Ben unlocked another system function!
He asked the system and it explained the Attraction system would indicate the attraction level of a woman towards him when they spoke. 'Isn't this like an NPC favorability system in games?' His eyes shined! This excited him for several reasons!
First, this favorability system would be very helpful! How useful was it for a clueless nerd to know how a girl felt about him? The answer was obvious! Second, he now knew that by learning more about being a pick up artist, his system would unlock more abilities!
After calming down, Ben went back to listening to Beluga, who explained attraction further: "The reason seduction skills can raise attraction is that it isn't fixed, atraction is a perception! It can change inside a female's mind! Thus, by saying and doing various things, a pick up artist can raise attraction."
Ben swallowed. "What kinds of things?"
Beluga smirked. "To put it in obvious terms, you have to do things females find attractive. There are hundreds of different techniques. Let's start with the basic layer of building attraction through speech, which is communicating attractive qualities about yourself that aren't clear on sight. That may include accomplishments, interesting stories, and things that show your high value. So Ben, tell me. What are some attractive things you've done?"
Ben was deep in thought for a full minute...Then, he had it. "15-game win streak in Rocket League?"
"...We'll skip that. The entire section, we're skipping it. I'll ask you again in the distant future. You'll have to work on it, but it's okay…" Beluga assured him.
"That is pretty amazing though." At least the fellow nerd Antonio was impressed.
"Alright, how about this…" Beluga said. "Ben, do you know any good jokes?"
Ben's face became full of confidence as he nodded and smiled. As an internet Otaku for so many years, how could he not know excellent jokes? He knew the best jokes!
It was his time to shine. Ben saw a single girl sitting and reading a book nearby. He approached her.
"Excuse me miss…"
"Yes?" she responded.
"Is that the new Harry Potter?" Ben asked in a curious tone. This was one of the new openers Beluga gave Ben, to ask a basic question about an item of the girl's such as a book, a phone, a strange piece of clothing, etc. It was a simple opener to break the ice and was strong in its flexibility; You could adjust it to many situations.
[Target's current attraction level: indifferent]
Above her head, the system produced a small pop-up screen visible to Ben only. It displayed on its own without Ben having to request it.
As she responded to Ben, he prepared his follow-up joke.
***
Antonio and Beluga watched on in support and anticipation.
When the woman started cursing Ben…the anticipation disappeared, but they still supported him!
When the shoe flew at Ben's head and bounced off…their support also withered, sprouting shock in its place.
Ben walked back to Antonio and Beluga with a new bump on his head.
Antonio questioned Ben, "What Joke did you use?"
"Your momma's so fat—"
"Stop!" Beluga realized he should've been more specific about the jokes. "Try ones that aren't insulting." Then Beluga gave Ben a joke to try on another woman.
Speaking with the last girl, Ben had watched her attraction level change from indifferent to disinclined, and then to disgusted. The system explained to him the attraction levels from worst to best: [mortal enemy-disgusted-disinclined-indifferent-curious-interested-attracted-fangirl]. So far, Ben had started at indifferent, which he reasoned was because of his average 5 in looks.
Armed with better material, he spotted another woman and tried again. He opened her in a similar way to the last one, but when it came time to tell the joke, he stuttered because he wasn't used to telling it, and it failed.
Ben returned in disappointment when something happened that brightened his mood.
[Congratulations! You've completed the Weekly Challenge: It's a numbers game - Open 100 women]
[Completion status: 100/100]
[Distributing reward: Stat Point(Random) x1]
[Assigning Stat: Communication + 1]
[Congratulations! You've unlocked the Achievement: Junior Opener(common) - Open 100 women]
[Distributing reward: PUA Points + 100]
Ben was ecstatic! Not only did he finish the weekly challenge, but there was even a hidden achievement for the same accomplishment—two for the price of one! Even though he only had 450 points and needed 50 more to get a Low Level Mystery Box, he was still excited! He browsed the next Weekly Challenge.
[Weekly Challenge: Handful of digits - Acquire phone numbers from 3 women who are interested in you]
[Reward: Stat Point(Random) x1]
[Completion status: 0/3]
After reading the challenge, he took the description to mean the attraction levels of the 3 women had to be at least interested. He assumed it was to stop him from finding loopholes. As far as seeking loopholes, Ben didn't bother wasting time doing so. He still remembered when this shameless system told him no slam donkeys and no pay-pigging when he had only thought of some possibilities.
Ben's communication stat went up from 3 to 4. Unlike looks, this wasn't a stat where he could notice the difference in a mirror. He was anxious to see if the higher stat would change the results of his approaches so he searched for a new target right away. After selecting one, he took a deep breath and stepped forward.
It was time to see what his new communication stat could do.
Are the favorability system's heuristics only based on observables taken from his own senses, such as watching the woman's body language? IE, is there nothing magical or mind-reading about that number given? Once the MC is experienced enough, would it be perfectly possible to predict the number the System would give him himself?
---
So far, everything we've seen from this System could be done with nanomachines and a neural implant operated by an AR HUD. A swarm of nanos could definitely have sneaked up on him and entered his body without him noticing, and installed an implant. The System screen is just an AR display. Summoning a present box from thin air could be done by taking gasses in the air and the surroundings to build and weave the fiber necessary for the box. Taking control of his body could be achieved by hijacking his peripheral nervous system. The increased muscle mass gain could be medical nanos assisting with the muscle growth process. 10x efficiency isn't so far away from the scope of believability. The motivation and mindset changes can be done by messing with the brain's reward pathways, etc. Gauging a woman's favorability towards someone can be done with a neural network trained for the task and given access to the MCs visual cortex. Killing him at the end of the month could be done by destroying his brain stem. The system being so megomaniacal as to think of themselves as a god could be done by the wealthy and intelligent rogue basement dweller that managed to design nanomachines, but decided to do something inane with it. This story is no more sci-fi than Dr. Stone.
It could also be all a dream if Ben fell asleep on the train in the first chapter.
@samsarawithwords Dream retcons are the wurst
@0xFFF1 no sh*t i hate that historys because the end is always the same you think i feel the same with other history in the end so you forgot completly the history and you only remmind the first history of a dream
Lmao why start with a yo momma joke? Bad for a pick up joke and they died like 5 years ago.
You talking about a weaboo who spent all of his times online, insults and curses are what he is good at, so...
At least Ben is flawed in a pretty normal way lol, because I don't want to see incels and simps anytime soon, which will bring the CRINGE.
@NotaNuffian My man over here gets it
@NotaNuffian Yeah but because insults are what he’s good at he should know that yo momma jokes are only funny within friend groups
@ThatOneMemeBoi He knows nothing. He's friendless and maleducated.
@ThatOneMemeBoi i had seen people give inappropriate jokes solely because they themselves think it is funny. So not just guys to girls but rather from people to people. Ben lacks people skills, as in never to talk with strangers and not having a lid about what he should or should not talk, which is why Barney (you know who I am saying) tells him to expand his knowledge base.
@NotaNuffian Hmmm, I see I see