The System In My Head

What is charisma?

Getting that number got him excited, but Ben knew to stop when ahead. Beluga advised him after getting the number he had to go out. It's always best to go with a high note. So Ben said goodbye quickly and left.

Beluga and Antonio smiled with a pleasant surprise. They didn't expect Ben to get a phone number on their second day together. Plus, the girl is sexy!

"Good, because!" Antonio congratulated.

Beluga nodded many times as a tribute.

Ben told me what happened to them. When they heard him claim to be Otaku, their eyebrows shot up to their hairline. Ben's unorthodox opener and the girl's response are like a nerd's wet dream. That's not typical. You could say Ben was lucky, but the always elusive luck was only captured by those who took the risk of chasing him.

It was nearing sunset in the park so they called it a day, agreeing to meet again next week. Ben is tired and wants to open a new Mystery Box so he returns to his dorm.

Walking onto the subway, Ben's mind couldn't stop thinking about the contents of his Mystery Box... So far he had only gotten consumables, but there were probably many other types of items that he hadn't seen. He wondered about it. 'I can imagine some real-world items. Could there be ... skills?'

She licked her lips in anticipation.

***

Ben sat on his little double bed while staring at the screen of his system. His feet involuntarily knocked on the floor with rhythm as he was in the middle of a difficult decision. "850 points...The system mentions hiding some store items until I have enough points. Should I save up to 1000 first?"

"...No, I only have 16 days left. Last time I didn't get a point for a week. Who knows how long it will take. I need to use the potential profit now." He settled.

Opening the Shop screen, Ben used 500 points to purchase a Low-Level Mystery Box. It appeared on his lap and he opened it. Ben knew now to close his eyes, only opening them after a few seconds when the light died down. He saw familiar stuff.

"Other Stat Growth Multipliers?" Ben wasn't sure how he felt. It was useful, but it was hard to say whether he could make a significant enough profit to change his fortunes in two weeks. Even if it was to be seen again, he suspected he had gained at most 1 point, as he had already eaten up an easy beginner advantage the previous week when he lost his stack. She knows losing fat is much easier than gaining muscle.

The only difference Ben noticed was that this card had a different color: light blue. He touched it and a new pop-up appeared.

[Medium Level Growth Multiplier (Consumption, Rare, Charisma) x1]

"Karisma..great once—" He froze like a deer in the headlights.

"Wait..." He researched the screen information again word for word.

"Middle Level! Rare!" Ben stood up and sighed.

"Oh my God!" Will it do what he thinks? He asked the system and verified it.

"Yes! 100x!" This card will multiply the result by 100x!

Ben counting. "That means for 7 days, I will get results worth almost 2 YEARS?!?"

"BINGO!" He danced and performed karate moves around the room!

*Turning*

Fariq goes in to uncover Ben in the middle..a Hadouken? Her eyes widened...

"That's a nice Hadouken bro!" Fariq.

"Thank you guys!" His roommate even has good taste! It's Ben's day!

The two roommates rarely met. The previous weeks at university kept them both busy, Fariq with studying and Ben with not dying. Ben wanted to catch up, but this was not the time, so he made small talk and excused himself to get some fresh air.

The egg-colored walls in the hallway of the dorm are full of new pamphlets and information bulletins, but Ben's attention is too excessive to read them. He was still recovering from the shock of receiving that mid-tier item.

Ben didn't know if the system was helping him or heaven was siding with him, but if he could use the Stat Growth Multiplier well, it might give him a chance to profit! This is what he needs!

The charisma is 0 so there is a big room for improvement.

Every activity related to charisma that he did would result in earth-shattering growth. Just ... Why can't he think about it?

'Now I think about it.What is charisma?' Ben scratched his head. He paced the hallway while considering it, steps forward with uncertain steps on the brown carpet. He lost track of the outside world as he dug into his ideas, but after some time, he still could not understand them.

It was not a simple stat like appearance. How do you describe it? Sighing, Ben planned to ask his system, but he first wanted to know how society defined it. Out of her previous trance, she walked to the elevator as she pulled out her phone and searched.

One definition he found was: "The miracle of personal leadership that evokes loyalty or popular enthusiasm specific to public figures (such as political leaders)." (1)

Ben shook his head, "I'm not a politician. Next."

Another definition is: "You say that someone has charisma when they can attract, influence, and inspire people with their personal qualities." (2)

That confused Ben. "Didn't everyone who influences people use their personal qualities? Personal quality it attached—no one can avoid its use...Hid. I still don't understand." He's looking for another.

"The singular, indescribable, intangible quality that a girl has with a big jug."

...

Ben sees the source: the author of "wetcoaster" in an urban dictionary.

'...Well, I can't argue with it, but it still doesn't help me.' He sighed. 'OKAY. Let's move on to the system definition.'

...

Only after speaking to the system did he understand it. Charisma is a multiplier on all its statistics.

It's similar to how attraction starts at the beginning, then seduction skills can increase attraction from there. All his other stats are basic, and charisma is a soft skill expressed through communication, which increases his statistical effectiveness in attracting and influencing others.

Communication can occur through speech or body language. His appearance alone can even give an impression of charisma when people look at him, which multiplies the appeal of his appearance. That's an incredible statistic!

With the charisma of 0 Ben, he received no multipliers at all. Meanwhile, someone with marginal charisma can have all the other stats that are identical to Ben's, but destroy him in every social activity!

That's why you have some media personality with mediocre looks or communication skills that are still very popular.

Even by definition, Ben's main problem still exists. How can he increase his charisma?

*ding*

He looked up from his phone to see the elevator door open.

*ding*

The elevator door closed, but Ben was still standing outside, not yet in. The leaflets mounted on the side of the elevator had blown him away.

The leaflet read, "Seminar on Motivation."

Ben gasps...

"That's it!" he yelled.