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

Chapter 909: Chapter 908: Without Trust, There Is No Value

The entire Lord’s Hall was engulfed in deathly silence.

Everyone was dumbfounded, unable to fathom why things had changed from all being well just a moment ago to this in the blink of an eye.

The player at the forefront looked particularly pale. He stared at Fang Zheng with wide eyes, his mouth agape, unable to utter even half a word.

”Wait, what do you mean by this!”

At this moment, a female player with a long spear and short red hair stood up in dissatisfaction. She was from the same guild as the previous player and immediately reacted to Fang Zheng’s rudeness.

”Why do you want Tooth King to leave? What did he do? If it’s about earlier mistakes, everyone made them? Why target him?”

”Yeah, that’s right!”

Hearing someone speak up for him, Tooth King started to tremble.

”What right do you have to kick me out? Don’t think you’re great just because you’re powerful! I’m not falling for your tricks!”

”Um... Mr. Fang Zheng...”

Ang also walked over to Fang Zheng uneasily, trying to calm both parties. Tooth King was from the Red Knight Order, and as its leader, Ang naturally didn’t want to see an argument. However, she was puzzled; she initially thought Fang Zheng had a personal grudge against Tooth King, but now it seemed they didn’t even know each other, leaving her unsure of why Fang Zheng was speaking to Tooth King in this manner.

”What did he do?”

Fang Zheng raised an eyebrow as he looked at Tooth King, responding to the inquiry from the red-haired female lancer known as Emily E.

”Do you want to say it yourself, or should I say it for you?”

”Ugh...”

Feeling Fang Zheng’s cold, oppressive gaze, Tooth King shivered involuntarily. He thought hard but couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong. Seeing the eyes of his companions around him, he mustered his courage.

”Yeah, you tell me! What did I do earlier?”

”Getting young and senile? How pitiful.”

Fang Zheng’s expression remained unchanged by Tooth King’s roar.

”Then let me give you a hint: when the BOSS was resurrecting into the second phase, what were you doing?”

”I...”

Confronted by Fang Zheng’s question, Tooth King hesitated.

”Of course, I was running for my life. My health was only down to a third! Do you want me to wait for death instead of fleeing?”

”Where were you running to then?”

”I...”

At this point, Tooth King seemed to realize something but still appeared unsure.

”I panicked! I don’t remember where I ran!”

”Since you don’t know, let me tell you.”

Fang Zheng stared coldly at Tooth King and pointed a finger.

”At that moment, you were running into a crowd... and bumped into someone... Do you remember now?”

Upon hearing this, Tooth King hesitated, recalling something. However, he continued to puff his cheeks and glared at Fang Zheng, shouting loudly.

”So what?”

”So what?”

Fang Zheng coldly snorted at Tooth King.

”At that moment, the BOSS had its aggression focused on you, and you ran into the crowd. Now you actually ask me what happens next?”

”This...”

Upon hearing this, the people around them immediately understood. Indeed, at that time, the BOSS was right behind Tooth King, and he ran straight into the crowd, leading the BOSS right into them! If Fang Zheng hadn’t instructed Yuna to hold the monster, who knows how many would have died once the BOSS crashed into the crowd!

”Tooth King, what exactly happened?!”

Finally, Ang understood why Fang Zheng was being confrontational. In fact, when she thought about it carefully, Fang Zheng was undeniably right. Even though everyone was initially dumbfounded when the BOSS resurrected, Fang Zheng had given orders, so although they were shocked, most players came to their senses.

But it was Tooth King who turned and ran into a player, knocking them to the ground, causing a chain reaction — the players were already tense, and barely calming down, this incident set things off again. They weren’t trained soldiers, who might also panic in such situations!

As a result, a group that could have been consolidated was forcibly dispersed. If Yuna hadn’t held the monster, there could have been severe casualties.

Thinking of this, Ang looked at Tooth King with a much more serious expression.

”It’s not my fault; I was panicked and didn’t know anything!! I didn’t do it on purpose!!”

Seeing Ang, who usually spoke softly, adopting such a serious demeanor, even Tooth King was desperately waving his hands. As a member of the Red Knight Order, he knew that although Ang was young, she was indeed the highest leader of the Knights’ Order. Everyone joined out of respect for her virtues. If Ang wouldn’t even give him a good look, no one else would support him.

”I don’t care whether you intentionally used people as shields or not.”

Fang Zheng, not wanting to muddle in such subjective matters, succinctly concluded.

”To me, it doesn’t matter if it was intentional or not. If it was intentional, then such a person shouldn’t stay in the raid group. If unintentional, it shows your first reaction in danger is to let others take the blame. Either way, you’re not suitable to continue in the frontline raid group and must leave.”

”I...I...”

Faced with Fang Zheng’s words, Tooth King’s face turned pale, and sweat dripped down. Seeking help from around him, he found the other players distancing themselves — clearly, if before they didn’t understand why Fang Zheng was targeting Tooth King, now they did.

And from these players’ perspective, they naturally didn’t want to battle alongside someone who would use his comrades as shields. As Fang Zheng said, if someone were to flee, they would go to places with fewer people. But Tooth King turned straight into the crowd. Others were naturally displeased...

Looking back, it’s good they didn’t beat him up!

”Tooth King, did you do that on purpose then?”

The red-haired female lancer also realized, gripping her spear tightly and glaring angrily at Tooth King. She’s straightforward, but she’s not a fool to be used!

More importantly, it was she he knocked down!

Under those circumstances, if Yuna hadn’t held the monster, it was uncertain if Tooth King would die, but she surely would have.

Thinking this, her gaze towards Tooth King grew worse.

”No, I, um...”

Seeing everyone’s expressions, Tooth King didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t calculated clearly — he was just a player; who thinks so much in life and death?

But deep down, he admitted he somewhat wanted others to take the hit for him. He thought after a successful raid with no deaths, it’d be over, but he didn’t expect Fang Zheng to settle scores and see through him!

Now Tooth King’s face was ghostly white, sweat pouring — even if he said nothing, people around understood almost everything.

”You bastard!!”

Seeing Tooth King in this state, the red-haired female lancer was ready to charge at him with her spear, but Ang quickly intervened — they can’t just kill someone.

”Perhaps you still think of this as a game.”

Fang Zheng stopped looking at Tooth King and turned to the other players, now breathless, only silently watching him.

”But now you should understand, this isn’t a game; this is a battle. With the comrades beside you. Only those who can fight side by side and trust each other to have their backs deserve to be here. Skills can be trained, and timing can be adjusted, but once trust is lost... it’s gone forever.”

Continuing, Fang Zheng glanced once more at Tooth King.

”To me, a person unworthy of trust isn’t someone I can fight alongside. Without trust, they have no purpose and can pose unforeseen risks. Though this may seem unkind, even harsh, remember every battle in this world puts our — yours, mine, and everyone’s — lives at stake.”

Then, he gazed at Ang beside him.

”These are my recommendations. As for what happens next, it’s up to you.”

”.........”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s words, the players directed their gaze at Ang, who hesitated before nodding and stepping up to Tooth King. She looked deeply into his eyes before speaking.

”Tooth King, as of today, I order you to leave the raid group.”