"I'm just getting dragged into another mess I never intended to be part of. Nothing new for me. Tell me what you want me to do."
Eliza could tell Eren had suddenly flipped the switch in his head. This was good and bad news for her at the same time. The good news was that the guy wasn't as useless as she thought him to be. He could still be useful to her.
The dragon half-blood started seeing Eren as a broken young man that could keep his emotions in check given enough time to recoup from his miseries.
Eren could spend his life self-loathing if he didn't have anything to look forward to. If he didn't have any goals in his life. But Eliza could see that he would also grow stronger from the hardships he faced given the right conditions.
A high functioning psychopath.
Guys like Eren would be capable pawns for a Sage like Eliza. He could plan things with minimal guidance from her. No matter the cost, he was able to adapt to real-life situations and take measures beyond conventional plans to ensure the end goal was achieved.
The problematic part about using a psychopath as a pawn was that one could bet that the moment the manipulator let their guard down, the same pawns wouldn't hesitate to stab them in the back. They would have designs on everybody and anybody they see as their opponents.
But Eliza knew she had Eren's characteristics too. A ranker who had managed to become a Sage was sure to have their hands painted red in others' blood. This was the mindset needed to rise above the restrictions placed on rankers by society and by nature itself.
'Heh! Two can play that game, cute kitten. You are a few centuries too early to mess with me.'
Eliza smirked while looking at Eren and casually said:
"Don't worry, I won't tell you something completely impossible for you to do. I just trust your ability to plan things and your abilities as a slime half-blood.
I only ask for results. The way to get them is totally up to you, provided you don't expose my identity or anything about me until I'm ready."
Eren had realized that Eliza must have drafted countless backup plans by now to serve as failsafes. She first sensed his bond with Reen and intimidated him by subtly implying that she was planning to kill her. She made him cry in front of her. To make him realize that he could be hurt.
The Sage was practically unfazed when Reen escaped from the research facility even when Arthur was burning in rage and anxiety. Eren came to realize that Eliza must have the means to track Reen in case she escapes from him, judging by her absolute confidence. Means that she hadn't shared with Arthur for some reason.
She just watched Arthur making futile attempts to get Reen back. She watched as he contacted various experts and spent fortune tracking the artificial demon beast down.
The kind of mental fortitude Eliza displayed made Eren realize that he was too far away from her as a ranker. He was also striving for his goals at any cost. But had he been in her shoes, he wasn't sure he could have maintained the cool Eliza showed him.
In short, Eliza would have multiple ways to bring Eren to this place. He had just made her job easy by coming here. This realization was very disheartening for Eren. but it also made him realize that there was nothing he could have done to prevent this outcome. He sighed after this thought came to his mind and responded.
"Alright. Tell me what an Ace ranker can do for a Sage? And do we need to sign a binding contract?"
The witch of the Enderflame chuckled and responded right after.
"Fufufu! Don't be so hasty. There are a few details about the outside world that are missing in my equation. I will have to send Layla outside with you to fetch them through her.
She will inform you once I am done. And don't worry about the binding contract. There won't be any."
Eren raised his eyebrows when he heard the witch's response. He thought this deal was too good to be true.
He could just leave the kingdom and settle elsewhere if and when he gets outside Purgatory. There was no need to risk his life doing something potentially dangerous for a Sage if he didn't have a binding contract to compel him to do that.
Eliza could not walk outside. And Eren won't enter the separate dimension. No matter how rich the rewards for progressing through the dungeons and towers would be.
The puzzling expressions on Eren's face made Eliza chuckle even more. She explained to him the reason soon after.
"It looks like you don't know. You underestimate a Sage ranked entity way too much, Eren.
We are not on the same page for you to sign a binding contract with me. A binding contract with a Sage would immediately shatter an Ace ranker's soul because of the sheer burden it would have to face."
'Hm? Does that mean…'
Eren found it difficult to control his smile when he heard that. But it still made his lips curl upwards.
He had not personally interacted with even an A Ranker in his past or current timelines. So he was unaware of such restrictions placed on the usage of binding contracts. But this supposed negative aspect of the contract came as a blessing in disguise for him.
Or so he thought!
Eliza watched him react that way and smirked at him before moving on:
"Heh! Don't celebrate too early, cute kitten. I have what I need to keep you in line.
Fufufu! But before I tell you anything about that, I want you to meet someone. Maybe you'd recognize him right away."
Eliza said and waved her hand. Immediately, a teleportation array appeared near the duo– indicating that something or someone was getting brought over here from another place.
Eren felt even more puzzled by Elia's response. He wanted to ask what she meant by that. However, he stopped himself when he saw the array light up and teleport someone over.
The array of lights eventually faded, allowing Eren to see a young man who had light ivory hair. His eyes were lively and full of spark. His facial features were sharp. His body structure was lean yet muscular.
He was exuding a menacing vibe because his hands, legs, chest, and back were tied by runic marks. His lips were also seen to be closed by the same runic pattern.
"Ivor Osan? What is he doing over here?"
***
Eren couldn't help but exclaim. He wasn't expecting to see someone from his academy getting summoned here. Ivor Osan left to explore the tower alone, skipping the underground dungeon.
Ivor was a genius and ferocious ranker with multiple trump cards in his sleeve. Eren would hate to admit it but he knew Ivor's innate talent was greater than his.
He might win against Ivor now. This would be because Eren had gained multiple power-ups in a short time and had previous experience as a D-Ranker. The butcher knew that even if he could dominate the guy in the end, the fight itself wouldn't be one-sided.
That's why Eren wasn't surprised that Ivor could survive the tower's first floor. Plus, Ivor was a normal runner. So he guessed that his time in the solo tower wouldn't have been as hectic as him.
***
Ivor looked up from his seated position and narrowed his eyes on a guy he knew well from LA. he tried speaking up and moving his body some more. But the runic marks over his body lit up and forced him back to his previous position.
Eliza had completely and consciously withdrawn her presence. And she was looking at Eren with a faint smile on her face.
Ivor couldn't speak. Nor could he run back to the only guy he knew. But his eyes were telling Eren what he also wanted to say at that time.
'What the fuck is happening here?'
AN: Oh Mama, I'm in fear for my life… From the long arm of the law. ;)
