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

Chapter 1533: Chapter 1531: Dead Already? (Cat Curled Up Licking Its Paws)

”Looks like it’s over on that side.”

Fang Zheng withdrew his gaze, looking at the Dead Apostle in front of him.

”So, it’s about time for you to die as well!”

”I won’t go down that easily, Magician!”

However, even though the beast horde he summoned was being crushed by the Undead Legion, Nero’s expression did not waver in the slightest. He was not merely Nero, or rather, he was not just Nero; he was the collective embodiment of six hundred and sixty-six beasts within his body that formed the existence known as Nero Chaos, the Dead Apostle. Even when those beasts were killed, they merely returned to his body and weren’t destroyed in a true sense.

Because of this, he had the confidence to face the Scourge Legion ahead of him.

But the problem was...

”I’m not a Magician.”

Fang Zheng raised the Frostmourne in his hand as crimson flames began to blaze around him.

”I am the magical girl Red Ponytail, which is worlds apart from the Magician you speak of!”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng raised his right hand toward the sky.

”Phantom Flame Pillar!”

As Fang Zheng spoke, a beam of light shot straight up into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. Seeing this, Nero was momentarily stunned, but before he could comprehend it, suddenly, flames descended from the heavens, crashing directly onto Nero’s body.

”Uwaaahhhh!!”

With a painful groan, Nero’s expression finally changed.

”What is this... What is it? No, my body... can’t move...”

”Don’t even think about breaking free; even Aoko couldn’t escape from this! Come on!”

Scorching crimson flames rolled over the surface of Frostmourne. With that, Fang Zheng raised the 40-meter-long Flame Greatsword in his hand high, while the thruster on his back erupted with a dazzling radiance, propelling his small stature forward like lightning.

”Scorching Burst Slash!!”

A flash of fire streaked past.

The sharp blade pierced fiercely into Nero’s body, pinning him to the ground. Initially, Nero’s expression bore a mocking smile. Burning a Vampire with fire might work on Lesser Dead Apostles, but unfortunately for them, he was at the level of The Twenty-Seven Ancestors, and wouldn’t be defeated just like that...

”You, what did you do!?”

However, just as Nero was about to unleash the Beasts within him, he discovered the problem.

An ice-cold, bone-chilling sensation penetrated every corner of his body, freezing his soul in stark contrast to the roaring flames.

”What is this? Is it a Magic Sword from the Age of Gods? Why do you possess something like this... ugh...!!”

At this moment, Nero couldn’t speak at all. He was now trapped at the boundary between fire and ice. The scorching Primordial Fire burned his body, gradually transforming his chaos-forged being into firewood. At the same time, the frost of Frostmourne froze his soul, extracting and peeling it away, mercilessly absorbing it into the blade.

Flames emerged from Nero’s mouth cavities and eye sockets. His body melted like a wax figure while his soul was peeled away, wailing and screaming, forcibly drawn into the cold blade of Frostmourne.

In less than five seconds, the once overconfident Dead Apostle had vanished completely from this world.

”For a Dead Apostle, that’s all the skill you have.”

Fang Zheng withdrew his Longsword, giving it a casual flick. In an instant, the fierce cold wind and icy plain disappeared, and the warm, gentle hotel lobby reappeared before them.

”Miss Little Red...”

”Nicely done, Akiha.”

Facing Akiha, who had come to his side, Fang Zheng smiled and gave a thumbs up.

”Alright, now we should go and see... oh no, something seems amiss!”

With that, Fang Zheng’s expression suddenly changed, because he realized that just a moment ago, Arcueid’s life force seemed to have vanished?!

”Let’s go!”

Thinking of this, Fang Zheng didn’t hesitate any longer. He grabbed Akiha’s hand, and the next moment, with a flash of radiance, the two vanished into thin air.

Then, another flash of radiance, and this time they appeared in a deserted park.

But in comparison, there was something more troubling here.

”Uwaah... how gruesome.”

Seeing the scene before him, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but gasp, while Akiha instinctively covered her mouth.

The reason was simple.

Because before them, on the ground of the park, Arcueid, who had just separated from them, had turned into a corpse.

Strictly speaking, the remains of a corpse.

Her body was cut and separated, arms, hands, elbows, waist, chest, shoulders, neck—she appeared to be dismembered, her parts scattered all over.

”This is...”

”Has she actually been taken down?”

Fang Zheng scratched his head, to be honest, this was unexpected for him. Arcueid had seemed so confident, and besides, she was Aertulky’s sister, so Fang Zheng assumed she would be fine. But now... well, it seems he messed up after all.

”Miss Little Red, Miss Arcueid, she...”

”Wait.”

Fang Zheng extended his hand, halting Akiha, and once again looked at the corpse in front of him.

Next, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

The previously dismembered corpse and the blood flowing on the ground began to reverse as if time itself was rewinding. Gradually, the severed parts reattached, making Akiha stand there dumbfounded, watching this unbelievable sight.

After a while, the once shredded Arcueid was whole again. With a groan, she flipped herself over.

”Hey, are you still alive?”

Fang Zheng crouched down, lightly patting her face.

”Uh... Still okay...”

Arcueid looked like she just couldn’t get out of bed due to low blood pressure in the morning, squinting her eyes and waving her hand, while Fang Zheng reached out, rummaged through his pocket, and then took out a bag of blood.

”Want to drink this?”

”What’s this?”

”Blood, but it’s not fresh. It’s from the blood bank, refrigerated, should be nice and cool to drink, want to have a sip?”

”.........”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Arcueid’s expression instantly became much more complicated. She stared at the blood bag for a moment, then turned her head away.

”No need, not interested.”

”I see, then never mind.”

Fang Zheng put the blood bag away again, originally thinking Arcueid was low on blood, but it seemed like that wasn’t the case.

”So what’s going on with you? I thought you’d handle it easily.”

”Misjudged. I didn’t expect that guy would get such a troublesome thing... I kind of underestimated him.”

While speaking softly, Arcueid sat up and looked at her tattered clothes. Fang Zheng then took out another piece of clothing.

”Change your clothes first.”

It wasn’t until they returned to the hotel room that Arcueid explained the situation.

”I’ve been tracking an ancient Dead Apostle. In fact, I’ve killed him seventeen times in a row...”

”Killed him seventeen times in a row and didn’t finish him off? Quite tenacious.”

”No.”

However, in response to Fang Zheng’s tease, Arcueid shook her head.

”In fact, I’ve killed him every time, but he possesses a unique reincarnation technique... Do you understand what I mean? Even if he dies this time, his soul transfers to someone else to resurrect...”

”Oh, I see...”

Fang Zheng understood the principle of reincarnation quite well, so he nodded and posed his question.

”So what went wrong this time?”

”Because I didn’t expect him to gain such power after countless reincarnations!”

With this said, Arcueid clenched her fists, revealing a hint of resentment.

”Originally, every time he reincarnated, his body was weaker than before. But this time, he found a vessel almost perfectly matching his original form, perhaps that’s why... he awakened the Magic Eye.”

”Magic Eye?”

”Yeah... it should be the Eye of Direct Death.”

”The Eye of Direct... ah...!”

Fang Zheng slapped his leg. Having seen Boundary of the Sky, he naturally understood, and beside him, Akiha had a look of sudden realization.

”No wonder you got sliced into pieces.”

Fang Zheng remembered that in the anime Boundary of the Sky, those cut by Ryougi Shiki ended up in tatters. Thinking about it this way, it made sense that Arcueid was cut into such a state.

As for the Dead Apostle awakening the Eye of Direct Death, Fang Zheng didn’t find it surprising; the explanation in Boundary of the Sky suggested that people easily awakened such magic eyes between life and death, not to mention the Dead Apostle was killed seventeen times by Arcueid. Even with a draw of seventeen attempts, you’d get a rare draw, right?

It just so happened that his luck was good enough to draw an SSR this time.

”And then?”

”Although I was severely wounded, I did land a hit on him, so he shouldn’t be able to appear for a while.”

As she spoke, Arcueid touched her stomach.

”But in my current state, I’m afraid I’m not strong enough to confront him... my power’s dried up a lot too.”

”You know...”

Hearing this, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but curiously ask his question.

”You’ve killed him seventeen times, did it never occur to you to find a way to finish him off completely? Get some help, or find some weapons or methods that can definitely take him out... you never thought of that?”

”This........”

Facing Fang Zheng’s inquiry, Arcueid was stunned, then turned her head away.

”This is my problem.”

”I see, you just don’t have any friends, huh.”

”................”

In a way, this sister was more pitiful than her older sister, at least the older sister had a dog.

”Forget it, I’ll handle it, you just watch from the side.”

This hopeless ditz, Fang Zheng might as well take matters into his own hands.

”You?”

”That’s right, unlike you idiot, I have a way to completely kill him.”

While speaking, Fang Zheng reached out and summoned Frostmourne.

And seeing this sword, Arcueid’s expression changed immediately.

”This is...”

”Frostmourne. In short, all you need to know is that it imprisons the souls of all its victims. Since your way of killing is pointless, let me trap that guy’s soul.”

Looking at Arcueid in front of him, Fang Zheng confidently uttered a line befitting a villainous boss.