Duncan was walking away from the battle site with slow steps, his expression a mix of anger and disappointment. He didn't want to look back; everyone he had accompanied before had met the same end.
He lowered his head and said in a trembling voice:
"How long will this continue? How long will I accompany weaklings who end up dead? Why... why do I always end up with the weak ones?"
He stopped suddenly, raised his head towards the overcast sky, and screamed with a voice that shook the place:
"Whyyyyyyyyy?!"
His scream echoed through the voids of the dimension.
Suddenly,a tremendous explosion roared behind him. The ground shook, and he was hit by a wave of hot wind mixed with the smell of burnt ozone and red light.
Duncan turned quickly,his eyes widening in shock.
The sky,which had been pink moments before, was now red as blood. And the thunder... it wasn't blue as he knew it, but red in color, descending from the clouds like fiery swords tearing through space.
A cry burst from Duncan's depths, not of fear, but of astonishment mixed with excitement.
"That fool…! Edgar!"
And he took off running back to the battle site.
---
When he arrived, the scene was truly nightmarish.
The ground was covered in craters,the smell of burnt flesh filled the air, and the flash of red thunder kept exploding over the giant serpent, which was slowly disintegrating.
And in the midst of it all,Edgar was lying on the ground, his body full of wounds, his face as pale as death.
At that moment, Edgar was seeing a strange dream...
He saw his grandfather standing before him in a faint gray light,looking at him with sad eyes and saying:
"Why, boy? Didn't I tell you... don't put on the bracelet? I warned you... It's not an ordinary bracelet..."
The grandfather reached his hand towards him, but suddenly, the dream was cut off by a strange sound like a puff, as if someone was blowing in his face.
Edgar opened his eyes heavily, to find Duncan's face above his, smiling a ridiculous smile.
Edgar's face was completely covered in water and mucus!
Edgar screamed immediately:
"Ewwww! Disgusting! What did you do?!"
Duncan laughed and said in a proud tone:
"An effective method for reviving the unconscious. Used it hundreds of times!"
Edgar clutched his stomach in pain and screamed in a trembling voice:
"Aaagh! My stomach... the wounds!"
Duncan quickly approached and said seriously:
"Listen, quickly now, claim the mission reward. Add the Healing Potion immediately before you bleed to death!"
Edgar pressed the bracelet on his wrist with his trembling hand. A transparent, glowing screen materialized before him, filled with data changing rapidly:
[System Analyzing…]
<><><>
[Door System Active....]
<><><>
[Rank from -E >>>>to>>>>E...]
<><><>
[Door Cleaned.]
<><><>
[Actual Skill Activated.]
<><><>
[Mission Skill Added.]
<><><>
[Serpent Eliminated.]
<><><>
[Mission Completed Successfully.]
A small button appeared at the bottom, labeled:
Claim Reward
Duncan said:
"Press it, come on!"
Edgar pressed the button, and a new list appeared.
))))Available Rewards:
/ Door Key /🗝️
/ Thunder Ally /
/ Healing Potion /
He hesitated for a few seconds, then said:
"Thunder Ally? What's that?"
But the pain was stronger than his curiosity, so he quickly selected to claim all and then used the — Healing Potion — drinking it in one go.
As soon as the liquid touched his throat,he felt an intense heat spread through his body, then the scars began to heal before his eyes, and the broken bones made cracking sounds as they returned to their place.
He stood up slowly, picked up his red sword, and placed it on his shoulder, looking towards the corpse of the giant serpent, which was beginning to evaporate into the air like fading ash.
He said in a tired voice:
"Duncan... what is the Thunder Ally?"
Duncan's face froze for a moment, and he took a step back.
"Did... did that option appear for you in the System?"
"Yes, and I didn't understand its meaning."
Duncan's tone changed, becoming more serious:
"No wonder you unlocked the Actual Power on your first mission. That's a very rare feature. It's said only one person can obtain it... The king of Keys If it appeared for you, then you must be careful. Don't mention it to anyone. Not even the Organization."
The two exchanged glances in silence, until Edgar finally said:
"Alright... and what now?"
Duncan laughed and said lightly:
"Yes, what now indeed?"
Edgar frowned and said:
"No, I'm the one asking. What do we do now?"
Duncan pointed to the wrist bracelet:
"Press it again. Select the 'Exit' option, then 'Exit with Companion'. After that, remove the bracelet."
Edgar shook his head and said with a mocking smile:
"It seems I'll choose to exit... alone."
Duncan narrowed his eyes and pretended to be sad, swishing his tail on the ground:
"After I helped you with all this effort, you want to betray me? How cruel you are!"
Edgar smiled and said:
"I was joking, you can come out with me. Don't cry, you donkey."
Duncan said, irritated:
"Who said I was going to cry!"
---
When Edgar removed the bracelet, the light around him disappeared, and he returned to his grandfather's old house in London.
The place was dark and damp,the walls covered in spiders. It wasn't just an ordinary house; it had been a Level E Haunted House all along. Edgar remembered the sounds he used to hear when he was at his grandfather's house. The house had been haunted since that time.
Duncan took a deep breath as he wandered the spacious hall, then said in an affected tone:
"Ah... London, my cold beloved. I never imagined I'd return to you this way."
Edgar was silently examining the corners of the house, wondering if his grandfather had left something behind.
Duncan approached a wall with an old picture,looked at it contemplatively and said:
"Who is this man? He looks strangely familiar..."
Edgar replied quietly:
"That's my grandfather... the man who owned the bracelet before me."
Duncan slowly turned his head towards him and said with strange seriousness:
"I know most of the Cleaners, but... I've never heard of your grandfather. Yet, I swear I've seen him before. Somewhere..."
Edgar sat on the tattered couch, his eyes wandering towards the ceiling:
"What do I do now with this key?"
Duncan laughed and said, crossing his arms:
"Your answer is with me. We'll go to the Organization. Get the money, and maybe something to eat. I'm hungry!"
Edgar smiled and said:
"Alright, let's go then."
---
The two went out into the cold streets of London.
Rain was falling lightly,and fog crept through the alleys like faint ghosts.
Edgar said,pulling his coat over his shoulders:
"Duncan, when we get to the Organization, what should I say about myself?"
But Duncan didn't answer... instead, he started braying loudly!
Passersby stopped,looking at Edgar with astonishment mixed with pity.
"Is... is that a donkey?"
"Who brings a donkey into the city?!"
Edgar's face turned red, he waved his hand and said loudly:
"Quiet! Duncan, stop that right now! People are staring!"
But Duncan continued braying, as if he was enjoying the embarrassment.
Edgar shouted,hurrying away:
"Alright, enough! Hurry up, it's going to rain on all of us!"
Duncan laughed, running after him down the wet street, while blue thunder rumbled in the distant sky.