When Logan woke up and saw the sun shining through his bedroom window, he knew right away that something was wrong. He had slept through the night, for starters, and his usual alarm had not woken him up before dawn.
There was also a blue, see-through interface floating in his peripheral vision, showing information that shouldn't be there.
[Hello, Logan Hart. Welcome to your first full day with the Heart-Stealing System.]
"Goddammit, you almost shocked me to death," Logan said quietly as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
The interface didn't go away. It became clearer as he focused on it, and it grew to fill more of his vision with data that looked like something from a video game.
[I guess you slept well? After yesterday's activation, your cortisol levels went back to normal very well.]
"You can keep an eye on my stress hormones?" Logan got out of bed and stretched his legs. He was pleasantly sore from running last night, the kind of ache that meant he had pushed himself hard but not too hard.
[Actually, I can keep an eye on a lot. That's one of the things that makes me useful. Let's start your orientation now.]
Logan walked to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face while looking at himself in the mirror. The same face as yesterday and the same body he had worked on for two years, but now he had this thing in his head, this system that said it could make him unforgettable.
"Okay," he said, wiping his face with a towel. "Let me see what you have."
The interface in his mind changed, rearranging itself into what looked like a screen that showed the status of a character. At the top was a very detailed picture of Logan's own face, followed by a list of numbers that made his stomach turn.
[LOGAN HART—STATUS OVERVIEW]
[Physical Appeal: 71/100]
[Charisma: 42/100]
[Confidence: 58/100]
[Social Influence: 15/100]
[Emotional Impact: 28/100]
[These numbers show how people see and react to you based on a number of different factors. You've made great progress physically, but your social skills still need work, as you can see.]
Logan said, "Fifteen out of a hundred for social influence... that's really harsh."
[It's true. You've changed your body and mind over the past two years, but you've done it all by yourself.]
[You don't have any connections, a good name, or any social proof. You are still invisible to most people in the world. We're going to change that.]
Logan went back to his room and put on a clean t-shirt. He was still thinking about those numbers.
Seventy-one for physical appeal seemed like a good number. He had done the work, built up his body, and learned how to act.
But forty-two for charisma? Fifty-eight for confidence? Those hurt more than he wanted to say, but it is the truth because he didn't have any girlfriend or anything even though he always wanted one.
"So, how does this work?" he asked. "You give me tasks, I finish them, and my stats go up?"
[Yes, basically. But it's not that straightforward. Let me explain how everything works.]
The interface changed again, and what looked like a tutorial screen with multiple tabs and explanations came up. As it walked him through each part, the system's voice became more like a teacher.
[First, there are three types of missions: Tutorial, Standard, and Special.]
[The goal of tutorial missions is to help you learn the basics. Standard missions will help you reach certain goals and have certain interactions.]
[Special missions will only show up in certain situations, and they usually give the best rewards.]
"I'm guessing there could be severe punishments if I don't complete it."
[Right. There is always a balance between risk and reward.]
[Now, let's talk about those penalties. The consequences of failing a mission depend on how bad it was.]
[Minor failures cause temporary drops in stats. Major failures can lock certain features or limit how people can act. If you keep failing, the system will turn off.]
Logan stopped in the middle of putting on his jeans. "Wait, you can just turn off like that? Leaving me all alone?"
[Yes, if you show me that you don't deserve my help.]
[Logan, I don't put money into things that are already lost.]
[You've shown that you can get better, but I don't have to stay if you start going back to your old ways.]
Logan had to agree that was fair. He'd spent two years fighting his way out of the hole that was his old life.
If he started to act like that sad, invisible kid again, why would a magical system stay around to see him fail?
"Got it, so what else do I need to learn?"
[There are many types of rewards. Stat boosts, new skills, passive abilities, and sometimes even physical items or chances.]
[Some features are locked right now, but they will become available as you play. For example, you still can't use the Heart Monitor.]
"Heart Monitor? The fuck is that...?"
[A feature that lets you see how a target is feeling and how interested they are in real time. It's excellent for dating, but you're not ready for it yet. First, you need to learn the basics.]
Logan finished getting ready and went to his small kitchen to get the things he needed for breakfast. Eggs, toast, and a protein shake. He had been eating the same meal for months, which was effective and prepared quickly.
[This brings us to your first official task. This is your tutorial, a chance to show that you know the basics.]
The interface changed, and a new screen with a mission description appeared.
[TUTORIAL MISSION: Mastering Eye Contact]
[Goal: Keep eye contact with five different women for at least ten seconds each while talking to them normally.]
[You have 24 hours to do this. Reward: +2 Confidence, unlock the "Presence Detection" passive skill.]
[Penalty: -5 Confidence and a 48-hour cooldown on new missions.]
Logan said, "Five women," as he cracked eggs into a pan. "Just looking at each other? That sounded weird."
[Just look at each other, but you have to keep doing it and make it look natural. No staring contests or other awkward situations.]
[You need to keep that connection and talk to them in a real way. This tests how well you can keep someone's attention without flinching or looking away. It's a basic skill.]
While he made breakfast, Logan thought about that. Two years ago, just thinking about looking a woman in the eye would have made him freak out.
After months of practicing in front of a mirror and making himself look people in the eye when they talked to him, it felt easier to deal with. It was not easy, but it was doable.
"When does the timer start?"
[It already has. You have until this time tomorrow to finish the mission. I think you should stop wasting time.]
"Fuck...!" Logan quickly ate his breakfast, cleaned the kitchen, and then got his keys and wallet.
He needed to go to a public place where there were many people walking around so that he could meet five different women naturally. It seemed clear that a coffee shop was the best choice.
...
Logan pushed through the door of The Grind, a local cafe he'd passed a hundred times but never actually gone into, twenty minutes later. The inside was warm and busy, with the smell of roasted coffee beans and the sound of people talking quietly.
Some people sat at small tables with laptops, while others stood in line to place their orders. Logan got in line and looked around the room.
He felt that old familiar nervousness trying to come back. He wanted to sweat in his palms, even wanted to pull out his phone and look at the screen to avoid talking to anyone.
He kept his phone in his pocket and his head up.
[Good. Keep in mind that the goal is to have a normal conversation while keeping eye contact.]
[Don't push it. Allow the interactions to happen naturally.]
Logan moved up in line and saw the barista, a woman in her mid-twenties with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and a name tag that said "Maya." She smiled at him without thinking, the kind of smile that didn't reach her eyes.
She asked, "Hello~! What can I get for you today?"
Logan looked her in the eye and held it. "One of those blueberry muffins and a medium black coffee."
"Of course. That will cost six fifty."
He gave her a ten-dollar bill and kept his eyes on hers. She counted out his change, and for a moment their fingers touched as she gave him the bills. Her smile changed a little, becoming a little more real.
"Have you been here before?" she asked. "I don't think I've seen you before."
"Well, it's actually my first time," Logan said, keeping his eyes on the other person. "I just moved here and wanted to see what the area has to offer."
"Welcome to The Grind, then. We tell ourselves that we have the best coffee in the area." Logan saw that her eyes crinkled at the corners when she laughed. He had been looking at her for at least fifteen seconds, and it felt natural and effortless.
With a small smile, he said, "I'll be the judge of that."
Maya's face changed again, and something more interested showed on it. "Please tell me what you think."
"If you want to file a complaint or leave a great review, I'm here most mornings."
"I'll remember that."
[Mission progress: 1 out of 5 done. Good job. That went well.]