ASCENSION OF THE HIDDEN PLAYER

Chapter 3: The Contract Beneath the Sheets

Vedic had no choice but to throw himself toward Sanan. The moment his palm made contact with the skin of her neck, a jolt of searing static electricity scorched his nerves. The blade of light the system shadow had swung shattered instantly, dissolving into a cloud of digital dust. Sanan let out a long, shuddering sigh, a sound that was unmistakably erotic amidst the thunder of the crumbling room.

Her golden eyes widened, then softened as Vedic's glitch energy flooded into her, neutralizing the frigid curse that had been tormenting her for so long.

"Ah, so that is how it feels," Sanan whispered, closing her eyes. She pulled Vedic closer until their chests collided. "It is true then; you are the cure and the addiction I have been searching for among millions of pieces of trash."

Vedic felt like his brain was short-circuiting. He was well aware they were on the brink of death, but the sensation of Sanan's dominant touch made him lose focus. "Wait, this is hardly the time for a romantic scene!" Vedic shouted, his voice a mix of panic and confusion. He tried to pull away, but Sanan locked her arm around his waist with a powerful grip.

"Who said anything about romance? This is self-defense, you idiot," Sanan replied, opening her eyes which now seemed to glow brighter. She looked at Vedic with a strange, predatory gaze. "This curse freezes my body if I do not receive an energy intake every hour. And now, you are bound by a contract to me. So, do not expect to run off anywhere."

Sanan released her grip on Vedic's neck and transitioned to stroking his cheek with a cold thumb. Vedic felt his knees go weak. He had just signed a slavery contract, and now he felt like he was on the most dangerous date on Earth.

"So now what? Are we just going to stand here until this building collapses on our heads?" Vedic asked with heavy sarcasm.

Sanan chuckled. She waved her hand through the air, and the void around them slowly closed, leaving only the silent ruins of the dungeon. "Of course not. We are heading to the guild headquarters. There is much for you to learn, especially how to satisfy your mistress so the system does not keep sending cleaners to erase your existence."

Vedic rolled his eyes. "Mistress, huh? Looks like I just sold my soul to a woman who loves bossing people around."

They traveled via a short-range teleport. In an instant, they were inside a luxurious room filled with dark-toned furniture and the soothing scent of incense. Vedic felt as though he had just been moved from a landfill to a queen's palace. Sanan immediately sat in a large leather chair behind her sprawling desk and gave Vedic an intimidating look.

"Sit there," Sanan commanded, pointing to the floor at her feet.

Vedic snorted, but he complied anyway. He sat cross-legged on the expensive rug. "What is this? A disciplinary session?"

Sanan rose from her chair and paced slowly around Vedic. She looked like a predator observing its prey. "Your system told you to maintain physical interaction with me, did it not? Otherwise, my curse will reactivate, and that means we will both be torn apart by unstable energy."

Vedic felt his face heat up. "So you mean we have to keep touching so you do not freeze to death?"

"Exactly," Sanan replied, standing directly behind Vedic. She grazed the back of his neck with her fingertips, making him shiver. "It is absolutely ridiculous, but that is the reality. The more often you provide your glitch energy through skin contact, the stronger our defense against the system becomes. So, prepare yourself for a lot of touching from now on."

Vedic looked back at Sanan’s face, which seemed serious yet had a mischievous glint in her eyes. "This is completely absurd. I am a scavenger who should be earning money for food, not serving as a space heater for the most feared guild leader in the world."

Sanan beamed, a smile far removed from her previous arrogance. "Life is full of surprises, Vedic. Now, come here. We need to try energy synchronization again before I lose control over this curse."

Sanan took Vedic's hand and placed it directly over her racing heart. Vedic could feel the warmth spreading from beneath his palm. His heart beat faster than ever before. He felt like he was trapped in an irrational sitcom, yet the physical sensations produced by their contact were very real and incredibly potent.

"You are far too tense, darling," Sanan whispered, leaning her head down until her warm breath brushed against the skin of Vedic's neck. "Relax. Let the energy flow naturally. If you stay stiff, we will both blow up within five minutes."

Vedic tried to steady his breathing. He closed his eyes and let the system in his head take over. Notifications flooded his vision, recording every one of Sanan's heartbeats and the flow of energy within her body.

[ENERGY SYNCHRONIZATION: 12 PERCENT]

[WARNING: TARGET BODY SENSITIVITY INCREASING]

[SYSTEM SUGGESTION: PROVIDE MORE INTENSE TOUCH TO ACCELERATE THE PROCESS]

Vedic’s eyes snapped open after reading that ridiculous notification. "This system really has no manners," Vedic grumbled under his breath.

"What is your system saying?" Sanan asked curiously.

"It is suggesting things that make me want to deactivate it forever," Vedic replied, trying to pull his hand away from Sanan's chest.

However, Sanan held his hand firmly. She stared at Vedic with a deep, intense gaze. "Do not listen to the system if it makes you uncomfortable. But remember, I am your only protector now. Without my help, you are just a glitch that will be purged in seconds by the Fixers."

Vedic fell silent. He realized how weak his bargaining position was. Sanan was the only person who could keep him alive in this cruel world, despite the fact that she was incredibly possessive and a little bit crazy.

"Fine, we have a deal. I will help you hold back the curse, and you will protect me from the Fixers," Vedic said with a humorous note of resignation. "But do not expect me to follow every other crazy whim you have."

Sanan giggled and playfully pinched Vedic's cheek. "We shall see about that, little glitch. Now, stand up. We have our first dungeon to clear tomorrow morning. And this time, you will be coming with me as an official guild partner."

Vedic stood up on legs that still felt a bit shaky. He looked at Sanan, who now seemed quite energized. "Which dungeon are we entering?"

Sanan smirked. "An impossible-tier dungeon that no guild has been able to conquer for the last ten years. And I have a feeling that with you by my side, we will make it look like a playground."

Vedic took a long, deep breath. He did not know whether to feel proud or incredibly foolish for agreeing to this. As they walked toward the exit of the war room, Vedic felt something strange behind his back. Something cold and sharp had just been watching them from the shadows in the corner of the room.

Vedic stopped in his tracks. He turned around, his eyes catching a black silhouette that vanished behind the wall.

"What is it?" Sanan asked, stopping beside him.

"I think someone is following us," Vedic replied warily.

Sanan was silent for a moment, then she stepped closer and clung to Vedic's arm tightly. The scent of deadly roses enveloped Vedic's senses once more. "Let them. Let them watch. You are mine now, and there is not a single entity in this world that would dare touch what belongs to me."

Vedic felt the black chains on his wrist vibrate violently, emitting a faint glow that seemed to confirm her ownership. He felt trapped, yet at the same time, he felt remarkably powerful.

He watched Sanan as she strode confidently out of the room, then glanced at his system screen, which suddenly displayed a dungeon map marked with a massive warning sign.

[NEW MISSION: RETURN TO THE VOID DUNGEON. OBJECTIVE: FIND ANSWERS REGARDING THE ORIGIN OF THE GLITCH]

"Sanan, wait a second," Vedic called out, but Sanan didn't turn back. She kept walking with an elegant stride, as if she already knew exactly where they needed to go.

Vedic was forced into a light jog to catch up with her. They stepped out of the guild hall under a pitch-black night sky. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from every direction. Dozens of soldiers from rival guilds were already waiting outside the gates, their weapons drawn and aimed directly at the pair.

"Sanan! Hand over the glitch to us, and you'll be spared the wrath of the authorities," shouted a blonde man wearing a striking white cloak.

Sanan stopped in her tracks. She turned around calmly and flashed the deadliest smile Vedic had ever seen. "Oh, Hans. You always show up at the wrong time to ruin my date with my new toy."

Vedic’s eyes widened as he stared at the man. "Hans? Hans the scavenger?"

The Hans standing before them looked like a completely different person. His cloak was pristine, his aura was overwhelming, and his eyes no longer looked like those of a low-class bottom-feeder. He looked like an elite commander ready to slaughter anyone who stood in his way.

"Vedic, you have no idea what you’re doing," Hans said coldly. "That woman isn’t protecting you. She’s using you as a sacrificial lamb to reactivate a forbidden artifact that could destroy the world."

Vedic looked at Sanan, then back at Hans standing among the enemy ranks. He felt like his head was about to explode. Their first battle hadn’t even started, yet the situation had already spiraled into total chaos. Sanan released Vedic’s hand, and her own palms began to radiate a thick, pitch-black energy.

"Get ready, glitch," Sanan whispered, her eyes burning with hatred as she glared at Hans. "Because tonight, we’re going to show them who really holds the reins of this system."

Vedic took a deep breath. He didn’t have time to overthink this. He glanced at Hans, then at Sanan, and finally at his system screen, which was now flashing at a frantic speed.

[WARNING: FACTION CONFLICT DETECTED]

[AVAILABLE OPTIONS: A. JOIN FORMER ALLY, B. PROTECT THE MASTER, C. MESS EVERYTHING UP]

"I hate choices," Vedic muttered with a dry wit that felt entirely out of place.

He stepped out in front of Sanan, raising his hand, which still pulsed with a golden light. He didn't pick A or B. Instead, he snapped his fingers toward the sky, triggering a burst of glitch energy that tore through reality right above the soldiers' heads.

"Let’s see if this system has enough of a sense of humor to laugh at all of you," Vedic said as the sky above the guild head quarters began to collapse, swallowing everyone inside.

***