SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System-Chapter 118: Deception And Desire!

The mental link from the soul contract was a strange, unsettling sensation for Olenna.

It wasn’t a constant intrusion into her thoughts, more like a subtle awareness of Daniel’s presence at the edge of her consciousness, a silent reminder of their binding agreement.

She could feel the immense, almost terrifying depth of his power through that connection, and a shiver ran down her spine.

She had made a deal with something far beyond a mere Awakened recruit.

Daniel, however, seemed completely unfazed.

He gestured towards the mountain of Yin and Yang cards still glittering on the table.

"As I said, your first task is to sell these. All of them, except for the six I’ve given you for your tuition.

You know the markets here, the buyers, the whispers. Get the best possible price, but prioritize discretion.

I don’t want the entire platform knowing the scale of my... acquisitions.

For your efforts, you’ll receive a ten percent commission on all sales.

That should be more than enough to cover your living expenses and perhaps even fund some... extracurricular activities."

He gave her a knowing look.

Olenna’s eyes widened. Ten percent? Of that colossal pile? She did a quick mental calculation.

It was a fortune. More money than she had ever dreamed of earning, even through years of her previous, less scrupulous activities.

It was enough to live like royalty on this platform, to buy any information, any resource she needed in her search for her sister.

A wave of genuine, overwhelming gratitude washed over her, briefly overshadowing her fear of the soul contract.

"Captain Vance... Daniel..." she began, her voice thick with emotion. "That is... incredibly generous. I... I don’t know what to say."

She impulsively stepped forward, her earlier caution forgotten, and leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder, a gesture of spontaneous, heartfelt thanks.

Daniel, surprised by the sudden display of affection, tensed for a moment, then found himself... not minding.

Olenna was undeniably attractive, and despite her earlier deception, her fierce loyalty to her sister and her pragmatic acceptance of their new arrangement had earned his grudging respect.

He felt his own body respond to her closeness, a familiar stirring of desire.

He was, after all, still a young man, despite his immense power.

He put an arm around her waist, pulling her slightly closer.

"Just get the job done, Olenna," he murmured, his voice a low rumble against her hair.

"And perhaps... we can discuss further ’cooperation’ later tonight."

He felt her shiver slightly in his embrace, a silent affirmation.

Olenna’s breath caught as Daniel’s arm encircled her waist, drawing her closer.

It wasn’t a forceful gesture, but there was an undeniable sense of command in his touch.

For a heartbeat, she hesitated, the rational part of her mind reminding her that this was business, that she was in over her head.

But the warmth of his body, the magnetic pull of his confidence, and the rare vulnerability beneath his controlled demeanor overwhelmed her caution.

Their lips met, tentative at first, a quiet test of boundaries that had already begun to dissolve.

Olenna responded instinctively, her arms winding around his shoulders, pulling herself into him with unexpected urgency.

There was a hunger in their kiss, not just physical, but emotional, a silent acknowledgment of their shared isolation, their masked intentions, and the danger they both courted by trusting each other.

The soul contract buzzed faintly in the back of her mind, amplifying her awareness of him.

She could feel Daniel’s energy like a second heartbeat, slow and steady beneath the surface, immensely powerful and tightly restrained.

It wasn’t just lust that drove her, it was the pull of something deeper. Mutual recognition.

A kind of loneliness that only someone equally dangerous could understand.

With a shared, unspoken understanding, they spent the next hour in a far more intimate form of "negotiation."

Daniel, curious about the lingering effects of the Palm Wine and Olenna’s own natural resilience, found her to be a surprisingly eager and skilled partner.

The soul contract seemed to have created a strange, intense familiarity between them, a bond that transcended mere business.

Clothes fell away gradually, a wordless agreement passing between them with each glance and touch.

Their movements were rough at times, tender at others, a collision of sharp wit, mutual respect, and primal need.

Olenna, surprisingly, took the lead more than once, guiding Daniel with practiced hands and a smirk that spoke of past experience.

He followed without hesitation, intrigued by her confidence, but not surrendering control entirely.

It became a dance of dominance and submission that neither fully claimed, but both enjoyed.

By the time they finally sank into the rumpled sheets, their skin damp with sweat and breaths soft in the silence, the tension that had lingered for days had at last dissolved.

Olenna nestled against him, her fingers lightly tracing the faint runes on his gauntlet before drifting into sleep, a trace of peace softening her features

Nyx, Daniel’s ever-vigilant Shadow Wolf Pup, had been firmly instructed to guard the tent entrance and to pointedly ignore any... enthusiastic... sounds emanating from within.

After a long, mutually satisfying night, Olenna lay asleep in Daniel’s arms, a peaceful, almost contented expression on her face for the first time since he had met her. ƒгeewebnovёl_com

Daniel, however, was wide awake, his SSS-Rank [Soul Assimilation] talent already at work.

During their... vigorous... encounter, a small sample of Olenna’s unknown bodily fluids, infused with her unique essence, had inadvertently made its way onto his A-Grade Kinetic Void Gauntlets.

A perfect opportunity for a little Tier 2 Genetic Essence Assimilation.

He focused his intent, his talent reaching out to the microscopic sample.

A faint, almost invisible shimmer of energy flowed into him.

[Genetic Essence Extraction successful on Olenna Houten’s Bodily Fluid (C-Grade Talent Sample - Level 12)!]

[Unique Trait Essence Acquired: ’Silver Tongue’ (Minor Persuasion Affinity)]

[New Skill Acquired: DECEPTION (C-Grade)!]

Daniel had to stifle a laugh. Deception! Of course! He checked the skill description.

[Skill: Deception (C-Grade): Passive/Active Skill. Passively, user’s words and actions carry a subtle aura of believability.

Actively, can weave complex falsehoods or misdirections with a significantly higher chance of success against targets of similar or lower Spirit.

Effectiveness influenced by user’s own confidence and understanding of target psychology.]

"So, she’s a Trickster class, or something very similar," Daniel mused, looking at the sleeping Olenna with a newfound, if slightly wary, appreciation.

The skill wasn’t particularly powerful in a direct combat sense, but for negotiation, infiltration, or just general social manipulation, it could be incredibly useful.

He was glad he had insisted on the soul contract; Olenna Houten with an enhanced Deception skill would be a terrifyingly effective con artist.

The next morning, after another brief but enthusiastic strategy session with Olenna, Daniel found himself feeling remarkably refreshed.

Ayra and Lia were still deeply unconscious, the double dose of knockout drug Olenna had given them proving far more potent.

Olenna assured him they would likely wake up around evening, confused but unharmed.

"They’ll just think they got exceptionally drunk on the Palm Wine," Olenna said with a wink, already dressed in her elegant business suit, looking every bit the professional guide once more.

"It has a reputation for... lingering effects... on the unprepared."

Daniel just shook his head, a reluctant smile on his face.

Olenna was a dangerous, complicated woman, but she was undeniably good at what she did. And now, she was his.

After a quick breakfast, which Olenna insisted on preparing herself, they set out for the Riversouth black market district.

It was time to turn their mountain of cards into a mountain of more useful resources.

Nyx, trotting beside Daniel, gave him a very long knowing look, then let out a curt bark of disapproval before pointedly ignoring him for the rest of the walk.

Daniel just chuckled, feeling a rare flush of embarrassment.

His familiar, it seemed, was developing a rather judgmental personality.

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