World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 180 Before Morality

Hellhound, also known as Cerberus, is the guardian of the entrance to hell and a servant of the devil.

Essentially an ominous symbol, it is also depicted in popular culture as a treasure trove in the world of the dead or a guardian of souls.

Myths about hellhounds are found all over the world, such as Garm, the goddess of the underworld in Northwest mythology, and Cerberus, the hound of Hades, the god of the underworld in Greek mythology.

Hellhounds reek of sulfur and are engulfed in flames, leaving burned areas on the ground wherever they go.

However, after entering the black ship, Lin An did not smell the hellish odor, thus concluding that the red-eyed monster he encountered was not a hellhound, but the "black dog" from the legends of the Eagle Kingdom.

Since the 19th century, hellhounds have followed colonists to the New World, where they have combined with local mythology to create a new superstition called "black dogs".

It is found in areas of hanging mountains, rocky ridges, and canyons.

The black dog is described as a slightly larger wild dog with glowing red eyes, black fur, and ghostly speed.

Folklorists believe it not only combines Western and indigenous mythology, but also draws inspiration from the Celtic fairy hound.

The Westerners believed that looking directly into the eyes of a hellhound three times would result in death, and the Eagle Kingdom perpetuated this legend, with the Connecticut Quarterly describing the appearance of the black dog as an omen of death.

"Encountering a black dog once brings joy; encountering a black dog twice brings sorrow; encountering a black dog three times brings death."

The second person to see the black dog was Mishi. Unlike the captain of the disciplinary squad, she let out a scream and fell to the ground.

"Ring... Ring..."

Seeing her companion fall, Lin An felt a pang of fear, but then realized that her connection with the Philosopher's Stone had not been severed, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Mysterious individuals of legendary or higher rank are not so easily killed.

Strange phenomena appeared alone in the dark and damp cabin. The glow of fireflies kissed Mishi's pale face, and her curly orange hair was adorned with flowers and plants formed from energy: bellflowers, foxgloves, hyacinths, and delicate red dog roses complemented each other.

Each flower has the color of crystal or glass, so lifelike, and emits a light, melodious sound like a glass clock.

The omen of the black dog's death could not erase the fairy queen's memory of the fairy realm, for the fairies themselves lived in a strange kingdom that lay between life and death.

"Mishi! What's wrong with you!"

Seeing this, Barry swiftly slit Lelou Garrou's throat with his claws and charged toward her.

The scene before him suddenly twisted in a strange way, and drowsiness overwhelmed him, causing Barry to lose consciousness uncontrollably.

Based on the legend of the black dog, Lin An guessed that its mystery could only be confirmed by "witness accounts".

Without delay, he immediately turned the Philosopher's Stone, using mental illusions to change everyone's vision, and then sang the Song of the Other Side of the Mountain, putting his companions to sleep.

The remaining Lelou Garrut was affected by the area-of-effect effect of "Mother of Desire." Its massive body swayed, its claws hovered in mid-air, and it remained standing, fast asleep.

Lin An also used mental illusions to alter his vision, preventing him from seeing the hellhound in person.

Upon entering the air defense mode, he was surprised to find that the "mosquitoes" that had previously covered the entire cabin had disappeared, and the few remaining points of light clearly showed the positions of both the enemy and his own forces.

Did the captain take down the mosquito controller?

In this way, the annoying things that interfered with cognition finally disappeared.

Lin An picked up the debris floating on the water and threw it at the last remaining werewolf in the direction of the light. He then used the same method, employing airflow magic and metal conversion, to kill the Lelu Garu.

"Roar!"

Due to the threat of the Hellhound, Lin An did not restore his true vision, and his first three shots all missed. Lelou Garrut was awakened by the excruciating pain and roared as he pounced on Lin An, only to have his brain pierced through the latter's right eye by a single blow.

"The entry 'Research in Cryptozoology III: Lelou Garou' has been added, and you have obtained the media 'Lord of the Earth' x2 and 'Nature Ritual' x1."

"I understand, system. Quickly paste the 'Cerberus' entry onto it."

"You must witness this mystery and unlock the corresponding illustration."

“Didn’t I just witness it?” Lin An frowned. “Speaking of which, as a source-level mystery, why don’t you have any useful passive skills? Black Dog’s rating is probably disaster, yet you blocked my vision with a ‘see it and die’ ability. Is that reasonable?”

"You haven't yet grasped the mystery, so the data panel will not be displayed," the system calmly retorted. "By the way, I do have a 'reincarnation' function, but my radiation level is too low, so it hasn't been unlocked yet."

"Reincarnation?" Lin An's eyes widened. "You mean if I die, you can take my soul to a new body and let me start over as an infant?"

"Uh, it seems to be a translation error. To avoid ambiguity, please switch the language to Romance."

Not wanting to argue with it for the time being, Lin An fell into deep thought.

No one knows this mystery... Isn't that guy a 'black dog'?
The black dog was about the size of a medium-sized dog, so it should have been difficult for it to escape the system's lock. However, when it encountered Vasila and the demon monkey, its figure repeatedly disappeared into the darkness.

No, it didn't actually disappear into thin air; it simply changed its form and escaped.

Back then, mosquitoes were everywhere!
A mysterious figure associated with shapeshifting!
Suddenly, Lin An heard a woman's voice, languid and husky with a French accent, ring out. "I'm sorry, you killed one of my followers. She saw my achievements in the newspaper and became hopelessly infatuated with me, ultimately abandoning her family to work for me unpaid, even sacrificing her life. Simon, is there anyone who supports you so unconditionally?"

Her soft yet alluring voice echoed through the corridors of the sailors' quarters, causing the cold, stagnant water to tremble slightly.

It was Carlo Bennett!
“I will never… let you go!” Simon roared.

"Come on, stop showing off your sense of justice. All of humanity craves a psychedelic journey; it's the only way to escape the despairing and gloomy prison of materialism, which makes DMT so extraordinary."

Just as Lin An was about to reunite with the captain, he suddenly sensed the Canaan magic fluctuations belonging to Doris. A dark blue curtain appeared in an oval shape, trapping Simon in the middle.

No wonder even though he was furious, he was powerless against Bennett's nagging.

The deadly source-level mysticism acts like a trench, clearly separating the two.

You once asked me this question: Why did your fiancée become a drug addict?

Bennett held the ancient stone slab between her index and middle fingers and elegantly propped up her chin.

"The answer is that no one makes that decision the moment they wake up in the morning. It takes at least two shots a day to form a habit, and it's no exaggeration to say that it takes about a year and hundreds of injections to become addicted."

"A person becomes an addict because they lack strong motivation in life. So, is it meaningful to resist one's own desires? Isn't resisting the flow of desire a form of unfreedom? Is it justifiable to resist destroying one's physical body to achieve spiritual satisfaction?"

"This is what thousands of people ask themselves when faced with problems like smoking, drinking, stimulants, and sexual misconduct. They have actually realized where the problem lies and made up their minds to stop."

"But when tomorrow and the day after come, people often forget their vows, and their self-exile continues to dominate morality, making them social failures or scapegoats of despair, and turning them into an abandoned, untouchable class."

"In other words, I am simply providing a natural selection process where only the weakest and most morally corrupt people will succumb to it—those people are already social failures; they either don't love themselves enough or they are not strong enough."

The gentle words were the last straw that broke the camel's back, blurring the lines between divinity and humanity. Simon's data flickered and pulsed, and Lin An gasped.

Captain, hang in there!
“Benet!” Simon forced out the syllable through gritted teeth.

"Oh la la, this is the truth, my friend, the two worlds in your heart, society and the army. The army has left you, but society is a cruel truth, contrary to your beliefs."

After saying this, Bennett took two steps back and left without looking back.

She knew that as time went by, Simon's level of corruption would eventually exceed 60%, causing him to lose his mind and deliberately crash into the dazzling barrier. What awaited him was the separation of his body and soul, and the destruction of his spirit.

It was time to activate the emergency plan, gather the necessities, and meet up with the young lady. She thought.

On the other side, Lin An finally understood the ins and outs of the encounter on the black ship.

Carlo Bennett infiltrated the group, using shapeshifting to repeatedly escape Lin An's lock-on. He then separated the Foundation members from Simon, transformed into a black dog to kill the former, and used the magic left by Doris to trap and kill Simon, ending the battle.

If it weren't for Lin An, the foundation would have been completely wiped out by this criminal boss.

Carlo Bennett, true to his Gulf Cartel roots, set up an unbreakable trap in less than 10 minutes.

Shaking the key between her fingers, Bennett regained her composure, humming a spell-like French song, her soft, legato syllables and trilled tongues sounding like she was drunk.

Angel, angel, God bless you.
I am like a sign of death.
But even now, I will become a woman.

For this ruthless crime boss, the arrival of "Comers" brought about a revolutionary new order, but human nature could hardly be changed much in just ten years.

"Wow."

Carlo Bennett's lazy gaze shifted to the sound of water, where a dark-haired young man stood with his hands behind his back in the darkness, soaking wet.

She remembered him, the foundation's "medic," responsible for logistical support and treating the wounded, who somehow hadn't died under the black dog's gaze.

The young man reached out his hands, groping his way closer like a blind man.

"How pitiful, you're blind after all." Bennett stroked his smooth chin. "Trying to avenge your companions all alone? What can you do with just healing magic? Try to soften my heart with your kindness?"

She could almost imagine the young man's despair and sorrow, watching helplessly as his companions fell into the abyss, powerless to do anything but repeatedly use his ineffective healing energy.

But he couldn't save anything.

Without the protection of others, he was now nothing more than a defenseless military doctor.

To Bennett's surprise, the young man looked up, his face expressionless, and spoke in a cold tone that was completely different from what she had expected.

"Medical department it is. Hey bro, guess who invented the Gatling gun?"

"……Why?"

Thank you elona for your love for your junior, and thank you to An Yi_Ming Ye Xue, Book Friend 20200331101409379, Newbie Investigator Gu Gu Gu, Book Friend 20220730233306442, Wings of Adversity, A Grain of Boat in the Book, Strange Light 0 Lu Li, Qing Xiao, AlvMolak, Rabbit Fur Handbag, luiye Liu Ye, and elona for your monthly tickets. Thank you all for your recommendation tickets and subscriptions.

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(End of this chapter)