I woke and started eating the last protein bar from my inventory. The protein bars were starting to get old eating the same thing over and over and over. Also, it couldn’t be a well-rounded diet. I didn’t even know what was in them. I opened the door, leaving my camp, and entered back into the inn, hearing music playing, and the sound of many people talking. I peeked over the balcony to see the inn full of patrons, most wearing swashbuckling-type outfits. I was just glad I hadn't seen a gun yet. I was weak enough fighting creatures, but if somebody pulled out a gun, that was going to be a quick death. The music was coming from a piano-looking contraption with a large accordion thing on top of it, playing by itself a song that sounded suspiciously like the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song.

There was some weirdness with the camp being half-time. When I went in, it was the afternoon, and coming back out, it had only been maybe five or so hours, with the evening just starting here. Stercus still had 20 or so more hours until I could bring him back, I had figured out. At least the 20 hours were my time, camp or not.

I went down the stairs and sat at the bar next to a gaunt-looking man who did not look entirely human. Keep came over as I sat down.

“Thought we might have lost you for the night,” he said with a smile.

“Just needed a quick nap,” I replied.

“What can I get for you?”

He served me steak and potatoes with a large tanker of ale. It was delicious and only cost one red shard. He called it the welcome special.

“Don’t get used to this cheap price for food. I only give it for your first night,” he said with a wink.

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After I finished my food, I got his attention.

“Would you be willing to convert some shards for me to higher denominations?” I asked.

“Oh sure. You will rarely see a businessman who would say no to that,” Keep replied.

“Sorry, I am new to this currency,” I said. “Why is that?”

“Well, I, of course would charge you a small fee in order to convert your shards,” he replied, smiling.

I knew it was probably a bad idea to just start plopping down sacks of counterfeit shards on the counter both putting a sign on my back saying Hey! Steal from me and also raising the chances of somebody saying something about their counterfeit nature. But I did it anyways.

“Blimey. Where were you carrying all these?” Keep said, staring at the 50 or so sacks of shards before him. “I’ll be right back.”

Keep came back out moments later with a single sack in his hands.

“Here you are. Taking into account the 10% conversion fee here is 40 Orange shards and 1 Yellow shard,” he said.

I knew from what I had learned earlier that 100 red shards were worth 1 Orange shard and 100 of those were worth 1 Yellow shard. His math seemed right, but I was not completely sure. I nodded, hoping that he was not completely screwing me. But if he was, the joke was on him as he only had two years to spend them before they would disappear.

I went outside and walked down to the vending machines. The streets were empty now, the sunset almost completely finished. I looked over my shoulder, not seeing anyone, and made a copy of the sack of shards in my hand. I put the real shards back in my inventory and then placed 1 Orange Shard in the Food & Potions vending machine. With a chime, I saw that I had a balance of 100 Red Shards.

“Fuck yeah!” I exclaimed, pumping my fist.

To try it out, I tested it on the on-sale protein bar. I selected it, and a button choice popped up of Complete or Continue Shopping. I selected complete. The protein bar now floated in front of the vending machine, and shards started accumulating at the bottom return area.

“I can’t believe that worked. Did I just find a way to break the game?” I thought.

“Fuck you, AI! I broke your fucked up game” I said, looking up to the sky.

I locked eyes with someone giving me a weird look, and I looked away, trying to play it cool.

Smooth.