He waited, half-expecting the system to respond, but as usual, there was nothing but silence. Typical. It was as if the system couldn't care less about his complaints. Yuji exhaled slowly, steadying himself. Every mission seemed a bit more daunting than the last, and he had a sinking feeling this was only the beginning.
System, why can't you just toss me a straightforward mission for once? You're not some kind of slave system, are you? He grumbled inwardly, already doubting he'd get a reply.
His gaze drifted to the timer, counting down from ninety days. So, three months of this? The thought made his stomach tighten with unease or maybe just with hunger. "You're certainly not making this easy," he muttered, giving his head a weary shake.
At last, his eyes landed on the reward section. He let out a low sigh, reading the words aloud. "Unknown rewards, huh? Normal, Epic, Legendary… and something extra if I manage a perfect score?" The absurdity of it all finally caught up with him, and a faint, tired chuckle slipped out. "Legendary reward for a goat… What could that even be? Super speed? Magic horns? Or perhaps just the finest patch of grass a goat could ever dream of."
He drew in a deep breath, ready to close the window, when a thought struck him. Hold on, why am I getting so worked up? I could just turn down the mission, couldn't I? For a moment, hope flickered. Yuji searched for a rejection button, but no matter how hard he looked, there wasn't one to be found.
So, I can't turn it down… Maybe I could just ignore it altogether. But uncertainty crept in. What if there's a penalty? He hesitated, then called out, "System, what happens if I fail to complete the mission? Is there any sort of punishment?" He waited, hoping for an answer this time. If there's a penalty, then this really is a slave system. But if not… perhaps it's just an ordinary one.
Surprisingly, a moment later, the system's response appeared:
[There's no punishment for not completing daily missions. If the user wishes, you may complete or ignore the quests or missions. However, keep in mind, you will forfeit the rewards given for completing them.]
"Hmph, we'll see about that," Yuji muttered, eyeing the screen with suspicion. Funny how you only decide to answer after I call you a slave system, he thought, a touch of dry amusement colouring his mood.
He shook off the lingering doubts and turned his attention to the last notification that had popped up. Alright, the last one… His heart picked up pace. This one feels different. Must be something special.
[User can now view his status through the status window. The status window will provide updates on your condition and allow you to track all your ongoing missions and their progress. The user can also monitor skills and access other functions.]
Yuji blinked as the message appeared, a flicker of relief settling in his chest. "So now I finally get to keep an eye on my missions and skills, do I?" he said, a bit of hope edging into his voice.
That'll certainly make things easier, he admitted to himself, feeling some of his earlier frustration ebb away. At least I won't be wandering around in the dark anymore. If I can actually see my stats and progress, maybe I'll even find the motivation to get stronger.
Miyagi Ashnoir Yuji
Race: Nene
Exp: 10
Level: 0 [0/100]
Talent: Not Awakened
Unique Ability: Inventory
Skills: Blood Resilience, Language
Title: None
Mission:
Unmask the Mastermind
Make a Friend
New Life
Yuji scanned through the details, his brow furrowing deeper with each line. "System, I think something's missing here." The words came out sharper than he intended. "Where are my stats? How am I supposed to boost my strength, agility, defense—all the usual metrics?" Frustration bled through his voice.
[The user can always become stronger by training and through various other methods. That's why I am here—to help the user grow stronger.]
A heavy sigh escaped him as disappointment settled like a stone in his chest. No stats bar? Then how the hell do I track my progress? He had pictured it differently—like the heroes in the novels he loved, seeing numbers rise, leveling up, and assigning points with a tap. Wouldn't it be nice to just click a button? One point in strength, one in agility, one in dexterity… But that particular fantasy crumbled quickly. No convenient tapping. No instant upgrades.
Lost in thought, his eyes drifted to another unfamiliar detail: Race… Nene? What on earth does that mean?
[Race description: Nene. Nene goats have a fast growth rate and excellent carcass qualities due to selective breeding and improvement. This breed also has the highest potential to become the best meat goat in the world. Because of how special this goat breed is, it's hard to raise them alone.]
Yuji blinked slowly, processing the implications. So I'm not just any ordinary goat—I'm some kind of elite breed. A goat specifically bred for meat. His mind wandered back to those other goats the humans had taken away. One of them had seemed genuinely excited, practically bouncing as he talked about being "accepted."
Now Yuji felt a sharp pang of sympathy. Who knows what actually happened to that poor bastard? Maybe he'd ended up as goat curry. Or kebabs. Hell, probably featured prominently in some family's Sunday biryani.
For several moments, his thoughts spiralled through an unwelcome catalogue of goat-based cuisine. Then reality snapped back into focus. Wait—what was I forgetting?
He shook his head, clearing the mental fog. "System, why does every skill have 'Level 1' tacked onto the end? Does that mean there's a second level lurking somewhere? Maybe more?" His voice carried a note of cautious optimism. "And if so, how exactly do I upgrade them?"
Probably asking too much from this stingy system, but worth a shot.
[All skills or abilities that mention their level can be upgraded. To upgrade, the user must use skill points. Each time the user levels up, they will receive one skill point. Skills can also be upgraded with experience points (EXP). More features will be unlocked when the user completes a certain number of missions.]