It was the first time Pepper had seen Tony so flustered and anxious—jumping up and down like that. She couldn't help but smile sweetly at the sight.
With a touch of warmth in her heart, Pepper tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said to Eren:
"Eren, I really appreciate your offer. But Stark Industries is facing quite a few challenges at the moment. I can't leave now. However, if you just need someone capable to manage your company, I do know someone who's very good. It's just that…"
················
An hour later—
Eren walked out of Stark Tower with a satisfied smile, holding a gray-black USB drive, while Tony Stark sat behind him with a very sour expression.
That USB contained a backup of a subroutine of J.A.R.V.I.S.
As long as Eren plugged the USB into a computer, the pre-programmed system Tony had prepared would activate automatically.
At that point, Eren would officially own an artificial intelligence system.
If he wanted to, he could head back to Miracle Tower right now and install his new A.I. into the company's systems.
However, to fully unleash the potential of this A.I., it required serious computing power—specifically, several high-performance supercomputers.
And in this timeline, supercomputers weren't something you could just go out and buy. Even with money, regular people couldn't get their hands on them.
Fortunately, Tony Stark—born as the biggest arms dealer in the US—had the necessary connections.
Using Tony's contacts, Eren ordered three supercomputers.
Now all he had to do was wait for them to arrive.
Smiling as he tucked the gray-black USB into the Ring of Greed, Eren then drove his flashy Aston Martin toward Manhattan Central Hospital.
The top-tier manager Pepper had recommended was currently staying in this hospital.
Thanks to the enthusiastic help from several nurses and doctors, Eren navigated through a series of turns and finally stopped at a hospital room.
Room 7-1406.
Staring at the room number, Eren raised his hand and knocked gently.
Knock knock knock!
Soon, light footsteps sounded from within, and moments later, the door opened to reveal a haggard, unshaven middle-aged man.
Seeing the unfamiliar young man standing at the door, the man frowned and asked:
"Who are you?"
"Hello, Mr. Fregra. I'm Eren, the founder of Miracle Group."
"Miracle Group?"
Fregra furrowed his brows in thought, clearly trying to recall the name, but nothing came to mind.
"Sorry, I've never heard of it. Why are you looking for me?"
Given how new Miracle Group was, it wasn't surprising that Fregra hadn't heard of it.
"Well, Miracle Group is a company I just recently started. So it's normal that you haven't heard of it. That's also why we're in need of a seasoned executive."
"Pepper Potts is my aunt. After hearing about my situation, she recommended you. So I came by to visit."
Hearing Pepper's name caused Fregra to pause and swallow the rejection that was on the tip of his tongue.
He remembered the times Pepper had helped him in the past, and his attitude toward Eren visibly softened.
The irritation that had begun to creep onto his face faded quickly.
"Pepper's nephew? I didn't expect her to send you here. But I'm sorry—even though I really need the money right now, I'm just not in the right condition to take on any position."
"Right now, all I want is to be by my daughter's side and accompany her through the rest of her life in peace."
As he said this, his eyes dimmed, glancing at the small figure lying quietly in the hospital bed.
"That's Lilith, isn't it? Would you mind if I went in to see her?"
After a moment of hesitation, recalling all the times Pepper had helped him, Fregra eventually nodded.
"You can go in. Just try not to make any noise. It took a lot to get her to fall asleep."
"Of course."
With a soft voice, Eren replied, then tiptoed into the room.
Once he was inside, Fregra shut the door to block out the noisy sounds from the corridor.
Now that he was in the room, Eren could finally get a clear look at the little girl on the hospital bed.
She had golden hair like her father's.
According to Pepper's file, Lilith should've been seven years old—but at first glance, she looked more like five or six.
Her porcelain-doll-like face was unnaturally pale, and deep, dark circles hung under her eyes, completely out of place for a child her age.
She looked like a flower that had withered before it ever had a chance to bloom.
Even in her sleep, her delicate eyebrows remained furrowed tightly, as if plagued by unresolved anxiety... or rather—fear.
Yes.
Fear.
Even though Lilith was unconscious, Eren could clearly see that emotion written in the creases of her brow.
What was she afraid of?
While Fregra wasn't looking, Eren's pupils shifted, activating his Spiritual Sight.
Hmm?
He originally just wanted to use it to better understand the source of Lilith's fear—but what he saw instead was a thick gray miasma clinging to her spiritual body, swirling around like tendrils of smoke that refused to disperse.
That… looked like the Miasma of Calamity!
With the knowledge ingrained in his mind, Eren immediately identified the strange mist tangled around Lilith's spirit.
He frowned.
And the longer he observed Lilith with his spiritual sight, the deeper that frown became.
Before coming here, Pepper had told him that Lilith was suffering from some unknown illness.
If Eren could cure her, someone like Fregra would definitely be willing to give everything he had to support Eren and his newly-founded Miracle Group.
And with Fregra's ability...
Forget just a newly established company—even running a juggernaut like Stark Industries wouldn't be beyond him.
No one understood Fregra's capabilities better than Pepper, who had once worked closely with him.
All he needed was a stage to show his talents.
Of course—
There were no shortage of sharp-eyed recruiters in the federation. Several top companies had already offered him positions.
Fregra had even accepted one such offer at one point—but just as he was on the verge of a breakthrough, tragedy struck.
His wife died in a car crash.
And while his daughter survived, she fell ill with this strange affliction.
Since then, Fregra had spent every moment and dollar trying to cure her—traveling to hospitals, consulting the best doctors.
But nothing worked.
In fact, Lilith's condition only worsened—more than once, her life hung by a thread.
During this time, Pepper had helped them however she could.
Which was why she knew Fregra's situation so clearly.
As a friend, all she could do was offer sympathy—until the night she saw Eren's miraculous healing abilities with her own eyes.
That's when an idea began to form in her mind.
Eren needed a capable CEO. Fregra needed hope.
It was a win-win.
If Eren could cure Lilith, he'd earn Fregra's unwavering gratitude and support.
If he couldn't, well—he wouldn't lose anything.
What Pepper didn't know, however, was—
Lilith wasn't suffering from some rare illness.
She was being tormented by the Miasma of Calamity.
Since arriving in this world, Eren had never seen such a concentrated presence of that gray mist on anyone.
Under normal circumstances, someone engulfed in so much calamity should have died long ago—from an accident or some other misfortune.
So how had this little girl survived so long under its influence?
·····················
A flicker of confusion passed through Eren's eyes.
After a moment of thought, he turned to Fregra and said:
"Mr. Fregra, would it be alright if I gently woke Lilith? I want to ask her a few questions."
Just as Fregra's expression turned dark, Eren quickly added:
"Pepper Auntie knows your situation very well. She sent me not just because she trusts your abilities, but because she also believes in mine."
"She thinks I might be able to heal Lilith—and earn your gratitude and full support in return."
Fregra froze.
He was no fool. Praise alone wouldn't sway him.
But Eren had another card to play.
With a subtle use of his Mind Field, he amplified the father's inner longing to cure his daughter—and layered in a gentle suggestion to trust him just a little more.
Although Fregra's mental defenses were far stronger than the average person's, that tiny thread of hope in his heart ultimately overcame his doubts.
Still, Eren's youthful face and calm demeanor didn't exactly inspire total confidence.
Fregra remained skeptical deep down.
But Eren didn't try to explain.
Nor did he reinforce the hypnosis.
Mind control always came with risks.
It might work on random thugs, but for someone like Fregra—someone Eren hoped would become a key part of his organization—it wasn't worth the risk.
What if something broke the hypnosis down the line?
What if it turned them into enemies?
He'd already learned that lesson the hard way.
So instead, Eren simply smiled...
Then reached out and gently extended his finger toward Lilith's furrowed brow.
As his finger neared her forehead, a soft, milky-white light formed at his fingertip.
In the blink of an eye, the light swelled from the size of a bean to a glowing sphere the size of a ping pong ball.
Then—Eren tapped it gently into Lilith's forehead.
The moment the orb entered her brow, it erupted in a gentle but radiant glow that spread through her entire body.
As the sacred light coursed through her, Lilith's pale, shriveled skin began to shimmer faintly.
Then color returned to her face.
Her sickly pallor faded. The dark circles under her eyes lessened. Her skin, once dull, now glowed with the healthy flush of a young child.
Within Eren's Spiritual Sight, he saw the sacred light settle into Lilith's body—most of it nurturing her fragile frame, while a smaller portion targeted her spiritual body directly.
That portion began pushing out some of the invasive Miasma of Calamity.
It wasn't much—but it was progress.
And as the toxic mist receded, Lilith's body relaxed visibly—like a huge burden had been lifted.
Even her tightly knitted brows finally began to ease.
··················
In the hospital room—
The moment that white light appeared on Eren's fingertip, Fregra instinctively tried to stop him, afraid something might happen to his daughter.
But Eren's move was so quick and smooth—
Before Fregra could take a step, the light had already entered Lilith's forehead.
Then—
To Fregra's astonishment, her complexion visibly improved.
He couldn't see the Miasma of Calamity like Eren could.
But he could see the white light being absorbed, and he could see Lilith's complexion change.
He could see the peace returning to her sleeping face, and the way her brows gently relaxed—
For the first time in years.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]