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

Chapter 718: Chapter 717: Opening the Gates to the Origin

A series of explosions erupted in the dark universe, then faded away slowly like fireworks.

Reputation stared intently at the screen in front of her, and after a moment, she turned and bowed to Fang Zheng.

”Report, Commander, the target has been completely destroyed.”

”Hmm... RULER, how about you?”

”Eh?”

Caught off guard by Fang Zheng’s question, Jeanne d’Arc blinked, then hastily closed her eyes. After a brief pause, she nodded.

”...All of the Red Faction’s Servants and Masters have disappeared.”

”What? That’s it?”

Upon hearing Jeanne d’Arc’s response, Little Hei showed an expression of utter boredom, while Fang Zheng just glanced at her.

”What? You have a problem with that?”

”Of course, big brother! This is the final battle of the Holy Grail War! We were all prepared for it; according to the rhythm of the anime and comics, what follows should be a desperate fight in which everyone defeats their own enemies and then happily returns home with the Holy Grail, not to mention the addition of dozens of episodes of flashbacks! But you just threw the enemy into space and finished them off in seconds, what’s that supposed to mean?”

”I’m not acting in a TV drama.”

Faced with Little Hei’s complaints, Fang Zheng helplessly rolled his eyes.

”Why make it dangerous and risky when victory can come so easily? Besides, if I couldn’t instantly kill those fools even with all this, then why would I go to the trouble of summoning these warships?”

If you can scrape by to win, why risk everything?

”Sigh... you’re right, but still...”

To Fang Zheng’s explanation, Little Hei was visibly unable to accept it. The expressions of those around were also somewhat subtle. Although it might not be nice to say, they had indeed been prepared for a desperate fight with the enemy. But ever since Fang Zheng had summoned these three warships, the course of the Holy Grail War had slid in a direction that everyone, except Fang Zheng, could not have predicted.

”In any case, since it’s all taken care of, let’s head back.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng once again summoned the Unsealing Master, and in the blink of an eye, they had returned from outside the Solar System to Earth.

”I can feel it... the Greater Holy Grail is about to activate...”

Jeanne d’Arc raised her head, looking at the Greater Holy Grail floating behind Fang Zheng. At this moment, it was emitting a soft radiance, and that brilliance and power were growing stronger. And then...

”Master, I’m detecting an energetic reaction inside that unidentified object...”

”I know, Nymph, leave it to me.”

Fang Zheng, who had also sensed this, stretched out his hand and placed it on the Greater Holy Grail. Following that, he turned back to everyone with a smile.

”So, I’ll be right back.”

”... Take care, Master.”

Watching Fang Zheng’s back, Nymph was clearly worried, but she just stood there, bestowing her blessings upon him.

”Don’t worry, Nymph, I’ll be back.”

Sensing Nymph’s mood, Fang Zheng gave her a slight smile. The next moment... the Greater Holy Grail cracked open down the middle, and the dazzling light engulfed Fang Zheng completely in an instant.

First to catch my eye was an endless meadow filled with flowers.

”So this is the interior of the Greater Holy Grail? Come to think of it, this must be the first time I’m seeing the Greater Holy Grail in its normal state.”

Gazing at the flower-covered plain and the azure sky above, Fang Zheng sighed softly. Just then, the air around him shivered, and a blue, glowing sphere appeared out of nowhere in front of him. Seeing the blue orb, Fang Zheng smiled faintly.

”What a pity, Gaia, your last-ditch effort has also failed.”

”......”

Faced with Fang Zheng’s irony, the blue sphere remained silent.

”Most magicians probably didn’t notice, but you’ve been interfering with the Holy Grail War from behind the scenes... Isn’t that right? Heroes who long for humanity’s redemption, who aspire to bring relief to humans, who yearn to save mankind. But what happens after that? No matter the hero, limited by their era, their knowledge, their civilization, their moral standards, they could only think of such brute solutions.”

Fang Zheng seemed indifferent to this point, simply spreading his hands as he continued speaking.

”And Alaya knew this as well, which is why every Holy Grail War ended in failure, even if humans could not reach the Vortex of Origin, you could not be allowed to win. How pitiful, the masters and servants of successive Holy Grail Wars were essentially your pawns, but alas, the level of your dispute was too low.”

Indeed, Fang Zheng had seen through the nature of the Holy Grail War when he traded with Alaya.

The Holy Grail War, in essence, was a ritual whereby humans longed to reach the Vortex of Origin through the Third Magic, and the so-called ”Omnipotent Wish-Granting Machine” did indeed exist.

But for Gaia, of course, it wouldn’t allow mankind to act so recklessly, and Gaia wasn’t completely without means to prevent it... even to use the ritual to achieve its own ends.

That is to say, Heroic Spirits, servants, heroes of the past.

”I think, therefore I am.”

Fang Zheng stretched out his hand, pointing to his own head.

”Humans must first recognize their own existence to know who they are, where they come from, and where they’re going. Precisely because of this, when a participant in the Holy Grail War defines their goal as the ’whole of humanity,’ they’re essentially erasing the unique individuality and recognition of individuals. ’Salvation’ of the ’whole’ degenerates into the complete annihilation of the ’human’ race. That’s why you covertly interfered with the Holy Grail War, choosing heroes with noble desires, born in primitive, slave, and feudal societies with tragic backgrounds. Because they are simpler, more arrogant, and easier to manipulate.”

Heroes like Amakusa Shiro Shigen, or Black CASTER, and even masters like Emiya Kiritsugu. They fancied themselves saviors, not realizing they were precisely the pawns Gaia used to bring about mankind’s destruction.

”Thus, those chaps never understand, and hence they meet their tragic ends. There never were any saviors, nor divine emperors; to create a good life, in the end, we must rely on ourselves... the people, only the people are the true force pushing history forward, only the thoughts and needs of the people can advance the progress of history. Hmm... I suggest that before the arrival of any Heroic Spirit, they should first read Marx, Lenin, Mao, ’Das Kapital,’ and understand primary and secondary contradictions, class struggle, and then consider their wishes. Anyone failing the political education test should not be allowed to be summoned.”

”.........”

The blue sphere flickered, and then an ethereal voice arose.

”...Therefore, I hope to find a new path...”

”This is your final compromise, then... That’s why it’s important to travel and see more to gain a wider understanding... Destroying humankind is not a good choice. What you are doing will only drive yourself quickly to a dead end, humanity is a very tenacious species.”

At this point, Fang Zheng sighed, then once again looked towards the blue orb.

”Well then, let’s make a deal. As long as you promise not to destroy humanity, I can help you find a path to not be destroyed by mankind, I will guide the humans of this world onto a different path... Hmm, ecological conservation and sustainable development are essential, purity and supremacy have no future, only harmonious development is the trend of the future.”

”......”

The blue sphere said nothing, but the next moment, a huge sphere emitting a faint glow suddenly appeared in front of Fang Zheng, rotating rapidly as it extended forward, unfurling a path.

Towards that infinite depth.

Seeing this scene, the corners of Fang Zheng’s mouth curved slightly upwards.

”It seems our deal is struck.”