“Join our party, they said. It’ll be fun, they said.” Robyn said, mumbling to herself. She reached over to the pie by her side. Its freshly baked crust continued to emanate warmth. Its berry filling was delightfully sweet. Altogether, it was an exemplary baked good. Unfortunately, Robyn wasn’t in the mood for another dessert.

“What’s not fun about this?” Rex asked his miserable companion. He gestured to the scene around him. They stood at an enormous wooden table in the middle town, along with numerous other competitors. The crowd that gathered continued to cheer feverishly. Some were rooting for their companions. Others just wanted the show to go on.

This was the final event of the summer: The Summer Harvest Speed Eating Competition. Participants had an hour to eat their fill. Dedicated referees were assigned to keep watch and record what was eaten. The table was lined with all of the seasons’ produce that was close to spoiling or unable to preserve. Robyn and Rex found themselves next to the desserts. Stale bread, hard cookies, and left-over pies were stacked in fine rows. Thankfully, magic was used to keep the food relatively warm. It kept the food from feeling drab and motivated the competitors to continue eating.

“Eat your food. We can win.” Nicholas said. He was lying, as per usual. He was also feeling the effects of eating for almost an hour. Judging by the others that stood by him, he was far from winning. Still, Nicholas wasn’t the type to quit. It also helped that the food was delicious. Free food for the potential to win a gold reward worked wonders with his negative skill [Penny Pincher]. He wanted to keep fighting for the top spot, but every bite was becoming harder.

“What’s the point? I’m not going to win.” Robyn said with a defeated tone. She looked over to large men beside her. They were practically barbarians, scarfing down meats and vegetables as their lives depended on it. Meanwhile, her team was struggling to eat pies at a consistent rate. She didn’t see a reason to continue fighting the inevitable. Plus, it made more sense to do something productive with their limited time given the circumstances.

“The point is that we can win and get money. It’s the last day of summer, and the tournament is coming.” Rex said. The team was currently at odds with each other about what was the best action to take about their promise. Some thought new equipment would better their chances of winning the upcoming tournament. Others believed higher skills and levels would be what turns the tide of battle. In reality, the answer was a mix between the two. They just needed to compromise and plan their actions properly.

“Yeah, what he said. Now stuff your face. We can do this.” Nicholas said. He also didn’t agree with Rex, but it was hard to express that. Regardless, it was too late to do anything else that day. The team would be exhausted and weighed down from their food, so training would have to wait for tomorrow anyway. Since they were already in the competition, it was best to continue their attempt. Nicholas gave a subtle nod to his partners. It was the sort of gesture that called for foul play since they wouldn’t win under any other circumstances.

Robyn acknowledged her friend and leaned back in her chair. She uttered a few words to call for assistance from any animal that would listen. Onlookers saw the birds and mice that came but paid little attention. It was assumed that the animals were simply eating scraps that the competitive eaters dropped, so both the crowd and referees did nothing to stop them. Robyn used this to her advantage, subtly dropping more and more of her bites to feed the creatures below. To her surprise, the creatures kept eating as if they were on the verge of starvation. Even she felt her new skill’s effects to a slight degree and wanted to eat more.

“NOTICE. NEW SKILL [FAMINE] HAS BEEN ACQUIRED.”

Nicholas saw what Robyn was doing and smirked. She had the same idea as him, but he’d been cheating for the past half-hour. He quietly put his hand into the pie to his left while eating the one in front of him. Something slimy slithered out of his sleeve. Its color perfectly matched the pie it now rested on, so no one noticed what was happening. Cinco, the slime, was using its skill [Change Form: Shape] and [Change Form: Color] to stealthily eat its master’s pie. Once done, Cinco retreated into the sleeve it hid in, and Nicholas pretended to devour the hollow dessert.

“NOTICE. [FAMILIAR: SLIME] HAS ACQUIRED THE SKILL [RAPID DIGESTION].”

Rex…didn’t have a trick. He just ate every pie within his reach like a madman and loved every second of it.

“NOTICE. NEW SKILL [IRON STOMACH] HAS BEEN ACQUIRED.”

“Time’s up! Please step away from your plates!” Jenna, the owner of The Feral Tomcat and host of the event, said. She hopped onto a wooden platform for everyone to see her as she waved a flag. The competitors stepped away from the main table. At least, those that could stand did. Those who were too full to move had someone drag them away or rolled onto the floor. With the stage cleared, the referees were free to compare notes and inspect the remains.

Mateo, Jenna’s husband, walked around along with bakers, farmers, and the like. Everyone in town had a part to play in this event. It was a good way to make use of the food that was about to go bad, and it raised morale. The only problem that ever rose was from the people upset that they lost, but most didn't argue since the judges were unbiased. The final judgment came from the referee’s consensus and the amount of food empty plates stationed by a competitor’s seat. After much deliberation, the announcement was made.

“And the winner is…Xander from an unnamed team and our very own tavern!” Jenna shouted for all to hear. Looks of confusion swept across the crowd. Xander? Who is that? They looked over to the competitors who were all just as perplexed. Sure enough, Xander was standing between two burly men. He was far from his companions, but that was just because of the random seating arrangements. Once everyone realized who he was, cheers erupted. How could they not cheer for the man who was both a sin vanquisher and a heavy eater?

“Wait, what? When did you get here?” Robyn said quietly. She and the others walked over to their companion. He stood there with a half-smile as the crowd cheered his name. A pouch of various coins was now held in his hands. He couldn’t believe it. The scenario was too good to be true. Xander thought for sure he’d be reprimanded.

“Not now. We have to go.” Xander said before leading the others through the crowd. He didn’t have time to explain the truth. It would take far too long to tell his friends how he just exchanged his full plates for his seatmates’ empty ones. No one noticed, and those that did instantly forgot about him thanks to his skill. Genesis, however, never failed to recall what happened and responded accordingly.

“SKILL [FORGETTABLE] HAS LEVELED UP. THIS SKILL WILL EVOLVE UPON CLASS CHANGE.”