The Heart System

Chapter 17: Chapter 17

So I opened up the Shop, remembering that leveling up would add new items to it.

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SHOP

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• Aphrodisiac Drink (10c)

• Silk Lingerie Set (25c)

• Sensual Massage Oil (15c)

• Mystery Pleasure Toy (30c)

• Flirt Potion (20c)

• Hypnotic Perfume (40c)

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Credits: 75c

Select item to purchase.

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”Hypnotic Perfume?”

I hovered my finger on it, and a new screen popped up.

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Hypnotic Perfume

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Effect: Increases Charm by

20% + User Level

Duration: 30 Minutes

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That meant I’d only get three points into Charm for about thirty minutes. Handy. And if I pumped more into Charm down the line, that perfume would scale with me. Still, it was expensive as hell, and I didn’t have the credits to waste. Not when Jasmine and Tessa might want another ”massage session.” If I was gonna keep that up, I’d need to stockpile credits first.

Since the strip club quest didn’t have a timer, I accepted it and scrolled for something more immediate. Some of them were brutal—like make a woman cum four times without system assistance. Yeah, that was pro-level. I needed something basic.

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Quest Available

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Title: Never Have I Ever

Task: Flirt with a customer

while working

Reward: 25c

25 EXP

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Accept Quest? [Yes] [No]

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”Just flirting?” I muttered. ”Mm... I can do that.”

I accepted that quest too. But work didn’t start until tomorrow, which meant I needed something I could knock out today.

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Quest Available

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Title: Push, Push, Push

Task: Complete 3 sets of

30 push-ups

Reward: 15c

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Accept Quest? [Yes] [No]

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Push-ups? That I could handle. At home, even. God, when was the last time I did push-ups? I wasn’t exactly a noodle-armed weakling, but I wasn’t some athlete either. Hell, maybe the system was trying to whip me into shape. No complaints here.

I hopped out of bed, stretched until my joints cracked, and rolled my shoulders. The carpet felt rough under my palms as I dropped down to the floor.

”Alright, Evan. Come on...”

—

I collapsed onto the bed, chest heaving, sweat dripping down my temples and soaking the pillow. My arms were jelly, my lungs burned, and my heart felt like it had just run a marathon in hell. Thirty push-ups, three sets—who knew that shit could feel like surviving a war?

”That... was one of the dumbest, most painful things I’ve done in a while,” I groaned, pressing my face into the sheets. ”And somehow... I’m proud of it. Fuck me...”

I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling like it might reward me with applause. Instead, the system UI blinked into view, crisp and teasing.

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Daily Task Completed!

Reward: Choose one chest:

[?] [?] [?]

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”Well... middle never fails me.”

I tapped the glowing center box. A jingle rang in my head, and the words popped up:

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Reward: 5c

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”Not bad,” I muttered, smirking despite the soreness in my arms. ”Sweat and pain, all for pocket change. Feels like real life.”

The shop interface slid up next, numbers ticking over to show the reward.

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SHOP

-------------------------

• Aphrodisiac Drink (10c)

• Silk Lingerie Set (25c)

• Sensual Massage Oil (15c)

• Mystery Pleasure Toy (30c)

• Flirt Potion (20c)

• Hypnotic Perfume (40c)

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Credits: 95c

Select item to purchase.

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Ninety-five credits. Enough to pick up something spicy, but not enough to splurge. I rubbed my chin, still half-buzzed from adrenaline.

A knock on the door made me groan, rolling out of bed with arms that still felt like noodles after the push-ups. I dragged myself over and swung the door open, half expecting Tessa or Jasmine. Nope. It was Kim, my downstairs neighbour.

She stood there in tiny denim hotpants that barely covered her ass cheeks, and a snug white tank top clinging to her sweat-damp skin. The fabric stuck just enough to make her nipples poke through when the hallway light hit right. My eyes, against my will, trailed down to the soft curve of her stomach and back up to those... yeah, watermelon tits was still the only way to describe them.

”Sorry to bother you, hey,” she started, fidgeting with a sheepish smile. ”I’m just... too embarrassed to ask, but could you help us install our dinner table?”

”A dinner table?” I rubbed at my neck. ”Didn’t it come with instructions?”

”Yes, but to us, it’s all gibberish.”

”Oh. Well, I worked in a warehouse for a while, so... I know how to handle those.”

Her face lit up, relief flooding her blue eyes. ”We’d be so glad if you could help us. Thank you so much. Really.”

”No problem,” I said with a shrug. ”I’ll be down in a minute.”

She gave me a grateful smile before heading back down. I closed the door, shaking my head. Kim lived downstairs with her boyfriend. Never really seen the guy, but word was he wasn’t exactly the manly type. Not that I was, either. Average Joe through and through.

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Quest Available

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Title: What table?

Task: Fuck Kim

Reward: 89 EXP

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Accept Quest? [Yes] [No]

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”Oh, come on, you horny system thing,” I muttered as the quest box hovered smugly in the air while I pulled on fresh clothes. ”I’m not gonna fuck her. She has a boyfriend.”

With a sigh, I headed downstairs and knocked. The door cracked open and, instead of Kim, a short guy answered. Goatee, long hair in locks, a pineapple tattoo on his wrist.

”Uh, hey,” I said, a little thrown off. ”Kim asked me to—”

”Yeah, I know.” He offered a hand. ”I’m Tom.”

I shook it. ”Evan. Nice to meet you.”

”Come,” he said, leading me inside. ”The table from hell is this way.”

”Table from hell,” I chuckled. ”That bad, huh?”

The living room was small but cozy—couch pushed against the wall, coffee table covered in random papers and mugs, a TV that looked like it was barely holding together. In the middle of the floor sat the ”table from hell,” halfway assembled like some Frankenstein piece of IKEA furniture.

And there she was. Kim, crouched low on the ground, fiddling with one of the legs. Her tank top rode up, showing smooth skin glistening with sweat. Beads rolled from her forehead down her arms, then pooled at the curve of her armpit as she lifted it to steady the table.

God. I never thought an armpit could look that fucking sexy. Smooth, hairless, and glistening. My cock twitched before I could stop it. Watching the sweat trail down into the hollow there, it was obscene. The way her tits swayed as she leaned forward didn’t help either.

”Oh, you came,” she said, glancing up with a grin.

”Yeah,” I managed, crouching down beside her. ”Just give me the instructions and a screwdriver. Shouldn’t take me more than an hour.”

”Thank you,” she said, pushing herself to her feet. Her tits bounced with the movement, sweat glistening between them. Then, casually but sharp, she added: ”If only someone was capable enough to be a man, he’d do it instead of calling you for help.”

Her eyes flicked toward Tom when she said it. I froze, heat rising in my chest, stealing a quick side-eye at the poor bastard. He didn’t react, jaw tightening just a bit. Their relationship wasn’t sunshine and roses, that much was obvious.

I kept my mouth shut, crouched lower, and grabbed the paper. ”Well, well, well... the table legs are installed wrong. That’s why it’s been giving you trouble.”

She planted her hands on her hips, and fuck, my gaze flickered again to the smooth pits she flashed when her arms pressed back. ”God, I knew something looked wrong.”

”Yeah. Easy fix, though,” I said.

”Okay, I’m just gonna take a bath.” She brushed a damp strand of hair behind her ear. ”Tom here can help you if you need anything.”

I nodded, watching her walk off. Her hotpants rode up higher with every step, sweat shining along her thighs. My brain screamed at me to focus on the table. My dick said otherwise.