Seeing the upgraded bonus, only one thing came to Yuji's mind: Hey, that's pretty good. Now he'd be able to recover faster.But as the initial excitement faded, a chill crept in. There was a catch—a side effect, and not a small one.
If this keeps ramping up, what happens when I upgrade this skill to higher levels? Maybe one day he'd push it so far he'd die just from hunger. How am I supposed to find a solution for that? If an overpowered skill comes with an overpowered side effect, is it even overpowered anymore?
He shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips. Guess that's the price of power in this world—a little progress, a little paranoia. I'll just have to figure it out as I go. No free lunches here, not even for goats.
With that, he got back to his daily missions. Night fell. Yuji looked around, feeling the emptiness settle in. Too quiet. Too dull. Just grinding daily missions all day, sleeping alone at night. Damn, my hooves are itching for something to squish.
He let out a sigh. If this were the real world, I'd play games or go for a walk. It was too dull. After a while, he made a decision: Tomorrow, I'll go find Bojo. See where that kid ran off to. I need to finish this mission and get stronger. The more missions I finish, the more EXP I get. Can't waste time.
The next day, after knocking out his daily goals, a notification popped up:
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Achievement unlocked:
You've performed 50 headbutts for three consecutive days!
Reward: 10 EXP
Achievement unlocked:
You've jumped 500 times for three consecutive days!
Reward: 10 EXP
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Miyagi Ashnoir Yuji
Race: Nene
Exp: 45
Level: 0 [0/100]
Talent: Not Awakened
Unique Ability: Inventory (pilpil seed, cursed bandage)
Skills: Blood Resilience lv2, Language lv1
Title: None
Mission:
Unmask the Mastermind
Make a Friend
Save half friend bojo
New Life
These days, he could do about fifty headbutts—a huge improvement from the fifteen on his first day. As for jumps, five hundred was doable. Chewing? Almost fifteen hundred. Steps? Nine to ten thousand. The progress was good, but Yuji wasn't satisfied. Not yet.
After all, he was getting 10 EXP just for doing a little daily mission. What if he managed to complete the full list for several days in a row? How much reward would he get then? Just thinking about it fired him up. I have to work harder, he thought.
After a while, Yuji decided it was time to find Bojo. I can't just grind daily missions for a week straight all alone, right? That's way too introvert, even for me. What would people say if they saw a goat with no friends?
So, where should I go first? He weighed his options: either head toward the main gate, where the pen was, or look around here first.
He chose to look around the area, eyes scanning for any sign of Bojo's shadow. He didn't stop his exercises, though; he kept up the jumping, headbutting, chewing, and pacing as he searched.
Time slipped by. Nearly two days later, Yuji stopped near a grove of trees before a goat's half-decayed body. Maggots already swarmed it. From the look of things, the goat hadn't been dead long, maybe for a week or more. Judging by the size, it was a yearling.
Bojo? Yuji couldn't help it; a tear slipped down his cheek. Poor kid didn't even get to enjoy his goat life before he died. He measured the body again. No, this goat is bojo…
System, is there any reward for crying over a friend's death? I don't want anything big—just give me EXP, one for one drop of tears. Seems fair. I am willing to cry louder if there are more rewards.
The system stayed silent, as if it didn't care. Yuji checked his mission window. The "Make a Friend" quest was still there, unchanged. Does that mean… this isn't Bojo?
After a few seconds, Yuji started walking again, not really sure where he was or how far he'd wandered. Off in the distance, a few mountains poked above the horizon. Were those always there? Or am I just now noticing because my head's finally up? The realization hit him—he'd been climbing higher ground without even noticing. The air felt a little sharper, the world a little bigger. First time seeing mountains since I got here. Guess I've been too busy staring at grass to notice the obvious.
But he didn't let the view distract him for long. Focus, Yuji. Bojo could be anywhere. He paused, letting the breeze ruffle his fur, and made up his mind: he'd head back to the pen. Still, before leaving, something tugged at him.
He glanced back at the thick, lush grass practically begging to be eaten. It was almost enough to make him forget his quest. After I finish the Bojo mission, I'm coming back here for a feast. Priorities, right? But first… the pen. If Bojo's there, great. If not… let's not even think about that for now.
The next day, he reached his destination: the pen. He could've made it here yesterday, but he'd decided it was safer to stay away at night. Now, seeing the crowd in front of the main gate, he knew he'd made the right call.
There were uncountable goats gathered, and in the middle of the herd, a floating, round object glowed brilliantly—casting an eerie light over everything. Yuji squinted, noticing the device vibrated ever so slightly, a hum he could almost feel in his teeth. What the hell is that?
A magical artefact? Or just weird human tech? Either way, I'm not getting close enough to find out. I like my fur un-singed, thanks. He shifted his weight, unease prickling along his spine as he watched two humans examine a goat, then lead it away. The scene made his stomach twist. Whatever they're doing, it can't be good.
He lingered at the edge, heart tapping a nervous rhythm. After a few minutes, Yuji came to a conclusion: Bojo had to be somewhere among the crowd of goats. If not, maybe he'd already been taken away by the humans. Or maybe I'm just chasing shadows. Wouldn't be the first time. Still, can't just give up. Not my style. At least, not anymore.
Yuji weighed his options, tail flicking. For now, it was safest to watch from the sidelines. No heroics today. Stealth goat mode: activated.
He also wondered why he wasn't affected by the strange object. Okay, Yuji, think. Why am I not hypnotized like the rest? System protection? Secret goat immunity? Or maybe I'm just too stubborn for mind control. Wouldn't that be something? He snorted quietly.
There was a third option, too—the device might just be spreading a female scent, and the goats, driven by instinct, were being lulled to sleep by the humans.
What do I do now? I can't just walk in there—I'll get captured for sure. Yuji decided to wait it out, hoping the humans would eventually leave. He settled into the grass, ears perked for danger, and kept grinding his daily quests. His body was changing—he could feel it. Every jump, every headbutt, every mouthful of grass made him a little stronger, a little faster.
Progress. Not exactly glamorous, but hey, I'll take it. If I keep this up, maybe I'll evolve into Super Goat. Or at least Outrun-the-Other-Goats Goat.
Just as he was settling into a rhythm, a series of system notifications appeared, each one punctuated by a soft, familiar chime:
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Achievement Unlocked! You have completed a new achievement.