Hugo leaned on the balcony railing, his fingers tapping nervously. Below, the lively chatter of the pool party echoed through the night.
Bright lights illuminated the pool area, and music thumped rhythmically, setting the mood for a carefree evening.
But up here, away from the crowd, Hugo''s heart was anything but rxed.
He was standing beside Lisa. Lisa, who looked effortlessly stunning even under the dim glow of the moonlight.
Herughter from earlier still lingered in the air, and Hugo''s mind was racing faster than the beats of the music below.
His heart thundered in his chest, his palms sweating like he was waiting for the results of a life-or-death lottery.
''This is it,'' Hugo thought, his lips trembling. "She''s probably thinking, ''You''re the dumbest guy I''ve ever met, Hugo. Also, you''re embarrassing, and your haircut sucks. Why would you even think you stand a chance with me?!''"
His thoughts spiralled, each one more horrifying than thest, making him realize the stupidity of his actions.
He wanted to me the smoke she had given him, but deep down, he knew he had merely spoken what was on his heart.
Lisa chuckled softly, leaning closer to the railing. Her smile was yful, almost mischievous.
"You''re funny, Hugo." Her eyes sparkled as she added, "But tell me, do you think you can handle me?"
The question hit him like a thunderp. His mind went nk, and then chaos erupted inside his brain. ''Handle her? I can barely handle my budget right now! Is this a test? A trick question? Oh no, she''sughing at me inside, isn''t she?''
But then, memories of Sanchez''s advice came rushing back: "Hugo, if a girl asks if you can handle her, you''ve got two choices. Either go all alpha with an aggressive, confident ''Yes,'' or hit her with a smooth, ''Wanna find out?''"
Hugo''s entire body tensed. This was his moment. There was no room for hesitation.
He activated Aura of Persuasion, the warm, golden energy washing over him as his confidence skyrocketed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
His lips curled into what he hoped was a smirk, and with a low, suave voice, he replied, "Wanna find out?"
His voice came out deeper, smoother, oozing the confidence he didn''t feel.
The moment hung in the air like a live wire. Lisa''sughter stopped. She turned to him, her expression unreadable, and stared straight into his eyes.
The music from the pool seemed distant now, drowned out by the pounding of Hugo''s heart.
Seconds stretched into an eternity. Hugo kept his gaze locked with hers, though internally, he was screaming. ''Say something, Lisa! Anything! Are you impressed? Angry? nning my funeral?!''
Finally, Lisa gave a faint smile and straightened up. "I''m feeling a bit tired. I think I''ll call it a night."
Hugo''s soul left his body. His bravado crumbled like a dry biscuit in hot tea. He stood there frozen, a forced grin stered on his face. "Oh, uh, yeah, of course. Rest is… important." His voice cracked slightly. "Good night, Lisa."
She nodded, her smile polite but distant, and left the balcony, leaving Hugo alone with his thoughts.
Hugo staggered into the guest room Sanchez had assigned him, closing the door behind him with a dramatic sigh. He slumped against the wall, staring at the ceiling as his thoughts raced with despair.
"Cursed. I''m cursed. That''s the only exnation!" he groaned, dragging his hands down his face. "I was this close! The Aura of Persuasion was even active! How did I mess that up?"
He paced the room, gesturing wildly to no one in particr. "Tired? Really? She didn''t even yawn! She probably thought, ''Who is this idiot with his stupid ''wanna find out'' line?'' Ugh, Sanchez, you betrayed me with bad advice!"
Copsing onto the bed, Hugo buried his face in the pillow. "I should be out there, basking in the glow of Lisa''s radiant smile and the warmth of her soft kisses. Instead, I''m here, alone, with only my crippling embarrassment forpany!"
Just as he prepared to wallow in self-pity all night, a loud ding echoed in his mind. He sat up, startled, as a holographic screen appeared before him.
[Ding! System Event: Throttle the Thot!]
[Objective: Perform one sexual act with Lisa!]
[Event Rewards!]
[Instant Level Up!]
Hugo stared at the notification, his jaw dropping. He blinked several times, hoping he''d read it wrong. "Throttle the what now?!"
His hands flew to his head as he paced again, muttering furiously. "This is impossible! She just told me she''s tired! How am I supposed to ''throttle the thot'' when the thot doesn''t want to be throttled?! System, you''re the stingiest piece of—"
The screen blinked again.
[Reminder: Failure toplete the event will result in a reduction of 1 level!]
Hugo froze mid step, his eyes narrowing. "You''re punishing me now? For not… throttling someone? Are you serious, System?! That''s just evil!"
His mind raced as he flopped back onto the bed. "Okay, calm down, Hugo. You can figure this out. Lisa said she''s tired, but maybe she''s just ying hard to get. Or maybe…"
His voice trailed off as desperation crept in. "Maybe she''s already asleep. Oh gods, this is hopeless."
He grabbed a pillow and screamed into it. "WHY IS MY LIFE LIKE THIS?!"
Sitting up again, he rubbed his temples, a new wave of determination flooding him. "No. I can''t give up. The System wouldn''t give me this event if it were impossible… right? There''s got to be a way."
He began formting ns, each more ridiculous than thest. "Maybe I can ask Sanchez for advice again. Or—no, he''dugh at me for hours then faint 3 more times. Maybe I can—"
His eyes lit up, a spark of hope igniting. He clenched his fist and stood, his voice resolute.
"This night isn''t over. Lisa, you might''ve dodged me once, but I''m not giving up! Not with a level on the line!"
He was going to throttle the thot whether the tot wanted to be throttled!
_____
Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS- 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!