"...and so it begins." Matt thought. He felt nauseous, had tired eyes and hadn't slept properly. His virtual avatar seemed to perfectly reflect his bad mood, the Sarcophagus' virtual scanning system was doing an excellent job of projecting the player's person into the game environment. He even wore the same clothes he had during the scan procedure of his body.

 A strange smell of incense permeated beyond the red door in front of Matt, it was the first time that the boy was able to ascertain the actual ability of the system to transmit olfactory perceptions. The short corridor he had walked did not lead anywhere else, their black walls without decorations seemed to have come out of some three-dimensional graphic representation made in a few minutes by a programmer who was in a hurry to complete the project. Which seemed odd, given that the game's profound graphics capabilities had been ascertained and advertised in a large five-year campaign. Nonetheless, it was illuminated. As if an invisible light showed him the way forward. 

 Matt took a few moments to look at the door. It seemed very old, made of a wood that could very well belong to an ancient oak tree. Its outlines were delimited by an internal stone arch, made of blocks. A pleasant taste of the promised graphic quality, after all. But the boy didn't care much about it. He didn't care at all. He was more interested in checking that there were no traps or who knows what other machinations that would disqualify him before the game even began.

 << You can come inside. You are safe. >> A female voice echoed in the corridor from behind the door and it was as comfortable as the caress of a hand on a cheek. Matt slightly gasped, moved his head back and looked at the door with suspicion. He frowned, waited a few more moments. Then he took a deep breath and held out his palm to press against the virtual wood. The door made no resistance and it opened at the simple touch, as if pushed by an invisible force and revealing the inside of what was behind it. 

 The square room was much larger than Matt could have expected, compared to the narrow corridor previously crossed. The walls were still covered with that odd black color, as deep as a starless night and which left the same strange restlessness that something had remained incomplete in its realization. However, they were covered and decorated with large tapestries that seemed to be made to hide the apparent graphic defect. Matt looked at them superficially and noticed that most of them depicted some kind of battle of some humanoid army against a race of grotesque, reptilian monstrosities. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. He turned his gaze towards the center of the room and observed the woman who, with folded hands and closed eyes, was on a stone platform accessible by a small staircase. She wore a ceremonial white tunic adorned with yellow streaks that mingled with her long, smooth hair, golden like the purest of the sun's rays. She was beautiful in face, not a single imperfection dared to touch her. She looked young as a maiden but definitely more mature than Matt, who was in the midst of his twenties. She also seemed taller. Reverentially, she remained in her position without ever moving.

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 << There are no dangers here, young traveler. You can approach without fear. >> again, Matt felt the sensation of being lulled by the woman's words. For a moment he thought almost to relax, to let go of the kindness offered to him and to calmly enjoy that moment. 

 Then he shook his head. He frowned and began to approach. Determined, he went up the short flight of stairs and found himself in front of her. He looked around, ignoring the priestess. She noticed a second staircase behind her. And a new red door, located on the opposite side from where he had come. Noticing any other way out, the direction to get away from that place seemed clear. Matt did not deign the priestess a glance. Instead, he kept looking around, as if looking for something he couldn't find.

 << I welcome you, young traveler. I will guide you thr-  >> annoyed, Matt made a gesture with his hand, as if to chase away a fly. The priestess stopped talking and remained motionless like an automaton whose function had ceased.

 << You will be quiet, Lady Raylen, until I am finished here. >> Matt's tone of voice was a heap of authority, arrogance, impatience and hatred. << I know what you are. You are a tutorial. I don't need it. The Stone of Eoden. Now. >> he said imperiously, holding out his hand with an open palm and facing upwards.

 Silence returned to cover the room. The woman joined her hands in prayer and a blue halo began to cloak her figure. Matt looked first at her and then at his hand. A silver globe began to appear between his fingers, at first incorporeal as if it were an illusion but then the weight became consistent and its contours became clear. He could now hold the sphere in his hands.

 << Perfect. >> he said, with small satisfaction. He closed his eyes and concentrated his thoughts to direct them towards the sphere itself, with the mechanical confidence of those who had carried out that operation many times. The sphere emitted a flash of silver light that would blind anyone who was present at the time. A flash of silver light, at the end of which nothing changed. Nothing, except for Matt's avatar. The boy's figure had changed, his brown hair had become like ash. What was his clothing was now a black leather armor and a curved greatsword was tied behind his back, inside a brown leather sheath.

 << Good enough. >> he commented, looking at his knee pads, boots and forearms. He then proceeded to get off the platform, reached the door and opened it. 

 << Safe travels, young traveler. Good luck for your purposes. >> heard behind him. He silently walked forward, without turning back.