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

Saten Ruiko had thought about finding treasure, but the kind of treasure she envisioned was either gold, silver, and jewels, or exquisite artworks and antiques. Yet, Saten Ruiko could never have imagined finding a person?

Wait a minute, Mr. Fang Zheng and Miss Feli had mentioned before that this city had been overrun for almost a century now!

Recalling Miss Feli’s introduction on the Void Radiant Ship, Ruiko felt a chill run down her spine.

Could this person be dead...? But that’s not right?

If she were dead, then wouldn’t she have turned to bones over these hundred years? Moreover, upon closer inspection, Saten Ruiko found it was just an ordinary box, not wired up to anything, and it didn’t resemble those glass tanks from the movies. Plus, the girl’s chest was still subtly rising and falling, indicating she was breathing!

She’s just asleep!

”Are you okay?”

Curiously, Ruiko leaned beside the box, cautiously extended her fingertip, and poked the girl’s cheek.

Wow, what a beautiful girl, pale skin, soft and smooth, with long eyelashes, she looked so gorgeous...

Ruiko was enthralled staring at the girl before her. And under Ruiko’s gaze, the girl slowly opened her eyes.

”Wow!”

Startled, Ruiko quickly stood up, while the girl also took Ruiko’s cue and slowly stood up, stepping out of the box.

”Um... hello?”

Looking at the girl in front, Saten Ruiko cautiously greeted her.

”I’m Saten Ruiko, what’s your name? Do you understand what I’m saying?”

”.........”

The girl slowly raised her head, appearing to be deep in thought or perhaps awakening from a long dream and still disoriented. Without saying a word, she began to walk toward the door.

”Hey? Wait, where are you going?”

Seeing the girl seemingly intending to leave, Saten Ruiko, perplexed, hurriedly followed.

”This city is deserted, Miss Feli said it had been infested by Contaminated Beasts for nearly a hundred years, there’s only a few of us here... Ah, why don’t I take you to meet Mr. Fang Zheng? If you have any issues, you can discuss with him. I’m sure Mr. Fang Zheng will help you solve them...”

”...the smell...”

”Eh?”

However, before Saten Ruiko could finish speaking, the blue-haired girl interrupted her.

”Disgusting.”

”.....Eh? Eh?”

”You reek of human smell.”

The blue-haired girl slowly gazed at Saten Ruiko, then turned her head away again.

”So, I dislike you.”

”.....Eh?!!”

Stunned by the girl’s abrupt declaration, Ruiko was left at a loss for words. The girl, having said her piece, continued walking.

”Ah, wait for me...!”

Though confused, Ruiko was reluctant to let such a girl wander alone in this city, thus hurriedly chased after her.

”Um... what’s your name?”

”.........”

”Really, this city is abandoned, you’re in great danger alone, ah, don’t worry, we’re not bad people. Mr. Fang Zheng is just here investigating the city core for something...”

As she spoke, the blue-haired girl halted—not because of Ruiko’s words, but because... the path ahead had collapsed.

”Um... truthfully, you should go back with me to find Mr. Fang Zheng; we managed to get here using special means, so leaving might be near impossible...”

Only then did the blue-haired girl turn to face Ruiko. But just as she was about to speak, a jarring ”creak” sounded, and in the next moment the steel deck beneath the blue-haired girl suddenly gave way, causing her to fall!

”Not good!”

”Clang!!”

Saten Ruiko reacted swiftly, grabbing the girl’s hand as she fell, while clutching onto a nearby railing with her other hand.

”Quick, climb up...”

”.........”

The blue-haired girl displayed an incredulous expression at Ruiko’s grip, yet soon reached out her other hand toward Ruiko.

But at that moment...

”Crack... crack...”

The structure here predates back over a century; wind and rain had weathered it into decay. The railing Ruiko used for support began bending, fracturing. Feeling the pivoting bar in her hand, Saten Ruiko turned pale.

”Quick! I-I can’t hold on much longer...”

”Clang!”

Just then, the blue-haired girl grasped Ruiko’s hand, yet...

”Bang!!”

The railing finally reached its breaking point, emitting an ear-piercing noise before shattering; Ruiko, now off-balance, was pulled down by the blue-haired girl, the pair tumbling from the fractured tunnel steps into darkness below!

”Wa ah... I’m gonna die! Hold onto me!”

Ruiko shouted loudly, gripping the blue-haired girl tightly and holding her in an embrace. Simultaneously, Ruiko clenched her teeth, triggering a violent gale that surged from her side, transforming into a jet stream that mitigated their fall. Then Ruiko struck a lateral blow, sending them spinning horizontally upon impact with the ground. After a few rolls hugging the girl on the floor, they finally came to a stop.

”Phew... Thank goodness...”

Ruiko slowly exhaled, realizing she narrowly escaped death... exploring ruins isn’t as easy as it seems.

”Are you alright?”

Ruiko hastily checked on the blue-haired girl, who shook her head slightly.

”Phew... As long as you’re okay. Can you stand?”

As she spoke, Ruiko stood up, extending a hand to the blue-haired girl, who after a moment’s hesitation took Ruiko’s hand and got to her feet.

”Oh... now what should we do?”

The unfamiliar surroundings tipped Ruiko off to their predicament; her flashlight had shattered during Lei’s rescue, leaving her smartphone in her pocket as the only device, yet...

”Ah, no signal, I guess that’s expected.”

Looking at the ”Outside the Circle” text on the screen, Ruiko remained calm. After all, this is another world, right? It would be weird if there was a signal.

”Anyway, let’s stay here for now. Mr. Fang Zheng and the others will surely come looking for me once they realize I’m missing. Ugh... though, I’ll probably get a good scolding.”

Speaking of which, Ruiko was a bit downcast. She could foresee that after this incident, Mr. Fang Zheng might not bring her along next time, considering she’s caused trouble... Though, strictly speaking, this wasn’t entirely her fault, discussing this now felt pointless.

”On the way back, Classmate Shirai will keep nagging... Ah... Hatsuharu isn’t here either, looks like I’m done for this time...!”

However, before she could finish speaking, Saten Reiko suddenly stopped.

Not because of anything else, but fear.

An instinctive feeling of dread warned her that danger was approaching...

”Boom!!”

Suddenly, the ground not far from Saten Reiko and the blue-haired girl caved in, and immediately, a gigantic beetle-like creature emerged, staring intently at Saten Reiko. It resembled the group Fang Zheng had encountered earlier, albeit smaller in size. The monsters Fang Zheng faced were as big as a heavy tank, but this one was only slightly larger than a regular motorcycle.

Yet, for Saten Reiko, this was terrifying enough!

”Is this the Contaminated Beast!?”

Though Saten Reiko hadn’t seen a Contaminated Beast before, Fang Zheng had mentioned them to her. Seeing this monster with its terrifying appearance, her mind immediately went to that.

”Boom boom boom!!”

Soon after, several Contaminated Beasts emerged from the ground, coldly staring at Saten Reiko. Witnessing this, Saten Reiko unhesitatingly grabbed the blue-haired girl’s hand and ran.

”Follow me!”

Saten Reiko initially hoped to stay put and wait for rescue, but now that monsters had arrived before people, she had to run for her life. Saten Reiko judged her abilities accurately; if they were human, she might stand a chance, but against such monsters, she had no experience and wasn’t sure if her abilities would work against them...

So at this moment, the best strategy was to flee!

With that in mind, Ruiko quickly grabbed the blue-haired girl’s hand and dashed towards a different passage.

”Boom———!!”

Meanwhile, from all directions, Contaminated Beasts emerged from the ground, lunging toward Ruiko and the blue-haired girl.

In such a situation, Ruiko quickly realized things were taking a turn for the worse.

”Surrounded...”

Standing at the T-shaped passageway, surrounded by Contaminated Beasts on all sides, Ruiko’s expression changed slightly.

”No choice left...”

Muttering to herself, Ruiko looked toward the blue-haired girl beside her.

”In a moment, I’ll break through on the right side and try to make an opening. You must run out immediately and get Mr. Fang Zheng to save me. I’ll do my best to hold on until then!”

”......Why?”

At this moment, the blue-haired girl abruptly grabbed Ruiko’s hand and silently gazed at her.

”Why are you saving me?”

”Because I want to be friends with you.”

Facing the blue-haired girl’s response, Ruiko smiled softly and raised the longsword in her hand.

”I don’t know who you are or what you’ve been through, but precisely because of that, I want to be friends with you. And if someone right in front of me encounters danger, I can’t turn a blind eye! If this continues, we’ll both die. So it’s better to save at least one of us!”

Having said that, the whirlwind surrounding Ruiko suddenly burst forth. Then, the next moment, Ruiko charged forward with a whistle, raising the longsword toward the Contaminated Beast ahead! Seeing the prey voluntarily come closer, the creature also raised its forelegs and swung powerfully at Ruiko.

”Wind’s Barrier!”

At the moment the Contaminated Beast launched its attack, Ruiko abruptly swung her longsword, and a howling whirlwind rose up from the ground, forming a barrier that blocked the beast’s assault. Ruiko then gripped the longsword tightly as the airflow rapidly rotated and spread.

”Gale End Slash!”

With the swing of her blade, the wind compressed, swung, and shot out swiftly. The rotating gale wrapped around the Contaminated Beast like a chain, fatally trapping it, and its forelimbs were completely severed. The pain caused the beast to let out a roar.

”Got it!”

Seeing this, Ruiko exclaimed in excitement, but what happened next left her in shock.

The forelimbs of the Contaminated Beast that had been cut off suddenly regrew fresh flesh, and rapidly hardened at a visible speed. In just the blink of an eye, the beast’s forelimbs were restored as if nothing had happened!

”No way!”

Ruiko was stunned by this sight, but she had no time to think further because the binding storm was weakening, and the Contaminated Beast roared fiercely, breaking free from the wind and launched another attack at Ruiko!

”Oh no!!”

”Bang!!”

This time, Ruiko barely managed to raise her longsword before she was struck by the Contaminated Beast and sent flying into the wall behind her.

”Ugh!!”

The intense impact combined with pain made Ruiko let out a scream. When she opened her eyes, she could only vaguely see a mass of writhing shadows.

This is bad, I must get up quickly...

Ruiko wanted to stand, but that strike left her quite injured, and every movement came with a burning pain. Her strength seemed to seep out of her body like air from a punctured balloon.

”Snap.”

At this moment, Ruiko suddenly felt someone grip her right hand. Turning her head, she saw the blue-haired girl silently watching her.

”Why didn’t you... run?”

”I don’t understand, you are human but different from others... because you’re different... that’s why...”

As the blue-haired girl spoke, the next moment, the wind suddenly erupted, enveloping Ruiko and the girl.

Is this... wind? Could this girl be an Ability User too?

Witnessing this, Ruiko was astonished, but as the blue-haired girl held her hand, a sweet voice resounded in Ruiko’s mind.

”Beautiful starry night, thread of connection, mutual understanding, in the Field of Heaven, pursuing fear, hiding deep within...”

What is this? It feels like it’s coming directly from the mind...

Listening to this voice, Ruiko realized she seemed to merge with the wind. She hadn’t noticed that at the same time, a mysterious symbol appeared on her forehead...

The next moment, Ruiko opened her eyes again, and yet...

”What is this!”

Looking at the huge azure blade on her right hand, Saten Reiko was utterly stunned.