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Name: [ Emily Hawthorne ]
Age: [ 26 years old ]
Current Affection Percentage: [ 5% ]
Affection Level: [ Low ]
Current multiplier: [ x2 ]
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Witnessing the blue holographic tab before his line of sight, Elias felt a surge of happiness within his body. However, he couldn't help but furrow his brows when his eyes landed on the multiplier.
As though sensing Elias's inquiries, the system immediately sounded.
[ Initially, the multiplier starts at x2 and gradually increases as the affection percentage rises, reaching a maximum of x10.
Here's a breakdown of how it works:
Affection Percentage: 0% - 20% → Multiplier: x2
Affection Percentage: 20% - 40% → Multiplier: x4
Affection Percentage: 40% - 60% → Multiplier: x6
Affection Percentage: 60% - 80% → Multiplier: x8
Affection Percentage: 80% - 100% → Multiplier: x10. ]
Elias nodded in understanding. He had been too anxious previously, so he hadn't fully understood everything the system had explained. After hearing its in-depth explanation, he quickly grasped how the system functioned.
"Elias, are you still there?" Emily's voice resonated in the air, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Elias swiftly put the system's notification away and focused on her. "I'm sorry for dazing off like that. I was simply caught up in your beauty," he admitted with a warm smile.
[ Update! Emily's affection for you has decreased by 1% ]
Upon seeing the notification, Elias was instantly stunned. He had thought he had successfully eased the situation by pulling off such a compliment; however, who would have thought it would backfire on him.
"Thank you for the compliment, but I'll appreciate it if you stop falling into a daze," Emily responded warmly. Her smile would have convinced Elias to believe that everything was okay if he didn't have the system to inform him of the decrease in her affection for him.
Elias swiftly nodded and cleared his throat. "So, is that a yes, then? Would you like to join me later?" he replied, immediately changing the topic of the conversation.
"Well, I'll close early today since it's a Monday. And I don't have much to do at home either, so yes, I'd love to hang out with you later," Emily responded, scrutinizing Elias again.
Despite having little interest in Elias, which was mainly because he made an effort to engage her in conversations sometimes when he visited her bookstore, this was the first time she had been asked out since she arrived in the city, so she decided to give it a try and see how it goes.
Hearing Emily's response, Elias smiled while rejoicing inwardly. He stretched his hand upward and gently dropped the bag on the desk. "Here, I brought this especially for you," he responded, hoping it would help him increase her affection for him.
"Oh!" Emily said, collecting the bag and opening it. Inside, she found a posy of red roses beautifully arranged within the same bag.
Emily looked up at Elias with surprise and a warm smile. "These are beautiful, Elias. Thank you!" she replied.
[ Update! Emily's affection for you has increased by 2% ]
Witnessing the magnificent increase in her affection, Elias inwardly celebrated. Although he was far from getting a [ x4] multiplier, every increase was significant as it would eventually enable him to achieve his desired target.
"You're welcome," Elias responded, hesitating nervously before swiftly adding, "I checked the book signing event you informed me about a few weeks ago. I just wanted to know if you have a ticket for it yet."
Emily had often mentioned how much she wanted to attend a book signing event in the city, but she had never been able to budget for a ticket.
She had mentioned that there would be a new book signing event before the end of the month hosted by one of her best authors.
He really hoped that she hadn't gotten a ticket yet so he could purchase one for her. This was the only way he could think of using the system and raising her affection simultaneously.
"No, I haven't been able to get a ticket yet, unfortunately. It's been on my wishlist for so long, yet I've never quite managed to save up for it," Emily responded, shaking her head in defeat.
"I would feel bad knowing you'd missed out on such an important event that matters so much to you, so how about I help you and purchase for the two of us so we can go together?" Elias suggested with a warm smile.
Emily's eyes brightened before she quickly regained her composure and looked at Elias cautiously. "Are you sure? Although the event tickets were less costly than I'd expected, which is why I would regret missing them, it's still not cheap," she responded seriously.
When she heard Elias's words, she swiftly guessed his intentions. She wanted to warn him, deterring him from taking any actions that might inconvenience him later and forcing him to regret his decision.
Contrary to her expectations, Elias shook his head firmly, "You don't need to worry. You can think of it as my treat. I want us to enjoy this experience together since I know just how much it means to you," he responded with a reassuring smile.
Stunned, Emily narrowed her eyes at Elias, "Are you sure about this?" she asked, her expression solemnly.
Elias nodded affirmatively.
Witnessing Elias's response, Emily examined him once more before letting out a light chuckle.
Elias observed Emily chuckling lightly and couldn't help but inwardly frown. He hadn't said anything humorous, and the system hadn't alerted him of anything, so he still couldn't figure out why she was laughing.
"We haven't even had our first date yet, but you're already planning a second one as if you're confident it will go well. However, as long as it doesn't inconvenience you in any way, I would be more than happy to accompany you there," Emily responded.
Elias felt his heart speed up at her response. He quickly brought out his phone, unlocked it, and logged into the website for the book signing event to purchase the ticket.
....
Author's Note: Please share your powerstones and add this novel to your library if you enjoy it!