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

Chapter 869: Chapter 868: A World Where Everyone Has a System

This time, the teleportation was clearly much better than before. At least Fang Zheng wasn’t thrown from a hundred meters in the air by the system. On the contrary, when Fang Zheng opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an endless grassland and a blue sky...

”This is really a beautiful place.”

However, just at that moment, a voice sounded beside Fang Zheng. He turned his head and saw, not far behind him, a girl with silver hair dressed in a white uniform and over-the-knee socks, along with a charming girl dressed in a black dress with a leisurely smile...

”So it’s the two of you this time, Restia, Ester...”

Seeing these two beside him, Fang Zheng was a bit stunned. He completely did not expect the system to choose his two sword sprites as companions today, but upon thinking about it, it wasn’t too strange. After all, these two sword sprites are considered living beings, and being selected by the system was perfectly natural.

”Yes, master.”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s remark, Restia smiled slightly.

”This is the first time we’re fighting alongside you in this form.”

”I will do my best.”

Ester also nodded and whispered softly. In fact, Restia wasn’t wrong; although they have fought alongside Fang Zheng all along, at that time, the two appeared as weapons. Here, however, they are appearing in human form, which naturally is completely different.

”So... what kind of world is this?”

Mumbling to himself, Fang Zheng gazed around, but just then, Ester curiously looked towards Fang Zheng and asked.

”Master, the thing... in front of me, what is this?”

”In front of you?”

Hearing Ester’s question, Fang Zheng was momentarily taken aback. He then looked in the direction Ester was gazing at and saw the silver-haired sword sprite standing there blankly, with nothing in front of her...

”Nothing there?”

”Ah, I can see it too.”

Yet at this moment, Restia also exclaimed, reaching out her hand. Fang Zheng saw Restia gently touch the air, and then a glowing rectangular screen appeared before her, as if a personal terminal had been activated.

However... Restia and Ester, as sword sprites, didn’t have personal terminals equipped, so what was this?

Thinking of this, Fang Zheng hurriedly withdrew his sight and found some strange symbols and button-like things within his own view. He reached out to touch them, and quickly a similar interface appeared before him. It displayed Fang Zheng’s name, character attributes, inventory, experience points, skills...

”Is this an online gaming interface?”

Looking at the familiar skills and settings, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but exclaim. He finally understood why Restia and Ester weren’t appearing as weapons this time but as human forms. In other words, this is a pure online gaming world?

Fang Zheng was certainly not unfamiliar with virtual reality games. Although in the world before his rebirth it was merely a concept, the Matrix of Hackers world was broadly considered a massive virtual reality game. However, in comparison, this world seemed to emphasize ”gameplay” rather than ”reality.”

If not, things like this wouldn’t appear.

Ah, so that’s why this world was set as the Trial World of ”wisdom.” Thinking, Fang Zheng immediately understood the connections. In the virtual reality world, his special abilities couldn’t be used, nor could he brute force his way through like in Anan World. Everything here was data, so defeating a boss or passing through a maze relied not just on brute force but on the calculation of skills, experience, and data—Fang Zheng was well familiar with all this because that’s exactly his forte!

Thinking this way, perhaps that’s why the system didn’t send Nymph here. After all, this world is one of information collection. If Nymph was teleported to this world, Fang Zheng would effectively bypass the Beginner Village and directly take down the final boss... Given the system’s nature, it obviously wouldn’t let him exploit such a loophole.

Upon opening the system, as expected, a series of basic information appeared. Fang Zheng finally understood some of the world’s settings through these pages.

According to the description, Fang Zheng and the others were in a floating city named ”Aincrad,” and players were adventurers coming to this world to battle for victory, clearing levels and ascending to the top for triumph—well, at least this was the initial game introduction.

Then came the choice of the player’s initial weapon. Fang Zheng skimmed through and found all weapons available to players were melee weapons, with no options for ranged weapons like bows and arrows or magic—could it be that there was no magic in this world?

Though perplexed, after thinking it over, Fang Zheng chose a greatsword as his initial weapon, considering he was used to wielding a Pitch Black Greatsword in reality.

Simultaneously, Ester and Restia also made their selections, with Ester opting for a regular longsword and Restia choosing a rapier as her initial weapon.

”How is it? Any issues?”

Fang Zheng looked at the two and asked, having casually explained some online gaming basics to them during the introduction. Thus, they understood how to tackle this world.

”No issues, master.”

Facing Fang Zheng’s inquiry, Restia smiled and shook her head. Then she reached out, performing a few elegant and graceful moves with her rapier. Meanwhile, on the other side, Ester drew her longsword and did a few exercises—at least for now, their actions seemed quite proficient. On reflection, it wasn’t surprising since both of them were sword sprites, and undoubtedly, their prowess in swordsmanship wouldn’t be far behind Fang Zheng.

”What should we do next, master?”

”Hmm... according to typical online games, we should now find a place to upgrade, then team up to conquer the bosses...”

Speaking while looking around, if it were just upon this basis, Fang Zheng considered this gaming world wouldn’t present much of a challenge. Could the system merely require him to achieve the server’s first kill or something... that’s too dull!

”Clang... clang...!”

Suddenly, at that moment, a string of bell chimes resounded from afar. Then, Fang Zheng and his companions saw radiant flashes before their eyes, and in the next moment, they found themselves in a giant square.

At present, the square was already bustling with people—all attractive men and women, and judging by their outfits, they seemed to be players similar to Fang Zheng and the others. However, the players’ behavior was beyond Fang Zheng’s expectations; many fo them appeared extremely anxious, with some even shouting and yelling.

”What’s going on here?”

”Why isn’t the official making a statement?!”

”Someone in charge needs to figure something out; I want to log out!!”

”Today was supposed to be the first day of public testing; why is this happening?!!”

Listening to the loud commotion of these players, Fang Zheng roughly understood the current situation—today was the first day of this gaming world’s public test, yet many players intending to log out after gaming found the log-out button had vanished. Adding to this, they couldn’t contact the game’s GM...

Now Fang Zheng understood why these players were so panicked, because according to the information he’d seen earlier, these players logged into this world using a helmet-like device, while their bodies remained outside lying down. If they couldn’t log out, it implied they’d be trapped here for life!

”Boom...”

At that moment, the bell chimes faded, and subsequently, the sky was suddenly enveloped by a bright red veil of error code. Then, a strange figure clad in a red robe slowly emerged from it.

”Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my world...”

The red robed figure spread his arms wide, his tone shifting to exuberance.

”My name is Kayaba Akihiko, and I am now the sole human able to control this world... And now, I have an announcement for all of you.”

At this point, the red robed figure paused briefly, seemingly relishing the confused and fearful expressions of the crowd before continuing.

”...That is, you can no longer leave this world.”