The group made their way back out into the hub room and nobody looked too surprised by their quick clear. Frank’s group was the first to come out of their challenge room but the other groups didn’t take too much longer, only minutes later at most. Nick began to seriously crunch the numbers on how these teams were operating.

If these were the average teams and they could clear the Brute challenge rooms on this floor this quick and easily, why the hell weren’t they getting out there and doing it more? There were plenty of challenge rooms spread out across the hotel, while they weren’t as conveniently grouped up as these hub rooms that surely wasn’t the contention. The groups here were spending hours sitting around, when they could just be moving between rooms and smashing out challenge rooms. The potential profits being lost here surely didn’t line up, the danger of a bit of banditry couldn’t be this disincentivizing.

Nick sat with the group for another long period before he heard the clicking sound again. The previous actions repeated and the teams all got up and rushed for spots, once again Frank went unchallenged in his assertion. Nick pulled out his watch and was confused. It had only been about forty minutes. Gareth had told him that challenge rooms took hours to reset didn’t he?

“Why did the rooms reset so quickly?” He asked the group.

Hardy grinned at him as they entered the room. “That’s why the hubs are so cool. All the challenge rooms in a hub have reduced reset timers.”

That made a lot of things click in Nick’s mind, if the room’s cooldowns were brought down to such levels it was a lot easier to justify sitting in front of them all day. It was a safe environment, you weren’t at risk of being attacked by other people and you could focus solely on clearing rooms. While Nick didn’t think it was as effective as just going out clearing rooms at a more constant pace, it made it easier to understand why the average group was operating like this.

While it was easier to understand, it didn’t make it any less lame to him. He watched again as the team easily dispatched the Brute; Kitty, Betts and himself were completely unnecessary for the defeat. Hardy and Frank made a devastating combination for defeating this tier of creature. Hardy could manage all the attention of the monster and Frank had the strength and sheer weight to absolutely devastate everything in his path. The Brutes never stood a chance.

The loot from this clear was a dozen pills or so, an amount that Nick wouldn’t blink an eye at, but the group was pretty happy with the large turn out.

“We’ve got to start bringing you out more often Nick. This is insane.” Kitty exclaimed.

Nick just smiled in response. In truth he was incredibly bored. He’d spent the last two hours alternating between sitting on a sofa and standing to the side of the group as two of the members cleared the room. This wasn’t the thrilling team-based fighting he’d come out here expecting. After they all left the room and were sitting around Nick asked something that was on his mind.

“How often do you guys clear wave challenge rooms?”

“Pretty rarely. They’re definitely the best loot, even though they’re a bit of a challenge. They’re just too contested for though. I’ve seen people get pretty banged up trying to earn a spot in a wave room.” Betts replied.

That didn’t quite line up with what he had personally seen. The few wave rooms he’d been to were completely isolated, surely he could convince the group to come out to one of them.

“I know the location of a few wave rooms, we could go clear those if you wanted.” Nick offered.

Hardy eyes widened, looking excited by the prospect, Kitty too. That’s when Frank put a dampener on the situation.

“You were roaming with the Executioner squad before this weren’t you? That’s where you cleared those rooms?”

Nick nodded in response.

Frank sighed. “Lucky lad. Those are the Exes rooms. We can’t go and clear those.”

“I thought people weren’t allowed to monopolise rooms?” Nick frowned.

“Well, they can’t but that’s not what they’re doing. It’s an unofficial rule. The Exes use established routes and rooms, they’re not too hard to get a hold of. Their routes have become pretty popular to run. The caveat is that when the Exes are on a floor using their routes, they ask that nobody touches the rooms and messes with the cooldowns. I’m sure you know how long the cooldowns are on some of those wave rooms.” Frank explained.

While it made sense to Nick, he wasn’t sure it sat right with him. The Exes were basically monopolising the rooms, they just called it something else.

“That doesn’t sound very fair.” Nick complained.

“Uh huh, why don’t you go take it up with them?” Frank sighed. “They’re not too bad, they only use rooms that are a bit more isolated and out of the way. It doesn’t really affect most teams, in fact they revealed the location of some pretty great rooms, helping the average team out more than it cost them.”

It sounded like Frank was coping with the situation to Nick, but he couldn’t really criticise the man. The man seemed absolutely petrified of Paige, the Executioners were a force that nobody seemed to want to be on the wrong side of. Nick guessed that power really was the deciding force in the end of things, once again reaffirming his goal of getting stronger. Nick began to wonder how he’d find someone to coach him on proper technique.

Nick absentmindedly sat around with the group then got dragged along by Betts when the unlocking sound rang out again. The room was cleared in no time and the team then decided to head back to the dining room for lunch. The group grabbed some food from the ovens they passed by and carried it along with them. Once they were back in the dining room, Nick went over to the kitchen and bought some food. He bought a couple extra dishes that looked like they’d be good for sharing for the other members of the team.

They looked a bit awkward at the free food, but quickly overcame that with a round of thanks. Nick wasn’t too bothered, he was beginning to accept the fact that he was on a different kind of income level. After they finished eating Nick pulled out the sack they were carrying the loot in.

“28 pills and a chestplate. That’s a pretty insane haul from just three rooms. That's better than some days we have.” Kitty exclaimed.

“Do you guys usually pay for an appraiser before selling items?” Nick asked.

He wanted the chestplate and he honestly didn’t think he wanted to spend the rest of the day with the group. They were cool and he certainly was learning a lot, it was just awfully mind numbing for him. He’d prefer to take his chances with some bandits than to just spend each day grinding out repetitive rooms like these groups were.

“We just sell it directly to a trader if we don’t want it. If one of us wants the piece they’ll pay for an appraiser then split the price between the members.” Frank explained.

Nick excused himself and went and got the appraiser from the back of the kitchen. Nick gave him the ten pills and the man told the group that it was a decent chestplate, no special attributes but pretty sturdy. It was worth 70 pills so Nick gave 18 pills to each of the team members. Nobody had any complaints and Nick chucked his trashed piece into his bag, putting the new one on right away.

“You were certainly due a change.” Hardy laughed.

Nick was about to reply when there was a commotion audible from the kitchen. There was a bit of shouting then someone came running out. It was a woman, one that got more familiar the closer she got. It was Lily, she had a frantic look in her eyes and she was running around looking for someone. It was then that she laid eyes on Nick. She bolted towards him.

“What the hell is going on Lily?” He asked.

“We gotta go dude. We gotta get out of here.” She spoke at a rushed pace.

She literally started dragging Nick back towards the kitchen. Nick just waved awkwardly at the team and let himself get dragged away. He wasn’t sure how he was going to tell the team that he didn’t want to head back out with them but he guessed this worked. Though he wasn’t sure that Lily was doing it just to help him out of an awkward spot. Concern blossomed inside of him.

When they made it into the kitchen Nick found his father standing there awkwardly. The two waved at each other as Lily grabbed him as well and dragged the two of them all the way to their room. She then sat them down at the table and let out a sigh.

“Well, care to explain what the heck is going on sis?” Nick asked.

Lily sighed again. “I did my first scrying ritual. Abby wanted to test how much of a reduction in material cost my skill was giving me. Turns out it’s quite significant, but that’s not the point. Something has happened on the 72nd floor.”

“Yeah?” Nick prompted.

Lily’s usually neutral expression started to wobble. “The ritual lets me look at a place I’ve been to. I tried looking at the bar on the 72nd floor, just as a bit of fun. It’s full of bodies, guys. Dozens of dead bodies.” Lily started sobbing.

Henry acted quickly and pulled his daughter into a hug, letting her sob into his shoulder as he patted her back. Nick sat there in quiet shock. What did that mean? The invasion force of the PPM had been massacred? Was it a monster or was it done by people? Nick had a sinking feeling that he knew which it was. Things started to click together in his mind.

Lily wiped her eyes and pulled away from Henry and looked at Nick. She must have seen something in his eyes because she nodded in agreement. A tacit understanding was exchanged between them. Nick sprang to action. He ushered his dad and sister into Maddy’s room, the two residents not surprised at their presence. Abigail must have known something was about to happen as well. Nick then went to go find Doyle, that would be the final confirmation of his working theory. He wasn’t sure what his next move would be, but that could be decided as his options were made clearer.

Nick made his way back to the kitchen and found an odd group of people around Doyle. Paige, Rina and the recruits, plus someone he had been waiting for, the Scout. Doyle looked pretty shaken for some reason, which didn’t bode well at all. Nick quickly made his way over to the group. He didn’t stop to listen to whatever they were discussing and immediately called out to Doyle.

“What happened on the 72nd, Doyle?”

Everyone in the group’s attention snapped to Nick.

“How do you even know something happened?” The Scout asked. “Wait, you’re Nick aren’t you?”

“Where's Benny?” Nick said, his focus completely shifting the moment he focused on the Scout.

“Well, about that. I wasn’t able to safely retrieve him, but I can confirm that Tony is holding him and the other children on the 64th.” The Scout explained.

It wasn’t the best results but at least Benny was alive, that was the most important part. He then looked to Paige, who gave him a charming smile.

“Of course Nick, I already contacted the Mistress.”

Nick felt a wave of relief flood through him. Everyone else in the group looked a little confused, unsure what Paige was talking about. Rina’s eyes scanned Nick and she looked a little shocked. She opened her mouth to speak, but Doyle got the first word in.

“I haven’t been able to make contact with any of the people I have there. This Scout came here asking the same thing as you, apparently he hasn’t been able to make contact with anyone since this morning. He heard a rather distressed call being made across his comm stones channel and rushed back. Did the Shaman tell you anything? My Shaman hasn’t come out of his room in a few days.”

Nick wasn’t sure why Doyle was referring to Abigail as ‘the Shaman’, but he answered anyway.

“No, Abigail hasn’t told me anything. Though she hasn’t left her room today, which isn’t unusual. What was the message that the Scout heard?” Nick asked, turning to the Scout himself.

That’s when a loud voice resonated through the dining room and into the kitchen.

“Now, what is a King to do when his retainers turn their backs on his generosity?”

Nick shuddered as he heard the voice. It was a voice that he certainly didn’t want to be hearing at a moment like this. It was voice that confirmed his worst suspicions.

Heavy footsteps began to resonate through the dining room, coming towards the kitchen. Audible groans could be heard, the sound of bodies dropping to the floor, tables and chairs being toppled over. Nick saw the man’s figure through the counter between the kitchen and dining room.

Golden armour glinted and shined underneath the artificial light of fluorescent bulbs. A garish golden crown filled with colourful gems sat upon a bed of perfectly tousled hair. A playful grin and fox-like eyes watched as the swarths of people that littered the dining were literally crushed beneath his aura.

Nick watched as people’s bodies were crushed into the floor, bones snapping a piercing out of skin. Only the strongest of people could let out the slightest of groans, everyone else was reduced to silent cripples, or worse, bodies.

Reggie stopped in the middle of the dining room, his aura seemingly covering the entire room.

“I’m a gracious King, come and take your rightful place before me and you may be shown forgiveness.” The man said with a grin. “I don’t like to be kept waiting. The longer you take, the more the people you are supposed to protect will suffer.”

Suddenly the aura vanished and for a moment the kitchen was flooded with the cries and screams of pain from hundreds of people. Just as quickly the aura returned and the cries disappeared.

“Come now Doyle. Beg for forgiveness.”