Chapter 19: The Power of Deception I

Mikey’s eyes caught sight of nothing but pitch-blackness of the game menu. His mind drifted, searching for answers.

‘T-The hell?’

The last thing he remembered was being lost in the best night of his life with Nemphis. And then—just as he reached his climax— the ultimate moment- everything faded. Now, he was back at the game menu.

‘Dammnit!’ He yelled.

Before he could process it further, the system interface flickered to life, ringing afromt of him with a soft ding.

[Ding!]

[Objective: Seduce Nemphis.Do not cum until she does.]

[Progress: Completed!]

However, his mind was no more near the current message which displayed afront of him. Rather, it was highly infuriated.

‘Did this game seriously just pull me out right when I was about to cum?’

It wasn’t just insulting—it was heartbreaking. The climax was the best part of sex, the moment of pure satisfaction, and now it had been stolen from him. Just like that.

A surge of frustration welled up inside him, his teeth grinding slightly.

‘This damn system…’

But his thoughts were cut off as another notification popped up, this one gaining his attention.

[Rewards will now be distributed to player.]

He exhaled, forcing himself to calm down. No use getting angry if there were rewards to claim.

Then, one after the other, the system popped up several texts.

[Reward 1: +1 Increase in All Player Stats]

[Reward 2: +2 Increase in dick Size]

He raised an eyebrow, slightly impressed by the reward.

‘Hmm. Not bad.’

Though those were decent rewards, he was waiting for the real prize- the real reason he had accepted the mission in the first place.

[Reward 3: +10 Soul Cores recieved.]

His heart leaped. Excitement filled him as he processed the implications.

‘Ten Soul Cores… that’s roughly 100 dollars.’

A grin crept onto his face. If this turns out to be real, I might’ve just found the easiest way to make money. Not just that—he could level up, just like those overpowered web novel protagonists he had read about.

The thought thrilled him.

The feeling and rush of possibilities consumed him and his thoughts.

‘This system… It’s actually real.’

Still, something nagged at him. His mission had been cut short the moment he finished the objective.

‘Hmm…So does that mean if I wish to complete the experience, I have to do that before I complete whatever task I’m given?’

That was a crucial piece of information. Atleast now, he knew exactly what to expect from the system, just enough to comprehend how to execute his coming missions.

Right then, a thought crossed his mind, and he smirked.

‘I actually have a real system. Just like those web novel MCs.’

The realization sent a shiver down his spine.

‘So…If I play this right… I can become ridiculously powerful…Like that Duo leveling character.’

But first, he needed to test one thing. Everything else might have added up, but all that was left to clearify was the-

‘Store.’

The moment he thought of it, the system responded, opening the Store Menu in front of him.

Rows of tempting items filled the interface—weapons, skills, stat boosts. His eyes skimmed past them, searching for something specific as he scrolled through the menu.

Then, at last, he found it.

[Exchange Soul Cores for Money.]

[Balance: 12 Soul Cores.]

‘That’s about 120 dollars.’

He paused, considering.

‘120 bucks… That’s enough to cover a few nights out. Lunch money. Hell, I earned this just by shagging a milf and a virgin.’ He shook his head, grinning.

It was almost too good to be true. And without a doubt, that was the best option to select- but then, something else caught his eye.

[Exchange Soul Cores for Skills.]

His eyes quickly scanned through the list until it was set on one telling skill.

[Deceptive Reasoning.]

A small INFO button appeared beside it.

‘Info.’

[Ding!]

[Deceptive Reasoning: Enhances the player’s ability to deceive, manipulate, and persuade. Increases social cunning, allowing for more effective negotiation, bluffing, and influence. This skill does not improve academic intellect but sharpens strategic thinking in interactions.]

His eyes widened.

‘Holy shit…’

As tempting as it sounded, the price tag for this skill set was a hundred Soul Cores and his balance was a meager twelve Soul Cores. No matter whom it was, it was crushing to check the space gap.

‘I need 88 more…’

He exhaled, calculating. His first mission had rewarded him with 2 Soul Cores. Assuming that was the standard rate, he’d need to complete about 44 more missions to afford this.

’44 missions… That’s 44 books to read….Damn…That’s alot.’

His fingers hovered over the exchange option.

‘Do I cash out now… or save up for something bigger?’

For a moment, he was frozen between two choices. The thrill of deception—being able to manipulate people, control situations—was tempting. But so was 10,000 dollars.

He stared at the screen.

Finally, he made his decision.

‘Return.’

In that moment, the interface vanished, the darkness fading in the blink of an eye and soon, his eyes snapped open.

He was still in the woods. His phone was still in his hand and His clothes, his surroundings were still in place. The distant hum of music from the pond still played behind him, echoing within the forest trees which surrounded him.

He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples.

‘I know I’m not stupid. I might be bright academically, but deception? That’s a whole different game.’

But if he could master it, if he could sharpen this skill… It wouldn’t just be useful in the game.

It would change his real life.

He could rise socially. Gain an edge in conversations. Navigate tricky situations with ease.

Maybe… just maybe, with this, he wouldn’t have to be a loser anymore.

But still… 10,000 dollars. That was serious money, not just for a high schooler, but for anyone.

He hesitated for a moment, drawing in a deep breath before lowering his gaze, his decision finally made.

’88 soul cores. How hard could it be?

***

Luckily for Mikey, he had received his system on a Friday, and after gaining a new resolve, he had the entire weekend to grind and gain his points before the school day.

And he did.

From Friday night to Sunday, he read novels non-stop. Completing mission after mission, absorbing the system’s mechanics, figuring out the fastest ways to maximize his rewards.

He took only brief breaks to eat, ignoring any means of communication with either Aurora or his friends.

He spent hours, completing missions, accumulating Soul Cores, all for the sake of gaining deception.

Failure was inevitable—he had botched several objectives—but with each attempt, he improved.

And after a grueling marathon of seduction, strategy, and sheer endurance, his balance had risen to an outstanding 101 Soul Cores.

The familiar black interface clouded his vision once again, displaying a new message from the system.

[Balance: 101 Soul Cores.]

His pulse quickened.

The Store Menu opened before him.

Weapons, skills and enhancements displaying afront of him.

But his eyes locked onto one thing.

[Deceptive Reasoning.]

He hovered over the selection.

‘This is it. The real choice.’

$10,000 was an absurd amount of money for a high school kid.

For anyone, really.

And he had made it in three days.

He could take the cash now.

Or he could trade it all for a skill that could redefine how he played the game—and how he lived his life.

He clenched his jaw.

‘Hmm….If this system is real, then I can make it back in another three days, so it ain’t really a problem.’

He exhaled sharply.

Then, without hesitation, he clicked on the “Deceptive Reasoning” option.

[Does the player wish to purchase: Deceptive Reasoning?]

[Yes] [No]

His fingers hovered for a moment, reconsidering his options- then-

[Player selects=>Yes]

[Deceptive Reasoning purchased!]

[Player has leveled up!]

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