The next few days were a blur of half-starts and near misses. I was running on caffeine and adrenaline, constantly checking my phone as if the screen held the answers to the universe. Sofia’s presence lingered in my thoughts like a shadow I couldn’t shake. I hadn’t been rejected outright, but I hadn’t exactly won, either. I was stuck in purgatory.
And the System was getting impatient.
I was walking across campus, heading toward my usual coffee spot, when my phone vibrated violently in my pocket.
[Ding! Mission Update] Time Remaining: 4 Days, 12 Hours Warning: Slow progress detected. Directive: Accelerate strategy immediately. Reminder: Failure Penalty = Permanent Erectile Dysfunction.
I froze on the sidewalk, people streaming around me. Accelerate strategy.
The System treated human interaction like a code to be cracked. It didn’t understand that I couldn’t just walk up to a woman like Sofia Aldridge and demand her attention. I had to be subtle. I had to be smart.
But subtlety was taking too long.
I caught my reflection in a shop window. Pale skin, tired eyes, messy hair. The artificial confidence the System had injected into me was starting to fray at the edges. I looked like a guy who was in over his head. Because I was.
That evening, I tracked Sofia to The Obsidian, a dimly lit, high-end bar where she often held informal meetings. The System had flagged the location an hour ago.
I stood outside, smoothing down my shirt with sweating palms. This was it. No more "bumping into her." No more coincidences.
I pushed open the heavy oak doors.
The air inside was cool and smelled of aged whiskey. I scanned the room and found her immediately. She was at a corner table, flanked by two older men in sharp suits. Her hair was pulled back in a severe, elegant ponytail, and she was speaking with the kind of quiet authority that made everyone else lean in.
She didn’t notice me.
I walked toward the bar, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
The bartender gave me a skeptical once-over, clearly wondering if I was lost, but I ignored him. I wasn’t here for a drink.
As I turned toward Sofia’s table, the System whispered in my ear.
[Ding! Charisma Boost Activated] [Skill Unlocked: Flirtation Tactics (Level 1)]
Flirtation Tactics?
I took a deep breath. The heat spread through my chest, steadying my hands. It was time to stop playing the helpful acquaintance. It was time to be bold.
I walked straight to her table and slid into the empty seat across from her without asking.
The two men stiffened, their conversation cutting off abruptly. One of them opened his mouth to object, but Sofia held up a hand. She didn’t look surprised. She looked... resigned.
"You have a lot of nerve," she said, her voice cool. "We’re in the middle of a meeting."
I didn’t apologize. The System pushed me forward, feeding me lines I would never have dared to say on my own.
"I’m not here to interrupt," I said, leaning forward, my voice dropping an octave. "I’m here to save you from a boring conversation."
One of the men scoffed. "Who is this kid?"
Don’t hesitate.
"You’re crossing a line," she said, her voice quiet and dangerous. "I don’t know who you think you are, but you are not familiar enough to touch me."
VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: My Milf Conqueror System