Passerby Villain In A Wizard World

"What... what is this?"

Zane asked in confusion while instinctively catching the thing Ian had thrown in his direction.

He couldn't understand Ian's sudden action.

"A Mana ring."

To his question, Ian just answered calmly.

"There are some things I've listed inside that I need your help gathering. Use your connections to get them for me. Don't let me down."

Ian said with a knowing look, not sparing a glance at Zane's increasingly dark expression.

"Are you serious?"

Zane finally couldn't help but flare up, as what Ian just did was nothing but ordering around his subordinates.

This made him feel extremely bitter, as the pact he was bound with was also called a Sigil of Subjugation, signifying his submission to Ian.

More importantly, there was no apparent duration for this pact that he could discern. That was the major reason he had been so cautious around Ian all this time.

After all, it wasn't unheard of for powerful wizards to toy with others for amusement. He had considered the possibility that Ian was one of those, but then it didn't make sense since he came from that barren continent.

"Of course, I'm serious. Otherwise, what use do you have? Or do you want me to kill you and loot everything on you?"

Seeing Zane still acting oblivious to his situation, Ian's eyes suddenly turned cold, and a murderous intent locked onto him.

Suddenly, as if sensing Ian's intent, the pact within Zane stirred. An overwhelming pressure inexplicably locked onto his figure, as though he had violated some term of the pact—when in reality, he hadn't.

"STOP! Stop!"

Of course, Zane immediately sensed Ian's murderous intent and shouted in a panic to stop him in time.

Fortunately, it seemed Ian was only issuing a warning, as that suffocating feeling disappeared in an instant.

'Damn! That was dangerous.'

Although the moment was fleeting, cold sweat covered Zane's back. Just now, he had really felt that Ian was going to kill him right here and now with just a word.

That was a feeling he had never experienced before in his life—it almost made him shit his pants.

As a First Ring Wizard with strong connections, he had never faced too many hardships. Today, Ian showed him what that truly meant.

For the first time, Zane looked at Ian in fear.

His embarrassed expression and shocked gaze stripped him of his dignity once again. Fortunately, they were within the influence of the Silent Cube; otherwise, everyone outside would have witnessed his humiliating moment just now.

"So? Are you still acting tough?"

Ian sneered.

"Believe it or not, I don't care if your uncle is a Second Ring Wizard. If I wanted to kill you, I could do it very easily."

Ian added while swiftly canceling the activated pact's influence. Although he had full control over its essence, he refrained from using it too much to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

"I understand. Don't worry, I'll make sure to gather what you need as soon as possible."

Of course, Zane understood Ian's warning.

However furious he was inside, he still solemnly promised Ian and put the mana ring aside, intending to inspect it later when he was alone.

"Of course, you don't have to worry too much. Actually, if you hadn't been on my tail before, I might not have even used that pact on you."

Seeing the heavy atmosphere between them, Ian smiled slightly and confessed.

Honestly, he had never intended to use the pact on Zane in the first place—if it weren't for him being such an ass.

Now that he looked back at it, Zane was just a timely guinea pig in that situation.

"Yeah, I figured… I'm sorry."

Zane felt even more bitter after hearing Ian's words and bowed slightly in apology.

Now that he thought about it, it felt as if he shot himself in the foot.

"But don't worry. I'm not a bad person, you see. Otherwise, there's no way I would have left you alone for this long."

Ian smiled and continued,

"Just help me with what I need, and I might help you back with a potion you need in the future. After all, I doubt your uncle will help you with that, right?"

To truly subdue someone, you needed to use both the stick and the carrot. It was an old method, but it worked every time.

And since Zane's uncle was a Second Ring Wizard himself, he might not provide much support for Zane's next promotion.

So, Ian's words were quite tempting.

Besides, the reason Ian wasn't blackmailing him strongly or even looting, as he had said before, was that he felt it was dangerous and unnecessary.

After all, Zane wasn't Ron. He had his connections and was an important member of Mystic Circle. If possible, Ian wanted to use him as a springboard for his growth.

Sure enough, after hearing Ian's offer, Zane's face brightened a little. But as if he still doubted Ian's talent, his expression quickly returned to its usual calmness.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Still, unknowingly, Zane's mood had improved slightly.

From his expressions and behavior, Ian could tell that despite his higher rank, he was still somewhat immature.

"Alright, then let's head back. My girls are waiting for me over there, and I don't want to waste any more time here."

Ian, of course, noticed Zane's skepticism but didn't care. He had only given a flimsy promise for now. Whether he would actually fulfill it depended on how useful Zane proved to be.

But if Zane really helped him in his initial journey, Ian wouldn't mind following through on his word.

"Umm… apprentice Ian…,"

Just as Ian was about to leave the barrier, Zane called out again.

"Hmm?"

Seeing Ian look at him curiously, Zane coughed a little, slightly embarrassed, before asking,

"Cough… so… umm... is that guy Ron also under you?"

He asked while studying Ian's expression carefully.

After being inexplicably bound by the pact, he started thinking about Ron, who was always supportive of Ian. Now that he reconsidered, it seemed likely that Ron was also under Ian's control.

"What do you think?"

However, Ian didn't answer directly. Instead, he responded with a knowing smile.

"No wonder!"

Zane immediately understood although Ian didn't answer, finding that it was exactly as he had suspected.

'Damn! No wonder that old guy was quite attentive to him all the time.' He thought.

Then, as if he had suddenly realized something even more shocking, he looked at Ian with wide eyes and hesitantly asked,

"Then… what about Yela?"