High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1402: Chapter 149: Curved Spacetime and Angular Spacetime

Fenrir, the Giant Wolf in Norse mythology, a dweller of the swamp, a monster that shakes the earth, the eldest son of the Evil God Loki and the Giantess Angrboda, and the big brother of Jormungand, the World Serpent, and Hel, the God of Death. He once bit Odin to death during the Twilight of the Gods.

Of course, not all of the above astonishing tales are entirely true. For instance, the so-called Evil God Loki is just a Legendary Wizard. His forbidden love with the giantess Angrboda was opposed both by Giants and Wizards, hence he became an evil force in children’s bedtime stories, and their children were labeled as ’monsters’.

Zheng Qing was not familiar with the name Fenrir.

But he had heard of Fenrir’s brother, Jormungand, the World Serpent—because at Alpha Academy, ’Quasi Augustus’ Sepulano was fond of Ouroboros and used it as the emblem for his society and Hunting Team. Zheng Qing had researched and found that there was an elusive connection between Ouroboros and Jormungand.

That was all.

As for Fenrir, he only knew that it was a great wolf from Norse mythology, even more formidable than the Heavenly Dog that ate the moon. And for some reason, he always felt that Fenrir had a beautiful coat of silver-white fur.

”Fenrir.” Zheng Qing frowned, pondering the term: ”I remember it is a monster from Norse mythology... Does this mean that the little dog is related to Atlas Academy?”

Anything involving religion or mythology at First University, going to Atlas is absolutely right.

Before Xiao Xiao had a chance to speak, Banna voiced his disagreement with the young scholarship student’s idea.

”It really isn’t.” The fat man’s face slightly serious—Zheng Qing had only seen this expression when he discussed news investigations or prepared Magic Potions—he had finished reading the main text of the inspection report, and like Zheng Qing, he flipped to the back of the paper to check if there was anything else before continuing:

”The most important part in the doctor’s explanation is not the name ’Fenrir,’ but ’Miskatonic.’ Fenrir was just an alias used by Miskatonic when it descended upon this world.”

”So, what exactly is special about this Miskatonic?” Zheng Qing asked somewhat impatiently.

”Miskatonic enjoys opposing other Outer Gods, especially the powerful ones.” Xin Fat Man made a gesture to calm Zheng Qing’s anxiety, his voice sounding profound: ”... Hence, wherever other Outer Gods descend, Miskatonic’s gaze invariably follows. If the comer piques Its interest, It will even dispatch Its pack of hounds to hunt them down.”

”Hound pack?”

”Tingdalous Hunting Dogs.” The fat man paused, his gaze drifting towards Xiao Xiao, he chuckled: ”... The doctor surely knows much more about such creatures.”

Xiao Xiao was not annoyed by Fat Man’s prior interruption. In fact, while Fat Man was explaining to Zheng Qing, he had been carefully reading the report issued by Montreya Laboratory.

”Although called ’Hunting Dogs,’ Tingdalous Hunting Dogs have nothing in common with the ’canine creatures’ we are familiar with. They are even different from most Magical Creatures.” Xiao Xiao multitasked, continuing to read the report while explaining to Zheng Qing:

”Do you remember the ’Sand Time Worms’ the school caught last semester? Tingdalous Hunting Dogs are similar to those Sand Time Worms, both belonging to dimensional beings. However, the Sand Time Worms and we live in a curved dimension, while Tingdalous Hunting Dogs dwell in angular dimensions. Do you know about angular spacetime?”

Zheng Qing shook his head in bewilderment.

Xiao Xiao shifted his gaze from the report and pondered for a moment before giving Zheng Qing an example:

”Suppose a pristine spacetime is a tightly stretched piece of cloth, and when a star appears in this spacetime, it’s like dropping a glass ball onto this stretched cloth.”

”The glass ball presses down on the cloth to create a curved indent... you can understand that.”

Zheng Qing nods like a pecking chicken.

”...This curved spacetime is the world we live in. Under the influence of the mass of the star, time and space are bent, giving birth to different phenomena such as gravity and interaction forces. In other words, the world humans live in is situated within such a ’Curved Spacetime World’.”

”While the Tingdalous hunting dogs live in an angular spacetime. It’s like the method of squaring the circle; continuously cutting a square infinitesimally. Though it appears to be a circle, in a finer perspective, there are always angles appearing. In the gaps of curved spacetime, numerous angular spacetimes fill. Tingdalous hunting dogs dwell in those gaps.”

This analogy sounded a bit abstract.

Zheng Qing found it hard to imagine what it would look like for space and time to have angles.

”...Due to those angular spaces, if Tingdalous hunting dogs want to appear in our world, they can only manifest in places where ’angles’ exist. Taking a typical house as an example, the angles of walls are mostly ninety degrees. When Tingdalous hunting dogs appear, they would emerge from the corners of the room as smoke, and then their heads, paws, bodies, and finally tails emerge from the smoke...”

”But that dog doesn’t seem to follow this rule when appearing or disappearing,” Zheng Qing recalled the scene of the dog appearing, sounding a bit puzzled.

”Because it is not a descendant of the Tingdalous hunting dogs, its bloodline is related to Miskatonic,” Xiao Xiao continued reading the report while calmly saying:

”Miskatonic, also known as ’Sovereign of Tingdalous’... He is the ruler of Tingdalous hunting dogs, possessing immense strength, surpassing all bounds of time and space. He usually resides in Tingdalous City— a city constructed of spiral towers, standing in the deepest part of angular time dimensions—He has always wanted to bring that city into our world. It is said someone told Him that by mastering all powers of time and space, He could break through the barriers between curved spacetime and angular spacetime... Therefore, Miskatonic continuously challenges Yog-Sothoth, hoping to reclaim those spacetime powers from Yog.”

Without those cumbersome terms, Zheng Qing found the story much more interesting.

”We digress.” Xiao Xiao finally finished reading the report, shook it as if hoping something more would fall out from it, and, ultimately disappointed, handed it back to the young scholarship student:

”Due to differences in dimensions, Tingdalous hunting dogs can traverse the bounds of time and space in our world... moreover, they relentlessly pursue any creature they have ever contacted, at all costs.”

”That dog doesn’t seem to have the intention to kill me,” Zheng Qing weakly argued.

”I’m just telling you that it can always find you, chase you, and it’s hard to capture due to its freedom to come and go. If it has the bloodline of Miskatonic—chasing the scent it wants to chase, briefly traversing through spacetime—is not difficult for it at all.”