Scare Tactics

"Yo, Eren. How is it going, my friend?"

As Eren stood there, waiting for Reece, a voice suddenly called out to him from behind.

The voice had a welcoming tone, but the New Eren knew better. It belonged to the person original Eren despised the most, the one who had tortured him.

Eren turned around and spotted a young man in his early twenties approaching with a friendly smile. In an attempt to intimidate the non-ranked Eren, the man vanished from his original position and reappeared right in front of him.

Eren blinked, unphased by the scare tactic. He had become well-acquainted with such methods, having employed them himself. Fearlessly, he stared into the black-eyed young man's face before delivering his response.

"Listen, punk. You might think you're a bigshot because of your Rank 1 status, and maybe you are. But don't get cocky with me, not the current me. If you dare to mess with me again, I'll do unspeakable things to you.

I'll yank your balls off, skewer them, roast them over a campfire, and serve them to you along with your chopped dick as a side dish. It'll be a gourmet meal you won't forget. Proceed if you find the opportunity tempting. Do you understand, Stan Bigman?"

Stan Bigman held a deep resentment towards Eren Idril for one specific reason—he envied the attention Reece showered upon him. What infuriated Stan even more was the fact that Eren was a non-ranker.

Life in Elysian cities was far from simple, unlike the life Vik was accustomed to. These cities were protected by an energy field, keeping the inhabitants of the desolate lands at bay. The majority of Elysian city residents were advanced rankers, while Metahumans occupied the lowest rung of the societal hierarchy, and mortals were even worse off.

The denizens of Elysian cities remained isolated from the happenings beyond their borders, oblivious to the realities of the barren lands. Stereotypes of backwardness and savagery were attached to the mortals living in those regions.

Various hoaxes were propagated to dissuade Elysian city dwellers from venturing into the barren lands. Rumors of deadly viruses and the alleged cannibalistic nature of the inhabitants served as deterrents.

Vik, being from one such place, saw through the lies propagated by the governments and realized that the secrecy surrounding the MCP chips played a significant role in keeping the populations separated.

The world had become even more cruel than in previous eras, designed to suppress the weak and bolster the strong. Unwritten rules of societal hierarchy governed the Elysian cities, and Stan was not the only one trying to provoke Eren. His close relationship with Reece irked many guild members due to their disparate rankings.

But it wasn't just envy that drove their animosity. Captain Miranda Bloom also treated Eren well, granting him access to ranker facilities in exchange for performing certain technical tasks for the guild.

In a society shaped by such rules, teenagers often held grudges over trivial matters, their hormones and potent mana surging through their veins clouding their judgment further when they became rankers. Eren had experienced beatings, trashings, and name-calling due to his non-ranked status.

Most rankers advised him to stick with mortals, as being a Metahuman became increasingly challenging with age. Even if they acquired their powers later in life, their potential for advancing to the next rank would be limited. Despite the difficulties, there was a part of Eren that refused to give up.

***

"Do you understand me, Stan Bigman?"

Stan was so taken aback by Eren's retort that he was momentarily speechless. It was the first time Eren had ever stood up to him, never uttering a word during the numerous beatings he had endured in secret.

The audacity of Eren's response shocked Stan. He never expected the mild-mannered Eren to threaten him with such graphic and grotesque imagery, describing skewered balls served as a gourmet dish.

A strange fear started creeping into Stan's mind, as if Eren was suggesting his own balls would be more satisfying than any superfood. He began to feel intimidated by this new version of Eren.

In that moment, Stan's anger grew, directed not only towards Eren but also towards himself for allowing a non-ranked individual to briefly shake him.

"Listen here you little shit…"