PUA Points: 58100
Sitting on his bed, Ben stared at this number displayed on his blue system screen for a long time. "I finally did it…"
He'd been saving for what felt like ages to reach this checkpoint. So now that he'd arrived, the natural result should've been for him to feel excitement. Yet, what Ben experienced first, was instead anxiety, because he now had expectations. He couldn't help considering what would happen if he navigated to the store, and there wasn't anything good there!
Ben had built up his hopes on this 50000 mark for so long, believing it'd be worth it if he could only see what item would become available to him, but that was only a guess. So what if he'd just wasted all that time?
Wouldn't that be anti-climactic? Wouldn't it be unsatisfying? Wouldn't it be like the last unwatchable season of a once-popular TV series that was about to get canceled?
…
Ben's face turned pale. He couldn't afford to get canceled! He wouldn't be queuing up for new auditions while waiting tables. No, this was his little life at stake! There would be no agent or manager to save him. His next job might be rimming devils in hell!
…
Even so, Ben only possessed one option. He had to open the chiming front door, hoping he wouldn't get trolled by some children or childish adults with a flaming bag of poop…
So, after preparing his mind, he navigated to the system's Store screen, and put everything on the line! All of the high stakes he created in his imagination!
*Gasp*
Yet, this time, he wasn't disappointed, because there…it was.
[Top Level Mystery Box: 50000 points – Contains a random item anywhere from rare to mythical grade]
'Mythical grade…' Ben gulped. He couldn't fathom what that would be like. After all, he hadn't even seen legendary yet. The only thing he was confident about though, was it would be astonishing. The epic items he'd received were all life-changers, let alone legendary, and mythical was even a tier beyond that. Immediately, Ben's instinct was singular: 'Buy it!'
Yet he stopped himself right before he did, because this decision was too important. This was 50000 points he was gambling! Who knew how long it'd take him to gather so many again? So Ben slowed down, analyzing his options. After all, there was also the high level mystery box. In fact, he could buy ten of them.
[High Level Mystery Box: 5000 points – Contains a random item anywhere from uncommon to legendary grade]
Without a doubt, this item was also very good, with chances to get epic or legendary items, and much cheaper. However, that word kept sticking in Ben's mind: 'Mythical…'
Without having to think about it much, he understood why the top level box cost ten times as much—access to the mythical possibility!
From his experience in how much stronger the items became with each additional tier, he made a rough guess as to how strong a mythical item would be. His guess was that he had no f*cking idea!
It was unfathomable!
That's how strong it would be. So he understood that even a small chance of attaining such an item was priceless! Although he wasn't sure, he believed there was a high chance this was the highest tier and at least by name, it seemed it would deliver something out of myths. It might be something that a person couldn't buy anywhere in the universe, only offered to Ben because of his system. Hence, how could he not develop a strong desire for it?
In addition, there was another noteworthy bonus to the top level mystery box: It increased the worst possible draw from uncommon to rare. It even skipped over the entire fine tier. With this box, the chances were much higher to get an epic or better, since the remaining tiers were rare, epic, legendary, and mythical. Although Ben didn't know the odds, it was clear they were much better than with the high level box. Still, he couldn't doubt that if he bought the top level box and received a rare item, it would be an enormous loss…
Ben shuddered as he considered that worst-case scenario. It already pained him just thinking about it. As such, he couldn't be rash with this choice. Sitting on his bed, sometimes standing, sometimes walking in circles, he mulled over the pros and cons, until after a long while…he came to a selection.
Standing up, Ben inhaled a deep breath, as he accepted and finalized his decision. "I…want to f*ck a catgirl…"
In the end, the word mythical made Ben imagine he'd somehow have a higher chance of meeting elegant elves, nekos, and other mythical beauties. There was nothing to suggest such a thing, nothing at all…but Ben didn't need proof.
Reason was not necessary here. No, the otaku bible always preached faith…
So as a true believer, Ben would of course go with his hearts…
Thus, after preparing himself and almost chickening out several times, he stared hard at the top level mystery box, his expression filled with a mix of excitement, fear, and perversion…until finally, he bought it!
*Swoosh*
As the top level box materialized in his hands, Ben panted, not daring to blink. After all, he'd invested all of his retirement fund that he'd saved up working the night shift with his penis…
So when the box appeared in his hands, he gazed at it like it was the treasure itself. The square shape, was something he was familiar with, nothing special, but the color, was enough to prove its value. Purple and lustrous, the box carried the regal elegance of a treasure that suited an emperor! Ben almost couldn't bear to open it, but changed his mind in a hurry when he thought about a girl with sexy bunny ears…
A depraved impatience to open the box almost took over his body…but another part of him was still afraid. "Please don't drop a rare…"
He didn't know the chance of that, but if it was like lower tiered boxes, the highest probability item to drop would be rare. However, Ben couldn't afford that!
It took him a while to once again silence his doubts, but he knew he needed to take the final step since he'd already come this far. Rubbing the smooth warm side of the purple box, Ben knew it wouldn't change anything if he waited longer. Thus, after clawing marks into his knee from the tension, Ben pulled himself together, and did what needed to be done. This was the most expensive gamble of his life, but it was an inevitable one. So soon after, Ben gritted his teeth…and opened the box!
Purple light flooded the room!
Covering his narrowed eyes with his hand, when he saw that the light wasn't dazzlingly bright, the kind of flash that came out only when a top item dropped, Ben knew he didn't get a mythical item…and couldn't help feeling as if a piece of his heart was torn out. "My monster girls…"
His search for beast-women would not reach a satisfying conclusion today…
Yet, things got even worse. When Ben saw the item he'd received, his face sank like Jack at the end of Titanic because Rose decided to womanspread on floating debris…
Ben's chest filled with dread and loss. "What the hell is this?!?"
In his hand, was a palm-sized shamrock-colored item in the shape of a thick oval-leaf, with mysterious ridges and lines on it. Ben had never seen anything like it. Yet, this was a f*cking leaf!
So how could his first thought not be of how worthless it was? Yet, when he watched the item fade in his hands, becoming invisible…before soon gaining visibility again, repeating this cycle like it was breathing, it piqued his interest. There was definitely something extraordinary about this item, he just didn't know what yet.
So Ben did the only sensible thing, and read the system description.
[Energy Transferring Magical Leaf(Item, Legendary) x1 – A mystical leaf from a spiritual tree grown by an ancient sect of tantric yogis. It is composed of energy and possesses unique properties]
When Ben saw it was legendary, he stopped breathing! Then, as if confirming the special status of the item, for the first time, the system even elaborated on its description.
[The following are the properties of the item]
[First: It can be bound to a host, attuning to their energy to give them full control of its capabilities]
[Second: Due to its energy composition, the host can choose to make it undetectable to all senses for everyone except the host]
[Third: The host can make it adhere to physical objects]
[Fourth: The host can materialize and dematerialize it within 5 feet]
[Fifth: The item can release its stored energy. This can create an effect of vigorous stimulation to all living matter within a very small area, and as long as the host is within 50 feet of the item, they are able to control the magnitude as well as pause and resume the stimulation]
[The following are also limitations of the item]
[First limitation: Once the hosts activates the energy release, whether or not the usage releases all the energy, it will continue to dissipate until the energy reserves are empty]
[Second limitation: Once the energy reserves are empty, the host must charge the leaf for a minimum of seven days with his energy by keeping it dematerialized during that time between uses]
[Third limitation: If the energy leaf touches living matter while activated, it will connect its energy signature to that living being and no longer be effective on another lifeform until it is recharged]
Ben blinked repeatedly as he stared at these words for a long time. There was a lot of information but two words in particular kept his attention through the whole read-through: "Vigorous stimulation…"
He repeated those words several times, before reaching sudden enlightenment, and gasping….
'Great Poseidon's crabs…is this a remote-controlled sex toy?!? …An invisible one I can put on women using my mind?!?'
…
Ben read and reread the description several times, but he was pretty sure…that's exactly what this was! 'What yogis? The creators of this thing were a bunch of perverts!'
Even so, Ben couldn't help but laugh with joy, because not only did he receive something that seemed extremely useful, but it was a legendary item! Those 50000 points weren't spent in vain! In fact, Ben was a bit surprised it took so long for him to receive a sex toy from the system, but better late than vanilla…
However, he did find the description a bit unclear. There was various information about energy and while he understood it in theory, it was still difficult to grasp the exact effect. As a result, Ben believed there was only one thing to do.
Holding the mysterious leaf in his hand as it seemed to fade in and out of existence, Ben knew his next move—become its master!
[Detected boundable item in the user's possession. Would you like to bind Energy Transferring Magical Leaf(Item, Legendary)?]
Selecting yes with his mind, he watched as the leaf began to glow.
[Binding commencing]
Ben could tell it was changing its nature somehow, altering something about its fundamental properties, until a few seconds later when it stopped giving off that feeling, and Ben squinted at the leaf. Now, although its appearance hadn't changed, it seemed very different to his senses somehow. In fact, while continuing to look at it, Ben found it more and more familiar, as if he was glancing at a relative…
[Binding of item completed]
After that notification, Ben experienced a strange sensation. It was like a thin string connected his mind to the leaf, and he even became aware that he could send it commands, with several appearing in his mind.
Now though, he knew there was still an important step remaining. With the description still being a bit vague, Ben wouldn't dare use this on someone if he didn't know the effect. So of course, he needed to test it, and not wanting to harm anyone, at least until a faceslap was setup properly…Ben decided to go by the usual script. He'd follow a plot he recalled seeing in some movie somewhere, but couldn't remember which.
What was the plot? Simple–he'd test the unknown magical item on himself first…
What could go wrong?
——
*Author's Note: A much longer chapter for you all to thank you for your continued support π