Morning in the camp had become a cacophony of chaos—again. Boulder was chasing a goblin who had the audacity to throw mud at him, the lizardmen were testing their strength by trying to lift the same boulder Boulder had thrown yesterday, and Tink was muttering something about "blowing everything up" while fiddling with a suspiciously unstable device. Gotta get that away later.
I sighed, rubbing my temples. This is gonna be a headache...
(´･_･`)
---
As I attempted to restore order, Boulder approached me with an idea.
"Boss," he rumbled, his deep voice making the nearby goblins scatter. "We should have a strength contest to decide who's second-in-command."
I blinked at him. "We already have roles, Boulder. I'm the leader, and you're... big and scary."
"I'm strongest," he replied, pounding his chest for emphasis. "Should be second."
Gorn, overhearing this, puffed out his chest. "Strength isn't everything! I'm the smartest!"
"You got caught in a trap yesterday," Boulder deadpanned.
Gorn turned red. "That's because—"
"Enough!" I snapped, cutting them off. "You want to settle this? Fine. We'll have a contest. But it's not just about strength. It's about survival skills, problem-solving, and teamwork." I am sick and tired of their stupid antics right now!
Boulder and Gorn exchanged glances, both clearly thinking they had this in the bag.
"This is going to be a disaster," I muttered under my breath.
---
I set up three challenges:
1. Foraging - To see who could gather the most resources without getting caught in Tink's traps.
2. Puzzle Solving - A simple game of rearranging rocks into a specific pattern.
3. Team Leadership - Each contestant had to lead a group of goblins to complete a basic task.
The entire camp gathered to watch. Bets were placed, mostly in the form of shiny pebbles and leftover Glowshroom caps.
---
Round 1: Foraging
Gorn and Boulder set off into the forest, each determined to prove their worth.
Gorn, true to his sneaky nature, avoided every trap with ease, using his small size to duck under wires and leap over pitfalls.
Boulder, however, wasn't so lucky. He triggered a net trap almost immediately, getting hoisted into the air like a giant piñata.
"HELP!" he roared, flailing wildly.
The goblins watching burst into laughter, and even I couldn't suppress a grin.
Gorn returned triumphantly, his pouch overflowing with Glowshroom caps. Boulder eventually stumbled back, covered in leaves and looking thoroughly disgruntled.
Winner: Gorn.
---
Round 2: Puzzle Solving
I laid out the rocks in a random pattern and showed them the completed design they needed to replicate.
Gorn scratched his head, frowning. "This is a waste of time. Who needs puzzles?"
Boulder, surprisingly, took to the task with a serious expression. His massive hands moved the rocks with surprising care, and within minutes, he had completed the pattern perfectly.
Everyone, including me, stared in shock.
"What?" Boulder grunted. "I'm good with shapes." Unexpected.
Winner: Boulder.
---
Round 3: Team Leadership
This was the real test. Each contestant was given a group of goblins and tasked with building a simple shelter.
Boulder, as expected, took the brute force approach. He barked orders and lifted logs into place himself, but his goblins mostly stood around, too intimidated to help.
Gorn, on the other hand, used his cunning to delegate tasks. He didn't lift a finger himself but managed to get his goblins to work together, bribing them with Glowshroom snacks.
By the end of the challenge, Gorn's group had a decent-looking hut, while Boulder's resembled a pile of sticks held together by brute willpower.
Winner: Gorn.
---
As I announced Gorn as the winner, Boulder let out a frustrated growl but didn't argue. Instead, he gave Gorn a grudging nod.
"You're clever," he admitted. "But I'm still stronger."
"And I'm smarter," Gorn shot back, grinning.
"Great," I interrupted, stepping between them. "You're both valuable. Now stop bickering and use your skills to help the camp, got it?"
They both nodded, albeit reluctantly. Jesus, these dudes are fighting for no reason-_-
---
That evening, as the camp settled down, I couldn't help but feel a small sense of accomplishment. Sure, the day had been chaotic, but we were making progress.
The goblins seemed more cooperative, the traps were holding up, and the base was slowly but surely coming together.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Base Progress: 90%.
I leaned back against the cave wall, watching the glow of the campfire.
"Maybe I'm not so bad at this leadership thing after all," I murmured.
Of course, knowing my luck, tomorrow would bring a whole new set of problems. But for now, I allowed myself to enjoy this brief moment of peace.(҂⌣_⌣)