...or off campus. You have my number. Don't call me unless it's an emergency, but you have it.
She released his jacket and smoothed it down almost unconsciously, then turned back to her terminal, her focus already reverting to the next line of logic. The moment of vulnerability was over, sealed and filed away, like a completed function.
Alex touched his lips, a phantom tingle lingering from the unexpected, brief press. The System didn't log the action, nor did it assign an experience boost; it was just a human moment, messy and illogical.
He decided not to press the issue of her sudden shift. That was Maya's way—direct, transactional, and intensely focused. The kiss was a thank you, an acknowledgment of competence, wrapped in exhaustion.
—Get some sleep, Maya. Seriously. You look like a zombie who just debugged its own brain—Alex said, leaning against the desk, his Charisma score doing its best to project concern rather than judgment.
Maya didn't look up, but a small, almost imperceptible smile touched the corner of her mouth. —Don't worry, Alex. I'm running on coffee and pure spite for the compiler. But point taken. I'll crash at 4:30. Thanks.
III. The Aftermath and the System's Offer
Alex left the silent lab, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. Stepping out into the pre-dawn air, he felt the chill but barely registered it. His mind was racing, replaying the scene. He hadn't just solved a problem; he had earned the trust, however fragile, of the most intimidatingly competent person he knew.
As he walked across the deserted campus quad, a notification flashed in his mind, overlaying his vision like augmented reality.
[System Notification: Hidden Achievement Unlocked!]Catalyst of Logic: You successfully mentored a high-level technical specialist without providing a direct solution, thus reinforcing their intrinsic skill.
Reward:+1 Point to an existing Mental Attribute.
Bonus Unlock:Skill Tree: Social Engineering is now available.
Alex stopped dead, adrenaline spiking. A point to a mental attribute—that was huge. It meant increasing either Intelligence or Cunning immediately. But the second part, the Social Engineering skill tree, was what truly captured his attention.
He accessed the System interface.
Attributes:
Charisma: 12
Cunning: 4
Intelligence: 4
Stamina: 7
Unassigned Attribute Points: 1
Skill Trees:
Social: (Status: Novice)
Technical: (Status: Intermediate)
Social Engineering: (Status: LOCKED -> NEW!)
He immediately opened the new tree. It wasn't about smooth talking (Charisma), but about understanding motivation and manipulating environments to guide specific outcomes.
Social Engineering (NEW):
Lvl 1: Misdirection (Locked)
Lvl 2: Calculated Vulnerability (Locked)
Lvl 3: The Leveraged Favor (Locked)
He needed to apply the unassigned point.
If he put it into Intelligence, he'd have better, faster processing of technical data. (Intelligence 5)
If he put it into Cunning, he'd improve his ability to read people's true intentions and plan multi-step social interactions. (Cunning 5)
The interaction with Maya, the entire "silent consultation," had been an act of Cunning, using his knowledge to guide her to a solution she'd accept. It wasn't raw technical Intelligence that won the day; it was the strategy.
He tapped the Cunning attribute.
[Cunning: 4 -> 5]
Effect: Subtlety of suggestion and planning ability has increased. You are now better at anticipating non-obvious social consequences.
[System Notification: Cunning (Level 5) Threshold Met]
Bonus Unlocked: The initial skill in the Social Engineering tree is now available.
Alex quickly checked the skill tree again.
Social Engineering:
Lvl 1: Misdirection (Available to Purchase: 1,000 EXP)
He checked his experience.
Experience: 1,250 / 2,000
He had just enough. The experience had accumulated passively from the successful, high-stakes consultation with Maya. He bought the skill immediately.
[Skill Purchased: Misdirection (Lvl 1)]
Description: The ability to draw focus away from the main goal by presenting a credible, lesser distraction. Excellent for planting ideas or deflecting suspicion.
Alex grinned, feeling a new layer of control settle over his understanding of the world. He was no longer just the popular, charming guy. He was a strategist. He had a technical ally now, a debt of gratitude, and a new, potent skill for navigating the complicated social and systemic web of the university.
He finally walked the rest of the way back to his dorm, the scent of the coming day replacing the stale air of the computer lab. The world was still the same, but for Alex, the game had definitely changed.