"Are you looking for me?"
Just when Ron was carefully searching around with his mental power, he heard another voice, but this time, he finally saw something—a pair of blue vertical eyes, gleaming behind a thin white membrane, staring directly at him with an otherworldly intensity.
It was errie but strangely beautiful at the same time.
"Bloodline Wizard?"
The moment Ron saw Ian's eyes, he understood everything clearly as his heart leaped into his throat.
"No wonder!"
He smiled bitterly as if he had realized something incredible.
After sighing for a while, Ron directly lifted the two Aqua Barriers in front of him, seeing there was no need for them now.
"Hm?"
Ian looked at Ron's inexplicable action in confusion.
He was still debating whether to kill him or capture him after his mana ran out when Ron seemed to have given up.
However, Ian wasn't a fool, so he remained on guard and maintained his form. He wanted to know what Ron was planning. But seeing that the arrows were still flying everywhere, Ian shouted to stop the barrage for now.
"You should have told me earlier. Why are you hiding?"
After seeing Ian's action, Ron spoke bitterly while lowering his staff. He then looked at Ian, who was still showing only his vertical blue pupils quietly scanning him in full alertness.
"But I have to ask—what are you doing on this continent? You are so young; you should leave while you can. The Wizard Curse here is no joke."
He curiously questioned Ian, as if surprised that he was still there despite being a Bloodline Wizard.
You know, a bloodline wizard was someone who would start as a First-ring, unlike a normal wizard. It was both a perk and a shackle, depending on how one saw it.
So, after seeing Ian's eyes, which were clearly not human, Ron immediately assumed Ian was a bloodline wizard. If that was the case, using those extra barriers as protection couldn't save him anyway and might even waste mana.
Still, he was curious why Ian hadn't revealed his realm from the start.
Seeing Ron's curious look, Ian had already guessed something from Ron's reaction. After all, he also knew something about the so-called Bloodline Wizard.
"I just awakened my bloodline." Still, he gave a rough reply to gauge more information.
"No wonder!" Ron nodded in understanding.
"Screw that. What do you want to do now? Do you want to live?"
Ian didn't want to waste too much time, as this was the first time he used this form, and he might not be able to last long.
"I still say the same thing. I'm here on behalf of the Calvora Continent. If you want to leave this place, you must leave with me. There is really no point in killing me."
After thinking for a while, Ron stuck to his previous reply, not wanting to appear weak.
Although a Bloodline Wizard was stronger than the average Elemental Wizard, both were at the First Ring, so he believed basic respect should be maintained.
However, Ian wasn't having that. Unlike Ron's misunderstanding, Ian wasn't a Bloodline Wizard yet.
He was simply a First-Class Apprentice and couldn't waste such a good opportunity by relying on mere words.
"Then, you just die."
He didn't mince words and directly used his Spellblade in his Ethereal form.
Ron, who had thought Ian might negotiate with him, suddenly saw a blade appear in front of him, piercing the remaining mana shield with almost no effort.
"Wait… wait! You can't kill me. If you kill me, you won't have a good time either. Your family still has to live in this place."
Ron was bewildered by Ian's violent behavior, which left almost no room for compromise.
He hurriedly distanced himself, using what little mana he had left to stop the blade from piercing his abdomen.
"Then what do you think we should do? Don't try to talk it out. I don't believe a word Wizards say."
Ian understood that killing Ron here would be a bad choice; otherwise, why would he talk with him so much rather than beheading him just like Ethos?
Since he had read Arcane Passage, he knew Wizard organizations were very protective of their members. So, if there was a method, he didn't mind sparing him for now. As for later—who knew?
Seeing that Ian's blade was still following him relentlessly, hovering near his abdomen, Ron's forehead was drenched in sweat.
"What about a contract? I have a contract with me."
Now that Ian had made his stance clear, Ron couldn't afford to hesitate. If Ian killed him in haste, it would be an unjust death.
"Oh? A contract?"
Ian raised an eyebrow, his blue vertical pupils shrinking inward with intrigue.
He drew his blade back and asked what kind of contract it was.
As far as Ian knew, a contract in the Wizard world was a binding tool used by the strong to control their weaker subordinates.
Depending on its power and applicability, a contract could be strong or weak.
Ron looked at the cold, emotionless gaze in front of him, thought for a while, and replied in a distressed tone,
"I have a Magical Contract with me. We can present our terms, and it will come into effect immediately."
After saying that, he waited for Ian's reply nervously. If possible, Ron didn't want to sign any contract, as it would directly impact his path at the very least.
However, he had no choice now. His life was more important than his path.
Ian heard Ron's words but said nothing. He just looked at Ron's nervous figure with cold eyes, as if staring at a fool.
"Umm, what do you think?"
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Ron didn't know why, but those cold eyes gave him a creepy feeling as if he were being suppressed on a fundamental level of life. This was strange, as he had never felt this way with other Bloodline Wizards.
"If you don't have a Soul Contract, you can just die."