ocean-life Chapter 17: Trials of Leadership
Chapter 17: Trials of Leadership
Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Trials of Leadership
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.
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.(҂⌣_⌣)