Chapter 88 - Prizes, progress, and platinum hits

A light blue mid level mystery box appeared in Ben's hands. With a lucky clove emitting green smoke in his mouth, he made his draw...

A few seconds later, a small rolled-up off-white scroll appeared in his lap.

[Sonya Blade Leg Grab(Skill Scroll, Consumable, Uncommon) x1 - Can use once on a chosen target to automatically perform the move]

'A fighting skill?' The move sounded familiar to Ben, but he couldn't recall from where. It was also the first skill scroll consumable he'd seen. Still, this wouldn't help him now so he put it in his pocket and bought another mystery box before his clove went out.

Receiving another box in his hands, Ben didn't hesitate and took his chances again…

Soon after, he was holding a modern elegant black leather belt with a steel buckle. He traced his fingers along it, feeling its luxurious texture.

[High Class Leather Belt(Item, Uncommon) x1 - Increases wearer's social status by 1 up to a maximum of 6]

It wasn't bad, but he doubted it would change his situation much now, since his social status would be too low even with that. Still, even a mosquito was meat…if you ignored the human blood in its stomach and risk of catching disease…

Ben wore the belt and checked his current stats. This might be the last occasion when he looked at them, so he turned on a system option to show a comparison of what he started with a month ago to what he had now.

[Looks: 2->6 - From monster to mediocre]

'S.e.xist double standards…If I was a woman, I'd be in a rom-com getting McConaughey'd…'

[Charisma: 0->7 - From trash to middling TikTok personality]

Ben smiled. 'Sounds good to me. TikTok's blowing up…I don't care if they steal all my data…'

[Social Status: 2->3(2+1) - From janitor…to janitor with nice belt]

He shrugged. "The magical clothes make the man."

[Seduction skills: 0->4 - From hand to heffer]

"Come on! That's not even accurate!" Ben suspected the system was like a bitter friend who always overrated his girlfriends and underrated those of others…

[Knowledge: 4->5 - From student to student who read a book]

"Valid."

[Manliness: 1->5(4+1) - From hairless baby to hairy boy]

He nodded with pride. "It's a c.u.m.m.i.n.g of age story…"

[Communication: 3->5 - From mumbler to memer]

"This is fine…"

[Personal talent: 2->2 - From trash to trash]

"One day, I'll make you call me a treasure…"

PUA Points: 450

Equipped Title: C*ckpuncher

…

Although he was lacking in many places, overall, Ben realized he'd made significant progress over this last month. He changed from a complete waste to someone with a rosy future…Or that would've been the case, if his future didn't have a deadline tomorrow…

Looking at the data, Ben knew he'd done all he could during this time. "I'm just not sure if it'll be enough…"

Shaking off his doubt and anxiety, Ben took a deep breath and centered himself. He still had an opportunity tonight, and tomorrow as well. The past few days, he'd been texting the girls he dated and also the new numbers he got, but the results weren't too pleasing...

All the new girls whose phone numbers he obtained wouldn't date him by tomorrow. Ben suspected the time limit was making him anxious and it was coming through in his conversations, making the leads hesitant to meet him. Even following the three minute rule, it didn't protect him from using language and tone that broke the girls' thirstometers...but he knew there wasn't much he could do about it; A man walking the plank would find it tough to have a wank...

As for the girls he dated, Annabelle wasn't available and Katie would still be on her period. As for Lia, she didn't respond at all since their hookup. Ben wasn't sure what was going on with her. The only exception was Miyuki.

She agreed to hang out with Ben tomorrow, and even better, they planned to watch a movie in Ben's dorm room, which would be an amazing chance for him. The only problem was that with the timing of Miyuki's job, she could only make it later at night. It would be cutting it close to the end of Ben's remaining time.

That meant if it didn't work out, she might have to watch the system force him to commit seppuku with a butter knife...

Or kamikaze into moped-kun for self-propelled isekai...

Or any number of culturally-insensitive Japanese endings... 'I only hope she doesn't have me die by slow fusion with metal...'

By this point, Ben knew the system like a jaded ex-girlfriend... She wouldn't pass up a chance for ironic humiliation... In spite of everything, he tried to look at the bright side. 'I suppose it would still be a less abrupt ending than most of the web novels I've read...'

It was risky, but the date with Miyuki was his best opportunity, one he needed to seize, and it was the same case for the remainder of tonight.

***

Walking outside, Ben tried to pump himself up for going out later. He thought about Katie's pretty face and what he did with her, which improved his mood, and even gave him sudden inspiration for a song…

"When you try your best but she don't suck-seed~

…

When you get what you want but not what you need~

…

When you just nutted but you still can't sleep~

…

Harem's diverse~

…

When the jizz comes streaming down her face~

…

Cause you shot your load at a high-speed pace~

…

When she didn't swallow. What a waste~

…

What could be worse?~"

…

It was Ben's cover of Coldplay's "Fix you."

"Nothing like some Holeplay…" Ben's composition satisfied him.

On a basketball court he was passing by, a group of middle school students stopped their game, and were all now staring at Ben.

He thinned his eyes at them. 'What do they want? This better not be a Children of the Corn incident…'

Then, one stood up…and raised his hands.

*Clap* … … *Clap*

Soon, the others followed.

*Clap* …*Clap* *Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

A standing ovation! It spread through the basketball court like a pandemic that shut down the world!

...

So what if the quality of Ben's song was like an epidemic with identical mortality stats to the flu?!?

…

Making it big in the music industry was 99% marketing and media!

...

If Bill Gates prepared a record label in advance, this song could become a worldwide hit!

…

Ben's eyes teared up… "Even if I die…my existence wasn't worthless…Like Steve Jobs, I brought joy to people…also off the backs of tired, sweating children…"

…

As Ben hiked to get some food before going out, his footsteps stopped when he felt something moist on the top of his nose…

He touched it and found water. Then, a loud rumbling echoed in the sky. Ben gazed upwards, and saw a mass of thunderclouds obscuring the moon…

His heart grew heavy with a terrible premonition. Then, his eyes blazed with fury, and he yelled to the sky.

"Don't you do it, Halle Berry!"

…

It's too bad for Ben that she wasn't good at taking advice. Otherwise, how do you explain Catwoman?

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