A month later, Dick trudged down the streets, his baggy clothes hanging off his frame. Despite the layers, they couldn't hide how much his body had changed. A slight ache in his muscles reminded him just how far he'd come in those grueling thirty days. His arms had gained definition, his belly shrunk, and his face—once a cratered battlefield of acne—had cleared enough to make him almost unrecognizable.
He glanced around, pulling his hood lower over his face. The transformation wasn't all good. It felt unnatural. Human bodies didn't change like this, not without years of work. 'Stats,' he thought, and the system responded immediately, its cold, mechanical tone buzzing in his mind.
A holographic screen appeared in front of his eyes:
[Name: Dick Graves
Age: 19
Strength: 7 (+6)
Endurance: 5 (+4)
Charm: 3 (+3)
Intelligence: 5 (+3)
Luck: 0 (+1)
Sexual Proficiency: 1 (+1)]
In a month, Dick had shed over 50 pounds (23 kg) of fat and packed on enough muscle to feel like someone else's body. His posture, once hunched and defeated, had straightened out; his slouched frame was but a memory now. And his endurance? He could run for miles now—something he'd never imagined possible.
But the Luck stat, that one haunted him. He had no idea how to raise it naturally, so he'd dumped some GP into it after reading up on its passive benefits. The system claimed it could manipulate "fate," giving him chances he didn't deserve, coincidences that would push his goals forward. After what he'd seen this past month, he wasn't about to argue with that.
Dick opened the system shop in his mind, scrolling through the available purchases. "Perfect Form" had been the MVP in his transformation so far. For 300 GP, it worked behind the scenes, giving him muscle growth without the hassle of constant exercise. He didn't look like a bodybuilder yet, but the changes were drastic enough for people to notice. And that was just the start.
Still, he had some GP to burn, and there was no sense holding back now. 'General Skills,' he thought, navigating to the list of skills purchasable with GP. His eyes landed on a few options that made him pause:
[Situational Awareness (100 GP): Increases ability to read rooms, sense social dynamics.
Improved Stamina (85 GP): Boosts overall endurance during physical and mental activities.
Vocal Charm (50 GP): Enhances vocal tone, making interactions smoother, more persuasive.]
Dick chuckled to himself, fingers hovering over Vocal Charm. The idea of talking to people with anything but his usual stammer sounded ridiculous. 'What the hell, let's go,' he thought, purchasing it. The system buzzed in acknowledgment, a warmth spreading across his throat like he'd just downed a shot of whiskey. His voice felt… different, stronger, somehow. He hadn't even spoken yet, but he knew it'd make a difference.
His phone buzzed, pulling him out of the system's menus. It was a text from Jessica. That bitch. She never texted him unless she needed something, probably to humiliate him. But this time, the message was different.
Jessica: "u comin home fatty? moms pissed lol"
He ignored Jessica's text. Focus, he thought, as he pushed open the door to the college building. Today was the entrance exam, and he wasn't going to let any bullshit from home derail his plans. This was it. The moment where everything he'd worked for in the past month would start paying off.
The campus was buzzing with life—students scattered around in groups, laughing, talking, absorbed in their own worlds. Perfect targets. The Daily Task he'd gotten that morning had new idea of improvement:
[Daily Task: Engage in conversation with one new person today. Bonus GP awarded for additional conversations.
Reward: +10 GP for the first target, +0.1 GP per stranger.]
Dick clenched his fists, nerves tingling. Conversations weren't his thing. He was still getting used to this "new him," the version that didn't stutter or look at his feet the whole time. But the system had a point—he needed to practice. His stats had improved, and he wasn't going to waste that progress hiding like a coward.
He scanned the room as he entered the testing hall, eyeing a group of students near the registration desk. Most of them looked like your typical preppy college kids—well-dressed, confident, laughing at some private joke that was probably stupid. They wouldn't have given the old him a second glance, but now… well, they didn't need to know that inside he was still half the loser he used to be.
He took a deep breath and approached the registration line. A girl standing in front of him caught his eye—dark-haired, athletic build, wearing an oversized sweater that hung off her shoulder, revealing a tight tank top underneath. She was typing something on her phone, her nails painted glossy black.
"Hey," he said, his voice more confident than it used to be. That new Vocal Charm upgrade was doing its job, making him sound smoother, more self-assured. "You ready for the exam?"
She looked up, a little surprised, but didn't dismiss him outright. "Kinda," she said, eyeing him curiously. "Just hoping I don't bomb it. You?"
Dick shrugged, flashing what he hoped was a relaxed smile. "Same. Studied all night, but who knows with these things, right?"
She laughed lightly, her shoulders relaxing a bit. "Tell me about it."
[Task complete: +10.1 GP.]
Dick relaxed, letting a bit of tension slip from his shoulders. "Name's Dick," he said, his voice steady, but there was always that familiar sting when he said it out loud. He knew what people thought when they heard his name—a punchline wrapped in years of ridicule. Fuck his father for this. But it was what it was.
"Nice to meet you, Dick," the girl replied, still focused on her phone. The conversation was already fading, but that didn't matter. He'd hit his goal, earned his points, and wasn't about to linger too long and overdo it. He gave her a nod and moved toward the hallway.
He was a little sullen that the conversation didn't last longer, but it was good enough. He'd gotten his GP, completed the task, and kept his shit together. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that it should have gone further. The new Vocal Charm was supposed to make these things smoother, right? Maybe it just needed more practice.
He spotted a guy sitting alone on a nearby bench, flipping through a textbook. He didn't look like the preppy type—a little rough around the edges, wearing a beat-up jacket that looked out of place on this campus. Worth a shot, Dick thought.
"Hey, man," Dick said as he approached. The guy glanced up, surprised. "You studying for the entrance exam too?"
"Nah," the guy grunted, his voice rough. "Just here to kill time. Already took mine." He looked Dick over, eyes narrowing slightly. "You?"
"Yeah, just waiting for mine to start. Thought I'd get here early." Dick kept his tone casual. This guy was tougher to crack—there wasn't an immediate openness like with the girl earlier.
"Hm." The guy went back to his book, clearly uninterested.
Dick hesitated for a second, his instincts telling him to bail. He sat down on the bench, pretending to look out across the campus. "Place is pretty packed, huh?"
The guy barely lifted his head. "Guess so."
Fuck. This isn't working.
[Task complete: +0.1 GP.]
He stood up, brushing it off. Fine. Can't win them all. The goal was to initiate conversation with strangers, not become buddies. The system didn't give a damn about whether they liked him or not—just that he made the effort. Another shot at building that Charm stat, and another 0.1 GP in his pocket. It wasn't glamorous, but it added up.
Moving through the crowd, Dick caught sight of a couple by a vending machine, both engrossed in some debate over which drink to get. He wasn't great with couples—never had been—but the system was pushing him to get outside his comfort zone.
He approached casually, leaning slightly against the side of the vending machine like he wasn't about to awkwardly force his way into their conversation. "They should add more options, right?" he said, nodding toward the drink menu. "Feels like they've had the same ten flavors since I was a kid."
The guy gave him a sideways glance, a flicker of annoyance passing over his face, but the girl smiled. "Totally! I mean, how hard is it to throw in a decent iced tea?"
Dick laughed. "Exactly. It's like they want us to settle for whatever's closest."
[Task complete: +0.2 GP.]
The system chimed again, and he felt that small rush of satisfaction. The guy mumbled something under his breath and selected a soda, pulling his girlfriend along. No loss there. It was about reps, not results.
Heading toward the front of the campus, Dick spotted a group of students hanging near the main entrance, smoking and talking loudly. They didn't look like the typical college crowd dressed in ripped jeans and faded hoodies. They were laughing about something, but as Dick approached, one of them stopped, eyeing him like a challenge.
"You got a light, man?" Dick asked, his tone casual.
The guy snorted, giving him a look over. "You don't smoke."
"I do today," Dick said with a grin. He wasn't going to back down. General Points or not, he wasn't about to let anyone punk him.
As the guy chuckled and tossed the lighter his way, Dick barely managed to catch it after some awkward flailing. The group burst into laughter, and for a moment, he felt that old familiar burn of embarrassment creeping up his neck. But instead of shrinking back, he forced a grin and rolled with it.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath, realizing he didn't even have a cigarette. "Uh, seems like I forgot mine at home. Can I bum one?"
One of the girls in the group, leaning against the wall with a cigarette dangling from her lips, raised an eyebrow. "You show up asking for a light and don't even have a smoke? Smooth, man."
Dick shrugged, trying to play it off. "What can I say? Just a master of planning ahead."
The girl laughed and fished a cigarette from her pocket, tossing it to him. He caught it this time, smoother than before. The group's amusement was still there, but it felt lighter now, less like they were laughing at him and more like he was just part of the scene. Small win.
He lit up, taking a drag even though the cigarette tasted like hot garbage. The moment the smoke hit his lungs, he started to cough, hacking violently as his eyes watered. The group burst out laughing, the girl shaking her head, clearly amused.
"What are you trying to do, man?" she asked, smirking as she took a drag of her own. "You don't have to prove anything."
Dick waved her off, still coughing. "Thought I'd give it a shot," he managed, his voice strained from the smoke tearing at his throat. His eyes were watering so badly he could barely see.
"Yeah, well, maybe stick to something else," another guy in the group added, grinning as he nudged his friend. "We're not judging you, but, uh, that was pathetic."
"Noted," Dick grumbled, tossing the cigarette to the ground and stomping it out. He was about to walk away, cut his losses, when the girl stepped forward, an amused glint in her eye.
"Relax, we're just giving you shit," she said, offering a friendlier smile this time. "What's your name, anyway?"
"Dick," he said, hesitating for a split second. He hated how his name always felt like a punchline waiting to happen.
The girl raised an eyebrow but didn't make a joke out of it. "I'm Jen," she replied, tossing her hair back. "So, what's a guy like you doing around here?"
"Entrance exam," he replied, grateful for the opening. "You?"
"Same, just killing time," she said, leaning back against the wall. Her friends were still joking around, but she seemed more interested in keeping the conversation alive. "You nervous about it?"
"Nah," Dick lied, managing to keep his voice steady, thanks to the Vocal Charm upgrade. "Studied enough to feel decent about it."
Jen gave him a once-over, probably deciding if she bought his confidence. "Well, good luck, Dick," she said with a teasing smile, then added, "You'll need it if you're as good at exams as you are at smoking."
Another burst of laughter from the group, but this time, Dick felt like he was part of the joke rather than the target. He shot back a grin, feeling a little more settled. It wasn't much, but it was progress.
[Task complete: +0.7 GP.]
The notification blinked briefly in his vision. He had made it through three conversations, some smoother than others.
"See you around," Dick said, raising his hand in a casual wave as he turned and walked away from the group. Jen waved back, looking faintly amused as she returned to her friends. He didn't linger to hear whatever they said after.
The exam started soon enough, and Dick was relieved when he realized he could actually solve the questions. His mind didn't blank out, and the panic he'd expected never came. For once, the grind felt like it was paying off.
He worked through the problems methodically, scanning the multiple-choice answers with a surprising amount of ease. Even the tougher sections—math, logic puzzles—felt manageable. His fingers tapped across the keyboard, moving quickly through the digital exam. He could feel his intelligence stat kicking in, like a gear shifting smoothly in place.
Three hours. That's all this is. By the time the exam ended, he felt… good. Not great, but better than expected. He stretched his arms, feeling the familiar ache in his shoulders from sitting too long. A faint smirk tugged at his lips as he left the testing hall. Another task, completed.
Walking out of the building, Dick spotted Jen across the parking lot, straddling a motorcycle. The sleek black machine gleamed in the afternoon sun, drawing stares from people passing by. Jen threw her leg over the seat with ease, her blonde hair blowing slightly in the breeze. But it wasn't the bike that caught Dick's attention—it was the man sitting in front of her, hands casually resting on the handlebars.
The guy was older, way older. His salt-and-pepper hair, styled to perfection, combined with his weathered leather jacket and smug, cocky grin, made it clear he wasn't some random student. This dude was in his forties, maybe pushing fifty, and everything about him screamed arrogance. His build was solid, clearly the type who spent his free time in a gym. Jess wrapped her arms around his waist, her head resting against his back like she didn't have a care in the world.
"Hey, Dick!" Jen called from across the parking lot, waving her arm.
Dick blinked, caught off guard. People didn't usually remember his name. Then again, it wasn't exactly a name that slipped your mind.
He gave a half-hearted wave, walking toward her as she straddled the motorcycle. The guy in front of her glanced over, his eyes narrowing like he was sizing Dick up.
"You finished the exam already?" Jen asked, a casual smile on her lips. It didn't seem forced this time. "How'd it go?"
"Yeah," Dick replied, shrugging like it hadn't been a big deal. "Wasn't too bad. You?"
Jen opened her mouth to reply, but the man in front of her cut in, his voice thick with condescension. "Wait, your name's really Dick? Gee. Your parents must've hated you."
Dick's jaw tightened, his eyes flicking to the guy's smirk. Typical. He could feel the heat rising in his chest, the anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Yeah," Dick said, forcing a grin. "Guess they had a sense of humor."
The guy chuckled, shaking his head as if he'd heard it all before. "Well, Dick, you might wanna think about getting that changed before you show up anywhere important. Can't imagine anyone taking you seriously with a name like that."
Jen shifted uncomfortably behind him, but didn't say anything. Dick took a breath, keeping his voice steady. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice."
"Yeah, you do that," the man said, revving the engine like it was his way of ending the conversation. "Kid like you should be grateful someone's giving you life tips. You're gonna need 'em."
Dick's fists clenched at his sides, but he didn't rise to the bait. This wasn't the time to lose his cool. He shot a quick glance at Jen, her eyes meeting his briefly before flicking back to the guy in front of her. She didn't look proud of him, but she wasn't going to stand up for him either. Whatever connection they'd made earlier, it was clear where her loyalties lay.
"Good luck with the next one, Dick," Jen said, giving him a softer smile than he'd expected. "Maybe I'll see you around."
"Yeah," Dick muttered, backing away from the bike, his teeth grinding as he turned to leave. "Maybe."
The roar of the motorcycle engine echoed behind him as they took off, leaving him standing alone in the lot. He watched them go, his chest tightening with frustration.