Token of Hard Work

As I saw the gold coin, I tried my best to hide it from the other participants. Violence is not allowed against each other, I haven't forgotten about this rule. Maybe I just hid it out of spite.

I held the coin in my left hand together with the pouch that contains the seedlings. Staring at the gold coin for a few seconds and having a curious thought of what it is for, a screen appeared showing the description of the coin.

"Fruit of Diligence: Gold"

"This coin is a token of one's hard work."

"Put this coin in the pocket of your shirt to be acknowledged by the lady in blue. Once in the pocket, you will be immune from the lady's hostility for 20 seconds."

"Amelka look at thi-"

I was interrupted by Amelka's gorgeous face which was so close to mine.

"Gray, look."

Amelka said in a whisper, she was showing me the coin she found while looking around checking if the other players were watching us. Now that I think about it, she just said my name. It was the first time I heard her call me by my name.

What Amelka had is also a coin, but it is silver. She handed it to me and I read the coin's description.

"Fruit of Diligence: Silver"

"This coin is a token of one's hard work."

"Put this coin in the pocket of your shirt to be acknowledged by the lady in blue. Once in the pocket, you will be immune from the lady's hostility for 15 seconds."

The description is quite the same. I guess the important detail is the duration of being immune. So we could rest for the duration of the coin, is the first thing that I have thought of since I am tired. We decided to keep the coin first and use it later.

Both Amelka and I were resting with our hands stuck in the mud. To think that having your hand in the mud and not letting go of the seedling will make you seem like you're working is quite a "cheat". But I have no complaints, I am even thankful for such a thing to exist since it gives us more time to have a breather.

"Rice planted: 1830/3000"

Only more than a thousand and I am finished. My pace has gradually become slower with how sore my entire body feels. Even my fingertips were wrinkled due to being stuck in the mud for a long time.

I have found another coin. This time it is a copper one. There was a prediction in my head about the coin's description, still, I decided to look at it.

"Fruit of Diligence: Copper"

"This coin is a token of one's hard work."

"Put this coin in the pocket of your shirt to be acknowledged by the lady in blue. Once in the pocket, you will be immune from the lady's hostility for 10 seconds."

What I thought was right. Considering what we have, the coins are either copper, silver, or gold. And the duration of immunity increases from copper to gold.

As I look around, I could see other "players" picking something and trying to hide it as well.

"I've found another coin."

Amelka whispered to me, handing me the copper coin she just found. Now, we have two copper coins, a silver coin, and a gold coin. Her gaze was still fixated on me. I figured she was thinking about something in her head.

I asked her with a smile, "What is it?"

She looked towards my left hand where I held the coins.

"Can't we use the coins to reach the house?"

Seems like my exhaustion has also clouded my thinking. Immunity against the lady in blue would've included leaving the muddy field for the duration of the coin. But, considering we have no proof of it I was still hesitant. When we were close to the dry land and the house I told Amelka to rest.

"Ha! A silver coin!"

Someone in the middle of the muddy field shouted. He was excited at the sight of the silver coin and even raised it in the air showing everyone. How dumb, I thought.

Knowing what the coin was for, it is not surprising that another player tried to snatch the dumb guy's coin. But he did it with force. He punched the person who found the silver coin and made him drop it.

I guess he was another idiot for forgetting the consequence of harming another participant.

While reaching for the silver coin on the muddy ground he seemed to have become restless. Scratching a lot of areas around his body. He was screaming. I could see his face bleed from the wounds he inflicted himself.

"It burns!"

He kept on shouting and moving around as he scratched his entire body. It's already passed seven seconds since he last planted a seedling yet the lady in blue seems to have no interest in him. After a few seconds, his screams became louder as he squirms like a worm on the muddy field.

There was no fire, still, he kept on screaming about how much it burned and it was apparent how his entire body became charred. His screams lasted for a while. Till only ashes were what's left of him.

Near them was the black guy from earlier who runs towards the house only to see the lady in blue's gun pointed at him. He managed to acquire the silver coin and saw its description. This time, no one bothered him and decided to look for a coin themselves.

It seems like courage is what he's made of. Soon as he knew what the coin was for. He went towards the edge of the muddy field. His right hand was stuck in the mud as he readied himself while the other holds the coin close to the pocket of his shirt.

He was about to run off when another person near him decided to run towards the house. His loud breathing could be heard from afar as he ran. But he was as slow as a two-legged dog. And he was muttering something as he ran. The black guy paused and decided to watch him first.

I counted three seconds, then the lady in blue shot him in the left leg. He stumbled on the ground and dropped the coin that he was holding in his hand. We heard his loud cries and the weird noises that also came from him as he continued to crawl towards the house.

Persists as he does yet with a useless limb he only struggled to crawl wanting to reach the house. It wasn't enough, he did not even manage to reach the coin he dropped quite far from him.

On the other hand, I was counting. Trying to get something out of the poor guy's misery. I decided that I am past the phase of being grossed out whenever I see blood or someone's body part come off. Something I never thought I could just decide and be capable of.

Five seconds. It was after five seconds when the lady in blue shot him in the other leg. The man still clings to his life as he pulled his entire body with his hands. In the process, his cries were masked by the loud huffing he made.

The lady in blue's third shot happened after another five seconds. Ending the poor man's life. It also took a few seconds before his body including the pool of blood on the ground disappeared leaving no trace.

Thanks to him I have learned a few pieces of information with great importance in passing this stage.

I was not the only one who watched the dead man's attempt. A lot of the other players were also staring at him, including the black guy who was about to run toward the house.

The black guy had a deep sigh of relief. I think it's because he was saved by the previous guy who thought that he would be warned after seven seconds. Leaving the muddy field and attempting to enter the lady in blue's house without an invitation must've been the reason for the timer to go down to three seconds.

As the black guy realized this, he began his attempt. He sprinted like a cheetah and didn't seem tired from the work he's done. His left hand was ready to put the silver coin in the pocket of his shirt. Right after two seconds he placed the silver coin in his pocket and dashed towards the house.

Soon as he entered inside, the doorway of the house lit up. The light was green in color. Then a bigger holographic screen appeared in front of the house.

"Congratulations!"

He made it.

I've read in a book that elite athletes could run a hundred meters in ten seconds or below. But most of us are not even athletes. With the scorching sun and combined with the tiring work we have done for a while. Exhaustion is our biggest hurdle.

Everyone saw his incredible feat. He made it into the house in only thirteen seconds.

Now that I have proof that it's possible to pass the stage without completing the task. I've decided to hand over the gold and silver coin to Amelka.

"Can you reach the house using these two coins?" I asked.

Amelka has a slender body and to my own assumptions, she appeared like a frail person. I was worried whether the gold and silver coin would be enough or if should I include a copper one.

She looked at me with a serious face, "It's more than enough. I'm athletic."

"Uhm. Okay. But aren't you tired?"

Frowning, Amelka said she was as good as the black guy from before when it comes to running. But she admitted that it won't be the case this time since she was exhausted. Just to be sure, I handed her the gold and silver coin.

Soon as we were at the edge of the muddy field. Amelka readied herself. I told her to count to two and then put the gold coin in her pocket. Then only after eighteen seconds put the silver one since we're not sure whether the timer would stack if two coins were placed at the same time or if the second coin's timer will replace the first.

Before going off Amelka looked at me.

"Later."

I smiled, "Yeah, see you later."

Amelka dashed off to the house and did what I had told her. Anxious, I counted every second of her attempt. She was faster than I expected. It took her twenty-five seconds to reach the house.

Having two copper coins with me, I am still hesitant about running towards the house. I consider myself good when it comes to running but in my current condition, I am not confident.

Players around me who have managed to acquire a coin ran to the house without second thoughts. Most of them survived and reached the house.

With the two copper coins in my left hand, I assumed my running stance. As I dashed, I counted two seconds before putting one copper coin in my pocket then timed it before putting the second one. My time was good, and I am confident that I can reach the house with a few seconds to spare.

All of a sudden, I felt an intense pain in my left leg and it made me stumble on the ground falling face first.