[Negative. I lack all emotions, sensations, and feelings; therefore, I cannot be a pervert even if I wanted to, which I do not.]
The system replied, and although it said that it lacked emotions, Klaus felt like it was mad for being labeled as a pervert.
"Ah-huh, like a pervert would agree to being one," He said and whispered, "Status."
I remember watching a show in which the protagonist had a system just like this, and by saying status, he could see a panel that listed everything about him.
And his knowledge didn’t disappoint.
[Status]
[Name: Klaus Murrow]
[Age: 27]
[Level: 1]
[Trait: None]
[Skills: None]
[Strength: 11 > 12(↑)]
[Stamina: 15 > 16(↑)]
[Speed: 14 > 15(↑)]
[Perception: 11 > 12(↑)]
[Mana: 0 (Locked)]
[Stat Point: 2]
[Daily Tasks: 5/5]
’27? I am 22 though...’ Klaus frowned and asked, "What’s a trait, and why is my mana 0?"
[Host, do you even know anything? A trait is the source of abilities tied to you; it births skills based on your progress and is ranked Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum based on utility.]
[The reason your mana is zero is that you lack a mana core. Which is strange because your soul signature matches the one set in me, and the world should be full of mana during the apocalypse.]
’So it’s because the apocalypse hasn’t started yet and everything’s normal.’
Klaus remarked inwardly and nodded to himself. "How can I get a mana core?"
[A mana core is an organ that is connected to a being’s heart and lungs, and it is formed when the being goes through body reformation upon awakening.]
"And to awaken, I have to come in contact with mana?"
[Yes. Finally, you know something.]
’How the fuck am I even supposed to know something like this?’ Klaus furrowed his brows and rose from his chair.
[According to the data, these terms existed even before the apocalypse in the form of entertainment media. It appears the host is not a man of culture.]
"Shut up, will you?" Klaus hissed and walked to the hall with a melancholic look.
Just a few minutes ago, I lost all of my savings in a gacha, and now this stupid pervert system is telling me that the world will end in five years?
How am I even supposed to take that?!
Why is someone like me, who cannot even face his own reality, given the grand task of saving humanity from extinction? Why did whoever and whatever had created the system choose him specifically?
Klaus shook his head and asked, "What do you want me to do?"
[I am tasked to support you, not to slave you. Even if you become a hero or turn a blind eye to the destruction and death around you, I will do what I am tasked to do. The choice lies in your hands.]
Klaus’s lips stayed shut. Silence filled the hall for a long while, then he grinned.
"Whenever I do anything, I go all in." He paused and added, "You can even ask my exes if you don’t believe me."
[If someone has just an acorn, giving it to someone would still be considered giving everything.]
"..." Klaus fell silent at the system’s remark. He knew it was talking about neither acorn nor sincerity.
He let out a defeated sigh and asked, "How do I level up?"
[Host can level up by completing daily tasks and missions.]
"Missions?" Klaus’s brows rose in interest.
[Normal Missions]
- Kill a mutated monster.
- Save a human from a mutated monster.
- Gain a companion.
- Create a safe base.
- Have a child.
[Special Missions]
- Awaken your trait.
- Kill the first calamity.
- Kill the second calamity.
- Kill the third calamity.
- Kill the fourth calamity.
- Kill the fifth calamity.
- Kill the sixth calamity.
- Kill the seventh calamity.
Klaus stared at the screen with a dark expression, and his voice cracked as he asked, "What are these calamities?"
[The seven calamities are the strongest and deadliest mutated monsters. Within the first five years, they alone wiped out more than 80% of the remaining human population.]
’80%?!’ A shiver ran down Klaus’s spine, and he mumbled, "You think I can kill them?"
[For that I have no answer. There are things I am restricted from mentioning, and those restrictions will weaken with each level up.]
Klaus’s face turned grim.
The humans that it is talking about had superpowers, and if even they couldn’t kill them, then how will I?
His dream of ruling the world seemed too bleak for him to continue further.
"I should just become the eminence in shadow," he mumbled somberly and walked into the kitchen.
The best way to forget one’s worries is to eat good food.
He stepped in, and the system flickered before his face, causing him to flinch.
"What the fu—" but as he read the text, the words got trapped in his throat.
[Host has killed a mutated monster!]
[Host has leveled up!]
[No environmental mana found. Level up effect has been reduced by 50%.]
[Remaining effect will be reapplied once environmental mana has been detected.]
[New normal mission added!]
[Kill five mutated monsters.]
"Huh?" The warm sensation from before filled his body.
He looked down and moved his leg away.
There on the floor was an ant, crushed into paste by his feet.
"Did it count the bug as a mutated monster?" he mumbled with a dumbfounded face.
[Host, should I run a check for mental disability?]
Klaus glared at the screen and hissed, "My mental is as perfectly fine."
[Then why are you calling a Burrow Antien a bug? Just because they are a mutated form of a sugar ant doesn’t mean you can call them a bug. Stop being racist.]
He snorted and decided to change the topic, "So what I just killed was a Burrow Antien?"
[Yes, and as Host seems to know nothing about mutated monsters, I have edited the notification to include monster species.]
"Oh, how generous, my lord." Klaus clicked his tongue and looked at the dead sugar ant with an excited glint in his eyes.
If this is a mutated monster, what about the calamities? Are they also just some animals?
[Are you sure that I shouldn’t run the check?]
"I am positive," he said with a smile as he grabbed the pan and placed it on the fire.
"Tell me more about these so-called calamities."