Current status: ORL. (three standard meals per day and standard water ration).
Balance: 5 sol.
Debt status: No debt.
I came to a logical conclusion. “We’re the toughest goblins on the block!”
“Orcs!” Yorka corrected me as always, her face still shining. “We’re orcs!”
“Well… I can’t call us the toughest orcs around yet. So… Let’s have lunch, rest for a little and…”
“And head to intersection 17!” Yorka said boldly. “I’m not afraid! You’re one lucky bastard, double ones! That’s for sure.”
I disagreed. “It’s not luck. We’re not sitting idly on our asses — we act and the world responds. That’s just the way it works, my fellow goblin. Whoa! No way!”
“What?”
“Another system prompt. And it’s oddly long.”
More than six hours remaining until evening end-of-work alarm.
Accept additional party job? (extra reward (O)).
Yes / No.
“Accept it!” Yorka said immediately when I read it out loud to her.
“Are you sure?” I asked hesitantly. “We have no idea what it’s going to be. I could handle another round of hauling, but another hundred slime buckets is just too much for me today.”
“Let’s take the chance! Just think... An extra reward!” Yorka had a workaholic glint in her eye.
“All right…”
Yes.
Job: Wipe down tables and benches. (Party)
Description: Procure sponges from the Cleanomat Mark 22A (CLUX-17) and wipe down 100 tables and 200 benches.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Only wipe tables and benches with red lights.
Job location: CLUX-17.
Deadline: Evening end-of-work alarm.
Compensation: 20 sol.
Additional reward: Game challenge for any party member.
“Let’s go get sponges.” I sighed and stood up. “Are we getting lunch today?”
“Once the job is done!”
“All right… Ow, my poor old goblin back! I can already hear it cracking...”
* * *
STATUS:
Number: Eleven.
Rank: Nullform (volitional).
Current status: ORL. (three standard meals per day and standard water ration).
Balance: 15 sol.
Debt status: No debt.
“Game Challenge!”
Fast chess.
Choose player number: 11 or 91.
“Who’s gonna play, you or me?”
“I’m not playing,” Yorka said sharply, coming to stand next to me. “Are you gonna try? The timer’s ticking. Five seconds left!”
“Of course I’m in!”
Fast chess.
One round.
Choose difficulty level:
Easy.
Normal.
Hard.
Master.
“Pick Easy.”
“Of course,” I nodded. “It would be foolish to challenge the master before you test the might of his apprentice.”
“Do your best!”
A chessboard with pieces appeared on the screen. I didn’t get to choose a color — I was assigned white and went first. I started with a classic move, pawn to e4. The system responded with an equally standard move — pawn to e5. Setting up for a King’s Gambit! Pawn to f4…
The game ended in seven minutes. I won. To say my opponent played poorly would be an understatement. If I hadn’t been so cautious, I could’ve won much faster.
Game Challenge Complete.
Outcome: Win.
Reward: 6 sol.
Winstreak: 1/3.
Reward Bonus (GC): 0%
GC Selection Chance Bonus: 0%
Extra Prize Chance: 0%
Balance: 21 sol.
Debt status: No debt.
“Winning chess gets you twice as much sol as winning Tic-tac-toe!” I said happily. Yorka patted me on the shoulder. “Wanna share the prize?”
“Nah, you’ve earned it. I’ll borrow some if I need it.”
“Sure!” I smiled, not asking what exactly she’d need to borrow money for. It was pretty obvious.
“Congratulations, Elb the Goblin. Now, don’t die of happiness!”
“You either, Yorka the Goblin. My victory is our victory. What now? We had lunch, we had a drink, we had a game. Are we going to take a nap, or go straight to intersection 17?”
“Let’s go now!”
