There was a golden glow, and Hash found herself in a wide, empty expanse. She glanced up to find nothing but grey, same as last time, but when she looked down-

A planet. A beautiful, blue and green globe. There were polar ice caps, deserts, vast forests, long mountain ranges, rivers, everything that made a planet. It looked strange, but felt familiar.

“Your new home.”

Hash looked up to see two women standing a few feet away. One she recognized as Admin 5; she assumed the other was the Director. Finally Hash noticed her group was behind her, standing in a semicircle.

“It’s amazing,” Hash said, truly impressed. She smiled at Admin 5. “You did a good job.”

Admin 5 curtsied. “Thank you.”

The Director smiled, summoning a large table. On it was a map of a continent. “You will begin populating the planet from here. Come, choose which city or area you wish to rule.”

Hash stepped up to the table, and immediately her eyes were drawn to a perfect city. It was nestled along a river, where a forest turned into plains. Farms stretched around it on the plains’ side, and in the forest there were tiny towns for producing lumber. It would be ideal.

She wanted it. All she had to do was point, and it could be hers. She could already picture herself fixing whatever minor problems the Admins had overlooked there.

9 nudged her elbow. Hash closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked at the Director.

“We would like to decline.”

Annoyance flashed on the woman’s face. “I’m sorry?”

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“We would like to decline,” Hash repeated, glancing at Admin 5. “We would like a different prize.”

“I see,” the Director said slowly. “What would you like? Unlimited magical power? Absurd wealth?”

Hash pulled a paper out of her inventory and held it out. “Take the bad fortune you were going to give to the losing dungeons and give it to these creatures instead.”

The Director took the list, watching Hash suspiciously. “You spoke with Admin 6’s group about this, didn’t you?”

Hash blinked, confused. Lily and Samuel had asked what they chose. Lily had offered a few suggestions; Samuel was making a master list of most hated creatures or something. “Yes, but this is our list. Our choices.”

“Naturally.” The Director scanned the paper, then looked at everyone else in the group. “You all agree? Are you all willing to sign a contract saying this is the reward you choose?”

Hash nodded and glanced around to make sure everyone else agreed, too. They all did.

The Director turned to Admin 5. “Did you know about this?”

“We knew the players were all making lists of animals they’d wish bad luck on,” Admin 5 said. “It’s not the strangest thing they’ve all done.”

“All of them?” the Director asked, turning to look at Hash.

“Yes,” Admin 5 answered as Hash nodded again.

The Director spent a few seconds reading the list, then narrowed her eyes at Hash. “Do you not want to be supreme monarch? Why are you fine with giving up the prize?”

It was 9 who answered. “You’re giving us a whole new planet to explore, then asking us to stay in one place? No thanks.”

“One broken place,” Fishy added. “Pass.”

“Ruling a city is a big responsibility,” Hash said. “And a city no one is sure will be stable? It would be safer to live in a caravan, traveling from one place to another.”

There were murmurs of agreement behind her.

“Fine,” the Director said, clearly holding back anger. “I ask you all sign a form, agreeing that giving bad fortune to these creatures is what you desire as a prize, and then you will be offered a list of non-ruling jobs.”

Hash smiled, relieved she didn’t have to fight or argue with the woman. “Thank you.”