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

Dr. Yayahiko Oya’s house can be described in one phrase: dirty, messy, and awful.

Not only had the room gone uncleaned for a long time, but the air carried a putrid smell, and on the floor, there were tracks of what looked like slime trails left by some creature slithering past. Seeing this, Saya appeared somewhat embarrassed.

”Dad used to be responsible for cleaning up...”

”.........”

Fang Zheng said nothing but walked over to the bathroom, opened the door, and found the bathtub full of bones from small animals like cats, dogs, and birds...

”Dad told me not to throw them outside indiscriminately, saying it wouldn’t be good if it was discovered...”

At this point, Saya was like a college student caught by the dorm supervisor during an inspection, timidly making excuses but obviously lacking confidence.

With this much garbage, any dorm room would be done for.

Fang Zheng snapped his fingers, and soon, flames appeared out of nowhere, burning all the bones in the bathtub to ash, which dissipated some of the foul smell. He stared at the burning corpses and then asked.

”What do you usually eat?”

”Well... Dad would buy me some food, like chicks and ducklings, and sometimes I would also catch some cats and dogs nearby...”

Saying this, Saya tentatively glanced at Erha, who was staring at her.

”Can’t you eat human food?”

”Human food... doesn’t taste good.”

”Then let me take you for a check-up when I get back.”

Fang Zheng wasn’t particularly surprised by Saya’s answer. Thinking back, since the doctor had summoned Saya, he likely wouldn’t let her roam freely. However, when it came to feeding, considering Dr. Yayahiko Oya’s income, treating Saya like a pet, a cat or dog, wouldn’t be a problem.

Yet in this situation, Saya still needed to eat live meat, which indicated there must be something special involved.

Otherwise, it’s not very difficult to buy a dead pig or cow.

Like the creature Fang Zheng encountered previously in Dunwich, Wilbur’s family fed it by buying cattle and sheep from various places, and if desperate, it would eat people.

Perhaps because there are no farms around here?

”Alright, you go check around, see if there are any clues nearby. You go too.”

Fang Zheng gestured to Nymph and Ryoko Asakura, and also spoke to Saya, after which the three girls dispersed to search the house for clues. However, according to Saya, there were no leads in the house, as she had stayed here all along. If there were clues to be found, Saya wouldn’t need to risk lurking at the hospital.

Speaking of which, the absence of satellite networks is a hassle.

As Fang Zheng leafed through the boring research books on the bookshelf, he sighed and shook his head. In modern times, Little Angel could probably trace the ancestors of someone down to eighteen generations. Unfortunately, in this era, not only is there no network, there’s not even a computer. What could one investigate?

The first electronic computer in human history wouldn’t be developed until 1946, still several years away.

Moreover, it was a device big enough to fill an entire building, probably something Little Angel wouldn’t even want to touch.

Although even touching it wouldn’t serve any purpose.

In fact, in the end, they indeed found nothing of note, except for a few property deeds... Well, finding out that Professor Yayahiko Oya had several other residences besides this one was a decent discovery, but that was about it.

In the following days, Fang Zheng went to work during the day and provided treatment to Ikki Niohsaka. Of course, considering Saya’s behavior in the game, Fang Zheng also had Saya investigate while the other party was unconscious, and Saya expressed that she had the ability to accomplish this transformation, but needed to conduct an experiment first... which might not succeed.

In this regard, Fang Zheng had no moral scruples. He went straight to the prison, grabbed a notorious death row convict, and watched as Saya gleefully toyed with the convict’s brain, finishing the entire research with ease — one must admit, these enchanted are indeed several ranks higher than humans in terms of intelligence. Saya merely read through the human medical treatise of this era, and after performing a live dissection on a human brain, her understanding of human tissue exceeded that of top neurosurgeons of the 21st century.

Thinking about it, if the Black Mountain infant lambs went down the intellectual development path, they might be harder to deal with. It’s simpler to address if it’s merely based on instinctive proliferation.

Thus, Fang Zheng seized the opportunity to have Saya transform Ikki Niohsaka’s brain, resetting his worldview to that of a normal person, as Saya put it...

”This human’s pineal gland experienced some level of damage and swelling, probably due to external impact, which elevated his perception level.”

”The pineal gland?”

Upon hearing Saya’s answer, Fang Zheng was slightly surprised. He knew from the game that Ikki Niohsaka had turned out like this due to a car accident, and since Saya could physically rectify Ikki Niohsaka’s cognition in the game, it indicated there was actually a problem with his brain. However, neither Fang Zheng nor Nymph were brain science experts, so they weren’t clear on the reason.

And hearing Saya say this, Fang Zheng realized it was the pineal gland...

”This is quite unexpected...”

After hearing Saya’s report, Fang Zheng pondered for a moment.

”So by adjusting the pineal gland, you can elevate humans to your dimension level?”

”It’s difficult.”

Saya shook her head.

”Human brain structures are inherently different from ours, and although I’m not sure about my other peers, at least the organs I use to perceive the outside world are vastly different from humans’. To completely transform humans into beings of the same dimension as mine would require total modification.”

”Hmm, I guess so...”

Hearing this, Fang Zheng recalled how in the game Saya had transformed the girl, Haruka, who secretly admired Ikki Niohsaka, into the same kind of being as herself. At that time, although Haruka was a beautiful girl in Ikki’s eyes, to ordinary people, she had already become a creature like Saya.

”Anyway, this matter can finally be considered settled.”

As he spoke, Fang Zheng turned his head to look out the window. Through the window, Fang Zheng could see Ikki Niohsaka, dressed neatly, walking out of the hospital and smiling as he clapped hands with his three friends. In the game, due to Saya’s intervention, these four friends, who were once close, ended up falling apart. Haruka, who had a crush on Ikki, was transformed into a creature by Saya, Haruka’s friend Qinghai was devoured by Saya, and Qinghai’s fiancé Koji ended up in a life-and-death struggle with Ikki.

But now, it’s clear that things won’t develop in that direction anymore. There’s no telling now whether Ikki would accept Haruka if she confessed to him again.

While Fang Zheng was pondering, Ikki seemed to sense his gaze, turned his head, and waved at Fang Zheng with a smile. Ikki didn’t know what Fang Zheng had done for him, but he was very happy that Fang Zheng could save him from that nightmare; at least now, he no longer had to endure nightmares.

Seeing Ikki’s greeting, Fang Zheng nodded back with a smile, while Saya, standing nearby, waved cheerfully. Seeing Saya, Ikki was momentarily startled, but then he waved back with a smile before turning to leave.

”What’s up, Ikki?”

”Oh, nothing. I just said goodbye to Dr. Haruno. It’s really thanks to him that I could recover...”

Stopping here, Ikki paused for a moment.

”Speaking of which, I just saw a rather cute little girl standing next to Dr. Haruno. Maybe she’s his little sister.”

”Huh? Ikki, you wouldn’t make a move on a little girl, would you?”

”Are you into that kind of thing? If you are, I’ll call the police!”

”Qinghai, don’t say such things, Ikki isn’t that type of person...”

The group left the hospital amidst playful banter, brushing past a wailing ambulance, returning to their daily lives.

They would never know what exactly they missed.

Of course, from this perspective... perhaps missing it was better.

”Knock knock knock.”

At the sound of knocking, Saya hurriedly retreated behind the screen, as the door opened and Ryoko Asakura walked in, closing the door behind her.

”Master, I have something to report to you.”

”Oh? What is it?”

”Dr. Ryoko Tanbo is investigating matters concerning you.”

”Who?”

”Ryoko Tanbo, she’s also a psychiatrist. You’ve met her before.”

”Oh... she does ring a bell.”

Hearing Ryoko Asakura’s introduction, Fang Zheng frowned and tried to recall, then nodded.

”She’s investigating me? Why?”

”It seems to be related to your recent investigation on Professor Yayahiko Oya. I happened to run into her outside, and she was trying to get some information from me...”

As Ryoko Asakura spoke, she wore a harmless smile. As an alien-constructed human-machine interface, Ryoko Asakura appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen, looking like just an intern nurse in a hospital. Coupled with her usually innocent, graceful demeanor, it’s likely that Dr. Tanbo found her easy to approach.

If she knew that the girl in front of her could, with a smile, eviscerate someone, she probably wouldn’t think that.

”So, in other words, does she have a connection with Yayahiko Oya?”

”It seems so. Dr. Tanbo revealed to me that Yayahiko Oya appears to have been involved in some rather unsavory research...”

As she said this, Ryoko Asakura glanced at Saya, who was peeking out from behind the screen. Saya stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

”Hmm... perhaps we should find an opportunity to have a chat with her...”

However, before Fang Zheng could finish, a terrifying scream suddenly echoed from the hallway outside, startling everyone. Fang Zheng frowned and opened the door to look out, seeing several medical staff rushing down the corridor with a hospital bed towards the surgery section on the other side. Meanwhile, on the hospital bed was a person tied up, their face showing burn marks, struggling desperately as if trying to break free from their restraints.

”Master.”

Just then, Ryoko Asakura, who had just left the office, returned with a somewhat serious expression.

”I inquired about it; that patient is a victim from a recent fire incident, and the fire occurred at 81 Nagano Road in the Kubo District.”

”Hmm? Why does that place sound so familiar?”

”Of course it’s familiar, because it happens to be the last place we were planning to investigate today of Professor Yayahiko Oya’s residences.”

”...What?!”