Prologue - Juniper
The wooden floorboards creaked in annoyance in the middle of the night. It was easy to ignore them as the disturber scooped out some water from the wooden bowl filled with preboiled, river water. Max’s throat was grateful as the water managed to relieve the insufferable thirst from the dry summer air. After grabbing a second cup, he took a deep breath before looking out the window in a pose to show off his physique. It was becoming a secret pleasure of his to show his physical firmness that he got this time.
Whilst his eyes scanned the various fields of sleeping cows, he took another sip of his water. He heard them before he saw them. The ominous hum was terrifying the first time they heard it, but now even most of the cows were sleeping through it. Soon the hum grew louder before it turned into a louder shrill as a bright light casted down from the clouds; today’s victim had been chosen.
Max squinted as he tried to make out which cow was picked while it slowly levitated up into the sky. Its gentle moos were ignored by all the humans who could hear. Below her, some of the cows awoke to give their own moos of goodbye. A cry for help and a chorus of goodbyes. Which one is it this time? Elder? Cloud? Her soft voice and calm temperament meant it couldn’t be Salmon. The cow was rotating slightly as she was carried higher into the air. Soon Max spotted a brown star on the fur of her right butt cheek. Oh crap, it’s Juniper.
A familiar alert only visible to him appeared at the bottom left of his vision.
Story Name: Aliens from Above (Alien Version).
Genre: Sci-Fi
Description: After trying to save his precious cows, the MC explores the universe and is adopted by his alien abductors. But can he make the humans understand?
Goal: Create unity between the two worlds.
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
How to Start: Protect the cows!
It was easy for Max to ignore the system as he took another sip of his water. He felt a little bad as Juniper made eye contact with him and cried out with a hesitant moo. He gave her a gentle wave goodbye, but his feet didn’t move.
“Which one they got this time?”
He jumped slightly, causing him to spill some of the remaining water down his shirt. Max sighed as pulled his damp shirt slightly away from his chest. “They got Juniper.”
“Ah crap. She was a nice one.” The crusty farmer barged past before pressing his greasy nose on the windowpane. “Ya think they’re going to get them this time?”
“Fat chance.”
“Useless cunts.” The farmer muttered under his breath. “What do we even pay taxes for?”
“Which one got picked?” Both the farmer and Max jumped from the voice of the farmer’s wife. Physically, there couldn’t be a more appropriate looking woman to be a dairy farmer’s wife. Bessie shoved both of them out of the way causing the rest of the Max’s water to spill, but she was too late to see the levitating cow before it disappeared into the clouds. All that was left were a couple of sad moos then there was only silence.
“Juniper.”
“Ah fuck.” Bessie sighed. “She was a gentle one, that one.” Max gave a slightly sympathetic smile at her sad voice. In the six months he had been at the farm, it was clear the farmer was worried for their profits while his wife would grieve for a few minutes after each cow was chosen. After a minute but no longer than five, she would wipe away those emotions with a smile as she started to file the paperwork for a new calf to be delivered for free, enjoying the deemed ‘suitable compensation’ from the kingdom.
“Maybe you should go out there and join them, Max.” The farmer turned away from the window as he got ready to go back to bed. “You know the fields just as well as us, and you got better knees.”
Another little alert appeared in his vision, replacing the last transparent green box.
Story Name: Aliens from Above (Human Version).
Genre: Sci-Fi
Description: After trying to save his precious cows, the MC decides to lead a genocide against an alien race.
Goal: Wipe them out. No survivors.
Difficulty: ★★★★☆
How to Start: Join the knights in pretending to protect the cows!
“Maybe tomorrow night,” Max lied without hesitation. They all knew he was never going to join them out in those fields.
Bessie had already shaken off her grief over Juniper. “Oh well, it’s time to go back to bed.” And time to start the paperwork for their next calf. “Night Max.”
“Night night,” he replied in a soft voice before turning his gaze back to the peaceful fields of sleeping cows.
