11 Skill Borrowing

John was strategizing his next moves when a notification chimed:

[Seduce the Engaged Woman] 

[Quest: Manipulate circumstances to make Maria's fiancé believe she is being unfaithful.]

[Time Limit: 24 hours]

[Reward: Random D-Tier Skill]

John's eyes narrowed, intrigued by the potential chaos this could cause. A D-tier skill would provide a useful boost to his abilities too. He also wondered, was this system all-powerful? This quest was a little too specific and it peeked John's interest, but he decided to focus on the matter at hand.

Glancing at Maria tending to her injured leg, a plan began forming. Marco's protectiveness was the perfect opening to exploit. With the right push, he could arouse his suspicions.

John just needed proximity and a little suggestiveness - flirtatious whispers with Maria, a "stolen" caress, disappearance together late at night. He could let Marco stew in his own jealousy, letting his mind fabricate a story of its own.

The psychological leverage tempted John. Convincing evidence wasn't needed - only a seed of doubt in Marco's mind. And the more Marco acted on his paranoia, the further he would push Maria away himself.

John silently accepted the quest, a sly smile spreading across his face. He would have to tread carefully to avoid Maria discovering the manipulation. But deceit was a game he knew well.

That said, where should he begin? This would certainly be difficult. In a pensive mood, he approached Maria. As Maria sipped tea, she jolted in surprise at John's approach, spilling it down her breasts. The hot liquid splashed over her chest, soaking into her shirt. 

True to his NTR Rogue class, he approached with serpentine quickness and snatched a cloth napkin, pressing it to her soaked skin, dabbing with delicate care.

Caught off guard, a rosy blush coloured Maria's cheeks at his proximity. She felt briefly like a flustered teen rather than a grown woman. Her lips parted, but no words came out.

"Are you okay?" John asked softly, continuing to daub slowly, his fingers intentionally grazing her cleavage. Maria flinched, but John's overbearing movements left her unable to react.

"I - I'm fine, thank you," Maria stammered, unsure of how to react.

[Favourability +5]

John hid a smug smile. Perfect. This "accident" would add fuel to Marco's jealousy and fortunately for him, a roar of anger shattered the moment.

"What's going on here?" Marco's voice cut through the room.

In a split second, John made his choice - lean into the misunderstanding. Adopting a guilty stance, he whirled around, withdrawing his hands as if burned.

"Oh, Marco!" He forced an awkward chuckle. "Didn't see you there. Everything's fine!"

Marco's nostrils flared as he strode over. "What were you two doing?" he demanded, voice low and thunderous.

"Nothing! Maria just spilled some tea and I was helping clean it up for her," John claimed innocently. "Guess I got a little...overzealous. My apologies."

He flashed a coy smirk. Marco looked ready to explode, his imagination surely running wild. This was almost too easy. He could already envision himself, hands wrapped all over Maria's athletic body, digging his fingers deep into her squishy cheeks. 

As his blood began to circulate in the wrong direction, he made a show of backing away deferentially. "You're a lucky man, Marco. Maria is quite enchanting."

With a suggestive glance at Maria, he sauntered off, confident he had planted the seeds of suspicion. A smile tug at Maria's lips, her rosy cheeks increasing in saturation. Now, John just had to wait for Marco's jealousy to fester and destroy him from within. All while keeping his own hands clean. This deception was proving highly entertaining.

John had decided to let Marco stew in his jealousy for now. He would wait until his jealous mind thought up a million and one scenarios. What could be happening? Could Maria be cheating on him? All of these questions would be enough preparation for when he delivered the final blow, but for now, he would wait.

A few hours passed and Marco had been looking frantically for Maria after realising she was not in her room. As he navigated the tight corridors of the underground bunkers, the sound of muffled giggling caught his attention.

A shiver ran down his spine, he felt it deep down, that something wasn't right. As if the universe was conspiring against him, stalking and waiting to take from him.

He staggered towards the sound, sweat dripping down his temple. Could it be? No, there was no way. Maria wouldn't do that... would she? He pressed on, his mind riddled with foreboding thoughts and fear of the unthinkable.

His shaky hand slowly reached the doorknob. As the doorknob twisted, he saw them. A tall, lean-built man, his black hair a little too long for a man, his broad back obscuring whatever he was doing to the woman in front of him.

But he was pressed close to her, clearly engaged in illicit activities. Marco's blood turned to ice. All his paranoid fears were coming true - Maria was betraying him. The thought made his gut twist and bile rise in his throat.

"Maria..." he croaked out weakly. The figures jolted apart, spun to face Marco. Relief only lasted a split second before Marco registered the man's identity.

John.

Of course. Marco should have known. Rage boiled up to replace his shock. His hands clenched into fists, ready to beat the smirking manipulator senseless.

But John simply raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey now, this isn't what it looks like!" He stepped away from Maria smoothly. "We were just... searching for supplies. Got a bit carried away horsing around. Right, Maria?"

John shot her a sly, conspiratorial look. The web of lies only enraged Marco further. But before he could act, John slipped past him, whistling nonchalantly as he left Marco and Maria alone. The seeds planted, John felt certain the quest would soon bear fruit.

John sauntered off towards the room they had lent him, confident that his machinations were enough to set Marco off. He only had to wait, a fight was sure to ensue; a jealous, enraged man throwing accusations against an innocent woman in a stressful situation? Things would surely get ugly.

And lo and behold, John heard the system's chime as he sat on a chair. 

[Seduce the Engaged Woman - Phase One Completed] 

[Delivering Rewards...]

A smirk crept up on John's face as he waited patiently for the rewards. He knew he had to get stronger

[Skill Borrowing (D) Skill Obtained]

[Skill Borrowing (D)]

[Mastery: 0%]

[Description: Skill Borrowing allows the user of the NTR Rogue class to borrow skills from women that were stolen from their partners.]

Finally, this NTR Rogue class was beginning to take form. Now all that was left was to make use of it. He was close, he could feel it. Maria and Stephanie would soon be his, feeding him strength and their body warmth.