SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System-Chapter 117: Soul Contract!

Daniel watched Olenna, her face a mixture of shock and a dawning, terrified respect.

The casual way he had just eliminated her three remaining subordinates, without even breaking a sweat or raising his voice, had clearly made a profound impression.

The mountain of Yin and Yang cards still shimmering on the table between them was further proof of a power level she couldn’t begin to comprehend.

"Now then, Ms. Houten," Daniel said, his voice calm again, as if he hadn’t just sent three men to a watery grave with a flick of his wrist.

"About your... proposal." He gestured towards the pile of cards. "As you can see, I am not in short supply of these.

Your offer of... personal compensation... while flattering, is unnecessary."

Olenna swallowed hard, her mind racing.

Her initial plan to drug and rob them was a catastrophic failure.

Her attempt to negotiate a criminal partnership had been met with a display of wealth that dwarfed her wildest ambitions.

Her last, desperate attempt at seduction had been politely, but firmly, brushed aside. She was out of options, completely at his mercy.

"However," Daniel continued, a thoughtful expression on his face, "your knowledge of this platform, your connections, your... resourcefulness... those things do have value."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze intense.

"I have a different kind of deal in mind, Olenna. One that might still get you into Astralis Academy, and perhaps even help you find your sister."

A glint of hope, desperate and fragile, ignited in Olenna’s eyes. "What... what kind of deal?" she whispered.

"I will provide you with the Yin and Yang cards you need for your tuition," Daniel stated, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"Three of each, you said? Consider it done."

He casually pushed six cards across the table towards her, three jade, three gold.

"But not for your body, Olenna. For your soul."

Olenna flinched, a spark of her old fire returning. "My soul? What are you, some kind of demon?"

Daniel chuckled, a dry, humorless sound.

"Nothing so dramatic. I mean a soul contract. A binding agreement. You will work for me. You will use your skills, your network, your... persuasive talents... to help me achieve my objectives on this platform, and potentially beyond.

Your primary task, for now, will be to sell my surplus Yin and Yang cards. All of them."

He gestured again to the glittering mountain on the table.

"You will find buyers, negotiate fair prices, and ensure the transactions are discreet.

For this service, you will receive a generous commission, far more than enough to cover your tuition and secure a comfortable life here, if that is what you still desire."

Olenna stared at the six cards before her, then at the larger pile, then back at Daniel.

A soul contract? It sounded ominous, dangerous.

But the alternative... she glanced towards the dark, silent river, thinking of Hector, Grimsby, and Boris.

Daniel was not a man to be trifled with. And he was offering her a lifeline, a way to achieve her goals without resorting to thievery or selling herself.

It was a devil’s bargain, but it was one she couldn’t afford to turn down.

If she was going to dine with the devil, she’d need a very long spoon, she reminded herself of that much.

"Why?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Why would you do this? You could have just taken everything, killed me..."

"Let’s just say I appreciate initiative," Daniel replied, his expression unreadable.

"And perhaps... I have a use for someone with your particular brand of... honor among thieves. Besides," he added, a faint smile touching his lips, "betraying a soul contract has... rather unpleasant consequences.

It ensures loyalty. Something I find increasingly valuable in this charming cesspool of a Verge."

Olenna looked at the photo of her sister, her resolve hardening.

This was a chance, a dangerous one, but a chance nonetheless. "And if I refuse?"

Daniel’s smile didn’t falter, but his eyes turned cold as ice.

"Then our conversation ends here. And you will join your former associates in the Styx River. Your choice, Olenna."

The threat, unspoken but utterly clear, hung heavy in the air. Olenna knew he wasn’t bluffing.

She took a deep breath. "I... I accept your terms, Captain Vance."

"Excellent," Daniel said, his smile returning, though it still didn’t quite reach his eyes. He stood up. "Then let’s seal our agreement."

He walked to the center of the luxurious tent.

Using his knowledge from his Hunter class transition, the same techniques he had used with the Golden-Armored Blue Ape, he began to draw a complex, six-sided array on the plush carpet with a piece of chalk he produced from his storage ring.

The lines glowed with a faint, ethereal purple light as he infused them with his own potent energy.

"A drop of your blood, Olenna," he instructed, his voice calm and business-like. "In the center."

Olenna hesitated for a moment, then, with a determined glint in her eye, she pricked her finger with a small, hidden hairpin and let a single drop of crimson fall onto the array.

Daniel did the same, his own blood, now thrumming with the power of countless assimilated souls, mingling with hers.

Daniel’s eyes blazed, the assimilated souls within him seeming to peer out through his gaze.

He thrust his right hand towards the ethereal chain, his voice reaching a crescendo:

"By the power that sleeps and the power that wakes! I, Daniel, declare this covenant!

SIGILLUM SANGUINIS! PACTUM AETERNUM! FIAT! FIAT! FIAT!" ƒreewebɳovel.com

With each "FIAT!", a shockwave of invisible energy pulsed outwards from the array.

"Boom!"

A soft pulse of purple light emanated from the array as the contract was sealed.

The wind outside the tent seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Olenna gasped as she felt a strange, undeniable connection form in her mind, a thin, unbreakable thread linking her will to Daniel’s.

It wasn’t painful, but it was absolute.

She could feel his presence, his power, a constant reminder of their pact.

She knew, with a certainty that chilled her to the bone, that she could never betray him. Her soul was now, quite literally, bound to his.

Daniel nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now, about those cards..."

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