New Challenge New Approach

Ortega walked down the well-lit hallway with a calm and unhurried pace. As he sluggishly trudged past several doors, his face contorted into a frown and he hissed, touching his cheeks.

His tanned cheeks bore the imprint of a four-line mark, giving the skin on both sides of his face a reddish hue.

Ortega's eyes squinted as he winced at the pain, his lips slightly parted.

He chuckled to himself, "Women's palms are so soft, but damn, they can slap hard..."

The hallway was quiet except for the sound of Ortega's footsteps echoing through the corridor.

His mind went back to what happened after he had given his 'well-calculated explanation.'

He smiled bitterly upon recalling the memory and sighed, "I'm such a knucklehead, believing Doc wanted to kiss me. I should have known better." Ortega rubbed his face as he cringed, "Why is my luck with women so terrible?"

He opened the door to the cubicles and walked inside, his appearance caused a stir and the women murmured noisily, looking at him pitifully as he made his way to work.

"At least, she bought my excuse," Ortega smirked as he turned on his computer. He had told the truth but seasoned it with lies.

He knew the situation he underwent was akin to a seizure and since he was perfectly healthy, he figured the best explanation would be telling Sylvia he was non-epileptic, as he knew that people suffering from this ailment were without the unusual brain activity characterized by epilepsy, rather its symptoms were purely manifested in emotional distress.

There was no way Sylvia would know he wasn't traumatized if he kept on playing the part.

It was the perfect lie.

Ortega understood that the system's existence could not be revealed and he reasoned that no one would believe him even if he wanted to tell the truth. His situation was too absurd as it defied all logic, so lying was the only way to keep his secret.

Thinking about the system reminded him of one thing though; he hadn't checked up on his progress!

He was certain a thing or two must've changed since the last time, so without wasting any more time, Ortega quickly glanced around to make sure no one was watching. Though his space provided ample privacy with its smooth wooden wall-like separations that obstructed prying eyes, Ortega decided he couldn't take any more risks, especially now that he was the trending topic in BeautyPlus.

"Let's see what's new and popping," Ortega grinned as he summoned the interface, feeling a surge of excitement. There was a certain joy that came whenever he opened the system, which was why he had told himself not to do it when around others.

He didn't want anything to interrupt the moment. Sure, no one could see the blue-hued hologram except him, but they could observe his facial expressions as he interacted with it and easily discern something was up.

{Loading new data...}

{Since you've successfully made an enemy with a superior, it is only right that I sharpen up my features to help you better accommodate this new challenge.}

{Please wait, this could take up to five minutes.}

{4%...6%...}

"Wait, what? Is this some sort of upgrade?" Ortega instinctively questioned, not expecting a direct answer.

{No, it is merely an adjustment. I am the system AI, and I evolve with the actions of the host.}

To Ortega's bewilderment, a voice said to him. It had mechanical undertones, and he heard whirs behind the pronunciation of each sound. Moreover, the voice sounded feminine.

He wasn't surprised because the system spoke, rather it was of the fact that it responded to his question. The experience was a first for him since he had gotten the system, as he couldn't remember the last time something similar happened.

Most of the time, the system only spoke when making announcements, quotes and quest descriptions. He had never thought it could actually converse with him.

"Wait a minute, I've read about this in a webnovel, it's—"

{And this is why I didn't want to talk. For someone intelligent, you come to the most ridiculous realizations. How can I be compared to a wacky representation of fiction?!}

"Did it just get angry at me?" Ortega wondered with fascination.

{What? You think you humans are the only ones capable of expressing emotions?}

The voice smugly responded, startling Ortega.

"What the hell? You can read my thoughts?"

{You got that one right. Closet perv!}

"Hey! That's fucked up!" Ortega had blurted out the words in a fit of provocation and everyone heard. A chain-reaction of murmurs echoed through the hall, causing a vein to pop on Ortega's forehead.

"Shit, he's losing it."

"But the doctor said he's okay."

"Could it be that her diagnosis was flawed?"

"Are you nuts? She's the best of the best!"

"We should check on him, he could be having another episode."

"Poor guy."

Ortega gritted his teeth as he heard what the women were saying about him. He gave the system AI a hateful look, "Look what you've caused."

{Me? You were the one who yelled!}

Ortega dismissed the system AI and stood up so that everyone could see him. "Ladies! I am fine alright, there's no need to bother. I was only making a phone call as you can see." He said, waving his phone for emphasis. Deep down, Ortega was annoyed. He hated being perceived as someone who needed "help".

"Oh, ok."

"Understood."

"Take care then."

Majority of the women said almost at the same time, only a few watched him in silent observation.

When the approaching women had turned and went back to their seats, Ortega released the breath he was holding and slumped back to his chair.

He looked at the ceiling, "Could this day get any worse?"

{Oh it sure can. You should always expect the worst, Omega.}

The voice came back, teasing him.

"Fool! That was a rhetorical question." Ortega snapped, then calmed down. The stress was eating him alive. Oh! How he hated his reputation at work.

"Let's get back to why I summoned you in the first place. Is the loading complete?"

{See for yourself.}

Ortega raised an eyebrow, "Rude." Then checked the loading status, it was complete! Ortega rubbed his palms together and finally opened the system;

Host: Ortega Dike

Age: 21

Rank: Omega

Title(s): Diligent Employee {Boon: When equipped, your problem-solving, adaptability, and creative skills are enhanced by ×2.}

{Limitation(s): You can only equip this title thrice a month for an hour. [Uses left: 2]

Your other skill levels will be diminished completely while this title is equipped and for an additional 30 minutes after it is deactivated.}

Occupation: Marketer

Status: Employed

Net Worth: -$2,000 {Remark: You are shameless.}

Salary: N/A

Attractiveness: 6(+1)/10

Talent(s): Intellectual (basic level 8-----> Intermediate level 1)

Your skills and talent have improved!

Your talent (Intellectual) has levelled up to (Erudite!)

Achievement unlocked! Level up a talent.

Reward: +20 Exp

Gift of Gab (basic level 7)

Skill(s): Creativity (basic level 4-----> basic level 5), Social Skills (basic level 5), Problem-Solving (basic level 5-----> basic level 6), Leadership (basic level 1), Adaptability (basic level 7-----> basic level 8)

Trait(s): Average looks, fluent and better erudition.

Active Quest(s): Improve work relationships

Target(s): Gabriella Sinclair

Marital status: Single

Attraction stage: Initial attraction stage

Level of approval: 35%

{Time left: 13 days}

Punishment: Job loss.

Reward: ???

Alert!

New hidden Quest: You have developed a feud with a superior. However, to be frank, your dirt on her isn't so solid, wise dumbass.

Your Challenge: Find a way to regain control.

Target: Sylvia Browne

Time Left: 3 days

Punishment: Job loss

Reward: ???