Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Capture – Dog King
The entire area surrounding the church is filled with countless crosses, arranged like a forest, forming a grand formation as if to block something within the church, preventing any danger from escaping.
Sun Yan and Sosia circled around the church and soon discovered a graveyard on its western side. Various tombstones stood inside, either covered in moss from years of neglect or thick with cobwebs.
Centipedes as long as chopsticks could even be seen crawling on the surface of the soil, making it truly difficult to step forward.
Looking at the scene before them, an image involuntarily surfaced in Sun Yan’s mind—a painting created by the mysterious soul within Betty.
’Brown soil covered with black crosses, under each cross lay men and women motionless; some were women with long braids, others were men with short hair and beards, all maintaining the same posture as if they were living people in a deep slumber.’
"What a mistake, I should have brought a folding entrenching tool with me, then I could check if the contents beneath the surface match the painting," Sun Yan lamented with a sigh.
Without suitable tools, even though Sosia possesses strength far beyond that of ordinary humans, it would be challenging to dig up the corpses underground in a short time. By the time she finished, it might already be dark, rendering the investigation pointless.
Just as Sun Yan was about to give up and bypass the graveyard, Sosia suddenly grabbed him, her tall nose subtly twitching as she thoughtfully remarked, "Over there, a dog is digging. It seems to have unearthed something unusual."
"Your sense of smell is really... sharp," Sun Yan praised with a thumbs-up, as his Celestial Eye could only be used to observe souls and was not capable of analyzing the surroundings with scent like Sosia.
The two bypassed several tombstones and ventured deeper into the graveyard, soon spotting a wild dog at the edge, energetically digging the soil.
This wild dog had a yellow back and white belly, with a head resembling a wolf’s and a merrily wagging tail, instantly giving Sun Yan a sense of familiarity—wasn’t this a rural dog!
Noticing someone approaching, the rural dog immediately stopped its actions, turning its head cautiously, baring its teeth viciously at Sun Yan, and letting out a warning growl.
Only then did Sun Yan notice the dog had a fist-sized red tumor on its forehead, with worm-like blood vessels coursing over its surface, making it look even more ferocious, as if a demon that had escaped from Hell.
"Careful," Sosia quickly shielded Sun Yan, unwilling to back down, revealing her wolf fangs at the wild dog.
Unexpectedly, upon seeing the dog’s peculiar appearance, Sun Yan was not frightened but rather delighted, full of interest in the wild dog.
The Mountain Chasing Manual mentioned that in ancient times, many wild dogs roaming the mountains would feed on carrion. They could use their sense of smell to locate freshly buried graves and then dig out the corpses to eat.
Consuming an abundance of carrion, some wild dogs gradually displayed supernatural characteristics, gaining intelligence and spirit communication abilities, easily becoming the dog kings within their packs. Such dog kings even had the strength to contend with zombies and could serve to ward off evil spirits when kept at home.
The tumor on its head was a documented supernatural feature in the Mountain Chasing Manual, perfectly matching the rural dog before him.
"Who knows how many years this graveyard has existed, this dog seems to have had its fair share of snacks," Sun Yan laughed as he walked past Sosia, approaching the rural dog without hesitation.
Previously, after enhancing the quality of the True Monarch of Pure Origin and Mysterious Dao Divine Statue, Sun Yan obtained a new divine power ’Fine Dog Divine Eagle,’ which he had not yet used.
The reason was that there were no wild dogs around his graveyard, and he recently hadn’t had time to purchase one, so the divine power had remained unused.
Since he was fortunate enough to encounter a spirit dog with supernatural attributes, it was naturally something he couldn’t pass up. Sun Yan then prepared to form a contract with it to assist him in battles.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Seeing that it couldn’t intimidate Sun Yan with its bared teeth, but instead, he continued to approach, the rural dog immediately barked excitedly, leaping eagerly, ready to pounce and bite.
"Good dog, quite fierce," Sun Yan nodded with satisfaction and initiated a contract with the rural dog, "You’ll be my dog from now on."
A golden line cracked open at Sun Yan’s brow, and a faint beam of golden light shot out, directly entering the rural dog’s body.
The previously hyperactive rural dog instantly calmed down, sitting on the ground, looking at Sun Yan with an honest gaze.
After completing the contract with the rural dog, Sun Yan clearly felt an intimate connection with it, like partners who have been together for years, filled with deep trust.
Seizing the opportunity, he tried out the effect of the divine power’s shared vision. The next moment, through the rural dog’s eyes, Sun Yan saw his reflection, a peculiar feeling akin to looking into a mirror.
With this rural dog, it was as if Sun Yan had gained a clone, allowing him to see more information.
Sun Yan scratched Dahuang under the chin affectionately, "Let’s give you a name. From now on, you’ll be called Dahuang."
"Woof!" Dahuang wagged his tail swiftly and quickly ran to the pit he’d just dug, inviting Sun Yan to share its find.
Peering into the pit, Sun Yan saw a long-decayed, hole-riddled wooden coffin exposed in the soil.
Through the broken lid, Sun Yan immediately saw a man lying inside, with limbs long and lean, skin akin to rubber. His legs resembled horse hooves, while his hands, placed on his chest, had canine-like claws, covered with fungi blending into the coffin.
From any angle, the owner of this grave was nothing short of a monster.
"Around the church that worships God, monsters are buried underground," Sun Yan’s expression grew grim, undoubtedly realizing this wasn’t an isolated incident.
If even the outer situation is like this, the secrets hidden within the church itself are unimaginable.
Retrieving Betty’s soul might be more difficult than anticipated.
"Let’s go, it’s getting dark. Let’s enter the church first," Sun Yan called Dahuang, heading towards Sosia.
The two of them and the dog left the graveyard, quickly returning to the church entrance and stepping into the dark interior in succession.
As they vanished inside, a flock of night crows suddenly emerged from nowhere, swirling above the church, forming a grotesque face in the crimson sky as dusk descended.