Chapter 76 “Doggies Heart Reading!”
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
As Shirley strode toward him, her eyes blazing with lethal intent, Duncan couldn’t help but release a resigned sigh. It was as if an invisible storm cloud of trouble was hovering over him, poised to burst open. Yet, surprisingly, he wasn’t gripped by fear or panic.
Objectively, he knew his combat experience was virtually nonexistent. In contrast, Shirley appeared to be a seasoned warrior who could charge in and out of battlefields unscathed seven times over. Still, he remained composed, almost eerily so.
His calm rested on three pillars of assurance. First, he had Ai, a dove trained in the art of delaying attacks. The bird’s abilities were incredibly swift, operating within its area of influence faster than a bullet from a gun. If Shirley decided to launch her hound in an attack, Ai could intercept it mid-air, probably blocking the creature before it even reached him.
Second, Duncan wielded a ghostly flame with unique properties, especially effective against supernatural entities. This otherworldly fire had the power to control even the legendary Vanished; therefore, it would surely also work on Shirley’s menacing hound. If things escalated, he could always engulf himself in these mystical flames. Then, the tables would turn and the battlefield would become his domain. “Miss,” he imagined saying, “it seems your dog has a certain affinity for me.”
Thirdly, and most significantly, the body he was currently inhabiting wasn’t actually his true self. It was merely an incarnation animated by his ghostly energy. Although it appeared alive, biologically speaking, it was fundamentally a corpse. Duncan didn’t need this body to remain intact for it to be functional. It merely needed to “exist.” He even entertained the thought that if this incarnation were entirely dismantled, he could still manage to control its remnants and have them return home in pieces.
His only real concern was explaining to his niece, Nina, how his bones managed to be so resilient, especially if he were to be pulverized by Shirley’s formidable hound.
So, standing his ground, Duncan watched Shirley advance. Her black dress flowed behind her as she moved, a black iron chain swinging ominously from her hand. Trailing her was her eerie hound, its movements unpredictable yet purposeful.
Her arm and cheek were stained with blood, a grim testament to some recent, intense battle. This marred her once demure and composed appearance, replacing it with an aura of chilling menace.
“You’re not afraid. As expected, there’s something off about you,” Shirley finally halted a few meters away from Duncan. Her eyes narrowed as she regarded the man she thought to be a “Sun Worshiper.” Her right hand began to rise slowly, a precursor to some unspeakable action. “Have you given up resisting?”
Duncan considered her words carefully before responding, “What if I tell you I’m not one of them? Would you believe me?”
As Duncan spoke, he subtly maneuvered his fingers within his pocket, allowing the ethereal ghost flame to caress the space between his clothing and skin. It was a precautionary measure, a standby defensive mechanism, should Shirley decide to launch an attack using her hound.
Shirley looked momentarily disoriented. A visage of incredulity, tinged with a “You must be joking” expression, gradually surfaced on her blood-smudged face. “Do you think I—”
Before she could complete her sentence, the hound standing beside her did something entirely unexpected: it spoke. A hoarse, deep voice emanated from its skeletal throat, uttering a simple yet shocking phrase: “I believe.”
“Ah… what?” Shirley pivoted toward her summoned beast, visibly flabbergasted. “Did you just lose your wits, Dog? This—”
“Wait a moment,” the dark hound interjected, shaking its head as if dismissing the confusion. It sauntered away from Shirley, positioning itself to the side under Duncan’s impassive gaze. Extending its neck, it made a retching noise—then vomited.
The sound that filled the blood-spattered basement was grotesque. The demonic creature expelled a torrent of noxious black flames, ash, and a substance that resembled acid. The concrete floor reacted instantly, hissing as it corroded and caved under the foul discharge.
Duncan observed the bizarre spectacle with a blank expression. A thought crossed his mind: had he discovered a flaw in Shirley’s combat tactics? She was undoubtedly a strong, aggressive fighter with an unpredictable style, but she seemed ill-suited for extended conflicts.
The issue appeared to lie in her method of combat. It was too grueling for her hound.
After an awkward interlude, during which the dark hound seemed to regain its composure, Duncan finally broke the silence. “…Are you alright?”
The hound responded by lowering its head and tucking its skeletal tail beneath its body. “I appreciate your concern. I hope my rudeness didn’t offend you. Do you have any further instructions? If not, we’ll be leaving…”
Before Duncan could process the surreal turn of events, Shirley burst out, “Dog, are you truly alright? Did I hit your head too hard earlier? You’re never this polite. No one who’s faced you has lasted longer than ten seconds without suffering severe consequences.”
By now, Duncan was beginning to form a hypothesis. He focused his gaze on the formidable dark hound, pondering deeper. Earlier, he had gleaned some cryptic information from a sun priest. According to that source, this “giant dog” was a demon summoned from some abyss. Regardless of what the enigmatic Annihilation Sect was up to, or the mysteries lurking in the abyss, one fact stood out: The hound feared him. It was a demon with a viewpoint, a “perspective,” that deviated from that of ordinary humans.
“Do you know who I am?” Duncan finally asked, his voice unwavering, “Do you recognize me?”
In a tense moment, the dark hound kept its head lowered, reluctant to make eye contact. “I can’t be certain… really, I can’t,” the hound finally spoke, “But there’s something about you. You’re someone of significance, that much is clear.”
Duncan, puzzled by the creature’s evasiveness, pressed further. “Do I appear human to you?”
For a moment, the dark hound hesitated. Slowly, it lifted its head to get a good look at Duncan. After scrutinizing him, it cautiously replied, “Well, you look somewhat human… but also not quite.”
Duncan pulled his gaze away from the hound and turned toward Shirley.
Clad in a black dress, Shirley looked on, her expression a mix of confusion and caution. Gone was her initial hostility, now replaced by a heightened sense of bewilderment and vigilance.
Although she may have initially seemed rash, Shirley was no fool. After witnessing her “pet dog” acting so unusually, even the most impulsive of personalities would start to feel the gravity of the situation and wonder what was amiss.
Quietly, she tightened her grip on the chain that linked her to the dark hound. She took a discreet half-step back and observed Duncan closely. “You mentioned earlier that you’re not aligned with them…”
“That’s correct,” Duncan spread his hands out as if pleading his case, “You may find it hard to believe, but I’ve also infiltrated this place to gather some intelligence.”
“I believe you,” Shirley stated plainly, without a shred of hesitation.
Duncan was taken aback by her directness. He realized that his perception of Shirley was constantly evolving. At first, her youthful appearance had led him to believe she was a docile, obedient child. But she had quickly revealed a more violent and bloodthirsty nature. Now, she seemed unexpectedly cautious, and her adaptability surpassed what he had initially estimated.
What sort of upbringing could produce such a multifaceted individual? Duncan pondered this as he shook off his surprise, taking a moment to regroup. “Why did you keep staring at me during the meeting?”
“My dog was fixated on you,” Shirley answered, a bit reluctant yet straightforward, “That piqued my curiosity, so I found myself glancing your way a few times.”
“This dog?” Duncan frowned as he glanced at the black skeletal hound. “I overheard the cleric talking about the Annihilation Sect—a cult devoted to the abyss. What’s your connection to this sect?”
“I have absolutely nothing to do with them!” Shirley declared emphatically. “Their dark worship is their own business. My association with my dog stems from completely different circumstances!”
Duncan’s eyes shifted to the chain that bound Shirley to the dark hound. From the information he had gathered, the Annihilation Sect was characterized by its worship of the abyss, summoning of demonic entities from said abyss, and the use of demonic spells in everyday situations. The sun priest had made a similar assumption based on Shirley’s dark hound. Although that priest had sorely misjudged the situation, Duncan was inclined to believe that, under “normal circumstances,” such information would be reliable.
The only puzzle that remained was the mysterious young woman standing before him—Shirley. She was a walking contradiction, vehemently disavowing any link with the cultists, yet she had a dark hound from the abyss tethered to her.
“If you insist you have no affiliation with them, then so be it,” Duncan said, shaking his head slightly. He continued, “So what brings you here? What are you looking into?”
Shirley appeared hesitant, her lips tightening into a thin line as if weighing her options carefully. The palpable tension emanating from her dark hound made it abundantly clear: the seemingly unassuming middle-aged man before her was not to be underestimated. It was probably in her best interest to cooperate.
Just as Shirley was about to break her silence, her mouth barely opening to form the first words of her response, an abrupt interruption occurred. A deafening explosion reverberated throughout the basement, and from the corner of the room, a fireball erupted, blazing through the air with shocking velocity!
Thanks for the chapters!
Thank you! Also Warlock = Annihilators! Cool!
there were some mistakes, “Shirkey” and “Do you know why I am? Do you know me?”
They forgot to finish it off.