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

Chapter 1400: Chapter 1399: Transformation (Mornings in the Mountains Are Really Cold)

”Thump, thump, thump!”

At this moment, Ayumi felt as if her heart were about to jump out of her mouth. She could hear the breathing of the creature and imagine that it was standing right outside the cleaning closet. If it opened the door, it would see them. And at that time, they would have nowhere to run...

”...Thud, thud, thud.”

However, the creature seemed to be blind. It stood in front of the cleaning closet for a while, but without finding its prey, it turned and left. The two girls listened to the footsteps of the creature grow fainter and fainter until they completely disappeared, at which point they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then the short-haired girl quietly opened a crack in the door, cautiously looked around, and upon confirming that no one was there, she opened the door and walked out of the cleaning closet.

”Alright, it’s okay now, come out.”

”Phew...”

Stepping out of the cleaning closet, Ayumi let out a long sigh and then plopped down onto the floor. Only then did she realize that her legs felt weak, almost unable to stand. Meanwhile, the girl next to her calmly watched, and after a moment, finally spoke up.

”Are you okay?”

”I-I’m fine, thank you...”

Hearing the girl’s inquiry, Ayumi blushed and quickly stood up. She hadn’t thought much during the life and death moment, but now recalling it, she realized how embarrassing it was that the other had witnessed her scream and cry while being chased by the creature. Thinking of it now... it was indeed quite shameful.

”I’m Shizaki Ayumi, a student from Kisaragi Academy. You are...?”

”Kiyora Setsuna.”

The girl introduced herself blandly.

”Sakanoue Academy, first-year.”

”Kiyora... Setsuna?”

Hearing this name, Ayumi furrowed her brows slightly, feeling as if she had heard it somewhere before. Then, suddenly, her eyes lit up.

”Ah, are you a companion of Haruno?”

”Haruno?”

Unexpectedly, upon hearing her words, Setsuna’s expression changed slightly. She reached out, pressing on Ayumi’s shoulder.

”Did you see Haruno? Where is he?!”

”This...”

Looking at Kiyora Setsuna in front of her, Ayumi was also a bit surprised. She hadn’t expected this seemingly calm and indifferent girl to be so anxious. However, Kiyora seemed to realize her own excitement, quickly releasing Ayumi’s shoulder and staring at her.

Although Kiyora Setsuna didn’t say a word this time, Ayumi felt a pressure and quickly recounted what she knew about Fang Zheng.

But after Ayumi finished speaking, she noticed that Kiyora Setsuna’s expression became somewhat strange.

”You said... Haruno is a superpower user?”

”Mm...”

Recalling the scene where Fang Zheng summoned a fire snake with a snap of his fingers, Ayumi shivered. Honestly, although she had always been a fanatical supernatural enthusiast, she had never heard of something like superpowers. Within the supernatural circles, even people’s most talked-about abilities were usually telepathy or spirit communication.

As for controlling fire... that’s straight out of a comic book!!

Yet she had witnessed it firsthand!!

Thinking of this, deep down Shizaki Ayumi even felt a little excitement. After all, though she was a fervent supernatural enthusiast, she never expected to truly encounter a superpower user one day!! And a superpower user able to manipulate fire, isn’t that just cool?!

”...”

However, in contrast to Ayumi’s excitement, Setsuna appeared bewildered.

Fang Zheng is a superpower user?

She had spent so much time with him; how could she not know?

Though Setsuna really doubted if Ayumi was just speaking nonsense, or maybe she was out of her mind, especially since Setsuna had met others who went mad from stress after being teleported to this world. So she was always very cautious.

Maybe this girl was one of them? Perhaps she experienced a hallucination?

But no matter what, since the other knew Fang Zheng’s name and her connection with Fang Zheng, it meant this girl might indeed have met Fang Zheng.

”We should leave first.”

Thinking this, Setsuna quickly made a decision.

”We don’t know when that creature might return. We must leave here first. Shizaki, do you know where Haruno and the others are?”

”They should be in the first-grade Class A classroom.”

”Then let’s go.”

After saying this, Kiyora Setsuna started walking forward, and after hesitating for a moment, Ayumi quickly followed. However, her expression remained somewhat complicated. In the earlier life-and-death situation, she hadn’t thought much about it, but now, she remembered that the reason for her escape was finding out the truth about the ”Happy Yukiko” spell. Having no face to face everyone, she ran away.

Though Fang Zheng had said that the spell text published on the blog was incorrect, she was the one who suggested holding the ritual. If not for her proposal, they might have already happily held a farewell ceremony for Suzumoto Mayu and gone home.

Instead of facing those terrifying ghosts in this grim and dark school!

This is all my fault!

Thinking of this, Ayumi felt a crushing pain, struggling to breathe. She could now only pray that everyone was safe. Otherwise, if any one of them died, wouldn’t it mean they died because of her? At that time, nothing she did would matter!

But, what should I do?

Facing this question, Ayumi realized she couldn’t find an answer.

”...”

The pitch-black infirmary remained silent.

”Hmm...”

Sora slowly opened her eyes, looked around, and after seeing the tattered wallpaper, she was dazed for a moment before coming to her senses.

”Right, I’m not at home...”

As she spoke, Sora slowly sat up. It was only then that she recalled being transported to this strange, bizarre place. After that, Sora felt that her body was not quite right, but now... does it seem to have improved quite a bit?

Thinking of this, Sora reached out her hand to touch her forehead; indeed, the fever-like symptoms hadn’t appeared again.

”Plop plop.”

”??”

”Plop plop?”

Hearing this sound, Sora paused for a moment. She instinctively wanted to get out of bed but felt as if something was blocking her butt.

No, it seems... there’s something growing on my butt?

Thinking of this, Sora paused for a moment and then reached out her hand, gently touching her back, where she quickly felt a cold, long, thick tentacle...

”Snake?!”

Feeling the bizarre sensation, Sora was scared and jumped up instantly. However, to her surprise, the ”snake” actually jumped up with her, swinging non-stop.

”Ah---Ah---!!”

At this, Sora screamed in fear. She instinctively reached out her hand and grabbed the ”snake,” but as she gripped it tightly, she suddenly felt a tingling sensation emerging from her back, spreading throughout her body. Simultaneously, Sora’s legs weakened, and she sat on the ground.

”Wait, this isn’t... a snake?”

It was then that Sora realized that what she held wasn’t a snake. Although she initially thought it was, upon closer inspection, she found that this ”snake” had neither eyes nor a mouth. Furthermore, it was larger at the bottom and tapered at the top—more like... a tail?

After a long pause, Sora finally confirmed that she had grown a tail like a lizard’s! And when she touched it... it actually felt sensitive!

”........”

She stared at the tail in front of her, watching it move around, twisting and turning. It even made a loop...

This tail is obedient?!

Wait, even if I grew a tail, why is it a lizard’s tail?! A cat tail or dog tail or fox tail would be cuter! Why does it have to be this disgusting thing!!

”What on earth is going on!!”

At this, Sora helplessly held her head and wailed, but as she touched her head, she again quickly withdrew, as if shocked.

Because, atop her head, she felt two hard, pointed... horns?!

What on earth is happening to me?!

Sora reached out her hand, incredulous as she touched her head. In the end, she had to sadly confirm that she had not only grown a tail but also two pointed horns!

How did I grow horns?

”Hehehe, hahaha...”

Just as Sora was utterly baffled, unsure of what to do, a cold and sinister laughter echoed through the pitch-black infirmary. Hearing this laughter, Sora instinctively curled up her body, uneasily gazing around.

”Who is it? Who’s laughing?”

”Hehehe... hehehe...”

However, the laughter kept growing more eerie, and soon, Sora fearfully saw a desk lamp that had been extinguished suddenly light up, flickering ceaselessly. Following this, a crimson figure emerged from the darkness, spreading its arms, advancing step by step towards Sora.

”Don’t come near!! Brother, help me!”

Seeing this terrifying red figure, Sora panicked instantly. She didn’t know what it was, but instinctively felt it wasn’t anything good!

Facing the advancing red figure, Sora hurriedly stood up, intending to flee. But perhaps due to her unfamiliarity with a body with a tail, she hadn’t gone more than a few steps before tripping over her tail and falling headlong to the ground.

”Hehehe... let’s play together...”

Meanwhile, the red figure was closing in more and more on Sora.

”No, don’t...”

Seeing the increasingly close red figure, Sora started shaking.

”Don’t come closer, don’t come closer...”

”Hehehe...”

By now, the red figure was right in front of Sora, and at the same time, Sora clearly saw a ghost that had long died inside the red figure, watching her with a chilling smile. It grinned and extended its hand toward Sora.

”Come on...”

”No------!!”

Just as the red ghost was about to touch Sora, she screamed again, and at that moment, her eyes transformed into golden vertical pupils. Simultaneously, the scream that came from her mouth turned into a thunderous roar, an invisible force condensed and exploded, as if a hammer smashed the red figure before her into pieces.

”Ah---!!”

Accompanied by a miserable scream, the next moment, the red ghost in front of Sora was torn apart as if caught in a storm, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

”Ha... ha...”

Watching this scene, Sora panted heavily. At this moment, her mind was completely chaotic.

What on earth is happening? Why have I become like this?

”Brother... save me...”

Mumbling quietly, Sora tightly held herself and curled up into a ball in the corner, continuously sobbing.