Joshua was moments away from purchasing Strategic Prediction (G-Rank) with his remaining 125 SP when Victor cut him off.
"Stop, Counselor," Victor ordered. He was studying the list of available System skills with an uncanny focus. "These skills are synthetic upgrades. They provide theoretical knowledge, not battle-tested wisdom."
Joshua paused, his finger hovering over the interface. "They would drastically increase your efficiency, Victor. A 20% faster reaction time is essential in the digital arena."
"Inefficient," Victor countered, dismissing the argument with a low growl. "A raw upgrade only creates a faster fool. I require a Veteran Warlord—a Terran who has survived the digital conflict zone and can immediately transfer proven tactics to my T-Rank mind. I will use my capital to acquire a living resource."
[CLIENT STRATEGY: OPTIMIZATION VIA RESOURCE ACQUISITION (HUMAN CAPITAL).]
[CULTURAL ALIGNMENT: 100%.]
Joshua immediately recognized the genius of the warrior's approach. This wasn't just hiring a coach; this was a strategic acquisition of a specialist officer for his war machine.
Joshua activated Concept Transfer and initiated the search. He needed a former professional gamer who specialized in the strategic, high-speed game they had identified, and who was currently available for a high-pay, short-term contract.
He quickly found a suitable profile: a player who competed under the handle 'WraithLord'. WraithLord had retired two years ago after winning the Global Finals but was now openly struggling with the financial transition back to civilian life, posting frequently about needing cash for a new house deposit.
Joshua presented the profile to Victor, reframed through the warrior's perspective.
"This is WraithLord," Joshua explained, showing a profile image of a deceptively mild-looking Terran in his mid-twenties. "He is a former Grand Marshal of the digital arena. He commanded the dominant clan for three consecutive cycles before his strategic defeat in the retirement phase. He is now resource-poor, but knowledge-rich."
"He is a fallen Warlord," Victor stated, his eyes gleaming. "He has the motivation of desperation and the wisdom of past victory. We will acquire him as our Tactical Advisor."
It took Joshua three days of intense negotiation, acting as the aggressive agent of the newly formed shell company, Stone Acquisitions LLC. The professional gamer, whose real name was Finn Hayes, was deeply skeptical of the bizarre terms: a short-term contract, a large upfront fee, and the requirement to train a high-net-worth "executive" who had never played a video game before.
Joshua finally convinced Finn by framing the contract purely in financial terms, securing a $5,000 retainer from Victor's Citadel funds.
On Thursday, Finn Hayes, dressed in faded jeans and a cynical t-shirt, sat in Joshua's office chair—which Joshua had subtly adjusted for maximum Terran comfort. Victor Stone stood over him, radiating an intimidating heat.
"Okay, 'Victor'," Finn said, glancing at Joshua with a look of suspicion. "Your agent says you want to dominate the competitive scene for a Real-Time Strategy game, starting from zero. This is a five-thousand-dollar joke, right?"
"This is a mercenary contract, Warlord," Victor stated, the sheer intensity of his voice causing Finn to flinch slightly. "Your task is to transfer your strategic knowledge to my mind until I achieve mastery. You will be compensated for your service."
Finn leaned back, crossing his arms. "Look, Mr. Stone. We have to establish a baseline. I need to see your strategic intuition. The T-Rank stuff is cool, but in this game, you need to understand resource cycles, unit counters, and map control. I'm going to put you through a basic combat simulation right now. Don't worry about winning; just focus on not getting completely steamrolled."
Victor nodded once. "I am prepared for the assessment."
Joshua quickly set up the new gaming laptop—purchased with Victor's capital—on the desk. He felt another satisfying surge of System Points.
[TASK COMPLETE: ACQUISITION OF HIGH-VALUE HUMAN CAPITAL (TACTICAL ADVISOR).]
[EPIC GOOD DEED ACHIEVED: RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT TO OPTIMIZE CORE CLIENT SKILLS.]
[SYSTEM POINTS (SP) AWARDED: +75]
[CURRENT SP: 125]
Victor Stone, the T-Rank warrior, sat down, placed his large, scaled hands on the keyboard and mouse, and stared at the screen. The strategic battle began.