Chapter 1040 - 501: Caught in the Act (Dog Edition)
"Huh?"
What kind of hospitality is this?
Herbert felt like he’d broadened his horizons.
He’s seen plenty of thrilling scenes before, but this one was truly novel.
"Oh, wow, is this a groundbreaking opening right off the bat?"
Herbert thought he was someone who’s seen it all, who’d been through storms and waves.
No matter what kind of opening the Forest Goddess had prepared for him, whether it was an intimidating display or a sugar-coated cannonball, he could remain composed.
Whatever tricks you have, just show them all, bring it on!
And then—
Herbert’s brain short-circuited with an overload of surprise.
Wait, no, this this this...
He truly hadn’t seen such a groundbreaking introduction before.
I was too naive.
Why are there two dogs?
Right, am I seeing this correctly?
This isn’t right!
People shouldn’t watch dog videos, should they?
"Woof woof woof!"
Listening to the furious bark of the male hunting dog, Herbert’s mouth twitched, momentarily unsure how to react, feeling like he’d unwittingly done something wrong.
No, he didn’t just feel it; he unconsciously did something uncouth.
As a foreign intruder, I really overstepped.
Putting myself in their shoes, if my passionate activities were interrupted by an intruder who appeared out of thin air, it would probably leave psychological scars.
Oh dear, what a sin, what a sin.
But the thing is, this time you really couldn’t blame Herbert.
He was truly innocent this time.
"I didn’t mean to disturb you all, okay okay, stop barking at me! No matter how much you bark, I can’t help you push your rear."
Herbert shrugged helplessly, defending himself with a few words, then turned to observe his surroundings.
"It’s definitely a forest, but the location seems to be a bit off." He blinked, curiously examining the environment around him.
Crossing the threshold woven of vines, he stepped into an unknown forest.
The lush leaves blocked the harsh sunlight, casting dappled shadows and coolness, gently swaying with a rustling sound even in the absence of wind.
Bird calls of various types drifted through the forest, intertwining like a faint yet moving melody.
Quiet and peaceful, simply being here made him feel the restless soul within silently calmed by a gentle force, leaving only tranquility.
He could sense goodwill coming from all directions, from the small animals hidden in the shadows, and even from the seemingly unconscious plants themselves.
They were all watching this intruder, but didn’t drive him away; instead, they offered a faint goodwill—except for the male hunting dog who had just been interrupted.
"Woof woof woof woof!"
The male hunting dog, seeing Herbert standing still, seemed to feel provoked and barked even louder.
It was probably cursing even more vilely.
"Woof."
Even the female hunting dog couldn’t tolerate it anymore, gave a gentle bark, causing the male hunting dog to stop, though it still glared at Herbert with hostility, mumbling under its breath.
"Woof..."
Seriously, even your companion forgave me, why won’t you let it go?
Even she doesn’t mind, why can’t you move on?
"Phew..."
Listening to the dissatisfied whimper, Herbert withdrew his gaze from the beautiful scenery and looked back at the two intertwined hunting dogs.
"Oh?"
Not to mention, upon closer inspection, the appearance of the two was quite nice, both pure white with fluffy coats that looked pleasantly touchable.
Moreover... you know what?
Watching an animal video for the first time, it’s kind of exhilarating.
He could sense that these two "hunting dogs" weren’t genuine animals.
They... were actually Heroic Spirits within the Divine Kingdom.
Not all devotees who enter the Divine Kingdom after death maintain their previous forms; some choose to turn into animals, plants, humans, vampires, demons, and so on.
These changes either reflect personal preference or result from the Divine Kingdom Rules, forcing the transformation.
In some Divine Kingdoms ruled by beast deities hostile to humans, inhabitants must take the form of prey, forbidden from having any humanoid appearance.
Even human devotees, upon becoming Heroic Spirits, must adhere to this rule, locked within the bodies of beasts, becoming special intelligent creatures.
Some of these intelligent creatures might adapt to walking upright, wearing clothes, living decorously just as they did in life.
Conversely, some beasts might transform into human forms within the Divine Kingdom but still retain animal instincts, requiring a long time to adapt to bipedal walking.
Herbert couldn’t distinguish what race these hunting dog-shaped Heroic Spirits belonged to before, but they definitely weren’t pure beasts.
Because there were at least three grammatical errors in just those barking remarks!
Three errors!
This isn’t an innately true dog; this is definitely an acquired fake dog!
To be fair, Herbert didn’t want to understand the foul language either, as nobody likes being cursed at—unless you count those with peculiar tastes like a certain disgraceful Vampire.
However, he couldn’t resist the interference of a bored Harmonious God who thoughtfully provided him with a real-time translation blessing for understanding beast language.
Proficiency in beast language!
"Nenasha, if you’re tired of your strength, I can freely help you waste some, without leaving you a drop."
For this, Miss Harmonious God, already entertained, couldn’t care less about Herbert’s threats, replying with just two words.