Passerby Villain In A Wizard World-Chapter 263: Oath

"Gulp!"

Arvhael, who saw everything clearly, couldn't help but gulp nervously.

'Seriously, who is this guy?'

He couldn't help but question, feeling a little creepy inside.

He felt that with such a method, there was no way he could fight this guy even when he was in his best form, let alone now.

"Hmm... almost equivalent to the peak First Ring Wizard. Good soul!"

Ian didn't care what the guy on his side thought and suddenly absorbed the essence in his hand, sending it to his consciousness platform.

Then, all at once, the mirror that was rapidly spinning and shrinking came to a sudden stop, as if frozen by an invisible force.

It seemed that by absorbing the soul essence of the mirror, Ian took control of the mirror forcibly.

Only after doing all this did Ian finally turn his head to face Arvhael, who was silently looking at him with clear surprise on his face.

"Okay, now that he is dealt with, what do you think I should do with you?"

Ian asked with a faint smile on his lips, which was unfortunately covered by his mask.

"Umm... how about... letting me go? Aren't you here to help me? I promise, you will not regret helping me."

Arvhael didn't know how to answer Ian, so he replied with what he thought was appropriate.

Honestly, it was true that Ian's appearance had saved his life, and he was also a little grateful.

But after seeing such a weird power of annihilation with his own eyes, he didn't know what to expect.

"Yeah, I would have let you leave, but... You already saw my power just now. So..."

Ian trailed off as he approached Arvhael, placing his hand on his shoulder as he had done with the old man earlier.

"Wait... wait... what do you mean?"

"D-do you know who I am?"

"No, I—I mean, if you do know who I am, then you'll see I'm far more useful to you alive."

Arvhael flinched when Ian placed his hand on his shoulder, making him almost instinctively use a spell to resist.

Fortunately, he remembered Ian's warning earlier and didn't do anything reckless.

Moreover, he could see that the hand on his shoulder was a normal one, not the translucent one he had seen earlier.

So, he stammered a little anxiously, trying to make a deal. After all, he could see that Ian was somehow interested in him.

Not that way, obviously.

"You are quite smart."

Ian could clearly see what was going through his mind.

"Okay, I won't play around with you. Just like you said, you are quite useful to me. So, how about you become a subordinate of mine?"

He said, removing his hand to make Arvhael relax a little.

"Subordinate?"

Arvhael was stunned and asked with a little resistance, only to see the cold eyes behind the mask of the guy in front.

'It seems this is not a question.'

Arvhael thought bitterly, as he never thought that, as a noble born, he would see a day when he would be a subordinate of someone.

That too, without fighting. He was basically being subdued with a show of power.

"Yes, a subordinate. Don't worry, I won't bind you with a contract or something."

Ian saw his hesitation and consoled him briefly with a smile and continued, freeweɓnovel.cѳm

"All you have to do is swear an Oath before me—to serve as my subordinate, and obey everything without any question."

Ian said, a clear spark of interest gleaming in his eyes.

"Swear an Oath?"

Arvhael heard what Ian said and was totally confused.

"Yes, swear an Oath. You see, I am an easygoing person, and I even saved your life. So, just swearing an Oath shouldn't be hard, right?"

Ian said with a smile, as if just a promise from him was enough.

"Yeah, b-but, are you sure?"

Arvhael didn't know how Ian's brain was working. He thought maybe Ian was playing around with him.

After all, in this world, what kind of Oath could bind a person?

Unless it was a contract or some kind of binding pact, nobody would believe anyone.

However, seeing that Ian nodded with a serious look, he finally let go of his worries and hurriedly swore, as if he was afraid that Ian would take his words back.

"I, Arvhael Everhart, swear that from this moment on, I will serve as your subordinate, obeying without question, both in this life and beyond death. Should I break this oath, let me burn in hellfire for eternity, my soul tormented forever."

He was also a quirky guy who swore a poisonous oath without batting an eye.

Even Ian couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth at his display of unwavering submission.

"So, can I leave now?"

After finishing his oath, Arvhael asked Ian, waiting for his approval.

If only such a false oath could get him out of this trouble, he could swear it multiple times without batting an eye.

However, unfortunately, he saw that Ian didn't answer. Instead, he was looking at him curiously, as if expecting something.

'So, he was indeed playing with me.'

Arvhael felt a little angry at being played like this, but controlled his rage and asked again,

"Sir, since I have sworn the oath already, can I leave now?"

No matter what, he couldn't let this chance slide.

He was already at his wits' end and had no other way to save himself. Although he had a few trump cards left, he felt that he would be dead before even thinking about using them.

This man standing before him carried such an oppressive aura that even Arvhael's noble blood ran cold.

"Okay, I, Ian Veilstrider, accept your Oath of servitude. From now on, you are my subordinate and must obey everything I say. If you default, you will pay with your soul."

Ian, who had been silently watching until now, finally spoke—his voice firm and steady, carrying a weight that made it clear he wasn't taking the Oath lightly.

But hearing his solemn acceptance, for a brief moment, Arvhael blinked in confusion.

After all, from the outside, this all seemed like child's play and a little funny.

Unfortunately, he couldn't laugh as just when Ian's words faded into the air, something suddenly slammed into him—hard.

It struck not just his mind, but his very soul, which began to tremble violently, as if answering some ancient, invisible call hidden in Ian's voice.

"W-What... what did you just do to me?"

Arvhael stammered, wide-eyed, as the weight of the Oath began to settle into his very being.

This feeling was unmistakable—like being bound by a contract, but amplified a hundredfold.

It was brutal, overwhelming, and far beyond anything Arvhael had ever experienced.

"Ugh... fuck!"

The pain struck without warning, sharp and merciless.

Arvhael clutched his head, cursing through gritted teeth.

However, no matter how tightly he held on, it did nothing to stop the pressure drilling into his mind, nor the searing heat twisting through his soul.

"It does work."

While Arvhael writhed in pain, Ian watched him with unmistakable excitement gleaming in his eyes.

Unlike Arvhael, who was being crushed by an invisible force, Ian was witnessing something entirely different.

'So… it can leave my body?'

Ian thought as he stared in quiet awe at the shimmering butterfly drifting gently through the air.

Its wings glowed faintly, gliding as if through water rather than air, while its very existence seemed to hover somewhere between reality and illusion.

Ian was sure it was there—but not quite.

In such an incredible display, the butterfly suddenly drilled into the body of Arvhael, making him cry in agony. Then, after just a moment, it left and drilled into Ian's mind as if it wasn't even there.

All these processes were so fast that before Arvhael could properly show his pain, the process was finished.

Then, Ian saw that Arvhael stopped his screaming and cursing. Instead, he slowly stood up and locked eyes with Ian, filled with fear.

"What happened to me?"

He asked, sensing something had changed within him, though he couldn't pinpoint what.

But one thing was certain: when he looked at Ian, he felt an overwhelming reverence. It was as if he admired him from the very core of his being and couldn't violate anything he said.

It was a strange, uncontrollable feeling, one he couldn't stop. Even now, he was asking Ian with respect unconsciously.

'Butterfly?'

However, Ian's attention was elsewhere, as he saw a new faint mark on Arvhael's glabella that disappeared almost instantly.

However, he was sure that symbol was there, as he could already feel an invisible thread of connection from his mind.

"Take out that lantern of yours and give it to me."

Ian suddenly asked Arvhael, who was confused, to test his guess.

Then suddenly, as soon as he ordered, Arvhael opened his mana ring, taking out the lantern that he used to capture the Breath of the First Flame, and gave it to Ian.

During the whole process, he didn't even think about what he was doing.

It was as if, suddenly, completing Ian's order was the first priority in his life.

'What the fuck happened to me?'