Lou stretched on the living room floor, having already finished his breakfast. Julia and George were out for the day, and Lou felt delightfully alone in the house: there seemed to be no sound other than the ticking of the clock. The curtains of a large bay window were open and the room was flooded with warm light.

Mr. Whiskers, the ever-feisty squirrel, darted around Lou, occasionally pausing to inspect a crumb or two. Seeing the squirrel’s shenanigans made Lou smile. Just when he was flinging a small rubber ball for Mr. Whiskers to pursue again, he started to think about the storm of the past several days.

Lou grumbled to himself, “Man, what a ride,” as he saw Mr. Whiskers chasing after the ball. "From a birthday party to another birthday party... harnessing this bizarre power... it's been wild. I even face-dived into not one but two birthday cakes..."

Lou's eyes glazed over slightly as he pulled up his mental display. The interface he had seen countless times even in his sleep opened up, detailing his attributes and the abilities that have been learned up to the current point. As usual, he began to speculate on how his life had turned out to be so peculiar.

You have 10 stats to distribute.

Strength (STR): 3

Dexterity (DEX): 4

Intelligence (INT): 4

Constitution (CON): 3

Wisdom (WIS): 5

Charisma (CHA): 2

"And I still can't believe I've got a gift called the 'Power of Cringe,'" Lou chuckled, shaking his head. "Maybe I can get used to it..." He remembered the moment he increased his Wisdom to 5 and unlocked the Cringe Progression Bar. Then, when his Cringe Level hit 10, he unlocked the Cringe Aura.

Mr. Whiskers momentarily abandoned his pursuit of the ball to nibble on a crumb near Lou’s hand. Lou absentmindedly petted the squirrel's fur, his mind still turning over recent events.

A thought struck him. "Hmm... I wonder if increasing all my stats to 5 would unlock new skills," he mused aloud. The idea intrigued him. If it worked for Wisdom, why not for the other stats?

The day stretched out lazily before him, the kind of slow day that seemed perfect for pondering such mysteries. Lou felt a thrill of anticipation at the possibilities. It was a good day to try new things with his newly found gift.

"Alright, let's give this a shot," Lou said, feeling a mix of excitement and curiosity. He decided to start with Strength. Taking a deep breath, he allocated two points to Strength. Almost instantly, he felt a surge of power in his muscles, like he could lift a car. Or at least a really heavy backpack.

"Let's see if this does anything."

A notification flashed before his eyes, and Lou's grin widened. "I knew it! Boosting my stats to 5 unlocks new skills. This means every stat I max out could give me another powerful ability," he thought, feeling a rush of satisfaction. His theory had been right, and the potential seemed endless.

Lou's eyes lit up as he read the description:

New Skill Unlocked: Cringe Power Up!

If you make your opponent cringe, they take additional damage from your attacks equal to x (based on your STR stat) for the next 10 seconds.

"Cringe Power Up? Now that's something," Lou muttered to himself, excitement bubbling up. "So, if I can make someone cringe, my attacks become even stronger. This could be a game-changer. It's only for 10 seconds but that's a huge power-up!"

He pictured himself using this skill in the Duel League or during a Dojo Hunt. "If I can make my opponent cringe, I can deal so much more damage. And since it's based on my Strength, the stronger I get, the more damage I can do," Lou thought, feeling a rush of adrenaline. "This is going to be amazing. I need to keep working on my Strength."

Mr. Whiskers, seemingly oblivious to Lou's excitement, twitched his nose and resumed his search for crumbs. Lou chuckled, realizing how ridiculous he must have looked, lying on the floor and talking to himself about superpowers.

Lou, still buzzing from his Strength upgrade, bounced up from the living room floor. Mr. Whiskers scattered with an indignant squeak. The empty house echoed with the quiet hum of the fridge and the ticking of the grandfather clock Julia insisted on keeping despite George's protests. In the distance, there was a faint sound of birds chirping outside.

In a grand spectacle, he assigned one point to Dexterity and immediately an electric tingling feeling went through his body similar to guzzling down an effervescent drink. He marveled at the difference in his physical ability as he felt lighter, faster as if gravity had slowed its force on him. His eyes gleamed as he hurried across the floor, and he managed to swerve past a small table with an antique lamp an inch before impact – one of the very few things that would have provoked Julia.

Mr. Whiskers, having quickly climbed up the bookshelf to take cover from Lou, observed him joyfully but fearfully. Lou paused, catching the squirrel's eye. "Don't worry, buddy," he winked, "your clumsy human has finally leveled up his Dexterity!"

He stood on both feet jumping back and forth in anticipation of the System’s judgment. He mumbled under his breath, ‘Come on, come on’, emphasizing every word with a tone of great enthusiasm.

An alert came up and Lou shouted loud enough to wake the dead, which in this place was impossible since the neighborhood seemed pretty vacant. "Booyah!"

Lou's eyes scanned the description:

New Skill Unlocked: Embarrassing Evasion!

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If you make your opponent cringe, your evasion rate increases by x (based on your DEX stat) for the next 10 seconds, making it harder for enemies to hit you.

"Holy guacamole!" Lou exclaimed, unable to contain his glee. "Not only can I make them cringe and hit harder, but now I can dodge like a freakin' ninja? This is the best. day. ever! And this one definitely proved my theory!"

He could see himself in the Duel League now; dodging blows, sliding around, doing the most unbearably embarrassing things. They would simply be numb and shocked with looks of sheer disdain on their faces. ”I cannot wait to try this, this is going to be funny.”

Lou was overwhelmed with the joy of his newly acquired mobility. He could almost feel the electricity running through his body. ’’Strength and Dexterity are nice,’ he told himself as he looked at the environment as if it could help him find a key to something.

"What about Intelligence?" Lou mused with a hint of mischief in his voice. "Could it unlock a skill that would make my cringe even more potent?"

With a determined glint in his eye, Lou focused on his mental display, channeling his energy into boosting his Intelligence. The same tickling feeling as before came back again, only this time they ran through the head, electrifying it. He could see himself, he could see everything around him as if he was awakened from a deep sleep.

"Show me what you've got, Intelligence," Lou muttered, his eyes scanning for a system notification. And a notification blinked into existence, confirming his suspicions:

New Skill Unlocked: Cringe Perception!

Gain the ability to analyze your surroundings and identify objects or scenarios that can be used to induce cringe. This ability highlights potential cringe-inducing elements in the environment, giving you strategic advantages.

Lou's eyes widened with excitement. "This is it!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "The ultimate cringe tool!"

He activated his new skill, and suddenly, the room around him seemed to glow with potential. It was like seeing everything through a cringe-tinted lens.

His gaze first landed on the old, dusty piano in the corner. Lou imagined inviting his relatives over for a "concert" and then playing the most off-key, awkward version of a popular song while maintaining eye contact the whole time. The thought of their polite but pained expressions made him chuckle.

Next, he spotted the bookshelf crammed with old books. His eyes lit up as he pulled out an ancient poetry collection. Lou pictured himself donning a ridiculous, oversized foulard and dramatically reciting cringe-worthy, overly sentimental poems at a dinner party. "Nothing like forcing people to listen to pretentious art," he thought as he grinned.

Then he observed the rest of the room, eyes scanning for more cringe potential. In the kitchen, he could act like a snobbish chef, insisting on preparing elaborate, bizarre dishes for his family. In the hallway, he could dance with the silent butler, the coat rack, introducing it to everyone as his new girlfriend. The thought made him cringe inwardly, a sensation that left him feeling almost drained.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, a side effect of the sheer volume of cringe he was generating. Lou stumbled back onto the couch, his mind reeling. "Whoa there, buddy," he muttered to himself, running a shaky hand through his hair. “Perhaps, it is high time to reduce the rates a little”.

He exhaled and if the rising of adrenaline made him tense, its retreat left him more relaxed. He had a lifetime ahead of him to unleash his cringe upon the world. There was no need to overdo it all at once.

Lou then turned his attention to Constitution. "Let's see what happens when I boost my Constitution," he mused, allocating the points. He felt a steady strength and resilience build up inside him, making him feel more grounded and capable.

A notification flashed before his eyes.

New Skill Unlocked: Embarrassing Endurance!

Recover a small amount of stamina when you make your opponent cringe.

"Embarrassing Endurance? This is perfect! With this, I can keep going longer in battles by making my opponents cringe," Lou thought, feeling a newfound sense of confidence. His mind drifted to a vivid scenario.

There was a noisy sound of an excited crowd and shouts coming from the Duel League stands, excited to watch the final match. Very bright spotlights gave a clan contrast with sharp come-hither shadows when Lou set his battle against Sonar Blades Rick. Rick, as lethal as ever and with exceptionally swift movement, did not waste any time and his knives had an eerily silvery look to them.

The audience was hyped up by the announcer saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the main event of the evening! Let’s dance with Lou the Cringe Master versus Sonar Blades Rick! Gametime!”

Rick wasted no time, launching himself at Lou with a series of rapid, slicing attacks. Lou dodged and parried, his movements were a blur. The clash of blades and the grunt of effort filled the air. Lou could feel the intensity of Rick's strikes, each one aimed to bring him down.

Lou grinned, his eyes alight with determination. He parried a blow and then retaliated with a sweeping kick, but Rick was too fast, dodging and countering with a spinning slash that grazed Lou's arm. The pain was sharp, but it only fueled his resolve.

Rick looked at Lou and instinctively felt he was presenting him with a chance. He pretended as if he would follow the left, then launched a decisive kick on the middle of Lou’s chest region and the poor man fell to the ground like a log. Unspoken anxiety rose as the spectators held their breath with murmurs that went round the place. And then Lou laid there for a moment, catching his breath and looking up at the ceiling of the arena as if he was seeing it for the first time.

"Is this it for Lou?" the announcer's voice rang out, filled with dramatic tension.

Lou's mind raced. He couldn't go down like this. Suddenly, his Cringe Perception kicked in. Soon he saw a silly giant foam finger in the hand of one of the spectators; it was hilarious. Before anyone realized it, Lou quickly grabbed the foam finger from an audience member. He ripped it a little and put it on his head like a hat.

Waving his arms and dancing around, Lou shouted, "Who's number one? This guy!" His walking and clapping like a silly maniac with a foam finger on his head made everybody in the audience laugh. Rick paused, his face contorting in a mix of confusion and disgust.

Seizing the opportunity, Lou got an adequate morale boost as all his stamina regenerated through Embarrassing Endurance. He dodged Rick's next attack with a clumsy but effective cartwheel, his movements exaggerated and comical. The audience roared with laughter, and Rick's frustration grew.

Rick lunged again, but Lou's Embarrassing Evasion was in full effect. He gulped and twisted, slid and swayed, it was like his own way of a ‘stroll.’ He danced a pathetic moonwalk and almost stepped on a blade; he then began to spin like a ballet dancer and slid away from the next threat. Rick's attacks grew more erratic and his annoyance was evident.

Lou saw his chance. With a flourish, he activated Cringe Power Up. He threw the foam finger aside and lunged at Rick with renewed strength. His fist connected with Rick's jaw, sending the champion staggering back. Lou pressed the advantage, each strike fueled by the cringe he had inflicted.

Rick, dazed and off-balance, tried to retaliate, but Lou was relentless. He unleashed a flurry of punches, each one landing with precision. Rick's defenses crumbled, and with a final, powerful blow, Lou sent him crashing to the ground.

The crowd erupted into cheers, the sound deafening. Lou stood victorious, his chest heaving, a triumphant smile on his face. The announcer's voice boomed over the speakers, "And the winner is... Lou the Cringe Master!"

Lou looked around, taking in the adoration of the crowd. He knew that this was just the beginning. With his unique abilities, he was ready to take on whatever challenges came his way.

Lou snapped back to the present, a triumphant smile on his face. "This is going to be amazing," he thought, imagining himself becoming a legend in the Duel League with his unique abilities. "I've got this."

He could feel it in his bones: the Duel League wouldn't know what hit them.

“So what's left?” he muttered. “Charisma,” he said with a hint of mischief in his voice. “The last missing component.”

He paused briefly as a wave of caution passed over him. He whispered, "Wait a minute," and tapped his chin with his finger. “Wouldn't I become less cringe if I level up my Charisma?”

The thought hit him like a cold shower. His Cringe Aura skill relied on his low Charisma to generate Cringe EXP. If he became too smooth and suave, he could lose his edge.

"No, no, no," Lou shook his head, the excitement momentarily dampened. "I need to be strategic about this. Cringe is my power, my fuel. I can't risk losing it."

Realizing what he had just said, Lou burst into laughter. "How quickly I've embraced this power!" he thought, amazed at the turn of events. Just two days ago, he was cursing everything because of this newfound ability.

He glanced back at the mirror, his reflection now a source of contemplation rather than amusement. "Maybe one day," he mused, "when I've mastered my cringe and become a true Cringe Master, I can experiment with Charisma. But for now, it's too risky."

Lou turned away from the mirror, a newfound determination in his eyes. "I have a strong core," he said, demonstrating his newly developed muscles and trying out his increased dexterity with a few rapid motions. "It's time to put these skills to the test in the real world."

Taking a quick look at the time, he realized he had been testing his powers all day. "Tomorrow I'm going back to school," he groaned, but a spark of excitement quickly replaced the dread. "This is going to be interesting."