Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 132: Chapter 131: Psychic Expertise [Free Will]

With the intervention of “Tokyo,” Miyo Takano was finally doomed. The entire Irie Research Institute was isolated 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 place of Takano. All those who had unclear relations with Takano were cleansed from the place. 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 village 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—of course, Furutega Rika also had to be cautious for her safety. Otherwise, she might not die from the conspiracy, but from an accident, leading to another cycle of rebirth… That would be truly tragic.

But this was no longer of immediate concern to Fang Zheng. After accompanying Rika to watch the last sunset of June, he left that strange world and returned to his own room.

“Phew…”

As the scenery before his eyes changed once again, the landscape of Hinamizawa disappeared, replaced 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 become a pawn, or will you step out of it and become the player?

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 you come to your senses, it’s too late to escape.

Fortunately, Fang Zheng was always on guard, so he managed to pull back at the last 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 collapse 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 has completed 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.

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 black 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 black cat that suddenly appeared in front of him, Fang Zheng was also quite surprised. How could there be a black 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 cat come from?

Thinking this, Fang Zheng reached out his hand and picked up the black cat, staring intently at it.

However, this black 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 occasionally and even flicking its tail from time to time — it was only then that Fang Zheng noticed that there was a blue ribbon tied into a bow on the tail of this black cat.

It’s quite cute, actually.

I really don’t know where this black cat came out from.

Fang Zheng scratched the black 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 black 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?

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