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

Chapter 589: Chapter 588 The Nightmare Will Eventually End

”Ding... Ding...”

The bell tolled.

Fang Zheng lifted his head and looked at the night sky above, where the Blood Moon that had hung in the sky had vanished, replaced by the silvery glow of the moon. All around was silence, not a sound to be heard. He carried his greatsword over his shoulder as he slowly stepped into the small church before him.

And in the church at that moment, only Maria remained.

”You’re back.”

Maria nodded with a smile as she saw Fang Zheng enter the church. Fang Zheng nodded in response and then glanced around.

”Where are they?”

”The nightmare is over, they will soon awaken from the real world.”

While answering, Maria lifted her head and closed her eyes.

”Such a long time, such an extended nightmare... is finally coming to an end.”

Murmuring to herself, Maria looked towards Fang Zheng once more.

”Are you leaving, stranger?”

”Yes.”

Fang Zheng nodded in response to Maria’s inquiry.

”In this world, I was merely a passerby, and now, I have completed my duty... What about you?”

”I’m staying here.”

Facing Fang Zheng’s query, Maria paused for a moment before giving her answer.

”Although the nightmare has ended, I know that this is not the end. I plan to rebuild the Hunter’s brigade, but this time, we hunt not only those evil creatures. We aim to destroy the relics of those malevolent Ancient Gods, obliterate their powers, and prevent the tragedy of Ayr from happening again.”

”Then I can only wish you luck, the creatures of the Abyss are not so easily dealt with.”

Hearing Maria’s response, Fang Zheng shrugged. He could guess why Maria decided this, but there was little more he could say. After a moment of silence, Fang Zheng extended his hand, pulling out a music box and a ruby brooch from his pocket and handing them over to her.

”Give this to the child for me... As for what to say... that’s for you to decide.”

”... I understand.”

Listening to Fang Zheng, Maria lowered her head and gazed at the music box and brooch in his hand before slowly receiving them. Then, Maria lifted her head again to look at Fang Zheng.

”Farewell, stranger.”

Before the words had even faded, Fang Zheng saw Maria’s figure enveloped in white mist and then slowly vanish into the air. By now, apart from Fang Zheng, the entire small church was deserted.

”Phew... it’s done.”

Looking at the empty space of the small church, Fang Zheng sighed. He then raised the greatsword in his hand pointing it towards the ground.

”The world trembles due to my torment; the pathetic Kingdom collapses in my rage! Finally, the whole of Ayr shall be destroyed, and within my shadow, everything shall turn to ash!”

He recited the lines once more and then shook his head.

”Turns out you really shouldn’t speak carelessly, nor recite lines without thought, and now look, it actually came true?”

Of course, Fang Zheng had no intentions of destroying the world, but he did plan to take this dream realm as firewood with him to burn and use for system repairs before he left.

Could it really be that in the future I should consider renaming the Heavenly Dao Palace to the Burning Legion?

With that thought, Fang Zheng sighed once more. He then lifted the greatsword powerfully above his head and thrust it hard into the ground!

”Crack!”

The sharp and formidable greatsword plunged deeply into the stone slab at the center of the small church, and then, the pitch-black blade slowly began to flicker with a blood-red flame. Surging flames erupted from the sword and rapidly spread outwards, swirling and twisting like raging waves and vortices, or like wild tornadoes, devouring everything in the vicinity with its fierce, crimson blaze.

The flames began to spread, from the small church to the entire Anan, including the Church, Forbidden Forest, Byronvis Academy—everything was engulfed in the fire, countless red sparks soaring up with the smoke, and amidst these flames, trails of black smoke intermingled...

At the same time, the ”System Repair Progress” in front of Fang Zheng rapidly increased, swiftly jumping from 5% to 30%.

”Ashen One without fire!”

While Fang Zheng burnt the dream world, suddenly, Eldritch’s voice rang again in his ears, filled with madness and hatred, together with boundless rage.

”Don’t think it’s over! I will curse you! Curse you to step into the Abyss just like me! Hahahaha!!”

With Eldritch’s maniacal laughter, Fang Zheng suddenly found the black smoke produced from burning the dream world being drawn in from all directions, enveloping him. Immediately after, Fang Zheng felt a wild and dark power infiltrate his body through his skin!

This is bad!

Becoming aware of this, Fang Zheng was alarmed and then closed his eyes, once again entering his spiritual world.

Within the soul’s Firelink Altar in this spiritual world, the Fire Keeper still stood quietly beside the flame, watching over everything. As Fang Zheng delved into the depths of his soul, he could see the smoke seeping through the walls, coalescing into a mud-like substance, whipping up a ”storm” within the Ritual Site.

”Lord of Ash.”

Seeing Fang Zheng arrive, the Fire Keeper greeted him respectfully with a bow, and Fang Zheng nodded back, then with a grave expression, turned his attention to everything before him.

”What’s the situation now, Fire Girl?”

”The Power of the Abyss is infiltrating your body, fusing with your soul... Lord of Ash, you should understand what this means.”

”Does that mean I’ve been infected by the Abyss?”

Upon hearing the Fire Keeper’s reply, Fang Zheng asked with a serious look, and the Fire Keeper nodded.

”Yes, Lord of Ash, this Abyssal Power will merge with the dark powers inside your body... after all, you too are aware that humans inherently possess the Dark Soul...”

”So that’s what makes them human...”

Muttering to himself, Fang Zheng gritted his teeth in frustration. He hadn’t anticipated that Eldritch, that bastard, would pull something so vile—not content with dying himself, he had to cast a parting curse as well. Clearly, as seen in the Black Soul World, the fate of those infected by the Abyss was to be slain by Fang Zheng, just like those bosses he had dispatched.

But... would things truly turn out as Eldritch had envisioned?

”Fire Girl.”

Looking at the black mire flowing down the walls, Fang Zheng spoke.

”Is there a way for me to wield the flames and possess the powers of the Abyss at the same time?”

”This...”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s question, the Fire Keeper faltered.

”Humans were born from the Abyss... hence they are naturally dark, but they yearn for light, which is why they were granted the glory of the Primordial Fire.”

Fang Zheng raised his hand toward the flames before him.

”Because we dwell in darkness, we yearn for the light. If that is so, then why can’t light and dark coexist? If the Abyss cannot be eradicated, just as we can’t eradicate the darkness inherent in our humanity, yin and yang, light and darkness, if all this is a cycle, then why choose one over the other?”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng clenched his fists tightly.

”I want to try because... only the weak make choices, and the strong... want everything!”

No sooner had Fang Zheng finished speaking than the flames exploded violently, casting the entire Ritual Site in a fiery red!

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