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

Chapter 371: Chapter 370: Its Name is - Coordinator (Part 1)

Vast starry sky.

Looking at the astonished expressions of the girls in front of him, Fang Zheng could certainly understand. After all, it took just a blink of an eye for them to travel from a sunlit meadow to an alien planet covered with a fungal carpet—as for why it was an alien planet, one only needed to lift their head and see the ring-shaped star belt occupying most of the sky to understand.

”Where is this...?”

Even Senju Natsuyo, who was always composed, opened her mouth in surprise and widened her eyes, looking as if she were dreaming, not to mention the others. In fact, when they passed through the Teleportation Gate and saw this scene, everyone’s eyes widened, and they were left speechless.

”This is the third ring of Alpha Centauri of Lyra... uh, in any case, you just need to know this isn’t Earth.”

”Fang Zheng, are we on an alien planet? Don’t tell me you are an alien?”

”I am at least half human.”

Upon hearing Nobiru speak, Fang Zheng extended his hand and patted her forehead.

”But this indeed is an alien planet, yes... relax a bit, in a while you’ll see some rather strange...”

”Brother Fang Zheng!”

Just then, suddenly, Red Dew Firefly called out and in a flash, stood in front of Fang Zheng, vigilantly watching the front. There, a group of Jumping Bugs was approaching from the other side of the street, and seeing these Jumping Bugs, the girls immediately tensed up.

”What are these?”

”Are these Intestinal Creatures?”

”No need to be nervous.”

Seeing everyone around him reddening their eyes, ready to enter combat mode, Fang Zheng quickly extended his hand to reassure them.

”These are not Intestinal Creatures; they are alien life forms, don’t worry. Although these fellows might not look very pleasant, they still can distinguish friend from foe.”

”We won’t turn into something like this, will we?”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s reassurance, everyone relaxed a bit, but even so, Fumie Busei still looked somewhat uneasy at the Jumping Bugs and spoke. And Fang Zheng stretched his hand out to pat her head.

”Of course not, the Alien Insects possess the most advanced biotechnology in this world. They look like this simply because evolving into this form is more suited for combat. Naturally, you won’t turn into this. Actually, I have also undergone their modifications; do you see anything about me that is different from humans?”

”Eh? Really?”

Hearing this, everyone was surprised and their eyes widened. They immediately moved forward to encircle Fang Zheng, curiously reaching out to touch his body.

”Really? I can’t tell at all.”

”Big brother, does it hurt... did it hurt when you were transformed? Did it make you cry?”

”There might have been some pain, but... it’s bearable with a bit of endurance.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng clapped his hands.

”Alright, let’s go.”

Under Fang Zheng’s lead, the group walked down the street towards the Incubation Pool, and by the time they arrived there, Mirune was already waiting for their arrival.

”Master, you’ve come.”

”Hmm.”

Looking at Mirune in front of him, Fang Zheng nodded. The girls beside him also widened their eyes, curious about this peculiar being in front of them. They had been extremely nervous all along the way, although Fang Zheng had already told them that these were not Intestinal Creatures, they were still aliens. And aliens in the form of insects at that—it was only natural to feel uneasy. However, now, seeing the half-human, half-deer form of Mirune, the ”Cursed Children” relaxed a bit.

Then Mirune sized up the girls beside Fang Zheng and withdrew her gaze.

”Are these the test subjects?”

”Regarding the treatment and integration of the Intestinal Virus, we need to be more careful and proceed step by step. So...”

At this, Fang Zheng looked towards the people beside him.

”Who will go first...”

”I will.”

As expected, the first to step forward was Natsuyo. The girl simply walked up to Mirune and stared at her.

”Please take care of me.”

Although Natsuyo appeared calm, Fang Zheng could still discern her nervousness from the slight tremble of her body and her pale cheeks, which was not surprising. Had Fang Zheng taken them to some high-tech modern facility, the girls might have relaxed a bit more, considering all the Cursed Children have undergone some testing and experiments. However, the Zerg’s system was unlike anything they knew. Facing this unfamiliar entity, their anxiety was only natural.

”Take off your clothes and step into the Incubation Pool.”

Mirune clearly wasn’t suited to be a counselor. As an Insect Matriarch, modifying biological genes to her seemed as routine as signing a document and stamping it—a fundamental task. Had it not been for Fang Zheng’s direct orders to ensure that this modification was flawless, she might not have intervened personally. Hearing Mirune’s request, Natsuyo, though nervous, obediently stripped off her clothes and stepped into the Incubation Pool.

”Huh———”

Soon, a translucent object resembling an egg rose from the pool, enveloping Natsuyo, and the clear liquid quickly filled the entire Insect Egg. Faced with this sudden change, Natsuyo was momentarily stunned before closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

”Natsuyo!”

”Natsuyo! Are you alright?”

Watching this scene unfold, the others grew concerned too. However, their shouts went unheard by Natsuyo, who simply kept her eyes closed, deep in slumber within the Insect Egg.

”It seems our steps are correct.”

Seeing Natsuyo asleep, Fang Zheng finally breathed a sigh of relief, and Mirune nodded in agreement. Since the Cursed Children possessed strong self-healing abilities, ordinary anesthesia had no effect. Fang Zheng and Mirune, after much experimentation, had found a method that involved synchronizing anesthesia to all the organs to delay the Intestinal Virus’s self-healing powers. However, there were still limits.

”Probably three to five hours... Begin.”

”Yes, Master.”

As she spoke, Mirune extended the tentacles from her back into the Insect Egg, while Fang Zheng also closed his eyes, coordinating through the Swarm’s Soul Connection. Soon, Natsuyo’s genetic blueprint appeared before him.

Compared to Fang Zheng’s own blueprint, Natsuyo’s appeared somewhat messy. Most of her genes were the human-representing red, but Fang Zheng also saw purple representing the Intestinal Virus. Unlike Fang Zheng’s clearly delineated human/Zerg/dragon genes, Natsuyo’s blueprint looked like a red paper haphazardly splattered with purple ink—the purple ink was expanding its territory and altering the human genes it contacted. Should it break through the limits, Natsuyo would transform from a human into an Intestinal Creature.

First, they needed to give Natsuyo the power to resist the Intestinal Virus.

”Inject Zerg Gene.”

”———————”

Following Fang Zheng’s command, Natsuyo’s genetic blueprint began to change again. The green Zerg Gene was injected and swiftly found its place in the red blueprint like a gluttonous snake, quickly encircling the purple Intestinal Virus.

”Begin the fusion.”

Issuing this order, Fang Zheng clenched his fists, sweating. The fusion was necessary, albeit reluctantly. If human genes were imagined as hexagonal grids, the portions contaminated with the Intestinal Virus often equaled one-third or half of these grids, and the tainted parts could not revert to their original state. To make changes, the remaining parts needed to be excised. But once the genes were damaged, unpredictable chain reactions could occur. Hence, it was better to forcefully encourage fusion and use Zerg genes for a secondary transformation.

Although Fang Zheng had experimented on animals, the subject at hand was a human; of course, he was nervous.

”—————!!!”

Soon, with Fang Zheng’s command, the Zerg genes encircling the Intestinal Virus began to emit pulses, causing the purple virus to rapidly spread, visibly infecting the surrounding genetic blueprint and completely twisting it into its own kind.

”Woo...”

At this moment, Natsuyo inside the Insect Egg seemed to sense something as her body started to shake slightly. Nevertheless, Fang Zheng couldn’t possibly stop at this point. He intently watched the spreading Intestinal Virus until it reached the boundary set by the Zerg Gene.

”Boom!!”

Although there was no sound, Fang Zheng felt as if he heard the roar of waves crashing against a seawall—the purple Intestinal Virus frantically tried to break through the restraints of the Zerg genes, which acted like chains holding back a mad dog, firmly suppressing further spread of the virus.

”Second fusion!”

”Bang bang———!!”

Influenced by Fang Zheng’s intent, the Zerg genes moved again, no longer as a breakwater but as invaders, slowly yet resolutely infiltrating the parts infected by the Intestinal Virus and completely transforming them.

As the world’s top biological genes, the power of the Zerg was not something the petty Intestinal Virus could withstand. Quickly, the purple Intestinal Virus was completely absorbed and fused by the Zerg genes. Seeing this, Fang Zheng finally relaxed.

Next was

”...reconstruction, begin.”