Chapter 725: Knowledge Changes Destiny

Every aspect of the ritual had been prepared with painstaking attention to detail: the runes were meticulously placed in their precise positions, forming an elaborate and meaningful design on the ground. These runes were not just randomly scattered; they were part of a complex, symbiotic contract, their arrangement creating a detailed and intricate pattern. The summoner, whose placement was as critical as the runes themselves, stood ready while the demon they were about to call forth appeared exactly where it was meant to, fulfilling all the necessary conditions to begin this arcane and mysterious ceremony.

Dog stood at the epicenter of this carefully arranged rune matrix, whose eyes flickered with a subtle, eerie green flame. His gaze was fixed intently on Shirley, positioned at the formation's outer edge. As Dog's mind wavered between the realms of order and chaos, he gave a slow, meaningful nod, a gesture that seemed to carry significant weight.

Encouraged by this signal from Dog, Shirley moved cautiously toward the formation's central point, known as the 'node'. She tried to calm her racing mind as she approached, her thoughts a whirlwind of anticipation and anxiety.

Shirley's knowledge of these complex runes was basic at best, and she had no formal training in the mystical arts. Additionally, the strange and intimidating rituals of the Annihilation Cult were completely foreign to her. As she faced these puzzling and arcane symbols, a tide of nervousness swept over her.

However, her faith in Dog was steadfast. Their bond was more than just important to her; it was something she desperately sought to reconnect with, a lifeline she couldn't afford to lose.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Shirley closed her eyes. She delved into her memories and imagination, focusing on conjuring up the image of the demon she aimed to summon. This figure was not new to her; it was Dog, whom she had known for numerous years.

The runes beneath her began to emit a soft glow as she concentrated. They were activating an ancient communication protocol that hailed from a long-lost era of civilizations. With its unique logic and patterns, this protocol started to awaken, creating a faint but mystical connection between Shirley and Dog. This link between them grew stronger as the glow from the rune matrix intensified.

But the unexpected occurred when it seemed like their efforts were about to bear fruit. The runes suddenly dimmed, and the budding connection they had established shattered. A sharp, transient howl filled the air, causing Dog's charred bones and the twelve skeletal limbs that were arranged behind Shirley to shiver.

Jolted from her intense focus, Shirley opened her eyes wide in shock. The sudden deactivation of the runes left her trembling slightly. She saw Dog, still positioned at the heart of the formation, suddenly look up. It was clear to her then—their attempt to reforge the symbiotic contract had been unsuccessful.

"What happened..." Shirley's face was etched with confusion as she looked back and forth between the now dormant runes and Dog, who seemed just as puzzled. "Did I do something wrong? Or is there a problem with these runes?"

"It shouldn't be..." Dog, equally baffled, moved away from its designated spot in the ritual to examine the area around the node. "These runes are accurate; they are almost a part of me. And you seemed to do everything right; otherwise, the runes wouldn't have activated in the first place. But something went wrong halfway... The process just stopped suddenly..."

As Shirley noticed the light in Dog's eyes beginning to fade and his speech becoming more sporadic, her worry intensified. "We... We should try again!" she suggested, her voice a mixture of determination and concern.

Dog, whose presence had always been a source of strength for her, now seemed vulnerable, his usual aura of stability and power diminished. This change in Dog only added to the urgency of their situation. The failed attempt at the ritual wasn't just a setback—it was a sign that something deeper and more perplexing was at play.

Shirley's mind raced with possibilities. Had she misunderstood the nature of the runes? Was there an unseen flaw in their arrangement, or perhaps a hidden aspect of the symbiotic contract that they had overlooked? The ritual they were attempting was steeped in ancient lore and shrouded in mystery, and even with Dog's guidance, there was so much they didn't know.

Now inert and unresponsive, the runes lay like a puzzle on the ground. Once vibrant and active, each symbol now seemed like a silent, enigmatic witness to their failure. Shirley knew that solving this mystery and understanding the deeper connection between her and Dog were essential for the ritual's success.

In the midst of their perplexity, Shirley's resolve hardened. This ritual was more than just a summoning; it was a key to unlocking a part of her past, a path to understanding the intricate tapestry of her own destiny intertwined with Dog's. With a renewed sense of purpose, she prepared to try again, hoping that they would uncover the missing piece that would lead them to success this time.

Dog immediately responded with a nod, signaling his agreement. "Okay, let's give it another shot!" he said with a sense of determination, albeit tinged with an underlying note of worry.

Shirley and Dog returned to their designated spots within the ritual formation, each moving with a mixture of hope and trepidation. They began the ritual anew, meticulously following each step as they had done before. However, the result was frustratingly the same.

The complex array of runes, each one painstakingly placed, momentarily came to life, radiating a brief but intense glow. This display of mystical energy, however, was fleeting. It lasted only a few seconds before the entire array abruptly ceased functioning, reminiscent of a machine experiencing a sudden malfunction. This sudden halt was marked by a high-pitched, piercing shriek, casting the area once again into an eerie darkness.

Shirley felt her heart pounding with fear and uncertainty. During those brief moments when the runes were active, she had felt an unsettling shift in Dog. His demeanor was palpably changing; his sense of reason and humanity seemed to fade, slipping away into something else. Dog was becoming increasingly disoriented, no longer recognizing Shirley in its confused and deteriorating state.

In the midst of its escalating confusion and cognitive disarray, Dog stumbled towards Shirley's ritual position at the "node." He struggled to maintain his balance, and eventually collapsed near the spot, barely able to keep himself upright. In a weakened, strained voice, Dog managed to whisper, "Something's not right... I must have missed something... The setup of the ritual seemed perfect, so the issue must lie in our current, unusual state. We need to... make some adjustments..."

"Adjustments? But how?" Shirley asked urgently, her voice filled with concern and desperation. "Do I need to reposition myself? Is there something wrong with the placement of the node? Or perhaps this location isn't conducive to the ritual?"

But Dog seemed to have lost awareness of her presence. His head drooped, and unsettling crackling noises emanated from within his form. He swayed slightly, murmuring incoherently in a low tone, the words unintelligible to Shirley.

In that moment of confusion and despair, Shirley felt a sudden, familiar sensation. A deep, commanding voice, filled with a mix of authority and comfort, reached her ears, breaking through the tension of the situation: "What's happening here?"

Both Shirley and Dog instinctively looked towards the source of the voice - standing a short distance away in the wilderness were Duncan and Alice.

"Captain!?" Shirley exclaimed, a mixture of surprise and recognition in her voice. For a brief second, she seemed to forget the transformation her body had undergone, nearly losing her balance as she moved forward. However, she quickly adjusted to her new, elongated skeletal limbs and rushed towards Duncan. "Captain, please, you must help Dog. He's in terrible shape. We've lost our bond, and our attempt to redo the reforging ritual just failed. I don't know what to do..."

"Take it easy, slow down," Duncan signaled with a calming gesture, his expression turning to one of slight concern as he took in Shirley's drastically altered appearance. Despite her now demonic form, he recognized her through a distinctive mark, confirming she was the Shirley he knew. His gaze then shifted to Dog, taking in his significant transformation with a mix of intrigue and concern. "Can you explain exactly what's been happening here?"

Shirley hesitated for a moment, her voice quivering as the weight of their predicament hit her. "Our... our bond, it broke," she finally managed to say, her words heavy with emotion. The simplicity of her statement belied the complexity and gravity of their situation.

The revelation seemed to catch Duncan off-guard, but he quickly composed himself. His experience as a captain had trained him to remain calm in the face of the unknown and the bizarre. He took a step forward, surveying the scene with a critical eye. The runes, now inert and lifeless, the disheveled state of Dog struggling to maintain coherence, and Shirley's transformed appearance painted a picture of a ritual gone awry.

Alice, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up, her voice reflecting a mix of curiosity and concern. "Huh? I've never seen anything like this before. What were you two trying to achieve with this ritual?"

Shirley, steadying herself, began to explain the purpose of their ritual in more detail, her words interspersed with glances towards Dog, whose condition seemed to be deteriorating with each passing moment. She spoke of the symbiotic bond they shared, how it had been broken, and their desperate attempts to restore it through the ritual. She detailed the specific steps they had taken, the preparation of the runes, and the unexpected outcomes of their attempts.

As she spoke, Duncan and Alice listened intently, their expressions a blend of fascination and concern. The gravity of the situation was not lost on them - they understood that what they were witnessing was not just a failed ritual, but a crisis that threatened the very essence of Shirley and Dog's existence.

Duncan finally broke the silence after Shirley's explanation. "We need to find a solution - and quickly. But first, we need to stabilize Dog. Then we can figure out the next steps."

As they huddled together, the group began to brainstorm possible solutions, their collective knowledge and experience coming together in a race against time to save Dog and restore the broken bond. The wilderness around them, once just a backdrop for their ritual, now seemed to bear silent witness to their struggle, a reminder of the unpredictable and often perilous nature of the mystical forces they were dealing with.

At that critical moment, Dog seemed to muster a fleeting moment of lucidity, his head laboriously lifting as he struggled to articulate its thoughts. "We attempted the symbiotic contract ritual again, but there were issues with the ritual itself..."

Duncan, concern etching his features, stepped closer to the center of the ritual site. "Problems with the ritual?" he asked, his voice carrying a note of urgency as he surveyed the array of runes and the positions they had taken.

Shirley, leaning on her elongated, skeletal limbs for support, moved closer to Duncan to offer a clearer explanation. "It started normally, but then it abruptly stopped working," she explained, her voice a blend of frustration and bewilderment. "I was standing right here," she pointed to her spot at the edge of the formation, "and Dog was over there," she gestured towards the central node meant for the 'demon' in the ritual. "But then, something went wrong, and it just... failed."

The air was thick with tension as Duncan carefully observed the ritual site, his eyes tracing the intricate patterns of runes, noting the peculiar placements and the evident distress in both Shirley and Dog.

"Okay," Duncan said, his voice a calm anchor in the storm of confusion. "We need to figure this out quickly. Dog, can you tell me more about the ritual? And Shirley, try to remember every detail about what happened when it activated."

Shirley nodded, her demonic features a mirror of her internal turmoil. She began to recount the sequence of events in detail, her voice tinged with the strain of her transformation and the emotional upheaval of the situation. Dog, still grappling with its clarity, chimed in with hoarse whispers, adding bits and pieces to the narrative.

Together, they delved into the intricacies of the failed ritual, piecing together their memories and observations, hoping that Duncan and Alice's fresh perspectives could shed light on the situation and help them restore the broken bond.

As Shirley detailed the events, she moved past the now weakened Dog and positioned herself at the heart of the ritual formation to demonstrate. "This is the spot where Dog was. The runes surrounding this area all lit up, kind of like this, you see?" she said, gesturing towards the ground.

Her explanation was interrupted by a sudden, unexpected development. The runes around her began to glow faintly, a surprising occurrence that caught everyone off guard. Soon after, the entire formation's runes started to light up, one by one, in a rapid and intricate sequence, creating a mesmerizing and unexpected display.

Initially trying to understand the dynamics of the so-called "Contract Ritual," Duncan witnessed this supernatural event. His face mirrored his internal shift from comprehension to bewilderment, his eyes widening in astonishment as he watched the runes come to life.

Shirley and Dog, too, shared in this sudden surprise and confusion. Both uttered a simultaneous and incredulous "...?" as they observed the unexpected activation of the runes.

At that moment, an ancient communication protocol, embedded within the very design of the runes and the ritual, seemed to be triggered. This unexpected activation hinted at a deeper, more intricate layer of the ritual that perhaps even Dog hadn't fully understood or anticipated.

The runes, glowing with an ethereal light, cast eerie shadows across the faces of those gathered. The air seemed to thrum with energy, a palpable sense of something ancient and powerful awakening. Standing at the formation's heart, Shirley looked around in awe, her previous apprehension momentarily replaced by a sense of wonder.

In regaining his composure, Duncan quickly turned his attention to Dog, seeking to understand this new development. "Dog, is this supposed to happen? What does this mean?" he asked, his voice steady but filled with a curiosity that mirrored the gravity of the situation.

Visibly struggling to comprehend the unfolding events, Dog responded with a weak but earnest attempt at explanation. "This... this is unexpected. The runes shouldn't activate on their own like this. It's as if the ritual is initiating itself..." His voice trailed off, its gaze locked on the glowing runes, hinting at a mixture of fascination and concern.

Alice, who had been observing silently, stepped closer, her eyes reflecting the collective amazement. "Could this mean that the ritual is somehow self-correcting or adapting to the situation?" she pondered aloud, her simple mind racing to make sense of the vision that bewildered the doll.

The group stood in a circle around the glowing formation, each lost in their thoughts, trying to grasp the implications of this spontaneous activation. The runes continued to pulse with light, seemingly communicating in a language lost to time, yet hinting at a hidden wisdom and power that could be the key to resolving their predicament.

As they watched, they realized that they were not just participants in the ritual anymore; they were now part of something much larger, a mysterious and ancient process that was unfolding with or without their understanding. This unexpected turn of events opened up new possibilities and questions, suggesting that the path to restoring Shirley and Dog's bond might lie in unraveling the secrets of the ritual itself.

Alice's keen observation skills caught something supernatural unfolding before their eyes. She noticed unique, ethereal "lines" that seemed to be emanating from both Shirley and Dog. These lines, illuminated by the faint but distinct glow of the formation, began to converge in the air, moving with purpose and precision. As she watched, these lines rapidly materialized, forming a tangible, reconstructed chain that again linked Shirley and Dog.

The entire process happened so quickly that it left little time for the onlookers to fully comprehend what was happening. By the time Shirley realized what was unfolding, the symbiotic chain that had previously been broken between her and Dog had miraculously reformed, reconnecting them in their unique bond.

Following this unexpected restoration, the runes that comprised the contract formation began to fade. Their luminescence gradually diminished, and a layer of gray settled over them, a visual cue that their energy had been completely expended in the process.

Standing at the center of the formation, Shirley remained still for a moment, overwhelmed by astonishment. Then, slowly stepping out of the designated "demon's" position, she lifted her arm to observe the black chain that now gently rattled between her and Dog. On the other end, Dog, showing signs of revitalization, gradually rose to his feet, shaking its massive, skeletal head as if to dispel the last remnants of confusion.

The renewed light in Dog's eyes seemed to convey a sense of newfound purpose and wisdom, reminiscent of the bright-eyed optimism and potential of a high school graduate poised on the threshold of university life.

An awkward silence hung in the air for about half a minute as each member of the group processed the supernatural events they had just witnessed.

Eventually, Duncan broke the silence. He stood beside the now inert formation, his gaze shifting between Shirley and Dog, who still maintained their unusual forms but were now visibly reconnected by the chain. "So, is it correct to say that now, Dog, you've become Shirley's 'guardian dog,' and Shirley, you're essentially Dog's 'contracted human'?" he asked, trying to make sense of their new dynamic.

Both Shirley and Dog seemed somewhat dazed, still coming to terms with the sudden turn of events.

Alice, who had been silently observing in a similar state of bewilderment, voiced her confusion, "Why did this happen..."

Shirley maintained a puzzled expression, clearly unsure of how to respond.

Dog, however, seemed to gain a moment of clarity amidst the confusion. After a brief period of contemplation, he hesitantly uttered a single word, "...Purity."

This response caused Duncan's expression to subtly change, a mix of curiosity and skepticism evident in his tone. "Purity?"

Dog lifted its head, his gaze intently focused on Shirley, whose appearance now blended human traits with those of a shadow demon. Speaking with a newfound conviction, Dog explained, "Her purity as a shadow demon... is exceptionally high."

Hearing Dog's assessment, Shirley quickly came out of her daze, interjecting with a touch of disbelief in her voice, "That can't be right," she argued. "No matter how pure I might be as a shadow demon, I surely can't surpass your purity. After all, I've only partially transformed into a demon, whereas you inherently belong to 'that world'..."

As Duncan listened to their exchange, his expression was a blend of whimsy and seriousness. He looked thoughtfully from Shirley, still a startling sight in her transformed state, to Dog, equally altered yet exuding a profound aura. Pondering their situation, Duncan began formulating an unusual yet seemingly plausible hypothesis: "Perhaps..."

Both Shirley and Dog, intrigued by Duncan's train of thought, simultaneously echoed, "Perhaps?"

Although slightly hesitant, as the idea seemed a bit of a stretch, Duncan decided to voice his speculative thought. "Maybe this is somehow connected to Dog's past encounter with the God of Wisdom, Lahem," he proposed thoughtfully. "Though Dog wasn't transformed back then, it has now indeed become a saint figure associated with the God of Wisdom. That might be the underlying reason for all this."

Shirley's expression turned blank, the weight and complexity of Duncan's suggestion leaving her momentarily lost for words: "..."

After letting the idea hang in the air for a moment, Duncan stepped closer to Shirley. Considering her current, towering demonic stature, he reached up to gently pat her arm, a comforting gesture akin to a head pat under normal circumstances. "This is why I always emphasize that knowledge has the power to change destiny," he said with earnest conviction. His words seemed to carry a deeper significance, implying that the unexpected and mystifying events unfolding around them might indeed be tied to the enigmatic interplay between knowledge and destiny.

The group stood in contemplative silence, each member processing the implications of Duncan's theory. The idea that Dog's transformation and their current predicament could be linked to an encounter with a deity was not only intriguing but also opened up a myriad of possibilities about the nature of their bond and the mysterious forces at play. It seemed that in their quest to understand and resolve their situation, they were delving into realms of knowledge and destiny far beyond their initial expectations.