Chapter 1

At first, I was told, "You don't have the talent."

To become an explorer, one needs strength, and my talent was far too lacking.

Next, I was told, "You're wasting your time." With a 'Slave' like the one you can contract, you won't amount to anything, they said.

I was called a coward. I was asked to give up. I was called unfair. I was told I would die a miserable death anyway.

I received all kinds of envy. A brave and talented explorer said,

"Are you not afraid to command a monster far stronger than yourself?"

I continued to fight. I was defeated. I won. I charged forward.

As a 'Monster Tamer,' I stood with the monster I had contracted—my fully trusted 'Slave.'

And now, I stand before the castle of the demonic king, having overcome all obstacles.

"Finally, you've made it this far."

After dispersing the monsters and traversing the dark forest, a towering black castle stood before me.

The oppressive pressure of lightning swirling in the sky.

The supreme demon king, Siela Blacklogia, who was designated as the highest rank—L grade—shook the great kingdom of Grael.

Although she hasn't emerged from the forest yet, her immense power will surely turn towards the surrounding towns. I must destroy her before that happens.

Hearing my words, the white-haired girl standing beside me—my 'Slave'—replied,

"Yes... Master. Leave everything to me. I will destroy them all for you to see."

The explorers who went to slay the dragon of destruction and never returned were undoubtedly heroes. Yet, before this final battle, her expression remained as usual, with not a hint of tension in her voice.

Her beautiful hair, cut to her shoulders, shimmered faintly silver, and her eyes of the same color seemed somewhat melancholic. The pure white apron dress she wore was a custom-made item, but it was inappropriate for this situation and offered no defensive value.

Her beauty perfectly matched the phrase "unearthly," but the girl was indeed not of this world.

One of the most hated species in a world that despises all life.

Among them, she was particularly vicious, having once devoured an entire town and slaughtered the dispatched extermination squad.

Just by existing, she spread calamity—no, she used to spread calamity.

'The Night Conqueror.'

Alice Nightwalker. Commonly known as the 'Queen of the Night.'

Her strength as a species is probably on par with mine. Then there's no way she, whom I have nurtured with great care, would lose.

A roar could be heard, and a warning bell rang in my mind. But I ignored it with my willpower.

This place is already like the demon king's womb. I was prepared for this from the beginning.

There is no path to reconciliation. That stage has already passed.

The dragon was born to be destroyed.

I came here for war. Let's begin the final battle.

"Alice, let's start with a knock. 'Eva Blast.'"

Pointing at the massive metal gate, I gave the order.

The voice that came out was as calm as usual. Light was released from Alice's palm, and the battle began.

§

Alice's light swept the sky and scorched the earth. It was a polar light like a small sun. The light, which seemed to have mass, filled the ancient castle, and the storm of destruction raged in all directions. I endured the shockwave by crouching down.

The situation was unfolding as expected. The opponent is a formidable enemy who has slain many heroes, but we have faced battles with demon kings many times. The map, abilities, and weaknesses have all been investigated—my chance to earn the glory of slaying the demon king was not by chance.

There is a condition that must be absolutely met to land an attack on Siela Blacklogia.

Often, powerful demon kings have such unreasonable traits, but without the 'Decayed Holy Sword' hidden within the castle, no attack can penetrate.

However, if you know in advance, it's not difficult to obtain.

The rusted longsword in my hand whispered, urging me to kill the demon king and end the story.

Everything was proceeding as I had simulated. Luring the demon king into the pre-determined grand hall for the battle.

The destructive torrent, released at the speed of light, engulfed Siela without her being able to dodge.

—According to my calculations, this should have guaranteed a complete victory.

The destruction ended, and the light cleared as quickly as it appeared.

"Ugh..."

A low growl escaped. There, towering was a massive black body, unscathed.

The demon king, as described in some myth, raised her jaw and roared without a scratch.

"Why... This is strange. Why is there no damage..."

I widened my eyes. I had already confirmed her durability. If my calculations were correct, Alice's current attack should have had enough power to kill a dragon, let alone a demon king, three times over.

"Master, danger!!"

It was a moment of paralysis that lasted less than a second.

I was pushed away from the side, and at the same time, black energy was released from her mouth.

"Ugh..."

I rolled awkwardly on the floor but managed to regain my composure. I ignored the shaking vision caused by the shock.

Suppressing the intense nausea, I looked ahead—there was nothing.

The place where I had been standing was completely gouged out for dozens of meters, revealing a deep abyss.

A chill ran through my body as if I had been struck by a cold current.

She is strong... No, I should have understood. The opponent is a king who has slain many heroes; this level of strength was within the expected range.

I didn't skimp on preparations. I gathered the best information and items within the limited time, selling off eighty percent of my wealth to prepare for this final battle.

The lizard-like head moved. Under the moonlight streaming in from the high windows, in the cold air, the crimson eyes fixed on me with a cold glare. Faced with the absolute power of the demon king, I—instinctively shouted.

The name of my trusted Slave.

"Aliceeeeeee!"

In an instant, a figure leaped out from the deep abyss created by Siela's destruction.

Siela's attention shifted. Alice skillfully rotated in the air and landed gracefully in front of me.

The moonlight reflecting off her silver hair made it shimmer.

"Are you hurt? Master."

Alice looked at my face with a worried expression. Her skin was pale to the point of being sickly, and her features were so perfect that they seemed otherworldly. Her eyes, which contrasted with her skin, had turned a deep red with excitement.

My heart, which had been beating rapidly, calmed down, and I regained my composure.

Alice is strong. Especially at night, she cannot lose.

—But my confidence was shattered by Alice's next words.

"Master, ... it's bad. My life stock has dropped below thirty percent with just one attack."

"Huh? Thirty...? What kind of joke is this?"

I couldn't understand.

It was impossible. The life stock is the lifeline of a Nightwalker—literally, life itself. To lose more than seventy percent with a single blow is not just a matter of the demon king's high attack power.

Siela growled lowly, as if gauging our situation. I immediately switched my thoughts.

No... The problem is not attack power. It's defense. Being unharmed after receiving Alice's attack is far beyond my expectations. With no damage from a direct hit of the strongest attack, the chances of winning are slim. Was there something I overlooked? But now is not the time for reflection.

"We're retreating."

The opponent's abilities are far beyond what I expected.

If I insist on victory and glory, and Alice is eliminated, I will regret it for the rest of my life.

Of course, I had also considered what to do if we couldn't win. The plan was shared in advance.

Just as I was about to turn to Alice, the ground exploded.

"Wha...!?"

White light. My body was blown away, and soft arms caught me from the side. There was no time to spare.

It's okay. We can still escape. Staying calm in such situations is the master's job.

The opponent can't maneuver well and can't fly. If we drop her into the underground by breaking the floor—

"Alice—What are you doing!?"

Just as I was about to give the order, I saw Alice, and my thoughts were hit by the greatest confusion and shock of the day.

Alice was glowing white. A vast amount of energy, unlike anything I had seen before, was rising from her slender body, shimmering like heat haze.

I knew Alice's skills, but this power—

The entire grand hall crumbled. Siela let out a roar like a scream, as if her world was collapsing.

"Master... please run..."

It was an expression I had never seen before. A merciless expression beyond sadness, Alice whispered.

I didn't know what she was about to do, but I could tell it was something bad.

"Alice, stop..."

"Master!!"

The weight I felt all over my body. I was being embraced. As I understood, I was filled with 'fear' from the bottom of my heart.

My thoughts froze from the shock, and my muscles spasmed. My body, hands, feet, and even my mouth muscles stopped moving, ignoring the brain's commands. The aura of fear—Alice's most basic power—was eroding me.

I tried to give the order, but my lips were sealed.

Time stretched, and a second felt like ten, like a minute, and finally, Alice released her lips.

"Master... goodbye. Maybe we'll meet again somewhere—"

Alice smiled. Her expression was filled with an extraordinary resolve.

Although I couldn't read Alice's mind, I could tell. I tried to speak desperately.

"Stop..."

The sound faded. My vision was filled with light.

—And when I realized it, I was standing in the middle of a foreign street.

My mind was blank.

The bright sunlight. The calls of street vendors, the noise. The sound of engines and the smell of exhaust. The sound of the steel feet of the four-legged magical machines hitting the metal floor was something I had never heard in the kingdom of Grael.

"This is impossible... Where am I..."

I pinched my cheek. It hurt. It wasn't a hallucination. I slowly looked around.

I was standing in the middle of a wide street where large carriages could easily pass. Humanoids in fluid-form mobile armor and mechanical figures over three meters tall were looking at me with curious eyes.

"Hey, standing there is in the way!"

"S-Sorry..."

I was pushed from behind, stumbled, and walked to the side of the road, sitting down.

I touched my cheek. I was sweating. The humidity wasn't high, but the temperature was high.

"It's hot...?"

No, it was winter. This heat is definitely not winter.

"Stay calm..."

Stay calm and gather information. I looked up at the sky. This is not a dream. It's not an illusion.

The wide, metal road in the capital, with magical machines used instead of carriages.

The level of development aside, the culture is too different. The words spoken to me just now were in a different language.

I switched my thoughts and, for the moment, abandoned common sense to grasp the situation.

I challenged the demon king at night, but it's morning now. There's a time difference. The climate and language are different.

It seems I have been 'teleported' over a considerable distance.

Skills that interfere with space are generally very energy-intensive. Spatial teleportation magic uses an incredible amount of mana, far beyond ordinary spells. Even a court magician can only manage a few dozen meters with all their strength.

However, that also means that with enough energy, long distances are possible.

The abnormal power Alice showed at the end. With that much power—

"Right... Alice...!"

I looked around in a panic, but the silver-haired girl who had been hugging me was nowhere to be seen.

We were separated. Or rather, I was left behind. I took a deep breath to calm myself.

The immediate danger has passed, but this is fatal. The power of a 'Monster Tamer' comes from the contracted Slave.

Following the standard procedure when separated from a Slave, I closed my eyes, focused my mind, and searched for the 'Astral Link.'

Trying to trace the thread connected to the soul, I finally realized I was isolated.

My hands trembled. It felt like I was in a dream.

"Haha... No way... The Astral Link, the proof of the soul contract... can't be disconnected—"

All I could do was laugh dryly. The words I had said countless times today escaped my lips again.

The Astral Link is the connection of souls bound by the most sacred contract. A 'Monster Tamer' can only form this bond with the one Slave they have the strongest bond with and borrow their power through this connection.

It should be impossible for the Astral Link to be untraceable, no matter the distance.

I—might be involved in a more abnormal situation than I thought.

I held my head. I was almost at the breaking point. An overwhelmingly strong demon king, an impossible long-distance teleportation, a severed Astral Link—it felt like my familiar world had completely changed in just one day.

Anyway, whether I want to believe it or not, I have to make do with what I have.

A 'Monster Tamer' who is only considered competent with a Slave is now alone—

I confirmed the 'interesting' scene I had rarely seen before and nodded.

"There's no choice, I'll start over."

Let's put the worries aside. What I should do now is not to be discouraged. I, a weakling, would die immediately if I stopped thinking.

Alice will be fine. The demon king's power was abnormal, but even considering that, her survival skills are extraordinary.

That's why—she is the reason I challenged the demon king with her.

A Slave is like a half of a 'Monster Tamer.' If she is safe, I can still fight.

I stretched my arms and did some stretching.

By then, my mood, which had been at its worst, had improved somewhat.

Let's be positive. Think the opposite. Adversity makes people grow.

Although I don't have a Slave, everything is not reset.

I am still the 'Monster Tamer' entrusted with the task of slaying the demon king—Phil Garden.

First, I need to assess the situation and—find a new Slave. I made up my mind and smiled as usual.

§

The name 'Nightwalker' comes from the fact that her abilities differ greatly between night and day.

In the morning, she is only as strong as an SS-grade monster, but conversely, at night, Alice is almost invincible.

Especially today, with a full moon, her power is at its peak. The compatibility was not bad.

The time, place, and situation were almost all as I had planned. There was no reason to lose—so I thought.

After four years with Alice as my Slave, I experienced my first defeat on this day and lost everything.

I will update daily at 00:00. Thank you for your support!