Beyond the glowing door was not a house as Edgar had imagined.
It wasan entirely different world.
A strange pink light flowed from the sky like an endless twilight, with rocks floating suspended in the air, as if gravity itself had been forgotten here. The air was thick, touching the skin with a metallic coldness, and the sound of the wind whispered in incomprehensible languages.
Edgar took a step back, astonished.
"A-Are we still on Earth?"he asked, staring at the scene that resembled a mad dream.
Duncan chuckled lightly, raising his head arrogantly.
"You are now inside aLevel E Door. These places connect to miniature realms... between life and death. Every door hides a different evil, but we are still inside a house."
Edgar looked at him nervously. "And who built these doors? Humans?"
Duncan replied with a bitter smile:"No one knows for sure, but legends say the one who opened them from the inside was the Venerated Demon. It's a long and dubious story."
The donkey stepped forward with comically royal steps, his tail wagging confidently, and said:
"Come on,little Cleaner, my back hurts, and my mood can't tolerate hesitation. Every minute here equals new danger."
Edgar ran to catch up, panting:
"Wait...if I succeed in the mission, what exactly do I get?"
Duncan stopped suddenly, turning his head slowly towards him.
"You will get theKey to this Door. You will hand it over to the Organization, they will give you money, and you will get a promotion from the System... and you will keep the Running skill."
Then he raised his eyebrows and said in a mysterious tone:
"And you will be one step closer to your Actual Skill:King of Thunder."
Edgar stared at the pink sky:
"You could have stopped at the money,and I would have agreed."
Duncan laughed as he continued walking:
"Don't talk like a gambler.The last one who said that ended up as a grilled fish inside a sea demon. You are risking your life here."
The two continued walking along the seemingly endless yellow road. Occasionally, they passed by strange, small, charred creatures.
Duncan nodded his head towards them and said:
"Don't get close to those;they're not our mission. Their target is the living, not the dead. And some are deceitful and swallow the curious forever."
Edgar's eyes narrowed anxiously.
"You said there are others...Cleaners like me?"
Duncan answered:"Many. Some are heroes, some are killers... and some were never heard from again after they entered."
The wind whistled between them, carrying a smell of rust and cold.
After long minutes of walking,Duncan suddenly stopped in front of a massive rock formation.
"Here we are...this is your mission location."
Edgar raised his head and saw intertwined rocks resembling small mountains, with faint lights seeping through the cracks. From a distance, he could hear the sound of heavy breathing... deep... like a sleeping roar.
He swallowed hard and asked in a faint voice:
"Is it...the Serpent?"
Duncan nodded.
"Yes.The beast whose head you must cut off. It seems asleep, and this is your chance."
Then he stepped back and said with a mocking smile:
"From here,I'll watch you... and pray for your survival, of course."
Edgar turned his head in surprise.
"You're not coming with me?"
Duncan replied confidently:"I am a guide; my mission is to guide you. But I will pray, and that's motivating because my prayers have a high acceptance rate."
Edgar exhaled heavily, trying to hide his fear.
"Fine...I don't need your prayers."
He stepped slowly towards the rocks, the heavy red sword on his shoulder, glowing with a faint shimmer.
He climbed the rocks carefully,and the higher he went, the hotter the air became. At the summit, he saw it.
The Serpent.
It was gigantic, coiled around itself like a mountain of flesh and shimmering skin, its eye the size of a grown man, its breath emitting heat waves that shook the rocks. Every exhale was like a muffled roar vibrating the ground.
Edgar said in a trembling voice:
"Okay."
He took a step back and whispered:
"It's my only chance."
He raised the sword, took a deep breath, then turned and looked at Duncan, who seemed to be nodding encouragingly, but in reality, was bidding him a pitying farewell.
Edgar steadied his feet, then ran with all his might towards the edge.
[SYSTEM: Running Skill — Activated]
His footsteps began to sound like thunder on the rocks. The air around him tore apart with his momentum. He jumped from the edge — his body becoming like a spear, his sword red piercing the air — he screamed from the depths of his chest:
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
But the moment he descended, the Serpent opened its eyes.
Two yellow eyes burning with demonic fire.
Then...its mouth.
Its enormous mouth opened like a gateway to hell and swallowed Edgar in an instant.
Edgar was high in the air, holding his sword and completely ready. But after the serpent opened its mouth, his body went slack and he said, "Damn, I failed."
Edgar fell into the darkness, tumbling through a slippery, dark passage, the strange sounds around him resembling the heartbeat of a giant.
"Damn!Damn!" he screamed as he slid.
"Duncan!You liar! Your prayers are useless!"
All Edgar could hear was the sound of its stomach vibrating around him.
He drew his sword with desperate courage and plunged it into the slimy wall. The serpent's body shook violently.
[SYSTEM: Damage Level - 2%]
"Dammmmmmmmmmmmmmmn!"
He screamed with all his might and plunged the sword again.
[SYSTEM: Damage Level - 7%]
"I won't die here!"
The serpent began to move violently, its sound like rumbling thunder.
Then its entire body convulsed,and Edgar heard the sound of vomiting coming from the depths.
It was his one chance.
He ran at full speed, the sword gleaming behind him, every step leaving a trail of red light inside the serpent's belly.
Then,in a flash, he was propelled outward with the stream of vomit, surrounded by a torrent of steaming saliva.
Booooooosh!
He flew through the air, the sword in his hand, the wind striking his face.
Below him,the serpent roared with rage, searching for him with hateful gazes.
Edgar ran.
On the rocks,amidst the pink lights, the serpent chased him like a massive storm. The ground shook beneath them, its sound piercing the sky.
[SYSTEM: Running Skill — Maximum Efficiency 100%]
He moved with a speed he had never known before, almost flying over the ground, his black hair flying, sweat pouring from his forehead, spinning in a vortex with a red trail.
But something inside him had changed.
He was no longer just fleeing.
He stopped suddenly.
He turned towards the beast,his eyes blazing with determination.
He raised the sword with all his strength and screamed from the depths of his being:
"If I am the King of Thunder...let my power descend now!"
[SYSTEM: Emotional Condition Met — Actual Skill Activating]
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[Warning: Energy Level Unstable]
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[Skill — First Spark of Thunder]
The pink sky above him began to change, transforming into a gray storm.
Then...lightning.
Kraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!
A blinding red lightning bolt descended from the sky – the thunder's color influenced by Edgar's sword – and struck the red sword in Edgar's hand.
He felt no pain,only a sacred heat rushing through his body.
He leaped towards the serpent,which was charging at him, and screamed:
"Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!"
The sword collided with the serpent's head, plunging into it from the nose to the back of the skull.
A deafening shriek tore through the air,followed by an explosion of light and thunder. Before succumbing, the serpent threw Edgar hard onto a rock.
Everything faded into a red glare.
When the light subsided, Edgar was lying on a massive rock, his body covered in blood, the sword embedded in the rock beside him.
The pink sky was calm again.
The gigantic serpent lay motionless,its eyes frozen, the last sparks still dancing around its wound, and likewise for Edgar.
[MISSION COMPLETE: Door Cleansed]
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[Reward Pending…]