Chapter 165

Chapter 165

The deity on Earth quickly realized that the thing the Black Cat mentioned that could hinder the dog might be the maggot-like creature lying on the laboratory table.

"Black Cat: That maggot creature... was originally a friend of Professor Alexis. But now, it has completely transformed into a bizarre being. After the experiments conducted by the two professors, it's impossible for it to regain consciousness. Although Professor Alexis is trying to save it, during the last experiment, it briefly regained consciousness and asked Professor Alexis to end its life.

Black Cat: So you don't need to feel any guilt. Its rationality isn't in a state of clarity right now, and its strength is quite good. There's a black bottle in the lab. The medicine inside can awaken it. Once it's awakened, it will attack the nearest living creature.

Deity on Earth: Alright, I understand."

Hearing this, Deity on Earth didn't linger. After pondering for a moment, he promptly decided on a course of action. He walked to the side of the experiment table, ignoring the maggot creature nearby, and picked up the bottles and jars on it, occasionally sniffing at them.

Marlon had no idea what he was doing. Just as he moved away from the door, the dog outside collided fiercely once more!

This time, it nearly smashed open the laboratory door. Marlon immediately tried to hold it back, but with only him there, he couldn't withstand the force of the dog. The door almost gave way. "Lord Austin!"

"Wait for my signal. As soon as I say so, open the door!" Deity on Earth shouted, throwing the small black bottle in his hand into the pile of maggots on the experiment table. "Wake up!"

Without hesitation, Marlon opened the door. This act of trust surprised him. Just as the dog was about to collide with the door, its momentum was diverted, and it crashed straight into the suddenly agitated pile of maggots.

"Bark! Bark!"

"Ssshhhh..."

The mass of maggots engulfed the dog, but the canine wasn't one to back down. It fiercely crushed them under its paws. Taking advantage of the chaos, God Among Men carried Malon towards the door and they finally escaped from the laboratory.

"Hold on, we're almost out of here."

"Yes, thanks to your help." Malon's voice was weak. God Among Men looked down at him in concern, only to notice that Malon's face remained deathly pale, appearing even more ghastly. Blood still flowed from his arm, staining half his body red. One of his ankles was swollen to an alarming degree.

God, in His mortal form, didn't utter a word, only urging him to persevere. He could already spot the botanical garden in the distance. The live-stream chat was abuzz with viewers saying they were on their way to assist Lane, and the mission would soon be over.

Yet, right at this moment, the system notification sounded.

"Listen: The Art of Success"

"You sense a disturbance coming from behind you."

God, amidst humanity, cast a glance backward just as the laboratory's previously sealed door burst open from within. The battle between the insects and the hounds in the lab had reached its conclusion in a matter of minutes. Due to Malone's interference, God Walking Among Men's speed wasn't at its peak; he had only managed to put a distance of six hundred meters between them.

Given the dog's speed, they'd cover that distance in less than a minute.

At that moment, Malon abruptly pushed God on Earth away.

"You go on ahead, don't let me hold you back," Malon said with a wry smile. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this. Run, damn it, don't give me a reason to regret it!"

Malon knew he couldn't escape now; his legs were in no condition to drag God on Earth along, and their efforts would end up with both of them being caught.

If this were any other time, considering Malon's personality, he would have insisted on staying and sacrificing himself alongside God on Earth. Selflessness wasn't something he was known for.

But screw it, he thought. He'd consider it paying back the favor from before.

Without hesitation, Malon turned around, resolutely facing the dog, completely unaware of the twitching corners of God on Earth's mouth behind him.

"Well, well, well..."

"How am I suddenly feeling moved by this cultist?"

"What's going on here? Hahaha, why are you guys so... gay?"

"Surely not, great one, is this even possible to conquer?"

"Why did the great one save him in the first place?"

"Because we need a witness, otherwise all this would have been for nothing."

"I'm just curious, has the great one maxed out their charm points? Tell me, were you charmed by him!"

"What do you know? This is called the great one's irresistible allure (for same gender only) (dog emoji)."

"Come on!" Malon bellowed at the dog, unleashing a spell he had prepared earlier. He knew it might not work on the canine, so he cast a spell that augmented himself, boosting his speed and strength, momentarily numbing the pain in his ankle. He charged at the dog.

However, he seemed to forget that despite the physical enhancement, his close combat skills were lackluster.

The dog evaded Malon's attack and circled behind him, pouncing and clamping its jaws around Malon's neck, forcing his forehead to the ground. Dizziness overwhelmed Malon instantly. Before he could regain his footing, the dog fiercely bit into his neck, tearing flesh apart. The dog's saliva seemed to possess some sort of special property, similar to the excruciating scar it left on Malon's arm earlier. Malon lost consciousness promptly. Then, with bloodshot eyes, the dog lifted its gaze to the divine being incarnate, its expression filled with unwavering determination towards its prey.

"A devoted pup, so adorable yet fierce."

"We're done for, it's the great one's turn."

"Have we not found Lane yet? (Sigh of sorrow)"

"It's doomsday approaching!"

"We're on our way to the headmaster's office, almost there!"

"By the time you arrive, the big shot will be reduced to dog food!"

As the players feared, the dog didn't pause for a moment. It crouched down, growling menacingly, baring its fangs, and charged fearlessly towards the divine being on earth.

God Among Mortals instinctively raised an arm to shield his face as a sharp gust of brine swept by. The dog leaped over him, its head never turning back as it pounced towards something behind him.

"Woof!"

This time, the bark held no hint of aggression. God Among Mortals snapped out of his trance and spun around. A vague figure of a youthful deity stood in the shadows beyond the botanical garden.

Taking one step forward, the deity's exceptionally striking features were fully revealed.

Thanks to the newfound use of the Ark, Lane no longer had to worry about his believers losing their minds from direct gaze while he maintained his human form. There was no longer a need for him to cover his face with a white cloth, thus allowing players to witness the divine countenance once more after a long absence.

"Oh, my dear wife."

"Wahh, we're finally reunited, my love."

"It's been so long."

"Hahaha, wasn't Lane always at Michigan? Hahahaha, you must have seen him often there, right? Besides, it wasn't that long ago since the 3.0 main storyline."

"I was talking about Lane, but I'm addressing that magnificent face."

"Of course, Lane-husband is wonderful! But it's been ages since I last saw my beloved's divine visage. I've worn out the old images, and now I can finally behold you again, qwq."

"Why cover such a magnificent face all this time? It was beautiful, yes, but I couldn't help wondering if the officials changed the model without us noticing. Seeing my wife's timeless beauty reassures me."

"Why hide it, such a grand face it is!"

"Capturing screenshots like crazy!"

The dog ignored the prey at hand and pounced on the divine youth. Lane crouched down, rubbing the dog's head. "Good boy."

"Yip!"

Having been frequently summoned by Lane to rub its head, the dog had grown familiar with Lane's scent and no longer felt afraid. It crouched beside Lane, rolling onto its back and affectionately licked his hand with its tongue.

Lane looked up and met the astonished expression on God on Earth's face. He tilted his head and pointed at the pocket of his coat.

God on Earth instinctively reached in and, to his surprise, found a phone. This was the phone he had given to Malon earlier, which Malon had returned to him just before pushing him away.

Wait a moment, is this phone still recording?

God on Earth looked down and saw that the phone had automatically shut down due to low battery. Phew, that's a relief.

"It's alright, he's still alive." Lane walked over to the unconscious Malon and knelt down to examine his injuries.

The dog seemed to realize it had done something wrong and whimpered pitifully from the side.

"Don't worry, you were just fulfilling your duty. You did well," Lane comforted the anxious canine as he stroked its fur.

"I wish my wife would pat my head and tell me I did well too," Lane thought to himself.

"Blimey, let go of that dog and let me handle it!"

"I don't know whether to be envious of you or the dog – I want to pet the pooch and be petted by my wife at the same time."

"Hehehe, I want to be my wife's dog."

"Upstairs, don't you have someone to care about in the game?"

Divinity Among Men approached Lane and watched him heal the cultist's wounds. Unable to hold back, he spoke, "I need him alive as a witness."

"I understand," Lane replied with a smile, looking at Divinity Among Men. "I've been watching you all along."

"You did very well, as did the others who worked with you. Thanks to all of you, Miskatonic University has returned to the world. You're the finest investigators I've ever seen."

Divinity Among Men was taken aback, a subtle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Hehe, my wife praised me."

"She praised all of us. Our acting was a huge success, everyone!"

"Patience, my friend, not so fast with the champagne! Though the performance is over, we still need to hand the phone to that cult – they might not believe it, and all our efforts would be in vain."

"Don't worry, I trust the big shots!"

"Regardless, everyone's done an excellent job so far. And you, you'll have to work a little more, delivering this video to the New Harbor for the final stage," said Lane.

The objective was to widely disseminate knowledge of Mega and establish a firm anchor in people's minds.

"Campaign Major Quest - The Arrival of Mega

Act 3: The Final Act.

Quest Description: You've completed the preliminary tasks, obtained crucial evidence – a video containing information on Mega – and a witness in a coma. Now, deliver this recording to the cult gathering and let it shake their understanding of Mega to the core!"

A divine smile deepened on the deity's face, as their right hand, adorned with a silver-cross pendant on the black clerical robe, rested on their chest. They bowed slightly. "As you command."