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

Chapter 1079: Chapter 1078: What Exactly Do You Want to Do?

After that, the green-haired girl went off to the side by herself and started drawing circles alone, while Fang Zheng didn’t care and just picked up his personal terminal to start playing a game.

”What’s wrong with her?”

Asuna asked curiously, looking at the green-haired girl squatting in the corner, and Fang Zheng shrugged.

”What else? She’s scared.”

”Scared? But didn’t she want to die?”

”Pretentious.”

Fang Zheng sneered at Asuna’s inquiry.

”People who don’t die want to die because they can’t die. Supposedly, the things you can’t get are the most precious, so they lament endlessly. I could tell right away she didn’t really want to die. If she really wanted, it’d be easy—jump into a volcano, all would be over, or take a spaceship and bungee towards the Sun; she’d not survive even if she wanted to. Instead, she insists on this melodramatic ’seeking death’—it’s just pretentious nonsense from being too full.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng casually pressed a button on his personal terminal, continuing to play mushroom picking.

”All these artsy types have this problem—they’re always complaining about a lack of love, constantly lamenting how they can’t smile... Just show them more comedic videos, and there’d be no issue.”

”... ... ...”

The girls couldn’t help but show several embarrassed expressions at Fang Zheng’s response, especially Black Cat... Well, she felt like she’d been hit right in the heart and couldn’t get back up.

”Mr. Fang Zheng, someone’s coming.”

At this moment, Eiriri suddenly reacted and spoke up, while Fang Zheng nodded, gesturing to Kurumi. Soon, pitch black shadows engulfed Kurumi and the green-haired girl, who was squatting by the corner contemplating life, while the others donned their hoods once again.

Quickly, Fang Zheng saw the red-haired girl from before and a few others dressed like guerrillas walking over, their expressions mostly cautious and hesitant, constantly looking around even as they approached.

”Just a handful of you?”

Fang Zheng roughly counted and found fewer than ten people had come, feeling instant disappointment.

”That’s right, just us few.”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s words, a curly-haired man stepped forward, standing beside the red-haired girl, staring at Fang Zheng, who sat on the base of a statue.

”Who are you? What do you want by contacting us?”

”I just have a few questions I want to ask.”

Fang Zheng changed his posture, then stood up, squinting at the man in front of him.

”Why do you fight?”

”Of course, to resist Britannia!”

Hearing this, the man clenched his fist and shouted.

”Haven’t you seen? The Britannians treat us like slaves and livestock! So we must resist Britannia’s tyranny!”

”Oh, and then?”

”... then?”

Upon Fang Zheng’s indifferent counter-question, the man suddenly faltered.

”What then...?”

”You say you resist Britannia’s tyranny; what do you mean? What’s your purpose and principle of your actions? What kind of strategy do you intend to adopt? If your goals are achieved, what’s next?”

”This... I...”

Faced with Fang Zheng’s questions, the curly-haired man was left stunned, unable to utter a word, while the others also didn’t know what to say. Observing the scene, Fang Zheng coldly laughed, turning towards the girls beside him.

”See, I told you they’re just a group of overzealous fools with no plan or ideas, basically just doing whatever and feeling satisfied as long as they get their revenge. In that sense, calling them terrorists isn’t inaccurate.”

”What did you say?”

Hearing this, a man with a headband behind the curly-haired one stood out angrily, fists clenched, glaring at him.

”What do you know? We fight for our freedom and justice!”

”Don’t talk to me about freedom and justice; it gives me a headache.”

However, before he could finish, Fang Zheng interrupted, extending his hand.

”Freedom is a luxury, and justice is a luxury. They belong to the guests dancing at galas, not the beggars hiding in sewers. For you, even survival is a luxury, and you talk to me about freedom and justice? As for whether your actions are just... Black Cat.”

Upon Fang Zheng’s words, Black Cat leaped down, walking up to the group, extending her hand to show them the little girl sleeping in her embrace, tired from crying.

”She’s...?”

”We saved this little one from the Britannian soldiers. Her settlement’s people were shot as terrorists by the Britannian Army. If we hadn’t arrived in time, she too would’ve been among the victims... See, this is the consequence of your so-called fight for freedom and justice.”

”It’s not our fault!”

Seeing the tear-streaked child, the headband man recoiled as if electrocuted, stepping back a few steps.

”It’s those Britannians! It’s them...!”

”It’s you, your unplanned and foolish retaliatory actions that caused all this. If you hadn’t done such foolish things, they’d be alive. Of course, maybe they’d lose dignity, perhaps not live as humans, but at least they’d still be in this world. But now, this little girl has lost her parents, friends, family, everything... this is the consequence of your so-called freedom and justice. As for who killed these people...”

Fang Zheng snapped his fingers, then Asuna turned around and activated her personal terminal. Soon, a news image appeared out of thin air before them.

Without even having time to marvel at the miraculous technology, the rebels’ focus was immediately captured by the content. On the screen, a host was solemnly reporting.

”... According to information from the Britannian military, terrorists released a gas bomb in the Shinjuku District. Many Area 11 residents have suffered, Shinjuku has been sealed off by the military, and efforts to track down the terrorists are underway...”

”This, this, this...”

Watching the scene and listening to the broadcast, the rebel members, including the red-haired girl, were all left speechless.

”See, this is the consequence of your so-called resistance activities. You haven’t caused even a bit of harm to Britannia, but instead, due to your foolish actions, most residents of the Shinjuku Concentration Camp were massacred, and all the blame is on you. Britannia suppressed terrorists, killed Shinjuku’s residents, and pinned the blame on you...”

Saying this, Fang Zheng’s lips curled slightly.

”Of course, sacrifices are unavoidable, but you tell me, what have you gained in this pointless and futile so-called resistance struggle?”

”... Damn it!”

The curly-haired man smacked his fist against a concrete pillar, while the others lowered their heads, staying silent. After a while, the red-haired girl finally raised her head to look at Fang Zheng.

”So then, why did you tell us all this?”

”Just to test your capabilities. My initial idea was to collaborate with you, but now it seems you aren’t worth working with, so...”

At this point, Fang Zheng extended his hand toward the crowd in front of him.

”Join us, or... scram.”