Chapter 76: “Dog’s Heart Reading!”
This Translation is hosted on bcatranslation.com
As Shirley approached with lethal determination in her eyes, Duncan sighed in resignation, sensing an imminent storm of trouble. Surprisingly, he wasn’t overwhelmed by fear or panic.
Despite his lack of combat experience, unlike the battle-hardened Shirley, Duncan remained unsettlingly composed. His calmness stemmed from three key assurances.
Firstly, he had Ai, a dove adept at delaying attacks with lightning speed, faster than a bullet. If Shirley’s hound attacked, Ai could intercept it mid-air, likely before it reached Duncan.
Secondly, Duncan wielded a ghostly flame, uniquely effective against supernatural beings. This flame could control even the legendary Vanished, and would certainly work on Shirley’s menacing hound. If necessary, he could envelop himself in these mystical flames, turning the battlefield to his advantage. He imagined saying, “Miss, it seems your dog has a certain affinity for me.”
Most significantly, the body he inhabited wasn’t his true self but an incarnation animated by his ghostly energy. Though it appeared alive, it was essentially a corpse. Duncan didn’t need this body to be intact; it just needed to exist. He even considered that if this incarnation was dismantled, he could still control its remnants to return home.
His only concern was explaining to his niece, Nina, how his bones remained resilient if pulverized by Shirley’s hound.
As Shirley advanced, her black dress flowed, and a black iron chain swung ominously from her hand. Her eerie hound trailed her, its movements unpredictable yet purposeful. Blood stained her arm and cheek, giving her a chillingly menacing aura.
“You’re not afraid. There’s something off about you,” Shirley said, halting a few meters from Duncan, her eyes narrowing. She raised her right hand slowly, preparing for some unspeakable action. “Have you given up resisting?”
Duncan pondered her words before replying, “What if I tell you I’m not one of them? Would you believe me?”
As he spoke, Duncan subtly maneuvered his fingers in his pocket, letting the ghost flame caress the space between his clothing and skin, a precaution against Shirley’s potential attack.
Shirley looked momentarily confused, a “You must be joking” expression surfacing on her blood-smeared face. “Do you think I—”
Before she could finish, her hound spoke, its hoarse, deep voice emanating from its skeletal throat, “I believe.”
“Ah… what?” Shirley turned to her beast, visibly shocked. “Did you just lose your wits, Dog? This—”
“Wait a moment,” the dark hound interrupted, shaking its head. It moved away from Shirley and positioned itself beside Duncan, retching before vomiting a torrent of noxious black flames, ash, and a substance resembling acid. The concrete floor hissed and corroded under the foul discharge.
Duncan watched the bizarre scene with a blank expression, thinking he might have discovered a flaw in Shirley’s combat tactics. She was a strong, aggressive fighter, but seemed ill-suited for extended conflicts.
The issue lay in her method of combat—it was too grueling for her hound.
After an awkward pause, as the hound regained its composure, Duncan broke the silence, “…Are you alright?”
The hound lowered its head, tucking its skeletal tail. “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 events, Shirley exclaimed, “Dog, are you truly alright? Did I hit your head too hard earlier? You’re never this polite. No one facing you has lasted longer than ten seconds without severe consequences.”
Duncan began forming a hypothesis. He focused on the formidable dark hound, pondering deeper. He had learned from a sun priest that this “giant dog” was a demon from an abyss. Despite the Annihilation Sect’s mysteries, one fact stood out: the hound feared him, possessing a perspective different from ordinary humans.
“Do you know who I am?” Duncan asked, his voice steady, “Do you recognize me?”
The hound kept its head lowered, avoiding eye contact. “I can’t be certain… really, I can’t,” it said, “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?”
The dark hound hesitated, then slowly lifted its head to scrutinize Duncan. “Well, you look somewhat human… but also not quite.”
Duncan turned to Shirley, who now observed with confusion and caution, her initial hostility replaced by bewilderment and vigilance.
Though she seemed rash initially, Shirley was no fool. After witnessing her “pet dog” act unusually, even the most impulsive would feel the situation’s gravity and question what was amiss.
Quietly, she tightened her grip on the chain linking her to the dark hound, took a discreet half-step back, and watched Duncan closely. “You mentioned you’re not aligned with them…”
“That’s correct,” Duncan said, spreading his hands. “You may find it hard to believe, but I’ve infiltrated this place to gather intelligence.”
“I believe you,” Shirley replied plainly, without hesitation.
Duncan, taken aback by her directness, realized his perception of Shirley was evolving. Initially, her youthful appearance suggested she was a docile child, but she revealed a violent nature. Now, she seemed unexpectedly cautious, her adaptability surpassing his expectations.
What kind of upbringing could produce such a multifaceted individual? Duncan wondered, shaking off his surprise to regroup. “Why did you keep staring at me during the meeting?”
“My dog was fixated on you,” Shirley answered, a bit reluctant but straightforward. “That piqued my curiosity, so I glanced your way a few times.”
“This dog?” Duncan frowned 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 nothing to do with them!” Shirley declared emphatically. “Their dark worship is their business. My association with my dog is from different circumstances!”
Duncan’s eyes shifted to the chain binding Shirley to the dark hound. The Annihilation Sect worshiped the abyss, summoned demonic entities, and used demonic spells. The sun priest had assumed Shirley’s dark hound linked her to the sect, but Duncan believed, under normal circumstances, such information was reliable.
The puzzle was Shirley, who vehemently denied any link with the cultists, yet had a dark hound from the abyss tethered to her.
“If you insist you have no affiliation with them, so be it,” Duncan said, shaking his head slightly. “So what brings you here? What are you investigating?”
Shirley hesitated, her lips tightening as she weighed her options. The palpable tension from her dark hound made it clear: the seemingly unassuming man before her was not to be underestimated. Cooperation was likely in her best interest.
As Shirley was about to speak, an abrupt explosion echoed through the basement. From the corner of the room, a fireball erupted, blazing through the air with shocking speed!
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.