Edgar stared at the gray screen floating in front of him, trying to comprehend the words that were gradually forming as if written by an invisible hand.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZED...]
[DOOR SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
He slowly opened his mouth, muttering as he scratched his head:
"Well...Now I can read it."
He contemplated the words with wide eyes.
"Door System...?Hmmm, what does that mean? And where are these words even coming from?"
He raised his wrist, examining the bracelet. No buttons, no openings, no understandable engravings. Just a faint blue light pulsating around it like a heartbeat.
"Strange...This whole bracelet is strange."
His gaze wandered across the screen again:
DOOR LEVEL: E
CLEANER RANK:-E
THE ACTUAL SKILL:"KING OF THUNDER" (LOCKED)
MISSION:CUT THE SERPENT'S HEAD
MISSION SKILL:RUNNING
He paused at some lines, frowned and said:
"Door Level E...What does that mean?
And my rank is E-?Wonderful, it seems I'm worse than the door itself."
He smiled sarcastically, then continued in a mocking tone:
"'King of Thunder'?I prefer 'King of Thunder'. It sounds more... heroic."
He raised his eyebrows:
"Does this mean I can control thunder?Let's see..."
He raised his hand towards the dark sky, clenched his fist tightly, and shouted:
"Haaaaaaah!!"
...Nothing.
Just the wind rustling his torn coat.
"Seems it doesn't work," he said disappointedly, lowering his hand slowly.
He looked back at the screen.
"Mission Skill:Running... Well, useful, but what exactly will I need it for? Running from what?"
He sat on a slanted stone, reading the lines over and over. Each time he tried to understand more, he only grew more confused.
"And what does'Cut the Serpent's Head' mean? Is it literal or metaphorical?"
Beneath the texts were two simple boxes:
[LOCK] [NEXT]
"Next, huh?" he said with a small smile.
He extended his finger and pressed the virtual button.
[LOADING...]
Then a new message appeared before him:
DO YOU WANT A COMPANION?
YES/ NO
Edgar hesitated for a moment, then said smiling:
"Sure,yes. Companionship is always a good idea."
He pressed YES.
The screen suddenly vibrated, and a shimmering golden notification appeared:
CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU HAVE OBTAINED THE ROYAL COMPANION!
"The... what?" Edgar muttered.
And before he could finish the sentence, the darkness above him split.
A bright light descended from the sky,white to the point of blindness.
He raised his arm to cover his eyes.
"Whoooooooosh!"
The scene was majestic — the light twisted into a spiral descending slowly from the sky as if an angel was descending from heaven.
The air filled with heat and blue sparks,and Edgar was about to scream in astonishment.
Then everything calmed down.
The light gradually disappeared.
Edgar lowered his hand, blinked his eyes twice...
Then froze in place.
"My companion... is a donkey?"
In front of him stood a sleek-looking gray donkey, with very intelligent eyes, and shiny golden teeth smiling with excessive confidence.
The donkey raised its head and said in a deep, eloquent, slightly arrogant voice:
"Not just any donkey.I am a Talking Donkey. The highest-rated Companion in the System. Be grateful, little Cleaner, for you are fortunate to have my presence."
Edgar's jaw dropped.
"...It's a talking donkey."
Duncan shook his head proudly.
"I can guide you,assist you in your missions with direction, and even pray for you if necessary. Few companions possess that feature."
Edgar kept staring at him expressionlessly, then muttered quietly:
"Lovely...fantastic."
Duncan smiled lightly, his golden teeth reflecting the glow of the light.
"You'll get used to it."
Edgar said, waving his hands. "Where in hell are we?"
Duncan stepped forward with slow, confident steps.
"First of all,call me Duncan. That name is better than (Hey donkey)."
He added with a smile:"And you? Edgar, right?"
"Yes..."
"Then, Edgar, I will explain because you seem completely lost."
The royal donkey cleared his throat and said in the voice of an old teacher:
"The world you see before you is not the London you know. It is part of the Door System.
Every door is an entrance to what we call Haunted Houses— places consumed by evil energy, where spirits have turned into monsters, and memories into nightmares.
There is an organization called the Cleaners,whose mission is to enter these doors and cleanse them of evil. You, Edgar, are one of them now."
Edgar opened his mouth in astonishment:
"Wait,there are others?!"
Duncan nodded his head.
"Yes,dozens, hundreds perhaps."
"And... and all of this is through this bracelet?"
"Exactly. The bracelet is your key, your identity. Without it, you are nothing here.
How do you have the bracelet and not know this?"
Edgar smiled sheepishly, scratching his head.
"It's complicated."
Duncan let out a long sigh.
"What a strange world.Anyway, it seems you're a beginner. Your first mission is simple: Cut the Serpent's Head. It could literally be a snake... or it could be something worse."
"Very reassuring..." Edgar muttered.
Duncan stepped forward and said in a serious tone:
"Press'Next'. The System will show you the list of available weapons. Choose what suits you, and I will then guide you to your target."
Beep!
A new interface appeared:
CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON:
Sword
Spear
Gun
Staff
Dagger
Edgar ran his finger over the screen, until it settled on a large sword.
The weapon's name appeared below it in glowing text:
[RESURRECTION BLADE]
"Resurrection Blade..." Edgar read in a low voice.
Then he looked at it as the sword suddenly appeared from a spark of light in front of him,heavy and massive, almost taller than him, glowing with a red hue.
He contemplated it with both admiration and fear.
"I think its size is a bit exaggerated.How am I supposed to fight with this?"
Duncan chuckled.
"Let's go.The yellow road ahead leads to your first door.
It's a Beginner Level— the easiest of all levels... usually."
"Usually?" Edgar asked worriedly.
"For real Cleaners, yes. But for you... any single mistake will kill you."
Edgar swallowed audibly.
"Great...a very encouraging start."
Duncan smiled lightly as he walked ahead of him, his tail swaying:
"The Running skill will be useful for you today,oh King."
"You said it's a coward's skill!"
"Yes, but it keeps cowards alive."
The two continued their walk along the long yellow road, surrounded by abandoned houses.
The doors emitted faint hums,and some leaked red light.
Duncan pointed to one of them.
"Those are haunted houses,but not your mission."
Then he suddenly stopped,turning his head to the right.
"Here it is.The door you're looking for."
The door was different.
Glowing blue,emitting a slight vapor as if another world lay behind it.
Edgar said fearfully:
"Can you...carry my sword? It's a bit heavy."
Duncan looked at him with noble disdain.
"I am your guide,not your servant. Besides, my back hurts a little today."
"Of course..." Edgar muttered, dragging the sword behind him with effort.
He approached the glowing door.
He stretched his trembling hand towards the doorknob.What awaits us this time?