SSS-Rank Talent: Super Upgrade System-Chapter 120: Astralis Academy

Chapter 120: Game On!

The next few hours were a masterclass in Olenna’s subtle artistry of black market negotiation.

She led Daniel through a dizzying network of hidden stalls, back-alley exchanges, and discreetly curtained-off rooms, each transaction conducted with a blend of shrewd bargaining and veiled threats that left Daniel both impressed and slightly unnerved.

The market hummed with quiet activity, secret deals, hushed exchanges,and the wind carried whispers of rare goods and desperate pleas.

Olenna knew everyone, or at least, knew of everyone.

She navigated the complex web of shifting allegiances and hidden power structures with an effortless grace, her reputation as a fixer apparently preceding her.

For a cut of the profit, or sometimes just for the promise of future favors brokered by Olenna, the smaller vendors eagerly bought up Daniel’s surplus Yin and Yang cards.

They didn’t ask where such a massive, unprecedented supply had come from; they were too busy calculating their own windfalls.

Daniel, content to let Olenna handle the negotiations, focused on acquiring what truly mattered to him: rare materials, unique beast cores, and any unusual skill fragments or energy sources that might pique his SSS-Rank [Soul Assimilation] talent’s interest.

He traded a stack of Yang cards for a set of perfectly preserved Shadow Panther claws rumored to retain traces of their stealth abilities.

He exchanged a handful of Yin cards for a collection of glowing, humming crystals from a deep-Verge energy beast, their essence potent and volatile.

Each transaction was a small victory, a new ingredient for his ever-growing power.

By the time dusk began to settle over the resting platform, casting long, eerie shadows through the black market alleys, their work was done.

All of Daniel’s surplus cards, hundreds of them, had been discreetly disseminated into the platform’s undercurrent economy.

There had been no major incidents or unwanted attention from Boss Jaeger’s enforcers, though Daniel’s S-Grade [Aura Sense+] had caught a few suspicious glances, which Olenna smoothly deflected with a smile and a subtle, cautionary remark.

They returned to Olenna’s luxurious tent by the Styx River, the soft glow of its lanterns a welcoming beacon after the gritty intensity of the black market.

Daniel’s [Elementary Storage Ring] was now bulging with a diverse collection of rare and exotic resources.

Olenna, after taking her agreed-upon ten percent commission, was practically swimming in Federation credits, her eyes shining with a mixture of disbelief and triumphant satisfaction.

"Over three hundred million credits," Olenna breathed, staring at the balance displayed on her Nexus Interface.

"And the six cards for my tuition. Daniel... this is... this is more than I ever dared to hope for.

In one day, you’ve given me the means to achieve everything I’ve been fighting for."

Her voice was thick with genuine emotion, her earlier professional composure momentarily forgotten.

She looked at him, not as a client or a mark, but as something more, something that made the soul contract between them hum with a new, deeper resonance.

She stepped closer, her earlier confidence now tinged with a soft vulnerability.

She reached out, her hand resting lightly on his arm.

"Thank you," she whispered, then, impulsively, she rose on her tiptoes and pressed a soft, grateful kiss to his cheek.

Before she could pull away, Daniel’s arm was around her waist, drawing her in.

"The night is still young, Olenna," he murmured, his voice a low, suggestive rumble.

"And I believe there was some discussion of further... cooperation?" He winked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

Olenna blushed, a becoming crimson hue spreading across her cheeks, but she didn’t pull away this time.

Instead, she leaned into his embrace, a playful, challenging light sparking in her own eyes.

"Perhaps, Captain Vance," she purred. "Perhaps there was. But I believe the terms of that cooperation still require... thorough negotiation."

She then pushed him away gently, a mischievous smirk on her lips.

"Dinner first. Then we can discuss the fine print."

A few minutes after they returned to the tent, Ayra and Lia were beginning to stir.

The knockout drug, potent as it was, had finally begun to wear off.

Ayra woke with a groan, clutching her head.

"Ugh... what hit me?" She looked around, her eyes bleary.

"And why does my mouth taste like a Gravehound’s gym sock?"

Lia sat up more gracefully, though her face was pale, and she pressed her fingers to her temples.

"I... I don’t recall much after the Palm Wine. It must have been far stronger than Ms. Houten suggested."

Her A-Grade Staff of the World Ash pulsed with a faint, cleansing light as she tried to dispel the lingering drowsiness.

Daniel, who had quickly schooled his features into an expression of polite concern, just shook his head.

"You two were out like lights after a couple of glasses. Must have been the exhaustion from Level 3 catching up.

Olenna said you both got exceptionally enthusiastic about the Palm Wine.

She even mentioned Ayra tried to teach a tent pole some advanced axe-fighting techniques before passing out."

Ayra blinked, a horrified expression dawning on her face. "I... I did what? Oh, no. Tell me I didn’t."

Lia, ever observant, looked from Daniel’s innocent expression to Olenna’s carefully neutral one, then back to Ayra’s mortified face.

A faint, knowing smile touched her lips.

"Perhaps it is best if some memories of last night remain... peacefully asleep, Ayra."

They ate a quiet dinner, Olenna having somehow conjured another delicious meal.

Ayra and Lia, still feeling the after-effects of the strong Palm Wine, politely declined any further alcoholic beverages, much to Olenna’s feigned disappointment.

Daniel, however, noticed Olenna kept refilling his water glass with a subtle, almost imperceptible care, a small gesture that spoke volumes.

Later that night, after Ayra and Lia had retreated to their separate sleeping quarters, still complaining of headaches and the effects of excess, Daniel found Olenna waiting in the main area of the tent.

The campfire had been rekindled, casting a warm, dancing glow, and the air was filled with the soft scent of jasmine.

The earlier playful tension between them had returned, now underscored by a deeper, more complex understanding.

The fine print of their cooperation, it seemed, was about to be thoroughly explored.

Nyx, with a long-suffering sigh that sounded remarkably human, curled up by the tent flap, pointedly facing outwards, her Soulfire eyes on vigilant guard duty.

The next morning, after a night that was both productive and unexpectedly invigorating, Daniel, Lia, Ayra, and a noticeably more radiant Olenna prepared to depart for Astralis Academy.

Olenna, it turned out, was a surprisingly good cook, and her breakfast of fluffy pancakes with exotic Verge-fruit preserve was a welcome change.

"Wow, Olenna, this is amazing!" Lia praised, savoring a bite. "You’re a woman of many talents."

Ayra, still a bit wary of Olenna’s sudden domestic side but too focused on her third stack of pancakes to say anything, simply grunted in agreement.

She then looked at Olenna, who was now dressed in a fresh, equally elegant business suit.

"Wait, you’re coming with us to the Academy, Olenna? I thought you were just a... a very enthusiastic welcome wagon."

Olenna smiled, a genuine, confident expression this time.

"Thanks to Captain Vance’s... generous assistance... I have more than enough to secure my admission.

And perhaps," she added, her eyes flicking to Daniel with a subtle warmth, "I might even find a few new... business opportunities... within the hallowed halls of Astralis."

They crossed the gleaming Styx River Bridge, the boundary between the lively Riversouth and the calm, imposing Rivernorth.

At the Academy entrance, marked by a gleaming obsidian gate and towering statues, they presented their cards.

Daniel, Ayra, and Lia used the Yin and Yang cards they had reserved.

Olenna, with a flourish, presented the six cards Daniel had gifted her.

The gates slid open with a silent, impressive hiss.

As they stepped into the courtyard of Astralis Academy’s Upper House, they were met with a breathtaking vista of advanced technology and serene, natural beauty.

Sleek, silent flying vehicles zipped between towering crystal structures that stretched toward the sky-blue dome.

Well-kept, vibrant gardens bloomed with glowing exotic plants, and the air hummed with fresh, potent energy.

"This... this is incredible," Ayra breathed, her earlier cynicism forgotten, her eyes wide with childlike wonder.

Even her S-Grade Crystal Gloves seemed to dim slightly in comparison to the sheer technological marvel around them.

"It’s like we stepped decades into the future!"

Olenna nodded, a proud smile on her face.

"Welcome to Rivernorth, the heart of the resting platform. The technology here, powered by refined Origin Stones and integrated with advanced dimensional science, is indeed lightyears ahead of what you’d find in the lower Verge or even on most civilized planets.

Here, science and origin power are not just coexisting; they’re fused, creating wonders."

She gestured towards a sleek, silent shuttle gliding to a stop nearby. free𝑤ebnovel.com

"Our ride to the freshman orientation. Try not to break anything, Ayra. The repair costs here are... astronomical."

Daniel just grinned, taking it all in.

This was the next stage. New challenges, new powers to assimilate, and new mysteries to unravel.

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