"Gio, how is that remake for table three coming along? Oh, and the bald guy at the counter wants another order of gyoza," said the hostess as she finished unloaded dishes into the rolling tray.


    it should have been too early for the dinner rush but the building was nearly full of customers. The sun wasn''t due to set for about an hour and a half, so the warm summer afternoon was still in full-swing, and the cooling systems in the building were probably due for an upgrade.


    The hostess deftly maneuvered through the busy kitchen over to the beverage station, summoning a small mote of ice to chill the glasses before filling them with the finest chilled barley tea found in the Ringed City for less than one Bit. The cheap tea was occasionally as much of a draw on a hot summer evening as the dinner special, and nearly everyone in the seating area had a cup of it in front of them.


    The silvered carafe that the woman poured the tea from glimmered slightly, the barest signs of an extremely economical space enchantment in an easy-to-miss cartouche embedded into the base. The hostess visibly struggled to lift the vessel over the set of frosty glasses.


    A voice sounded from behind the wall dividing the kitchen from the dining area.


    "It will be ready in a sec, Hatra!"


    Behind the counter stood Giorgio deGloria. During his employment as a part-time line cook at King''s Garden, he wore a white long-sleeved shirt and black work pants. The silver hair he inherited from his mother was currently tucked under a black chef''s cap, and a bead of sweat was racing from his forehead towards his left eye at full speed.


    He wiped his brow skillfully with the crook of his sauce-covered shirt, ensuring he didn’t cross-contaminate his hands. He grimaced as he smeared hot chili oil on his cheek.


    "I only need to hold on until Sam gets back from his break. I don’t have time to wash my face right now. I would sell all of my worldly possessions for a cleansing spell." He thought to himself


    Aside from the torrents of sweat that were running down his face, neck and back, Gio tried to focus on three warming basins full of noodles, two saucepans, four full deep fryers, and a steamer holding what he was almost certain might contain the last order of gyoza currently in the building.


    Taking a measured breath, Gio waved his non-dominant hand in slow circles, as if conducting an invisible orchestra. Simultaneously the broth, sauces, and even the water in the steamer''s base all began to form little whirlpools.  With his dominant hand, he portioned out equally sized portions onto seven plates of spicy chicken udon, the nightly special.


    The sizzling heat of the chili oil wafted towards Gio''s eyes, threatening to make him tear up, but he dispelled it with a quick breath. Bursting through the swinging kitchen doors, an older man carrying several large bags of frozen gyoza heaved forth, maneuvering open the standing freezer with a knee in the way only experienced food-service workers could as he wrestled the bags into the cramped space.


    "Sam! You were supposed to be on break! but thank the spirits that you found more gyoza, I''m sending out the last order right now." Before Gio could even ring the bell to summon her, Hatra skillfully spirited away the three plates that had just gone up on the order stand.


    "I grabbed a few bites before I ran to the storehouse. I had a feeling tonight was gonna get busy, and I didn''t want to leave you stranded here. It''s the Friday before the system ceremony, which is always a big day for deliveries." Sam said.


    The middle-aged man swiftly tied a blue and yellow fish-patterned bandana atop his buzz-cut head, his bushy eyebrows instantly matting with sweat upon entering the busy kitchen. Sam eyed the swirling broth and chuckled to himself.


    The head chef and owner of King''s Garden incorporated himself into the flow of the kitchen, and the night progressed from there.


    Just before peak hours, the rest of the staff working that night had clocked in and manned their stations, preparing for a busy evening. Hatra was an invincible fortress of politeness and cleanliness manning the hostess station. Gio and Sam became cyclones in perfect harmony, a single unit churning out order after order in the kitchen.


    "Quinn! MORE DUMPLINGS!" Sam yelled.


    "ON IT!" yelled back a young man from the prep table behind the cooler.


    Quinn could make even a dull knife cut like a razor. He was a thin and athletic young man, and his shoulder-length silver hair was tied back into a ponytail. He ran from cooler to prep-table, carrying load after load of raw ingredients. He made dumplings, cut up chicken breasts, and refilled sauces for the line.


    Wait staff bustled in and out of the back area, and several times a cleaning cart was sent out to the front of the house. The entire building seemed to hum with a sense of anticipation. Sam looked over at Gio and Quinn with a twinkle in his eye. "It''s coming, I can feel it!" he whispered, a manic grin trying to peek out of his tired features.


    <Serendipity! A minor spirit of commerce and hospitality blesses the staff of King''s Garden with a CHALLENGE>


    <Challenge: Reach 95% or higher average guest satisfaction for the night.


    Rewards:


    -Minor boon for all workers


    -Upgrade to the shrine near the register-uncommon store feature


    Failure penalty: none, time limit: 3 hours. Current Rating: 87% satisfaction.>


    Sprinting into the kitchen, Hatra ran to Sam, clasping his hands into hers. "Sam! Can we please break out the complimentary desserts?! You guys got the message too, right? I could REALLY use the minor boon. My [Lesser Telekinetic Assistance] has been on the cusp of the next grade for weeks now, and I know this will push me over the edge!"


    Sam looked around and then into the eager eyes of his part-timers. he nodded, "Do it, but don''t mention the challenge. Just say that it''s a treat celebrating System Day for you kids. Make sure you save some for the party, though."


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    By the time Sam had finished speaking, the only thing that could be seen of the hostess was the waving of her long black ponytail hitting the door as she ran out into the back street to go into the storehouse, accompanied by Quinn for a second set of hands.


    Gio couldn''t hide the smile that had come over him. It was certainly hard work, but there was something about working with a good team that fulfilled him. In some ways, he was going to miss this place. He tightened his apron, washed his hands, rolled up his sleeves, changed his gloves, and prepared for a busy night.


    _____


    Wiping down the grill, Gio summoned the notification from earlier, unable to help himself. With the doors locked and the delivery drivers all waiting to be cashed out at the front register, there was officially no way for the rating to suddenly plummet like it did just before closing. If Hatra had not swooped in to offer the bald gyoza man a coupon, the night might have ended differently.


    <98% Satisfaction rating. Time until close: 2 minutes, 37 seconds.. >.


    What sort of inhuman class does that guy have to pack away twenty-six orders of gyoza in a single night? And why would you get upset at the restaurant for not stocking twice the gyoza we typically go through in a week? But it''s no big deal. We did it. My first challenge. I imagined it would be a bit more glamorous, but a boon is a boon. Status.


    Name: Giorgio deGloria


    Race: Human


    Class- [LOCKED] - seal pending


    Occupation: Part-time assistant chef, Full-time student


    General Skills:


    -Inferior Multitask


    -Mana Shaper


    -Quick Study


    Would it be too much to hope this could count towards [Quick Study]? A title change to that skill would be massive for the start of the semester.


    Knocking at the front door summoned Gio out of his system-induced daze, the letters fading into the background of his mind. Walking into the dining room, a bundle of balloons and small holograms had completely engulfed Gio''s mother and his aunt. Trailing behind the balloons and illusion magic cloud were a few people engaged in an animated discussion, some holding bags full of tissue paper and others carrying boxes.


    Gio came out from the kitchen and walked up to the group. "Hey Mom, anything I can do to help?"


    "NO," resounded the entire group.


    "Go sit with your cousins sweetie, you kids are done working for the day." Emerging from the pile of decor, Gio''s mother and aunt quickly hugged him and began rapid fire setting up decorations. Gio recognized his mother''s signature lavender sparks as the banners affixed themselves to the walls. Aunt Dola swept up her daughter Hatra in a tight hug, then began fluttering around the space on a small pair of conjured fabric wings, effortlessly hi-jacking and completing any cleaning-related tasks from the shop workers. Quinn''s fathers seemed to be talking to Gio''s dad about work while they moved tables.


    <Congratulations! King''s Garden Has succeeded in a minor spirit''s challenge. Rewards have been distributed. >


    <Boon: Skill upgrade! Inferior Multitask -> Multitask>


    Gio couldn''t bring himself to be disappointed in the result. <Inferior Multitask> had been pulling its weight recently, and he was sure he could use the upgraded form for similar results. Pulling up a chair to Hatra and Quinn, he poured himself a glass of Barley tea from the now much less heavy carafe.


    "One day, Sam might actually get a spatial item that reduces the item''s weight instead of just making it bigger on the inside," Gio said.


    "Unlikely. The store might have to get a challenge specifically for buying nicer appliances for that to happen," Quinn replied. The three teenagers giggled and slumped into their chairs.


    "<Multitask>," Gio said. "I can''t believe Sam was right about the challenge. I figured he was practicing positive thinking."


    Hatra had both of her hands in her hair, rescuing her long, shiny, and freshly dyed black hair from the ponytail. Last week, her silver roots had started to show up, but she still seemed hellbent on her futile attempt to try and cover up the signature silver hair that their family, and by extension the nation of Ataraxia as a whole, was known for.


    "Well, it makes sense. commerce spirits are supposed to be very in tune with high sales periods, and we''ve been getting a lot of business in the neighborhood recently. I''ve been sending out fliers with deliveries for the past month, and I think it''s been working well. Oh, I got the upgrade I was looking for! <Telekinetic Assistance>. Wait, did you say that you got multitask? like... did you jump from inferior grade straight to no prefix? That''s huge!" She said.


    A large man with dark skin and golden tattoos approached the three. He put one of his hands onto his son Quinn''s shoulder and interjected:


    "[Multitask] is a lower grade of general skill than your telekinetic insight, Hatra. Smaller boosts to something like a multitasking skill won''t parcel themselves out into multiple subdivisions like inferior and lesser. Still, if something provides a large enough spectrum of bonuses, I''ve seen skills that will have four or five different prefixes before getting to no prefix." Paulo said


    Gio looked up at Paulo, his uncle''s partner of decades. As one of the only true mages that Gio knew in person, Gio filed the information he had just given away in a special place.


    Oh great, now I can feel quick study working for me... Multitask, I hope you''re worth it. This upcoming school year is going to be... something else.


    "Oh, Quinn, what did you get?" Hatra asked.


    "I didn''t get a skill upgrade from the boon. I think the spirits picked up on the fact that I am kind of happy with my pre-class skills for now, so I got an upgrade token for my first-class skill!"


    Gio perked up at that. "That''s awesome Quinn!"


    It had been a long and tiring summer, but the three cousins had made quite the impression upon the staff of King''s Garden. The noodle shop stuck out like a sore thumb, being the only brightly lit neon sign on a relatively bleak street in the mercantile district of the copper ring. Green chelated walls wedged the rest of the street away from the busier parts of the mercantile district, but realistically, the close distance from the main thoroughfare to the shop made for some pretty decent business. If not for Sam being old trade school buddies with Gio''s dad, he probably wouldn''t have given three inexperienced kids a shot at being part-timers in an up-and-coming noodle shop in a busy part of town. Still, he took a chance, and the three kids became absolute powerhouses. in the last month, Sam could be heard frequently reminding himself under his breath not to get too used to having such reliable help around, much to the dismay of some of the other staff.


    By the time those who wouldn''t be staying for the after-party left, the front of King''s Garden was transformed into a banquet hall. What was once a dull wooden veneer and tacky mass-produced decoration was now bursting forth with streamers, holographic glitter, and balloons, some of which appeared to contain motes of sparkling silver and blue fire. Draped across the center of the room was a banner that said "Celebration" in a generic font. The smile that had been plastered on Gio only widened.


    "Alright everyone, it''s getting late, let''s eat so we can get these kids their presents!" Sam declared.