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

Chapter 297: Chapter 296: It’s Truly Thrilling to Snatch and Run (Conclusion)

Chapter 297: Chapter 296: It’s Truly Thrilling to Snatch and Run (Conclusion)

“Elder Brother, they’re chasing us again!”

“These guys really are relentless!”

Upon hearing Lia’s voice next to him, Fang Zheng could only roll his eyes in frustration. Though they were able to stay a step ahead of their pursuers with the help of the chains, the sheer numbers and overwhelming force of their enemies had them relentlessly closing the gap. Fortunately… the exit was now in sight!

Clutching Tilia, Fang Zheng darted past the alley entrance, then swiftly scanned ahead, quickly spotting the teleportation passage they had used to arrive.

This is it!

Looking at the teleportation gate before him, Fang Zheng held Tilia tight. Then a flash of light appeared in his eyes, and in the next instant, he raised his hand and cast a force shield over himself and Tilia.

“Boom!!”

Almost at the moment the magical spiritual light released from Fang Zheng’s fingertips, the previously sealed manhole covers by the sides of the teleportation gate suddenly flew up. Two powerful jets of water spiraled towards Fang Zheng and Tilia, but the radiance of the force shield had already materialized in front of them, shielding them from this near-unavoidable surprise attack. Then, Fang Zheng stepped on the ground and the next moment, he plunged into the pitch-black teleportation gate.

And at that same moment, that voice sounded again.

“Don’t think this is the end… This is just the beginning, thief! I will make you pay a price beyond your imagination!!”

“Hurry up!!”

Fang Zheng burst out of the teleportation gate, and upon seeing him, Nymph quickly released her hands, then the black, square-shaped teleportation gate instantly vanished. Concurrently, Fang Zheng pulled Nymph along and without looking back, raced towards the Black Crow ship. Nymph no longer hid her true self—though she didn’t know what had happened, she unfurled her wings right away and flew beside Fang Zheng, quickly making their way towards the harbor.

Soon, they caught sight of the Black Crow ship, anchored at the harbor. Fang Zheng, with Tilia and Nymph in tow, hurried back on board. Only when their feet touched the deck did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

“Master, what exactly happened?”

“A bit of trouble, but not too troubling for now.”

Fang Zheng glanced back at Soul Bay, which was still collapsing. To be honest, he still had no idea who the mastermind behind this was—where they came from, what power they wielded, and whether they would survive the collapse of the merged space and demi-plane. However, he felt that the adversary would not die so easily; after all, they had even tried to launch a sneak attack on him amidst the chaos. Additionally, given the grand scale of their abilities, it seemed unlikely that they would have accidentally doomed themselves.

But no matter what… now that the mission was complete, it was time to make a swift exit! The item was in their possession, the false demi-plane space was collapsing, and further involvement seemed unnecessary.

“Is the Black Crow ship repaired?”

“Not yet, the crew has done their best, but they still need a little more time…”

Captain Fox hurriedly replied to Fang Zheng’s question, but to everyone’s surprise, at that moment, a scream suddenly pierced the air.

“Ahh—what are you doing?”

Upon hearing the scream, everyone quickly turned towards the source of the sound. There, Ogrande was clutching her waist, her face pale as she stared in disbelief at the well-dressed man standing not far behind her. Blood from her injury was seeping through her fingers, dripping onto the ground.

Behind Ogrande stood her cousin—the well-dressed man who was now smirking coldly, clutching a dagger stained with blood. It was clear, even without Conan Kindaichi, who the culprit was.

“What do you mean by this?”

Ogrande looked at her cousin in astonishment, utterly confused by what had just happened. It was only by chance she had managed to avoid that strike—she wanted to admonish Fang Zheng for taking risks upon their return to the ship, on which so many depended. She had just been about to turn around and vent to her cousin, but that impulsive turn had inadvertently dodged the intended fatal blow, causing the dagger to miss its target. Nonetheless, it had still wounded Ogrande’s waist.

At this moment, however, Ogrande wasn’t concerned about her injury. Shocked, she faced her cousin, failing to comprehend why he had attacked her. What did he want to accomplish?

“What are you trying to do?”

“Die!”

In the face of Ogrande’s question, the man in the splendid attire clearly had no intention of answering. Now that his cover was blown, he stopped pretending. With a roar, he lifted his dagger and pounced once more. However, this time he obviously did not succeed. Just at that moment, Black Katie, who was standing by, suddenly reached out her hand, and with her long Triangle Tin Staff, she effortlessly blocked the man’s second assault and then swept him away with a single swing. The unfortunate fellow tumbled across the deck like a ball, finally crashing into the railing and coming to a stop. His dagger naturally also fell to the side.

“Seize him!”

Seeing this development, the others quickly came to their senses. Soon, two guards from the Platinum Family roared and pounced, tightly pinning down the splendidly dressed man, thwarting his attempt to rise and launch another attack with his knife.

“What has gotten into you? Why would you try to kill me?”

“Hehehe, my dear cousin…”

Hearing Ogrande’s question, the man chuckled coldly.

“To be honest, I’ve never been too fond of you, but I have to admit, you really do have some luck. Twice, huh? I can’t believe my plans have failed twice in a row; it’s really unexpected. It seems the family wasn’t wrong in nicknaming you ‘the lucky Platinum Star’ after all.”

“Twice? What do you mean? Wait, are you saying those pirates earlier…”

Upon hearing this, Ogrande’s complexion changed drastically, while the man in splendid clothes revealed a smile.

“Yes, they were subordinates of the master I serve. Originally, I was to obey his orders and take you back for a sacrifice. The master hoped to obtain your soul, cousin, which would have been an honor for you. But never did I expect that such a smoothly running plan would be ruined by… these people.”

As he said this, the man looked at Fang Zheng and the others with a complicated expression. But for Ogrande, there was another layer of meaning in his words that concerned her more.

“Master? You joined a cult? You became a cultist? How could you do this! What about the honor of the Platinum Family? As a member of the Platinum Family, you have stooped to fraternizing with cultists?”

“So what!?”

However, before Ogrande could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by the man in the splendid clothes. He glared at her fiercely, his face, which was usually smiling, now twisted with an intense fury.

“I’ve always been treated as the trash of the family, able only to follow behind you like a lapdog. I’ve had enough! The family refuses to acknowledge my abilities, so now I will let them witness the power I possess! They wouldn’t give me the chance, only mocking me at will. But things are different now. I want them to know that I am not a useless nobody!”

“No, you ARE a useless nobody!”

To everyone’s surprise, Ogrande, who had been quietly receiving treatment from Kuliya, immediately retorted. She lifted her chin slightly and looked down on her cousin with scorn.

“When faced with difficulty, you don’t overcome it, you don’t prove yourself; you only run away! What are cultists? They are the incapable, those who refuse to accept the reality that they are simply idiots, and feel compelled to grovel at the feet of evil entities, begging for power, using a delusion of strength to satisfy their own worthlessness! Just like you right now, you cannot face reality, you haven’t made the effort to fight, and you’ve willingly fallen… You’ve disgraced the Platinum Family! When I return home, I will request our father to strip you of your name and cast you out of the family!”

Wow, girl, that’s taking things a bit too far.

Hearing this, even Fang Zheng couldn’t help but be surprised by Ogrande’s reaction. He had to admit there was some sense in Ogrande’s words, but… there’s a line, girl, you just secured the enmity of cultists all around the world!

As expected, hearing Ogrande’s response filled the man with explosive rage. He glared at Ogrande maliciously and then spoke.

“If that’s the case, then let you experience that mighty power firsthand. In the name of my lord, I summon thee, master of the Sea of Death, obliterate the enemies standing before my master!”

“Boom!!”

As soon as he finished speaking, green flames suddenly burst forth from the man’s body, knocking aside the two guards who were restraining him. His body was turned to ash in an instant by the flames, which then slithered into the nearby ocean like a serpent.

And immediately afterward, the surrounding ocean roared and churned at that very moment!

Before long, a voice that sounded all too familiar to Fang Zheng rang out in his ears once more.

“I told you, you can’t escape, thief!!”