As expected, even though this body is not as handsome as mine, I can still charm girls. Eric felt proud.
He tossed the unnecessary thoughts at the back of his head and instructed the system to show each of the girls' status, starting with Zoe.
{Name: Zoe Lara
Potential: A-
Title: Aspiring Sociologist
Stage: Unawakened
Abilities: Unawakened
Age: 19
Strength: D+
Agility: D
Durability: D-
Stamina: D
Intelligence: C+
Remarks: She is a promising seedling, especially if you want a follower who can manage your followers–basically, your secretary.}
Eric was amused. Being my secretary? If Yeobui treats her to that extent, then she is worth poaching. In fact, Eric would poach every person he found.
After all, manpower was necessary in building his empire.
He then instructed the system to show the description and effects of her Title.
{Title: Aspiring Sociologist
Description: Understanding people is key to survival—whether building alliances, managing group morale, or predicting conflicts before they arise. With Zoe, you will be assured of receiving reports about any good or bad intentions, current emotional states of the individual, and their loyalty towards you.
Effects:
Social Insight – Enhances the ability to read people, allowing for an instinctive understanding of emotions, motives, and hidden intentions. Subtle body language, vocal tones, and micro-expressions become as clear as spoken words.
Adaptive Communication – Enables Zoe to naturally adjust speech and behavior to connect with different personalities, social classes, and even hostile individuals. Increases persuasion effectiveness by 50%.
Collective Awareness – Enhances group dynamics comprehension, allowing Zoe to recognize power struggles, hierarchies, and potential conflicts before they escalate. This also helps in forming stable alliances and managing social structures.
Emotional Resilience – Immunity to social pressure, manipulation, and intimidation. Prevents being overwhelmed by the emotions of others, ensuring rational thinking in all situations.
Charismatic Presence – Passively increases the likability and trustworthiness of Zoe, making negotiations, leadership, and influence far easier.}
When Eric read the effects of her title, his eyes gleamed in excitement. She is a gem!
He snapped awake when Zoe suddenly covered her body with her arms, obviously uncomfortable by his gaze.
He laughed awkwardly and coughed.
"I am sorry."
Zoe nodded and said, "It's fine. I know you don't mean harm."
Eric was surprised. Ah, right. She can read people. That's good. What he disliked the most was to create some misunderstanding, especially to ladies, and it remained–even more so, if it was a bad impression of him.
Eric nodded. "Thank you."
He turned to Samantha and took the one second pause chance to read her status in his mind. He knew he could read it in an instant, but he fell into deep contemplation earlier after he absorbed information about Zoe's title effects.
Wth the Mind of the Sage effects of his Title, he could absorb information with a hundred percent efficiency.
Now, he only used a second to skim through Samantha's status.
{Name: Samantha Ibañez
Potential: A-
Title: Aspiring Biologist
Stage: Unawakened
Abilities: Unawakened
Age: 19
Strength: D
Agility: D
Durability: D+
Stamina: D
Intelligence: B-
Remarks: You are definitely lucky. You have encountered another A-grade potential. Also, this one's value is incomparable. As their leader, you better not disappoint them!}
Eric hastily skimmed through her Title while he smiled at her for distraction.
{Title: Aspiring Biologist
Description: Life finds a way—even in the apocalypse. Understanding biology could mean the difference between adapting and dying. With Michelle, you can rest assured that she can research human and zombie mutations, the role of herbal medicine in the apocalyptic world, and the safety of food and water consumption.
Effects:
Advanced Anatomy Knowledge – Increases understanding of the human body, making medical aid more effective, including first aid, treating infections, and stitching wounds.
Mutagenic Awareness – Improves the ability to analyze mutations in both humans and zombies, allowing for better predictions of their strengths, weaknesses, and evolutionary trends.
Herbal Medicine Expertise – Boosts recognition and utilization of medicinal plants, granting the ability to create natural remedies, painkillers, and antidotes.
Efficient Nutrient Utilization – Enhances the body's ability to absorb nutrients, reducing the need for food and water consumption by 20%.
Ecosystem Insight – Grants an intuitive understanding of environmental hazards, allowing the user to recognize safe and dangerous food sources, water contamination, and airborne pathogens.}
In a span of a single second, Eric instantly assimilated the information regarding Samantha's status. Reading about her being a biologist, who could research about the mutation of humans, especially the abilities they could require, about their side effects, while not only creating herbal medicines but ensuring the security of the food and water consumption made him feel delighted.
At this moment, Eric was confident that those who did not mutate to become a zombie from the sudden wave of energy had their mutation on their potential as a human, as though unlocking some part of their brain.
He spoke, "Do you want to follow me? I will protect you two. Of course, obviously, in exchange for my protection, you have to work for me."
Zoe narrowed her eyes and observed Eric.
Samantha, on the other hand, hesitated. She turned to Zoe, deciding that she would follow whatever Zoe's response.
Meanwhile, Eric smiled at her with a horrifying bloodied face as he turned to the panicking Michelle.
"Me, too. Me, too!"
In fact, Eric used the chance to read Michelle's status while she was begging.
{Name: Michelle Padilla
Potential: B
Title: Aspiring Accountant
Stage: Unawakened
Abilities: Unawakened
Age: 20
Strength: D
Agility: D+
Durability: D
Stamina: D
Intelligence: C+
Remarks: Just because you kept encountering people with A potential doesn't mean she is useless. Still poach her, she can be of any use.}
Look at your remarks. You even seemed to be the one treating her useless. Eric rolled his eyes inwardly as he hastily read through the effects of her Title with B potential.
{Title: Aspiring Accountant
Description: Numbers are more than just figures—they determine survival, resource allocation, and long-term planning in a world where every bullet counts. Michelle can efficiently manage your resources and can even work together with the sociologist for favorable advantage in negotiation with other groups or organizations.
Effects:
Numerical Precision – Enhances calculation speed and accuracy by 200%, allowing for instant mental arithmetic, financial projections, and statistical analysis.
Resource Optimization – Increases the user's efficiency in managing supplies, ensuring food, ammunition, and Evolution Crystals are utilized with minimal waste.
Financial Instinct – Grants an innate understanding of trade, barter, and economics, making negotiations more favorable when exchanging goods or services.}