"I did it! I finally did it!"
A young man in his early twenties couldn't help but laugh in his extremely dark bedroom after seeing what appeared on his large monitor screen.
The vast ray of light shone on his sleep-deprived face, revealing immense joy.
[Congratulations! You have reached 100 Percent Completion in Eccles Accel.]
<Username: Constantine> has unlocked the Transcendent Stage!
[Would you like to proceed?]
"Hahahahaha!"
With a crazed smile on his face, Constantine—as he was called in-game—eagerly pressed the 'Yes' icon, causing his entire body to be bathed in intense light.
Even he couldn't help but tightly shut his eyes as he felt a warped sensation around him.
By the time he opened them, he found himself in a strange place.
A void.
Filled with darkness and light—a contradictory sensation that could not be explained with ordinary words. One major thing he noticed right away was that he currently existed in the body of his in-game character.
A hooded cape shrouded most of his tall body, and an arcane mask hid his face. In one hand was a large bone staff, while the other held a book covered with intricate engravings. In the game Eccles Accel, he was a Dark Apostle who specialized in Necromancy and all kinds of Death Magic.
Possessing such a powerful form, Constantine felt a surge of power.
It felt familiar, yet strange.
This feeling gradually intensified as he looked around and found himself alone in a seemingly infinite stretch of empty space.
That is, until he heard a voice in front of him.
"Constantine!" the deep, thunderous voice echoed with immense vigor. "To think that, of all the players who played our game, you were the first to reach 100 Percent Completion! I have to express my respect... as well as my gratitude."
Unable to stop himself, Constantine looked ahead and saw a floating face before him.
It belonged to an old man with a long-flowing beard.
It was smiling at him.
"You were neither the strongest in the game nor the most efficient in terms of growth. You spent more than ten years before finally reaching 100 Percent Completion, and this happened when most people had already abandoned the game. I was beginning to lose all hope. But you really persevered until the very end. For that, I have prepared a special reward for you."
Constantine opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't say anything just yet.
He simply watched the old man in silence.
His mask hid the various emotions on his face quite well as he continued listening to what the floating face had to say.
"We have prepared a hidden version of the game, one that has to be experienced by the player without the fourth wall. You will be transported to the world of Eccles in person, with reset stats and a brand-new storyline. Of course, the main mechanics you are used to will still be present, but since this is a more realistic and immersive experience, it will contain a lot more variation and uniqueness than before..."
The old man continued explaining the details, but Constantine quickly got the gist of it.
'Essentially, I'll be transported to a game-like world...'
"And what if I refuse?" Constantine asked with a loud sigh.
"Nothing. You'll be sent back to Earth, though your memory of this conversation will be erased."
"Seriously?"
Constantine was shocked.
He had read stories involving these kinds of scenarios, and the heroes who were summoned were usually not given a choice in the matter.
"Of course! You're our extremely valued customer! How can we force you to do something against your will?" the floating face said with a cheerful smile. "But we would really prefer that you accept. The team has put a lot of resources into this project. We even commissioned the best System... just for you."
"Commissioned... the best System?"
"Yes. There are many Systems that offer their services when it comes to interdimensional activities. This System in particular is top-notch. It has a user-friendly model and is very interactive, which greatly helps those unfamiliar with the concept. It has nothing but 5-star reviews, and it boasts an immensely fast clear time in all of its missions. It has also worked with tons of Hosts, which makes it very experienced in this line of work."
"I see..." Even though Constantine maintained a calm facade, he was secretly excited.
He had always wanted his own personal System.
Unlike in the game, where he had to figure a lot of things out by himself, if he had a user-friendly System that pointed him in the right direction, he would likely be able to reach 100 Percent Completion again.
"So, if I accept the deal, what's in it for me?" Constantine asked while folding his arms.
"I'm glad you asked that!" The floating old man heaved a sigh of relief. This System had cost a lot to hire, after all. They couldn't simply let their investment go to waste now.
"A hundred billion dollars."
"W-what?!"
Constantine's eyes widened in immense shock.
"That's the total profit we have gained from this game, from launch up until now. We haven't spent a dime of it because we were waiting for the one who reached 100 Percent Completion."
"What? Why? Why did you develop the game if—"
"We come from a higher dimension, so your money isn't really our target. The experience of gaming itself helps us, so profit is always secondary. Our world's currency is somewhat different from yours, and in that regard, we're still very much a startup industry..."
There was pain in the aged voice as it reminisced about the struggles of their development team and the amount of resources they had burned to make the current situation a reality.
"So I'll be going to your world if I accept this deal?" Constantine asked.
"No, no... The world of Eccles is only a mini-world we created for the sake of the game. If you can reach 100 Percent Completion, it will really help us out. At that point, our job on Earth is done. You can even have the company, along with all our other assets."
"Are you actually being for real?"
"Yes!" The old man nodded excitedly. "So, are you in? Will you join us in this project for the sake of earning a fortune? We've guaranteed you the best help with this System, and once you finish, you'll be returned to the exact moment you left in real life."
"What if I die in the game?"
"You'll return to your world, no hassle! It's just a more realistic gaming experience, so don't worry."
"I see."
"But you have to finish the game to get your reward. If you die halfway, you won't get any compensation. Your memories of everything that happened will also be erased."
"I understand..."
Constantine took a few minutes to think about the offer.
Back on Earth, he was a nobody.
Apart from being one of the most active players of Eccles Accel, he had never really accomplished anything. Even in this game, he wasn't the top player or anything. He also wasn't the fastest. Many people had joined the game much later and had almost reached 100 Percent Completion before eventually quitting.
He just so happened to be the first person to reach 100 Percent Completion after years of persistence.
Basically, he wasn't particularly extraordinary.
'But this is a chance!' His eyes shone upon recognizing the unbelievable opportunity before him.
The chance to become a billionaire and own a massive multi-billion-dollar corporation!
It was a dream come true!
Constantine knew there was a chance he was being lied to.
What if none of this was real?
But so what?
'Nothing is waiting for me back home anyway!'
With eyes blazing with determination, Constantine looked at the old man and instantly nodded in agreement.
"I accept your proposal!"