Chapter 60

A bit longer.

The fierce battle had ended.

Secretly, I was trembling with emotion.

Anko is talking...!

This was a shock that rivaled the success of taming her.

Until just a moment ago, she was nothing more than a monster programmed to repeat certain patterns of behavior. But now, from the moment of taming, she moved as if she had gained a soul.

What happened? What's the difference? Is it the taming? Or is it because she's "Anko"? It's full of mysteries...

Then, as if she had finally lost her patience with me, who had been silently deep in thought, Anko opened her mouth.

"---Master. Oh, Master. From now on, I shall be a spear that slays all, a shield that blocks all. I wish to dedicate everything to you. So please, keep me by your side until I wither and die."

She bowed her head respectfully from her kneeling position.

Regardless of the content, it was a passionate line that seemed to have been prepared long ago. I suddenly felt curious and asked.

"I have a question before I grant your wish. When did you gain self-awareness and consciousness?"

"Yes, it has been there for hundreds of years."

"Then why did you act that way?"

"I was controlled by a force that could not be resisted... the power of a god."

"Ah, the power of a god, huh."

So, even though she had consciousness, she couldn't act freely in battle. What a pitiful story... But, there's also the possibility that Anko's memory was altered at the moment of taming. The memory of having self-awareness for hundreds of years might have been added later by someone. It's a more reasonable inference to think that many of the monsters in this world don't have self-awareness from the start.

...Well, no matter how much I think about it, it's a problem I can't solve, so I'll stop thinking about it here. For now, it's fine that the dark wolf I tamed just happened to have self-awareness.

"Anko"

"…? …! Yes!"

"I'm Second. Remember that."

"Yes! Forever!"

"Let's go."

"Yes, sir!"

I suddenly called her name. Anko paused for a moment, then nodded with a bright voice and stood up. She's quite quick on the uptake.

She's tall, just a bit shorter than me. Her tail was wagging, and her ears on her head were twitching. Her usually calm face, which usually held a gentle smile, was now beaming. Her childlike excitement, which didn't match her seductive adult charm, made me laugh.

"Can you take us back?"

"～～～! Hehe, leave it to me!"

When I asked her to do the job, Anko blushed and showed a melting smile. She looked incredibly happy.

That's right. For Anko, "going outside" is a first-time experience, and it's been hundreds of years since she last did so. It's no wonder she's so happy. I can understand her joy.

Nodding to myself, I left the Isolais Underground Great Library. Anko, seemingly interested in the outside scenery, followed closely behind me, looking around curiously.

I collected the tent and other equipment I had set up in a safe place and then headed out into the corridor.

The corridor in front of the library is a den of powerful monsters called "Black Ghosts." Each one is strong, and they attack in groups, making them quite troublesome.

And already, they had targeted us. There were five of them. It's a tough number for a solo player, but it's not a problem. I thought I'd take out a few of them before they got close and reached for my Mithril Longbow—

"…Oh"

In an instant, Anko moved at a speed that couldn't be seen by the eye and stood in front of the Black Ghosts. She used a skill that dissolved her body into darkness and teleported from shadow to shadow—Dark Transfer.

"What a foolish thing."

Anko narrowed her eyes even more and said with a gentle smile.

Then, she extended her right hand and grabbed what seemed to be the head of a Black Ghost.

"Die."

A surge of black mist. It was undoubtedly Dark Magic. I didn't expect it!

"Huh…?"

I couldn't help but let out a voice, half-laughing. I couldn't believe my eyes. But the fact before me was undeniable. The HP of the Black Ghosts was down to 1! Is she "usable"!?! She's using broken magic...!

Immediately after, with a light sound like a splash, the head of the leading Black Ghost was crushed by Anko.

What the heck is that skill? I thought, and then it hit me. It's a "claw" attack. She can do it in humanoid form too...

"Come, Shadow Staff."

Anko brushed off the remains of the Black Ghost that had stuck to her black robe and then calmly performed a Dark Summoning.

The summoned item was the Shadow Staff—a long staff as deep black as darkness itself. I know this staff all too well from countless battles. It's an extremely troublesome weapon. Why? Because it has a lot of "attacks per second." In other words, it's a perfect match for Dark Magic. Dodging all of her Thousand-Armed Guanyin-like staff techniques with 1 HP left is a living nightmare.

...What is this feeling? The extremely evil and sadistic combo that I've struggled with so much has suddenly become incredibly reliable as an ally. I feel like cheering, "Go for it, lady!"

While I was thinking all this, the Black Ghosts attacked Anko all at once.

"Hehe!"

Anko swung the Shadow Staff and slammed it into the ground. The characteristic of the Shadow Staff is that "damage is judged even when attacking shadows." This is the Silver General Staff Technique, a powerful attack over a wide area in front. It's aimed at the shadow on the ground.

The four Black Ghosts were dispatched in one hit. It was a natural result. Dark Magic had reduced their HP to 1, and a wide-area attack on a shadow that's hard to avoid. It's overwhelming. It's not even a fight. This is a highly efficient and meticulously calculated hunt.

...Wow... This is crazy. It's too crazy.

What's crazy is, of course, everything, but especially the Dark Magic. I didn't expect it to be usable. Of course, the Anko from my previous life couldn't use it. It's a magic that forcibly reduces HP to 1, after all. It would definitely "break the game balance."

But, she can use such "broken magic." In other words, this Anko is clearly different from the Anko of my previous life. From consciousness to strategy to skills, everything is different.

...Isn't she too strong?

"...Well done. Excellent."

I praised Anko with a slight shudder.

Anko, who was basking in the afterglow of her work, immediately turned around and bowed, saying, "Such kind words are unworthy." She's very obedient. It makes me happy.

Well, let me check something. The differences between this life and the previous life.

"Anko, I'm going to look at your status."

"Yes, please take a look."

After a brief word, Anko put away the Shadow Staff and came closer to me. A bit... no, quite close. And big. No, that's not important right now. But big is big. Ah, so big. Just so big.

...

Ah, I see. "Restrictions" have been added. Dark Magic has an additional condition that it can only be used on opponents weaker than herself. And the cooldown is 3600 seconds, or one hour. Hmm, even with that, it's still a skill that's more than enough to break the rules.

In addition, the cooldown for Phantom has been extended from 40 seconds to 300 seconds. Indeed, being able to use 3 seconds of invincibility every 40 seconds would be too strong.

Other skills, such as the removal of the cooldown for Dark Transformation, and the setting of 60 seconds for the cooldowns of Dark Transfer and Dark Summoning, have also been modified.

Compared to the previous life, all of these are upward adjustments. Compared to before taming, everything except Dark Transformation is a downward adjustment. What does this mean? It's not "random." It's a very well-thought-out adjustment.

So,

I was convinced.

There is a god. No, there is a creator.

I don't know who or where they are, but I can tell they definitely "exist." They are working hard, big or small, to maintain the balance of this world, which is similar to Mevion. To the extent of adding "world-appropriate" adjustments to the skills of a tamed dark wolf.

...I want to say thank you. This is the best world. I'm only grateful for providing a place where I can fulfill my dreams. If I ever meet them, I'll bring some sweets and visit. That would be nice.

"How about it? Can I be of service to you, Master?"

While I was thinking all sorts of things, Anko, perhaps feeling uneasy, looked up at me and asked. Oh, I was still looking at her status. Sorry about that.

"100 points out of 5000."

"Ah!"

"Joking, more like a million."

"Oh, oh, Master. I'm so happy."

When I made a joke to cover up, Anko leaned against my chest. N, N...! So, so big...

"---Oh."

Anko let out a cold voice. At the same time, I noticed too.

Three Black Ghosts had suddenly attacked from behind. They weren't hiding anywhere. It was a "spawn" after a certain amount of time. Damn, I got too carried away.

Anko, who noticed the approach of the enemy first, reluctantly moved away from me and, with a natural smile, activated Dark Summoning.

Summoned from the darkness with black flames was a spear, the "Black Flame Spear," twice her height.

Anko is probably the only one who can wield such a long weapon so easily. Its ominous, otherworldly handle and decorations make everyone think of death, and the black flames that burn eternally at the tip make it impossible to see the blade.

While spears are primarily designed for thrusting, in Anko's case, they become "the strongest" when used to "swing widely." Why? Because black flames always spout when the spear is swung. The wider the swing, the wider the black flames spread. The abnormally long reach and the black flame attack over a wide area that doesn't allow the enemy to get close, combined with the attack multiplier from the Spear Technique skill, make it an overwhelmingly strong "unstoppable" power.

"Are you trying to obstruct me?"

With a voice tinged with anger, I suddenly realized. Why did Anko bring out the Black Flame Spear, the strongest weapon, now?

She was angry for some reason. Even while smiling. What's that? She's using the strongest weapon in a fit of rage, but her face is still smiling. Ah, she's quite skilled. But what is she angry about? If it's just because the conversation was interrupted, it's a bit too low a boiling point.

And then—In the next moment, Anko's Dragon King Spear Technique, which she had prepared at some point, was activated, and a dark inferno shot out in front of her.

"Wow..."

The three Black Ghosts that were hit directly "vanished" in one hit. Just one hit. Yeah... Even if it was a critical hit, the power is ridiculous. What the heck is this? She's so strong even without Dark Magic.

...Ah. I had a vague feeling, but I can't deny it. In terms of simple abilities, Anko is far stronger than me right now. It's terrifying. Now that Anko is free from the constraints of her behavior pattern, if we were to fight again, there might be a slight chance, a tiny chance, that I could lose. Yes, a tiny chance. Just a tiny chance. Well, I'll win.

But. But! What we mustn't forget is that this terrifyingly strong wolf is under my command. She is my spear and my shield. In other words, she is my equipment. Yes, the stronger she is, the better. If Anko is stronger than me, it means that by taming her, I have become more than twice as strong as when I arrived here. Isn't that wonderful? This must have brought me much closer to being the best in the world. So, I'm not at all regretful.

"Let's hurry back."

"Yes, Master."

I moved towards the exit of the Isolais dungeon, slightly jealous of Anko's extraordinary strength but eventually managing to maintain my composure.

After a four-month stay. It felt long but also short. I heard it's already autumn outside. The autumn leaves seen with this sunny mood after taming Anko must be incredibly beautiful. I thought about such silly things as I walked.

...Well, I was quite elated at the time.

I learned something from this incident. There's always a catch with a good deal.

"Ugh... I'm sorry..."

The moment we stepped out of the Isolais dungeon and into the sunlight, Anko became "exhausted."

She could barely stand and walk on her own.

After walking a little and entering the shade of a tree, she quickly regained her energy.

The condition was simple. She could use her full power in a shadow that completely hid her body. Even a little sunlight would weaken her proportionally. Whether she was wearing clothes or not, the fact that "sunlight was hitting her body" triggered the weakening effect.

In other words, Anko can only fight in places with shadows. It's not a problem at night or indoors, but in broad daylight... there's no choice but to give up.

Hmm, I see. This is the cost of using Dark Magic. Ah, that's a good point... I didn't expect it. Well, it can't be helped. Still, her work over the past four months has more than made up for the effort.

Anko is currently walking with me, hidden in my shadow. She's in a position where she's almost being carried. Even if her whole body isn't hidden, as long as part of her is, she can walk without any problems.

"Do you need to be sent back?"

"Oh, you're worried about me. What a wonderful happiness. Yes, thanks to you, I'm full of energy. Just being close to you, I, I..."

"Are you playing on my shadow and me?" "Anko, you're good at making jokes."

"Hehe... I also admire your mischievous side, Master."

"..."

I have a feeling that teasing her isn't fun. No, my instinct tells me it's better not to. If I treat her like I do Sylvia, I might get the short end of the stick. Yeah, it's scary, so I'll never tease Anko. I'll stick to that. Besides, her big thing has been hitting my back the whole time, and I can't focus on anything else. She's quite physical. Is it because she's a wolf?

"We'll take a boat to the port town and stay overnight, then ride a horse all day the next morning. Bear with it for a while."

"Endure? No, no. I'm incredibly happy to be with you, Master."

Anko wriggled her body and whispered in my ear. The effect is excellent. I wondered why her first-person pronoun sometimes changes between "I" and "Anko," but I was afraid to ask because I thought it would lead to even more physical contact, so I stopped myself.

Spending over 24 hours alone with her... I'm starting to worry. Maybe I should ask Yuki to come and pick us up in the town of Peho.

So, with a slight unease, we left the island of Isolais.

"What a shame. Are you so weak that you can't move without hiding in my Second's shadow, fool?"

"..."

"You are a useless appendage. Can a dark wolf do nothing but lean on its master's back?"

"..."

"Come on, say something. Eh? Hey!"

"Something."

"You! How dare you speak to me, your senior and the Spirit King, like that! Did you hear that, my Second? Did you hear that, my Second?"

"Shut up and be quiet!"

On the way from the port town of Kula to Peho on horseback, I summoned a spirit on a whim, and that was the end of my luck. I should have checked if the summoning of spirits and monsters in this world would conflict. The summoning itself didn't conflict, but the two summoned beings did.

What's bothering Angolmoa so much? He keeps picking fights with Anko. Maybe he's trying to determine who's stronger. It's probably the pride of the Spirit King.

"Why must I be scolded! You're showing favoritism! It's spirit discrimination! My Second, did you hear that? Did you hear that?"

"Huh, why?"

"This one was baring her fangs at my Second just yesterday! Unforgivable! She