Elias approached Anya Petrova's makeshift easel – the overturned crate – with a deliberately casual air. The Marché Bonsecours buzzed around them, a symphony of bartered prices, rumbling cartwheels, and the sharp tang of fresh produce mingling with the fishmonger's brine. Anya didn't look up immediately, her charcoal stick dancing across the paper, capturing the weary slump of an old woman haggling over potatoes.
"Your work is quite remarkable," Elias commented, his voice pitched to carry just above the market din.
Anya's hand stilled. She looked up, her hazel eyes clear and direct, holding a spark of wary intelligence. She wasn't easily flustered. "Merci, Monsieur. Just trying to earn enough for supper." Her French was accented, Slavic undertones smoothing the harsher Quebecois vowels.
"You have a keen eye for detail," Elias continued, glancing at the sketch. It was more than just a likeness; it captured a sliver of the woman's character. "A talent like that shouldn't be spent on street corners, hoping for spare change."
Anya's gaze remained steady, a hint of pride, and perhaps defiance, in her posture. "One does what one must to survive, Monsieur. Talent doesn't always pay the rent."
Elias nodded. He knew that truth better than most. "My name is Elias Thorne. I own several properties in the city. And I occasionally find myself in need of individuals with… particular skills."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of skills, Mr. Thorne? I draw. I don't do… other things." The implication was clear.
"I'm not seeking 'other things'," Elias replied smoothly. "I'm interested in your observational abilities, your precision." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Imagine being able to see with a clarity others can only dream of. To hit any target you choose, with unerring accuracy, not just with charcoal, but with… other instruments."
Anya tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "You speak in riddles, Monsieur."
"Perhaps. Let's call it an opportunity." He held her gaze. "I can offer you something beyond sketching for coins. Something that will utilize your innate gifts in ways you cannot yet imagine. It would involve discretion, loyalty, and a willingness to… learn new disciplines."
She studied him for a long moment, her sharp eyes taking in his neat attire, his composed demeanor, the subtle air of authority he carried despite his youth. She was no fool. This wasn't a standard job offer.
"What would I be… observing? What targets?" she asked, her voice low.
"Information, primarily. Sometimes objects. Rarely, if ever, people – not in the way you might fear," Elias said, a half-truth, for now. The Archer's power was versatile. "The specifics would become clear. It would be… challenging. But rewarding."
[Subject: Anya Petrova. Loyalty to Host Unit: 2% (Curiosity, Mild Skepticism). Standard Empowerment Viable.]
The System's update was almost instantaneous. Curiosity was a start.
Elias gestured subtly towards a quieter alcove, away from the main throng. "If you're willing to hear more, let's step aside. If not, I thank you for your time, and I wish you well with your art." He wouldn't press. The best recruits came willingly, even if driven by necessity.
Anya hesitated for only a second. Then, with a decisive movement, she tucked her charcoal stick behind her ear and picked up her meagre drawing pad. "I will listen, Mr. Thorne. My rent is due, and inspiration alone does not fill the belly."
They moved to a space between a shuttered storefront and a stack of empty crates. The noise of the market muted slightly here.
"What I offer," Elias began, his voice low and confidential, "is an enhancement of your natural abilities. Consider it… a gift. One that would make your eyesight phenomenally acute, your aim perfect. Imagine being able to see the inscription on a coin from fifty paces, or hit a moving target the size of a button from twice that distance."
Anya's eyes, already sharp, seemed to focus with even greater intensity. "You are speaking of things… not possible for ordinary people."
"I am speaking of what I can make possible for you," Elias corrected gently. He focused his intent. System, prepare Archer empowerment for Anya Petrova.
[Confirm Empowerment of Anya Petrova with Archer Unit - Level 1? Cost: 10 Energy Points. Remaining Energy: 85/100.]
The slight sting from Mickey's empowerment was gone; he was already above the drain from that expenditure, assuming he chose the System Energy conversion next time. Or his daily point accrual was taking effect. The system didn't explicitly state that his current 85 was out of a new higher maximum if his Host Power increased that cap, but it seemed likely.
"This sounds… dangerous. Or fantastical." Anya wasn't dismissing him outright. The pragmatism of her immigrant survival instinct was at war with the inherent implausibility.
"It is… unusual," Elias conceded. "There would be a brief period of disorientation as your senses adjust. But the benefits, for someone of your acuity, would be immediate and profound. All I ask in return is your service, your loyalty to my interests when called upon. And, of course, absolute secrecy."
He watched her face. The struggle was evident. The desperation for a better life, the caution of someone who had likely seen too much hardship.
"What if I say no?"
"Then I thank you for your time, and we part ways. No obligation." Elias kept his tone even. The offer had to be compelling, not coercive, for the best results – even if their initial loyalty wasn't at Thomas's level.
Anya took a deep breath, her gaze flicking to the vibrant, chaotic market, then back to Elias's calm, watchful face. "And if I say yes?"
"Then your life changes, Miss Petrova. In ways that might initially seem overwhelming, but ultimately… empowering." He allowed a hint of the System's vast potential to color his words.
She was silent for a long moment, her charcoal-smudged fingers gripping her sketchpad. Finally, she nodded, a single, sharp movement. "I am tired of drawing for scraps, Mr. Thorne. Tired of wondering where my next meal comes from. If you offer a genuine way out… a genuine way to use what I have… then yes." Her voice was barely a whisper, but firm. "Yes."
[Empowerment Initiated. Channeling… Energy Cost: 10 Units. Remaining Energy: 75/100.]
The familiar slight drain on Elias. Anya gasped softly, her eyes widening. Her hand flew to her head, as if struck by a sudden migraine. She swayed, and Elias put out a steadying hand, gripping her arm. Unlike Thomas's overtly physical transformation or Mickey's subtle, almost grotesque contortion, Anya's was internal, focused around her senses.
"My eyes…" she whispered, blinking rapidly. "The light… it's so bright. The colours… everything is…" She trailed off, her head turning slowly, taking in the scene before her with an expression of utter astonishment. She looked past Elias, towards the far end of the market street.
"I can… I can see the fly on the apple cart vendor's sign," she breathed, her voice filled with awe. "The letters… 'Pommes Délicieuses'… they're perfectly clear." The sign was a good seventy paces away, the lettering small.
She focused on Elias's face. "Your eyes, Mr. Thorne… I can see the individual fibres in the fabric of your coat. The tiny scar above your left eyebrow…"
She raised a hand, her fingers trembling slightly. She looked at her own palm lines, the smudges of charcoal, with an expression of profound discovery.
"My hands… they feel… connected. As if I could thread a needle in the dark."
A subtle thrum entered Elias, a fresh wave of energy, less potent than Thomas's Barbarian infusion, but sharper, more refined than Mickey's Goblin trickle. It sharpened his own vision, brought a new crispness to the edges of objects, a greater depth to his perception.
[Standard Feedback Protocol Successful. 10% Power Transfer from Unit Anya Petrova (Archer Lv.1) to Host Unit.]
[Host Power: 3.05 -> 3.25 (Visual Acuity: +0.2%, Precision: +0.15%, Reflex Quotient: +0.1% - Relative to baseline gains from Archer profile.) Recalibrating metrics… ]
Anya lowered her hand, her initial shock giving way to a dawning realization of the power now at her command. There was a fierce, almost predatory glint in her hazel eyes. This wasn't just about survival anymore. This was potential.
"This is…" She struggled for words. "This is incredible."
"It is a tool, Miss Petrova," Elias said calmly, releasing her arm. "Like your charcoal, but far more versatile. You will need to practice, to learn its nuances. We will find a safe place for that. For now, return to your day. Observe. See the world as you never have before. I will contact you soon with your first task."
He pressed a few bills into her hand – more than she would make in a week of sketching. "For the rent. And a decent meal."
Anya clutched the money, her gaze still alight with the wonder of her enhanced senses. "Thank you, Mr. Thorne. I… I will not disappoint you."
"I'm counting on it, Miss Petrova."
He watched her walk away, her steps a little uncertain at first, then growing more confident as she adjusted to her new sensory input. She moved with a newfound purpose, her head held higher.
Elias Thorne now had a Barbarian for muscle, a Goblin for stealthy acquisition, and an Archer for precision and observation. His fledgling organization was taking shape, one empowered individual at a time. The city felt different to him now, not just a collection of properties and tenants, but a landscape of potential assets, waiting to be identified and cultivated. The game was truly afoot.