Deciding what to do with the Immortal wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be.
After all, in my current state, I couldn't kill it—nor could I seal it away somewhere.
'For an enemy this dangerous, it might actually be better to keep it close.'
Fortunately, keeping the Immortal nearby wasn't that hard to pull off.
I mean, it was literally next to me, busily munching on a chocolate-flavored multi-calorie bar.
'It's ridiculous to think a monster on the level of the Immortal could be tamed with food… but it's not impossible.'
It was a gamble.
One worth taking.
"Taste good?"
The Immortal didn't respond.
It simply kept chewing the bar in its hand, focused solely on eating.
"Sigh…"
I shook my head and started walking. Naturally, the Immortal trailed behind me.
Like a beast following the one who feeds it.
"What are you even doing…"
Was it really following me just because I was the food source?
Well, I kind of expected this.
["Master, I think it's going to keep following us. Are we really just leaving it like that?"]
'There's not much else I can do.'
Sure, I could smack it around a bit and bury it somewhere for a while, but that would only risk damaging the not-so-bad relationship I currently had with it.
So, I figured it was worth leveraging this awkward dynamic to my advantage.
'The Immortal is an incredibly powerful monster. If I can find a way to use it as I intend, it could be a huge asset to my plans.'
Even if it didn't prove useful, having a friendly relationship with a monster of the Immortal's caliber was valuable in itself.
'In that case…'
That's how it started.
On the journey back to the Ark, I began feeding the Immortal different things.
At first, I gave it nothing but chocolate-flavored multi-calorie bars.
But then I changed tactics—introducing other kinds of food.
Specifically, the ingredients I'd originally packed for feeding the recon team.
"Tasty."
I wasn't feeding it premium rations for no reason.
It was all part of a plan—to mix small fragments of Janus into the food.
["…What are you doing?!"]
Esther was horrified as she saw me stirring soup with one of Janus's bone tendrils.
Unfazed, I casually slipped Janus's fragments into the pot.
'The Immortal isn't fully subjugated to Janus yet. But if I keep infusing pieces of Janus into its meals… there might be a chance.'
Of course, the worst-case scenario was the Immortal detecting something off and turning hostile.
But at this point, I had little to lose.
'If things go south, I'll unleash hellfire and bury it underground before making a run for it.'
And so began this bizarre companionship between me and the Immortal.
"Eat plenty."
"Already… doing that."
I didn't love the way it spoke, but it ate every meal I prepared—along with Janus's fragments—without question.
A normal human might've choked or gagged on the bone bits, but the Immortal, being a monster, had no such issue.
'Funny how it still turned its nose up at strawberry bars, though.'
The journey continued.
Slowly, steadily.
With each meal, the fragments I snuck in were consumed by the Immortal.
[Keek…]
And through Janus, I could feel it.
A faint thread forming between Janus and the Immortal—growing stronger over time.
"Obey…?"
The Immortal looked at me.
At first, that stare made me flinch.
But now, I knew.
It no longer saw me as a threat.
In fact, it wasn't just that.
'It might not be fully subjugated to Janus yet… but it's starting to regard me as a companion—or something close to it.'
The biggest proof of that?
The way it treated me.
"Here… you eat."
Where it once focused only on stuffing its face, it now began offering food to me.
Naturally, I declined. I wasn't about to eat anything laced with Janus's fragments.
"I'm good."
"No… eat."
That's when I started cooking meals without Janus's fragments, too.
The dishes were surprisingly fancy for battlefield rations.
Maybe a monster didn't need such extravagant meals—but there was no downside to building a good relationship with the Immortal, so I gave it my all.
["…You never cook this well for me."]
'You don't eat.'
["I can eat, you know! Haven't you heard of "all things have spirit" or whatever?!"]
'Nope.'
["Hmph…"]
Maybe it was all the sustained feeding, but the Immortal—who once looked like skin and bones—was starting to recover physically.
If it turned on me now, it might actually be hard to deal with.
'But… thanks to Janus's fragments, I hardly sense any hostility from it anymore.'
I'd even tried provoking it a few times just to test it—and it hadn't reacted at all.
Sure, it might just be numb to danger due to its immortality… but this was something else.
At this point, it practically treated me like family or a close ally.
["…I think it's really starting to like you."]
'Yeah, looks like it.'
["What's it even thinking? …Wait, don't tell me you're planning to bring it back to the Ark?!"]
'Of course not.'
No matter how well-socialized the Immortal seemed, it was still a monster—one known as the ruler of the Cracked Desert.
There was no way I'd lead such a dangerous creature near the Ark.
And yet…
The journey continued.
Unlike when I traveled with the recon team, moving with just the Immortal meant we covered ground quickly.
Now, we were close to the Ark.
["Master! We're almost there!"]
'Yeah, I know.'
The trip had been smooth.
Whether it was due to the Immortal's presence or scent, we hadn't encountered a single beast or monster.
'The recon team's nowhere in sight. They must've made it back to the Ark safely.'
I'd been worried they might return, but it seemed Hildegard had made the right call.
'It's time to part ways with the Immortal.'
Originally, I had no intention of bringing the Immortal this close to the Ark.
But over time, I'd come to trust that it posed no threat to me, which is why we'd traveled together this far.
'But this is the limit.'
Now was the time to send the Immortal back.
I couldn't allow it to get any closer to the Ark.
Even if I no longer sensed hostility from it—others in the Ark certainly would.
"Let's part ways here."
"Part… ways?"
The Immortal tilted its head as it chewed on a chocolate-flavored multi-calorie bar.
Its appetite was so voracious that it had nearly devoured every chocolate bar in my rift space.
"Yes. It's time for you to return to where you came from."
"Where… I came from."
The Immortal tilted its head again.
If it ended up settling near the Ark instead of going back to the Cracked Desert, it'd be a disaster—so I pressed again.
"Did you forget the way back?"
"I know… the way."
"Well, that's a relief."
If it had forgotten the way to the Cracked Desert, things would've been much more complicated.
Of course, just because it knew the way back didn't mean it would actually go. That's what I had to work on now—convincing it.
"Then go on. Head back."
"…Go back?"
The Immortal tilted its head once more, but it seemed to understand me this time. It turned around.
"Leaving…"
At first, it looked like the Immortal was really going to leave without a fuss.
But then, it suddenly stopped mid-step and turned back around—only to cut off its own arm without warning.
Squelch!
"What the…"
I could only stare blankly, stunned by what I was seeing.
Cutting off its own arm—why?
I had no idea why the Immortal would do such a thing.
"Take… it."
Then it held out the severed arm to me.
"…What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Eat… it."
"…What?"
I couldn't hide my shock.
And how could I?
The Immortal was handing me its own severed arm.
"A gift… of thanks."
That phrase left me speechless for a moment.
A gift? A thank-you?
I mean… even if it were grateful, giving me its own arm to eat?
[" …Master, what is this situation?"]
'I have no idea.'
I was completely thrown off, but I didn't let it show.
It was overwhelming, yes—but this was, strictly speaking, a huge opportunity.
'A piece of the Immortal… I thought I'd have to give up on ever obtaining something like this, and yet here it is.'
I accepted the Immortal's arm and said,
"…Thanks."
"I gave… thanks…"
With those words, the Immortal turned away without a shred of hesitation.
The image of it walking off with one arm missing was eerie, but given its regenerative powers, it would undoubtedly grow back soon.
"Janus."
The moment the Immortal turned its back; I handed the arm over to Janus.
[Keek!]
"Devour it."
[Keeeeek!]
Janus's bone tendrils extended like gnashing teeth and began chewing the Immortal's arm.
Chomp, chomp—
Crack, crunch—!
As expected of the Immortal's flesh, the severed arm kept trying to regenerate, making Janus's meal take far longer than usual. But that was only a matter of time.
Eventually, after what felt like ages, Janus finished its meal and began to tremble.
[You have absorbed a portion of the Beyond-Grade Prime Species, 'The Immortal'!]
[You have acquired some of the abilities of the Beyond-Grade Prime Species, 'The Immortal'!]
['Bone Armor (Lv.5)' [Janus] has increased in rank!]
[13-Star → 14-Star]
['Ankelenth's Fang' absorption rate has surpassed 60%. The maximum number of summonable 'Spears of Ankelenth' has increased to 2.]
The power emanating from Janus now was clearly different—stronger, more refined.
I immediately checked the bone armor's status.
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[Bone Armor (Lv.5)] [Janus] [★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ (14-Star)]
— A standard-issue defensive suit for Ark officers (Lv.5), linked to a domesticated bone parasite as its energy source.
— It has been named Janus.
— Current absorption rate of the Ankelenth's Fang: 63%
— Has absorbed part of the Beyond-Grade Prime Species, 'The Immortal'.
— Can now use some of the abilities of the Beyond-Grade Prime Species, 'The Immortal'.
— Has absorbed part of the Beyond-Grade Skull Turncoat, 'Turncoat King'.
— Can now use some of the abilities of the Beyond-Grade Skull Turncoat, 'Turncoat King'.
"View Details"
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