My System has a Glitch

The ship was not moving seemingly on its own. Everyone inside was seated and all around murmuring could be heard.

William didn't recognize anybody around him but one round faced man did remind him of Ben. He eavesdropped on conversation just to get a first hand idea of how everyone else was handling the fantastical and dreadful new world.

Then they heard a loud drum but just a single note. A Tom sound that echoed through the whole room till it was gone.

Everyone turned to the podium as that had been its point of origin. As they did, they saw he was the strange gentleman again with his red glasses which now seemed even redder.

He held a cane in his hand and he said to everyone, the brief will now begin. You're all welcome and I hope you bear with me but for the sake of sustaining the silence a penalty would be in effect and those who interrupt will be fined out of their time, is that clear.

Everyone remained silent.

Good, you're already on it, now let's continue.

The large screen by his side turned on and a sort of powerpoint presentation was on it with a header that read, "Snakes and Ladders."

"This will all be in the encyclopedia, they will be available for purchase in your guides shortly and you can go into details then, they'll only cost you about a minute or two."

"Now your next game will be called, snakes and ladders and don't you get scared yet, the goal is quite simple all you have to do is make it through the jungle, now it's a jungle so you'll be right to expect a bit of danger and for that we've provided you a number of safe house at every level."

The display of the screen changed and presented a map of the jungle with the locations of the safe houses displayed on it.

Only five players can stay in a single safe house at a time, so you know what to expect, competition, competition, competition.

The whole crowd had grown uncomfortable, they looked at each as they fully realized the implications of his words.

"Now let's discuss how you get across what's your paths to follow, well they are two paths, up or down, the path through the trees using the ladders or if you can you can walk your way through the jungle, i personally wouldn't recommend it."

"Lastly I'll suggest that you study the floral and fauna, especially the floral so you'll know what to watch out for, which one heals and which one those the other things. That'll be all."

The guide nodded to them and snapped his finger and immediately an exquisite spread of fine food appeared on all their tables. A large portion of the crowd gasped and the others were stunned into silence.

[NEW UPDATE; Encyclopedia Uploaded]

"Doesn't floral have to do with plant pops?"

"Yeah it does."

"So we have to kill or consume plants?"

"I think that might be what he meant."

"He practically gave us nothing but still, I don't think anything he could have said would be able to prepare us for whatever hell they'll have waiting for us."

"I think so too."

William stared at the food, he looked around and saw many people had begun eating. William on the other hand was grossly sceptical, he wondered how they could all mindlessly eat food that had manifested out of thin air right before their eyes.

"Well they're all starving and so am i."

William pulled out a couple plates and dished out a helping for he and the old man.

"Hey looked at this," the old man said as he touched William on the shoulder and he could see his guide hovering over his palm

"Look at that," the old man pointed at some letters, William read it out loud, "They can only be five winners."

They looked at each other and ran through the numbers in their minds, the odds and evens and the odds of them coming anywhere close to that five slot.

"What do you mean they can only be five winners?" a strange voice said. It was one of the men seated across from them.

They turned and saw the man, he looked cold and frightened. He had a loaf of bread on one hand and a butter covered knife on the other. He looked like a strange mix of both carefree and deeply concerned.

William smiled and said, "don't worry about it, let's eat."

"Alright," the old man said. "But don't forget to read the encyclopedia."

"Yeah, I will but first I think I need to take a bath."

"Yeah and a change of clothes too. "

"I miss my bed," William said with a weary sigh as he chewed his food.

The old man sighed as well and said, "I miss teaching, I miss my books."

"I miss the brothels," the man across from them said. William and the old man paused and looked at each other then back at the man and then they all burst a laughing

When they had stopped laughing, William turned to the old man and asked, "did you have a wife,pops?"

"Me? Oh no, I just couldn't find the time, I was too busy at the college."

"You worked at a university?"

"Yes, I was a professor, Professor John c chrollo at your service," he said with a chuckle. "I just realized I've never we've never formally introduced ourselves."

William laughed and said, "Well I don't blame you, we've had acid chasing us all day."

"Yeah and yet I fear our running is just beginning. They paused for a moment as the emotional lag his words had invited settled in."

"So what's your name then?"

"Me? Oh it's…." William hesitated a bit then he blurted out his name. "It's William Chandler." and instantly he regretted it.

"William chandler, william chandler?" The old man repeated his name over and over trying to recall where he had heard it from.

William had beads of sweat running down his head, 'damn I didn't think he'll know me!'

"Wait , is it the pro golfer?," he thought about it for a moment then said, "no that's not it, chandler, chandler…"

"No need to stress yourself, pops."

"Stress? The stress seals! it's the master thief William chandler! "

William choked on his food,'shit I unknowingly gave him a clue, like a dumb ass."

"It's the crook."

"I guess I have a very unfortunate name."

"What? You've never heard of him?

"I have, I've tried several times to legally change the name but they won't let me in the name change office out of fear I'll steal all the names they have left."

The old man laughed and said, "That's a good one. So I guess you've never heard of him."

"No, not at all."

"I've always been a big fan of his."

"Really, maybe I have heard of him a little after all."

"You know many people think he died after he swindled the four horsemen but I don't think he would let the mafia get him like that, no he was smart, the details of his steals were always so clever."

William couldn't quite hide his smile anymore, he was beginning to realize he was in the presence of a true fan.

After dinner William went to get a bath, it was when he noticed the place was a lot larger on the inside than on the outside.

He told the old man, who he stood up and looked around and was more amazed by the mathematics than anything else, so he kept spouting words and names of symbols that flew straight over William's head.

After the bath William went to get some new clothes, he entered a different room with walls that had what look like vending machines fused into them.

There was only one other person in the room, a man trying on glasses, he had a green track suit on and a rifle hung on his back and William went to the wall opposite him.

"Snakes and ladders huh?" The man remarked with a chuckled, he was clean shaven and had quit handsome facial features, but all the glasses he choose where large and completely covered his eyes

"Yeah," William said, humoring him, little did he know that this would be the catalyst to the worst moment of his new life.