Are Dob and Lob still sleeping? Jeez. They must've pulled an all-nighter or something. I wonder what the miners are talking about? Could it be the pickaxe was so amazing that it caused this? Well, I have to find Keith first. If he was the cause of this then he'd probably be in the middle of everyone. Since they probably crowded around him like paparazzi. Although of course, the pickaxe would have to be practically godlike to cause that to happen. But it's worth a look.

I stood up and glanced toward the center of the group. In the middle of all the faces that were still slightly grimy, there was one person who looked like they'd just taken 100 showers.

Is that Keith? Why's he so clean? Well, whatever I can get my answers once I talk to him.

I walked toward the group of miners. Thankfully they didn't seem to be attempting to run me over this time although I wasn't sure if that was because they got over it or that the pickaxe was cooler than me.

Well, a pickaxe probably would be more appealing to miners than most people. Anyway, I'm not that vain that I care that they're not clamoring over me. I'm happy about it in fact because it means that they aren't going to be doing their whole Human Steamroller thing again.

"Hey, Keith? Um. Can you come out of the clump please?", I asked.

The miners turned towards me. When they saw me standing there they froze.

"Um. What's going on? Are you guys okay?"

I have a bad feeling about this...

The miners started to run towards me.

"Where'd you get the pickaxe?"

"Can I have one?"

"Please?"

"Pickaxe! Pickaxe! Pickaxe!"

Now this caused quite a commotion in the Dining Hall but I hardly took note of the eyes now pointed towards me as I was running for my life, yet again, from the Human Steamroller.

Oh, flip me. What the heck! I thought I was free from the Human Steamroller! Why is it back? What does it want? Well, I know what it wants. Clearly, the pickaxe was really good at uh pickaxing! I try to give someone a gift and this is how I get repaid? Getting turned into a pancake? No thank you!

Thankfully for everyone else the miners still had their brains so they weren't smashing through tables but that didn't matter because people who work breaking rocks all day are gonna be a bit stronger than your average person.

So this is why P.E was important! Sigh. Sorry, Mr. Jackson. I should've known that someday I'd die, end up in a different world, go undercover in a criminal organization, check on various mine's productivity for the boss, and find an amazing pickaxe in a secret room in the tunnels below the mines after defeating a giant spider, gift it to a miner named Keith, and then get chased by a crowd of envious miners.

I looked behind me to see how close I was to being flattened and saw that the miners at the head of the group were only about 4 feet away from me. I also noticed that Keith was missing.

I'm gonna die! Not heroically or anything but to a crowd of miners! All this over a stupid pickaxe. And where's Keith?!

"WHAT IN THE BLAZES IS GOING ON?!", someone shouted in a commanding voice.

The miners stopped running immediately causing some of them to stumble and crash into the others. This created a nice domino effect causing most of the miners to fall to the ground in a big disorganized lump.

I hadn't stopped running after the shout rang out but kept booking it until I heard the thump of bodies tumbling to the floor.

Ok well, now I have to check. Hopefully, no passerby got hurt!

I turned around and saw the miner lump.

What the heck? Well, I'm not complaining don't get me wrong Mr. or Mrs. Gift Horse. Wait can they read minds? Wait... no? Or. But they aren't real? But. Whatever. I wonder who shouted before.

I looked toward the front of the Dining Hall and saw Ben, Keith, and Nate standing there.

My saviors! Keith must've left to go get them! I feel like I have to give Keith another gift now but I think I better hold off on that. Besides, it seems like the pickaxe I gave him was really good so I think I can pass on this one. I don't want another event like this happening. I have to go thank them! And maybe I should make Nate some kind of toy using Runes. I bet he'd like that.

No longer being chased by the miners I walked, instead of ran, to where Ben, Keith, and Nate were standing.

"Thank you guys so much! You basically saved my life! Now we're even!"

"Nah this doesn't count. I didn't do anything but yell."

"Well, I'm making it count."

"... okay?"

"Good. Now we don't owe each other anything so we're finally equals!"

"Yeah, I suppose so. Keith is the one you should really be thanking though. He's the one that told me what was going on."

Yeah, I figured that was what happened.

"Yeah, I figured. I just wanted to use that to make us even. No, take-backs. Don't even try it."

"I- okay fine."

"Oh um, Jameson sir. Just in case you were planning on giving me something I don't really need anything. The pickaxe you gave me was amazing and I don't want to be pestered with the same questions again about whatever new amazing thing you'd generously give me."

"No problem! Just take my eternal thanks then. The same goes for you, Ben and Nate."

"Ok well, I'm gonna go get some food. Not that I really need it considering how easy that pickaxe made my work. Hehe."

How easy... I gotta check to make sure this won't end up biting me in the butt. Well more than it already has.

"You guys can go get your food. I'll join you in a bit. I gotta go make sure that pickaxe isn't too powerful."

"Yeah, no problem we already got our food anyway. You should go now though before he gets to the line. Oh well, he's in the line now."

"Yeah, that's no problem."

Sigh. I can't believe I forgot about that. I can be so dumb sometimes. Like you already noticed that they finished their food so how the flip did you forget that?! Maybe I need more sleep or something. I can't keep making mistakes like this.

I walked over the crowd of people at the buffet and walked forward as people moved out of my way.

I feel like I'm basically parting the seas right now. Seas of water, people, same thing really. Yeah not really. But I bet it looks really cool. Hopefully, I can make some kind of recording device at some point to record all the cool things that I'll hopefully keep doing.

When I got to where Keith was, which didn't take that long since hadn't been in the line for more than 15-ish seconds I tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Keith."

"Hey Jameson sir?", he replied in a tone that seemed slightly creeped out.

"So could you tell me how the pickaxe made your work easier?"

"Well, it just felt like I was stronger and I didn't seem to get tired at all!"

"Oh ok. So you don't think it's a danger to keep around right? Unbiased opinion please."

"Nah. Someone getting better at mining isn't gonna hurt anyone."

"True. Okay sorry about coming up on you like that. I just wanted to make sure."

"Yeah, no problem I get it, man. Thanks! Oh sorry. I meant Jameson, sir."

"Don't worry about it. I prefer more normal forms of address anyway. Sir just makes me uncomfortable."

"Ok great! Ima get a bit of food now. Have a great night Jameson!"

"Yeah you too Keith", I said with a smile.