Chapter 11: EXPLOIT

I needed Sinpoints. But with how slowly I was completing quests, racking them up seemed damn near impossible. It was time to step up my game. I’d already seen what happened when I just waited around for opportunities to present themselves, Sarah’s loyalty was climbing on its own, and I couldn’t afford to just sit back and do nothing anymore.

Lucky for me, Jacob called to let me know the shifts had changed. It turned out I was only busy on Saturday and Sunday, though I’d be pulling double shifts. It sucked, but... oh well.

Sarah had work today, but she was on the morning shift, which meant she’d already be home. Her husband, however, wouldn’t be back until ten. That gave me a glorious five-hour window without his annoying fucking presence. How did I know exactly when the prick got home? His headlights always cut right through my bedroom window, piercing the curtains every single night. He was doing it on purpose, I swear.

I knocked on her front door and waited. A few seconds later, Sarah swung it open. "Oh, Chance?"

Her eyes instantly drifted down to the canvas I was holding. She had never told a soul, but thanks to the system, I knew she had a secret passion for art. It was high time I exploited that.

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OPPORTUNITY DETECTED

[Grievance: Stifles Creativity]

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[ SUGGESTED ACTION ]

Have a conversation with her

about art/paintings.

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COST: 100 Lust

EST. GAIN: High Reward

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"Hey," I said, flashing a smile. "I, uh, well... I wanted to thank you for driving me to the hospital."

"Nonsense. There’s absolutely no need to thank me for that."

"Well, still..." I rubbed the back of my head, playing the part. "I’ve actually been getting into art lately. Paintings and stuff. And there happened to be this charity drive going on down at the community hall."

"Oh?"

"I bought this for you," I murmured, handing it over. "Hope you like it."

She took the package and eagerly tore away the wrapping paper. Revealed underneath was a small painting of a horseman standing on a cliffside, overlooking a rushing river beneath the night sky. Damn thing had cost me twenty bucks. Charity my ass, my wallet was bleeding here.

"My god, this is beautiful."

"Right? I’ve really developed an eye for it. I mean, I can’t even draw a stick figure myself, but I appreciate the work that goes into it."

"Really?" her interest was visibly piqued.

I shrugged smoothly. "Sure."

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TARGET: Sarah Angi

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[ RELATIONSHIP ]

> Partner: [Hubert]

> Loyalty: 73%

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[ SYSTEM SYNC ]

> Favor: 20% [▲3%]

> Threat: None

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> GRIEVANCE LOG

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Nice. Though, if I wanted to uncover deeper opportunities, I was going to need to dump some points into my Perception skill. It was only thanks to that stat that I’d managed to find out she liked art in the first place.

"Um..." She mumbled, her voice trailing off. "Would you like to... come in?"

"Ah, I wouldn’t want to put you in a bad smot. Hubert really doesn’t like me very muc—"

"He is not here," she interrupted, pushing the door open wider and stepping back to grant me passage. "Come in."

"Oh, well, in that case... thanks."

I walked inside and watched Sarah close the door behind me. She was wearing a tank top that showed an agonizing amount of sideboob, paired with short shorts.

No bras either, huh?

I wanted nothing more than to pin the bitch down and fuck her with everything I had... but no. Patience. Slowly, I was going to corrupt her. Then, I was going to steal her away right under her husband’s nose. Just you wait, Hubert. Just you fucking wait.

"Come," she gestured toward the living area. "Let’s sit."

"Sure."

The place was significantly larger than my cramped apartment. The layout was a standard, well-kept flat, a plush, cream-colored sofa set framed a polished wooden coffee table, facing a flat-screen television mounted on the far wall. To the left, a neat dining area bled into an open-concept kitchen, separated only by a marble breakfast bar. It felt cozy, lived-in, and way too good for a prick like Hubert.

"I hope you like the piece, though," I said as I sank into the single armchair. "I know you’re probably not interested in art or anything, but... felt like this one was just too good to pass up."

"Actually," she murmured, leaning the wrapped canvas securely against the wall before sitting across from me. "I... well, I haven’t even told my husband about it, but... I’m kinda into art. I know, it’s weird."

"Why would it be?" I countered, tilting my head. "Really? Like, do you paint, or...?"

"Mostly just doodling in my sketchbook," she shrugged, a faint blush creeping up her neck. "Nothing major."

Suddenly, a transparent screen flashed before my eyes, notifying me that the exploit was a complete success. The reward was nothing short of staggering... it straight up granted me enough experience to bridge the gap to the next tier. I was now level four, and I’d earned three favor points from Sarah to boot. Shit, I didn’t expect a casual gift to pay off this heavily.

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TARGET: Sarah Angi

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[ RELATIONSHIP ]

> Partner: [Hubert]

> Loyalty: 73%

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[ SYSTEM SYNC ]

> Favor: 23% [▲3%]

> Threat: None

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> GRIEVANCE LOG

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Twenty-three percent favor. Beautiful. Now, about the points I had just earned... Before I could allocate them, Sarah cleared her throat, pulling me from my thoughts. For now, I had to keep my focus locked on her. I didn’t want to rush the system menus and risk looking distracted.

"I... would you like to see my... sketchbook?" she offered hesitantly. "I’m still a complete newbie, though."

"I’d love to," I replied instantly. "Please."

"Okay... um, wait here. I’ll be right back."

"Sure thing."

The moment she hurried off to her bedroom, I quickly pulled up the attribute menu. With the five stat points burning a hole in my pocket, I dumped four into Perception, knowing that hitting ten would unlock a milestone and grant me a powerful perk. The remaining point went straight into Charisma.

While she was still out of the room, another system prompt flickered to life.