The mental click of the Flower Collection System (FCS) was louder than the slap Alex had just received. The sound wasn't audible, but it resonated in his consciousness like the announcement of a grand prize.
He sat on the bus ride home, pretending to look out the window while the invisible HUD flashed violently. He had completed the B-level mission, the toughest the System had ever assigned him, and the adrenaline rush was still trembling in his hands.
— Level 2 Unlocked! —announced vibrant, neon-green text—. Mission Reward: $150.
The figure in the virtual wallet increased. Alex didn't even understand where this money was stored or how he could cash it in, but the idea of an invisible fortune gave him a strange satisfaction.
— Attribute Leveling! You have 3 Skill Points (SP) available.
Alex focused, and the statistics tab unfolded before him.
Attribute
Current Level
Description
Agility
4
Reaction speed and physical reflexes.
Perception
5
Ability to read non-verbal cues and environments.
Charisma
7
Effectiveness in persuasion and public speaking.
Charm
10 (+3)
Power to make a positive impression on "Flowers."
The three points he earned for his success had been automatically deposited into Charm, raising it to Level 10. He felt that the +3 was more than a number: it was the source of that artificial calm that allowed him to stand firm after his act of sheer stupidity.
He decided to save the 3 available SP for an emergency, but the interface didn't allow it.
— Restriction: Skill Points must be allocated immediately to optimize host evolution. Allocate 3 SP.
Alex mentally sighed and, with a touch of thought, distributed the points:
+2 SP to Charisma (Level 9). He needed to improve his verbal skills if he was going to survive more complex missions.
+1 SP to Perception (Level 6). Understanding girls before acting was vital.
The bus stopped. Alex grabbed his backpack and stepped out. The world hadn't changed, but he had. The air felt fresher, the colors more vivid, and the people around him seemed less dense. This was Level 2.
The Crimson Flower
He arrived at school. The feeling of being a player in a video game still clung to him. Just as he crossed the threshold of the library, his HUD beeped. It wasn't vibrant text, but a crimson-red flash that focused on a figure sitting alone at a table.
It was Sofia.
Sofia was neither popular nor invisible. She was the one everyone watched from afar. She had a quiet, intense energy, and she was always reading books that looked a hundred years old. She never spoke, and her constant expression was one of slight irritation. To Alex, she was a wall of ice.
The system instantly scanned and classified her.
— TARGET ASSIGNED: CRIMSON FLOWER (Sofia). — Base Collection Value: EXTREME. — Mission Difficulty: C (Medium). — Social Risk: High.
— ACTIVE MISSION: "THE ICEBREAKER". — Objective: Ask the Crimson Flower about the book she is reading and get a response of more than five words. — Time Limit: Until the end of recess (3:00 PM). — Success Reward: $90 and +2 SP to Perception (Interest Detection). — Failure Punishment: Temporary reduction of 2 levels in Charisma.
The punishment was serious. A -2 Charisma would leave him mute and clumsy. But the reward... +2 SP in Perception were perfect.
Alex approached the table slowly. He had never been closer than five meters to Sofia. His heart began to pound, and he could feel how his HUD system displayed a blue bar called "Nervousness" that began to fill up quickly.
— Charisma Level 9 active! —the System reminded him—. Charm Level 10 active!
He took a deep breath, activating his new attributes. The anxiety didn't disappear, but it felt dampened. His feet, guided by the System, did not stop.
He stopped in front of her. The book she was reading had a worn cover and lacked a visible title.
"Think of something clever. Something to justify the interruption," Alex thought.
He used his Charisma, forcing himself to smile in a way he hoped was pleasant and not disturbing.
— Hi —he started, his voice surprisingly clear—. Sorry to bother you, but... that book. Is it the one with the Latin annotations? It looks... fascinating.
Sofia didn't lift her gaze from the page, but she went very still. The silence stretched. Alex's "Nervousness" bar reached 80%. He was about to flee.
Then, she moved a finger, marking her page, and finally looked up. Her eyes were an intense green and her gaze was so analytical that Alex felt like his stats were being read by a laser scanner.
— It's On the Nature of Things by Lucretius —she said, in a deep, low voice—. And no, only the references are in Latin.
Alex froze. The response had been ten words.
SUCCESS! Mission completed.
The euphoria washed over him, but it lasted only an instant before the System displayed the next message.
— Crimson Flower Receptive! Continuous Mission Unlocked!
— ACTIVE MISSION: "THE CONVERSATION PATH". — Objective: Continue the dialogue with the Crimson Flower for at least one minute.
The new mission had no time limit, only a timer that was already running. Sofia was looking at him, waiting. And Alex, with all his newly improved Charisma and Charm, realized he had absolutely nothing else to say.