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

Chapter 1403: Chapter 1402: Charge Straight Ahead (Not Drawing Ling Is Absolutely Impossible!)

”So, let’s sort this out.”

Fang Zheng waved his hand, signaling both parties to calm down.

”Based on the information we just gathered, the sequence of events is as follows: Nakajima Naomi and Shihara Seiko were sent to this space together, and then they started seeking help from others. During this process, Nakajima Naomi accidentally injured her leg, and Shihara Seiko helped bandage it before taking Nakajima Naomi to the infirmary to rest. Then, upon hearing what seemed like the voice of a friend’s younger sister, Shihara Seiko went to investigate, leaving Nakajima Naomi to rest in the infirmary. Subsequently, Nakajima Naomi was attacked by a ghost and, after desperately escaping, encountered the returning Shihara Seiko... Do either of you have any questions up to this point?”

”No.”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Nakajima Naomi and Shihara Seiko both shook their heads.

”Then, following that, Nakajima Naomi and the returning Shihara Seiko had an argument... and then you two separated, right?”

”Yes...”

At this point, Naomi glanced uneasily at Seiko, then lowered her head.

”I’m very sorry, Seiko, I didn’t mean to say those things back then...”

”...”

However, faced with Naomi’s apology, Seiko showed a somewhat bewildered expression, not knowing what to say for a moment.

”And that is where the problem lies.”

Fang Zheng snapped his fingers.

”According to what Shihara Seiko just told me, after she left, she wanted to find a place to be alone and calm down, then heard Nakajima Naomi calling for her. She went over but was knocked out. When she regained consciousness, she found herself in a stall in the third-floor restroom with her hands tied behind her back, and trying to kill her was actually Nakajima Naomi... correct?”

”Yes.”

Shihara Seiko nodded.

”I kept telling her to stop, but Naomi seemed like she had gone mad at that time and wouldn’t listen to me. If it wasn’t for Touma and Komizo saving me, I’m afraid...”

Recalling the scene from that time, Shihara Seiko couldn’t help but shiver. Fang Zheng patted her on the shoulder, signaling her to calm down, and then looked at Nakajima Naomi.

”But according to Nakajima Naomi, she never met Shihara Seiko after they separated, and you also don’t remember what happened?”

”Yes...”

Nakajima Naomi nodded.

”At that time... I felt very uncomfortable, like something was stuck in my throat, and I couldn’t speak at all. Then, somehow... I lost consciousness. In fact, when I regained consciousness, it was already when everyone saved me.”

”...hey, hey, hey, what the hell is going on here?”

This time, even the yellow-haired guy was scratching his head anxiously, but Fang Zheng remained calm.

”It’s simple. One of them was possessed by a ghost.”

”Possessed by a ghost?”

”You can understand it as being controlled by a ghost. Perhaps the one controlling Nakajima Naomi’s body at that time wasn’t herself but an evil spirit. It probably wanted to kill Shihara Seiko first, then kill Nakajima Naomi herself... In fact, when we found her, Nakajima Naomi was almost dead. That hanging method was clearly not just an attempt or an act—it was real and could have killed her, but Nakajima Naomi herself had no awareness. Even when we saved her, she didn’t realize she was hanging...”

”I can’t believe such a thing... ”

Hearing this, everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to say, while Fang Zheng clapped his hands.

”So, do you understand? From now on, no one is allowed to act alone. No matter what it is, there must be at least three people together, and unless absolutely necessary, don’t leave my sight. Understand?”

”Yes...”

Everyone nodded, realizing that the situation here was far more dangerous than they had imagined. In fact, if Komizo Yukina and Kazusa Touma hadn’t testified that they had stayed in the classroom after rescuing Shihara Seiko, others might have suspected that Shihara Seiko was trying to kill Nakajima Naomi.

Fortunately, as both parties had clear alibis, the misunderstanding was finally cleared up.

However, this was still a trial for their friendship.

Afterwards, Nakajima Naomi pulled Shihara Seiko aside and formally apologized to her, while Shihara Seiko expressed her concern for Nakajima Naomi. Although it seemed like the incident was behind them, the effect it might have on their friendship... well, it didn’t really concern Fang Zheng.

At the moment, he was focused on the situation with Yukina and Touma.

Yukina wasn’t hurt, but Touma’s hands had a few scratches, as she had been holding a chair and facing off against those bizarre strands of hair earlier. Those worn-out chairs were themselves incomplete, so Touma’s hands had several wounds. At this moment, Fang Zheng was holding Touma’s right hand and carefully wiping her wounds.

”You did well... it’s fortunate that they’re just scratches...”

While wiping the blood on the back of Touma’s hand with a handkerchief, Fang Zheng sighed helplessly.

”You’re a pianist, after all; you should be more careful... Of course, if you were dead, there would be nothing to say...”

”Hmph, I know without you telling me... Ouch!”

Originally, Touma tried to maintain a stoic expressionless face, but the next moment she furrowed her brow and couldn’t help but let out a low cry. Fang Zheng then put down the handkerchief and nodded.

”Well... This is the best I can do for now. There’s no water here, so I can’t wash the wounds... Hmm, hold on...”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng leaned closer to the wound on the back of Touma’s hand.

”Wait, wait, what are you doing?!”

Facing this unexpected ”assault,” Touma instinctively wanted to pull her hand back, but Fang Zheng grabbed it.

”Using saliva to disinfect. We don’t have any usable water here, and this space is filled with undead grievances, so you can’t use anything here. Who knows if there might be any curses or infections—this will have to do for now... Alright, hold still.”

”Ugh...”

Then he took out a handkerchief and wrapped up the wound.

”Alright, that’s it for now.”

”Ah... Hmm...”

Touma now had a flushed face and bowed her head, unable to say a word. Standing behind her, Yukina’s gaze was exceptionally complicated...

The successful rescue of Touma and Yukina allowed Fang Zheng to breathe a sigh of relief. After all, to him, the ”main characters” in this instance were just incidental; what mattered most were his own girls. Even though Sora was still nowhere to be found, rescuing Touma and Yukina was at least a good start.

However, what Fang Zheng didn’t expect was that the highly frustrating event occurred just as he saved Touma and Yukina.

”No one here?”

Returning to Class 1-A, Shihara Ayumi was dumbfounded as she faced the empty classroom, unsure of what to say.

”How can that be? Everyone was here earlier!”

”Perhaps they went to look for others.”

Compared to the panicked Shihara Ayumi, Setsuna was noticeably calmer.

”In a place like this, acting separately is very foolish. Maybe they went searching for you...”

”But we didn’t see anyone on our way here!”

”Maybe they took a wrong turn, it wouldn’t be surprising...”

At this point, Setsuna glanced behind her.

”We should leave quickly and take a different path this time; we should catch up with the others...”

”Ugh.........”

However, before Setsuna could finish speaking, she saw Ayumi let out a painful moan, then squatted down, holding her head.

”What’s wrong?”

”I, I don’t know...... I feel so uncomfortable, it’s like there are so many voices, so many voices......... Ah...... Ahhhhh!!”

Suddenly, Ayumi began to scream continuously, then suddenly pushed Setsuna away and ran madly towards the corridor.

”Shihara?”

Watching the frantically running Ayumi, Setsuna was slightly taken aback, but she didn’t hesitate and hurriedly chased after her.

After this, Ayumi almost sprinted all the way and then arrived at the end of the corridor on the first floor. When Setsuna caught up, she found Ayumi standing there, shouting at the corner of the wall.

”What’s it to me? It’s you who didn’t listen to me!! Serves you right! Now it all serves you right!!”

While shouting loudly, Ayumi’s expression suddenly turned ferocious, then became sorrowful again.

”Please, let me go, I have a seven-year-old child, he can’t live without me......”

However, the next moment, the crying Ayumi suddenly jumped up.

”Hahaha, serves you right, die, die!! Me too, you all too!!”

”Shihara?!”

Seeing Ayumi’s behavior of crying and laughing, Setsuna was quite scared, but she forced herself to calm down, grabbed Ayumi’s arm.

”Get a grip!”

”Wahahahaha!!”

”Smack!!”

Without hesitation, Setsuna slapped Ayumi across the face. With the slap, Ayumi wobbled for a moment, then regained her clarity.

”Huh? Kiyora? What’s going on?”

”You don’t remember? Just now, you seemed to have gone crazy, saying things that didn’t make sense......”

”I...... I......”

Hearing Setsuna’s inquiry, Ayumi frowned and then showed some fear on her face.

”I heard so many voices, so many terrifying voices, many people died, I...... I......”

”Thump...... Thump......”

But before Ayumi could continue, suddenly, heavy footsteps sounded from afar. Hearing these footsteps, the two were both shocked internally—they both knew very well, the owner of these footsteps was that terrifying person with a dreadful weapon!!

”Quick, hide!”

”Hide...... where to hide!?”

At the end of the corridor, they found walls on both sides, and there wasn’t even a cleaning closet. There’s no place to hide, and what was even more despairing was that the creature’s footsteps were getting closer!

”Thump...... Thump......”

”Quick, get in here!”

At this moment, Setsuna’s eyes lit up, and she quickly grabbed Ayumi, hiding in the gap under the damaged floorboards.

”Thump...... Thump......”

The heavy footsteps got closer, causing the floorboards to creak under the weight. The two held their breaths, curled up in the small space under the floorboards. They could sense that the creature had stopped not far from them.

”............”

Time seemed to stop at this moment, they covered their mouths, but even so, they could still hear their racing hearts, as if their hearts were about to leap out of their throats, almost suffocating them.

”Thump...... Thump......”

However, this time the creature seemed blind, and after not finding anyone, it turned to leave. Hearing the footsteps fading away, Setsuna and Ayumi both sighed in relief.

But they didn’t expect that at this moment suddenly, a loud noise erupted from above their heads.

”Bang!!”

With the loud sound, the wooden plank above their heads shattered instantly. They looked up in terror and saw the creature holding a massive hammer, coldly staring at them!!

At this point, Ayumi could no longer hold on and screamed.

”Ahhh—————!!!”

The piercing scream echoed in the corridor, and hearing this scream, Fang Zheng and the others also jolted in spirit.

”That’s Shihara’s voice!!”

Hearing this voice, the blonde also quickened his pace, and others followed closely.

Before long, they arrived at where the sound originated, but...... there was no one here.

”Help! Help!!”

The screams echoed in the empty corridor, as if the person was right in front of them, but all they saw was the corridor itself and nothing else.

”Shihara!!!”

The blonde couldn’t help but shout out.

”Where are you?!!!”

”Kashizawa!!!”

Soon, Ayumi’s voice rang out again, this time everyone could hear it clearly as if it was right beside them, but...... they couldn’t see her.

”Save us, that creature, that creature...... ah!!”

Quickly, amidst the screaming, they heard banging and crashing sounds, making them jumpy.

”Haruno!”

”I know, it seems they’re not in the same space as us.”

Of course, Fang Zheng understood what’s going on, they weren’t in the same space, so even if at the same position, they couldn’t meet.

Of course, according to games, they should now explore a maze, activate mechanisms, and maybe even perform some ritual to pass through, but for Fang Zheng.........

Charging head-on is enough!

With this thought, Fang Zheng clenched his right fist, the crimson Primordial Fire erupted once more from his hand.

Then, Fang Zheng clenched his fist and swung it forward with all his strength!!