Ortega swung open the door of his apartment and immediately tossed his leather bag to the ground. He stretched his arms and began unbuttoning his shirt as he collapsed on his bed. His mind wandered off as he recalled the happenings of his first day.
He wouldn't say he was happy with the turnout of events, but he felt the experience earned was worth it. He had learned so much, had interacted with his co-workers, and realized the boons of the head-turner enchantment to an exceptional degree.
The bad moments? Well, there was the time he accidentally bumped his crotch against the plump backside of Gabriella, and got scolded by his boss for cracking jokes with his co-workers.
Although, he wouldn't call the former a bad moment at all, because honestly, he quite enjoyed it—accidental as it was. Who wouldn't?
Ortega couldn't get his mind off the feeling of her soft flesh pressing against his groin and a crooked smile formed on his face as the scene replayed in his head. Eventually, he had to place his mind elsewhere because his male parts had begun to react.
The memory of Velvet's angry expression as she berated him made his heart cower in embarrassment. Judging by the way she spoke to him, Ortega could determine her as someone who opposed fun-seeking in the workplace. Although he felt he owed her for granting him employment, he didn't agree to her policy of not interacting with co-workers unless it involved something business-related.
To him, a working environment would thrive at its best if feelings of camaraderie were promoted amongst its employees. That would enable them to cooperate better together and work seamlessly as a team.
Unfortunately, however, he didn't dare to openly oppose her ideals, his rank was too low. He didn't have any high ambitions for now, though. His focus was on getting his paycheck so he could clear his debts. That aside, Ortega felt he had a lot to work on if he wanted to avoid falling on Velvet's blacklist.
"At least she approved of my looks," Ortega said, trying to find something positive in the encounter.
Ortega then recalled the conversation he had with Evaline and Selene. It was a first for him, and although Ortega had little experience dealing with women, he wasn't clueless on the basics of holding a conversation. His talent for having the gift of gab made him eloquent to a degree. Even though he was nerdy and introverted, he had a knack for putting his thoughts across fluently.
His way with words, coupled with the enhancement of his looks by the head-turner enchantment, made him more attractive and approachable. It explained why the ladies were able to approach him with interest and start small talk.
Ortega frowned as he thought of his past life before getting the system. He could vividly remember how he was made fun of by salty women for not being attractive enough in his university days.
Ortega wasn't ugly, and he knew that. However, it was unfortunate how his looks paled in comparison to the least attractive person in their class. And there was no way he could stand on equal footing with those who were well-to-do, men and women alike.
He had been relying on his skills so far to get him through the struggles of everyday life, and he was grateful for having come this far by himself alone, but Ortega knew he still had a long way to go.
Bored and left with nothing else to do, Ortega decided to call upon his user interface. When he did so, however, he was surprised to see some changes.
Host: Ortega Dike
Age: 21
Rank: Omega
Title(s): Diligent Employee {Boon: When equipped, your problem-solving, adaptability, and creative skills are enhanced by ×2.}
{Limitation(s): You can only equip this title thrice a month for an hour.
Your other skill levels will be diminished completely while this title is equipped and for an additional 30 minutes after it is deactivated.}
Occupation: Marketer
Status: Employed
Net Worth: -$2,000 {Remark: The system commends your effort for being hardworking.}
Salary: N/A
Attractiveness: 6/10
Talent(s): Intellectual (basic level 8)...
Your skill and talent have improved!
Gift of Gab (basic level 6------> basic level 7)
Skill(s): Creativity (basic level 4), Social Skills (basic level 4------> basic level 5), Problem-Solving (basic level 5), Leadership (basic level 1), Adaptability (basic level 7)
Trait(s): Average looks, fluent and intelligent.
Active Quest(s): Improve work relationships
Target(s): Gabriella Sinclair
Marital status: Single
Attraction stage: Initial attraction stage
Level of approval: 10%
{Time left: 14 days}
Punishment: Job loss.
Reward: ???
Current Goal(s): Receive your first paycheck.
{Do you wish to convert to an active quest?}
{A. Yes B. No C. Later}
Ortega was delighted that at least something good had come out of today. He now had an actual title, and he couldn't wait to see it work.
He didn't understand the significance of having his skills boosted by two whole levels but felt it would be a great boon to have.
Not only was it going to help him increase his productivity, but the title would also serve as a means of standing out amongst the competition the workplace provided.
BeautyPlus, although a closely knit organization, still had similarities to every working environment. Competition is bound to exist in the future and he was very much aware of this reality. Hence, the need to improve his capabilities was there.
From the upgrades he received, Ortega was now armed with more insight. He now knew, that to level up a skill, he had to make use of that skill often, and the more he became familiar with it, the more that skill was likely to increase its level.
For example, he had managed to level up his 'Gift of Gab' talent by having more interactions with people, and since 'Social skills corresponded with being eloquent, it leveled up also.
So it was a matter of practice bringing improvement. That was how he determined the 'Diligent Employee' title to be of great help in the future. The comfort of having his professional skills enhanced sounded too good to be true and Ortega figured he would be able to make it work for him despite the limitations of the title.
He was also pleased to notice that the system acknowledged his attempts at improving his financial situation. Ortega felt his confidence soar as he imagined the heights he could go to with the system's help. The sky was his limit.
Finally, there was the request to convert to an active quest again. Ortega hesitated as he weighed the pros and cons of undertaking two active quests. It took him a while to consider his options and after some time, he clicked 'Yes.'