The God-Tier Conqueror System

Chapter 4 – Charm Unlocked

The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the bus stop felt like the eye of a storm.

Miss Voss stood across from Ethan, heels clicking faintly as she shifted her weight. The SUV driver still waited at the curb, his glare a silent warning.

“Two hours to twenty percent,” Ethan muttered under his breath. “No pressure.”

The blue system panel hovered in the air, visible only to him:

[Skill Available: Charm Surge (Level 1)]

Effect: Temporarily boosts charisma by +50% for 3 minutes.

Cooldown: 12 hours.

Warning: Once activated, the target will become more perceptive to inconsistencies if you bluff, they’ll know.

Ethan hesitated. Fifty percent boost… but no lying? Guess that means I’ll actually have to be myself.

He took a breath and thought about the words. Activate Charm Surge.

A warmth spread through him, starting in his chest and radiating outward. His thoughts sharpened, his words lined up in his head like soldiers ready to march. The world didn’t slow down, but people seemed… clearer. Her expressions, her tiny micro-reactions, every shift of her eyes it was all suddenly obvious.

“So....,” she said, “what’s the story you were so desperate to tell?”

Ethan stepped forward, closing the distance between them by a fraction. “It’s not just my story. It’s yours, too.”

Her eyebrow arched. “That sounds like the opening to a very bad sales pitch.”

“It’s the truth,” Ethan said, voice steady. “We’re both people who’ve been told what our lives should be. We’ve both had people try to decide who we are without asking us first. The only difference? You’ve had the power to fight it. I haven’t… until now.”

[Affection Shift: +8%]

She didn’t interrupt. That was a win in itself.

“You look like someone who’s used to people chasing your money, your name, your status,” Ethan continued. “But what if, for once, someone chased you for none of those things?”

A flicker of something surprise? Amusement? crossed her face. “And you’re that someone?”

“I’m the guy who stepped in front of a knife for a stranger ten minutes ago. And right now, I’m the guy asking you for coffee instead of a ride in that car.”

[Affection Shift: +5%]

[Target Affection: 18%]

For the first time since they met, she smiled  not the polite, dismissive curve of lips she gave strangers, but a real one, quick and sharp. “You’re insane.”

“Probably,” Ethan said. “But you’re still here talking to me.”

She glanced at the SUV, then back at him. “You have thirty minutes to convince me coffee is a better idea than my father’s meeting. Make it count, delivery boy.”

The system pinged in his vision.

[Side Mission Unlocked: Secure a one-on-one meeting in a neutral location.]

Reward: $2,000 and bonus dialogue options.

Failure: Affection drops by 10%.*

Ethan felt his grin widen. “Challenge accepted.”

Little did he know that he was about to face the challenge of finding the perfect coffee spot on the fly while rival interference tries to sabotage him… and he learns the system has more than just charm boosts.