Nick didn’t get much sleep. Judging by the time on his phone, it was only about five and a bit hours. Certainly not enough for him to feel fully refreshed, if he was being honest he actually felt worse. His body was filled with aches and pains. He hobbled into the bathroom and took off his shirt.

“Hot damn.”

There was a massive bruise covering a good portion of his back, even moving caused pain to flare across his body. He gingerly put his shirt back on and hobbled back to the sofa. He tried to lay back down to sleep but the pain was just unbearable at this point. So back up he got.

He decided to do something that was likely ill advised. Mindy had told him to not do it, but he was curious and didn’t want to just sit around and wait for his family to wake up. He searched around some drawers in the room and found a pen and some paper. He wrote a short note saying that he was going for a walk and he’d be back in no time, just in case his family woke up while he was out.

With his incredibly limited preparations he set out. He went back to the closest large room, finding it still full of people. He just walked around for a bit, taking things in. He got a few looks from groups but no one approached him or looked remotely bothered. He watched as people approached the various cupboards littering the room, they pulled out board games and various snacks before going back to groups.

Now incredibly curious he walked over to a cupboard and inspected it for himself. He opened it up and found that it was a jumbled mess of items, board games haphazardly crammed in with various chips and snacks filling in any available gaps. He didn’t take anything for now but he liked that he at least had access to food. He checked some of the other cupboards but they were pretty much all the same. Various board games, from a heap of different countries and similarly diverse snack foods. What an absolutely curious place this was.

Seeing that there was a good amount of people around, Nick felt confident to just stroll around and explore for a bit. If he got lost all he had to do was ask someone, there were plenty of people so he was sure someone would be able to help.

So wander he did. He went from room to room just taking in the sights. All of the rooms so far had the same decor, but he did find different types of rooms. Some were smaller than the larger games rooms as he was calling them, with different furniture littering them. So far he found weird large bedrooms with four poster beds just sitting in the middle of the room, with people just lounging in them. He found small kitchen-like areas, with microwaves and ovens. He watched in wonder as someone pulled open an oven and took out a full roast meal.

He had so many questions but he was just saving them. Saving them for what? He wasn’t sure yet but he was taking Gareth’s advice to heart, his mistake with Mindy already showing its importance.

Somehow he ended back up in the room with the door back to the car park. It wasn’t as busy as before but he noticed that there was still a group of armoured gents sitting by the door. Sadly Mindy wasn't anywhere in the room, he had been hoping to find the girl and learn a bit more about this place. He checked his phone and less than an hour had passed so he decided to keep walking for a bit longer before heading back. He suddenly wondered how the people here kept the time, he hadn’t seen any clocks at all in any of the rooms. Yet another question to plague him.

He looked around the room a bit before noticing a door that looked a bit different than the rest in the room. It had a window on it, a small porthole. With nothing better to do he decided to follow his curiosity. He walked into the room and was met with a completely different vibe then anything he’d seen previously.

The room was the same gold, cream and dark wood but the lighting was much dimmer than the previously bright rooms. There was a bar in the centre of the wide room, with stools lining it. The most pressing change in the room though was the people. Most of the people he’d seen so far were very laid back, dressed casually and clearly just chilling out. The people in here were tense.

Gruff looking men sat around the bar, crowding one man in particular. The rest of the crowd in the room was similarly gruff. Men and women in scrap armour sitting in chairs and sofas, looking hardened and rather intimidating if Nick was honest. The only factor that Nick was liking about the room was one man in the corner. He was playing a grand piano, filling the room with a calming tune.

The people in the room all looked at Nick as he entered, their eyes picking him apart for details. Though once again, no one called out to him or approached. Everyone returned to their conversations, though he did notice that the important seeming man at the bar was keeping an eye on him.

Nick really wasn’t enjoying the vibe, but he tried to keep composed as he walked through the room. His pained body certainly made his movements a bit awkward but he liked to think he didn’t let it show too much. He quickly cut across the room and headed for a door. He just wanted out of this room, so he picked the closest door and went through. He was greeted by another one of the large bedrooms but this one had something rather unique. Well two rather unique things. Kids and a TV.

There was a group of kids on the bed, none of them older than Ten. Kids younger than Benny. Christ, he knew that it was probably to be expected but it was still a shock to see kids in this weird environment. They didn’t really pay any attention to him and were transfixed on the TV. It was just as dated as everything else in this place but curiously it was playing kids shows. Shows that were definitely from a time before his own. He considered talking to the kids but he really didn’t know what to say to them.

Instead he just made himself scarce and moved through the one other door in the room. The room he found himself in was another new experience for him. It was a small room with only two features. Another door directly across from him and a wall with a window on it. Nick was instantly drawn to the window, it looked into another room, not outside like he hoped. This other room had a small stage in it, looking at the walls of the room he noticed a few more windows like his.

“Okay the vibes have not improved at all.” He muttered. This weird viewing area didn’t sit right with Nick. Why was it here? What could people possibly want to watch in a place like this? There wasn’t much else for Nick to inspect; he decided to just keep walking.

Sadly the next room just wasn’t any better in the vibe department. Two doors on one wall with a large button between them. If it had been just that it wouldn’t have been too bad. It was the words written on the wall above the button that really sold it for Nick.

Are you ready to start?

Nope, Nick most certainly wasn’t. Then he heard heavy, lumbering, footsteps from behind the door on his left.

“Righto, fuck this.” Nick turned around and swiftly made his way back through the rooms he’d just come through, right back to the bar. Nick’s morning so far had just been too confusing, he had too many questions and it was time for some answers.

He walked right up to the important looking man, ignoring the looks he was getting from the men around him.

“Hello there, Tony I assume?” Nick started.

The man didn’t respond, he just stared appraisingly at him. The other men around them all began to disperse, but one. This man spoke up.

“The boss plays the clarinet, I play the drums. Do you play any instruments?” The man spoke in a slow pace, watching Nick for his response.

Nick thought it over for a second, not rushing to any answers. “I can’t say I do, always been a bit more of a scrapper.”

The important man raised his eyebrow. “A fighter then?”

Nick didn’t need to think this one over. “Just a headstrong kinda guy.”

“Gareth gave his praises of you, which he rarely does.” The man said.

“He seems like a good guy.” Nick replied.

“That he certainly is.” The man paused for a moment. “So Nick, I’m Tony. I run the shop around here.”

“An important guy to know then.” Nick said with a smile.

Tony smiled back. “It certainly comes with its benefits.” As he said that a woman walked over with a tray of food, offering Nick some. Never one to be a rude guest, Nick took a small plate of grilled vegetables from the woman. He took a bite of a few as Tony watched him.

“You’re a valuable man right now.” Tony stated. “People love to hear news from back home."

“Valuable enough to get some pills?” Nick questioned.

Tony laughed out loud. “I like you kid. You know, if you do something for me I’ll lend you some pills for your dad, and your siblings.”

Why would his siblings need them? Nick didn’t feel in the position to ask right now, Tony was asking for something from him.

“What can I do for you Tony?”

“Straight to business, I’m liking you even more. Walk with me kid.” Tony got up and started walking towards the door Nick had just come from.

Nick intuitively knew this had something to do with the button. He wasn’t keen but followed along. Everyone else in the room watched on, none following after them.

As expected, Tony led Nick past the bedroom, past the window room and into the button room. Nick watched as Tony reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a small pouch, he took five pills out of it. There was one green pill and four white ones.

“Alright kid, if you want these pills you’re going to hit that button.” He said.

Nick looked at the man apprehensively.

“You have my word that it is safe and no harm will come to you from hitting it.” Tony reassured him, a light smile on his face.

Nick looked at the button in front of him. He guessed he was ready now.

Taking a deep breath, Nick stepped forward and pressed his hand against the button. He let out a gasp and he felt something completely alien rush along his arm. Along wasn’t the right word. It wasn’t inside him but it wasn’t quite outside of him. He could feel it somewhere between, somewhere he’d never been aware of up until this moment. Whatever it was kept flowing from the button to his hand, coursing along his arm and wrapping around his torso. It began to cover every part of him from head to toe. Suddenly it began to retract, leaving what felt like light webbing everywhere it left. Most of it consolidated around his back, forming into what he felt was a long rectangle running along his spine.

Nick shuddered at the alien feeling and Tony let out a chuckle.

“What just-” Nick began.

Tony cut him off. “Give it a second.”

Suddenly a screen appeared in front of him.

Choose your class!

Nick jumped at the sudden intrusion, the screen jumped with him. What sort of LitRPG shit was this? He looked at Tony.

“Alright kid, you should have a lot of options in front of you right now.” Nick nodded, looking through the expansive list of job titles. Warrior, Baker, Fisherman, Bricklayer, it seemed like everything that every job that had existed was here. Nick just kept scrolling through the list.

“Alright, if you want these pills then you’re going to take the Explorer class.”

Nick looked aghast at the man.

While Nick was entirely unsure of how things worked here, he did enjoy his fair share of webnovels. This was his chance to do something great, find a wizard class or something and become the sickest murder hobo. He looked at the seemingly infinite options before him and they began to shift. Magician, Illusionist, Shaman, the list now showing all sorts of arcane sounding jobs.

“Nick, listen to me. Your dad is sick, the food you eat here makes you sick. You and your family need these pills. Or you’re going to end up like the things you helped push off the stairs.” The man offered the handful of pills towards him. “This green one has the effectiveness of five white ones, with this alone your dad will be back on his feet. The others can be used by your siblings to stay healthy and still eat food.”

Nick looked at the man dead in the eyes. “This is fucked up Tony.”

The man shrugged. “My team needs a new explorer. You came at just the right time.”

“You’re really not fostering a good relationship here man.” Nick complained. “This feels like a terrible way to have gone about it.”

“Eh, I’m getting too old for being subtle. My team needs it, I can fix things with you along the way. You’ll get over it.”

Nick really wasn’t sure he would. Nick thought about choosing another class and just telling Tony he’d taken explorer.

“I’ll break your legs and leave you here if you don’t pick it.” Tony stated flatly, sounding like it was something completely normal to him. That was when the lumbering steps made themselves heard again.

Nick thought about exploration and the class list changed. Explorer, Adventurer, Archaeologist. Well there it was.

“How do I pick it?” Nick reached out and tried to touch it, but his hand phased right through the floating screen.

Tony chuckled. “Think about accepting it.”

He did and then a new screen popped up.

Class: Explorer

He who searches the unknown for treasures and stories.

Are you sure?

Shit, that one line sold it far better than anything Tony had said. He could guess why Tony wanted one of these on a team.

He didn’t have much choice other than to be sure. He accepted the class.

First Class!

Explorer

Skill 1 - Treasure Sense - Active

You can vaguely sense the direction to and location of treasure.

Skill 2 - Lucky - Passive

You are luckier than most. Better loot, more coincidental finds and narrowly avoiding danger more often.

Skill 3 - Hasty Escape - Active

When running away, gain a burst of speed, higher spatial awareness and dexterity.

Lucky his ass, some right bullshit this was. Nick looked at Tony. “Well I did it.”

The man grinned. “Think about activating Hasty Escape.” So Nick did, then Tony threw a punch towards him. Nick took a slight step back and felt a sudden rush. His feet moved faster than ever before and he had an amazing sense of where he was placing them.

“Woah.”

“Good kid. Here.” Tony placed the pills in his hand.

In more polite circumstances Nick would have thanked the man.

“Fuck you Tony, I coulda been a wizard.”