Pain came first.
A dull, pounding ache behind his eyes-like his skull had been split open and stitched back together wrong.
Niro groaned, blinking slowly.
"...yeah," he muttered, voice dry, "this feels illegal."
Cold stone pressed against his cheek. The air smelled like iron... and something worse.
He pushed himself up-
And immediately wished he hadn't.
Bars.
Blood.
And people staring at him like he was already dead.
"...where even am I?"
No answer
Niro let out a quick breath, rubbing his temple.
'Not how I planned my life to go.'
He was supposed to save money. Live quietly. Maybe-
His expression softened slightly.
-find his brother someday.
The last time he saw him...
He was standing at the Tower gates. Smiling.
"I'll make it to the top."
His brother always muttered over the top of the tower as if it was the most precious thing to him.
Niro swallowed.
"...guess I'm taking the long way."
A old man about 2 feet to Niro's left spoke angrily.
"Stop talking to yourself... crazy young people."
Niro looks at him.
"You need a little huggy?"
Niro grins-sarcastic expression on his face.
"Seems something bothering you."
Some of the others in the cage giggle at the scene.
"Why you, your lucky were in these chains or I would have... mm, damn you."
You can see veins popping out his forehead-as he clenches his fist and shakes the chains.
"...scary."
Rolling his eyes Niro can't help but almost laugh at the man; cheeks like a chipmunks, trying to hold back his laughter, he covers his mouth.
...
Everyone has gone quiet now, only breathing and the sounds of rumbling stomachs are heard now.
Were hungry.
Who knows the last time any of us ate.
What day is it?
And where are we?
Niro looks up to a Huge buff man who starts to unlock the cage.
"Everyone get the hell up!"
Niro stands, the others didn't.
"See know I know he wasn't talking to just me... right?"
Niro makes another sarcastic remark.
The big man looks at him and then at the rest who are just sitting on the floor.
"I said. Get. Up. NOW!"
Everyone finally stands, shaking in fear of what's to come.
A stern-fierce expression the big mans face.
"...Good, now everyone walk out the cage one by one, every one of you guys are now players of the lower tower, also known as the abyss. we are currently on floor 1, also don't bother trying to get out of here because we will hunt you down and kill you and any family members you might have. Only way to go is down."
The man points his finger to the floor.
People around Niro start to panic.
None bothered to talk against what the man was saying as they know what will happen to them if they do.
After a little while everyone has dispersed into different areas of the floor.
"So my brother went to the upper tower and I got kidnapped, drugged, caged and sent into the lower tower... not bad, god must not like me all too much."
'Seems finding my brother will have to wait for a while.. if he's even alive.'
Niro's expression softened.
'...eh, no point in crying about it I got to survive no matter what happens.'
A little while later...
Niro is punching a mushroom...
This mushroom is different of course, it's got legs, arms, a little tiny face and is about as tall as the height of your average table.. stubby too.
The mushroom punches him back, little tiny noodle arms with fist the size of a baseball.
"Owww! that hurts you stub."
Niro groans loudly.
"Never-"
Niro stops speaking to counter punch.
"-Did I ever think in my 18 years of life did I ever think I would be fist fighting a giant mushroom in order to survive."
After about 30 more seconds of brawling with the mushroom-
-It's dead.
Niro finished off the mushroom and is now cooking it on a fire left by old adventurers.
"How do I even eat this thing?"
Niro confused continues to cook it anyways.
"...It gushed out brown liquid when it died and got all over me."
You can almost see tears fall from Niro's eyes.
'Hm it could be poisonous now that I think about it... wait who cares I'm hungry.'
Niro laughs over his own thoughts
He takes it off the fire and takes a huge bit of it.
"DAMN! That's so good, mhm... more-more!"
Niro cheers and smiles ear to ear over the delight.
After eating he finally stands and...
Throws up.
"Yep... definitely poison."
Niro empties his guts onto the floor.
"Never again will I eat a tower mushroom... never, I swear on my soul."
Niro sulks over the sully taste of poison.
"But it tasted so good-uhh."
Niro finally stops throwing up.
'Seems I'm done.'
"Well I guess it's time to explore more."
Niro heads off deeper into floor 1 not knowing what's to come.