I stared at the skill I had just bought in the panel. There was something about this skill in particular. Among the other amazing skills I saw, like Culinary Maestro, Karate Master, and Threat Detection, this skill stood out to me.
It wasn't flashy. It didn't promise super strength or instant wealth, but it felt right. I needed clarity, a way to see the big picture. That's why I bought it.
This amazingly cheap skill was called systematic thinking.
I quickly looked up this skill and read the description. It read: [Systematic Thinking: This skill allows the host to see any and all situations from a bird's-eye view, scanning and observing every manner of approach to find the most effective.]
The significance of this new development was shocking, to say the least. Many times in our lives we're faced with decisions. In fact, ninety percent of our problems come from the decisions we make. If I now had the capability to make the best decision, then life was basically on easy mode for me.
"This..." I stammered. Then, with a deep breath, I decided to activate the skill. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
My mind, which had been a chaotic storm of anger and fear, suddenly felt organized. Like a computer booting up, my thoughts aligned into a grid. Every possibility mapped itself out in front of me. The world around me seemed to fade as my brain started working at a speed I'd never experienced before. Scenarios played out in my head, each one analyzed, dissected, and either discarded or refined. The system wasn't just showing me options. It was calculating the most efficient path forward.
By the time I opened my eyes, I had a plan. A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips. An extremely cold light flashed across my eyes as I felt something akin to magical powers.
"Ha, and to think I was worried about a measly sum of four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I honestly feel stupid. The system that had made all of this possible could double or even quadruple that amount."
I said the words to myself. By the time the skill stopped running, my confidence was overflowing in the new plan I had developed. But that was when I actually felt something strange. Fatigue. My body seemed to be drained from the activation of the skill. I opened the panel again and saw something new.
An energy bar.
"Oh, so that's how it is."
It actually made sense for my energy to be limited. Otherwise, wouldn't I just spam all the amazing skills I had and become godlike? There had to be balance. There had to be consequences. The system was powerful, but it wasn't meant to be abused without cost.
Systematic thinking had given me a clarity I'd never known before. I felt like I could see the chessboard, and I was ready to make my move. But first, I needed to rest. I needed to gather my strength before I put my plan into action. And there was only one place I could go: back to Maya.
The walk to the coffee shop felt shorter than usual. The cool evening air brushed against my face. The clouds above were darkening, promising rain, but I barely noticed. My mind was still running through the plan, tweaking it where necessary. Each step I took felt purposeful now, like I was finally moving in the right direction instead of just reacting to whatever life threw at me.
When I knocked on the door, Maya opened it. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. She was wearing pink pajamas this time, ones that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her hair was down, falling over her shoulders in soft waves. She looked, let's just say, incredible for now.
"Leo?" she said, her voice soft with surprise. "You're staying?"
"Hey," I said, trying to sound casual despite the way my heart was racing. "I, uh, my plans got messed up, so I'm staying here again."
Her eyes softened, and she stepped aside to let me in. "Come in."
The coffee shop was quiet, the lights dimmed for the night. I sat down in the same booth where she'd held me after the robbery. The memory of her warmth was still fresh in my mind. She sat across from me, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea. The steam rose between us, creating a soft barrier that somehow made the moment feel more intimate.
"So, how are you feeling after the robbery and all?" she asked, her voice gentle.
I shrugged. "I'm doing fine. Shouldn't I be asking you that question?"
She smiled, and it was like the sun breaking through the clouds. "I'm glad. You were so brave the other night. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been there."
Her words made me feel strange. Brave? I didn't feel brave. I felt like I'd been stumbling through everything, making it up as I went along. But hearing her say it made something inside me shift. Maybe I was changing. Maybe the system was changing me. Or maybe I'd always had this in me and just needed the right circumstances to bring it out.
Things were quiet in the coffee shop, and it made me think about how far our relationship had come. Maya had just been the beautiful waitress that slept at the coffee shop. We were familiar with each other but not close. Then suddenly I was at her door last night asking for a place to sleep after my ex Elise kicked me out. And since she was the first girl around when the Harem System activated, she became my first target.
Target. The word felt cold when I thought about it that way. But what else was I supposed to call it? The system had its own logic, its own rules. And if I wanted to survive, if I wanted to thrive, I had to play by those rules. Even if it meant treating relationships like objectives to be completed.
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, a notification popped up in my vision.
"Would you like to spend the one hundred Affection Points to advance your relationship with Maya?"
The system was asking me if I wanted to use the Affection Points I had gained when I stopped the robber. I didn't really know what the Affection Points would do, but I could tell it was going to be good. The system hadn't steered me wrong yet. If anything, it had given me tools I never dreamed of having. Why would this be any different?
"Yes," I whispered.
The effect was immediate. Maya stiffened, her eyes widening slightly as if she'd just remembered something important. Then her expression softened, and she leaned forward. Her voice took on a warmth I hadn't heard before.
"You know, Leo," she said, her eyes locking onto mine, "I've always thought you were special. I just didn't know how to say it."
I blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, thanks?"
Before I could say anything else, she was out of her seat and moving toward me. I barely had time to register what was happening before she threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly. Her warmth pressed against me. Her scent, coffee and something sweet, filled my senses. It was overwhelming in the best possible way.
"Thank you," she whispered against my chest. "For everything."
My heart was pounding so hard I was sure she could feel it. I didn't know what to say, so I just hugged her back. My hands rested on her waist. Soft curves pressed against my chest, leaving me feeling like I had been electrified. Then she pressed her body even more into mine, as if she wanted the both of us to become one. What the hell was going on in her head?
The Affection Points had done something. That much was obvious. But what exactly? Had they changed her feelings? Amplified emotions that were already there? Or had they created something entirely new between us? The system had manipulated her somehow, and while part of me felt guilty about it, another part of me didn't care. This felt quite good; it didn't feel wrong, it felt right. And after everything I'd been through, didn't I deserve something that felt right? Of course I did.
Maya pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at me. Her eyes were bright, almost glowing in the dim light of the coffee shop. "Am so glad that you're here with me," she said. This statement made my mind race with so many possibilities that even systematic thinking couldn't keep up.