He tried to pull away but the other guys joined in, grabbing his arms, holding him in place. He didn’t fight back, he knew it was pointless. He could do it if it was one guy, but four, they would beat him to pulp. They ripped the pockets and didn't found anything, they looked at him with disgust in their faces. "Just a rat, as usual" they laughed at him. They pushed him away and he fell hard on the ground. They looked at him with malice in their eyes, and once they laughed enough they left him alone and continued on with their night. Ned lay there for a moment, taking deep breaths, his chest hurting. He wanted to cry, but he didn’t. He was used to this. He was used to being treated like dirt. He finally managed to stand up. “Just gotta get somewhere safe,” he thought, his head down, shame and anger boiling inside of him. He walked until he reached an abandoned building. “This will do.” He went inside the building and found a corner to sit in, it was dusty, but still better than the outside. He curled up against the wall, trying to get warm. He closed his eyes, letting the exhaustion take over. But before he could fall asleep, he heard a noise behind him. He turned, startled. At first, he saw nothing. Then, he saw a small, green light coming from beneath a pile of debris and old pipes. He cautiously, moved closer. He could now see it clearly, it was a metallic device, it was an orb, with buttons and lights, pulsing with a soft, blue energy. “What is that thing?” He moved his hand towards it, his curiosity taking over him. He didn't know why, but he needed to touch it. As soon as his fingers made contact with the device, it surged with energy. [SYSTEM INITIALIZING] A synthesized voice echoed in his mind, startling him. The world swam a bit, and then, a holographic screen appeared in front of him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. [WELCOME, HOST. STARTING CORE FUNCTIONS.] He stared at the screen, bewildered. “What the hell is happening?” He touched the screen with his hand. [MISSION: Survive the night. Reward: 10 EXP]