The next two weeks were a whirlwind of chaos and routine for Lou. Between grueling training sessions with Nate and relentless study sessions for his exams, he barely had a moment to breathe. Each day seemed to blur into the next, a monotonous grind that left him exhausted but strangely satisfied. It was during these two weeks that Lou’s resolve was tested and his unusual abilities were honed to a razor’s edge.

At school, Lou spent most of his time at the library. It wasn't until then that he realized how many textbooks he actually had to read, and how much information he needed to memorize. But his INT stat was helping him with this.

In the midst of all this excitement, he was not going to miss the opportunity to level up: He finally had the chance to test his skills. He aimed to gain experience by combining his Cringe Aura with his Fashion Sense skill. The result was very funny and impressive.

One of these days, Lou decided to make a statement. Wearing neon green pants and a bright pink shirt, he arrived at school sporting a hat that appeared to be a circus clown. He sensed people's heads turning as soon as he entered the school and heard whispers following him down the corridor. Lou's blushes turned red from shame, but he carried himself with a strong determination to finish what he started.

In the first class, he felt it immediately. His classmates couldn't stop staring at him—not in a good way. Whispers and giggles erupted from every corner of the room. Lou focused on keeping his Cringe Aura dialed up, really milking the awkwardness. By the time the bell rang, he could feel that sweet buzz of leveling up.

Over lunch, Lou resumed his experiment in the cafeteria. He did this by openly sitting at the most packed table and chatting up everyone—making sure to include awkward comments and cringe-worthy jokes. It pained him, but he could tell the results.

After school, Lou met up with Nate to get in some training. Nate squarely laid into Lou, really putting him through the wringer. For weeks now, they'd been running through drills and sparring, thinking up strategies—progressively more grueling with each session—it seemed Nate was searching for new ways to challenge Lou.

"Alright, let's see what you've got today, Captain Cringe," Nate said, barely stifling a laugh as Lou appeared in another ridiculous outfit. Thanks to this outfit, he easily won his fights with Nate.

Thanks to Embarrassing Evasion, Nate hadn't even been able to hit him once. When Cringe Power Up was active, he knocked out Nate with a single punch. He thought about using his Fashion Sense skill in dojo hunts, but he couldn't help but hesitate as to whether he would really participate in the fights with this disguise.

Every time Lou slipped into one of these outfits, the blushes melted his face, but he bit his teeth hard and just focused forward. The more excruciating he looked, the better his Fashion Sense was. It was a weird kind of power, but one he was beginning to understand—and, begrudgingly, respect.

Nate set up various challenges, each one designed to push Lou’s athletic abilities further. One of the more memorable ones involved Lou navigating an obstacle course that tested his speed, agility, and strength. The goal was to complete the course as quickly and efficiently as possible, using his newfound athletic skills to overcome each hurdle. It was during these trials that Lou’s level began to soar. Every successful leap, every perfectly timed dodge, every burst of speed contributed to his growth, and Nate's encouraging cheers spurred him on even more.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Man, you're getting good at this," Nate said one evening after a particularly successful training session. They lay, sprawled out on the grass, and the cool night air was a relief after the exertions of the day. "I think you've improved tremendously in these two weeks. I'm not just talking about your Cringe characteristics, but in terms of fighting experience."

Lou laughed, though it was tinged with a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. "Yeah, who would’ve thought training hard would be so effective?"

By the end of the two weeks, Lou had reached Level 20, a milestone he had barely dared to hope for. It happened during a particularly cringe-worthy moment in class. Determined to push his limits, Lou decided to give a surprise "team-building" presentation in class.

Lou rose to his feet in the midst of Mr. Bison's lecture and thus interrupted him. "Excuse me, Mr. Bison, but I feel it's time for a little; interactive exercise!" he declared, quite overzealously.

Mr. Bison was taken aback and merely blinked. "Uh, sure thing, Lou. Go ahead," he replied, out of interest more than anything else.

Lou marched right to the front of the class and turned toward his classmates, who gawked at him in a stupor. "All right, everyone, circle time. Trust falls, people! All about trust!" He clapped his hands, pumping up the students.

Nobody moved. The silence was worse than all the shouting in the world. Lou ignored it and grabbed Kev, the most reclusive student in the class, by the arm. "Come on, Kev, you're first! Fall back, and I'll catch you!" Lou's grin was wide and manic.

Kevin looked as if he wished he could sink into his seat. "I, uh, don't have such a good feeling about that, Lou," he muttered, his voice barely audible.

"Nonsense! Trust is the foundation of any great team!" Lou insisted. He positioned himself behind Kevin and gestured for him to fall back. The entire class watched, eyes wide with a mix of horror and fascination.

Kevin hesitated, then awkwardly leaned back, clearly hoping Lou would change his mind. Lou, determined to see this through, braced himself and didn't even attend to catch him. Kevin ended up in a tangled heap on the floor.

The class erupted into uncomfortable laughter. Lou quickly helped to mortify Kevin up. "See? That wasn't so bad! Now, you learned that you can't trust me! Come on everyone! Come here!" He attempted to direct the chaos, but it was clear no one was interested in participating.

The teacher, Mr. Bison, stepped in, his expression somewhere between amused and exasperated. "Alright, Lou, I think that's enough team-building for today. Let's get back to our lesson."

Lou, still grinning, returned to his seat, his heart pounding. As he sat down, a new notification flashed before his eyes:

Cringe Level 20: New Skill Acquired!

Cringe Amplification (Passive):

Your cringe-inducing actions now have a longer-lasting effect. Any cringe-induced debuff on enemies lasts twice as long.

Lou couldn’t help but grin. This new skill was exactly what he needed to give him an edge in upcoming challenges. The ability to extend the duration of his cringe-induced debuffs would make him even more formidable in battle. He was starting to see the true potential of his unusual power, and it excited him.

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During this two week period, just after Lou had finished an exhausting exam, he overheard a group of kids babbling excitedly in the hallway. They were all crowded around Derek, who seemed to be enjoying their admiration.

"Did you see what Derek did?" said one of the kids. "He picked up that book for Mrs. Johnson, and she said it was the most heroic thing she'd ever seen!"

One student chimed in, "Yesterday, he helped Taylor with her homework, and everybody was talking like he's so great!"

He felt that drop of irritation, mixed with envy. No matter what Derek did, people looked at it like he was being heroic. He had pulled the roof off Charisma, and he was really on his way to becoming Gonenia's golden boy at school. Lou knew he had to be careful. Derek's rise in popularity and power posed a potential threat, one that Lou couldn't ignore. "He's probably gaining levels faster than light." Lou thought.

With his schoolwork finally out of the way, a huge weight was taken off Lou's back. Tomorrow was the day for The Ball. He reached for his phone and dialed Roxy's number to check on their plans regarding the dance.

"Hey, Roxy, it's Lou," he said, after she picked up the line. "Just wanted to check on whether we're still good for the prom."

The other end of the line warmed up with Roxy's cheery voice. "Of course, Boo! I've been looking forward to it. We're going to have a great time."