with the former.


    However, in the end, the opposition won, the government canceled the construction n, and the Hojo Family, who had backed the wrong side, found themselves in an awkward position. They were ostracized and even branded as traitors by the rest of the vige. Then, the Parents of Hojo died after falling off a cliff during a trip, and the two Hojo children¡ªSatoshi Hojo and Satoko Hojo¡ªwere taken in by their uncle¡¯s family.


    But clearly, the two of them were not happy. In fact, Teppei Hojo¡¯s family had been abusing Satoshi Hojo and Satoko Hojo. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, Satoshi Hojo, in order to protect Satoko, killed their abusive aunt. Soon after, he was sent for treatment due to an outbreak of the ¡°Hinamizawa Syndrome¡± and was officially reported as missing ¡ª which was announced as him moving to another school.


    Meanwhile, Sonozaki Mion¡¯s sister, Sonozaki Shion, had always harbored an unrequited love for Satoshi Hojo. However, her position was quite awkward. The Sonozaki Family, being one of the Three Noble Houses of Hinamizawa, was essentially a driving force behind the ostracism of the Hojo Family. It was akin to those ancient novels where a local tyrantndlord torments a poor schr, while thendlord¡¯s daughter happens to fall for that same poor schr.


    Of course, both Romeo and Juliet met tragic ends, so the ruralndlord¡¯s low-budget version ¡ª Satoshi Hojo and Sonozaki Shion ¡ª was even less hopeful. Not to mention that Shion¡¯s love was unrequited, it was almost as if she had taken every tragic g from girl-centric tragedy novels and raised them all.


    After Satoshi Hojo disappeared, Sonozaki Shion always believed that it was the Sonozaki Family who had killed him. This became her almost unchangeable dark fate ¡ª she was alreadyden with pain and now the person she loved had vanished without a trace. Thus, Sonozaki Shion could be said to be one of the most susceptible to darkening in the entire World of Cicada¡¯s Song.


    The situation for Satoko Hojo was simr. Fang Zheng remembered clearly, in theter parts of the World of Cicada¡¯s Song, Satoko had gradually begun to live the peaceful life she wished for. However, the return of her uncle, Teppei Hojo, shattered this false sense of happiness. In the end, what was once a happy routine began to copse, transforming into the pitch-ck Abyss.


    It was for these reasons that Fang Zheng felt these two issues were the hardest to resolve. If Maehara Keiichi and Rena Ryuuguu¡¯s problems could be prevented beforehand, then Sonozaki Shion and Satoko Hojo¡¯s issues were not so easily dealt with ¡ª these were ¡°historical problems¡± that couldn¡¯t be easily smoothed over with intervention.


    Of course, from Fang Zheng¡¯s point of view, the best solution would be to kill Teppei Hojo. He had enough strength and confidence to make Teppei Hojo¡¯s death look like an ident. But Fang Zheng did not dare to do so, each world had its rules, and he had a vague feeling that if he killed Teppei Hojo, his own fate would probably not be much better than Maehara Keiichi¡¯s.


    In Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes, this world was even harder to deal with than ck Soul. ck Soul simply disallowed the use of power beyond certain limits, but at the end of the day, everything was still determined bybat. However, this world appeared to extremely discourage the use of violence, unless it was for self-defense, and any violent actions beyond that seemed to provoke some kind of bacsh.


    A world that trains the spirit, huh? Highbat values are pointless if you¡¯re unable to use them.


    With that thought, Fang Zheng shook his head, then just as he was about to continue with his work, suddenly, his ears twitched slightly.


    ¡°Tap¡­ tap¡­ tap¡­¡±


    Behind him, a series of slow footsteps emerged in the pitch-ck corridor, getting closer and closer. Soon, Fang Zheng heard the footsteps stop right outside his door, then all was silent.


    Ah, this feeling¡­ you can¡¯t tell me there are no ghosts, I wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    Fang Zheng sighed helplessly, then stood up and walked to the door. With a ¡°click,¡± he opened the previously locked door and looked at the figure standing outside, greeting them with a smile.


    ¡°May I ask, what brings you here sote at night?¡±

 Chapter 113 - 112: An Unexpected Guest at Night

    Chapter 113: Chapter 112: An Unexpected Guest at Night


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Standing in front of Fang Zheng was a girl who appeared to be about the same age as Rika and the others, but her attire was different. She was dressed in a red and white shrine maiden outfit, her small face featuring eyes wide open, staring intently at Fang Zheng as if she hadn¡¯t expected to be discovered at all. However, the most eye-catching feature was the pair of curved, horn-like protrusions on her head¡ªno, those were actually horns.


    Fang Zheng, of course, knew who this girl was. In fact, the seemingly cute and fragile girl in front of him was none other than Master Oyashiro-sama, legendary in the tales of Hinamizawa¡ªas the alleged culprit behind the mysterious disappearances of several innocent civilians¡­ which was of course nonsense.


    It was strange to say, even though the entire World of Cicada¡¯s Song was nearly ruined by infinite loops, it remained oddly scientific. From beginning to end, the main characters almost never used any supernatural powers when facing challenges. They literally just relied on their own strength to face and ovee the problems.


    Of course, the fact that they could defeat special forces members was either a testament to those guys being ipetent or these protagonists being ridiculously overpowered.


    However, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t understand why she would appear before him. Logically, Master Oyashiro should share senses with Furutega Rika, and only those who progressed beyond stage L3 of the Hinamizawa Syndrome would be able to¡­ Hold on, I¡¯ve only been here one day and I¡¯m already at stage 3? Are you kidding me?


    Internally cursing, Fang Zheng was baffled, and so was Haneiru, her face clearly confused, apparently not expecting that this man could actually see her.


    ¡°Are you also a student here? Well,e in first.¡±


    At this moment, Fang Zheng also grew curious, feeling very good about himself, convinced he couldn¡¯t possibly show any symptoms of Hinamizawa Syndrome, yet he clearly saw Haneiru. Whatever the case, this was an interesting development. Pretending to know nothing, he opened the door and invited her in.


    ¡°Ah, thank you, sorry to disturb you¡­¡±


    At this moment, Haneiru, perhaps still not fullyprehending that someone could see her so clearly, instinctively bowed to Fang Zheng and then slowly walked into the room, taking a seat on a chair nearby.


    ¡°Would you like something to drink? Tea? Or coffee?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no need!!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Haneiru quickly began to vigorously shake her hands. Seeing her action, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t ask any further. He knew that the current Haneiru was probably just an apparition, guessing that even if he gave her something, she wouldn¡¯t be able to drink it. But now was the time for performance¡­ and of course, I couldn¡¯t just ignore what you were expecting.


    ¡°I see¡­ By the way, I don¡¯t think I know your name yet?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I am called¡­¡±


    Facing Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Haneiru was clearly anxious. She hesitated for a moment before speaking in a lowered voice.


    ¡°My name is Haneiru, Furutega Haneiru.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You are Rika¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re rtives¡­¡±


    Japan has been using this trick for years, isn¡¯t it? A girl from the heavens can introduce herself as a rtive, a girl from another world can still say she¡¯s a rtive, and now even a ghost¡­ sorry, Oyashiro-sama could be considered a rtive.


    Oh, wait, they are actually rtives, just separated by a few generations.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Haneiru.¡±


    While internally pondering, Fang Zheng nodded at Haneiru.


    ¡°You might have heard from Rika, I am Fang Zheng, a teacher who just arrived to teach here these past few days. I look forward to your guidance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me who should say that, please guide me well.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Haneiru appeared exceedingly formal in front of Fang Zheng. Hearing this, she quickly stood up, bowing respectfully to him.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s quitete, why are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°This¡­ um¡­¡±


    Haneiru obviously wasn¡¯t very good at lying. In fact, she was still not quite recovered from the shock, thinking, I¡¯m just a ghost, how did a human manage to see me? And not only see me but also treat me like a regr person¡­


    ¡°I¡­ I heard from Rika about the new teacher, so I wanted toe and see¡­ ah, umm¡­¡±


    Haneiru clearly wasn¡¯t very good at lying; nearing the end of her exnation, she almost had to bow her head, her face flushing red, unable to look up directly.


    Anyone with clear eyes could see there was something off with your reaction, girl.


    ¡°Thiste, isn¡¯t it dangerous for you to be here alone? If you wanted to see, why note to school for lessons? I haven¡¯t seen you at school, either.¡±


    ¡°Well, because of some reasons¡­¡±


    By now Haneiru could no longer hold back tears. She knew that she was only able to leave Rika¡¯s side and appear next to others when those people were experiencing an outbreak. Thus, Haneiru was initially curious; although Hinamizawa Syndrome indeed has an incubation period, it made no sense that Fang Zheng would fall ill just one day after arriving. But what surprised Haneiru even more was that not only did Fang Zheng appearpletely well, but he could also fully perceive her presence!


    After all, even patients deeply afflicted with stage L5 could only just vaguely hear her voice!


    Speaking of which, by continually apologizing to those deep in the throes of the disease, aren¡¯t you making them even more paranoid, girl?


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m very sorry to have disturbed you, I have to go now, very sorry, please don¡¯t tell anyone I was here!¡±


    Having said that, Haneiru finally couldn¡¯t sit still any longer and hurriedly got up to leave. Watching her departure, Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow but ultimately did nothing.


    Frankly, Haneiru¡¯s appearance was unexpected for Fang Zheng, yet it was a good beginning. He had always hoped to find an opportunity to discuss things with Rika. But if he were to approach her directly, Rika clearly would not trust him. She might have been suspicious of his appearance, but she would likely be cautious and test the waters rather than confronting him outright.


    Perhaps for Rika, this failure was tolerable, but not for Fang Zheng. He was well aware that although Rika¡¯s abilities appeared simr to Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow on the surface, fundamentally they were vastly different. Tom Cruise would retrospect the entire world upon his death, but it would be more apt to say Rika was jumping across parallel worlds rather than engaging in time retrospection. Upon failing in this world, Rika would find another world¡¯s timeline to start over.


    However, Rika¡¯s ability to traverse worlds did not mean Fang Zheng could do the same. His power was time; it did not involve parallel worlds. Moreover, Rika¡¯s powers, deriving from Haneiru, were ¡°single-user exclusive,¡± so Fang Zheng was not keen to try it out. He wondered if the Rika in this world didn¡¯t achieve her goal, whether he would end up starting over in the next world with her.


    Now, with Haneiru acting as a go-between, perhaps Rika would take some other actions.


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng reached out to pick up the mug beside him and took a sip of coffee. Then, he turned his head and looked out at the pitch-ck night sky.


    Resonating beneath the night sky was the low sound of cicadas.


    ¡°Rika! Rika! Rika!!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Haneiru?¡±


    Watching the frantic Haneiru appear before her, Rika also frowned. She nced at the already dormant Satoko not far away and then turned to face the other side, ring at Haneiru discontentedly.


    ¡°Where exactly have you been? Why didn¡¯t you respond when I called you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bad, really bad, this time it¡¯s really serious! Ah woo ah woo!¡±


    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    Seeing the panicked appearance of Haneiru, Rika became curious.


    ¡°I, I was seen by someone!!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Hearing Haneiru¡¯s response, a look of immense surprise also appeared on Rika¡¯s face.


    ¡°What do you mean you were seen? Can someone actually see you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, the new teacher who arrived today; I went over tonight to check on him. But I didn¡¯t expect to be discovered by him, and he even invited me to sit for a while!¡±


    ¡°Was there anything unusual about his behavior?¡±


    At this moment, Rika¡¯s expression also grew serious, as she well knew the conditions under which Haneiru would appear before someone else.


    ¡°Could his condition have progressed to Stage L3?¡±


    ¡°No no no, he was very normal, that¡¯s what¡¯s strange. His reactions are different from everyone else¡¯s! When he looked at me, he seemed to be able to see my existence very clearly, and he treated me like an ordinary student, asking me a bunch of questions¡­¡±


    Saying this, Haneiru bit her lower lip and then looked at Rika.


    ¡°Rika¡­ I think, this Mr. Fang Zheng might be our hope for breaking free from this fate.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    But this time, Rika did not speak. Instead, she lowered her head to think for a moment, then slowly leaned against the wall and sat down, looking up towards the window. Seeing her strange reaction, Haneiru cocked her head, curiously watching her.


    ¡°¡­Rika?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    As she spoke, Rika curled up her trembling body. This was not due to fear, but rather from excitement. A person who had never appeared in her previous cycles, someone who, like herself, couldmunicate with Haneiru. As Haneiru said, perhaps this man was the hope that could rescue her from the abyss of suffering.


    But would he really help her? Hope bred greater disappointment, and the girl who had experienced nearly a hundred cycles knew this all too well.


    What if he did not wish to help her, or even if he did, turned out to be like Akasaka¡­


    Thinking this, Rika lowered her head and closed her eyes.


    This time, would it truly be worth trying?

 Chapter 116 - 115: Twins Sisters

    Chapter 116: Chapter 115: Twins Sisters


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As Fang Zheng suddenly appeared, both parties were taken aback. The green-haired girl looked at Fang Zheng with surprise, then withdrew her hand from her bosom. However, at the same time, the ruffians in front of her clearly didn¡¯t intend to let things go.


    ¡°Hey, who are you, buddy? Do you know that¡­ Aaaaah it hurts hurts hurts hurts¡­¡±


    ¡°To pick up someone in broad daylight on the street, at least have some decency.¡±


    Fang Zheng indifferently held the ruffian¡¯s right hand, not letting go despite his howls of pain, merely smiling as he watched the scene unfold.


    These people could be killed.


    Unlike his previous encounter with Teppei Hojo, when Fang Zheng felt murderous intent towards the men before him now, he didn¡¯t sense the sort of warning or danger from the entire world. It seemed that this world was indeed peculiar. Someone despicable like Teppei Hojo was protected by the Will of the World, yet these small-time thugs, guilty of lesser crimes, could simply be killed by anyone¡­ How interesting.


    ¡°Leave now. I don¡¯t want to repeat myself.¡±


    With that thought, Fang Zheng snapped back to the present and coldly looked at the small-time thugs. By now, they had lost all their arrogance and bravado and were so frightened by the murderous aura emanating from Fang Zheng that they didn¡¯t dare move. It felt as though they were surrounded by countless monsters, each one eyeing them eagerly, ready to pounce and tear them to pieces at a singlemand.


    ¡°Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, sorry! We¡¯re leaving right now!!¡±


    After Fang Zheng released his hand, the ruffians practically tumbled over each other in their haste to flee, even abandoning their motorcycle by the roadside. But perhaps that was for the best, after all, it¡¯s easy to cause a traffic ident when driving with frayed nerves.


    ?¡ð¦ÍG¡ð.?¡ð


    With that, Fang Zheng turned around and looked at the girl behind him.


    ¡°Mion, shouldn¡¯t you be in ss? What are you doing here?¡±


    Indeed, the girl who had been approached by the thugs was Fang Zheng¡¯s student, and one of the main characters¡ªSonozaki Mion.


    No way!


    Fang Zheng of course knew her true identity, which was the same as he had just said¡­ Sonozaki Mion.


    But this Sonozaki Mion wasn¡¯t the one from Hinamizawa.


    Strictly speaking, the one attending sses in Fang Zheng¡¯s ss in Hinamizawa was Sonozaki Shion. Meanwhile, the girl strolling through Okimiya at this moment was the real Sonozaki Mion.


    This brings us to an absurd ident in the Cicada¡¯s Song.


    The two kids were twins who looked identical from birth. However, as per the Sonozaki Family¡¯s tradition, if two daughters were born, the second daughter would have to be drowned. Naturally, Shion wasn¡¯t drowned; instead she was sent to Okimiya, essentially being exiled. As for Mion, she was trained and cultivated in Hinamizawa as the future heir of the family.


    The sisters would secretly meet asionally. Shion was very envious of Mion, and in turn, Mion would allow them to switch identities, allowing Shion to enjoy her life for a change. And so, tragedy struck during one of these identity swaps.


    It happened before a banquet, with the elder sister, Mion, not realizing the importance of this event. She thought it was just a regr banquet. At the time, Shion was also very envious and pleaded with her sister to switch ces with her to enjoy the banquet. Mion agreed without realizing the consequences¡­ And then the tragedy urred.


    The banquet was actually a ceremony to confirm the sessor of the Sonozaki Family, and for the next family head, a tattoo of an ogre had to be inked on their back. Since the sisters looked exactly the same, no one realized that the Mion in front of them was actually Shion in disguise, so the tattoo of the ogre¡¯s emblem was inked on her back, and hence, the tragedy transpired.


    Shion, as the younger sister, was mistaken as ¡°Mion¡± and remained in the family¡¯s main house.


    But Mion, the original elder sister, was cast away as ¡°Shion.¡±


    This was rather awkward.


    After that, Mion cried and pleaded several times, but unfortunately, the Sonozaki Family recognized tattoos, not people, so she had to ept her fate as ¡°Shion¡± and live as the ¡°younger sister¡± in Okimiya.


    This was one of the reasons that led to ¡°Shion¡¯s¡± darkening, because a childhood prank cost her everything she had once owned. Her sister took over the fortunate life meant for her, while she was left to live alone in Okimiya with no home to return to¡­


    Who could bear such a thing? If this were a starting point for a novel¡¯s protagonist, there wouldn¡¯t be peace without a bloodbath.


    So, it¡¯s all because of Oyashiro-sama¡¯s curse, right? The Hinamizawa Syndrome and such are just nonsense¡ªif one could stay calm in such a situation, that would be abnormal. Everyone¡¯s gone stoic, haven¡¯t they?


    ¡°Huh? Ah¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Perhaps only now did Mion¡ªor should we say, Shion¡ªrealize what was happening, as she showed an embarrassed smile, took a couple of steps back, and then waved her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, teacher, I just had a little¡­ something to do.¡±


    ¡°Teacher?¡±


    Fang Zheng narrowed his eyes with interest as he regarded her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not Mion¡­ you¡¯re her¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Shion¡¯s expression turnedplex. She hesitated for a moment, then revealed a sly smile.


    ¡°Right, I apologize. My name is Sonozaki Shion, Mion¡¯s younger sister. You must be Mr. Fang Zheng. It¡¯s nice to meet you; my elder sister has been in your care.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re her younger sister.¡±


    In reality, she should be the elder sister.


    ¡°Yes, thank you for your help, Mr. Fang Zheng.¡±


    Speaking of which, Shion looked at Fang Zheng and then extended an invitation.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, how about having a cup of tea together? I¡¯m quite interested in my older sister¡¯s life in Hinamizawa too.¡±


    See, this is the advantage of having high charm.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Invited by Mion, Fang Zheng came with her to a nearby caf¨¦. After they sat down, Shion immediately started sizing up Fang Zheng without any hesitation.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect Mr. Fang Zheng to be able to tell that my sister and I are not the same person. To be honest, I¡¯m really curious, how did you discover that?¡±


    ¡°Because the aura is different.¡±


    ¡°Aura? You don¡¯t mean the smell, do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the aura, or you can also think of it as each person¡¯s personality.¡±


    As he spoke, Fang Zheng took a sip of ck tea and then looked at the girl before him with interest.


    ¡°For example, you might feel constrained in front of some people, but at ease with others, that¡¯s the aura. Some people¡¯s aura can make others feel tense, while others do not. It¡¯s inherent and unchangeable. You and Mion give off different vibes, Mion is more lively, and you seem moreposed.¡±


    ¡°You can even tell by that¡­¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s answer, Shion looked at him with wide eyes, slightly surprised.


    ¡°My sister mentioned that Mr. Fang Zheng serves as a Psychological Consultant at the school. Now, it seems you do have some real skills¡­ Has my sister ever discussed any worries with you?¡±


    ¡°As a Psychological Consultant, I have a duty of confidentiality.¡±


    ¡°What does it matter? I¡¯m her sister after all. If my sister has worries, she could consult with me just the same.¡±


    ¡°But everyone perceives problems differently.¡±


    At this point, Fang Zheng looked at the girl before him with a smile.


    ¡°Perhaps what seems like a small issue to you may be a tremendous concern for Mion¡­ The reverse is also true, everyone has their own issues, and their perspective on them is different.¡±


    As he said this, Fang Zheng stood up.


    ¡°Well, I have other matters to attend to, so I must be going. By the way, if you are interested, you can alsoe to the school to consult with me, free of charge.¡±


    As he spoke, Fang Zheng nodded toward Shion, then turned and left.


    Shion watched Fang Zheng depart, her expression inscrutable, and after a moment, she let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Kasai, you¡¯re there, aren¡¯t you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, miss.¡±


    With that, a man dressed in a ck suit, tall and imposing, wearing sunsses, looking much like a member of the mafia, stepped forward. He bowed respectfully to Shion and then sat down where Fang Zheng had been.


    ¡°What do you think of Mr. Fang Zheng?¡±


    ¡°If I may speak frankly, he is a very dangerous man.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    At Kasai¡¯s response, Shion¡¯s eyes widened with curiosity.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard you describe someone as dangerous. Could it be that he¡¯s a yboy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    The man in the ck suit shook his head and then spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°Just now, when those thugs were bothering the youngdy, I felt a terrifying murderous intent emanating from him, a feeling even I could hardly bear¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh? But I didn¡¯t feel anything of the sort?¡±


    ¡°I have heard that some masters can skillfully control their murderous aura, and it seems that gentleman has such ability.¡±


    ¡°How interesting¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Shion¡¯s eyes grew even more curious.


    ¡°Why would someone who even scares you, Kasai,e to a small ce like Hinamizawa?¡±


    ¡°Am I not working for you, miss? Everyone has their past. However, I don¡¯t think that gentleman will cause harm to Miss Mion.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Kasai¡¯s response, Shion¡¯s eyes wandered, and then they lit up.


    ¡°Mm¡­ I just thought of a good idea.¡±

 Chapter 117 - 116 I Believe in Science

    Chapter 117: Chapter 116 I Believe in Science


    Regarding the issues with Sonozaki Shion and Satoko Hojo, Fang Zheng still had no clues for the time being. As things stood, unless Teppei Hojo returned, he had no way of intervening. And concerning Sonozaki Shion, unless the other party brought it up, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t juste out and say it. He didn¡¯t have any better options, so he could only let things take their course for now.


    Not to mention, he had another matter to attend to at the moment.


    That was the uing Cotton Flow Festival.


    As Hinamizawa¡¯s annual festival, the Cotton Flow Festival was an exceptionally lively event. Each year on this day, people would gather here to enjoy the dance performed by the Shrine Maiden, followed by releasing the torn pieces of cotton into the river during the ritual.


    In a horror-themed world, this festival, naturally, was linked to murder. The rumor had it that every year on the day of the Cotton Flow Festival, one person would die, and another would disappear. Hmm¡­ Fortunately, there was no sses-wearing Shinigami Elementary Student here, or else solving the case would just be a matter of time.


    As a school teacher, Fang Zheng naturally had to participate and was in charge of some heavy physical work, but he didn¡¯t mind. On the contrary, it was a good opportunity to close the gap between himself and the residents of Hinamizawa. After all, considering what he had nned for the future, it was beneficial to build up his reputation in the vige sooner rather thanter.


    With a body reconstituted by the Zerg, Fang Zheng gracefully and wlessly yed the role of someone who, undaunted by hardship or fatigue, embodies the spirit of Lei Feng in doing good deeds for a hundred years without wavering. Not only did he smoothlyplete his assigned tasks, he even helped others with much of their work. Adding to that the bonus of Fang Zheng¡¯s charm and his way of conducting things, the vigers had nothing but praise for this neer. It could be said that Fang Zheng made the most of this opportunity to significantly boost his reputation.


    Finally, the eve of the Cotton Flow Festival arrived¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today, thank you everyone for your hard work.¡±


    Fang Zheng pped his hands and, looking at the finished stand, turned to hispanions. There, Maehara Keiichi and the other members of the Academy Life Division were sweating profusely but had satisfied expressions on their faces. Regardless, the sense of aplishment that came from everyone working together in harmony was irreceable.


    ¡°So, as usual, I¡¯ll treat everyone to drinks today. Keiichi, you¡¯re in charge of buying them. Everyone, feel free to say what you¡¯d like to drink. Oh, and I¡¯ll have a coffee.¡±


    While speaking, Fang Zheng took out his wallet and tossed it over, and Keiichi caught it with a smile, gesturing at Fang Zheng.


    ?¡ð¦ÍG¡ð.?¡ð


    ¡°The teacher really is generous. Well then, I won¡¯t hold back! Everyone, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want orange juice!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a c!¡±


    ¡°Please get me a can of tea!¡±


    Soon after, Keiichi and the others left the site to purchase drinks. At that moment, Fang Zheng saw a man and a woman entering the shrine and walking towards their group. The man appeared to be in his thirties, dressed in a vest and shorts with a camera in hand, seemingly a photographer. The woman was wearing a green coat, her golden shoulder-length hair giving her a quiet, graceful demeanor.


    Upon seeing these two, Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes narrowed instantly.


    The reason was simple, for the woman now standing before him was the ultimate and most malevolent enemy of this world¡ªMiyo Takano.


    ¡°My, what a bustling scene,¡±


    The man dressed as a photographer came up and took a photo of the group, then raised his hand in greeting. The woman beside him nodded at Fang Zheng and the others as well.


    ¡°Good afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Mr. Tomitake and Miss Takano, hello there.¡±


    Seeing the two arrive, Mion, standing beside Fang Zheng, quickly stepped forward to greet them. When they saw Fang Zheng, both looked over curiously. Tomitake then spoke up.


    ¡°You must be the new teacher everyone¡¯s talking about. My name is Tomitake, a frence photographer from Tokyo. This is Miss Miyo Takano, a nurse at the clinic.¡±


    ¡°Hello, nice to meet you for the first time, I¡¯m Fang Zheng.¡±


    Fang Zheng also nodded and greeted them. Then, he quietly nced at the woman.


    She was the biggest boss of the World of Cicada¡¯s Song, Miyo Takano.


    Fang Zheng knew that the World of Cicada¡¯s Song had two main storylines. In the overt storyline, the protagonists would be darkened and go on a rampage due to the Hinamizawa Syndrome, leading to a violence unmatched. The other, hidden storyline had this woman as its main character. Her adoptive father, Hifumi Takano, had discovered the existence of the Hinamizawa Syndrome, and due to various reasons, his grandfather¡¯s research was halted and ended in despair. Miyo Takano swore to fulfill her grandfather¡¯s will and continued the study of this disease.


    ording to Hifumi Takano¡¯s theory, Hinamizawa Syndrome was a disease caused by parasites infecting the human brain, subtly affecting human emotions. More importantly, among the parasites was a so-called ¡°Queen¡± leader, and all the infected could not stray too far from the Queen, or they would fall ill. This was one of the reasons why residents of Hinamizawa rarely left their hometown. Furthermore, should the Queen Infector die, other patients would descend into madness within 48 hours.


    In the story, to prove to others that her adoptive father Hifumi Takano¡¯s research was correct, Miyo Takano not only killed Furutega Rika, the ¡°Queen¡± infector, but even ordered her Mountain Dog Unit to release poison gas, killing over two thousand vigers of Hinamizawa. She even murdered Rika¡¯s parents when they tried to stop her from experimenting on their daughter, to ensure that her research continued unhindered.


    It could be said, in order to prove her adoptive father¡¯s research was indisputably correct, Miyo Takano had gone to extreme lengths.


    For this reason, Fang Zheng naturally had no good feelings towards this woman.


    And facing Fang Zheng¡¯s response, Miyo Takano simply smiled slightly.


    ¡°Please enlighten me, Mr. Fang Zheng, you are quite famous in Hinamizawa. I often hear patients talking about you in the clinic¡­ I heard you have just returned from studying in America? Whye to such a small ce?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of Chie Rumiko¡¯s invitation, and I also had some research toplete, so I came to Hinamizawa. Although it¡¯s a small vige, it¡¯s very peaceful, and I enjoy living here.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s answer, Miyo Takano gave him a meaningful nce.


    ¡°Then¡­ Mr. Fang Zheng, do you know about Oyashiro-sama¡¯s curse?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Curse?¡±


    In response to Miyo Takano¡¯s question, Fang Zheng ¡°aptly¡± looked perplexed, and at that moment, Mion beside him suddenly looked grimmer, opened her mouth as if to say something, but didn¡¯t know how to start.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Fang Zheng, are you aware of the Hinamizawa Dam project?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard bits and pieces, it¡¯s about the n to build a dam here, right?¡±


    Fang Zheng nodded, he obviously knew what Miyo Takano was about to say. But now, I¡¯ll just watch your performance quietly as I¡¯m supposed to.


    ¡°Exactly. To oppose this n, the residents here started a protest movement. At that time, they centered it around this shrine, praying for their victory.¡±


    ¡°Looking at it now, it seems the n has been retracted, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Since we are actors, we must of course be professional, so Fang Zheng too put on a feigned expression of ignorance just in time.


    ¡°But what does this have to do with the so-called curse of Oyashiro-sama?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±


    It seemed Miyo Takano relished exining these things to others, so faced with Fang Zheng¡¯s question, she started her ¡°lecture¡± with a cheerful smile.


    ¡°Four years ago, the supervisor on the construction site of the Hinamizawa Dam was murdered. The following year, a local couple from Hinamizawa who supported the dam were killed when they fell off a cliff during a trip, an apparent ident. The next year, the priest of this shrine died suddenly of a mysterious illness. Andst year, the body of a rtive of the ident victim from Hinamizawa was found, having been beaten to death.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that there are deaths every year?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and what¡¯s more, these incidents and idents surely happen on the night of the Cotton Flow Festival every year.¡±


    As she said this, Miyo Takano¡¯s face flushed with excitement.


    ¡°If this isn¡¯t due to a curse or a coincidence, then what exactly is going on with these incidents?¡±


    ¡°Then naturally, it would be a crime,¡± Fang Zheng didn¡¯t fall for it like Maehara Keiichi and immediately gave an answer.


    ¡°Such things are not umon. Using the name of divine ceremonies tomit murder has happened in many ces. I just hope the police can find the culprit soon and bring them to justice.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    Perhaps Fang Zheng¡¯s answer was too unexpected for Miyo Takano, causing her expression to freeze for a moment, but she continued, not giving up.


    ¡°Do you really think these are criminal acts, Mr. Fang Zheng? You know, all four incidents urred on the night of the Cotton Flow Festival. Four times in a row? Can that still be considered a coincidence?¡±


    ¡°Four times in a row is certainly not a coincidence, but ording to what you say, Miss Takano, it¡¯s not hard to exin at all. The Cotton Flow Festival is the grandest festival in Hinamizawa, and on that day, of course, people wille here, leaving few elsewhere. If someone were tomit murder at this time, the probability of there being witnesses would be smaller, wouldn¡¯t it? And about the sudden death of the Furutega Shrine¡¯s priest¡ªI haven¡¯t seen the autopsy report, so it¡¯s not convenient to say too much, but in fact, science has long proven that human psychological activity can have an impact on bodily functions. As for the fourth year¡¯s incident¡­ you said it yourself, Miss Takano, it was death by beating, so why rule out foul y? In my opinion, of the four incidents, only the second year¡¯s ident may be a coincidence, the others almost have no rtion to any supposed curse. Miss Takano, I can understand the fascination with macabre stories, but to exploit the dead as entertainment material isn¡¯t that inappropriate?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Taken aback by Fang Zheng¡¯s rebuttal, Miyo Takano was at a loss for words. The rest who heard Fang Zheng also didn¡¯t know what to say. Only Mion looked at Fang Zheng beside her withplex emotions, uncertain of what to say.


    Meanwhile, suddenly, a voice arose from behind everyone.


    ¡°Oh, young man, your point of view is quite interesting.¡±

 Chapter 119 - 118: Face the Haunting Presence in Battle!

    Chapter 119: Chapter 118: Face the Haunting Presence in Battle!


    ¡°Damn it! Damn it!! Damn it!!!¡±


    Having returned to her room, Miyo Takano hadpletely lost theposure and elegance she disyed before others. Her face was twisted with fury, and her eyes were bloodshot like those of an enraged cow. At this moment, her palms were covered in bloody wounds, but she didn¡¯t care about such trivial matters at all.


    ¡°How dare he, how dare he mock Grandfather¡¯s research!! Who does he think he is!! A mere bastard!! How dare he look down on Grandfather¡¯s research!!!!¡±


    She tore the paper in front of her to shreds,pletely engulfed in rage. All that filled her mind now was Fang Zheng¡¯s smug smile from earlier, and the scornful tone he used when mentioning her grandfather. All of it made Miyo Takano relive the scene from her childhood, when those so-called ¡°experts¡± mocked her grandfather¡¯s research in his own home.


    Back then, her grandfather couldn¡¯t say anything in the face of their mockery. He could only bear it silently¡­ But¡­


    Times have changed now!!


    I will make you pay for your careless words!


    Thinking this, Miyo Takano bared her teeth, revealing an excited smile.


    That¡¯s right¡­ Oyashiro-sama¡¯s curse¡­ let him experience what true divine punishment is!


    With that thought, Miyo Takano picked up the telephone beside her and dialed a number.


    ¡°Hello, is this Konokig? It¡¯s me, I have a new target for the next phase of the n¡­¡±


    The web of fate was shifting.


    Fang Zheng raised his head, staring at the pitch-ck night sky.


    After bing a Prophet Mage, he vaguely sensed the existence of certain things: fate, the future, everything. Nothing was immutable; one cannot step into the same river twice, for the waters of fate are always flowing and changing.


    The end is the only constant, and people are like leaves falling into the river of fate, desperately trying to grasp and change their own destiny. Yet ultimately, their oues remain unchanged. Death is the end of all life, and even with insight into the future, this cannot be changed.


    The only thing a Prophet Mage can do is to choose as smooth a river as possible, rather than a turbulent waterfall.


    However, those who drift with the current can never change the river¡¯s course. Choosing is the plea of the weak; changing is the desire of the strong. And fate itself exists, unchanging and eternal. Whether raging torrents or gentle streams, both are parts of fate. It will not change direction for people¡¯s pleas, nor stop for their entreaties.


    Until forever.


    ¡°Thud!¡±


    The deep drumbeat resounded. Hearing this, Fang Zheng turned his head, looking towards the shrine before him. There on the raised tform, Rika, dressed in a red and white shrine maiden outfit, held a towering rake plow and performed the offering dance with solemn focus.


    This too was a small life wishing to change its own fate.


    Repeating countless times in a fractured world, longing to escape the shadows of death and the endless cycle, but for her, fate remained ever the same.


    ¡°Thud! Thud! Thud!¡±


    As the drumming stopped, Rika nodded to the crowd from the stage, then turned and walked away. Next, the vigers, one by one, took the cotton to the river¡¯s edge to perform the final rite of the Cotton Flow Festival.


    Fang Zheng, with another nce at the now-empty tform, turned and left.


    Night deepened.


    Under the silvery moonlight, the forest was pitch ck, with the distant river¡¯s edge lit by burningmps. The entire vige was a picture of peace, with no one able to imagine that after this festival, this small vige would gradually be a dreadful hell.


    And all this was merely due to a woman¡¯s pitiful and futile delusions.


    But now, none of this would happen again, I will shatter your tedious persistence, and let you taste what true despair is.


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Fang Zheng.¡±


    Just then, a voice rang out. Fang Zheng snapped out of his thoughts and turned toward the direction of the sound. He saw, on a path not far away, a green-haired girl in a dress watching him with a smile.


    ¡°Hello, Shion. It¡¯s gettingte, aren¡¯t you nning on going home?¡±


    ¡°I was a bit worried about going alone, so could you give me a lift, Mr. Fang Zheng? Just to the intersection would be fine; someone wille by car to pick me up there.¡±


    The girl named Sonozaki Shion bounded over to Fang Zheng¡¯s side and then sped her hands together, gazing at him.


    ¡°Is that okay, Mr. Fang Zheng?¡±


    ¡°Of course, no problem.¡±


    Honestly, Shion¡¯s appearance surprised Fang Zheng, especially at this Cotton Flow Festival, where she unexpectedly didn¡¯t pretend to be Mion like in the anime, instead appearing as herself. Not only was Fang Zheng surprised, but so were Mion, Keiichi, and Rena; they were all shocked. After all, they had never heard Mion mention she had a sister, so it also caused quite a stir.


    Now, seeing Shion¡¯s smug expression, it was obvious she had pulled one over on Mion.


    ¡°I heard from my older sister that you¡¯re the advisor for their club, Mr. Fang Zheng? I¡¯ve also yed that ¡®Warring States¡¯ game; it¡¯s really fun.¡±


    ¡°d you like it.¡±


    ¡°And also, and also¡­¡±


    Perhaps because she rarely came to Hinamizawa, Shion was incredibly excited along the way, chattering away to Fang Zheng like a little bird about the happenings at the Cotton Flow Festival. This included participating in festival games with Keiichi and the others, enjoying various foods, and her thoughts about other people. Such as how Keiichi was always tormented by them, how Rena was even tougher than she imagined, and then there was Satoko¡­@@novelbin@@


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At this point, Shion suddenly fell silent.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Seeing Shion fall into silence all of a sudden, Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow and asked. He, of course, understood why the girl had be quiet; Satoko Hojo was the subject of Shion¡¯s secret crush, Satoshi Hojo¡¯s sister. And Shion¡¯s feelings towards Satoko were quiteplicated.


    She resented Satoko because, in Shion¡¯s view, Satoshi had long been mentally wounded by various burdens. In his fragile state, Satoko stillpletely relied on him without considering her brother¡¯s condition. This only increased the pressure on Satoshi, causing him frequent anguish¡­ That was, of course, Shion¡¯s perspective.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    In the end, Shion smiled and shook her head at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°By the way, Mr. Fang Zheng, I would like toe and consult with you about some issues in a few days, would you have time then?¡±


    ¡°Certainly, no problem.¡±


    Upon hearing Shion¡¯s inquiry, Fang Zheng readily responded.


    ¡°Thank you, then. Ah, the person picking me up has arrived. I should head back first. Goodbye, Mr. Fang Zheng.¡±


    ¡°Beep beep¡­¡±


    Just then, a pitch-ck sedan drove up from the end of the road, pulled over, and after Shion waved at Fang Zheng, she got into the car and left.


    I know what you want to say to me.


    Watching the departing figure of Shion in the car window, Fang Zheng¡¯s lips curled up slightly. The nice thing about being a Prophet Mage is that I can now have some premonitions about many things. Of course, it¡¯s only a vague feeling, but for someone with ¡°Future Sight¡± like Fang Zheng, that¡¯s enough to confirm things easily.


    But I think, you will soon get your answer.


    With that thought, Fang Zheng nced once more toward the forest path nearby. He could clearly see a silver minivan quietly parked on a byroad within the forest. As soon as the vehicle Shion was in drove away, the minivan started and turned onto the main road, heading toward his own direction.


    Because you¡¯ve been scorned, you¡¯ve grabbed the BOSS¡¯s attention, huh?


    With that thought, Fang Zheng sneered and turned to walk in the direction of the school.


    Come at me if you¡¯re not afraid to die. Since you want to y, then let¡¯s y a good game¡­

 Chapter 122 - 121: Theres Only One Truth

    Chapter 122: Chapter 121: There¡¯s Only One Truth


    In the following days, Fang Zheng was very busy. After all, the fact that he¡¯d been attacked in Hinamizawa was not a minor issue, and more importantly, his attackers weren¡¯t locals but outsiders, which furtherplicated the situation.


    If Hinamizawa locals had attacked Fang Zheng, then people would wait and see if there was some kind of misunderstanding or conflict. But the attackers were foreigners, and based on the current intelligence, it seemed like they nned to kidnap Fang Zheng. This immediately created a leaning stance among the residents of Hinamizawa. Although Fang Zheng had been in Hinamizawa for less than a month, he had brushed past all the reputations, big and small. At school, Fang Zheng was very popr among the children, and during the Cotton Flow Festival, he didn¡¯t skimp on effort, thereby winning over the adults¡¯ reputation as well. This resulted in many peopleing to visit after hearing about the incident.


    This also allowed Fang Zheng to personally experience Hinamizawa¡¯s ¡°united effort,¡± and to tell the truth, such unity was very touching if you were on the friendly side. But it would be terrifying as an enemy. Previously, Fang Zheng hadn¡¯t had a personal sense of the plight of Satoshi Hojo and Satoko Hojo, but now, after making aparison, he spent a few seconds silently mourning for them¡­ Being on the wrong side was indeed fatal.


    The first toe was naturally Chie Rumiko. No matter what, she was considered Fang Zheng¡¯s ¡°senior,¡± and she was very worried about what had happened to him. She didn¡¯t leave until she confirmed that Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t injured.


    Next came Sonozaki Mion and Maehara Keiichi. Mion¡¯s visit was to convey to Fang Zheng how seriously the Sonozaki Family took this attack. The head of the Sonozaki Family, Ghost Granny, seemed quite concerned about it and had already sent people to investigate. As for Maehara Keiichi, he was more interested in how Fang Zheng managed to single-handedly take on six and beat them to a pulp, persistently pestering him about whether this was the legendary kung fu or ninjitsu¡­


    After that came Rena and Satoko, who, like everyone else, were relieved to hear that Fang Zheng wasn¡¯t injured. What puzzled Fang Zheng, though, was that Rena appeared particrly concerned about the incident and even volunteered to prepare lunch for him¡­ While it was a bit odd, Fang Zheng of course wouldn¡¯t refuse Rena¡¯s kindness.


    After all, eating food prepared by a girl beats making instant noodles for oneself.


    If the appearance of his students was rather normal, then the arrival of Sonozaki Shion surprised Fang Zheng. Shion didn¡¯te just to visit; on the contrary, she informed him of something that was expected yet unexpected¡ªthat the thugs who attacked Fang Zheng were involved in a major case and had been taken away by agents from the Metropolitan Police Department. Although Officer Oishi desperately wanted to stop them, as a police officer, of course, he couldn¡¯t go against the orders of his superiors.


    As for where those ¡°thugs¡± were taken, nobody knew.


    Not only that, but Sonozaki Shion also spoke to Fang Zheng about Satoshi Hojo. Initially, Sonozaki Shion only suspected that her own family had killed Satoshi, but after seeing those people yesterday, she suddenly had a strong intuition; she kept feeling that there was some connection between those who attacked Fang Zheng and Satoshi¡¯s disappearance. Their subsequent ¡°removal¡± made Shion even more convinced that there was something fishy going on.


    So, Sonozaki Shion came to Fang Zheng, hoping to join forces with him to investigate. Of course, Fang Zheng wouldn¡¯t refuse. He knew that even if he did refuse, given Shion¡¯s feelings for Satoshi, she wouldn¡¯t let go of this clue. But the opponents were all murderers who didn¡¯t blink an eye; rather than letting Shion foolishly rush in to meet her death, it would be safer with him by her side.


    And Fang Zheng, at sunset, finally met the person he had been waiting for.


    ¡°Mipah¡­ Sensei, do you have time now?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Looking at the long, ck-haired loli peeking out from the door, curiously staring at him, Fang Zheng nodded. In reality, ever since he found out that Furutega Rika hadn¡¯te to visit him with Satoko Hojo, he knew that this girl, who had repeated the world nearly a hundred times, had clearly made up her mind to tell him something.


    But¡­ you really should change this habit of charming your way through, huh?


    Looking at Furutega Rika in front of him, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but think of a certain bespectacled Shinigami Elementary Student who, despite having a mature spirit, had to act like a cute child¡­ In a way, it¡¯s truly a struggle for you.


    ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡±


    Facing Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Rika gave a slightly embarrassed smile.


    ¡°Actually¡­ I¡¯m drawing a manga, but I¡¯m not sure how to go about the plot, so I wanted to discuss it with you, Sensei¡­¡±@@novelbin@@


    So it was, her actions finally touched by what he had done?


    Watching the girl in front of him, Fang Zheng smiled slightly. As long as he could convince Furutega Rika, then this instance was already half stable for him. With that thought, Fang Zheng looked at Rika and nodded.


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Sure enough, Rika hinted subtly at the Hinamizawa Syndrome, which was very simr to the plot in the anime. However, unlike the anime, Rika was trying to deduce the process and motive knowing that the culprit was Miyo Takano, while this time, Rika still did not know who the culprit was and hoped to use Fang Zheng¡¯s help to find the murderer.


    For Fang Zheng, the most important thing currently was to give Rika a hint and tell her the identity of the true culprit. But this was not an easy task, because as far as Rika was concerned, Miyo Takano and the ¡°Mountain Dog¡± unit were definitely there to protect her. In fact, after so many cycles of repetition, Rika might feel that even if everyone else around her would kill her, Takano would noty a hand on her.


    That is why Rika never considered that possibility before.


    And in the original story, if it weren¡¯t for Haneiru, who was almost one with her, revealing that the true culprit was Miyo Takano, Rika would never have believed it.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ A vige that perishes once the Queen Infector dies¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rika nodded and then looked at Fang Zheng with focused attention.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wrap my head around how to set the real murderer and why they would do such a thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Following general reasoning, if this were a murder, there would certainly be someone who benefits from it.¡±


    Fang Zheng took a sip of coffee, smiling as he looked at Furutega Rika.


    ¡°So if I had to say, the culprit shoulde from among those in the know¡­ Especially ording to your setup, in almost every cycle of the world, the Queen Infector is killed, even more so.¡±


    ¡°But, but¡­ There are people protecting the Queen Infector.¡±


    ¡°However, looking at the facts, they have failed to fulfill their duty every single time, haven¡¯t they? There are two possibilities here. One is that the opponent is stronger than them, and the other is¡­ that they have turned traitor.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rika suddenly froze, shivering. She looked at Fang Zheng once again.


    ¡°But, but¡­ Why would they do that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Facing Rika¡¯s question, Fang Zheng pondered for a moment before turning his gaze to the girl in front of him.


    ¡°So, Rika. ording to your ¡®setup,¡¯ this disease shows no particr signs during the incubation period. Only during the outbreak does it produce hallucinations and paranoia, followed by increased aggression. Yet a regr autopsy fails to detect the presence of the parasite, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    At these words, Rika nodded nkly, not understanding what Fang Zheng meant.


    ¡°Do you know what this means to investors?¡±


    ¡°Investors? Are you talking about that organization called ¡®Tokyo¡¯?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    At this point, Fang Zheng gave Rika a meaningful nce.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°This disease, it¡¯s entirely based on the word of the researchers from start to finish. This is the least favorite scenario for investors. Those case studies are not very convincing either. Psychology has long told us that under the same stress, people respond differently based on their personalities and experiences. In the face of the same situation, some be stronger, but others copsepletely. It¡¯s quitemon.¡±


    ¡°But, but¡­ There were indeed cases in the study where soldiers who left the vige went berserk andmitted murder due to an outbreak, right?¡±


    ¡°War syndrome is a fairlymon reaction on the battlefield.¡±


    Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°For instance, if we were talking about the real world, there would be plenty of simr cases. But could I attribute one of the vigers to some rare disease just because they came from that vige? If other people are from big cities like Tokyo or Osaka, does that mean they suffer from such syndromes too? This is the weakest part of your current ¡®setup,¡¯ and it¡¯s exactly what scientific research shuns: any evidence is selective, favorable to your hypothesis is raised, unfavorable is disregarded. Of course, it¡¯s understandable to make minor changes when facing investors, but they aren¡¯t fools; nobody¡¯s money falls from the sky. ording to what you said, they even funded a research facility in that vige, which is no small amount of money. For an organization, with investmentes the expectation of results.¡±


    ¡°But, but, Teacher, you still haven¡¯t said what this has to do with the protagonist being killed.¡±


    Hearing this, Rika¡¯s anxiety grew, and even her little face turned pale. She wasn¡¯t an average child. Having cycled through so many times, Rika¡¯s mind had matured. She quickly found the answer to Fang Zheng¡¯s words, which made her even more frightened and uneasy.


    Observing her expression, Fang Zheng shook his head inwardly. Truthfully, if Rika were fifteen or sixteen years old, she would¡¯ve been able to escape this cycle after several dozen recurrences. But Rika was just a child; she couldn¡¯t leave the vige. More importantly, she couldn¡¯t obtain enough information through other channels. Even after so many recurrences, the information she had was still sourced from Miyo Takano and Dr. Irie. This single channel of information prevented Rika from discerning the truth through sufficient evidence.


    Now, though, Fang Zheng was here to fill in the gaps for her.


    ¡°It matters a great deal.¡±


    Gazing at Rika, Fang Zheng pointed with his finger.


    ¡°First, ording to your setup, this disease has almost no observable specific characteristics from discovery to cure. Second, the most distinct feature of the disease is after the Queen Infector¡¯s death, the whole vige will consequently perish.¡±


    Saying this, Fang Zheng smiled faintly, looking at Rika whose face grew even paler.


    ¡°Do you understand now, Rika? Trying to prove to others that this disease exists, through a cure, is time-consuming andborious, and it¡¯s easily questioned. Truthfully, if I were in that situation, I¡¯d suspect it was cured through psychiatric drugs or therapy rather than some parasite. Therefore, by killing the Queen Infector and then eradicating the entire vige, it bes easier to convince others of the existence of the disease. After all, the total annihtion of an entire vige isn¡¯t something ordinary reasons can exin. However, if it¡¯s ording to your setup, then it makes perfect sense.¡±


    ¡°ng!¡±


    At these words, the cup in Rika¡¯s hand fell to the ground with a crash.

 Chapter 123 - 122: The Disadvantage of Being Uncultured

    Chapter 123: Chapter 122: The Disadvantage of Being Uncultured


    In Fang Zheng¡¯s view, the entirety of ¡°When the Cicadas Cry,¡± when assessed from a realistic standpoint, was entirely unscientific and far from magical.


    The reason was simple: those researching the so-called Hinamizawa Syndrome, ording to Fang Zheng, were mostly ipetent.


    First came Hifumi Takano, who proposed the Hinamizawa Syndrome; he was merely a professor, and an ordinary one at that, with no notable reputation in the academicmunity, which is another reason why his theories were ridiculed by the experts. Though the story attributes this mockery to directives from an organization behind the experts, it boiled down to hisck of schrly merit and absence of reputation. If you had Stephen Hawking saying something casually, who would dare to refute him so carelessly? Definitely not a chance.


    Next was Miyo Takano, who did have a background in parasitology, but in Fang Zheng¡¯s opinion, she had never led any noteworthy experimental group. In other words, Miyo Takano¡¯s capabilities were just that of a smallboratory boss, and as for Dr. Irie, not to mention, his field was psychiatry, which wasn¡¯t even rted. Assessing patients¡¯ psychological and mental state was indeed part of his job, but researching parasites and the brain¡­ better go read more papers first.


    Thus, the story of ¡°When the Cicadas Cry¡± was essentially about a second-rate professor who deceived his own foster daughter based on his conjectures, who in turn tricked a team of equally ipetent individuals to deceive others. Throughout the process, there was no sight of scientific rigor or proof; all that was evident was a fervor akin to religious belief.


    Only the vigers of Hinamizawa could have been deceived by such ipetence; in the academic sphere, a single question during a lecture would send you home to rethink your life. Even studying quantum physics never deceived people this much.


    That was the downside of being uneducated.


    Low academic standards and causing harm to others, such experts are the most revolting.


    As Fang Zheng was internally criticizing Miyo Takano and her associates, at that moment, Furutega Rika was emerging from the Irie Clinic, her face pale, looking utterly drained. For she had just learned from Dr. Irie about a special contingency n called ¡°Document 34¡± in the whole scheme¡ªthis was to ¡°disinfect¡± the entire vige with toxic gas in the event of her idental death as the Queen Infector, to prevent any issue from arising in Hinamizawa.


    And in Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes, this n itself was a disy of Miyo Takano¡¯sck of professionalism.@@novelbin@@


    While istion and ¡°disinfection¡± do exist in special circumstances, they hadn¡¯t been this unprofessional; in fact, even ¡°disinfection¡± should only be sanctioned after a major catastrophic outbreak in Hinamizawa. This way, the higher-ups would reassess Miyo Takano¡¯s research and might even fund her to continue her studies, which would have been the best oue for her.


    But what did Miyo Takano do?


    She actually submitted a ¡°disinfection contingency n¡± to preempt, just in case?


    What does this tell you? Either she herself was academically ipetent andcking in intelligence, indicating that her degree was probably from some third-rate, unprofessional college of biology. Or Miyo Takano herself was unsure of her foster father¡¯s theories, hence her resorting to such methods as a precaution.


    Of course, this could also be interpreted as a hostile move by Miyo Takano¡¯s superiors to sabotage her, but as the head of the experiment, Miyo Takano failed to notice the problems in ¡°Document 34¡å¡­ Her intelligence was probably just that.


    Rika, of course, did not know Fang Zheng¡¯s thoughts, but now, for the first time, she felt fear, especially after learning from Dr. Irie that the funding for the Hinamizawa Syndrome research would cease in three years, recalling Fang Zheng¡¯s words, she felt increasingly uneasy.


    ¡°Could it be that Takano¡­ killed me, and¡­ killed everyone?¡±


    The more Rika knew, the more her understanding seemed to shake; she once viewed Takano and Dr. Irie as the most reliable people, but now, she suddenly found that her pirs of support could potentially be her greatest enemies.


    ¡°Haneiru! Haneiru!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Rika.¡±


    Apanying Rika¡¯s call, a figure discreetly appeared beside her.


    ¡°What do you think? Do you really believe Takano is the culprit?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Rika¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Rika¡¯s question, Haneiru lowered her head.


    ¡°But¡­I remembered something¡­ Do you remember? Every time we reincarnated before, the same thing happened after the Cotton Flow Festival: Tomitake would die, and Takano would disappear¡­ But this year is different, Tomitake didn¡¯t die, and Takano didn¡¯t disappear; instead, the teacher was attacked¡­¡±


    Saying this, Haneiru bit her lip, clenching her fists tightly.


    ¡°To be honest, we all know about the teacher being attacked. If the teacher hadn¡¯t been so capable of defeating so many, what would have happened? Could we have received news the next day that the teacher was murdered and Takano had disappeared? And haven¡¯t we always wondered why the ¡®Mountain Dogs¡¯ would attack the teacher? If Takano was behind it all¡­¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­¡±


    At this, Rika also realized it.


    ¡°Takano¡­ didn¡¯t actually die before? But the police¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the teacher also say it? It was just a charred body, impossible to determine if it was really him, and if they had done an examination, there were too many opportunities to tamper with it. As long as they have their people inside the police, wouldn¡¯t it be easy to manipte?¡±


    ¡°Takano¡­¡±


    At this thought, Rika bit her lip tightly. If previously she had been half-doubtful, then now, Rika was quite sure that Miyo Takano was very likely the mastermind behind everything. But¡­ even so, what could be done about it? Should she still consult the teacher?


    Thinking of Fang Zheng, Rika frowned slightly, showing a troubled expression. Fang Zheng¡¯s sharp judgment and vast knowledge had made Rika realize this never-before-seen figure in her previous reincarnations could very well be the key to breaking her endless cycle of rebirths. However, revealing everything to Fang Zheng was still a difficult decision for her. She could trust Keiichi, Rena, Mion, and Satoko unconditionally because of the friendship and trust built over nearly a hundred years of countless reincarnations with them.


    But with Fang Zheng¡­ For this presence who had appeared for the first time in her cycle of reincarnations, Rika didn¡¯t know how to face him. Even though everything he had done had already changed many people¡¯s futures, the crises of Rena, and even Shion had been resolved by him. Especially for Shion, although Rika didn¡¯t know what Fang Zheng had said to her, she no longer treated the Sonozaki family as the murderers of Satoshi like before.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    After a long sigh, looking at the home just before her, a smile returned to Rika¡¯s face. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t show this troubled expression in front of her best friend, or else she would surely be worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Satoko~ Snap!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Rika, dinner will be ready soon, okay?¡±


    Upon hearing Rika¡¯s voice, Satoko Hojo, standing in the kitchen, grinned at her and spoke. Hearing Satoko¡¯s reply, Rika happily raised both hands,


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great, Satoko¡¯s dinner is the most delicious to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho ho, just watch, I will make the tastiest dinner!¡±


    Watching Satoko¡¯s back as she turned away, Rika sighed softly, then she clenched her fists.


    This time, it must seed!

 Chapter 125 - 124: The Sickness is Called Love

    Chapter 125: Chapter 124: The Sickness is Called Love


    It¡¯s just too strange!!


    Back at home, Keiichi grew angrier the more he thought about it. He just had a few doubts, and besides, the things Rika had mentioned were too bizarre. If he knew nothing, how could he possibly help Rika? Moreover, he felt that something was not quite right about Rika at that time¡­ Could it be that she was sick?


    With that thought, Keiichi made up his mind.


    He still wanted to check out Irie Clinic to see the situation. If what Rika said was true, then he would think of a n then!


    Without any hesitation, Keiichi picked up a baseball bat and left the house, running quickly in the direction of Irie Clinic.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    However, just as Maehara Keiichi was walking from the path towards the clinic, suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him.


    A white one-piece dress, a cute face, short brown hair¡ªthat was Rena Ryuuguu.


    ¡°Rena? What are you doing here?¡±


    Looking at the girl before him, Maehara Keiichi asked with a serious expression, and Rena Ryuuguu tilted her head curiously, watching Keiichi.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m worried about you, Keiichi. I always feel like you¡¯re about to do something foolish, so¡­ ¡±


    While speaking, Rena shifted her gaze to the baseball bat in Keiichi¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Keiichi, it¡¯ste, what are you nning to do with a bat? What are you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°This, this¡­¡±


    Noticing Rena¡¯s gaze, Keiichi hastily moved the bat behind his back.


    ¡°Well, I saw that the weather was good today, so I thought about doing some practice swings¡­ ¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying!!!¡±


    But before Keiichi could finish his words, he waspletely interrupted by Rena¡¯s loud shout. She narrowed her eyes, staring at the young man before her with a cold gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to the clinic, aren¡¯t you? Didn¡¯t the teacher say not to do such foolish things?¡±


    ¡°The teacher never said that!¡±


    Keiichi was certain that Mr. Fang Zheng had never told them that they couldn¡¯t go to the clinic.


    ¡°But that¡¯s what the teacher meant, I understand very clearly¡­ ¡±


    Rena revealed a smile, standing in the middle of the road and watching Keiichi with a cheerful look.


    ¡°Rena and the teacher have a psychic connection, so I know what the teacher is thinking. But if you do this, Keiichi, wouldn¡¯t you be wasting the teacher¡¯s good intentions?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense!¡±


    At this moment, Keiichi was also running out of patience.


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to take a look. Even if that research institute exists, it can¡¯t prove anything, right? If I pretend I stumbled in by ident, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡±


    ¡°¡­It seems you¡¯re still determined to go against the teacher¡¯s will.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rena narrowed her eyes dangerously. She raised her right hand¡ªa sharp machete slowly emerged, and under the bright moonlight, it cast a fleeting cold glint.


    ¡°In that case, Rena has no choice. Keiichi is about to do something the teacher would dislike, but Rena won¡¯t let you to do it. You still have a chance, Keiichi. Put down the bat, go back, get a good night¡¯s sleep, think it over carefully, and then make your decision, okay?¡±


    ¡°Move!!¡±


    At this moment, Keiichi was gripping the bat tightly, ring at Rena.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say it a second time, Rena. I just want to check the situation. Why do you insist on stopping me!¡±


    While speaking, Keiichi raised the bat, staring coldly at Rena.


    ¡°Move aside, Rena, or I¡¯ll have to make a move. Even you cannot stop me!¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­ Keiichi is so stubborn, but it¡¯s a pity, for the sake of the teacher, I must stop you here, okay?¡±


    Rena also raised the huge sickle in her hand, smiling as she watched Keiichi.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a pity, Keiichi. Why won¡¯t you listen to everyone, just like Satoshi? By doing this, won¡¯t you have to transfer schools too? It¡¯s too bad, Rena thought that she could be good friends with Keiichi.¡±


    The surroundings fell into deathly silence, the bright moon that once hung in the sky was now shrouded by dark clouds, and the whole world gradually sank into darkness. And just at that moment, suddenly a voice rang out.


    ¡°It really is too bad, I also thought that I could be good friends with Keiichi.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Keiichi froze for a moment upon hearing the sudden voice that emerged from behind him, but the next moment he felt an electric shock surge through him, striking his body.


    ¡°Aaaahhhhh!!¡±


    Apanied by the ¡°crackle and snap¡± of the electric shock, Keiichi screamed as he fell to the ground, passing out. Rena then lifted her head, looking towards the green-haired girl who appeared behind Keiichi at some point, holding a stun gun.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯de too, Shion.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just like you, Rena, worried that Keiichi might do something foolish, so I followed him. It seems my worries were justified. Really, Keiichi causes trouble in such ces, he¡¯s just making it difficult for Mr. Fang Zheng¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡±


    While speaking, the two of them looked at each other andughed, but even so, the tension in the air did not dissipate but grew even more intense. At that moment, Rena once again gripped the sickle tightly, turning her gaze towards Shion in front of her.


    ¡°So, Shion, you didn¡¯te here just to stop Keiichi, did you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Upon hearing Rena¡¯s question, Shion also put away her smile.


    ¡°Rena, haven¡¯t you been getting a bit too close to Mr. Fang Zhengtely? I¡¯m more concerned about this issue.¡±


    ¡°If it were Mion, I could understand. Why do you care about this, then?¡±


    Rena blinked, her smile unchanged.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Shion have Satoshi? This isn¡¯t very good, is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have the right to change too, after all, you can¡¯t always look back. Sometimes you have to look ahead.¡±


    While speaking, Shion raised the stun gun in her hand.


    ¡°Is this really okay? Satoshi will cry, you know? Besides, I don¡¯t think the teacher will like you. After all, I¡¯m the one who likes the teacher the most¡­¡±


    ¡°A student liking her own teacher? Aren¡¯t you afraid that Mr. Fang Zheng would be taken away by the police if you said it out loud?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter? If the teacher is willing, he could even take Rena home.¡±


    Rena raised the sickle, pointing it at Shion in front of her.


    ¡°On the other hand, you, Shion, a woman who is fickle, is not suitable for the teacher. I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t continue this, okay?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°You speak well¡­


    At these words, Shion¡¯s expression darkened.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see if you have the ability to back up your words!!¡±


    With a roar of rage, the next moment Shion raised the stun gun in her hand and lunged at Rena!

 Chapter 128 - 127 This Is Not a Romance Simulation Game!

    Chapter 128: Chapter 127 This Is Not a Romance Simtion Game!


    Under Fang Zheng¡¯s coaxing, Furutega Rika finally cheered up. She agreed to cooperate with Fang Zheng to prevent the destruction of Hinamizawa. Of course, Rika also raised the issue of several other friends to Fang Zheng. To this, Fang Zheng readily agreed¡­ Although, after having that dream, Fang Zheng always had the mistaken impression that Rena had achieved a double kill, but¡­ It should just be a dream, right?


    In fact, if there was time, Fang Zheng really wanted to try to ovee the L5 curse with psychological treatment alone, without relying on medication. After all, in the anime, Rena had once regained her sanity on her own strength. Of course, she was the only one in the main cast who broke the limit purely on her own without any medicinal help.


    Regrettably, there wasn¡¯t enough time.


    ¡°Knock, knock, knock.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, Teacher.¡±


    Speaking of Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrives.


    Looking at Rena entering with a lunchbox, Fang Zheng had mixed feelings. Previously, Rena brought him lunch every day, and he didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with that, because, ording to Rena, it was to thank him for helping her with the problem concerning her father.


    But since having that dream yesterday, Fang Zheng suddenly felt¡­ a girl bringing lunch to him every noon indeed seemed a bit problematic.


    Moreover, approaching the protagonist under the guise of gratitude to gradually increase favorability is also the standard plot of many romance shows, isn¡¯t it?


    But he was not the male protagonist.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Teacher, I made peony cakes today. Please have a taste.¡±


    Looking at the lunchbox Rena was smilingly handing over, Fang Zheng hesitated. He used to think that many male protagonists in romance anime were foolishly indecisive when facing the female lead¡¯s advances. Now that it was his turn, he realized that this was a troublesome matter!


    After all, Rena¡¯s reason was wless. If Fang Zheng rejected her now, it would seem like he was overly self-conscious. She was just saying she is bringing you food, not that she wants to date you. And he himself is a teacher, isn¡¯t he¡­


    Not to mention it would hurt the other person¡¯s feelings¡­ Well, in a normal world, hurt is just hurt, but in this world¡­


    Damn, she might actually start sending packed lunches next time!


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Although he felt downtrodden inside, Fang Zheng still took the lunchbox from Rena¡¯s hands. Then he hesitated for a moment before asking.


    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Keiichi? Why isn¡¯t he here today?¡±


    ¡°Keiichi? He has some matters to deal with today and might not be able toe to school.¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Rena answered cheerfully with a smile.


    Upon hearing Rena¡¯s response, Fang Zheng¡¯s actions paused slightly.


    Because he had heard this sentence in his dream as well.


    Could it be true, just as he had seen in his dream, that Rena had killed Shion and Keiichi?


    Fang Zheng felt anxious inside, but he did not show it on the surface. Facing Rena¡¯s response, he simply nodded.


    If one were to describe the current Fang Zheng using a famous saying from the inte, it would be ¡ª calm as an old dog on the outside, panicking like hell inside.


    This was the only response Fang Zheng could determine after mulling over it for an entire night. No matter whether Rena really killed Shion and Keiichi, until he saw their bodies with his own eyes, he absolutely could not show a trace of distrust towards others.


    Especially Rena Ryuuguu!!


    Speaking of the most formidable character in the World of Cicada¡¯s Song, Fang Zheng believed Rena Ryuuguu was definitely at the top of the list.


    Her reasoning, logical deduction, judgment, and observational skills were all super first-ss, and herbat ability was also upper-tier. Keep in mind that in ¡°When the Cicadas Cry Expansion,¡± Rena wielded a machete and cut her way through a crowd seven times in and out, fighting decisively and calmly. To be honest, such a person would be a godlike teammate.


    But if she were an enemy, that would be terrifying.


    In a sense, in the World of Cicada¡¯s Song, Rena Ryuuguu¡¯s status was no less than that of the Detective Elementary Student and Detective Kindaichi. As long as she caught a w, almost all the subsequent problems would no longer be an issue.


    In the Cotton Flow Chapter, Rena Ryuuguu almost perfectly deduced the opponent¡¯s modus operandi from the beginning to the end, and her only mistake was not knowing the ¡°historical reasons¡± for the sisters¡¯ identity swap. But these deductions were made almost without interacting with Shion, and merely based on her observations of her in everyday life and some external understanding of the case.


    This was even more terrifying from a certain perspective than the Detective Elementary Student and others, as Conan and Kindaichi both needed to carry out investigations and gather evidence on-site for their judgments. But Rena Ryuuguu, without even going to the crime scene, directly identified the ultimate culprit, which is a truly heaven-defying observational and deductive ability.


    So Fang Zheng absolutely could not show any wavering in front of her, otherwise, it would definitely arouse Rena¡¯s suspicion. If she had truly killed someone, she would soon realize that Fang Zheng might have perceived her actions. But, if she hadn¡¯t killed anyone, she would surely be saddened after sensing Fang Zheng¡¯s distancing himself. Maybe she would just fall ill, and then darken, machete in hand¡­


    This world is really headache-inducing.


    Therefore, in front of Rena, Fang Zheng¡¯s attitude showed no change from usual. He was also a senior executive in apany, had attended numerous press conferences, and had to coordinate work among various departments, so he did have some experience in cultivating his demeanor. As a superior, many times, even if he was going berserk inside, he had to appear as calm as if nothing was wrong on the outside. Otherwise, who knows what would happen.


    Luckily, Rena didn¡¯t seem to notice anything strange in Fang Zheng either, and as usual, she enthusiastically introduced what she had made that day and shared other delicious items with him. She evenined to Fang Zheng that her father had found work and was hardly ever at home, and although she was happy that her dad was picking himself up again, he really could show a bit more concern for his daughter.


    ¡°Really now, Dad¡¯s been working overtime so muchtely, I¡¯ve even told him to take more care of his health¡­¡±


    ¡°Lonely?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡±


    Facing Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Rena showed a slight bitter smile, but quickly, she shook her head.


    ¡°However, seeing Dad cheer up, Rena is already very satisfied. And¡­ for Rena, it¡¯s not that lonely actually¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Hearing this, Fang Zheng curiously lifted his head to nce at Rena, and then he was surprised to find that, without knowing when, Rena hade right in front of him, quietly looking at him!


    ¡°Teacher?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Hearing Rena¡¯s question, Fang Zheng¡¯s heart skipped a beat, then he put down his lunchbox and looked at Rena to ask.


    ¡°Teacher¡­ what do you think of Rena?¡±


    What the hell is with this dating simtion-style dialogue?!


    ¡°Uh¡­ very cute, lively, an interesting girl.¡±


    Resigned to only answering within the script, Fang Zheng felt helpless. He indeed wanted to say something else, but¡­ this was a damn life-or-death question!!


    ¡°Then, does Teacher like Rena? Do you like me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, how could I not like such a cute student? Not just you, Rika, Satoko, and Mion, I like all of you.¡±


    While saying this, Fang Zheng was internally holding his head and weeping bitterly. This wasn¡¯t a romance game, so why on earth was he sticking to this script?


    If Fang Zheng were to tell the truth, then Rena was indeed a good girlfriend material ¡ª gentle, lively, kind, cute, with good looks and a nice figure, save for the ckening and the cleaver, there were seemingly no ws. But for Fang Zheng, he wasn¡¯t like Keiichi, a boy who had just entered puberty, to foolishly nod and agree just because a girl confessed to him.


    Furthermore, to Fang Zheng, the most important thing was that this was just the Free World. He didn¡¯t know how long he would be able to stay in this world, and he also didn¡¯t know if he could bring someone out from the Free World. However, in Fang Zheng¡¯s view, a child like Rena was better off living an ordinary and peaceful life in this world. The Main World might be more colorful, but it was too dangerous for her.


    To be honest, in ¡°When the Cicadas Cry¡±, Fang Zheng indeed liked the characters Furutega Rika and Rena Ryuuguu, but that was more of an appreciation rather than the ¡°XX is my wife,e fight me if you disagree¡± level. So even if Rena Ryuuguu confessed to him, it would be more of a disadvantage than a benefit for him.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s answer, Rena puffed up her cheeks slightly dissatisfied, her eyes unwaveringly staring at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Rena likes everyone too, whether it¡¯s Mion or Shion, as well as Satoko and Rika, and Keiichi too¡­ But, Rena¡¯s feelings for Teacher are different from the others¡­¡±


    While saying this, Rena slowly moved closer to Fang Zheng. As for Fang Zheng, he watched the girl before him, while his mind raced with thoughts on how to handle this troublesome situation. Ideally, if this were a novel or anime clich¨¦, someone shoulde knocking at the door right now to break the tension and stop all this.


    But¡­ perhaps Fang Zheng didn¡¯t bribe the author enough, which was why, as Rena drew close to his face, he still hadn¡¯t experienced the clich¨¦d scenario of someone suddenly knocking at the door. Not only that, but the entire school was also very quiet, as if the whole world in its mysterious ways wanted to see how Fang Zheng would solve this difficult problem.


    ¡°Teacher¡­ Rena¡­ likes you?¡±


    Staring intensely at Fang Zheng, Rena finally uttered those words she shouldn¡¯t have said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a different kind of like, even though Rena doesn¡¯t fully understand this feeling, just seeing Teacher makes Rena very happy. If I can¡¯t see Teacher, Rena feels very lonely. If possible, Rena really wants to take Teacher home¡­¡±


    Youngdy, that¡¯s a dangerous thought!


    In front of him was Rena Ryuuguu¡¯s beautiful and pale face, Fang Zheng could even smell the unique fragrance of a young girling from her, and at this moment, Rena¡¯s cheeks were slightly flushed, giving her a shy and cute appearance. For anyone else, this scene alone could make them drift away in euphoria. But Fang Zheng was different; his exterior remained expressionless, yet inside, he was on high alert!


    Because Fang Zheng could clearly feel that, within Rena, the previously suppressed Hinamizawa Syndrome was showing signs of erupting again! That terrifying, eerie aura, was starting to emerge and spread from the girl¡¯s body. At the same time, Rena¡¯s eyes also underwent a transformation.


    Her originally bright eyes began to dull, and her pupils slowly started to elongate, changing like those of a reptile.


    ¡°¡­ Teacher, do you like Rena? If Teacher likes me, you can also take Rena home, you know? Rena¡­ wants to be with Teacher forever¡­ Even though I really like everyone, but Teacher is different. Teacher is so handsome, gentle, and you even helped Rena with many troubles¡­ Rena really likes Teacher a lot, so Teacher, what do you think of Rena?¡±


    While saying this, Rena was almost leaning on Fang Zheng¡¯s body, he could even faintly sense the heat emanating from the girl opposite him.


    If it wasn¡¯t for those dim, lightless eyes, this moment could have been incredibly sweet.


    But¡­


    Fang Zheng was very clear that the next wrong answer from him could send him plummeting into an abyss!


    But¡­ wait a minute!


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng seemed to suddenly realize something, then, he suddenly opened his eyes.


    That¡¯s it!!

 Chapter 129 - 128: Destiny of Their Own!

    Chapter 129: Chapter 128: Destiny of Their Own!


    ¡°`


    Ever since he time-traveled to the Higurashi World, Fang Zheng had been pondering a question.


    That was, in this world, what could he actually gain?


    Hinamizawa Syndrome?


    The consequences brought about by this virus were indeed terrifying, but¡­ his Zerg body wasn¡¯t afraid of it, right?


    Then¡­ was it trust? Fang Zheng used to think so, but then he felt this was unreliable, for a very simple reason: he was not at all familiar with Rena and these people, and they had only been together for a little over a month. You¡¯re talking to me about trust? If Fang Zheng had never watched ¡°When the Cicadas Cry,¡± then there¡¯d be no trust to speak of, would there?


    However, now, seeing Rena confessing to him, Fang Zheng suddenly thought of something.


    Aftering to this world, he seemed to have been making choices all along!


    Initially, Fang Zheng was quite free in this world, doing whatever he wanted. But after having that dream, he seemed to have lost his bearings, and then it was as if it had been prearranged, choices began popping up in front of Fang Zheng, one after another. And these were all multiple-choice questions: either A or B, such as Rena¡¯s killing of Shion and Keiichi, and Rika begging for help, Fang Zheng had to choose one or the other. And then, Rena¡¯s confession to him was the same. On the surface, it seemed he only had two options, to agree or not to agree, but¡­


    Why were they multiple-choice questions?


    Take Rena, for example; whether Fang Zheng agreed or not didn¡¯t really matter. If he wanted to, he could just kidnap Rena and then y some kind of secret confinement or whatever, which wouldn¡¯t be difficult at all. No matter how formidable Rena was, she was still human, notparable to Fang Zheng in any way.


    And for these main characters, if Fang Zheng didn¡¯t want to y along, he could just knock them all out, then with a spell bury the entire Irie Research Institute along with Miyo Takano, and tell the outside world it was a mudslide caused by a sh flood. Wouldn¡¯t that solve all problems?


    So, what exactly did he want to do?!


    At this moment, Fang Zheng¡¯s mind cleared, and he finally understood what the ¡°ultimate question¡± posed to him by this world was.


    That was, what did he want to do?


    Up until now, Fang Zheng had traveled through several worlds, including Diablo, Dark Soul, and Edge of Tomorrow. In these three worlds, Fang Zheng seemed to have been constantly seeking power. In the Dark World, he was only concerned with survival, while in the world of Edge of Tomorrow, he hoped to gain power. The Dark Soul, for him, was a ce to hone his skills.


    But in fact, Fang Zheng¡¯s visits to each world were out of necessity.


    He went to the Dark World to evade the pursuit of the Temrs.


    To escape from the dimensional rift, he went to Edge of Tomorrow.


    He traveled to Dark Soul because he wasn¡¯t strong enough.


    It could be said that most of these travels were not Fang Zheng¡¯s active choices but passive ones. Upon arriving in those worlds, Fang Zheng just drifted along, one time only thinking about how to survive, another time only thinking about how toplete the mission.


    He was like an office worker: clocking in, going to work, and then the boss would assign tasks, which he wouldplete. Get paid, receive bonuses, get promoted. Then repeat the process. When he could lead a team, he started to have more work and higher goals.


    But was this his goal? To make a game, a popr game, a money-making game?


    These were thepany¡¯s goals: performance, reports, revenue. These were thepany¡¯s goals, but they were not Fang Zheng¡¯s personal goals.


    Just like many motivational speeches ask, when you¡¯re blindly repeating your duties in the city, have you ever thought about the meaning of life? What are you living for?


    Facing this kind of question, most people don¡¯t care. After all, Laozi is now so poor that he can barely survive, with thirty years of mortgage to pay off. Let¡¯s wait until the day I can survive before pondering the answer to this question¡­ provided I haven¡¯t died of overwork by then.


    As for the meaning of life? Leave that sort of thing to those who are willing to think about it!


    What do I want?


    Looking at Rena in front of him, Fang Zheng was pondering this question. At this moment, he felt as if the entire world had stopped.


    Power, I want power.


    It is only natural, for humans live for power. Money, status, authority, force, humans are constantly yearning to acquire all of this, but what are they seeking these for?


    ¡°`


    Live better, but what then?


    Furutega Rika had been through a hundred years of cycles, all just to break free and gain her freedom. This was quite simr to himself; even in the Main World, despite having great power, he still had to act ording to the rules. From this point of view, there wasn¡¯t much difference between him and Furutega Rika, both longing to break free.


    But, Furutega Rika had a clear goal, she just wanted to survive that June, grow up, and live a happy and joyous life with others.


    And what about Fang Zheng?


    He traveled from one world to another, what was the purpose of gaining power?


    No, that¡¯s not right!


    Think again, back in his own world, why was he working day and night, getting promotions, for what?


    For a bonus? A high sry? A position?


    No, no, no, these were all just means, not the end.@@novelbin@@


    That¡¯s right, he worked day and night because he wanted to make the games he liked, preferably those that yers would curse while spewing blood but still couldn¡¯t stop ying. And such a feat was impossible when he was just an ordinary employee. To achieve that, he had to climb the careerdder, gain more power, and preferably take charge of or create apany! And even better, possess endless wealth!


    That way, he could make whatever game he wanted, not worrying about reputation, the market, losses, or the media¡¯s nagging. Laozi would spend his own money, invest in his own productions, and y them himself, casually releasing them for others to see¡ªif they like it, y; if not, screw off. The world is so vast; if you don¡¯t y, there are plenty who will. Push me, and I¡¯ll just release it for free. Then wouldn¡¯t there be loads of yers kneeling and calling me daddy?


    Rich, so capricious!


    And all this because¡­ I¡¯m damn pleased!!


    ¡°Boom!!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until this moment that Fang Zheng felt as if he finally understood something, his body suddenly trembling, and then he felt that the sensation of being bound by the entire world hadpletely disappeared. In that moment, he even felt as if his soul had been utterly liberated. Even facing Rena in front of him, he wasn¡¯t too worried. Even though she was currently in a ¡°Darkening¡± phase and might give Fang Zheng a cleaver at the slightest disagreement, he didn¡¯t find Rena scary. Instead, he thought this little girl¡¯s Darkening was rather cute.


    This feeling was as if Fang Zheng had once again returned to his own world, watching their stories, their lives through the screen¡­ No!


    As the audience, they might feel sorrow, anger for the pain these characters suffer, but they could do nothing except vent throughments. Perhaps that¡¯s why they found these characters pitiable, tragic. But Fang Zheng was different; he had power. He could watch the animation from outside the screen, and if he was annoyed, he could just leap into the screen and smack the viin with a big p.


    I just think you¡¯re a pain, do what you will! Disagree? Thene fight!


    ¡°Teacher?¡±


    Seeing Fang Zheng not responding to her question for a long time, Rena asked again, meanwhile, the darkness in her eyes was growing deeper.


    ¡°Could it be, you don¡¯t like Rena?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re quite cute.¡±


    This time, facing Rena¡¯s question, Fang Zheng just smiled slightly and reached out to pat her little head.


    ¡°Actually, I like you quite a bit too, but¡­ well, I haven¡¯t thought about dating a child, maybe when you¡¯re in high school we can consider it?¡±


    By the way, in the world of ¡°When the Cicadas Cry,¡± Rena is 15 years old, in her third year of junior high.


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Rena¡¯s previously dull eyes began to shine again, while Fang Zheng just shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Of course, but¡­ I might not stay here for too long, so I can¡¯t give you any promises. Wait until you¡¯re mentally prepared, thene find me, and by then, I¡¯ll tell you everything about me.¡±


    PS: Release that monthly ticket, monthly tickets are innocent, please exchange it with me.

 Chapter 131: 130 The Last Desperate Struggle

    Chapter 131: Chapter 130 The Last Desperate Struggle


    Fang Zheng had to admit that technological advancement truly was the key to swagger.


    Back in his own era, the protagonist would coolly make a phone call, and armies would appear to meet him. But here? He literally had to go to a public phone booth and connect through a switchboard¡­ The proper Hollywood atmosphere waspletely ruined by this backward, crumbling technological standard.


    After assigning tasks to Tomitake, Fang Zheng returned to Hinamizawa. There wasn¡¯t much for him to do in Okimiya; instead,ing back to see Miyo Takano¡¯s failure was a form of entertainment and pleasure. However, what surprised Fang Zheng was that upon returning to the school, he found several unexpected people.


    ¡°Keiichi? Shion? And Director Irie? What happened to you all?¡±


    Seeing everyone hiding in his room, weapons in hand, Fang Zheng was taken aback. Seeing him return, the originally tense expressions of everyone immediately turned to joy.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re finally back!¡±


    Through Shion¡¯s exnation, Fang Zheng finally understood what had happened to this group of characters.


    Afterward, Keiichi still wanted to investigate the Irie Research Institute. Then he met Shion, and after discussing, they immediately agreed and decided to visit the Irie Clinic under the guise of seeking treatment. However, what Keiichi and Shion didn¡¯t expect was that they had just arrived outside the Irie Clinic and hadn¡¯t even begun their ns when they discovered Dr. Irie being chased by a group of people.


    Being protagonists, however, Keiichi and Shion were no fools; they helped Dr. Irie sessfully escape from those pursuing him. Along the way, they encountered Rika and Satoko, followed by Rena who also rushed over. Eventually, on Rika¡¯s suggestion, they came to the school to seek help from Fang Zheng. Without Fang Zheng there, they had no choice but to hide here and wait for him to return.


    Luckily, this also indicated that what had previously urred was indeed just a dream.


    But why did Miyo Takano suddenly turn against Dr. Irie?


    ¡°It seems Takano received a report¡­ I¡¯m not very clear on the specifics, but it seems to involve an issue with Lieutenant Tomitake¡­¡±


    That idiot!


    Hearing Dr. Irie¡¯s reply, Fang Zheng¡¯s expression darkened. He had always known that guy was unreliable, but since he was the only one who had a way tomunicate with ¡°Tokyo,¡± Fang Zheng had no choice but to entrust Tomitake Jiro with the task. This guy had no sense of confidentiality at all. Takano¡¯s sudden move was probably because she had learned from a traitor within ¡°Tokyo¡± that the organization was aware of her embezzlement of funds, and she intended to strike before the organization could!


    It was already mentioned in the story that the ¡°Tokyo¡± organization wasn¡¯t united internally; the current leader faction wanted to stop the research on the Hinamizawa Syndrome, but there was also a group that wanted to take down those leaders using this opportunity. Thus, they directed Takano to act against Hinamizawa, as such arge-scale disaster would undoubtedly require someone to be held ountable and resign. The benefit promised to Takano was that she would still be in charge of the Hinamizawa Syndrome research after everything ended.


    Of course, if Takano had even a bit of sense, she¡¯d know that even if those people came to power, she would still be thrown out as a pawn. But¡­ well. Expecting her to think was like expecting a sow to climb a tree.


    ¡°Whoo¡­¡±


    Just then, a noise suddenly came from outside the window. Hearing this, everyone¡¯s expression changed slightly, and then Keiichi walked to the window to take a look, immediately bing tense.


    ¡°Oh no, those guys have already chased us here!¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just fight them!¡±


    Since today was a holiday, there were no other students in the school besides Fang Zheng. It was precisely for this reason that the Mountain Dog could brazenly appear here and surround the entire school. Seeing those fully armed soldiers wielding guns charging down from their vehicles, everyone tensed up. After all, they had only seen such scenes in movies before, but facing it in person was another matter entirely.


    ¡°Teacher, take Rika and the others and leave!¡±


    While speaking, Rena raised her machete.


    ¡°ording to Dr. Irie, these people are after Rika. As long as she is safe¡­¡±


    ¡°No! If we go, we go together! I don¡¯t want to lose a single friend!¡±


    ¡°Rika¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts!¡±


    Seeing herpanions blocking in front of her, Rika also felt a twinge of sadness. She had felt despair before, but now, even though herpanions hadn¡¯t believed her initially, they still stood by her side, which was enough for Rika.


    ¡°Teacher, you must have a way, please, help us.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I have a way.¡±


    Seeing the girl pleading desperately, Fang Zheng gave a faint smile and reached out to pat Rika¡¯s small head. Now that he had achieved ¡°mastery of divine skills¡± and resolved the ultimate question of this world, Fang Zheng indeed had ways to handle everything.


    ¡°Leave it to me. You all stay here, don¡¯t go anywhere. Just sit back and enjoy my performance.¡±


    At the same time, the fully armed Mountain Dog Unit had already arrived at the school entrance. Seeing the closed gates, the squad leader made a gesture.


    ¡°The targets are inside. Remember, capture the target alive, then eliminate all other witnesses¡ªAah!!!¡±


    But before the squad leader could finish his sentence, the gate that had been closed in front of him suddenly flew up, smashing squarely onto the unfortunate man, and with a scream, the assault leader was immediately thrown backward, crashing to the ground. Seeing this scene, the other Special Forces members were also taken aback, hastily raising their submachine guns aimed at the door. But before these soldiers could even pull the trigger, Fang Zheng rushed out like a hurricane, fists clenched, and pounded the enemies before him fiercely!


    ¡°Bang, bang, bang!¡±


    To be honest, as a special forces unit, Mountain Dog was rather weak within the military. After all, they specialized in intelligence gathering, notbat. They only bullied civilians with superior weapons and numbers. For Fang Zheng, these guys were barely different from targets. He didn¡¯t even need to activate Time Maniption; using his own speed and strength was enough to take down this group of fools.


    However, to the Mountain Dog Unit, this was apletely different scenario.


    They only saw a blurry shadow sh before their eyes like a ghost, and the next moment, a massive force struck them head-on, mercilessly tossing them into the air. For a time, screams filled the air as the members of the Special Forces, dressed in work uniforms, were thrown skyward and then fell heavily to the ground. When Fang Zheng ceased his attack, before himy those who initially boasted with their firearms, now silent and motionless.


    ¡°God, oh God.¡±


    Seeing this scene, everyone in themand vehicle behind sweated coldly, even Miyo Takano turned pale. She had once defied Haneiru, believing her firm will could defeat fate and even deities. But now, for the first time, she felt that, in the face of overwhelming power, she was as helpless as a child.


    ¡°Quick, get out of here!!¡±


    Thinking this, Miyo Takano couldn¡¯t help but tremble all over. In her eyes, Fang Zheng¡¯s figure began to blur, merging with the man who had abused her at the orphanage in her youth; she had been just as powerless then¡­¡­


    ¡°Move, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Thud!!¡±


    However, as soon as Miyo Takano¡¯s words fell, a loud bang came from behind themand vehicle. The next moment, the firmly shut door of the vehicle was torn apart effortlessly by Fang Zheng, like tearing paper. He reached in to pull the whole door open, then quietly looked at the woman before him.


    ¡°Who, who are you exactly? What do you want to do?!¡±


    Watching this unfold, not only was Miyo Takano stunned, but everyone else in themand vehicle was also dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. However, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t pay much heed to Miyo Takano¡¯s questions; he just stepped onto themand vehicle and walked towards her.


    ¡°No, don¡¯te closer!!¡±


    Seeing Fang Zheng approaching, Miyo Takano raised the handgun in her hand in terror and pulled the trigger. But the next moment, Fang Zheng suddenly appeared beside her, stepping on the handgun and crushing it into pieces.


    ¡°Bang!!¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!¡±


    The handgun exploded instantly, and the ensuing pain made Miyo Takano scream. However, Fang Zheng waspletely indifferent to her cries. Instead, he reached out, grabbed a handful of Miyo Takano¡¯s blonde hair, and dragged her out of the vehicle like dragging out trash.


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t do this! Please, I beg you to spare me! Help me, Grandpa! Grandpa!! Help me!!¡±


    Miyo Takano struggled frantically, rolling around, crying out. But Fang Zheng was entirely unmoved; he only dragged her by the hair from the vehicle and threw her onto the cold cement floor.


    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve always found you very displeasing.¡±


    Looking at Miyo Takano copsed on the ground, Fang Zheng slightly smiled.


    ¡°But now, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, your n has already failed¡­¡­ Soon, Tokyo will send someone to take over everything. Honestly, from my standpoint, someone like you doesn¡¯t deserve to live, but¡­¡­¡±


    Saying this, Fang Zheng paused, then turned his head to look towards the school windows. There, Furutega Rika watched with aplex expression the woman lying at Fang Zheng¡¯s feet. It was she who had disemboweled herself time and again in endless loops, she who had killed her friends over and over, destroying the entire Hinamizawa.


    And all this, merely for¡­


    ¡°Foolish research.¡±


    Fang Zheng reached out and snatched the documents that Miyo Takano clutched tightly to her chest. Seeing Fang Zheng taking her possessions, Miyo Takano suddenly became stiff, then she suddenly stood up and lunged towards him.


    ¡°Give it back to me! That¡¯s my grandfather¡¯s research! My grandfather¡¯s life¡¯s work!¡±


    ¡°A third-rate pseudoscientific study?¡±


    Facing Miyo Takano lunging at him, Fang Zheng showed no mercy and pped her across the face, knocking her to the ground.


    ¡°A mere pseudoscience? For this, you would sacrifice over two thousand lives? For this?¡±


    While speaking, Fang Zheng threw the documents onto the muddy ground and then forcefully stepped on them. Under Fang Zheng¡¯s feet, the documents that Miyo Takano had treasured like jewels now turned into a pile of trash.


    ¡°No!! No!! Grandpa!! Grandpa¡ª¡ª¡ªthis is Grandpa¡¯s research, the key to human evolution!!¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, this is just the delusion of a pseudoscientist.¡±


    Fang Zheng watched the woman crying violently before him, then shifted his gaze to someone beside Miyo Takano¡ª¡ª¡ªthere, Furutega Hane in her red and white shrine maiden outfit, watched the scene withplex eyes.


    ¡°How about you, Oyashiro-sama? What do you think of this woman?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ah¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s query, Haneiru exhibited an embarrassed expression. Sheplexly watched Miyo Takano lying in the muddy ground, and eventually lowered her head, saying nothing.


    ¡°Well, since the principal party doesn¡¯t n to settle ounts with you after autumn, I might as well stop here too.¡±


    ncing at Furutega Hane beside him, Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders and stepped back. Miyo Takano, however, lunged forward like a madwoman, grabbing onto the research materials in the mud and began sobbing softly.


    ¡°However¡­¡­ it¡¯s over for her.¡±


    While speaking, Fang Zheng looked at the sky.


    There, the rumbling noise of a helicopter grew from distant to near.

 Chapter 132: 131: Psychic Expertise [Free Will]

    Chapter 132: Chapter 131: Psychic Expertise [Free Will]


    With the intervention of ¡°Tokyo,¡± Miyo Takano was finally doomed. The entire Irie Research Institute was isted for an audit, and Takano was arrested and incarcerated. This time, Fang Zheng did not allow the foolish Tomitake Jiro, a love-struck fool, to attempt a rescue. Instead, he directly ordered the special forces under ¡°Tokyo¡± to take Takano away. She would be indicted for embezzlement, murder, and illegal human experimentation. As for whether she would receive the death sentence¡­ Well, before she was taken away, Fang Zheng had gifted her with a ¡°Suppress Good Luck¡± spell. Now, he could only hope that Takano¡¯s fate was stronger than the scum Teppei Hojo and that she could survive long enough to make it to court.


    As for the Irie Research Institute, under Fang Zheng¡¯s protection, Dr. Irie Kyosuke stayed on and resumed work in ce of Takano. All those who had unclear rtions with Takano were cleansed from the ce. As a result, the personnel of the Irie Institution was greatly reduced, but in exchange, ¡°Tokyo¡± extended the institution¡¯s lifespan from three to five years.


    This was one of the few bits of good fortune for Irie Kyosuke who, at least, was confident that he could find a cure for the Hinamizawa Syndrome within these five years.


    But even if he could not make any progress, Fang Zheng had decided to return to his own world, or to explore other worlds to find a way to eliminate the disease. Although Rika had escaped the endless cycle of reincarnation, as a Queen Infector, she still could not travel freely.


    Of course, in the 1980s, this was not such a troubling issue. However, Fang Zheng was well aware that in another ten or twenty years, the world would undergo earth-shattering changes. If Furutega Rika remained alone in the vige then, it would be rather pitiful.


    However, for Furutega Rika, this was a problem for the future. Now, she could freely enjoy life without worrying about being killed¡ªof course, Furutega Rika also had to be cautious for her safety. Otherwise, she might not die from the conspiracy, but from an ident, leading to another cycle of rebirth¡­ That would be truly tragic.


    But this was no longer of immediate concern to Fang Zheng. After apanying Rika to watch thest sunset of June, he left that strange world and returned to his own room.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    As the scenery before his eyes changed once again, thendscape of Hinamizawa disappeared, reced by the cold and monotonous decoration inside the Mage Tower. Back in his own room and feeling the chill in the air, Fang Zheng couldn¡¯t help but exhale deeply.


    To be honest, although the World of Cicada¡¯s Song he had entered was not inherently dangerous, it was sinister. Most importantly, this trial was not merely about strengthening one¡¯s will and spirit as Fang Zheng had initially thought. On the contrary, the world had struck a deadly blow to Fang Zheng¡¯s most vulnerable spot.


    When you have foreknowledge of the future and are familiar with the plot, what will you do?


    Will you go with the flow and be a pawn, or will you step out of it and be the yer?


    For a time, Fang Zheng nearly fell into it. He finally understood what Rex meant when he warned, ¡°Prophet Mages see the future, but it doesn¡¯t mean they can control it.¡± Sometimes, the very act of seeing the future is a sign you are caught in its trap, and by the time youe to your senses, it¡¯s toote to escape.


    Fortunately, Fang Zheng was always on guard, so he managed to pull back at thest moment. Otherwise, he might have been forced to follow Furutega Rika¡¯s infinite cycle of rebirth¡­ And worse, if Rika had left the world, leaving Fang Zheng alone, then he would have been at a loss!


    Damn it!


    Who would have thought that a situation that seemed to be in the bag could nearly copse because he scared himself? Even now, thinking back on it, Fang Zheng was drenched in a cold sweat. Perhaps this was what the Dimensional Codex intended to tell him: a Dimensional Mage is an existence that transcends worlds, not a pawn confined to any single world¡­ And this was a setting he had written himself, yet he nearly forgot it when it mattered!


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Master!¡±


    Seeing Fang Zheng appear, the little angel Nymph rushed to greet him.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Nymph.¡±


    Looking at the blue-haired little angel beside him, Fang Zheng smiled and reached out to fondly pat her small head.


    ¡°How long was I gone?¡±


    ¡°About five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    He had spent a month in the World of Cicada¡¯s Song, but only five minutes had passed here. Luckily Nymph was an Artificial Angel, for a human, this sense of time would have been disconcerting.


    With that thought, Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders and then stretched out his hand to open the system alert. Soon, a line of information appeared in front of him.


    [User haspleted the Free Instance ¡°Heart,¡± Rating: B]


    [User has acquired the Mind Skill ¡°Free Will¡±]


    [Free Will: In the endless worlds, only the self is the eternal truth. All things will perish, even time will change everything. However, all these cannot bind a heart that yearns for freedom, all is illusion, all is permissible. What keeps you from moving forward is not the wild wind of the mortal world, but the shackles from the depths of the soul (+10 resistance to the influence of Mind Willpower, unable to be immediately influenced)]


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Looking at the Skill notification in front of him, Fang Zheng slightly curled his lip in dissatisfaction. To be honest, what he most wanted was a Skill that could provide a 100% immunity to Mind Willpower influences, but unfortunately, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t getting something that good this time.


    But this ¡°Free Will¡± was still not bad, although it couldn¡¯t provide full immunity, it had the attribute of ¡°unable to be immediately influenced.¡±


    This was also a very important property, after all, the unpredictability of Mind Willpower Spells is in their ability to strike when least expected; you can never know when you¡¯ve fallen victim to one. But the ¡°unable to be immediately influenced¡± from ¡°Free Will¡± is equivalent to an early warning. The biggest weakness of Mind Willpower is that once you notice something is off, the effect will drastically decrease.@@novelbin@@


    Of course, it would be better if it could be nullified, but for now, for Fang Zheng, it was better to have it than not.


    And it was at this moment that suddenly, an unexpected voice rang out.


    ¡°Meow¡­¡±


    ¡°A cat?¡±


    Looking at the ck cat that had emerged from Fang Zheng¡¯s body, Nymph was taken aback for a moment. She blinked her eyes, looking towards her master. The Little Angel clearly remembered that her master had not left with any cat before. Could it be, he brought this one from that world?


    ¡°What is this¡­?¡±


    Looking at the ck cat that suddenly appeared in front of him, Fang Zheng was also quite surprised. How could there be a ck cat here? Could it be one he had brought from the World of Cicada¡¯s Song? But¡­ there were no cats in the World of Cicada¡¯s Song, right?


    So where did this cate from?


    Thinking this, Fang Zheng reached out his hand and picked up the ck cat, staring intently at it.


    However, this ck cat did not seem like the wild cats Fang Zheng had seen before; even when he picked it up, it did not struggle at all, but just stared at Fang Zheng with its big eyes, blinking asionally and even flicking its tail from time to time ¡ª it was only then that Fang Zheng noticed that there was a blue ribbon tied into a bow on the tail of this ck cat.


    It¡¯s quite cute, actually.


    I really don¡¯t know where this ck cat came out from.


    Fang Zheng scratched the ck cat¡¯s chin, and it cooperated by squinting its eyes and letting out a soft meow¡­ Ah, how can a cat be so cute? How can such an adorable animal exist in this world? I can¡¯t resist it; I just want to cuddle it¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Fang Zheng petted the ck cat before handing it over to Nymph beside him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll take care of it, no problem, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, master.¡±


    Nymph had been eyeing the adorable Little Hei with glistening eyes. Upon hearing what Fang Zheng said, she quickly reached out with a grin and took Little Hei into her arms. The little cat also ¡°meowed,¡± then reached out its head to gently rub against Nymph¡¯s cheek.


    Oh my¡­ why does the world have such adorable animals?

 Chapter 133: 132 An Invitation from the Sanctuary

    Chapter 133: Chapter 132 An Invitation from the Sanctuary


    Mr. Fang Zheng felt that his luck was not too bad.


    Although he did not gain the specialized ability to be immune to mental control, obtaining ¡°Free Will¡± was a decent choice, and it even came with a bonus¡ªa ck cat¡­ Well, although this ck cat could not provide much assistance to Fang Zheng, most of the time it just yed by itself, but for Fang Zheng, having a cat to pet was not bad at all, right? It could at least provide some rxation, couldn¡¯t it?


    In the following days, Fang Zheng continued to climb the ranks in the Sky Arena while testing his new ability. He was pleased to find that ¡°Free Will¡± had indeed increased his resistance to the Enchantment School¡¯s spells substantially; now, most low-rank mages from the Enchantment School could no longer affect him at all. Only asionally, a few high-level apprentices would cast Enchantment School spells that could influence Fang Zheng for a brief one to two seconds.


    This was a good thing for Fang Zheng, but not so much for the other mages in the Sky Arena.


    Mages are no fools; noticing his own weakness, the other mages naturally discovered it as well. Thus, in the following days, the number of Enchantment School mages who challenged Fang Zheng increased significantly; clearly, they also sought to use various methods to block the progress of this Wild Mage. Unfortunately for them, with ¡°Free Will¡± now in his arsenal, Fang Zheng was no longer afraid of such spell attacks, and soon, the apprentices of the Enchantment School became the second group, after the Necromancer ss, to deliberately avoid him whenever they saw him.


    You ask why?


    Nonsense, most spells from the Enchantment School require close proximity to cast. If it is a battle between two mages, casting spells up close isn¡¯t an issue, but against a Temr¡­ Ouch¡­ My jaw still hurts!


    By the time Fang Zheng had advanced to the top hundred ranks in the Sky Arena, he had already mastered fifth-level spells from four factions. This had left Rexpletely speechless; he had never seen such abnormal skill in learning spells. You must know, those spell texts were extremelyplex and quite the mouthful, and many mages spent a lot of time just memorizing these texts, not to mention embedding them in their Power of the Soul.


    Spells themselves contain powerful forces, thus the higher the rank of the spells a mage masters and learns, the more difficult it bes. Aside from theplexity of the spell itself, another reason is the powerful force of the spell itself.


    If youpare mages to hard drives, then spells are like the programs installed inside; perhaps those low-level trickery spells only upy a few MB or dozens of MB, but as time goes on, the more powerful the spells be, the more ¡°space¡± they take up, even reaching tens of GBs or hundreds of GBs.


    This is why the White Tower makes mages make constrained choices while specializing in factions; after all, every mage¡¯s ¡°capacity¡± is limited, so the number of spells they can ¡°install¡± is naturally also limited. In fact, even within the White Tower, it is rare for mages to truly specialize in one faction before choosing three others. Given their qualifications, just studying and learning the spells of a specialized faction was already burdensome, let alone studying other minor factions; they usually just needed to understand a little and then select a few for daily use.


    If youpare ordinary mages to mechanical hard drives and Rex, as a faction instructor, to a solid-state drive, then Fang Zheng was like a ck-technology quantum hard drive. At least for now, he had no apparent ¡°capacity¡± limits, and even his ¡°read¡± speed was incredibly fast.


    This made Rex even more convinced that choosing the path of magic was the right choice for Fang Zheng; he was already considering how to bring Fang Zheng into the White Tower.


    But before that, Fang Zheng still had one troublesome matter to face.


    ¡°A banquet?¡±


    Looking at the invitation Rex had thrown over, Fang Zheng scanned the invitation in surprise and saw that it was actually issued by the Sanctuary¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you also know that the Order Fortress was almost breached recently, right? The situation there has finally stabilized now. So, the Sanctuary ns to host a banquet to invite all the brave warriors who have achieved great merits in this battle¡­ you are one of them, got it?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    After hearing Rex¡¯s exnation, Fang Zheng put away the invitation and nodded. He had heard about the situation at the Order Fortress a few times; although initially, the Demon Beasts were indeed ferocious, the situation eventually stabilized after the Sanctuary increased their military efforts. Now it seemed that those ambitious Demon Beast Lords had finally retreated, so the Sanctuary could finally take a breath and celebrate their victory.


    ¡°Same ce, during the New Year festival; I have to say, these old fellows really know how to pick the time. You¡¯ve also received an invitation; it wouldn¡¯t hurt to go and check it out. These kinds of gatherings are meant for eating, drinking, and ying with women; as a young fellow like yourself, you shouldn¡¯t miss out on these good things.¡±


    At this point, Rex tapped his forehead, as if he had suddenly remembered something and looked at Fang Zheng again.


    ¡°By the way, kid, if you stir up any trouble this time, don¡¯te back for now. When the time is right, I¡¯lle find you, got it?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Although Fang Zheng did not know what Rex meant by that, he still nodded respectfully. He took the words of a Prophecy System instructor seriously. After hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s response, Rex then waved his hand.


    ¡°Alright, off you go. Enjoying the fun of the festival is the real deal in life; everything else is nonsense. Go and enjoy the festivities.¡±


    It was because of Rex¡¯s words that Fang Zheng, along with Nymph, once again used the Teleportation Array and returned to the Northern Capital City of the Northern Alliance.


    Unlike before, the Northern Capital City was now adorned with festive lights and a joyous atmosphere. Lanterns were lit everywhere, and the streets were bustling with people. From afar, one could even faintly hear the sounds of music and the noise of the crowd.


    Compared to the tense atmosphere before, the Northern Kingdom capital now seemed quite lively.


    ¡°No matter where you are, parties are always boring.¡±


    Standing on the balcony, Mr. Fang Zheng stroked the ck cat in his arms and squinted at the brightly decorated city in front of him, while Nymph who stood quietly by his side, looked around somewhat bored.


    ¡°Mr. Fang Zheng!¡±


    What Mr. Fang Zheng hadn¡¯t expected was that he had only been here a short while before he bumped into an acquaintance.


    ¡°Knight Conan?¡±


    Looking at Knight Conan, who was rushing toward him excitedly, Mr. Fang Zheng suddenly felt a bit regretful; he thought leaving now might have been the right choice. Otherwise, if some ¡°Midnight Ritual Murder¡± were to ur¡­ that would really be troublesome.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to still be alive?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect it myself either.¡±


    Hearing Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s words, Knight Conan also showed a bitter smile.


    ¡°Honestly, when I arrived at the fortress, those terrifying Demon Beast Lords had alreadyunched a fierce attack on the Order Fortress, if not for the timely arrival of reinforcements, the entire fortress might have fallen. And many of my colleagues were heavily casualties in that battle¡­¡±


    ording to Knight Conan, after he arrived at the Order Fortress and ryed the rear¡¯s messages to the Fortress Commander, he was immediately assigned to a defense squad. This defense squad soon encountered an attack from the Demon Beast Lords, and nearly everyone was annihted. Fortunately, at the veryst moment, the Sanctuary¡¯s reinforcements arrived in time, allowing Knight Conan to narrowly escape.


    But this was not beyond Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°No matter how one puts it, you did manage to survive, Knight Conan, and¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Mr. Fang Zheng nced at Knight Conan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°You even received a medal, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Although you say that¡­¡±


    Hearing Mr. Fang Zheng¡¯s words, Knight Conan showed a slightly embarrassed smile, but soon, he let out a long sigh.


    ¡°But¡­ I have to tell you, Mr. Fang Zheng, I¡¯ve already nned to retire.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Upon hearing Knight Conan¡¯s revtion, Mr. Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow. Temrs indeed could retire, just like soldiers, they had their own service period. Of course, unlike those soldiers who must leave the army after their service period, Temrs have specific restrictions. For example, during the first five years after you be a Temr, you aren¡¯t allowed to leave voluntarily. But after those five years, you can choose to stay or retire. The time Knight Conan had served in the Temr Order was not short, so his decision to retire seemed a natural choice.


    Especially considering everything he had been through¡­ yes, you should retire.


    ¡°Retire?¡±


    ¡°Yes, to be honest, always watching myrades die around me has be somewhat unbearable for me, I think¡­ it¡¯s time for me to leave the battlefield. Perhaps I¡¯ll return to my hometown and be a sheriff, maybe even find a wife or something¡­¡±


    As he spoke, Knight Conan sheepishly scratched the back of his head, while Mr. Fang Zheng merely smiled slightly.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Well then, I wish you all the best in advance, Knight Conan.¡±


    And silently, he lit thirty-two candles in his heart for Knight Conan¡¯s hometown.

 Chapter 134: 133: Its That Silly Woman Again

    Chapter 134: Chapter 133: It¡¯s That Silly Woman Again


    The banquet was held in the Sanctuary Hall, and at the moment most of the guests had not yet arrived, only characters like Fang Zheng and Knight Conan had arrived at the scene early. After all, there were protocols to be observed at a banquet, like walking on a red carpet; ordinary people could not walk on the red carpet upon entering the hall, only those with fame and reputation could do so. Although logically speaking, Fang Zheng was one of the people qualified to walk the red carpet¡ªafter all, he was the main figure who destroyed the Gates of Hell and his merits were arguably not much lesser than the Guardians of the Order Fortress¡ªhe was not interested in such matters, so he brought Nymph along early to the banquet hall to snack and drink casually.


    After chatting a bit with Knight Conan, Fang Zheng took Nymph to a corner to rest. He had already learned the flow of this evening from Knight Conan, which was nothing more than first parading all the heroes who protected the Nortnds in front of everyone, then the Archbishop at the core woulde out to give a speech, followed by everyone eating, drinking, and if sympathetic, dancing and chatting with each other to cultivate rtionships¡­


    Of course, Fang Zheng had no interest in these activities, he was only there because he heard that Shi Dong and Carl were also attending, thus he suppressed his true feelings and waited until now. Although currently Fang Zheng was considered a fringe member within the Sanctuary, Shi Dong was still quite decent to him, and both reason and sentiment demanded that he greet them.


    Then¡­ then Fang Zheng would clean up, shake off, and leave, staying here was no fun, and it wasn¡¯t as good as going home to pet the cat and learn magic spells. Fang Zheng had never particrly liked such banquet scenes, even before his rebirth, he actually despised simr gatherings. Unfortunately, as a high-level corporate executive, he had no choice but to attend¡­


    Time ticked by, and the hall gradually filled with more people, but these individuals were unrted to Fang Zheng; he simply sat in the corner, amusing himself with the ck cat in hisp and chatting with Nymph beside him. As for this young man hiding in the corner, although people were quite curious, nobody came to cause trouble.


    Given Fang Zheng¡¯s current awkward status, he was not dressed in Temr armor nor a Wizard Robe, but as always, he wore noble attire. As for Nymph beside him, she was not dressed in her usual cloak and miniskirt, but had changed into a light and flowing long dress. Of course, Little Angel had already hidden her wings before arriving at the Sanctuary following Fang Zheng¡¯s orders, otherwise, an Angel appearing in the Sanctuary would attract unwanted attention no matter how low-key Fang Zheng acted.


    Although Fang Zheng had indeed performed great feats, his reputation at the moment was still not prominent, even less so than Knight Conan, who had returned from the Order Fortress. This was also a consequence of Fang Zheng¡¯s negotiations with the Bishopric, since he expressed his unwillingness tomit wholeheartedly to the Sanctuary, naturally the Sanctuary also wouldn¡¯t expend efforts to promote him. Therefore, apart from a few nobilitydies attracted by Fang Zheng¡¯s appearance, most people regarded him as just a member from some noble family in the Nortnds.


    If Fang Zheng were alone, perhaps some nobledy woulde to chat, but with Nymph at his side, such bother was naturally absent. Although Nymph always treated Fang Zheng as her master, he had never regarded Nymph as a servant, but rather treated her more like his own sister. Therefore, Fang Zheng was naturally not stingy in spending money on her; the clothes he bought her were naturally top-tier.


    For this reason, no one darede up to disturb them. After all, ording to the rules of nobility in this world, if a woman did not attend a banquet by herself, then she must be apanied by a man, either an elder brother or a fianc¨¦. Although Nymph was young, thews of this world did not concern such matters; in fact, many great nobles would train a ¡°Female Attendant¡± for their children from a young age, essentially simr to a ¡°child bride.¡±


    The nobles present were not blind, Nymph was young but very respectful toward Fang Zheng, yet seeing her sitting beside him rather than standing behind indicated that this girl wasn¡¯t Fang Zheng¡¯s servant. If you considered them as siblings, it didn¡¯t quite fit either. Thus, this was obviously the best exnation.@@novelbin@@


    Since there were no legal stiptions regarding this matter in this world, therefore no one spoke more of it, much less caused trouble¡ªthis was a celebration banquet at the Sanctuary, did you overeat ande here to cause trouble? Perhaps tired of living?


    Since no one came to cause trouble, Fang Zheng was happy to rx, sitting in the corner ying with the ck cat in his embrace. Little ck Cat was also irresistibly adorable, facing Fang Zheng¡¯s approaching fingers, it would sometimes stretch out its little paws to pat at them, sometimes open its mouth to gently nibble. After being scratched by Fang Zheng on its chin and belly, it wouldfortably purr and curl up in Fang Zheng¡¯sp, just like a little child. asionally rolling over, turning its body, let out soft cries¡ªsimply too cute!


    Ah, why are there such adorable creatures in this world? Truly, one lives to pet cats!


    As Fang Zheng was immersed in the joy of petting the cat, unable to extricate himself, suddenly, a voice rang out next to his ear.


    ¡°Why is it you? How could you be here?¡±


    Hearing this sudden voice, the little cat that had been rolling and frolicking in Fang Zheng¡¯s hands got a fright and immediately burrowed into his chest. Fang Zheng also frowned in displeasure and lifted his head to look in the direction of the voice, his expression growing even darker upon seeing the person before him.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t your family taught you how to greet people, Miss Connie? Can¡¯t you show some manners?¡±


    Indeed, the person standing before Fang Zheng at this moment was the Temr Connie, who had previously shed with him in Shadow Canyon. At this moment, she was dressed in Temr armor, looking heroic and valiant. However, her expression as she looked at Fang Zheng was exceedingly severe and wary, as if she had seen an enemy.


    And facing this woman before him, Fang Zheng naturally had no intention of showing a pleasant face, snorting coldly as he spoke. Hearing his words, another Temr standing beside Connie couldn¡¯t help but step forward, one hand on the hilt of his sword, while ring coldly at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°How rude, you dare to speak to Lady Connie in such a manner! To be disrespectful to a Temr is a serious offense! Apologize to Lady Connie immediately!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Hearing the man¡¯s angry shout, Fang Zheng snorted coldly and then disdainfully swept the man a nce.


    ¡°Being disrespectful to a Temr is a serious crime? Then what crime is it to be disrespectful to a Grand Knight? Do you want to disembowel yourself right here? And¡­ Miss Connie¡­¡±


    While speaking, Fang Zheng once again looked at the pale-faced woman with a mocking smile.


    ¡°As a Temr, you dared to be disrespectful to a Grand Knight, it seems this is not just a problem of upbringing, but you also have quite the nerve¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­!!¡±


    Upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s mockery, Connie angrily gripped her sword handle tightly, intending to draw her sword and fight Fang Zheng to the death right there. Unfortunately, she knew she could not do so, as they were in the Sanctuary Hall, and it was the New Year¡¯s Goddess Festival. Starting a conflict here would only tarnish the Sanctuary¡¯s image. Not to mention that Fang Zheng was a Grand Knight¡­ His position was higher than Connie¡¯s. Although the Sanctuary did not especially emphasize hierarchy, a Temr shouting and making a scene at a Grand Knight would not look good if word spread. How would others see her?


    Not to mention, she was the pride of the heavens, a descendant of the Castina Family¡­


    ¡°¡­I am very sorry, Your Excellency Fang Zheng.¡±


    Although the anger in Connie¡¯s heart was enough to boil the entire Infinite Sea, she still clenched her teeth and bowed her head.


    ¡°I lost myposure just now and disturbed you; please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s nothing, stay away from me and stop bothering me.¡±


    Fang Zheng had no affection for Connie, knowing she also disliked him, and perhaps she still saw him as that cultist, Williams. Since she was persistent in her ways, Fang Zheng naturally would not fake a smile to appease her, as that would only make her suspect he had ulterior motives.


    So, Fang Zheng simply made it clear he did not get along with Connie. That way, if she dared to use him of being a cultist in the future, everyone would suspect she was settling personal scores.


    Although she was also quite attractive, so what? Is she as cute as our Nymph? Is she as fun as our ck Cat? Having a little girl to apany one while ying with cats is much morefortable than getting involved with such a woman.


    So, having said that, Fang Zheng then bowed his head again and began to y with the kitten in his arms. As for Connie next to him, he did not even bother to nce at her.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±


    Seeing Fang Zheng ignoring her like this, Connie clenched her teeth, trembling all over with anger. Finally, she bit her lower lip and bowed down.


    ¡°I am very sorry for disturbing you; we will take our leave now.¡±


    After saying this, Connie immediately turned and left, and the other Temrs also quickly retreated. They were no fools; Connie was the Sanctuary¡¯s cherished one, and even the bishops from the Bishopric tended to favor her. Yet this young man not only disregarded her but also severely reprimanded her.


    And more importantly, Connie was so chastised that she dared not retort?


    Who is he?


    Although they had already distanced themselves greatly from Fang Zheng, the Temrs were still pondering this question deep in their hearts.


    But what they did not know was that on the other side of the hall, another person had also raised the same question.

 Chapter 135: 134: The Family of Divine Favor

    Chapter 135: Chapter 134: The Family of Divine Favor


    ¡°Bishop Carl, who is that young man?¡±


    Standing on the balcony of the second floor, a middle-aged man turned his head and looked toward the Vampire Bishop beside him, asking softly. He had a head of brilliant blond hair and a resolute face that seemed as if it had been chiseled by the wind and rain, solemn and serious. The man stood about two meters tall, dressed in silver-colored Temr armor with a bright red cape draped over it, and on the cape, one could clearly see the image of an Old Eagle spreading its wings in flight.


    He was one of the Knight Captains of the Sanctuary, and one of the strongest within it, ¡°de of Justice¡± Brand Castina.


    The Castina Family was a family under the Divine Favor of the Deity.


    Ever since the foundation of the Sanctuary, there had been rumors that the Castina Family was not like the Holy Spirit Knights who were guarded by Angels. In fact, there were few members in the Castina family, and on the surface, they seemed quite ordinary. But¡­they had the Goddess¡¯s Favor.


    Of course, this was an internal view within the Sanctuary. To everyone else, the Castina Family was no different from ordinary people,cking any special bloodline or Holy Spirit Protection. Yet, this family seemed to have strange ¡°luck.¡±


    Yes, luck.


    The ancestor of the Castina Family was an ordinary Temr who, in the battle against Chaos, became separated from the main force by ident, and then stumbled upon a Temple. There, the ancestor of the Castina Family received the legacy of the Ancient Holy Light, and after tireless cultivation, he returned to the Sanctuary with great power, helping it to repel the onught of Chaos. Thereafter, the Castina Family became a shining star within the Sanctuary.


    Of course, any family that grew too powerful would be a target for their enemies. In the centuries that followed, the battle between the Castina Family and the forces of Chaos and evil never ceased. And since their enemies were formidable, they eventually pushed the Castina Family to the brink of destruction. At that time, the Castina Family was reduced to just two brothers. Chased by assassins sent by Chaos, they fell off a cliff by misfortune¡­


    Hmm? Why does this pattern seem so familiar?


    Yes, just like everyone suspected, after these brothers fell off the cliff, they ¡°identally¡± discovered another mysterious altar. There, they formed a pact with the Sacred Beast of Light, and then¡­ well, do I need to go on? With the power of the Sacred Beast of Light, the Castina brothers not only eliminated the mastermind behind the scenes but also reestablished their foothold in the Sanctuary. After that, the Castina Family flourished once again.


    However, good days are always short-lived. A hundred yearster, Hell targeted the Castina Family for another assassination. The old n Leader had just passed away, and the new one had not yet married or had children. So, Hell sent a confidant to tear open a space rift on the day of the funeral and dragged the new Castina n Leader into Hell!


    If I can¡¯t kill you in the Main World, you surely won¡¯t be able to jump around in Hell.


    And then¡­ well, the Demon King of Hell indeed seeded in capturing the current Castina n Leader and imprisoned him. This excited the Demon King, who even invited other Demon Kings to witness the public execution of this ¡°Chosen One!¡±


    It¡¯s a pity, had that Demon King read a few more novels, he would have understood what it means to strike first and sufferter.


    The result was that, while in the Demon King¡¯s prison, the Castina n Leader of that generation ¡°happened¡± to meet an imprisoned Angel, who sacrificed its life to help the n Leader escape prison. Following the Angel¡¯s guidance, he found the Holy Sword ¡ª de of Justice ¡ª lost in Hell during the great war between Heaven and Earth!


    Whates next is predictable. On the day of the ceremony, the hero emerged with the divine weapon to p the unlucky Demon King¡¯s face, cracking open space to return to the Main Dimension, leaving behind only the ashen faces of the other Demon Kings¡­


    And that person was the father of the current Knight Captain.


    This is also why the Sanctuary says that the Castina Family enjoys the ¡°Goddess¡¯s Favor.¡± Others would have fallen off a cliff to meet their end or drowned in water, but somehow, when it came to the Castina Family, they kept encountering these miraculous adventures and divine weapons¡­ If you say that¡¯s not the Goddess¡¯s Favor, no one would believe it to their death!


    However, there was a cost.


    Perhaps it¡¯s the so-called rule of three; although the Castina Family had various ¡°adventures¡± and ¡°divine weapons,¡± almost none of them made it to the third generation in the family¡¯s hands.


    The Holy Light knowledge that the first n Leader of the Castina Family had learned was lost after three generations due to the fragmentation of the family, with the profundities of its legacy scattering away during the struggle.


    And the brothers who had made a pact with the Sacred Beast of Light had only secured its protection for three generations.


    Brand Castina was the second generation that inherited the ¡°de of Justice,¡± and the third generation is his daughter, Connie Castina.


    He was a staid, serious man, devoted his life to his faith and the Sanctuary. Defending justice andbatting evil were his ts. His daughter, Connie, also inherited his detestation for evil, but being much younger than Brand, she was somewhat impulsive. Yet, seeing someone daring to give Connie trouble right to her face, Brand still got upset. Although he too thought Connie was a bit rash, she was essentially a good child; and in the Sanctuary, it was rare for anyone to target her so.


    But that young man seemed an exception.


    ¡°His name is Fang Zheng, Lord Brand.¡±


    Upon hearing Brand¡¯s inquiry, Bishop Carl beside him didn¡¯t even blink as he directly replied.


    ¡°The young Grand Knight?¡±


    As he heard Carl¡¯s response, Brand became even more puzzled.


    ¡°What kind of grudge exists between him and Connie?¡±


    ¡°ording to Grand Knight Mart¡¯s report, during their first meeting, Connie used him of being a Cultist and even fought with Grand Knight Fang Zheng. She was defeated and retreated.¡±


    ¡°A Cultist?¡±


    Faced with this unexpected answer, Brand was stunned, then he turned his head to look at Carl with a clearly dissatisfied expression in his eyes. In response to Brand¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, Bishop Carl snorted coldly.


    ¡°All Grand Knights are knighted after a rigorous scrutiny by the Bishopric.¡±


    What he meant was clear: Fang Zheng¡¯s identity was not in question.


    ¡°But he disappeared for over half a year, and no one knows where he went.¡±


    ¡°The man has Holy Spirit Protection.¡±


    Bishop Carl¡¯s eyelids remained firm, betraying no emotion.


    ¡°Do you doubt the will of the Goddess?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Brand furrowed his brow slightly, then turned to look at the girl beside Fang Zheng. Although Nymph had used special means to hide her wings, in the eyes of a powerful Legendary being like Brand, they were still somewhat visible.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the cor around her neck?¡±


    ¡°No one knows, but looking at her, she seems not to mind it.¡±


    As Carl said, to Nymph, she was actually more concerned about the small cat in Fang Zheng¡¯s hands.


    ¡°¡­I will keep an eye on him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better be just ¡®watching,¡¯ as you said.¡±


    This time, Bishop Carl finally reacted, opening his eyes and gazing at the Knight Captain before him. Brand was one of the topbatants in the Sanctuary, but he was also rigid and stubborn, never looking back once he was set on something. The reason Connie had be what she was now was inseparable from Brand¡¯s ¡°teachings.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a Holy Spirit Knight, and you should understand the Bishopric is very interested in him.¡±


    ¡°But no one is allowed to act recklessly.¡±


    Brand seemed no longer inclined to speak further with Bishop Carl, simply turning around and walking towards another direction. Watching Brand¡¯s retreating figure, Bishop Carl furrowed his brows, then he sighed imperceptibly.


    ¡°I truly hope that young man doesn¡¯t get into any trouble¡­¡±

 Chapter 137: 136: Youre seeking your own death!

    Chapter 137: Chapter 136: You¡¯re seeking your own death!


    As a Temr and Divine Favorer, Connie possessed a unique ability¡ªthe Eye of Truth. This was somewhat simr to the True Knowledge Technique in magic, enabling Connie to see through evil disguises and hidden elements at certain times. This was her innate bloodline ability and the reason why Connie was called a Divine Favorer. She initially wanted to see if the girl in front of her was under some guise or was disguised as something else, but when she activated the Eye of Truth, what she saw shocked her immensely.


    She actually saw a pair of colorful, beautiful wings growing from the girl¡¯s back!


    Not only that! Connie also saw a transparent chain emerging from a cor around the girl¡¯s neck, directly connecting towards the direction of the great hall!


    This girl was an angel! And she was an imprisoned angel!


    At that moment, Connie felt she had discovered the truth, and all the mysteries had unraveled. That damn cultist had used some evil means to imprison a pure and kind angel to serve him. Yes, he must have used this method to make the Bishopric acknowledge him as a Holy Spirit Knight! It had to be this way!


    Thinking this, Connie¡¯s resolve strengthened; she wanted to help the angel break free and regain her freedom! By doing so, she would no longer be deceived by that cultist. Once the angel could testify, the cultist would definitely not escape punishment again! She would help the angel break free and regain her freedom. Then, she would ensure that the damn cultist received the punishment he deserved!<div>


    I must avenge myrades!


    After making her decision, Connie immediately started walking towards Nymph.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Nymph, of course, noticed Connie¡¯s presence, but the Little Angel didn¡¯t care. She came here to avoid the noisy crowd. Just like Fang Zheng, Nymph was now hopelessly charmed by kittens, finding it much more interesting than staying in the hall with those utterly boring Ground Worms. So, after obtaining Fang Zheng¡¯s permission, she left the banquet hall and hid here with a kitten.


    Initially, Nymph didn¡¯t see anything wrong with Connie, but seeing her approaching now, the Little Angel felt somewhat displeased. She did not like this woman¡ªshe had been right beside Fang Zheng when he had confronted her. If the Master disliked a woman, she naturally wouldn¡¯t have a favorable impression either.


    ¡°Respected Angel!¡± But facing Nymph¡¯s wary expression, Connie gave a respectful bow.


    ¡°I am Temr Connie. Please do not be afraid; I am here to help you!¡±


    ¡°Help me? What do I need your help with?¡± Hearing Connie¡¯s words, Nymph was even more puzzled. She was happily engaging with the kitten here, what nonsense was this Ground Worm talking about?


    ¡°I know you are bound by a cultist!¡± And seeing Nymph¡¯s baffled expression, Connie sighed inwardly. In her view, this Little Angel was quite naive and probably couldn¡¯t understand her situation. She wasn¡¯t just imprisoned by that cultist but also deceived by him! Realizing this, Connie further solidified her belief¡ªshe must rescue this angel!


    ¡°I am willing to break these bonds for you; please trust me!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    If Nymph still did not understand Connie¡¯s intent to this point, but when the Temr focused on her cor, Nymph¡¯s face turned pale.


    This Ground Worm, she actually wanted to sever the connection between herself and her Master!


    Realizing this, Nymph immediately backed away. But her movement, viewed by Connie, only further proved her spection. Clearly, this Little Angel had been imprisoned by that damn cultist! She was in fear of that man! But I will not be afraid, no matter how powerful the evil, it cannot defeat the power of justice!


    ¡°Rest assured, Angel Master, I can help you¡­¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡±


    Seeing Connie approaching, Nymph suddenly screamed and then turned to fly upwards. And seeing Nymph actually turning to flee, Connie also panicked, promptly leaping towards Nymph.


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡±


    Feeling Connie rushing towards her, Nymph¡¯s face changed drastically; she suddenly turned around, opened her mouth, and soon, an invisible ultrasonic wave formed in the Little Angel¡¯s mouth and then burst out, rushing towards Connie.


    This was Nymph¡¯s only attack skill, Song of Heaven!


    Not good!!


    Noticing the ultrasonic attacking straight at her, Connie was greatly startled. She hurriedly drew her longsword from her waist, and quickly, infinite thunder power burst out, charging towards the ultrasonic wave. Apanied by thunder rumbling, the dazzling thunder and lightning ripped through the air, spreading out in all directions. Nymph¡¯s Song of Heaven was shattered by this thundering onught.


    But, this was just the beginning!


    Connie¡¯s all-out attack was not something anyone could withstand, especially Nymph, abat-less Electronic Warfare Angel, who didn¡¯t even have a shield. Faced with the thunder rushing towards her, the only thing Nymph could do was to put her hands instinctively in front of her body.


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡±


    The next moment, countless bolts of thunder struck Nymph harshly. Apanied by a cry of pain, under the bombardment of electric light, Nymph fell heavily to the ground.


    ¡°Ow¡­ my wings¡­ my wings¡­¡±


    Clenching her fists, Nymph¡¯s eyes widened; she could feel that her wings were destroyed by the dreadful thunder.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Looking at the blue-haired girl in front of her, Connie slightly furrowed her brows. In fact, her previous action was instinctual, but Connie didn¡¯t expect the angel to be so weak that she was injured by just one hit!


    This must be the cultist restricting her power. As long as she could break his imprisonment, this little angel would surely understand her good intentions!


    With that thought, Connie forced herself to harden her heart, walked up to Nymph, and then reached out and grasped the chain on Nymph¡¯s cor. Soon, in Connie¡¯s hand, the chain, which initially appeared to be half-broken, now revealed its full form. Seeing this scene, Nymph¡¯s face turned even paler.


    ¡°What, what do you want to do? Let go!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Angel Master, I will free you from all of this!¡±


    Clutching the longsword in her hand, Connie focused on the chain that emerged within the void. At this moment, her anger was immense¡ªa sacred and lovely angel, being chained like a dog, was a desecration!


    Thinking this, Connie did not hesitate, lifted the longsword with force, and swung it downward!


    ¡°No¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡±


    ¡°Boom!!¡±


    At the same time, the wall behind Connie suddenly burst, followed by countless Swords of Holy Light spinning and stabbing towards her. Connie gave a cold huff, apanied by the sudden burst of thunder, as numerous bolts of lightning at that moment enveloped the entire courtyard, shing fiercely with the shining Swords of Holy Light.


    In an instant, the bursting shes of light sprang from the ground, and the next moment, Connie was thrown backwards, flying through threerge trees before crashing into a nearby house. With a loud noise, the entire house copsed tumultuously.


    ¡°You damn bitch, you¡¯re asking for it!!¡±


    Fang Zheng¡¯s face darkened as he held the Sky-Cleaving Sword and walked out of the ruins. He had known something was wrong when he heard Nymph calling him, but Fang Zheng never expected this woman to dare attack Nymph at a banquet!


    ¡°Nymph, are you alright? Damn!¡±


    Seeing Nymph¡¯s wings, which were originally as beautiful as crystal, now shattered, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth and quickly reached out to touch Nymph¡¯s wings.


    Time Retrospection!


    Under Fang Zheng¡¯s hands, Nymph¡¯s wings began to regenerate. The previously lightning-struck, charred, and broken wings seemed to rewind in time and regrow. After a while, Nymph¡¯s crystal-like beautiful wings were finally restored to normal.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    It was only then that Fang Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. It was lucky Nymph was much weaker than him; otherwise, restoring her wings would not have been an easy task.


    ¡°Master, Master!!¡±


    Looking at Fang Zheng, Nymph rushed into his embrace, clutching tightly at Fang Zheng¡¯s cor.


    ¡°She, she destroyed my chain¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±@@novelbin@@


    Hearing Nymph speak, Fang Zheng was greatly startled and quickly looked up, only to find that the chain on Nymph¡¯s cor¡ªhad been severed?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me¡­ it can¡¯t be restored?¡±


    Fang Zheng had thought that by using his power of time, he could repair the chain to its state before destruction. But to his surprise, when he tried to use his power on the chain, he found that his power of time had no effect on the chain at all?


    You must be joking, Nymph¡¯s wings could be restored, but this broken chain couldn¡¯t? Could the rank of this chain be higher than Nymph¡¯s?


    ¡°Stop wasting your efforts!¡±


    Rising from the ruins, Connie, looking at Fang Zheng, shed a confident smile.


    ¡°I havepletely severed the evil magic that bound this angel. From now on, she is free! Your wicked deeds have been exposed, cultist!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Haah¡­¡­¡­¡±


    However, contrary to what Connie had expected, Fang Zheng did not react with explosive anger or fury; instead, he simply sighed softly and then stood up.


    ¡°It seems that talking is useless.¡±


    Then, Fang Zheng raised the Sky-Cleaving Sword in his hand, pointing it at Connie.


    ¡°So, prepare to die.¡±

 Chapter 139: 138: For Whom the Bell Tolls

    Chapter 139: Chapter 138: For Whom the Bell Tolls


    ¡°Agh¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡±


    Feeling the immense pressure descending from the sky, Fang Zheng staggered. It felt as if an invisible giant hand had suddenly mmed down, heavily striking his body. Even so, Fang Zheng did not abandon his action but clenched his teeth and thrust the Sky-Cleaving Sword towards Connie¡¯s chest!


    ¡°How dare you!!¡±


    Just as Fang Zheng¡¯s de was about to pierce Connie¡¯s chest, a furious shout suddenly erupted. At the same moment, Fang Zheng felt as if he had been hit by something, he grunted and was thrown backward, heavily crashing to the ground. When he stood up again, he saw a man with a ghastly pale face standing in front of Connie, his hand on the hilt of his sword, coldly watching him.


    ¡°In broad daylight, you dare to attempt murder?¡±


    ¡°How strange, as a Temr, upright and just, why can¡¯t I kill in broad daylight? This is not something shameful!¡±<div>


    Fang Zheng gritted his teeth, ring fiercely at the man.


    ¡°Father, father¡­¡±


    Seeing the middle-aged man¡¯s appearance, Connie seemed to finally realize the situation. Just moments ago, she truly thought she was going to die by the despicable cultist¡¯s sword. But now, with her father by her side, Connie felt as if she had found her backbone and stood up again.


    ¡°He, he is a cultist¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Hearing Connie¡¯s words, Brand remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze towards Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Do you have any exnation?¡±


    ¡°Exnation?¡±


    Faced with Brand¡¯s inquiry, Fang Zheng snorted coldly.


    ¡°I suspect Connie is a cultist, that¡¯s my exnation!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s response, Brand roared angrily, his hand gripping the hilt at his waist, coldly staring at Fang Zheng.


    ¡°Bring him down! I will interrogate him myself!¡±


    ¡°Master Brand!¡±


    ¡°You want to capture me?¡±


    Faced with Brand¡¯smand, Fang Zheng snorted coldly.


    ¡°How ridiculous, clearly that woman attacked first, yet you want to arrest me? Indeed, you¡¯re all in the same clique, it seems none of you in this family are decent!¡±


    ¡°Fang Zheng!¡±


    Hearing this, everyone around turned ghastly pale, and Great Knight Shi Dong quickly tried to persuade him.


    ¡°Shut your mouth, that¡¯s Knight Commander Brand!¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s the Knight Commander? I thought he was the Creator God, deciding whatever he says goes. Does he really think he¡¯s a deity?¡±


    Fang Zheng cracked a smile, slowly drawing his longsword.


    ¡°Today I¡¯m going to kill this woman, and nobody can stop me, not even the Knight Commander¡­ nobody can!¡±


    Fang Zheng was driven mad with rage, this damn woman had only met him twice yet clung to him like a rabid dog. Attacking him was one thing, but daring to strike at Nymph? Previously, Fang Zheng might have considered secretly killing her, but now, after training in the World of Cicada¡¯s Song, he had seen through it all.


    Strength is fought for, not spoken about! Hesitations are useless, might makes right!


    More importantly, killing that woman would make me happy!


    Oh my God, has this young man lost his mind?


    Hearing this, everyone around was dumbfounded, even Carl and Shi Dong looked at each other in confusion. It was the first time they saw Fang Zheng in such a state where he would not recognize anyone, even his own rtives. Although they didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened before, it was now clear that Fang Zheng was intent on fighting to the death!


    ¡°Arrogance to the extreme!¡±


    Brand¡¯s expression darkened at that moment. He had no good feelings toward Fang Zheng, and the pressure he emitted earlier was meant to make Fang Zheng back off. But Fang Zheng, disregarding everything, was still intent on killing Connie, which had infuriated Brand. Now seeing Fang Zheng disregard even him, an inner rage was ignited. He had been a Knight Commander for many years, yet this was the first time he had encountered such a fanatic!


    ¡°Prepare to die!¡±


    Brand roared, then suddenly drew a longsword from his waist¡ªits de golden, radiating an endless sacred aura. This was the Holy Sword, the de of Justice, which had once fallen from Heaven into Hell!


    ¡°Whoosh!¡±


    As Brand drew the Holy Sword, a beam of light fell from the sky onto Fang Zheng, pinning him fiercely to the ground. Fang Zheng, with both hands gripping the Sky-Cleaving Sword, coldly watched the approaching Brand. The clothes on his body began to tear and burn, the invisible heavy pressure mixed with mes descended from the sky, enveloping Fang Zheng within.


    ¡°This is the me of justice¡­ any evil will reveal its true form before it!¡±


    Raising the de of Justice in his hand, Brand stared at Fang Zheng¡¯s figure.


    ¡°Be it Cultists or Temrs¡­ they are the same!¡±


    ¡°Heh heh¡­¡±


    However, contrary to Brand¡¯s expectations, even though engulfed by the mes of justice, Fang Zheng showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he raised his head and coldly red at the man before him.


    ¡°Your justice can¡¯t stop me¡­ because¡­ no one can stop Death!¡±


    ¡°Ding.¡±


    As Fang Zheng¡¯s words fell, a sparkling Soulstone quietly emerged before him, its surroundings littered with shattered Enhancement Stones. At the same time, a system notification shed before Fang Zheng¡¯s eyes.


    [(Malthael) Awakening breakthrough, enhancement +3pleted]


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    At this moment, Brand suddenly realized something was amiss because at the same time, he sensed an extremely powerful aura emanating from the young man opposite him, which immediately changed his expression. He then saw Brand suddenly raise his longsword, the pure white fire of justice instantly igniting, covering the entire de. Then came Brand¡¯s furious roar as he violently swung his longsword forward!!


    ¡°Boom¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡±


    Apanied by an almost deafening roar, under the eyes of everyone, a pure white fire Giant Dragon roared out, its gaping maw transforming into a wild torrent rushing forward. In front of it, even Fang Zheng seemed as minuscule as a mouse. If the pure white fire Giant Dragon were to pounce down, it would be enough to turn Fang Zheng to ashes¡­


    But the next moment, a wild gale burst forth.


    A detached fog condensed into a wild and icy storm, colliding head-on with the dragon formed by the fire of justice. Under the buffeting of the icy gale, the pure white fire Giant Dragon slowly started to weaken, its mes began to extinguish, and its form also shrank. Apanied by a mournful wail, the dragon of mes disappeared into the icy storm, utterly torn to shreds!


    What was this power?


    At this point, the surrounding spectators were frightened and bewildered; that was indeed Knight Commander Brand¡¯s full-force attack, yet it was blocked by the opponent?


    No, not just blocked, it looked¡­ incredibly effortless!


    And this power¡­


    ¡°What is this power?¡±


    Bishop Carl furrowed his brow, staring intently in Fang Zheng¡¯s direction. As a Vampire, he could sense that the chilling wind contained the icy Power of Death. However, this was different from the death energy used by the Undead, but a kind of even purer¡­ power.


    The smoke and dust dispersed.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    It was only then that Brand noticed that the young man before him had changed; his previously burned and tattered clothes had vanished, reced by a silver-ck robe. He stood there quietly, coldly watching himself. What surprised Brand even more was the tall figure hovering behind Fang Zheng.


    It wore a pitch-ck robe and armor, holding two scythes. Under the hood, no one could see its face; all that was visible was darkness.


    ¡°Indeed, have you sold your soul to evil and darkness?¡±


    Brand also felt that pure aura of death, and his expression became even more solemn. Clearly, he believed he had discovered the reason why this young man had attacked his daughter. Obviously, it was because his daughter had discovered the man¡¯s true identity, so he had struck her!


    ¡°Fang Zheng, you¡­¡±


    Hearing Brand¡¯s words, not only did the surrounding Temrs cast hostile looks toward Fang Zheng, but even Great Knight Shi Dong furrowed his brow, watching him. He didn¡¯t know what to say; he didn¡¯t think Fang Zheng was the type to betray the Holy Light and Order, but the eerie presence behind him and the cold death aura were undeniably real.@@novelbin@@


    Could it be that he really¡­


    But, as everyone pondered, they saw Fang Zheng curl his lips,ughing coldly.


    ¡°Evil and darkness? To think you are the Grand Knight Commander and yet fail to understand the essence of Order and Holy Light, I wonder how you even got to this position¡­ Forget it, I¡¯m not in the mood to lecture you. As the saying goes, seeing is believing and hearing is misleading, let me show you how foolish your thoughts are!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, nonsensical prattle!¡±


    Brand had grown tired of arguing with Fang Zheng. In his view, this young man must have already struck a deal with some evil, dark entity, perhaps to destroy the Sanctuary. Such a dangerous person must not be spared!


    Thinking this, Brand gripped the de of Justice more tightly.


    ¡°Comrades, evil stands before us, and we must not stand idle. Let us unite and eliminate this dark presence! By the Holy Light, we shall not retreat!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡±


    Upon hearing Brand speak, several Temrs immediately rushed out from the crowd,ing before Brand, raising their des as they eyed Fang Zheng. Meanwhile, the Bishops also raised their scepters, beginning to chant low sacred prayers.


    And just then¡­


    ¡°ng¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡±


    The sound of a bell rang out.

 Chapter 141: 140 The Will of the Goddess!

    Chapter 141: Chapter 140 The Will of the Goddess!


    ¡°Swoosh!!¡±


    As a Legendary Powerhouse, when Brand unleashed his sword, it was as if the sun itself zed in the heavens, its scorching radiance enveloping the entire sky in an instant. In that moment, he seemed to merge with the world, his holy light covering everything in sight.


    This was his Domain!


    Feeling the power of Brand¡¯s sword, Fang Zheng¡¯s expression darkened slightly. He now understood what Shi Dong had been telling him about the strength of a legendary being. To be honest, Brand¡¯s sword attack seemed simple and not particrly shy or filled with any special visual effects.


    But the moment Brand struck, Fang Zheng felt an instinctive sensation, as if he were a condemned prisoner being led to the scaffold, awaiting the judge¡¯s verdict, followed by the dropping of the executioner¡¯s block. Then the executioner would raise his axe and sever his head with a single stroke!


    That¡¯s right, when a Legendary Powerhouse makes a move, it¡¯s as though they pull their enemy into a world of their own. In Brand¡¯s world, it seemed ¡°Judgment¡± was the theme, which is why it imparted such a feeling. No¡­ in fact, it wasn¡¯t just a feeling.<div>


    ¡°tter tter tter!!¡±


    As Brand made his move, golden chains materialized out of thin air, rushing towards Fang Zheng and Malthael behind him as if omnipresent. Clearly, these chains were manifestations of Brand¡¯s Domain!


    If it had been an ordinary Temr, they might truly have had no counter, but¡­


    No one can stop Death!


    ¡°tter tter tter!!¡±


    Instead of being bound, the golden chains simply passed through the bodies of Fang Zheng and Malthael as if they were merely illusory shadows that did not exist in reality.


    ¡°Hmph!!¡±


    Watching the chains pass through his body, Malthael snorted coldly. His body suddenly trembled, and the next moment, thin mists emerged from beneath his pitch-ck armor, spreading rapidly around him. Under the erosion of the mist, the originally golden chains began to shatter, and even the world cleansed by the Holy Light was instantly covered with a dark shadow. If earlier the world had resembled a majestic courtroom, now it looked more like a decrepit, death-filled graveyard!


    ¡°Pfft!!¡±


    Feeling the oing Power of Death, even Brand turned white and was blown backwards, spewing blood as he copsed to the ground.


    ¡°Father!!¡±


    Watching the scene unfold before her, Connie¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Her father, unable to withstand even a single blow from the opponent, had fallen heavily wounded?!


    Connie, of course, did not know that after the Soulstone was enhanced, a character¡¯s power would gradually increase. With Malthael currently possessing the dual powers of the Angel of Wisdom and the Angel of Death, his Awakening had granted him an abnormally invincible and overpowering cheat ability like the Life and Death Gap. Unless Brand could obtain the Power of Death, simr to Nephalem¡¯s in the Diablo universe, he would be incapable of inflicting even the slightest damage on Malthael!


    Not to mention, Malthael¡¯s Power of Death was extremely oppressive to all life. Brand, formidable as he was, was still a mortal, not even a demigod. How could he possibly battle one of the Five Great Angels?


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight you with everything I¡¯ve got!¡±


    Staring down at her father lying on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth, Connie red at Fang Zheng with intense hatred. She couldn¡¯t clearly define her emotions at that moment. Why had things turned out this way? She had believed that if she could just help that Little Angel break free, then this damned jerk would definitely receive his due punishment. But what was happening now? Why did this ur? How could he possibly have the protection of an Angel?


    Was she really mistaken?


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!!¡±


    In that moment, Connie felt as though she was going insane; she had given up on thinking, screamed, and charged at Fang Zheng with her weapon raised. Angels, Holy Spirit Knights, Justice, Evil¡ªshe no longer wanted to think about any of it. All she desired was to fight, fight, fight!!


    Don¡¯t think about anything, just go for it!


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Watching Connie charge at him in a frenzy, Fang Zheng wore a grim expression and snorted coldly. Then, he raised his right hand and swung it forward. Apanied by his movement, Malthael behind him stood up, and the translucent wings that seemed to form from the mist, red forward with a mighty p!


    ¡°Hoo¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡±


    The storm of death erupted forward, apanying Malthael¡¯s motion with a howling roar, and before this fiercely berserk death storm, Connie¡¯s lightning did not even stir a ripple, extinguishing silently like the me of a small candle. Then, all of a sudden, Malthael reached out and swung his arm forward, and the Scythe of the Soul instantly responded, piercing into Connie¡¯s shoulder in the blink of an eye!


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!!¡±


    The intense pain made Connie finally unable to hold back her screams. Her body began to shake wildly, her eyes starting to roll back. Subsequently, a phantom silhouetted figure gradually emerged from within Connie¡¯s body, as if being torn by the Scythe of the Soul, trying to pull it out of her body. Apanying Malthael¡¯s actions, Connie¡¯s body also began to deform, her originally youthful face bing gradually old and her fair and delicate skin starting to dry up like bark on a tree. Within just a few breaths, this young girl seemed to age and weaken as if she was withering away¡­


    Immediately after that, Fang Zheng flung his arms, and in the next moment, a spectral soul shadow was yanked out of Connie¡¯s body by the Scythe of the Soul, as she desperately struggled to return to her body. But the next moment, that phantom soul shadow was engulfed by the rolling tides of death, disappearing under the pitch-ck cloak.


    ¡°No!!¡±


    Seeing this scene, Brand let out a roar and suddenly leaped up from the ground, raising the de of Justice in his hands and swinging it mightily at the Scythe of the Soul!


    ¡°ng!!¡±


    As a divine artifact, the power of the de of Justice was unquestionable. Under Brand¡¯s full-force strike, the Scythe of the Soul also rose in response, but Fang Zheng clearly would not let Brand get his way so easily. As Brand made his strike, Fang Zheng¡¯s hands began to condense the Power of Death, wrapping it around the Sky-Cleaving Sword.


    Next, Fang Zheng¡¯s figure shed sharply, appearing in front of Brand. Without hesitation, he raised the Sky-Cleaving Sword and thrust it forcefully into Brand¡¯s chest!


    And facing Fang Zheng¡¯s attack, Brand bit down hard, not retreating but advancing to meet the attack head-on. He even abandoned defense, clenching both hands firmly around the de of Justice and raising it high to swing it down. He had decided that even if he were killed, he would drag this young man down to Hell with him!!


    But what no one expected was just at this moment, suddenly, a beam of golden light burst forth out of nowhere!


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    In the next instant, a golden barrier rose up like a wall from the ground, forcefully separating the two men. Facing this sudden turn of events, both Fang Zheng and Brand were taken aback, quickly raising their heads to look towards the source of the light beam. It was then that they saw that the statue of the Goddess of Order, previously positioned in front of the Sanctuary, was now emitting a dazzling and gentle radiance!


    Was this¡­ the Goddess manifesting?


    Clenching the Sky-Cleaving Sword tightly in his hand, Fang Zheng¡¯s expression was dark. He had been prepared for it, but he did not expect the Goddess of Order to intervene at this moment¡­ What did she mean by this?


    ¡°This is bad¡­¡±


    Not only was Fang Zheng¡¯s expression dark, but so were Bishop Carl¡¯s and Shi Dong¡¯s as their expressions changed dramatically at the sight before them. The more they looked at it, the more it seemed like a rey of the Dark Fallen Moon of the past¡ªwhen Antonio defied the Cardinal Council because he was aggrieved by the Goddess¡¯s protection and fell, it inaugurated the darkest and most chaotic years of the Sanctuary. And now¡­ history couldn¡¯t be repeating itself, could it?


    However, just as everyone was feeling anxious inside, suddenly, something unexpected happened.


    ¡°Boom!!!¡±@@novelbin@@


    Before everyone¡¯s eyes, the statue of the Goddess with her right hand raised and clutching the Order Staff suddenly emitted a dazzling golden beam from its tip, shining down upon Brand. Then, what happened next was shocking.


    Brand¡¯s de of Justice, which he had been gripping tightly, heeded the call of the light beam, escaping its master¡¯s grasp and slowly rising up before abruptly vanishing in a sh, as if attracted by the beam of light. After the de of Justice disappeared, the glow from the Goddess of Order¡¯s statue extinguished, and the barrier that had been blocking Fang Zheng and Brand also vanished without a trace.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    For a moment, the surroundings fell into deathly silence.


    ¡°How could¡­ How could this be¡­?¡±


    Brand looked at his empty hands, feeling for a moment as if the sky had copsed. As the second bearer of the de of Justice, he had made a contract with it. But just now, he could feel that his contract with the de of Justice had beenpletely severed! Not only that, Brand felt so weak, the once powerful force now also slipping away from him along with the de of Justice.


    What did this mean?


    Was this truly the will of the Goddess?

 Chapter 143: 142 Going on a Vacation to the New World

    Chapter 143: Chapter 142 Going on a Vacation to the New World


    Where was Fang Zheng exactly?


    Honestly, even Fang Zheng himself didn¡¯t know.


    All he knew was¡­ this ce was incredibly secluded.


    ¡°It¡¯s started to snow again.¡±


    Looking at the howling blizzard outside the window, Fang Zheng frowned. After leaving the Northern Capital, he and Nymph had plunged into the forest and found this cabin. From the looks of it, it seemed like a hunter¡¯s lodge used for resting during hunts in the mountains. Fortunately for Fang Zheng and Nymph, the heavy snowfall had blocked the hunters from entering the forest, allowing them to stay here temporarily without any issue.


    Fang Zheng had no intention of living in the city. Using his intuition, he could guess that the Sanctuary must be frantically searching for him by now. But Fang Zheng did not n to have too much to do with the Sanctuary. This conflict, unexpected as it was, had served its purpose as far as Fang Zheng was concerned. With this rift, the Sanctuary would have to think twice before asking him to do anything for them in the future.<div>


    ...


    The reason Fang Zheng was avoiding the Sanctuary wasn¡¯t just that. He wasn¡¯t foolish; he knew that stirring up such trouble would not only draw the Sanctuary but also the Cultists. Whether it would be an attack disguising as the Sanctuary or an attempt to recruit him, Fang Zheng wanted no part of it.


    As for the Mage Tower¡ªconsidering the advice Rex had given him, Fang Zheng sensed he might have foreseen something. Since that Prophecy System instructor advised him not to return for now, Fang Zheng decided to stay away.


    However¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get some food.¡±


    Looking at the raging snowstorm outside, Fang Zheng frowned again and then stood up. But as he did, Nymph, who had been sitting beside him, also quickly got up, reaching out to grasp Fang Zheng¡¯s sleeve, looking up at him with puppy-like eyes as if afraid of being abandoned by her master.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Seeing Nymph¡¯s expression, Fang Zheng helplessly reached out and gently stroked her head. Ever since the day her chains were cut, Nymph had stuck by Fang Zheng¡¯s side every step of the way. Even while sleeping, the Little Angel seemed terrified of being abandoned by Fang Zheng, although he had assured her several times. But it seemed Nymph still couldn¡¯t shake off that deep psychological shadow.


    Damn it, killing that woman was still a loss.


    Looking at Nymph in front of him, Fang Zheng clenched his teeth. He had nned to take down Brand as well. But with the Goddess of Order intervening, Fang Zheng was left with no choice. If the Goddess of Order had been helping Brand and Connie, Fang Zheng might have had something to say, possibly going as far as to attack directly. But since the Goddess of Order clearly helped him by taking Brand¡¯s weapon and neutralizing him, he couldn¡¯t really justify going too far.


    That was why Fang Zheng didn¡¯t take the opportunity to strike again but instead vanished from the scene¡ªafter all, the involvement of the Goddess of Order indicated that a True God was watching over him. Currently, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t possess a Soulstone powerful enough to counteract a deity¡¯s power, so it was prudent to cut his losses while he could.


    Yet¡­ seeing his sister¡¯s pitiful state, Fang Zheng was quite displeased. Once could be overlooked, twice tolerated, but if that bastard dared to trouble him again, Fang Zheng wouldn¡¯t care if a Goddess intervened or if the Goddess herself appeared; he would definitely kill that scoundrel.


    Although Fang Zheng had asked Nymph if there was a way to restore the chains, Nymph didn¡¯t have a definite answer. She only remembered there might be a way, but for some reason, she couldn¡¯t recall what it was. That left Fang Zheng with no choice but to wait patiently.


    While internally cursing Rand to not die a good death, Fang Zheng took a pot out from his space, boiled some snow water, and cooked two packs of instant noodles¡­ Thankfully, the supplies he brought back from the Edge of Tomorrow World were not yet exhausted, and they were good enough to fill their stomachs.


    While Fang Zheng was cooking, Nymph was beside him, ying with a kitten. Having this kitten around was fortunate as it helped the usually gloomy Nymph regain some of her vitality; otherwise, she might have been even more depressed.


    It was about time.


    While boiling the instant noodles, Fang Zheng opened the Dimensional Codex. He hadn¡¯t brought Nymph to this remote forest to admire the snowy scenery. Whether it was the Sanctuary, the Cultists, or anything else, if they really wanted to find them, there were plenty of ways in this world. Now that Fang Zheng was also a Mage, he knew that mages had many methods to locate people. Even the Prophecy System could pinpoint a rough location and then send people to search.


    For that reason, Fang Zheng didn¡¯t n to stay in this world much longer. As the cooldown time for the instance was almost over, he had taken Nymph to hide in this remote forest, just waiting for the cooldown to end. He would then take Nymph and temporarily leave this world for a ¡°vacation¡± in another world.


    Just what kind of world would it be next¡­ The mission to the Zerg homeworld had no leads up to now; Hinamizawa definitely wasn¡¯t an option. He just hoped that the next mission instance would yield some reward.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Master.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±@@novelbin@@


    Just as Fang Zheng was contemting their next moves in the uing world, he suddenly heard Nymph¡¯s voice beside him. He turned his head to see the Little Angel anxiously looking at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°That ¡­¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s question, Nymph bit her lip and lowered her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry. If it weren¡¯t for me, Master, you wouldn¡¯t have needed to¡­¡­¡±


    At this moment, Nymph also felt deep regret. As an Artificial Angel, she was supposed to perfectly aplish everymand of her master. However, now she had be rather a stumbling block for Fang Zheng. Especially since Fang Zheng even confronted a powerful figure from the Sanctuary for her sake. Just thinking about this made Nymph feel uneasy; her education had always taught her that Artificial Angels should serve their masters, and that masters had no obligations towards Artificial Angels. But now, her master had not only caused a conflict with one of the most powerful forces in the world for her sake, but had also run away to this deste and dangerous ce to hide¡­ This made Nymph immensely sad.


    She feltpletely ipetent as an Artificial Angel. If she were in Synapsus, just what she had caused alone would be enough to have herpletely discarded. But here, her master seemed not to be nning to do that, which made Nymph feel both fortunate and extremely ashamed.


    ¡°This is not your fault, Nymph.¡±


    Fang Zheng didn¡¯t quite understand Nymph¡¯s thoughts, but her expression was enough for him to guess it. He reached out his hand and stroked her little head, and then smiled slightly.


    ¡°Honestly, rather than it being your fault, it¡¯s more like mine, because I was supposed to protect you¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Master. We Artificial Angels exist solely for our masters. You really didn¡¯t need to¡­¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s response, Nymph widened her eyes and hastily objected. But she was interrupted by Fang Zheng waving his hand before she could finish.


    ¡°Listen, Nymph, I don¡¯t know how it is in Synapsus. But here, I can tell you that you have helped me a lot. There are things that you are good at, which I am not capable of. Conversely, there are things that you aren¡¯t good at, that require me to do. You have fulfilled your tasks, but I as your master haven¡¯t adequately protected you¡­¡­ I should be the one apologizing to you.¡±


    ¡°You absolutely don¡¯t need to apologize to me, Master!¡±


    Upon hearing this, Nymph quickly stood up.


    ¡°It¡¯s really me¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not argue anymore; talking about this now is pointless. But Nymph, I want to tell you.¡±


    As he spoke, Fang Zheng reached out his hand andid it on the Little Angel¡¯s shoulders, gazing unblinkingly into her deep azure eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t always worry that I might abandon you, because I won¡¯t do that. You are mypanion, and you have helped me a lot. On the contrary¡­ I¡¯m more worried that you would leave me, sincepared to you, what I¡¯ve done is indeedcking a bit¡­ Nymph, you won¡¯t leave me, will you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±


    Upon hearing Fang Zheng¡¯s words, Nymph¡¯s eyes widened as she gazed at the man before her. After a moment, her lips curled up in a gentle smile.


    ¡°Of course, Master. I will always follow you.¡±


    Then, Nymph firmly gave her answer.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Upon hearing Nymph¡¯s reply, Fang Zheng also smiled slightly.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s get ready for our adventure into the new world.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Master!¡±