Animal Tamer's Dominion
Chapter 43: Summoning: Argoth!

Chapter 43: Summoning: Argoth!

The stars peeped through the ink-black sky of the night, looking down on the world with exquisite brilliance.

Under this late-night sky, a young man with blue hair and eyes lay sleeping on the ground, looking as disheveled as a log struck by ten axes.

His expression was calm and serene, as if he had just gone through a huge tribulation and succeeded.

Beside him rested a six-foot-tall Cloud Moon Fox, her pink-colored eyes staring deeply at the young man with a confused expression.

This man before her had just tamed a legendary bloodline beast—the Cloud Moon Fox—but not even an hour later, he had battled a Shadow Beast of great strength, a power level equivalent to a Tier 3 monster!

She was utterly astonished. Beast Tamers were supposed to be able to tame only one permanent beast in a month because their bodies needed time to recover from the strain of the contract ritual. And that was only for taming beasts ranked between C and F. For higher-level beasts, they would require nearly six months to recover their energy before taming another beast of that caliber.

But Kenji hadn’t just tamed a legendary bloodline beast. He had also tamed a Tier 3 monster from a dungeon—all in one day!

How can one so boldly defy the laws of nature within such a short time?

"Who are you, Makoto Kenji?" Haruka whispered, pondering deeply over the enigma before her.

[ A/N: If there are some of you who don’t understand the power level while reading this Chapter. I suggest you go back and read the auxiliary Chapters, because I won’t be explaining anything on power level anymore, as we’ve gone far past that stage]

Before she could dive further into her thoughts, Kenji’s body began to twist and turn, signaling that he was about to wake.

With a slight smile plastered on her face, Haruka stood up and lowered her head respectfully.

As Kenji opened his eyes, he was surprised to see the large fox bowing her head before him.

But then, like a tsunami, a tidal wave of memories came rushing back to him, hitting him with the force of a rubber band snapping back after being stretched.

"Hello, Haruka," Kenji said softly, his voice groggy yet warm.

"Hello, Master. I’m glad you’re alright," Haruka replied with a genuine smile that seemed like a breath of fresh air to Kenji.

"Yes, and it’s all thanks to you," Kenji said, attempting to get up but stumbling back down. Luckily, Haruka caught him just in time.

"Master, you’re still weak. You need more rest," she said, her tone laced with worry.

With a pained look, Kenji responded, "I guess you’re right. But I need to go see my babies—they must be worried sick by now." He tried to rise again but was suddenly lifted off the ground by Haruka. She placed him gently on her back.

"Rest here. I am still yours to use, so I must fulfill my duty," Haruka said, her voice calm and serene, a soft smile gracing her face.

"Hey, I thought I told you to stop calling me ’Master.’ I don’t see you as a slave, Haruka. I see you as a friend, and friends don’t call each other ’Master,’" Kenji reminded her, his tone firm yet kind.

Hearing his words, Haruka merely smiled, not responding directly. But deep down, her heart fluttered with happiness.

With Kenji as her tamer, she felt hopeful that she could still achieve her goal of reviving her race.

---

As they passed through the dense forest, the soft rustling of leaves and the faint chirping of crickets filled the air. The forest, though eerie under the night sky, felt almost peaceful now. Kenji’s head rested against Haruka’s soft fur as he looked up at the stars above.

He sighed deeply, a sense of calm washing over him. "You know, Haruka, this is the first time in a long while that I’ve felt... like I actually accomplished something."

Haruka glanced back at him briefly, her eyes curious. "What do you mean?"

Kenji smiled faintly. "I’ve always been an E-rank nobody. The kind of guy people overlook, mock, or pity. I never thought I’d be capable of doing anything remarkable. But tonight..." He trailed off, his gaze lingering on the night sky. "I tamed you and Argoth. I proved to myself that I’m more than what people think."

Haruka’s expression softened. "You’ve always been more than what others see. You just needed the chance to show it."

Kenji chuckled. "Thanks, Haruka. That means a lot."

---

As she walked through the forest with Kenji seated on her back, a thought crossed his mind—one he couldn’t believe he had overlooked. "Um, Haruka, what happened to the Shadow Beast? I mean, where is it?"

It was true—since he had awoken, he hadn’t caught a glimpse of the raging monster. This struck him as odd; the creature was enormous, like a walking fortress. Where could it have possibly gone?

"Oh, after you fainted, I ordered the Shadow Beast to return to the Ether and await your call," Haruka explained, navigating the forest as though it were second nature.

"Ether? You mean the Beast Tamer space where they house their tamed beasts?" Kenji asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Yes," Haruka confirmed with a nod.

"But how is that possible? I’m not a Beast Tamer—I’m an Animal Tamer, and an E-rank one at that. I thought only Beast Tamers above C-rank had access to the Ether," Kenji said, stroking his chin as though pondering over an invisible beard.

"Wait, what?! You’re an Animal Tamer?!" Haruka exclaimed, utterly baffled.

"Yeah, I thought you knew that already. Haven’t we already cleared up this misunderstanding?" Kenji replied, looking as though there was a question mark floating over his head.

"You’re telling me... you’re an Animal Tamer, at E-rank, and you managed to tame both a legendary bloodline beast and a Tier 3 monster? Are you sure you’re not the real monster here?" Haruka said, disbelief clear in her voice.

"Well, I don’t know about being a monster," Kenji said, smirking, "but I do know I want to see my new one. So, how do I call it out from the Ether?"

Haruka sighed, as though releasing a heavy weight. "To summon your tamed beast, all you have to do is call out its name. Or if it doesn’t have a name, call out its species."

She mentally dismissed her urge to label Kenji as insane. Let him and his absurd feats be—she was too tired to crack her brain trying to comprehend them.

"Alright then, let’s summon the Shadow Beast!" Kenji paused, a thought crossing his mind.

*This is my chance to get my own catchphrase!* Excitement bubbled within him.

He began brainstorming:

*Let’s try... Awaken! Nah, too common.*

*How about... Arise! Hmm, no. Sounds familiar.*

*Oh, I’ve got it!*

With a grin, he declared, "Summoning: Contracted Shadow Beast!"

A magic circle materialized before him, glowing with intricate runes and designs. It spun rapidly, emitting a faint hum like the blades of a fan.

Slowly, something stepped out.

Its body seemed forged from pure darkness, its eyes glowing red like fresh blood. But its height... it was as tall as a forearm?!

"What happened? Where is the Shadow Beast I fought against?" Kenji exclaimed, his eyes scanning the tiny creature before him.

The miniature beast approached him, bowing its head reverently as though acknowledging its master.

Kenji picked up the tiny Shadow Beast and nearly wept. *Why is it so small?!*

"Shreya!" he called out to his phoenix system, but unlike before, there was no response.

"Shreya!" he repeated, frustration mounting. Still, nothing.

*Could she be hiding from me? Or is this still the effect of the contract sacrifice?*

"Ghya!" Kenji groaned. How could something over ten feet tall shrink to such a pitiful size?

Noticing its master’s dissatisfaction, the tiny Shadow Beast suddenly sprinted forward.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Kenji shouted, about to urge Haruka to chase after it.

The beast halted abruptly, turning to face him. Its body began to convulse, rippling as it grew larger and more imposing. The overbearing aura of its original form returned, muscles bulging as its height shot skyward.

In seconds, the creature had reverted to its original state—a bloodthirsty monster towering as tall as a building.

Kenji’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He could hardly believe it. He was no longer weak.

He was strong—stronger than even a regular Beast Tamer!

"Hahahaha! I love it!" Kenji laughed madly, his joy uncontainable.

"Argoth! That’s what I’ll name you—Argoth!" he declared, his laughter echoing through the forest.

He grinned and shouted, "Summoning: Return, Argoth!"

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A gift for me would be really helpful guys. Nowadays I’ve been finding it a bit difficult to write as there’s no motivation. Please, send me something and I promise to write as best as I can. And don’t worry, extra Chapters would immediately come in.

Also, if you want to read ahead, don’t forget to check out the privilege.