Level Up!

Hugo sat in the Lambo, his face split into a wide grin as he checked the system notification. 

[Challenge Complete: Open 50 Women! Distributing reward: 

Host has received 20 UHS Credits.

Host has received One Alpha stat point.

Host has Unlocked Achievement!

Host has leveled up!] 

He couldn't believe it; he'd actually done it! Sure, he'd stumbled and mumbled his way through most of them, but a win was a win!

He had approached more women today than he had done in his whole life combined!

This was growth! His first level up!

Sanchez, who was scrolling through his phone, looked over with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you smiling like a fool in my car? Did you just discover that you're actually funny?"

"No, no! I completed the challenge!" Hugo beamed, practically bouncing in his seat.

Sanchez chuckled. "Challenge? What challenge?"

Hugo, realising his slip up, hurriedly waved his hands. "Its nothing, just a way I found to motivate myself." 

'With this stat, I'm going to test out my new abilities. It's time for some serious improvement!'

He imagined himself walking up to the next woman he saw, exuding pure confidence like a well-groomed lion.

He thought back to his earlier attempts and how they had hilariously backfired. 

Like that time he told a girl she had 'bat-like grace' after tripping over his own feet, or the time he complimented a woman's 'elegant earlobes'—whatever that meant. 

He cringed just thinking about it.

"Right," Sanchez said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Just remember, the main goal is to get rid of your nervousness and work on your confidence through constant practice."

Hugo nodded earnestly. "Got it! I'm ready for this!"

Just then, Hugo spotted a couple of girls walking by and took a deep breath. 

He opened the door, and as he stepped out, he tried to channel his newfound confidence. His inner alpha. He would check the rewards of the level up later, but now...

He was ready to see the power of one stat!

"Alright, Hugo, just be cool," he whispered to himself.

He approached a girl leaning against a lamppost, trying to remember the advice Sanchez had given him. "Hey! You, uh, look like you really know how to light up a room!"

She blinked, utterly bewildered. "What?"

"Uh, I mean… light post!" He winced, mentally slapping himself. "I meant you look great! Like, um, a well-lit bulb!"

She shook her head, laughing lightly as she walked away, leaving Hugo standing there, dazed. 

This was going spectacularly!

He had already known that the alpha stat wouldn't help his terrible communication skills. All he had wanted to see was if there would be a difference in her reaction.

And there was!

She had merely walked away. She hadn't even roasted him. She even laughed!

'Oh boy...'

Hugo turned to try again, feeling more confident than ever. He spotted another girl with a cute beanie leaning on a coffee shop. 

Moving in!

He approached her, attempting a casual lean against the wall—only to lose his balance and thump against the side of the building. "Hey, I'm Hugo! What's your… what's your name?"

"Are you okay?" she asked, clearly concerned but also trying not to laugh.

"Totally!" he chuckled nervously, feeling his face heat up. "So, um, do you like… um… plants? Because you really 'leaf' me speechless."

She just stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing and walking away again.

Hugo finally realized what the alpha stat changed in him. It improved his confidence!

He had noticed that although he said trash just now, he had still said it with a straight face. Unlike before where he looked like he was constipated.

"Great job, Hugo! You really knocked that one out of the park," Sanchez called from the Lambo, barely containing his amusement.

Hugo sighed, walking over and leaning against the car. "This is harder than it looks! I'm never going to get this right!"

Suddenly, a police car pulled up beside them, lights flashing. 

Hugo's heart raced. His eyes widened and he began to sweat. "Oh no, I'm being arrested for being terrible at flirting! What am I gonna do?"

"Calm down, genius," Sanchez said, rolling down the window. "It's probably not about your pick-up lines."

The officer approached, looking stern. "What's going on here?"

Hugo panicked, imagining being dragged off to jail for his 'offensive' attempts at romance. "We were just, uh, checking the air quality… for flowers! You know, environmental awareness!"

The officer raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.

Sanchez couldn't help but laugh, then he said said some things Hugo couldn't hear to the officer and her anger literally dissipated like wind. 

"Right. You boys need to keep it down. I don't want to see you harassing anymore young ladies, got it?" 

She gave Hugo a stare that contained a mix of pity and amusement, although she hid it almost immediately. 

Hugo began to wonder what Sanchez had told her.

Still, he nodded vigorously, feeling a rush of relief as the officer turned to leave. "See? No problem," Sanchez said, grinning at Hugo's panicked expression.

As soon as the officer was gone, Hugo let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. From two places...

"That was terrifying!"

"Just another day in the life of a wannabe alpha," Sanchez said, chuckling. Suddenly, Hugo's system came online, a cheerful notification popping up.

[Ding! System Online: Well done, Hugo! You survived your public embarrassment, and Sanchez showed up to save you. But let's be honest, you were still an epic fail.]

Hugo groaned. "Seriously? Can't a guy get a break?"

Sanchez laughed, slapping him on the back. "At least you're trying, my dude. But maybe let's call it a day before you make things worse."

Hugo sighed, feeling defeated but oddly amused. "Fine, let's head home. I need to regroup and plot my revenge on the dating world."

As he climbed back into the Lambo, Hugo couldn't help but smile. "One day, I'll get this right. Just you wait!"

"Yeah, and when that day comes, I'll be right here, taking notes," Sanchez joked, revving the engine as they sped off down the street.