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

Chapter 1525: Chapter 1523: The Second Victim

”Alright, let me think this through.”

Fang Zheng set down the teacup in his hand, looking at the blonde, blue-eyed young man before him.

”What you mean is, you don’t want to inherit the Magic Crest, so your family let your sister inherit it. But because the compatibility between her and the Magic Crest was too good, it caused her vitality to significantly decrease after inheriting it. So, to protect your sister, you had to choose to inherit the crest again... Where’s the problem in this?”

”The problem lies in the crest, which was removed from Rosalind, undergoing a qualitative change.”

Haine showed a bitter smile.

”I can feel that the Magic Crest is absorbing my vitality. Maybe if this continues, it won’t be long before I die.”

”So you want to remove it? Since your family has removed it once before, it shouldn’t be difficult to do it again, right?”

”The problem is, the crest has already invaded internally, and there’s no way to remove it again.”

”I see, like cancer spreading, I understand.”

Fang Zheng nodded upon hearing this, realizing that the young man’s condition was like terminal cancer spread. If it were in the early stages, it could be excised and treated. But once it spreads, it’s essentially a death sentence.

Thinking of this, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but glance at Rosalind, who was watching animations on her laptop not far away.

”So you want help from the World Tree of a Thousand Realms? Of course, that’s no problem, we have the necessary technology. The premise is you trust us, but you should know our requirements.”

”Join the World Tree of a Thousand Realms... To be frank, that’s virtually impossible.”

”Then let me put it another way, suppose you get the Magic Crest out of your body, then what? Your family needs an heir. If you can’t, and Rosalind can’t, then what?”

”This...”

”To be honest, I’ve always thought it’s stupid for a Magician to be shackled by the Magic Crest.”

Fang Zheng leaned back in his chair and stretched lazily.

”What was the Magic Crest initially invented for? To ensure the Mage could smoothly inherit the legacy? To allow the Mage to move towards the Vortex of Origin? But no matter whether you regard the Magic Crest as a family tradition or what nonsense, ultimately, isn’t it just a tool? Just like humans invented cars as a means of transportation; even though cars greatly facilitate travel, it doesn’t mean people won’t walk without them, right?”

At this, Fang Zheng snorted softly.

”Mistaking means for ends is a mistake only humans would make, being controlled by what’s supposed to be controlled, it’s truly ridiculous.”

”Just as you said.”

At this moment, Haine’s expression also became much more somber.

”Then, what’s your proposal?”

”I think someone as smart as you should know why we, the World Tree of a Thousand Realms, are here. To be honest, we will soon start a full-scale war with the Mage’s Association, a war where only one side can survive. If we win, the old doctrines and irrational hierarchical solidification that once bound Mages will be shattered.”

This time, Fang Zheng also restrained his smile, gazing seriously at the young man with blonde hair and blue eyes.

”Next, it’s up to your choice.”

”... But it’s a very dangerous choice.”

Of course, Haine understood Fang Zheng’s intentions. Joining the World Tree of a Thousand Realms means that once war officially breaks out, the Ilvista House would be completely at odds with the Mage’s Association. If the World Tree wins, it’s fine; but if it loses, the Ilvista Family would suffer a devastating blow.

”Of course, I’m not saying we have a 100% chance of winning... That’s a scam; everything has risks. If there were no risks, why would we travel all this way to poach? Most importantly, we need partners who share our ideals, not those looking to split the cake once victorious. If you also believe the current rules and laws of the Magic World are wrong—curses and shackles binding Mages—and you want to break them, change everything, then join us.”

Saying this, Fang Zheng spread his hands.

”We’ve laid out all we can offer; now it’s your choice.”

”... Please allow me some time to think.”

”Of course, no problem. Just don’t die; your sister would be sad.”

”Thank you for your advice.”

Upon hearing this, a slight smile appeared on Haine’s face. Then he stood up, looking at Rosalind, who was deeply engrossed in the animation not far away.

”Time to go, Rosalind.”

”Huh? Brother, is the conversation done?”

Called by name, Rosalind seemed a bit surprised. She somewhat reluctantly shifted her gaze back to her laptop screen, like a child called to do homework in the middle of watching cartoons. But she quickly withdrew her gaze, obediently bowing to Fang Zheng and Hana, then turned to leave with Haine.

”Such a well-behaved and cute child.”

Once the two of them left, Hana came over, thinking softly.

”It’s clear she really loves her brother.”

”Yes, but unfortunately, in the world of Mages, this often ends in tragedy.”

Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders, then seemed to think of something and turned to look at Hana.

”By the way, Hana, let me ask you a question — do you know why they call themselves magicians instead of mages?”

”Why?”

Hearing this, Hana was taken aback, while Fang Zheng smiled.

”Because what they use is actually magecraft, not magic... at least, it’s different from the magic you’ve studied.”

”Is it really different?”

”Of course. The essence of the shaping type magic you study is the analysis, perception, construction, and control of the world. By chanting the correct spell text, using the correct casting gestures, and guiding the magic power correctly, you achieve the correct result. This process is the same as solving an equation or a problem, but magecraft is different.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng opened his hands, then clenched them, and opened them again.

”You’ve seen magic shows, right?”

”Yes, of course, I’ve seen them.”

”That’s the essence of magecraft, deception, like this...”

Suddenly, three balls appeared in Fang Zheng’s hand. Then she reached out to grab them, and the balls disappeared without a trace, replaced by a flower. Then Fang Zheng took a towel from somewhere nearby, covered the flower with it, and when she lifted it, a dove flew into the air.

”You must have seen this kind of performance many times.”

”Hmm.”

Hana nodded. This was a conventional performance in magic shows on TV, and she had seen it many times.

”But you also know that these magic tricks have mechanisms and tricks. They only deceive our eyes and perception, making it feel magical. And the magecraft these magicians use operates on the same principle, but they deceive not the audience but the whole world. That’s why they refer to what they use as magecraft, not magic.”

”Deceive... the world?”

”Exactly, just like this cloth in a magician’s hand. You can’t see what’s underneath or how it works; you just know the magician covers it, lifts it, and the flower becomes a dove. This process is the magician’s ’secret,’ their key to deceiving the entire world.”

Saying this, Fang Zheng let out a slight snort.

”But fake is fake. Do you know why magecraft wanes as the world advances? It’s because their methods of ’deception’ can’t stand the test of time. For example, there was a family whose magecraft theory was the mystery of the human body. Since others didn’t understand the human body, they could freely use these methods to modify and process their magecraft. But with the advancement of surgical medicine, the human body is no longer mysterious to most; people know appendicitis requires surgery, the locations of the heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and kidneys, and what a bone fracture entails. At this point, their magecraft falls apart.”

”Why?”

Hearing this, Hana curiously asked, and Fang Zheng chuckled.

”Simple, they can no longer fool others. For instance, look here... if I point here, you’ll die of an exploded head in three seconds! Three hundred years ago, people might have been afraid since no one knew how the human body worked, so your magecraft ’succeeded.’ But now... if I poke, I poke...”

”Ah hahaha, Little Hong, stop poking, it tickles so much...”

Waving a hand in front of her chest, Hana laughed as she dodged Fang Zheng’s attack. After taking advantage a few more times, Fang Zheng retracted his hand.

”See, no reaction. Nowadays, people know a simple point won’t cause heads to explode, so their magecraft sets them up for failure. The principle is the same as street performers smashing bricks with bare hands. You once thought they were strong and amazing, but modern science has proven these bricks are tampered with and there’s a method and angle to their breaking. Once you understand, even a three-year-old can break them.”

Fang Zheng shrugged his shoulders again.

”So now you rarely see street performers doing such acts. Once exposed, they’re done. Magicians are fundamentally no different. They’re just higher-level tricksters, but once exposed, they’re just as finished. As science progresses, magecraft fades. Their theories, based on ancient superstitions, myths, and legends, are unmasked by modern science, leaving only fraudulent trickery.”

Indeed, this reveals the true nature of magecraft in the Type Moon World and why it’s called magecraft instead of magic.

Like urban legends such as the Slit-Mouthed Woman, people fear her and her rumored ability to tear people’s mouths. But once the police catch her, discovering she’s merely a victim of failed surgery, and her attacks on passersby stem from mental stress and agitation, the mystique surrounding the Slit-Mouthed Woman vanishes immediately.

Because the ”truth” has been discovered, anything said afterward is merely ”gossip” and can’t transform into ”truth.”

Magic is different.

If magecraft is about deceiving the world, magic is about recreating the world’s essence. Like mathematicians using equations and numbers to unravel the world’s truths. Numbers don’t lie, so magic won’t lose its effect because it’s unmasked like magecraft.

On the contrary, the more people seek to uncover magic’s true nature, the stronger it becomes.

At this point, Fang Zheng closed the notebook in his hand.

That’s why the decline of magicians and the Mage’s Association is inevitable.

Because they fundamentally understand nothing.

And so, another peaceful day passed. Everything was normal; except for Haine and Rosalind, no one approached Fang Zheng. He understood this well — the Gold Drill-Head Noble House was thriving, and the old guy in the wheelchair was an old guard benefiting from the status quo. They would never side with the World Tree of a Thousand Realms.

Now, Fang Zheng just waited for this monkey show to end.

Unfortunately, on the morning of the fourth day, the second victim appeared.

The location was still in front of the angel statue in the hall, but this time, the victim was different, with the body torn apart and exploded, identifiable only by the damaged wheelchair.

And that was Orlok Xisamond, the elder of Butterfly Magic.