This story starts on a bustling city afternoon. Under a house, inside the basement, blocked from outside sound, a shirtless fat man lay on a handwoven leaf mat. The room was quite empty, but the little things it had completely exposed the man’s personality.

Many posters hung on the walls; one is even directly above him. At best the posters were of beautiful half-naked women, and at worst, they weren’t even real.

One shelf is placed in the far corner of the room, on top of these multiple sections were figurines of mostly half-naked women just like the posters.

The man was in his mid 30s; with no job, no relationships, no friends, and lived in his sister’s basement. A waste of oxygen, some may interject.

One side of the room was fully occupied by a wooden staircase. At the end was a wooden door with a suspicious wide latch. “Krrrkkr.” The door sounded; the latch opened.

"Tian! Get up! Lunch is ready!" An authoritative voice shook from the door.

The man jumped from his bed, took a giant air in, and stood up; immediately he fell back. Tian struggled to climb up with the condition his body was in. His entire body felt like it was broken, his legs couldn’t move and his hands couldn’t keep up with his upper weight. He wasn’t even that fat… well that’s in his head.

"Coming!" A horrific voice answered.

Tian stared at his anime figures with a small smirk. His body soon turned to barely normal. Tian managed to stand up and headed straight up the stairs from his room. “Ughh…” It was his only exercise, he really didn’t have the right to complain.

The entrance to the basement was placed directly in front of the kitchen. “I cooked your favorite food!” A young beautiful lady with a few wrinkles that complimented her face wore kitchen mats as she carried the pot to the table.

"Still a disappointment as usual aren't you." Said Lacy, a woman not far off his age from the table. It was his sister, a civil servant worker who was the only one who provided for the family. "When are you actually going to get a job." She added.

"If you didn't know... or actually you don't~" His mouth formed into a circle. "I have an interview at noon sharp today." Tian bobbed his head and openly waved his hands. “So shut the fuck up.” He dragged the chair and sat.

"Help! I can't breathe!" She said with her hands pressed on her stomach; wheezing.

Lacy pointed at the clock and it indicated "11:37". Tian's mouth opened wide and his breathing stopped. After a short pause, he immediately picked up the rice and his boiling food out of the pot.

"Ow!" He yelled, his tongue burned by the food. Tian ate with his bare hands and tapped the table with his left.

After he finished he headed down to the basement as fast as he could. "Hurry up if you don't want to get rejected again!" Lacy's smile turned to a loud sigh.

"Be careful!" Her mom shouted with a dark expression.

"Stop worrying about him mom, he's 35. If you keep babying him he would really never grow up."

Shit! Shit! I should have slept earlier! Tian tripped continuously at the stair boards; red marks on his ankles. My suit! He hurried to the only closet of his room; beside the anime figures. Where is it?! Tian scoured. After a few seconds, he immediately remembered where it was… in his laundry.

Ahhh! He ran back upstairs into their laundry room. “Slow down there pig!”

“Shut up bitch!”

Fuck I don’t care if it isn’t washed. It was quite obvious why he hadn’t gotten a single job despite his age. Tian started to remove his clothes straight from the laundry room. He changed into his suit; zippers and buttons untouched

"I have to go." He went to his mom and kissed her on the cheeks.

"Message me when the interview is done!" Her mother shook with worry. As soon as her son left the door, she prayed. Lacy looked at her mom and smiled with her eyes closed. Why can't you just get a job, Tian… you make her worry too much.

Tian ran on the streets with many looks on his way. He was used to it, a fat man wearing a tight suit? Of course, people would look at him. Or maybe it’s because he was zipping his pants and fixing his tie in an open area, moreover, it's the streets.

Ahhh! That look in her eyes! He grunted. I’ll get this job okay! I’m not some leech who relies on his younger sister forever.

Tian stretched his clothes tightly while he grunted. He tapped his pockets for his phone. With each tap came faster than the other:

Tap, tap, tap.

-until he found his phone and what came after was a sigh of relief.

“I thought I forgot it.” Tian scrolled through his many opened tabs until he got back to a sketchy sight that only had the word “Applied” written in the middle surrounded by a white blank website full of random mobile game ads.

It was late at night. A few days ago an ad came while he was watching on some video platform. “Are you interested in a job with little to no requirements? Join ‘Expedition Hub’ Now!”. It was suspicious, or well it was actually, EXTREMELY suspicious.

As one of the number 1 advice when using the internet; never trust ads, one would think a 35-year-old weeb would know that. Of course, he did know it, but after looking into the website and going through some of the normal processes, there was not a need for any email, or phone number, it just needed a name, and the time you were free.

Not only that, there were multiple sites that you could go to, and what do you know, there was one just a few streets near him. It didn’t even need anything else other than just you.

It should be legit… ahhh! It is! Fuck I can’t worry about that right now! He looked far into the next street. The building he was told to go to was an eye-sore surrounded by high buildings.

“11:51” Tian placed his phone back into his pocket and he started running. Gotta go!

“Thank God it was close.” He bumped into a guy.

“Watch your steps dud!” A hooded man with his hands in his pockets yelled.

“Sorry!” He bowed.

Shit! So embarrassing! Tian slapped his cheeks. Get yourself together! He looked left and right rapidly and crossed the street. Just another one and a few steps and he was there.

The traffic lights blinked red. Tian’s feet tapped like crazy. Hurry you shit!

As soon as the lights turned green he rushed immediately, almost grazing against a car.

A loud horn pierced his ear yet Tian just ignored it. Once across he hurried to a small building squished by the towers.

He burst into the door and immediately looked for a clock. “11:57.” Yes! He jabbed his arms down. Tired to bone. Sweat dripped down his face.

When the dopamine rush had gone down, his eyes laid upon the many people who had watched him act like a sports fan with his team just winning a game.

And another embarrassing moment for you Tian! You classic you! Tian still felt asleep for the most part, but that embarrassment woke him up for good. Tian’s face turned completely red and his heartbeat had reached an all-time high.

“Umm… sir, are you here to apply?” A young lady in a tight white polo shirt and black skirt asked.

Tian’s face blushed, “Uh… yes.”.

“Well, please sit there then sir.” She said.

“Uhh okay. Sorry.” Tian bowed down multiple times as he walked backward toward the metal chair.

Ow! His leg bumped into the chair, not even looking at where he was looking. And I tripled it! My god! My adrenaline is in a weird rush today! I am dying of embarrassment!

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Tian hurried to sit and just stayed put with his arms on his lap and his eyes stared upon the walls. Stay! The metal chairs burst into crackling sounds of rust. Really? Even the- Ughhhh!!

He let out a sigh and his anxiety had started to imagine the people looking at him. It’s fake! Just stop thinking about it! God! I woke up 30 minutes ago and I am in an interview for a job already! That’s funny, it’s just funny, but still… this seems to be the easiest interview I will ever go to, but with this amount of people, it seems unlikely.

He turned. Speaking of those people… what people? Eh? Tian’s head turned twice in an instant. His hands played with his pockets, in reach for his phone immediately. Wait where’s my phone?

“Tian Aleston!” A voice came from a door behind him.

“Wait? Is it my turn already?” Tian panicked. He looked around him frustratedly. His chair crackled as he stood up fast. He turned directly to his back and it was a door.

“Tian Aleston! Is there any Tian Aleston?” The voice repeated.

Tian gulped and his skin jumped. Shivers ran down his spine and a smile crawled his lips. Am I really feeling excited at this moment? Tian slowly walked towards the door. People who disappeared, a single door, and an ominous environment. Whatever is about to happen, there is one thing clear… this will either be the best thing to ever happen to me… or I die immediately.

Weird phenomenons. It’s not common, actually it just doesn’t exist. There was only one explanation… magic. Of course, there are a lot more options like the supernatural, but in his head, it was the one thing his mind craved.

It was like going through a process of learning you are the protagonist, but yet you are unsure. Whether it was actually going in that direction or not, at least the possibility was enough for Tian to completely abandon any other thoughts otherwise.

But these thoughts immediately disappeared with one voice. “Sir? Are you not going to go in?” Said the same lady who met him at the door.

Tian’s eyes widened. He turned to the lady and then turned back, laying his eyes upon the many people he saw in the beginning.

“Oh… I will go in.”

Was I hallucinating? What? Did I just suddenly gain schizophrenia? Nah! It can’t be. But it doesn’t matter! Get it together Tian! This is no time to joke around, fucking hell! Tian walked into the room as he tapped his pockets for his phone. Oh shit, I did lose my phone!

“Welcome… mister Aleston?” The man said, sitting behind a desk. In front was a single chair, the room was empty other than those easily spotted things.

“Ah, yes, sorry I kind of just lost my phone…” Tian said, he pondered in his mind.

“Oh! Well, I’m sorry to hear that, are you okay to continue?”

“Ah! Ah! Yes, yes, don’t worry, it’s all okay.” Tian hurried to the chair out of embarrassment, again.

“I didn’t tell you to sit yet.” The man said.

“Ahh!” Tian immediately stood up. “I’m sorry! Sorry!”

“I’m just kidding.” He waved his hands.

“Hahaha!” Oh my god! My heart! Tian sat down once again and his body felt hotter than ever.

“Well, mister Aleston, we are happy that you applied for this job. I will just ask you a few questions and that will be all.” The man shuffled the papers on his desk.

Oh, wait! It’s that man! Tian remembered about his little bump of the person with a hood.

“Mister… Aleston?”

“Ah yes!” He jumped; caught by his fleeting attention span. “What was the instructions again?”

“Okay, so I will repeat it again. I will ask you a few questions and that will be all.”

“Oh… really? Just some questions? What even is the job actually?”

Tian continued. “If that’s not a problem.” Though it really isn’t a problem, why did I add that?

“Well, mister Aleston, I actually… do not have the right to say the job.”

“What?”

“I can’t really say it.”

“What type of job interview is this if I don’t even know the job?”

“Well, if you want, you can just leave…” His facial expression turned sour.

“Ahh!” Tian panicked. “No! No! It’s okay, I was just really curious if you would say it.”

“Good to hear! Shall we start now then?” His smile came back.

“Yes!” He sat straight with hands on his lap and one big gulp.

“First question, do you think you’ll survive when the world ends?”

“What?” His mouth was left open.

“Do you want me to repeat it again?”

“No… it’s just… does that question have something to do with my job?” His eyes wandered around looking for any odd signs.

“Sorry, but I cannot answer those questions. I did not make these, my boss only handed them out to me. Even I found it weird, but, it's kind of easy to answer right?”

“Oh…” Tian calmed down. “Well…” I’m fat… but if I say no it seems like I'm weak so…” Yes, I can easily survive!”. His chest straightened out. Just act like I’m bulking.

“Well then, to the second question, how?”

“Umm…” Well, I did not expect that to be the next question. Tian scoffed. “Well, I am quite resourceful, and with my ability to handle pain, I can definitely endure and I’m also not afraid of death or killing!”

“Well, those are some good answers, sir Tian. This actually brings us to the final question, what if you are immortal? Will you… survive the end of the world?”

The lights suddenly flickered. Tian jumped back a little bit, that was creepy.

“Immortal?” He repeated.

“Yes, will you survive… if you’re immortal?”

“Well… if I’m immortal… then obviously I will…?” The situation escalated so fast that Tian lost some sense of himself. Wait? Last question?

“Okay, so that is all, thanks for answering my questions. You can go out of the room now, we will contact you when everything is done.”

Tian stood up, “Wait! That’s all the questions!?” Tian yelled.

“Yes, mister Aleston.”

“Wait! What does that have to do with the job?!”

“I have gotten all the answers I need sir Aleston, if you would please leave the room.” The man’s tone stiffened.

“What!”

“Would you like to get the job?”

“Uhhh… yes…?” Tian scratched his head.

“Then please… leave the room.” His eyes blinked three times in a second.

What the fuck? I saw that! That was creepy! You know what! I’ll just leave then! Ugh!

“Well thank you for your cooperation sir Aleston.”

Tian walked close to the door and held the door knob. “... Well thank you too…” he bowed awkwardly, wanting to go out as fast as he could. I didn’t even get to know his name.

His hand turned the knob. Wait… contact me? Contact me how? Tian turned around.

“Wait I have a que…s…tion…” Tian turned into a completely black wall; no desk, no chair, and no man. His mind processed the situation quickly. This time it just can’t be some hallucination anymore.

If the wall he was looking at was black. Tian squished his hand into a fist; the door knob was gone. He turned slowly back, and as he had thought, everything had turned black, the floor and the ceiling, there were no corners that you could even spot.

So… was my theory right? Have I really gone into some fantasy isekai bullshit? Tian smiled.

Tian’s body started to shake. His eyes were filled with joy and even his breathing was getting tired from his happiness. “I…” Tian’s body shook with a sneaky grin on his face. “...have… finally…” He inhaled a lot of air and looked up; ready to yell. “…esca-!”

A stone spear pierced through his heart. Tian’s words were completed with one bucket load of blood to the ground. Oh…