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

Chapter 358: Chapter 357: A Trial from a Certain Being

Chapter 358: Chapter 357: A Trial from a Certain Being

When Fang Zheng returned to the Mage Tower, ten days had already passed.

“You always manage to bring a heap of trouble with you,”

As Rex, who was lounging boredly in his chair, saw Fang Zheng, the first thing he said was his own sentiment.

“To be honest, most Prophet Mages do their best to stay out of trouble, but to my surprise, you actually go looking for it, however… good job!”

“So, there was indeed something wrong with this trial?”

“Correct.”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s response, Rex snapped his fingers with pride.

“Do you know what was inside that box you brought back?”

Fang Zheng naturally had no idea, so he shook his head, and Rex let out a cold laugh before giving an unexpected answer.

“Necromancer’s Orb!”

“Really?”

Although Fang Zheng had mentally prepared himself and guessed that the object he brought back was not normal, he was still startled by Rex’s answer. The Necromancer’s Orb was widely known as a magic tool, and across this continent, its appearance had always been accompanied by countless undead and darkness. Frankly, Fang Zheng hadn’t expected that with a simple touch, he would come across such a significant item.

But as for that thing, even if someone paid Qian Fangzheng to take it, he wouldn’t want it. Rumors said the Necromancer’s Orb granted its bearer the power to control undead creatures, but also tempted the wielder towards corruption. In response, Fang Zheng thought that he had seen enough of the likes of “Frostmourne,” and such an inferior orb should roll as far away as possible. If another “Arthas” were to emerge, who could endure it?

“Now the entire Order Alliance is in an uproar. Preliminary investigations indicate that a Cultist infiltrated from the Land of Wealth. As for their true intentions, we have yet to find out. According to the results of interrogations so far, it seems these Cultists reached some kind of agreement with the Dark Elf matriarch, and this Necromancer’s Orb was part of the transaction. Those idiots from Hucks originally intended to send this orb to the Dark Elves… Heh, I never expected you would intercept it along the way, and luckily you meddled, or else we would have had a headache!”

At this point, Rex snorted coldly.

“What that bunch of fat, dumb deadweights from the Kingdom of Flame are thinking, we might as well guess, huh. They think everything can be blamed on the Cultists and that’s the end of it? Good thing you found out early; otherwise, if anything happened, Laozi would sooner or later settle the score with them!”

Fang Zheng understood why Rex was so angry. Geographically speaking, the main continent of the Main World is roughly divided into two parts. Most of the land on the continent where they were located belonged to the Kingdom of the Holy Church, while elsewhere lay the Magitech Nation. The Land of Wealth occupied the islands located to the south along the coast with the Kingdom of Flame, far across the ocean. This meant that whatever the Dark Elves planned to do with the Necromancer’s Orb, it was the Dwarves and Elves of the Peak of Ice and Snow that would first smell trouble, followed by the Magitech Nation and the Kingdom of the Holy Church. Meanwhile, the Land of Wealth and the Kingdom of Flame could watch the fire burn from across the river, taking advantage of the melee.

Moreover, given the foundations of the Magitech Nation and the Kingdom of the Holy Church, a bunch of Dark Elves couldn’t possibly do much damage. But if the Dark Elves really managed to control an Undead Legion to surge from beneath the ground, it would at least drain considerable strength from both parties, possibly giving the Land of Wealth and the Kingdom of Flame their chance to strike.

That is to say, not only were Cultists involved in this affair, but it’s even possible that two national governments turned a blind eye. Otherwise, a second-rate magic tool like the Necromancer’s Orb couldn’t have slipped unnoticed through an array of false mission contracts past the entire Order Alliance. If mere Cultists had that ability, these great nations would have had their kings replaced long ago.

However, nobody expected Fang Zheng, a nosy fellow, to appear unexpectedly, take the orb, and foil their plan. Now, other than placing the blame on some expendable Cultists, the Kingdom of Flame and the Land of Wealth were at a loss.

“Originally, according to the rules, you would have been granted the Rank of Four-Star Mage for this trial. However, due to your exceptional performance during the trial, the White Tower decided to make an exception and award you the title of Five-Star Mage. Anyway, your strength is nearly fitting for this title, so we don’t need to waste any more time on this.”

As he spoke, Rex took out a wooden box and placed it in front of Fang Zheng along with a gold-edged scroll. Fang Zheng opened the box, only to find a silver five-pointed star badge inside, and on the scroll was certification from the White Tower.

“From now on, you are a Five-Star Mage of the Tower of Heaven,” Huck said, “You have the authority to build a Mage Tower at any designated location, and you can also take on apprentices yourself… However, I must remind you, don’t assume taking on apprentices is solely your own business. According to White Tower regulations, Mages of Four Stars and above are qualified to directly recommend their apprentices to enter the White Tower for training. Therefore, the White Tower’s assessments in this regard are quite rigorous, so you best not recruit just anyone to your side carelessly, or it will lower the White Tower’s evaluation of you. As for the rest… you can see for yourself.”

“Okay, thank you, Mentor,” Rex replied.

“No need to thank me.”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s response, Rex smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

“I’ve never had a student who gives me as little trouble as you. Honestly, you’re much smarter than my other students. Hmm… many people are unbelievably foolish, but you, on the other hand, are quite clever… Oh, right.”

While speaking, Rex seemed to remember something suddenly and patted his own head.

“About the matter you asked me before, I have found someone who can help you solve your problem…”

“Oh?”

Fang Zheng immediately became interested when he heard this.

“Really?”

“Of course, but he couldn’t come himself, so he asked me to bring you something… I’ve placed that thing in your room. Go have a look when you get back.”

“Thank you, Mentor.”

After receiving this news, Fang Zheng could hardly contain his excitement. Having gone through battles in the Misty Seas and with the Dragon Lich on the Peak of Ice and Snow, Fang Zheng’s desire to break through his bottleneck and achieve Legendary status had grown even stronger. His current power was enough to contend with Legends, but it lacked in quality. This left Fang Zheng in an awkward position when facing these legendary beings: he couldn’t beat them on his own, but relying on others didn’t feel right either.

Just like with the Shadow Dragon—if Fang Zheng were to attain Legendary Rank, then even if he couldn’t capture it effortlessly, at the very least, he could dominate the battle and not have to wait to use a Dimensional Anchor to restrict its movements before summoning Black Katie. Honestly, Fang Zheng felt that using Black Katie against the Shadow Dragon was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut—overkill.

What had Rex brought him this time? From his mentor’s words, it seemed that he had found an incredibly powerful being to assist Fang Zheng. Although that being couldn’t make it personally… if his mentor had such confidence, then it should be fine, Fang Zheng thought.

After returning to his room, Fang Zheng quickly noticed the object Rex had mentioned—the reason was simple: it was too conspicuous to miss.

“A mirror?”

Looking at the human-sized mirror hanging on his wall, Fang Zheng approached it with some confusion. But what made him curious was that the mirror did not reflect his image. Instead, it appeared foggy, as if it was coated with moisture.

“…I can almost guess the routine that’s coming next.”

Looking at the mirror in front of him, Fang Zheng sighed. Then, bracing himself, he stretched out his hand and placed it on the mirror’s surface.

Following that, thick fog began to billow out from the mirror, swirling around and enveloping Fang Zheng completely.