There Minho could see now that a new tab had been created for Yuna Park under the previously vacant Subject tab, outlining her trust level with him and the total essence points she'd contributed to the system:
Subjects:
├─ Yuna Park [Affection Score: 5%] [Essence Contributed: 15]
└─ Empty Slot
"Too low," Minho mumbled to himself, referring to the 5% Affection Score that basically meant her feelings—sexual desires towards him.
He was aware that his strategy of 'sexual tension' would be a long process, but it was the most effective that wouldn't leave Yuna Park feeling guilty for her actions—as a married woman—and would happily come back for more, caring less if she was invisible in the eyes of her husband.
Last but not the least, were the two new tabs that appeared after the Tutorial Quest objective was met:
Minho deliberately tapped on the
The blue screen flickered as the
[ITEMS SHOP]:
• Spirit Recovery Pill (20 EP) - Restores 30 Spirit instantly
• Essence Incense (15 EP) - Burn during intimate moments. +20% essence gained for 1 hour
• Charm Perfume (25 EP) - Temporary +3 Charm for 2 hours. Single use
• Fortune Cookies (30 EP) - Eat one, gain a random minor hint about future events (gamble item)
[SKILLS SHOP]:
•
•
•
•
"Woah…" Minho was pleasantly surprised, and excited at the array of useful items and skills at his disposal.
It was good to know he wasn't bound to four basic skills he started off with, but weren't free and could only be purchased at varying prices with essence points that seemed to also be the system's currency—that brought him back to the initial question.
"Uhh… Miss Gumiho? Is it possible to increase my stats with essence points as well?" Minho looked up from the interface to ask.
"As you may know, Essence Points are more than an energy source for me, but also serves as the Divinity System's currency for you. So yes, you can increase either of your stats by 1 Point with 10 Essence Points." The Gumiho replied calmly, earning a nod of approval from Minho at the system's flawless design—except one major thing.
The system had an essence gauge with a milestone he speculated was the total amount of essence points the Gumiho needed for her 'transformation', but if the same essence points was used as a currency for system shop, didn't that give Minho the upper hand in the partnership—if you could call it that—as he could keep spending the essence points to make sure they never stacked and amounted to the fixed milestone?
"What if I decide to spend all the essence points as I make them so you never achieve your goal and have a reason to kill me?" Minho asked, revealing a cunny smile that told her he beat her to her own game.
The Gumiho looked unfazed as her lips slowly parted to speak. "There are four tier milestones to the Essence Gauge that affects the system overall: 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%. This includes a limit to how much you can increase your stats, and as you can see, the available skills and items on the shop tab are limited to only a handful." She calmly explained with a cold smile.
But Minho was unfazed, as that didn't change the fact that: "And what if decide to be contented with what I have and not go for the higher tiers? From the looks of it, this much should get the job done." His smile grew only bigger, and Minho had the urge to push up his imaginary glasses at the nose with a finger—like a genius. The Gumiho clearly didn't think that far.
"Shut up." A vein popped on the Gumiho's forehead and expression turned icy.
Minho chuckled in amusement and without paying her any mind, exited the
[Active Quest: "The Mayor's Wife"]
• Ensure Yuna Park's husband—Junho Park wins the upcoming mayoral election as promised.
• Increase Yuna's Affection Score to 60% (5/60)
Reward: 50 EP, Skill:
"W—what is this quest? Ensure Junho Park wins the mayoral election? When did I promise that?" Minho blurted in shock.
"Yes, you did." The Gumiho shot back at him.
***
"Your husband will face three challenges in his path. But..." Minho paused dramatically. "I can help ensure his victory. However, this will require multiple sessions. The spiritual work is quite... delicate."
***
The scene from earlier resurfaced his mind.
"Ahh, that wasn't me talking. That was clearly the effects of
When he noticed the absence of the death penalty, or any penalties for failing the quest in its description.
That meant unlike the tutorial quest, he could choose to ignore this one—which would be very convenient for him, but that would mean the likelihood of Junho Park winning the mayoral election would be low because out of the other three candidates, he was in third place when it came to public fame.
Junho Park losing the election would definitely make Yuna lose faith in him and she might abstain from revisiting him after that, and not only would he be losing potential Essence Points that way, but he'd also lose a wealthy client now he's decided to follow the career path of a Shaman.
On the other hand, if Minho were to somehow pull some strings and Junho Park wins the election, not only would Yuna's Affection Score skyrocket, but he's secured her as a client and if she ever had a friend or acquaintance who was in need of spiritual help in the future, she would definitely be recommending him to them: more wealthy clients, more money.
"Ahh, this is going to be troublesome." Minho grumbled as he ruffled his messy hair. But he made his decision.