Chapter 186 Fiction is truthier than strange
With a groan, Ben rose from his bed. The experience of drinking a second potion for the same attribute was just as terrible as the last time. Yet, despite how awful it was, he soon shook it off...
Exhaling, he reminded himself of the stakes. "No pain, no hoes slain..."
By now, Ben recognized this truth; Too few were born privileged enough they didn’t have to struggle to get ahead. He wasn’t special either. So he’d have to eat some discomfort if he wanted to make progress. At least for him, the efforts showed benefits that he could quantify. ’Let’s check the effect of the potion.’
He changed into some running clothes and left his dorm room...
A while later...
Back in his room, Ben was wiping his face with a towel after returning from a jog. "20% boost in stamina again." The boost was consistent with his expectations, which was one point the system proved reliable on. If he had to give one characteristic to describe the system, it would be b*tch.
...
If he had to give a second one, it would be that she was consistent...
"Ok, what’s next?" With the booty chest used up, that only left Ben with some points and a live flag. After some thought, he decided to use the points first to fish for a useful item, since he didn’t need to save many for a stat growth multiplier. There were still a few days remaining on his multiplier for social status, and he already knew which multiplier he wanted to activate next.
[Mid Level Stat Growth Multiplier(Consumable, Rare, Manliness) x1]
He’d received this after completing the booty burglar challenge for Penelope and saved it until now. If no new problems sprung up, with university and his financial woes taken care of, Ben could afford to focus on manliness next. He already thought of a plan to develop it, but he’d delve into that more next week.
For now, since he lacked another important use for them, he prepared to spend 5000 of his 9300 points on a mystery box and save the remainder. It would serve as a buffer in case something urgent came up. So with that in mind, Ben opened his store screen, and purchased a high level mystery box.
Soon, he held the shiny silver box, and opened it without delay.
As the light emerged and the item materialized in his hands, the first feeling Ben received, was of heaviness...
His arms sank...as a non-trivial weight fell into them.
Feeling cold metal in both of his hands, he opened his eyes once the light receded, and found he was holding something he’d never touched—a typewriter...
Sitting in silence for a while, Ben was experiencing something unexpected--awe...
He’d never seen a device with such a pure and beautiful appearance...
It possessed a pristine white chrome exterior with pearl-keys, was smooth to the touch, and weighed about 40 lbs. Although it wasn’t so heavy he couldn’t lift it, holding it was uncomfortable, so Ben placed it down on his desk next to his monitor and laptop.
Sitting next to modern machinery, this typewriter’s antiquated nature couldn’t have been more apparent, but it still possessed a strange magnetism, attracting his eyes, as if simply looking at it carried a purifying effect.
Ben was also curious because he’d never been close to one of these, which was normal; By the time he was born, computers already replaced them for the most part. So he explored it, tracing it with his fingers and eyes.
There was no brand. In fact, he couldn’t find writing of any kind anywhere on the typewriter, that is, until he read the small black print on the single leaf of paper inserted at the top. It was only a couple of letters, like someone wanted to get Ben’s first work off to a good start. It read, "Suicide Note."
...
"F*CK!"
Ben hoped that was the system drinking hatorade and not a sign of this thing’s function...
In reality, when the typewriter first came out, his mind developed a certain hope for it: ’Please be a Death Note...’
He thought maybe it belonged to a shinigami hipster...
Although Ben didn’t see any shinigami around, let alone one with vintage clothes and a handlebar mustache...he still hoped he’d get such a power. Although, it was hard to say if Ben would use it to bring justice to the world or to get revenge on the kid who stole his ice cream in 8th grade...
"At least give me a Misa Amane..." Even if it wasn’t the Death Note, he’d be fine if he could gain a ride or die b*tch out of it...
Then, he realized a potential issue, and frowned. "If it ends up making my story like the Netflix version...I’d rather just do the suicide note."
...
He guessed what the suicide note may really have been for and became thankful instead... "It’ll save me a lot of trouble, and everyone else 1 hour and 41 minutes..."
With the guesses completed and no further clues available from the typewriter’s appearance, Ben opened the system information on the item.
[Typewriter of Truth(Item, Epic) x1 - While typing, increases the user’s communication stat by 2 up to a maximum of 9, but the author cannot use it to write a lie. May be helpful for writing letters to a beloved partner, but less so to a mistress]
Seeing this unusual description, Ben’s first thought was, ’Is it feasible to chat up girls while carrying this around?’
...
The +2 boost in communication was too tempting! Of course he wanted it while approaching women! However, upon review, he realized walking around with it wasn’t a good idea. Not only was the machine heavy but Ben would also seem insane!
"So I guess I can only use this for writing?" He sat down on his computer chair and rolled forward to the typewriter. "Can’t tell a lie..." First, Ben wanted to test that restriction, and soon, he thought of what he would type.
"Kim Kardashian is a good...wife..."
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