Animal Tamer's Dominion
Chapter 42: How To Tame Your Dungeon Boss

Chapter 42: How To Tame Your Dungeon Boss

Kenji lay on the ground, his body broken and battered, his blood mingling with the dirt beneath him. The Shadow Beast loomed above, its massive claw frozen mid-air as Shreya’s voice cut through the tension.

[Host, your efforts have proven futile. Host seems incapable of defeating the monster. Would host prefer to tame the monster?]

Kenji’s eyes fluttered open, his vision blurry, but the weight of Shreya’s words pushed him to consciousness. Tame the monster? he thought, the idea ludicrous but strangely enticing.

The Shadow Beast snarled, its crimson eyes narrowing as it descended its claws upon Kenji! This was the end...again. Kenji was too weak to dodge; even standing up felt impossible, let alone avoiding a powerful attack from a ten-foot-tall creature. It was just hopeless.

But then, suddenly, the claws of the beast were attacked by something else. Something both primal and exquisite. A huge pink fox with a white crescent moon symbol on her forehead stood tall, protecting Kenji from the impending attack. "Kenji, get on!" Haruka urged, her voice hoarse from her bestial form. But Kenji didn’t care about the sound of her voice right now; he struggled to lift himself off the ground with great difficulty and jumped onto the fox’s back.

"So what’s the plan?" she asked, as if already knowing Kenji had an idea.

"What? How did you know about that?" Kenji replied, surprised at how Haruka seemed to sense his thoughts. Before she could respond, a massive sphere of dark energy came crashing down toward them!

Luckily, Haruka was fast and agile enough to dodge the attack. Immediately, she began running in zigzags, hoping to confuse the monster.

As she dashed, she spoke to Kenji, "The moment the contract between us was forged, I became able to feel some of your strong emotions, and sometimes I can hear your thoughts—if you agree, of course. So when your idea sprouted, I sensed a faint flicker of hope in my heart, and immediately, I knew you had a plan, something that could help us beat this thing!" As she spoke, a massive wave of mana surged into her mouth, condensing into a large beam of energy that blasted the Shadow Beast a few feet away.

Seeing this, Kenji’s eyes brightened. When Haruka had used her most powerful attack before, it hadn’t been able to inflict damage on the monster. However, her slightly lesser skill that turned mana into a light beam had visibly harmed the beast, enlightening Kenji to the fact that light could harm shadow creatures.

"Shreya..." he croaked weakly, "how do I tame it?" [Host must invoke a taming ritual by using host’s own blood to touch the beast’s core. This act will create a forceful contract method from the host. But be warned: If the host fails to complete the contract due to the difference in strength between both parties, the host might face irreversible side effects and backlash—possibly even death.] Shreya cautioned.

"I have to get my blood to come in contact with the monster’s core? Well, that’s definitely easier said than done," Kenji thought, staring into the bright red eyes of the beast with a heavy sigh.

"Haruka, can you get me closer to the beast?" Hearing his words, the pink fox immediately stopped in her tracks, shock written all over her face.

"Are you crazy?! You want to go near that thing? How are you going to pull that off?!" she questioned rapidly while dodging another attack.

"Just trust me. Find a way to get me closer to it, and from there... I’ll do the rest," Kenji said, determination etched on his face.

Not understanding why he wanted to get closer instead of running away, Haruka wanted to ask more questions but decided to swallow them, opting to trust him... just this once. She turned her gaze toward the monster.

"Even if I want to get you there, how am I going to do it without it noticing me?" Kenji smiled at her words, as if he already had a solution.

"You don’t need it to not notice you; let it. Let it see you and find out where you are. I want you... to distract it!" Kenji explained, detailing his plan to his tamed beast.

"Even if I distract it, how are you still going to get close enough?" Haruka asked, worry evident in her voice.

"Don’t worry about that; just distract it!" Kenji replied, flashing her a reassuring smile as he bit off a part of his right thumb, causing blood to well out.

"Cloud Steps!" Kenji shouted, activating his ten-second skill.

As soon as he began flying, the Shadow Beast prepared to send him crashing back down to the ground with a black energy sphere. But just as it was about to descend upon Kenji, a large beam of light struck it, causing it to lose focus and the black sphere to disappear.

[00:00:05.79]

*Five seconds left! I have to make it count*

Kenji used all the muscles in his legs to bounce off the air, propelling himself higher. Just a little bit more.

[00:00:02.46]

Slam!

As Kenji was just a few inches away from the beast’s face, he was swatted away like an insect. Sent flying like a stray bug, Kenji’s expression steeled.

* No! Not now! Not when I’m so close!*

With this thought in mind, he pushed his body to its limits.

"Cloud Steps!"

[Host, you will recieve a black las-]

"Just do it!" Kenji exclaimed through gritted teeth, feeling his body regain the ability to walk on air.

*Now!*

With that thought embedded in his mind, Kenji projected himself toward the creature’s eyes!

"Yes!" he yelled as both of his bleeding thumbs came in contact with the gleaming red eyes of the monster.

"Activate Contract!"

As he uttered those words, seven brightly colored magic circles immediately appeared, surrounding the monster and binding it in place.

Rrraaahh!

The shadow beast let out a deafening roar as it struggled to free itself from the magic circles’ grip. But its efforts were futile. No matter how much it struggled, it couldn’t break free from the binding. Kenji then jumped back to the ground, realizing that another magic circle had appeared, surrounding his hand. He looked up at the beast with a determined gaze. "I’m going to add you to my list of contracts." His breathing was ragged, his body trembling as he stood within the glow of the magic circle.

The seven binding circles surrounding the Shadow Beast pulsed with light, each one inscribed with intricate runes that seemed alive, twisting and shifting with raw power.

"By the ties of blood and soul," Kenji began, his voice strained but commanding, "I bind you to my will. Submit, or be destroyed!"

The Shadow Beast roared, its massive body thrashing violently within the confines of the glowing circles. Its crimson eyes burned with rage, its primal energy surging as it pushed back against the spell.

The magic circles wavered, flickering briefly, but Kenji held his ground. "You’re not going anywhere!" he growled, raising his glowing hand.

The taming mark on his palm flared, resonating with the circles as they tightened around the beast. The monster snarled, its dark aura flaring in defiance.

Black flames erupted from its body, colliding with the magic barriers in bursts of shadow and light. For every ounce of power Kenji poured into the spell, the beast responded with an equal and opposite force.

Kenji gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face. His mana reserves were dwindling, and he could feel the strain taking its toll. The glow of the magic circles began to dim, their once-brilliant light faltering under the beast’s relentless onslaught. "No..." Kenji muttered, his voice shaky.

"Not yet. I’ve come too far!"

The Shadow Beast let out another earth-shaking roar, its claws raking against the air as it pushed harder against the spell. Cracks began to appear in the binding circles, tiny fissures spreading like spiderwebs across their surfaces. Kenji’s legs buckled beneath him, his body screaming in protest.

The weight of the spell was immense, and his mana reserves were nearly depleted. He could feel the beast’s energy overwhelming his own, its sheer power threatening to crush him. I can’t hold it... Just as despair began to creep into his mind, a gentle yet firm hand rested on his shoulder. Kenji’s eyes widened in surprise as he turned his head to see Haruka standing beside him, her pink fur glowing faintly with ethereal light.

"Master, you’re not alone," she said softly, her pink eyes filled with determination.

Before Kenji could respond, Haruka placed her other paw on his back. A surge of warm energy flowed from her into him, rejuvenating his body and replenishing his depleted mana reserves.

She was using the skill, Mana Transfer! A skill that people said was lost to time!

But right now, he didn’t care about the skill; he only cared about the taming ritual unfolding before him!

The glow of the taming mark on his palm intensified, and the magic circles around the beast flared back to life, their light brighter and stronger than before.

Kenji’s breath hitched as he felt his strength returning. "Haruka..." he murmured, gratitude filling his voice.

"Don’t waste time thanking me, you’r my master, I at least have to prove my worth," she replied, her tone teasing despite the situation. "Focus on the spell. I’ll handle the rest."

Nodding, Kenji refocused his attention on the Shadow Beast. The magic circles began to close in on the creature, the runes glowing fiercely as they tightened like chains around its massive form.

"You think your strong right?" Kenji shouted, his voice carrying a newfound confidence. "I’ll show you the will of an Animal Tamer!"

The Shadow Beast roared in defiance, thrashing harder against the spell. But with Haruka’s mana flowing into him, Kenji was able to channel the energy needed to suppress the creature. He raised his hand, the taming mark blazing like a beacon, and shouted the next command.

"By the bond of dominion, I claim thee! Surrender your rage and bow to me!"

The circles pulsed in response, their light growing so intense it illuminated the entire battlefield. The runes shifted once more, intertwining to form a new pattern that spiraled toward the beast’s core.

The Shadow Beast’s movements grew sluggish, its resistance waning as the magic worked its way deeper into its essence. Kenji could feel the creature’s fury, its primal instincts clashing against the overwhelming force of the contract.

"Submit!" Kenji commanded, his voice ringing with authority. "I will not yield, and neither will this bond!"

The magic circles began to converge, their edges collapsing inward as they drew closer together. The space between Kenji and the Shadow Beast crackled with raw energy, the air shimmering with the power of the ritual.

The beast let out one final, earth-shaking roar, its crimson eyes glaring at Kenji with a mixture of hatred and desperation. But as the last of its strength faded, it lowered its head in submission, the glow of its eyes softening to a faint, golden hue.

The magic circles merged into one, the runes aligning perfectly as they sealed the bond between tamer and monster. The light from the circle flared brightly one last time before fading into a soft glow that settled into the taming mark on Kenji’s palm.

It was done.

Kenji collapsed to his knees, his breathing heavy but triumphant. The Shadow Beast stood before him, its massive form now calm and still. The oppressive aura that had once surrounded it was gone, replaced by a quiet, almost serene energy.

Haruka stepped forward, her humanoid form returning as she knelt beside Kenji. "You did it," she said softly, a proud smile on her face.

Kenji managed a weak chuckle. "No, we did it," he replied, glancing at her with gratitude.

The Shadow Beast lowered its massive head, its golden eyes meeting Kenji’s. There was no longer any trace of malice or rage—only loyalty and respect.

Kenji reached out, placing his hand gently on the beast’s forehead. "Welcome to the team," he said, his voice filled with warmth.

The beast let out a low, rumbling growl—a sound that, for the first time, carried no threat.

Kenji’s vision began to blur, exhaustion finally taking over. Haruka caught him as he slumped forward, cradling him gently.

"Rest now, master," she whispered. "You’ve earned it."

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