The morning after the penthouse party, Kellan Thorne stood in a luxurious penthouse suite provided by Lady Lyra Volkov. The contrast between this opulence and the grimy warehouse was stark, but Kellan felt no guilt—only focus.
Lyra's terms were simple: use his Optimal Insight to enhance her collection of high-value, "sub-optimal" assets. The first asset wasn't a crystal or an artifact. It was a man: Senator Alaric Vance, Marcus Vance's estranged uncle, a powerful political fixer who was suffering from a rapidly debilitating, untreatable nerve disease.
Lyra presented the problem clinically. "His medical reports are here. The best doctors say it's irreversible nerve decay. I need him operational for the next few crucial weeks."
Kellan focused his Level 2 Optimal Insight on the Senator.
[Target: Senator Alaric Vance (Biological System). Optimal Solution: Temporary Re-Routing of Synaptic Energy Flow (Requires 5 Units of Optimization Energy. Duration: 72 hours).]
"It can be done," Kellan stated. "But I can only guarantee three days of peak performance."
Lyra nodded. Kellan placed a hand gently on the Senator's shoulder and funneled the 5 Units of Optimization Energy. Senator Vance gasped, his eyes flying open, focused and clear. He sat straighter, flexing his fingers with renewed vigor.
"I feel... twenty years younger," Vance muttered.
Lyra's poker face finally cracked into a genuine, awe-filled smile. "Kellan, you just purchased your freedom and my absolute faith. What is your next move? You need capital to fight Finch."
[Target: Financial Market (Lyra's Available Capital: $20M). Optimal Action: High-stakes acquisition of 'Aethel Corp' (AET). Predicted Net Gain: $10M.]
"I need $10 million in liquid capital by tomorrow morning," Kellan said, confidently. "I want to acquire Aethel Corp. It's a dying, sub-optimal data mining firm. If we own it first, we use its sub-optimal data to expose the flaw in Finch's original patent."
Lyra didn't flinch. "Consider Aethel Corp yours, Mr. Thorne. Now go make us rich."