Calmly, Lenny sat back down on his seat and then reclined backward, his eyes gazing down blankly.
He wasn't expecting to open his phone and see the reward notifications like he normally did. He had failed.
He had failed to complete the task.
Again, he had failed to accomplish what was necessary.
Wasn't he desperate enough? Wasn't his situation dire enough? Or was he just doomed to fail from the very beginning?
Shaking his head and pushing the raging thoughts to the back of his mind, Lenny forced the corner of his lips up and spoke cheerfully, "Well, you win some, you lose some."
'…Hmm, but in the future, I'm sure such tasks will arrive again. I guess I can't neglect my looks and charisma attributes then. They're essential in extreme social tasks like these…' Nodding thoughtfully, Lenny sought to learn from this failure instead of letting it break his spirit.
Smiling, he voiced to himself, "I've faced greater levels of hardship and humiliation compared to a girl calling me a 'fucking disgusting pervert'…"
Lenny's smile gradually reduced.
He let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed his temples. The humourization of the issue didn't seem to quell his unhappiness.
He muttered, "Dammit. I'm not a pervert. I may be lonely sometimes, but I'm not a pervert. Does she think I get off when people see me half-naked?!"
Pa!
Lenny palmed his face and steadied his mind. Just then, his phone brightened up at the arrival of a message.
[You are current rank is #3.]
Lenny palmed his face and ran his hand through his hair in frustration, cursing.
"Dammit! My rank has gone down, and that was my last task for the day. Other pointers might've not even had their last task yet… I'm such a failure…"
He laid his head on the counter, tears almost forming at the corner of his eyes. With his newfound intelligence, however, he couldn't stop his brain from further analyzing the situation.
'...The month has just begun. Other pointers will most likely fail a task or two too, I just need to fail less. Yes, I can still rise back to number one. My rank didn't reduce as much as expected, even. Most likely because I was able to complete the optional tasks from my encounter with the Boss, which, in normal circumstances, are impossible to complete without forfeiting one's life. Hmm, optional tasks give a pointer an edge over others…
'But… But what if some don't fail any of their tasks and manage to complete a majority of their optional tasks? That is highly possible too. I have to increase my total v-points earned and return to first place, otherwise, it's all gone. I won't get that $50,000 or the tier-2 talent…
'Is… Is there maybe another way viral points can be earned without performing tasks…?'
Lenny pondered as he entered Top Idol. His gaze landed on a particular tab in the list of tabs when a realization washed over him.
"Marketplace!" He voiced.
'...Yes, it was never specified that only v-points earned by performing tasks were recorded in the rankings…'
He let out a resigned sigh.
"I have nothing of worth that can be sold."
As he ruminated on the unfavorable predicament he found himself in, feeling depressed and brainstorming for a possible means to give himself an edge over others, he remembered something from the previous night.
'...That–That vending machine looked heavily suspicious, working fine when there was no sign of power in the old hospital. I have to revisit the abandoned hospital once again. Coupled with the fact that Mr. Stranger stays there, it could be a secret of Top Idol!
'And… if I can sell the information on the marketplace, I'll definitely return to 1st place! But, am I not thinking too little? What if the secret is worth more than 1st place and more useful? Then, I'll have to resort to just accomplishing more optional tasks to bridge the difference between those ahead, while also hoping they fail some of their tasks…
'Regardless, no matter the path I'll tread, I need to first confirm what that vending machine is. Maybe I should go after the shift ends? Tsk, I can't. Boss Falcone's goons might still be tailing me. I can't rule out that they have a pointer within their ranks, who'll see through me instantly and likely learn about the vending machine too. Along with how I invest in attributes, I need to be extra cautious with how I move around the city now…'
In the meantime, as time passed in the convenience store, he went on WiTube and watched videos on how to fight. Normally, he wasn't allowed to use his phone on the job, but at this point, who cared? The place was getting sold already.
From the information he had gathered, he learned most martial arts and fighting styles weren't that practical, and settled on the fact that his best option was to train himself, considering his lack of the "privilege" to attain a personal trainer.
He watched several self-defense videos and eventually branched out to body workout videos. He wasn't sure the Looks attribute would improve his skinny physique—which he loathed—to an athletic body physique, and neither was he sure about where such a feature would even lie among the attribute, as it could also fit into the Strength attribute too.
He learned that he fit into the ectomorph body type, possessing long and lean limbs, little body fat, and little muscle. This meant he needed a proper workout plan and heavy-calorie diet as they have a hard time gaining weight.
As a pointer with maxed-out agility as his main advantage, he gravitated towards calisthenics form of strength training, which was a form of exercise that utilized a person's body weight and required little to no equipment; surely it was not because he saw standard gym equipment as expensive and a waste of money. He sought to learn about his body's limits and increase its functionality.
"I guess I'll work out if none of the attributes provide me with a better physique when I max them out," he said to himself.
By midnight, Lenny closed up the convenience store and hailed a cab back to Montreville.
As he stood in wait by the roadside hailing a cab, he was immensely paranoid that Boss Falcone's men might just spring up from the darkness and take him away.
…
[Rule #10: Cheating in any shape or form in attempting to complete a task shall warrant a warning and an instant failure of said task.]
…
Scrrr~
The yellow taxi cab pulled up at the junction of the road that led up to the apartment complex where Lenny resided.
After paying the driver using his WiPay app, the corner of his lips curled at the sight of his balance, which read $9941.77. At least, despite being a supposed disgusting pervert, his account balance didn't look like it.
Then, he got down and cautiously walked up the hilly landscape.
The moon was out, and the sky was devoid of stars. The few streetlights that were still working brightened up the empty street, with corners filled with trash and cars parked here and there.
The damp winter breeze gently blew past Lenny. Sensing that no one was tailing him in his vicinity, he let out a deep sigh and reduced his walking speed, reveling in the serenity and tranquility of the night.
Just then, due to his increased hearing, he heard a frightened female voice whisper.
"S-Stop, just let me go home..."
Then, a young male voice replied, "Come on, baby. You know you want this. Do you want cash? I have enough of it, don't worry…"