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

”You’re lucky. If the hit were slightly off, you’d be meeting her at the cemetery.”

After bandaging the wounds of the purple-haired girl, Fang Zheng examined her closely, then turned his head and spoke to the twin-tailed girl sitting on the chair behind him.

”Th-thank you...”

Faced with this mysterious figure in a white robe, Main was at a loss for words. After all, tonight had been incredibly intense for them; just moments ago, Hill nearly died... Thinking of this, Main couldn’t help but tremble.

”Does the wound still hurt?”

Fang Zheng lifted his head and asked Main. He had already checked both their injuries; the purple-haired girl Hill had a penetrating wound. Luckily, it didn’t hit an artery or heart, so it just needed to be bandaged. On the contrary, Main’s situation was quite severe—her right arm was a comminuted fracture, her left hand had a bone fracture, and there were some internal injuries as well.

If it were usual circumstances, Fang Zheng could heal such injuries with a Holy Light, but now he was using the Soulstone, so he could only use the skills available on it. Fortunately, this Soulstone had the ability to create medicine, so Fang Zheng fiddled around, grinding and mixing, and soon two mysterious red potions appeared in his hand out of nowhere.

”Here, drink this.”

Fang Zheng tossed one bottle to Main while opening the other one. In the game, this potion is for ”health recovery.” Of course, there’s no health bar in reality, but Fang Zheng had experimented before. As long as it’s related to wound healing, using this Blood Bottle can fully heal.

After all, both of them were basically low on health now, so a potion would soon fix them up.

”What is this?”

Main took the Blood Bottle Fang Zheng threw over with her somewhat functioning left hand, staring at it suspiciously. As assassins, they were always cautious, given that they were infamous fugitives. The consequences would be dire if they consumed something they shouldn’t.

”It’s a Healing Elixir. Drink it, sleep, and you’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

”..........”

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Main was still doubtful. She looked at the Blood Bottle in her hand and then at Fang Zheng, hesitating and unsure whether to follow his advice.

”It’s your choice not to drink it, but this potion works best right after being injured. The longer you wait, the weaker the effect.”

As Fang Zheng spoke, he shrugged his shoulders, then picked up the other potion and directly poured it into the purple-haired girl’s mouth.

”Cough, cough!!”

As the potion entered the purple-haired girl’s mouth, she began coughing immediately, but after a moment, her originally pained expression turned calm, and she quickly fell asleep.

Seeing this, Main was silent for a moment, then gritted her teeth, opened the cap, and drank the potion.

As the potion went down, Main quickly felt a warm force emerge from within her body, swiftly spreading to her limbs. Soon, her wounds that were previously still aching felt much better, and her physically exhausted body from today’s battle relaxed a lot.

”Who... exactly are you? Are you the Grim Reaper?”

”Grim Reaper? Haha, that’s just the nickname those fools gave us. In reality, we are just assassins.”

”Assa... ssins?”

This answer left Main baffled. Night Raid had often discussed the true identity of these ”Grim Reapers,” never reaching a definite conclusion. But even in her wildest thoughts, Main hadn’t considered they could be a group of assassins?

”You’re assassins? So who commissioned you...?”

”Miss, we are not like the assassins you think.”

Fang Zheng shook his head.

”We are assassins with our own beliefs, our own creed. We fight to protect the people’s Free Will. That’s why we are here. Do you understand?”

”I... don’t quite understand...”

Main seemed to not fully grasp Fang Zheng’s answer but quickly changed the topic.

”But since your target is also the Empire, would you consider teaming up with us and the Revolutionary Army?”

Indeed, this was Night Raid’s true purpose in seeking Fang Zheng and the others; since they, too, targeted the Empire, the two sides might cooperate. This was, in fact, a directive from the Revolutionary Army’s top brass. Now that the other side had appeared before her and saved their lives, Main thought cooperation might be possible.

”Ha... ha...”

However, upon hearing Main’s offer, Fang Zheng merely chuckled.

”I’m sorry, we do not intend to collaborate with you.”

”Why not?”

Hearing this answer, Main was astonished, while Fang Zheng stared at her.

”It seems you didn’t understand my meaning, Miss. We are assassins. We fight to protect the people’s Free Will. When people face oppression, we appear. Like now, we’ve come to eradicate those oppressing the people among the Empire’s leaders. But this doesn’t mean our goal is the Empire. Any force, any attempt to suppress and force the people to submit is our target.”

At this point, Fang Zheng narrowed his eyes.

”Even if it’s the Revolutionary Army, it’s the same. If the Revolutionary Army does something similar, we will show them no mercy and take them down without hesitation. So, I’m sorry. We cannot cooperate.”

”How could the Revolutionary Army do such a thing?”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s words, Main instantly stood up and retorted loudly.

”Can you really say it won’t happen? Wait until the Revolutionary Army controls the Empire?”

”This...”

Main opened her mouth. She wanted to say it wouldn’t happen, but she couldn’t be sure. However, Fang Zheng’s next words immediately set her off.

”Moreover, personally, I don’t want to cooperate with you guys because you’re too unprofessional.”

”Unprofessional?!”

Hearing this, Main was almost jumping with anger!

”We are Night Raid, the group that makes people in the Imperial City shiver! How can you say we’re unprofessional?”

”Isn’t it just bullying people with Teigu?”

Fang Zheng silently glanced at Main.

”No plan, no idea, purely relying on the strength of Teigu to push through, isn’t this your approach? It might work against ordinary people, but when facing equally strong opponents, it immediately exposes your weaknesses of being disorganized and undisciplined.”

”Ugh...”

”Take today’s battle for instance; the forest was right beside you, yet you insist on running around the street as if shopping instead of retreating? And when facing the enemy, charging in without confirming their strength is reckless. With your power, you could easily shake them off but you insist on engaging...”

At this point, Fang Zheng shook his head. In his view, this Night Raid unit is just a bunch of ragtag soldiers. Another thing Fang Zheng found puzzling was their attire; they go out to fight without changing clothes, wearing the same as the wanted poster, making it hard for people not to recognize them.

Like that purple-haired girl, if she changed her clothes and hairstyle, she could easily go unnoticed.

But she insists on wearing a cheongsam, playing ”spot the difference” against the wanted poster?

And discovering the opponent is also a Teigu User but not escaping immediately and instead charging in, who gave you the courage?

That’s the result.

If Fang Zheng hadn’t acted in time, the purple-haired girl might have ended up as dog food.

”You... you...”

Listening to Fang Zheng’s words, Main clenched her fists in anger, wanting to retort but found herself speechless. Especially after recalling the scene where the Minister of Internal Affairs was rescued from the execution ground; the opponent never showed themselves throughout the clean, swift process. In comparison, Night Raid ends every mission with a cat-and-mouse escape — by comparison, it seems their methods indeed aren’t as clean and efficient as these assassins.

Adding on the previous battle’s disgrace, Main had nothing to say now.

”Alright, have a good rest, I’ll lead you out tomorrow.”

Fang Zheng casually said, then turned and left the room, leaving Main pouting angrily.

Shortly after Fang Zheng left the room, a figure appeared beside him.

”Mentor, I’m sorry, my identity was discovered.”

”What happened?”

Fang Zheng looked at Iyeas beside him and asked softly, while the latter half-knelt on the ground.

”I followed your instruction, Mentor, to deal with the Guard Force soldiers hidden in the woods, but unexpectedly, that soldier is...... Tazmi...”

”The companion you and Sayu mentioned?”

Fang Zheng recalled, quickly remembering they had mentioned another companion named Tazmi, but they got separated due to a Demon Beast attack earlier. Now it seems Tazmi has joined the Guard Force...

”It’s fine, even if seen, it’s not a problem.”

Fang Zheng didn’t care about exposed identities. In this world, ”assassins” have characteristics similar to skills in games; in games, assassins blend into crowds and enter a safe state unnoticed, and it’s the same here. Just blend into the crowd, even if dolled up, guards will ignore you.

Of course, players should dress normally during cutscenes.

”But......”

”Enough, you know what to do.”

Fang Zheng raised his hand, interrupting Iyeas’s protest.

”If he doesn’t interfere with us, fine; but if he becomes our enemy, his fate will be sealed... Remember this, Iyeas.”

”...... Yes, Mentor.”

Hearing Fang Zheng’s reply, Iyeas remained silent for a moment, then lowered his head and softly responded.

”I understand.”