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

Chapter 203: Chapter 202: The War Without Gunpowder

Fang Zheng had been in a good mood throughout the training after confirming his “victory,” until the training ended and he followed Shana back home. It was only then that Shana realized what she had achieved was merely a “temporary victory.”

“Welcome back, Elder Brother,”

Just as Fang Zheng opened the door, he saw Tilia coming up to greet him with a smile.

“Dinner is ready, Elder Brother. Please prepare to eat,”

“Oh?”

Surprised by Tilia’s words, Fang Zheng peeked into the living room and indeed found a table full of delicious dishes. Although they weren’t his favorite Chinese cuisine, just the sight of these colorful, steaming dishes was enough to whet his appetite.

...

“Really nice, thank you, Tilia.”

Looking at the dinner spread on the table, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but marvel. He finally drew a reliable Summoning Stone this time. Although Nymph was good at delicate tasks, her cooking was unexpectedly rugged, almost as if it belonged in the caveman era. And although Fang Zheng could cook a few signature dishes himself, they were merely average. Now, the second Summoning Stone he obtained came with a cooking talent, which was enough for Fang Zheng to feel he had made his investment back.

“I’m so glad to receive such praise from you, Elder Brother. Please, Elder Brother, today’s dinner includes wild mushroom risotto, beef slices, and roasted lamb chops…”

As she spoke, Tilia smiled and looked towards Shana, who was next to Fang Zheng.

“Is this Fire Mist Warrior also joining us for dinner? There’s plenty more, so if you don’t mind, would you join us?”

What the…

Seeing the smiling gothic girl before her, Shana felt a sudden surge of nameless anger. The pride and joy of her previous victories vanished. Shana didn’t know about the Dimensional Codex and the Soulstone, so she didn’t understand why Fang Zheng trusted this Follower of the Crimson Realm so much. She just thought the Follower of the Crimson Realm was really thick-skinned, having just arrived here less than half a day earlier and already acting like the hostess of the house… Hmph, those unaware would think she was Fang Zheng’s sister!

Damn it, I was here first!

“I…”

For a moment, Shana actually wanted to make an excuse that she wasn’t hungry and leave, but she changed her mind instantly. If she left, wouldn’t that leave Fang Zheng and this Follower of the Crimson Realm alone here? That wouldn’t do! Although it seemed like she had no intention of harming Fang Zheng, Followers of the Crimson Realm were very dangerous. Yes! She had to stay and keep a close watch on this Follower of the Crimson Realm, to prevent any potential harm—yes, that’s right. This would also serve as a repayment for Fang Zheng’s earlier life-saving help during the “Hunter” episode.

Thinking this, Shana felt her logic was impeccable. Then, she also gave Tilia a look and nodded.

“Of course I’m staying; after all, I dine with Fang Zheng every night,”

“Is that so.”

Hearing Shana’s response, Tilia just gave a slight smile, causing Shana to feel somewhat disheartened. She had hoped that the girl would react to her statement, but the other merely responded as if it were expected, which frustrated Shana significantly.

The dinner was rather calm, and Shana had to admit, Tilia’s cooking skills were indeed impressive. Fang Zheng never thought that a Follower of the Crimson Realm could be so skilled in cooking. Shana, meanwhile, was silently devouring the food in front of her, but the way she gritted her teeth made it look less like she was eating and more like she was chewing someone out.

This is interesting.

Fang Zheng’s EQ was not so low as to be oblivious, and just by looking at the smiling, composed Tilia and Shana, who looked as if the whole world owed her money, he could guess that these two were far from harmonious on the surface. While Tilia didn’t make a sound and sat like a well-behaved girl next to him, she was effectively using this demeanor to tell Shana that she was the “kin” who belonged with Fang Zheng, whereas Shana was merely an “outsider.”

It was like when a guest comes to the home, as a sister, one naturally helps the brother to entertain the guest, so there was no need for any extra actions to prove that. But as an “outsider,” Shana had to make some demonstrations to that effect.

And Shana was angry precisely because she didn’t know how to do so.

But… Since it’s so entertaining, let’s just watch from the sidelines.

Holding this thought, Fang Zheng said nothing more, instead carefully observing Tilia and Shana while enjoying his dinner.

“Clang.”

Finally, Shana was the first to put down her utensils. She stood up hesitantly and then, as if she had thought of something, began to tidy up her own bowl and chopsticks. freёwebnoѵel.com

“I’ll do the dishes.”

“Ah, there’s no need, just leave them there; I’ll take care of it,”

“There’s no need for that!”

At Tilia’s words, Shana immediately refused.

“This is my bowl; I always wash it myself!”

After saying that, Shana turned and left with her dishes, not looking back. Watching her go, Fang Zheng rolled his eyes.

Always washing your own dishes? You sure dare to say it; weren’t you the one who left your dishes for me to wash until just yesterday? Who was it that finished eating, threw down her utensils, and ran off? Don’t tell me your memory lasts only seven seconds.

But… This little one is indeed a bit troublesome this time.

Thinking this, Fang Zheng glanced at Tilia. Little Angels are naturally reticent and not easily involved in conflicts. But Tilia seemed quite aggressive, although her aggression was not directed at him.

“Is there something, Elder Brother?”

Noticing Fang Zheng’s gaze, Tilia blinked and asked with a smile. Fang Zheng just shrugged his shoulders and then picked up the tea cup beside him.

“No, nothing, just continue and have fun,”

It’s quite entertaining anyway, so just keep it like this for now.

For Fang Zheng, his life hadn’t seen any changes.

But for Shana, she felt as if her life had undergone a drastic transformation.

Although the daily activities remained more or less the same, and Fang Zheng still made time to train her in combat, his attitude towards her hadn’t changed at all. Yet for some reason, just the addition of one person had made Shana feel quite agitated. If her previous tranquil life was like some sort of joyful serenade, then now the arrival of “someone” was like noise in the music that made it distinctly uncomfortable.

Every morning during their workout, Tilia would obediently pass Fang Zheng hot water and a towel, as well as prepare breakfast and clean up. Even at school, every noon, she would bring him lunch with a smile, and when the two returned home after evening training, what awaited them was dinner prepared by Tilia and steaming bath water.

To be honest, Tilia did not interfere in the relationship between Shana and Fang Zheng, she seemed more like a quietly contributing backstage worker. But for some reason, the more Tilia did this, the angrier Shana became. She didn’t even know why she was angry—if Tilia had intentionally disturbed her and Fang Zheng’s life or obstructed their training, Shana would have had a reason to be furious. But instead, Tilia did nothing, yet everything she did was perfect to a fault, leaving the young girl entirely unsure of how to respond.

I just can’t stand her, yes, that must be it! She’s a Follower of the Crimson Realm, a creature driven by desires. If it weren’t for Fang Zheng protecting her, I would have killed her with a single sword strike!

“Do you really not plan to do anything?”

Finally, Aralastor couldn’t hold back anymore.

“What should I do?”

Upon hearing this question from the Demon King of the Crimson Realm, Fang Zheng leisurely sipped his tea. It was a rare moment of leisure for him. Tilia had gone out to buy groceries, and after finishing her training, Shana had rushed into the bathroom to take a shower—speaking of which, Shana usually only occasionally came to Fang Zheng’s place for a bath. But ever since Tilia arrived, Shana had almost religiously taken her baths here each day.

It was almost like a little animal marking its territory.

“You must have noticed the girl’s thoughts.”

“Of course, but such things are not good for me to address, right? Moreover, it’s a necessary station on her path of growth. Life is an endless bus ride, with its smooth and bumpy times. For the young lady, this is not a bad lesson,” Fang Zheng said as he looked out the window.

“Though the rival’s strength might be a bit too much.”

“You mean that Follower of the Crimson Realm?”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s response, Aralastor sounded somewhat surprised.

“But her power isn’t strong…”

“Being strong isn’t just about intelligence, but also about emotional intelligence… After all, isn’t that what human relationships are all about?”

At that, Fang Zheng seemed to notice something and turned his gaze towards the direction of the shopping district.

“Right… Now might be a good opportunity. Wanna see how many points your adorable Contractor can score?”

“Hm?”

Upon hearing this, Aralastor was momentarily stunned, then seemed to catch on.

“You mean…”

“This is a pop quiz, and you can’t help her cheat, okay?”

After saying this, Fang Zheng snapped his fingers, and his figure instantly disappeared into the air.

Shopping district.

Dressed in gothic attire, a blonde young girl strolled leisurely down the street, utterly ignoring the astonished looks from people around. She was focused solely on the groceries she was purchasing, joyfully planning the dinner menu.

Shall I cook Chinese cuisine for Elder Brother today?

For Tilia, her specialty was Western cuisine, but it seemed her Elder Brother preferred Chinese dishes. Therefore, Tilia had been taking the time to learn about this cuisine lately, not sure if she should surprise Elder Brother today.

Still, perhaps…

“Swoosh!”

But before Tilia could decide on the menu, suddenly, the world around her stopped moving.

Azurite Radiance enveloped everything, isolating this place from the world.

Sealing.

Seeing this, Tilia’s expression subtly changed. Just then, a voice came from not far above her.

“I never expected to see a Follower of the Crimson Realm strutting around the streets like this.”

“Really taking us Fire Mist Warriors lightly, huh.”

“Though I am not the ‘Corpse Collector’ Lamy, consider this an appetizer. Let’s enjoy it well, shall we?”

Tilia looked up toward where the voice was coming from, and saw there, a blonde woman in office attire standing on a large book, looking down at her with a smug smile.

“So, are you ready, Follower of the Crimson Realm? Die!!”

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.