Victor Stone's declaration—the demand to purchase a sovereign nation—was the final, logical, and terrifying apex of the T-Rank imperative.
"I must acquire a nation that I can govern under T-Rank efficiency principles," Victor demanded. "Find me a small, bankrupt island nation."
Joshua immediately employed his Diplomatic Protocol (S-Rank) skill to identify the legal pathway. This S-Rank understanding confirmed that the fastest route was acquiring the nation's debt. He quickly identified the most vulnerable target: the Isle of Aethel, a tiny nation crippled by $200 million in sovereign debt.
Victor deployed $2.5 million of his capital to quietly purchase a controlling majority of Aethel's distressed sovereign bonds. Victor instantly secured his Tangible Honor at the national level.
The A-Rank Administrative Core
With the debt acquired, Victor's focus shifted from acquisition to administration. He looked at Joshua, ignoring the remaining negotiation with the UN.
"Counselor, before we assume command, we must ensure our internal knowledge is absolute," Victor stated. "I will not rely on a single, massive blueprint. We must possess comprehensive mastery of the Terran system at every level. Use the accumulated Victory Marks to solidify our operational competence."
Joshua understood. Victor needed the granular, specialized knowledge to manage the day-to-day functions of a government with the same ruthless efficiency he applied to logistics. Joshua immediately utilized his massive stockpile of System Points.
Acquire Civic Administration (A-Rank), Fiscal Modeling (A-Rank), and Infrastructure Engineering (A-Rank), Joshua commanded.
[SKILL ACQUISITION INTERFACE (SAI)]
[Current SP: 350]
[GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE UTILITIES (A-RANK)]
Civic Administration (A-Rank) [Cost: 100 SP]
Description: Mastery of public service structures, optimized law enforcement models, and non-redundant bureaucracy design.
Fiscal Modeling (A-Rank) [Cost: 100 SP]
Description: Comprehensive knowledge of national budgeting, optimized tax structures, and treasury management to achieve zero financial waste.
Infrastructure Engineering (A-Rank) [Cost: 100 SP]
Description: Advanced understanding of national utility grids (power, water, communication) for maximum efficiency and minimum maintenance.
[ACQUISITION CONFIRMED. TOTAL COST: 300 SP. BALANCE: 50 SP.]
[INSTALLING: CIVIC ADMINISTRATION (A-RANK)... FISCAL MODELING (A-RANK)... INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING (A-RANK)...]
A torrent of complex, real-world data flooded Joshua's mind—the inner workings of every major system a nation relies upon. He could now micro-manage a country's treasury, rewrite its tax code for maximum revenue, and redesign its power grid for absolute reliability.
The Final Blueprint and Leverage
Victor was now a Warlord backed by S-Rank diplomacy and a flawless A-Rank administrative core. But the final piece was the Societal Optimization (S-Rank) blueprint—the actual, flawless governance model. This was too expensive for even his current capital reserves.
"The administrative knowledge is secure," Victor declared. "Now, we must convince the Terran powers to pay for the ultimate blueprint. They have $200 million at risk; we will make them fund the solution."
Joshua initiated the private, highly secured negotiation with the United Nations' Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF), leveraging the debt he controlled. His Diplomatic Protocol (S-Rank) skill allowed him to ruthlessly articulate the UN's only option: collaboration or total loss.
"The only way to recover your principal is through our total administrative control," Joshua dictated. "To prove the T-Rank model works, we require a $50 million consulting contract from the ESF. That capital will fund the purchase of the definitive Societal Optimization blueprint necessary for the Isle of Aethel's recovery."
The ESF director, cornered by the financial reality, reluctantly signed the contract.
[TASK COMPLETE: SECURED $50 MILLION CONSULTING CONTRACT FROM UN'S ECONOMIC STABILIZATION FUND.]
[EPIC GOOD DEED ACHIEVED: MAXIMIZED LEVERAGE VIA S-RANK DIPLOMACY.]
[SYSTEM POINTS (SP) AWARDED: +250]
[CURRENT SP: 300]
Joshua immediately used the secured $50 million to purchase the final, crucial skill.
Acquire Societal Optimization (S-Rank), Joshua commanded.
[SKILL ACQUISITION INTERFACE (SAI)]
[Current SP: 300]
[GOVERNANCE UTILITY]
Societal Optimization (S-Rank) [Cost: 300 SP]
Description: Provides the ultimate ability to design and implement perfectly efficient civic infrastructure, tax codes, public service models, and behavioral incentive structures. (Purchased with acquired capital).
[INSTALLING: SOCIETAL OPTIMIZATION (S-RANK)...]
A final, overwhelming surge of knowledge confirmed his mastery. Joshua held the ultimate administrative code.
"The blueprint is complete, Victor," Joshua confirmed. "The Stone Optimization Proposal (SOP) is ready. It incorporates every A-Rank principle we just acquired. The United Nations is prepared to accept your temporary governance to save their investment."
"Then the time for negotiation is over. It is time for command," Victor stated, rising. "I depart immediately for the Isle of Aethel. Inform the populace that their new command structure arrives in two hours. Prepare the System for the final integration."