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

In the Imperial City, there is a terrifying assassination squad known as Night Raid.

They are an assassination group subordinate to the Revolutionary Army resisting the Empire, tasked with scouting situations and eliminating those Imperial Ministers chosen as targets. However...

”It’s impossible, we can’t do the reconnaissance work at all lately!”

A woman with disheveled blonde hair was complaining while forcefully pulling at her own strands.

”The defenses in the Imperial City are way too tight now, it’s really frustrating!”

Upon hearing the blonde woman’s complaint, a woman with short silver hair sitting in the main seat slightly furrowed her brows, her right hand a metallic prosthetic.

”Is it because of that Grim Reaper?”

”Yes, it’s him!”

Mentioning the ”Grim Reaper” made the blonde woman extremely angry. Starting some days ago, people began dying gradually in the Imperial City—some were members of the Guard Force, others were merchants, officials, ministers. Initially, people suspected it was Night Raid’s doing, but soon they realized the methods were entirely different from Night Raid’s.

Although Night Raid is supposed to be about assassination, they are more like assassins; while they act stealthily, once they strike, they are immediately detected. Honestly, Night Raid’s so-called assassination actions are merely hiding, rushing out, and then escaping.

But the so-called ”Grim Reaper” was not like this; there’s even doubt whether such a person truly exists, and the Grim Reaper doesn’t select targets waiting alone or biding time like Night Raid. Instead, they seem to exist in any place, at any time.

And their targets, whether heavily protected or alone, cannot escape death.

There was even a Guard Force official who, surrounded by a squad of Soldiers, walked through an intersection in front of a public crowd and suddenly fell dead in the next moment. If not for the subtle puncture wound on his chest, people might have thought he merely collapsed due to some illness.

Furthermore, Night Raid, worried about exposing their identity, would carefully select targets. But the Grim Reaper is different—they kill indiscriminately. As long as someone walks the path of evil, whether a minor official or a minister, they would be mercilessly killed.

This greatly terrified the corrupt Nobility and officials, leading to strengthened defenses. While whether this affects the Grim Reaper is unknown, it has certainly caused substantial trouble for Night Raid. After all, they lack the Grim Reaper’s ability to silently execute targets amidst massive forces, making it far more difficult for Night Raid to assassinate objects under heightened vigilance.

”Moreover, that Grim Reaper is just too formidable, isn’t he? Could the rumors be true, that he is a real Grim Reaper hunting?”

Another girl with pink twin ponytails complained at this point. While the Grim Reaper’s attacks causing martial law in the Imperial City might be a small inconvenience, there’s a bigger issue—he frequently kills the targets Night Raid is commissioned to assassinate.

The pink twin ponytail girl, Main, had a similar encounter once. Originally, she planned to hide in the forest and wait for the target to leave his home to snipe him from afar. Yet she waited an entire night without seeing the target appear, only to find out the next day amidst chaos at the noble mansion that the target had been eliminated sometime the previous evening...

As a result, Main froze the whole night without any gain, returning with a runny nose, huddling under blankets shivering...

”Alright, don’t get worked up. Regardless, the decline in the Empire’s strength is still beneficial for the Revolutionary Army.”

Najenda, the silver-haired lady, calmed her with a soft reassurance and then looked at the blonde-haired woman.

”Leone, is there still no way to contact the Grim Reaper yet?”

”None at all.”

Facing Najenda’s inquiry, Leone helplessly shook her head.

”Honestly, I’m skeptical about whether the Grim Reaper truly exists... Otherwise, why wouldn’t he contact the Revolutionary Army?”

While the members of Night Raid were perplexed, Sayu asked Fang Zheng the same question.

”Shouldn’t we really contact the Revolutionary Army, mentor?”

”Certainly not, Sayu.”

Strolling along the Imperial City’s street, Fang Zheng replied softly.

”We are assassins, remember that our purpose is to protect people’s Free Will and resist oppressors. This has nothing to do with the Revolutionary Army or the Imperial Army. We naturally resist the Empire enslaving people. If the Revolutionary Army were to oppress the public, we’d also raise our blades against them. What we protect is freedom itself, not any faction’s interests, understand?”

”Is this why you don’t associate with Night Raid either, mentor?”

Upon hearing this, Sayu nodded and then asked curiously another question.

”Yes, it is.”

Fang Zheng raised his head, looking ahead.

”They are affiliated with the Revolutionary Army. Though our assassination targets overlap, our goals are not the same—we’re not simply rebelling against the Empire. We have our beliefs, our creed...”

At this point, Fang Zheng squinted his eyes, looking forward.

”Now, open your eyes and look at this city.”

With Fang Zheng’s order, Sayu and Iyeas stopped and raised their heads to look ahead, suddenly their world changed.

After receiving Fang Zheng’s ”instructions” and transitioning to assassins, Sayu and Iyeas had gained Hawkeye’s abilities.

However, their Hawkeye was somewhat different from what games used for marking targets and tracing tracks; besides the Hawk Eye abilities possessed by game assassins, they also saw other things...

”Mentor, what is that...?”

Looking at the terrifying aura, like dark flames, rising skyward from the Imperial City’s surroundings, Iyeas’ expression shifted subtly.

”That is resentment, the leftover bitterness from slain civilians. You should know, this Imperial City holds countless hidden sins. But often, those sins are flawlessly concealed, like the family that initially took you in.”

Fang Zheng turned around, looking at them.

”The dead won’t speak, nor will they betray. But their resentment upon death will linger, tightly wrapping around those who did them harm. Just by this, you can discern who the ruthless murderers of innocents are and who aren’t. Moreover, take a look at the palace.”

Upon Fang Zheng’s direction, the two turned to look at the palace and were utterly surprised.

Above the palace, pitch-black smoke had almost blotted out the sky, dyeing the world in a darkness.

”What is that...?”

”As the saying goes, debts have collectors and grievances a source. Indeed, those residing in the palace may not have personally killed those innocents, but they issued orders leading to these outcomes. Hence, as they perished, their resentment clung to them.”

”.............”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s explanation, Sayu and Iyeas gasped in shock. It was their first time using the Hawkeye ability under Fang Zheng’s guidance, and naturally, they were stunned.

”What...what exactly should we do?”

”It’s simple, eliminate all sinners surrounded by resentment. Only then can this country return to peace.”

”But...”

Listening to Fang Zheng’s response, Iyeas hesitated.

”But, aren’t we just killing a few people? Will this really have an effect?”

Facing Iyeas’s inquiry, Fang Zheng smirked slightly.

”Iyeas, you’ve followed me for so many days and have seen the disgraceful actions of many nobility and officials. Do you know why, even so, the people of the Imperial City choose not to rebel, but silently endure?”

”...?”

”Because of fear.”

Fang Zheng looked ahead, squinting his eyes.

”Because of fear, they chose submission over rebellion. What we must do is the same; only they inscribe fear into the hearts of the public, but we need to inscribe fear into the hearts of these officials and nobility, letting them know that if they commit wrongdoings, the shadow of death will accompany them constantly and never leave.”

At this point, Fang Zheng turned his head to look at them.

”Do you understand?”

”But... Mentor...”

Although Sayu nodded, Iyeas seemed still puzzled.

”What’s the difference between what we do and those corrupt officials?”

”The difference lies in the purpose.”

Fang Zheng headed forward again, walking along the street into the crowd.

”Those nobility and corrupt officials suppress the public, and we suppress those corrupt officials. For those vengeful spirits who died unjustly, we must not stop. Now, our target has appeared.”

At this point, Fang Zheng slightly shifted his gaze, soon spotting a squadron of Guard Force soldiers coming this way. Among them was a burly man in guard armor, with a cross-shaped scar on his left eye. Upon seeing these people, others hurriedly stepped aside.

This man was their target, Oka of the Ghost from the Imperial City Guard.

”Begin the operation.”

Fang Zheng silently made a gesture, upon which Sayu and Iyeas immediately blended into the crowd.

Sayu bowed her head and slowly approached the direction of Oka and his squad. When she reached a spot not far from the Guard Force members, she subtly turned her left hand. A small knife appeared at her fingertips, and she silently passed by a wealthy merchant yelling and moving goods at a store entrance, slicing gently with the knife.

”You, yes you useless fools, hurry up!”

The fat merchant roared at his servants, when suddenly he heard a clinking sound at his feet. Looking down, he saw that his pocket somehow had a tear, with a pile of gold, silver, and copper coins scattering on the ground.

”Money!”

”Quick, pick up the money!”

Seeing this pile of coins, the people on the street immediately turned eager, rushing over to frantically pick up the coins.

”Wait, you, what are you doing, return my money!!”

Seeing the passersby picking up the money, the merchant was furious and jumped up. Witnessing the chaos, a girl with a ponytail behind Oka rushed out.

”What are you doing, you can’t just take other people’s money! Quickly return the money! Guards, arrest these people!”

Following the girl’s command, other Guard Force members hastily ran over to manage the chaotic scene. Only two soldiers continued to shadow Oka closely, hands on their sword hilts, warily scanning the surroundings.

However, at this moment, Iyeas passed by, colliding with a man ahead, pushing him onto the back of one of the Guard Force members.

”What the hell are you trying to do, looking for death?”

The bumped Guard Officer turned around in anger, grabbing the man, who only waved his hands in fear.

”I... I didn’t mean to, I just got bumped!”

”Hmm?”

At this moment, Oka seemed to notice the commotion behind him. He instinctively wanted to turn back to look but at that second, an icy blade silently pierced into Oka’s back, putting an end to his life.

Fang Zheng caught Oka’s body, quickly setting him down on a nearby chair amid the chaos before turning away. On the other side, Iyeas vanished from sight.

”Captain Oka!”

Once the chaos settled, the brown-haired ponytail girl hurried over to pay respects to the seated Oka.

”The disturbance is resolved!”

”...”

Nevertheless, Oka just sat there, unmoving.

”Captain?”

Looking at the silent, head-drooping Oka, the brown-haired girl seemed uneasy, reaching out to touch Oka. Yet as she touched his shoulder, Oka, the burly man, toppled sideways heavily onto the ground.

He was already dead.