?"You want me to free you?" Karyk asked, slightly taken aback. "How can I even do that?"
From what he realised, the woman had been trapped here for thousands of years. If it was that easy for her to be freed, it would've happened long ago. Although she couldn't step out of the city, the hooded figure could.
He wasn't weak either, so he should've been able to help her if needed. It was clear that she needed something that even the man in the corner couldn't do. And he had a bad feeling about this.
"You don't have to know yet. First, leave this place. He will guide you towards what I need," the woman spoke, before gesturing to the hooded figure to stand next to Karyk.
"Why can't you tell me yet?" Karyk frowned, finding this entire deal troublesome. It was much easier to forcefully read her memories. If only the man hadn't interfered, he would've already had his answers.
"Because even if I tell you, you won't be able to free me. It's not the time yet. When the time comes, you'll know what I need."
The woman still didn't answer Karyk. At the same time, she kept her guard up, observing Karyk's every moment, not wanting to make the same mistake as before.
"I don't have much time. How long will I have to wait for my answers?"
Karyk wanted to solve this problem as soon as he could, as he only had limited time before the Elzerians were to attack his world.
"You'll have plenty of time, even after freeing me. And when we fight together, it'll only help you," the woman stated. "I promise that if you get me out of here, you'll get to know something that can turn the tides of this battle for you."
"What a headache..."
Karyk started thinking to himself, observing his surroundings, wondering if it was beneficial to use some drastic methods. However, after thinking about it for some time, he dropped the plan.
It was indeed beneficial for him if he could get her out. Moreover, he also wanted time to grasp the knowledge he had stolen from her. And lastly, he needed time to develop the city and his forces as well. In that endeavour, the woman's position was really important.
"In that case, I also have a condition." Karyk stated after a moment of silence.
"What condition?" The woman asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Until the time comes for me to free you, I want you to help me in every way possible. And by that, I mean that your friend here must listen to all my commands," Karyk informed the girl. "I don't want an observer, but a weapon that I can also use."
The woman let out a sigh. She hadn't expected Karyk to realise her true intentions. If it was all about informing him when the time was right, she could simply use the thread between them.
The only reason she sent the hooded man with him was because she wanted to keep an eye on him. She wanted to make sure she wasn't betrayed.
"Alright. As long as it isn't anything harmful to the Celestial Dynasty's future, he will listen to you." In the end, the woman could only agree.
With the initial deal in place, Karyk stood up. He reached out his hand, stepping towards the woman for a handshake.
Unfortunately for him, the woman waved her hand. The surroundings changed, and Karyk found himself out of the city and back to the Land of Chaos where he had met the hooded figure.
"There was no need to be afraid of a handshake." Karyk smiled, looking at the thread in his hand.
"You don't have time to waste on a handshake." A voice appeared in Karyk's head, surprising him. It was as if the woman was right next to him, speaking.
"Shouldn't I be the one deciding what I can waste my time on?" Karyk asked in return. However, deep down in his mind, he was quite frustrated that the woman was so cautious. It made things more difficult for him.
"While you're at it, can you send the guy hiding outside your city here as well? Since I brought him here, it would be bad if I didn't take him back." He told the woman through the invisible thread.
In the next moment, Karyk felt some spatial disturbance around him. The assassin fell out of the Spatial Portal, falling to his butt.
He looked around him, wondering if he was caught.
"You are..." The moment he saw the hooded figure, he was horrified. He crawled back in fear before coming across the feet of someone else.
As he raised his head, he saw Karyk.
"You're caught as well?" He asked, his fear only increasing. Even Karyk was caught. That meant he had no escape.
"What kind of assassin are you, to be so scared?" Karyk asked, grabbing the man's collar. He raised him in the air, helping him stand.
"Don't worry. He won't kill you. He's a friend."
"A... friend...?" The man looked with bewilderment at Karyk. "Wasn't he planning to kill you just a short hour ago?"
"Weren't you also trying to kill me a short time ago?" Karyk asked in return, bursting in laughter.
Hearing Karyk's words, the assassin felt silent as a shade of embarrassment spread across his face. He couldn't believe he had thought that he could kill Karyk. He was like an ant trying to kill a dragon.
"As I said, he won't be killing you. Unless you do something worth getting killed." Karyk smiled at the assassin, but the meaning behind his smile was clear.
The Assassin's back was drenched in cold sweat. He promised himself he was never going to try to betray Karyk. This guy was too scary as he could even turn the hooded man to his side and return alive from the Land of Chaos.
"Since you know better, it's about time we return."
