"All done! I have no doubt you will be able to reach 100 Percent Completion in this world as well. Once you finish, I—as well as the rest of the team—will personally appear to congratulate you on your accomplishments. I truly hope you have the best experience!"
The old man's voice kept ringing in Constantine's head as he felt his body slowly dissipate from the void they occupied.
"Alright. Till we meet again, then." He simply smiled.
Thus, after thoroughly examining the contract and signing it, Constantine was finally transported to the world of Eccles Accel.
Since he was in a separate storyline and had to start over from scratch, he was sent into a new body. As expected, he woke up in the Awakening Cave, with his surroundings bare and filled with nothing but white, mirror-like rocks.
They shone like crystals and reflected his new appearance.
He was currently in the body of an average adult. It wasn't well-built, but it also wasn't scrawny or obese. This was already far better than what he had on Earth.
With pure white hair and bright blue eyes, he even resembled a real-life model.
All the illustrations in Eccles Accel were beautiful and well-designed, so Constantine wasn't surprised that the 'average' appearance he possessed was already so attractive. Still, because he had never been so handsome in his life, he spent a few moments observing his appearance.
After rising to his feet, Constantine also looked around and felt a surge of excitement.
He was now in his favorite game!
[Greetings, Host!]
{I am your personal Interactive System Interface. You can refer to me as System for short.}
'Hehe… I really have my own personal System!' Constantine felt ecstatic when he saw the notification.
"Hello, System." He beamed. "Show me my Status Window."
[Right away, Host!]
Not even a second later, a brilliant golden screen appeared in front of Constantine.
[STATUS INFORMATION]
<Name>
Constantine
<Race>
Human
<Level>
1
<System Points>
10
<Class>
Commoner
<Title(s)>
None
<Skill(s)>
None
<Equipped Items>
None
<Current Quest>
Leave the Awakening Cave and confront your first challenge.
<System Note>
You will encounter a few monsters once you leave this cave. It is important to let them attack you to unlock a special bonus that will help you throughout your journey. Do not return to the Awakening Cave, no matter what!
Trust me.
<<Click Here to Access Inventory>>
<<Click Here to Access Gacha>>
<<Click Here to Visit Shop>>
<<Click Here to Check Map>>
<<Click Here to Reach Forge>>
Constantine was amazed.
He felt like he was living in a dream, just seeing everything laid out before him.
"This is really Eccles Accel…" he couldn't help but mumble to himself.
Just like in the game, every Player woke up in a small cavern known as the Awakening Cave, and they had to venture out of it to officially start the Tutorial.
Once a Player left the cave, they would be confronted with a few Level 1 Monsters.
Killing them successfully meant passing the Tutorial.
However, even if a Player was overwhelmed, they could always return to the Awakening Cave, which would help them recover after a specific amount of time.
This was Eccles Accel's way of introducing the Player to the combat mechanics of the game. Once they finished this little segment, they would leave the area, head to the closest Frontier City, and officially begin their adventure.
It was a typical fantasy game with a very basic starting storyline, so this wasn't too surprising.
'But the System is advising me to get hit by the monsters and not to return to the Awakening Cave, even if I'm at death's door… That's odd.'
Constantine slowly frowned.
His thoughts immediately churned as he quickly arrived at a reasonable conclusion.
'This must be one of the new hidden mechanics of this world.'
Back on Earth, he had multiple smurf accounts, and he tried all kinds of things to see if he could gain hidden bonuses. Naturally, he had attempted the Tutorial multiple times as well. However, this 'bonus' feature never manifested.
'Since the storyline has changed, I suppose there will be events like this spread throughout the game…' Constantine nodded to himself. I can't solely rely on my player intuition.
This realization made him even happier about gaining a new System.
If he didn't have the System to remind him of this fact, he would have missed out on an amazing bonus that would likely play a major role in the future.
"Thanks for the tip, System."
[No problem, Host!]
{I exist to serve you and ensure you have an enjoyable journey in this world. Would you like to give me an early review? It will motivate me to work even harder! >-< }
"Hehe…" Seeing the System make a cute emote at the end of its statement, Constantine couldn't help but chuckle. "I have no issues with that."
It struck him as a little strange that he would be giving an early review, but Constantine didn't think too deeply about it. After all, his System was a top-notch System that had helped multiple Hosts clear their respective trials as quickly as possible.
If he gave this highly interactive System a good review from the very beginning and it felt extra motivated, wouldn't that help him the most?
'I'll be able to finish early and gain my billions of dollars!'
Constantine immediately gave a five-star review and wrote everything the old man had told him about the System in the comments section. He made sure to add a few things to garner the favor of the System, which seemed to be satisfied with the pleasant review.
[Thank you, Host!]
{Let's do our best until the very end, okay? I have high hopes for you! :) }
"I have high hopes for you, too!"
Constantine smiled and rushed out of the Awakening Cave. His lips were curled up to their limits as his heart raced with excitement. Naturally, he didn't forget to check all the features of the System as he walked out of the starting area.
He checked the few items in his Inventory, and although he was tempted to equip one or two items, the System promptly stopped him.
[This is necessary for your bonus, Host!]
{You must reserve all action until the very end. That is when you will receive the bonus.}
"Okay. I'll trust you."
Constantine charged out and encountered half a dozen monsters roaming around, seemingly going about their daily activities. They didn't appear to be waiting for him in particular, but the moment he emerged, they all turned in his direction and exhibited hostility.
"Goblins! Just like in the game, hehe…"
These short, stubby creatures were only about three feet tall, with large heads and potbellies.
They resembled stereotypical goblins, with one odd twist.
All six of them were gray.
'Undead Goblins. So my starting point is in the Dungeon of Greed, huh?'
There were Seven Great Dungeons modeled after the seven deadly sins on the Alpha Continent of Eccles Accel. Each dungeon had its own unique theme, and the first phase of the game involved clearing all of them alongside comrades.
The Dungeon of Greed had undying creatures as its theme.
'Due to their racial trait and class penalty, these creatures are slower than ordinary Goblins. They're also less intelligent. But their durability is a problem. I won't be able to effectively kill them unless I cut off their heads.' Constantine was already in his expert-player mode.
He realized that, even as they approached him, he felt no real fear.
Yes, he was nervous.
But… he wasn't truly scared.
Was it because he was such an expert in this area of the game? It could also be because he had a System to assist him in this world, ensuring he wasn't alone even in the starting stages.
Having a reliable partner to accompany him in this world was really useful.
Constantine felt assured of his eventual success.
Then—
CRUNCH!
The closest Goblin bit into his leg.
"E-eh?"
Constantine felt a sudden surge of pain assail him. He wanted to scream out, but before he could even do so, another Goblin approached and bit into his other leg.
"Arghh! It hurts!" he screamed, squirming violently while trying to kick his enemies away.
He managed to shove one gray Goblin away until a few others jumped on him, biting into his arm and torso in succession. This quickly created a puddle of blood that rapidly accumulated into an ocean of entrails.
"Stop! Please stop!"
Torn flesh and bloody bones slowly accumulated as Constantine struggled without any means of assistance.
He tried to access his Inventory, but the System discouraged him from doing so.
He tried to run back into the Awakening Cave, but the System told him not to.
He tried to fight back violently, but the System told him to wait until the bonus appeared.
'Bonus! Where is the goddamn bonus?!'
Constantine eventually collapsed into his own pool of blood as the Undead Goblins feasted on his remaining flesh without any resistance.
They only left in unrestrained glee after they had gotten their fill.
This was, unlike all the others, an easy prey.
Although he struggled at first, he stopped resisting barely halfway through the feast.
How could Constantine resist?
He was already dead.