Ben stared into the bathroom mirror and didn't recognize the person looking back.
"Holy sh*t!"
He wasn't a fatty anymore! In only one week, all the fat came off. What's more is his muscles were chiseled. He was lean, not huge like a bodybuilder, but he looked like an athlete! Ben had gone to the gym every day. Yesterday, he trained for 3 hours before becoming exhausted. These were the inevitable results from training like an animal.
This is what 10 weeks of hard work in the gym could do! Ben felt lucky the Stat Multiplier was for Looks and not another stat. If it was for knowledge or communication, it would be difficult to say if he could make a significant leap. After all, people study for years to get entry-level degrees. Meanwhile, 10 weeks in the gym is enough time to make a total physical transformation.
His face also appeared somewhat more attractive. Although it was only average, at least he was part of the single chin club now. Too bad he couldn't do anything about his height. No doubt his style could use a lot of work too.
Ben checked his stats. He had received several alerts before.
[Looks: 5 - You're short and have idiotic hair. Your body is decent though so targeting blind women is an option. Just don't let them touch your hair]
Ben started flexing in the mirror. "Yes! Blind women will do just fine!"
[Charisma: 0 - This is still at leper level]
"...I need to take a leadership class."
[Social Status: 2 - Students are our future. Too bad we live in the present.]
[Seduction skills: 0 - Consider blow-up dolls]
"I can't afford one!"
[Knowledge: 4 - Entry-level student]
[Manliness: 3 - Congratulations. Both balls have dropped]
…Ben was about to celebrate that he also gained two points in manliness, but then he read that damn message! Still, this was a good thing. After asking the system, he learned his physical transformation only increased his manliness by one point. The act of going to the gym every day got him the other point. Manliness was a stat that increased by doing things the system considered "Manly," and some of those activities needed to be done on a regular basis. As for a list of what those were, sorry. This system wasn't nice enough to give him such a thing.
[Communication: 3 - You can speak...with the eloquence of a child. Are you a child? A cute little baby? ...No? ...Why not?]
"...Snort. I'm a big boy."
[Personal talent: 2 - Waste level]
…While reading the status screen was as soul-crushing as ever, Ben still felt great about his growth. He saw the potential in the system because he gained 5 stat points in a week! If he kept gaining stat points at this rate, wouldn't he one day be strong, tall, and handsome like Batman? Even if he couldn't become tall, then at least Wolverine!
As long as he survived this month, this system would be the key to his future! Besides the stats, Ben had other gains too.
[Weekly Challenge: It's a numbers game - Open 100 women]
[Reward: Stat Point(Random) x1]
[Completion status: 87/100]
Ben had been busy. Between school and working out, he went to crowded places in Manhattan and approached women to progress in the Weekly Challenge. He even had some results! Although they rejected him every time, he noticed that as the days progressed, the responses became not as bad. In the last couple of days, he even almost didn't receive slaps or drinks to the face!
...Not many slaps or drinks at all!
...Only a few times!
Towards the end, one girl even laughed like it was a joke! When she realized Ben was serious, it became even weirder, but it was a good beginning!
The reason for the better responses was obvious—his looks were improving. 'These girls only care about looks…' thought the man approaching women telling them he loved their tits.
It was unfortunate that Ben hadn't unlocked any new achievements, but that wasn't something he could control.
[PUA Points: 350]
He had 350 points but still needed another 150 to use them.
After reviewing his progress, Ben was pumped up. He decided to go to the gym. Even though his Multiplier had expired, he tasted the sweet gains and wanted more even if it took much longer. He also knew that getting fit didn't mean he would stay that way if he did nothing. A good body still needed maintenance. Besides, Ben's new fitness goals were still far away.
Training was impossible for him before. Now, he enjoyed it. The thing with habits is they're hard to form but much easier to maintain once you go through the challenging early phase. Ben was lucky to have a Stat Growth Multiplier for that.
***
Ben was in the gym training on a weight machine. He finished his set of exercises when he heard the laughter of several people at the entrance. He turned to see it was Tyler and one of his friends. They had dark bags under their eyes, taking unsteady steps as if half asleep. Ben could tell they had been partying and were hungover from the night before. In fact, there was a high chance they were only here to detox in the sauna. When Ben got a closer look at Tyler though, his eyebrows rose.
Tyler wasn't any skinnier. No, he was even fatter! Since they made the bet, Ben hadn't seen Tyler in the gym even once and now knew why. It was freshman week. Every year at this time, the first year students had many parties, and it was clear Tyler had indulged too much.
Ben glanced at Tyler's gut as he staggered around the gym like a zombie. Then Ben looked at his own muscular arms. He squeezed his biceps and realized that things were different now…He wasn't the weak one anymore!
Ben smirked and walked over to Tyler, blocking his path as Tyler did to him last week. "Tyler, it's time to check the results…"
This sudden intrusion surprised Tyler. He squinted at Ben. The hair looked a bit familiar, but he didn't recognize this short athletic guy. "Huh? Who're you?"
"…Who am I?" It took Ben a few seconds to understand that Tyler didn't recognize him.
Then, Ben's grin grew wider.
"I'M YOUR DADDY BISH!"