"Okay," Alice replied, her voice carrying a tinge of sadness. She turned and walked away from the door with a downcast expression.
Just observing her reddened face would evoke sympathy from most men. It seemed that she shared her big sister's innate ability to become more charismatic when in distress.
However, I was not like most other men. My willpower was as unyielding as stone; no woman could tempt me. No woman could sway me with mere tears. I was not a simp; I represented the epitome of masculinity in the world after all.
'Walk faster so I can finally check my stats,' I whispered to myself as I held my assault rifle ready, just in case she change her mind and attack me. I kept an eye on her through the monitor, feeling like I couldn't fully relax until she had left my house.
She stayed for a few more minutes, shedding tears and seeking comfort from Alyssa. I watched the whole scene until she finally left the house.
***
"Status"
———————-
Attribute Points: 23
Skill points: 37
Domination Points : 5
———————-
I checked my stats and started thinking about how to distribute them. The fact that I had plenty of attributes made me happy.
[Intelligence 10 —> Intelligence 20 ]
[Mind Power 4.1 —> Mind Power 5.4]
I increased my Intelligence to twenty along side my Mind Power, hoping to obtain another bonus skill similar to Mind Link. Currently, it had the highest probability of granting me a useful skill.
[Congratulations, Host, on reaching 20 Intelligence stats.]
[Random Skill...]
[Random Skill...]
[Random Skill...]
[Passive Meditation]
[Passive Meditation: This skill allows the host to regain Mind Power gradually during periods of inactivity or when not consciously using mental abilities. It operates on a percentage-based system ]
[Passive : 1% Mind power per minute ]
[Upgrades: + 1% regeneration every level ]
This skill was excellent. While it wasn't directly useful in combat, it had numerous practical applications.
If I could have reached high enough level in this skill, I would be able to completely restore 100% of my Mind Power in just one minute.
In addition, it worked on a percentage basis, which was a big advantage in the long run. This meant that as my mind power increased, this meditation would also increase proportionally. It was a skill that would remain valuable, regardless of my level of power.
However, I had already foreseen that as I continued to improve this skill, the rewards for each level-up might diminish, in line with my system's typical twisted pattern.
[Passive Meditation Level 1 — > Level 20 ] [20% ]
I assigned 19 skill points to it. This way, I could completely restore my mind power in just 5 minutes by just standing still. It was a letdown that "Passive Meditation" only worked when I wasn't actively using my Mind Power, but it made sense.
This skill would be broken if it could regenerate while I was using Mind Power. It would be similar to having unlimited mana in games as long as my regeneration outpaced my consumption.
After finishing up with that part, I opened the Skill Store and purchased "Mind Shock."
*Mind Shock [Level 8]
-———————-
*Faker [Level 1]
*Quick Phase [Level 2]
*Stone Body [Level 10 ]
*Mind Link [Level 50]
*Passive Meditation [Level 20]
———————-
Attribute Points: 0
Skill points: 0
Domination Points : 0
===========
"I really enjoy the feeling of leveling up," I chuckled to myself, completely content with my status. Becoming stronger means I'm getting closer to my goal. Once I'm strong enough, I'll be able to save my mother, regardless of who I face.
After concluding my stats allocation , I stood up and began stretching my body. It had been a few minutes since Alice left, so I figured it was time to head out and attend to some business.
DING !
[Special Mission ]
"What the hell !" I was taken a back after a screen appeared in my vision . It was not the usual screen , but a red semi-transparent one with a warning sign on it .
CLICK .
I click the screen and the content of the mission expanded before me.
[Save Alice from Cerebrum]
[Reward +15, 000 rewards , +20 Attribute points . + 20 Skill Points + 5 Domination Points]
[Yes] [ No]
'You've got to be kidding me,' I leaned back in my chair as I saw the content. Once again, it was related to Alice, and this time, the reward was so tempting that it seemed like the system had a crush on her.
"Damn it," I cursed out loud . My plan was to keep dodging her until I found a new place to live, and then I would ask Alyssa to monitor her for me.
That girl was like a walking time bomb. The most logical thing to do was to keep our paths as far apart as possible.
"System, tell me, do you have a secret crush on Alice?" I asked the system with a sarcastic question.
As expected, I received no response.
"Alright, alright, you win," I said, shaking my head and admitting defeat. Then, I clicked [No].
[Special Mission Declined ]
"Idiot ! You think you can trick me by offering me that kind of reward?" I sneered in contempt after I rejected the mission.
'I'm not some cliché novel protagonist who jumps at every chance for huge rewards and heroics acts. I'd rather grind for that reward than risk exposing myself to Cerebrum just to save her. I mean, I'm even making my own mother wait until I'm strong enough to rescue her. And now, you want me to save someone I barely know? No way. '
"Time to prepare for that little class reunion," I began laughing, while walking back to the master bedroom to get dressed.