Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!
Chapter 585 - 584: Straying Further and Further on the Path of the BOSS

Chapter 585: Chapter 584: Straying Further and Further on the Path of the BOSS

"........."

Hearing the Fire Keeper’s suggestion, Fang Zheng was at a complete loss for words for a moment.

Burn a world?

Fang Zheng, of course, knew what the Fire Keeper meant. In the Blood Source World, he had already obtained a fair amount of "Firewood" by eliminating those "BOSS" to replenish his Soulfire. But now it seems that was clearly not enough. If he could burn a world, then Fang Zheng would be equivalent to obtaining a world’s worth of firewood, and with that, his Soulfire would surely be able to burn for a very, very long time...

But... burn a world...

This was not an easy thing to do, and at least for the moment, Fang Zheng could not think of any world that could be used as his firewood. If you’re talking about powerful enemies, he could still come up with a whole bunch, but a world is not that simple. At least in Fang Zheng’s memory, he had not yet found a world suitable to be used as firewood.

Of course, after all, Fang Zheng was no devil, and he could not just burn any world he pleased. He was very clear on what burning a world signified – it meant that all the souls of that world would become his firewood. So in Fang Zheng’s view, if he had to choose, he would need to pick a world utterly devoid of redemption—well, like the Pitch Black World, if there were no Cursed Child, then Fang Zheng would have simply set that world ablaze.

Or perhaps... simply choose a post-apocalyptic wasteland?

Why does it feel like I’m moving further and further away from the path of the big BOSS?

Forget it, let’s talk about this later. Even if he can’t find such a world, Fang Zheng can still extend his Soulfire by eliminating those powerful BOSS. Anyway... BOSS are common in any world, aren’t they?

But for now...

"I entrust it to you."

After pondering for a while, Fang Zheng still handed the two swords to the Fire Keeper. It was a good opportunity for him to experiment and see how much of his Soulfire would be consumed when he used his strength. The Fire Keeper respectfully accepted the two blades, one long and one short, from Fang Zheng’s hands and then closed her eyes to begin chanting softly.

Accompanying the Fire Keeper’s chant, the flame on the altar in front of Fang Zheng burst into life, transforming into two long serpents of fire that engulfed the two swords within them. Then, the Fire Keeper let go of the swords and took several steps back.

"Please grasp the hilts and envision their true form, Lord of Ash."

"Hmm..."

Fang Zheng nodded, then reached out his hand to once again grasp the two swords wrapped in Soulfire. Quickly, the flames rose again before Fang Zheng’s eyes.

When the flames dissipated, the two swords before Fang Zheng had once again changed their shapes.

The Greatsword in his right hand had no particular changes, except that along the originally smooth blade edge, one could see serrated patterns like teeth. Not only that...

"Click!"

Fang Zheng lifted his right hand and swung it forward, and with the sound of a mechanism clicking into place, the Greatsword in his hand suddenly split and elongated into a Chain Sword which he flung forward, before it crashed to the ground with a "boom." Then with a flick of his right hand, the Chain Sword on the ground rose up like a serpent, and with a soft "click" sound, it reverted to the shape of a Greatsword.

"Very good."

Looking at the Greatsword in his hand, Fang Zheng nodded in satisfaction. The idea for altering the Black Magic Sword was inspired by the Cane Sword he had once used in the Anan World. After all, having a transformation of shape to extend the attack range was also a pleasant surprise that suited Fang Zheng’s taste.

But the Greatsword and the Cane Sword were ultimately different. If the latter’s transformation was like a viper striking with precision and speed, then Fang Zheng’s Greatsword transformation was more like that of a Python. The viper strikes cunningly, winning with speed, while the Python used brute force, capable of sweeping through armies.

Not only that...

Fang Zheng took a step back to make more room, then he raised the Greatsword again and swung it forward forcefully. The Greatsword once again morphed into a Python, roaring as it tore through the air, but this time, as it changed form in Fang Zheng’s hand, the blade suddenly created several phantom images, attacking from all directions like a multi-headed serpent.

Just as Fang Zheng launched his attack, he quickly withdrew his sword and retreated, only to see the whip shadows spreading in all directions rapidly dissipate and return to their origin.

"This really is an unexpected joy," he said.

Looking at the Pitch Black Greatsword in his hand, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but reflect. He had only just thought of it while infusing power into the weapon—what if he infused his weapon with the power he had obtained from the Dark Moon Sword? Based on the results, it was clear that his Pitch Black Greatsword had acquired an exceptionally outstanding ability—creating illusions!

Although these illusions were just that, illusions, with no attack power, they were enough to confuse the enemy’s sight.

As for the Silver Short Sword in his left hand, it had also undergone a transformation.

Like the Pitch Black Greatsword, Fang Zheng had modified the design of the Silver Short Sword as well. The original hilt had been reworked into a grip resembling a firearm stock, and the crossguard section had been turned into a revolving cylinder chamber of a revolver.

As for the muzzle, Fang Zheng was rather cunning in placing it at the top edge of the blade and intentionally shaped it like a blood groove. After all, the bullets this gun would load and shoot were condensed from Fang Zheng’s power, not some physical entity, so only one firing port was needed. Since the original Silver Short Sword was based on the dagger from the Farron Greatsword, it had a naturally curved form, resembling a beast’s claw, and relied more on slashing than stabbing. This design made the dagger appear more like a strangely shaped reverse scimitar, and in such a state, few would notice the malice hidden within the short sword.

As for its power...

"Bang!"

Fang Zheng held the short sword in his left hand, grasped the hilt, then his thumb pressed down on the hammer and pulled the trigger. Accompanied by a deafening gunshot, a burst of firelight exploded on the ground not far in front of him.

The range was about thirty to fifty meters, and the power was basically equivalent to a Magic Missile.

Looking at the explosion before him, Fang Zheng made a quick assessment and deemed the results satisfactory. Since the bullet was condensed from Fang Zheng’s Power of Existence, as long as he had enough of that energy to replenish, he could continue shooting endlessly.

This was also thanks to reconnecting with the Zero Hour Resurgence, otherwise, Fang Zheng would not dare to experiment in such a manner.

In fact, Fang Zheng had also considered using the traits of Zero Hour Resurgence to prolong his own existence. However, Fang Zheng decided to keep this as a last resort. Zero Hour Resurgence replenished the Power of Existence, but Fang Zheng was not like Black Katie or Tilia, a Follower of the Crimson Realm that manifested through the Power of Existence. This meant if he relied completely on Zero Hour Resurgence to sustain his Soulfire, he would have to convert himself into a Follower of the Crimson Realm.

But this came with many risks, one of the most significant being that, after Fang Zheng transformed into a Follower of the Crimson Realm, all causal connections with this world would vanish, and he would be forgotten. This meant that, aside from Shana, Nanoka, Black Katie, and Tilia, everyone else’s memory of Fang Zheng, including Nymph’s, would likely be erased.

Moreover, the favorable situation he had barely established at the Heavenly Dao Palace would collapse. Therefore, unless there was no other option, Fang Zheng was absolutely not willing to choose the transformation into a Follower of the Crimson Realm.

So the next step was... to find an opponent for a little experimentation.

"Fire Girl," he called.

At that thought, Fang Zheng turned to the Fire Keeper.

"You can connect to the dream realm, right? Take me to the dream where the red moon is." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel-com

"Yes, Lord of Ash," she replied.

Upon hearing Fang Zheng’s request, the Fire Keeper nodded, then she moved to the center of the Firelink Altar. Without any noticeable actions, she next pulled out a spiraling, burning longsword and plunged it into the bonfire. Then, the Fire Keeper stepped aside slightly, making way for Fang Zheng.

"Please, Lord of Ash."

"...Hmm, this is indeed a familiar and convenient method," Fang Zheng acknowledged with a nod. He then approached the bonfire and reached out to place his hand on top of the broken sword.

Subsequently, the world before Fang Zheng’s eyes changed in an instant.