"Urgh…"
Constantine slowly woke up and found himself in a pitch-black pool of nearly dried blood.
It would have normally taken him a few seconds to process what had happened, but he suddenly realized how slow his mind had become. Even when he tried very hard to think, it still took him a minute to understand what had transpired after his death.
'I became an Undead. This is the side effect of dying in the Dungeon of Greed…'
Every Dungeon in Eccles Accel had its own unique quirks. It just so happened that dying in this place turned one into an Undead creature.
Of course, if one was killed in this state, they would die for real.
"Status... Window..."
Constantine heard his tired, groggy voice and realized just how ugly it sounded.
He didn't want to imagine his current appearance.
Undead creatures, especially those in the lower class strata, were some of the ugliest entities in the world of Eccles. Since he had just become one as a human of the lowest class, he already feared his fate.
[STATUS INFORMATION]
<Name>
Constantine
<Race>
Undead
<Level>
1
<System Points>
10
<Class>
Ghoul
<Title(s)>
Dead on the First Day
Died Once
<Skill(s)>
Miasma Emission
<Equipped Items>
None
<Current Quest>
Leave for the Frontier Town and register as an Adventurer.
<System Note>
The bonus you received is slow-acting, but it is effective. Only by entering the city and becoming an Adventurer will you be able to manifest its full effect.
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>>
'As expected, I became a Ghoul...'
This was the outcome of a Commoner-class Human turning into an Undead.
If he had held a powerful class like Mage and died in this Dungeon, he would have become a Litch or something similar, at the very least.
Constantine sighed as he slowly rose to his feet.
The more he moved his numb body, the more he realized how much sensation he had lost.
'I can't feel anything at all...'
After standing and observing his extremely pale hands and legs, he quietly returned to the Awakening Cave and saw his reflection.
His pure white hair was now dyed black, and his blue eyes had become red.
Not only that, but his skin had turned pale—almost gray.
He was clearly no longer human!
'Thankfully, my body was restored before I woke up, or else I would have lost a lot of parts from the start. It must be because of my Titles.'
Constantine still hadn't dismissed his Status Window.
He could see that, apart from changing Races, he also had two new Titles and a new Skill.
Not hesitating for even a moment despite his groggy state, he slowly raised his hand and tapped the screen in front of him.
<Title Description>
Dead on the First Day
You will receive a random skill after death. Of course, you may never get to use it since, well, you are already dead.
Died Once
Your body will be preserved for all to remember, even if you may never use it again. Even if it is destroyed, given enough time, it will return to its original state.
<Skill Description>
Miasma Emission
As an Undead, your body naturally emits the toxic energy known as Miasma. This corrodes the life force of those around you, making you a natural enemy of the living.
Constantine saw this and slapped his face with his palm.
'This is bad...'
For one, the two Titles he received were normal in the game. Contrary to what he had hoped, there was no additional benefit added to help him adjust to this new world.
He was still grateful for these additions, since they helped him somewhat in his predicament.
After all, lower-class Undead couldn't naturally regenerate, and they had no special skills from the start. However, because of these Titles, he was given a beginner-friendly boost that would somewhat preserve his life.
As for his new Skill, it was not as helpful as he had hoped.
'I thought I could perhaps disguise myself as a human and sneak into the Frontier City, but this problematic Skill makes it impossible for me to do so. I will instantly be identified as an Undead before I even reach the city, and I'll be hunted down by the first human who sees me.'
There was another reason Constantine frowned.
'Why is the System telling me to go into the city despite my current predicament? Is it telling me to find a way to sneak in despite all the disadvantages?'
Constantine had become an Undead, so his thoughts were extremely slow.
It took him an excruciatingly long time to formulate complex thoughts, so despite thinking for only a brief period, he had already spent close to ten minutes on the matter.
But this had its own merits.
Because of his slow thought process, his earlier excitement had already worn off.
His Undead body also made him numb to both physical and emotional stimuli, which made his mind much calmer. He wasn't entirely devoid of emotion, but it was heavily suppressed—almost as though it were hidden beneath layers of thick fog.
He became much more rational as a result.
'Although I've become rather slow, turning into a Ghoul has made me smarter in other ways. Who would have thought... hehehe...'
Constantine laughed bitterly.
He quickly reflected on the past.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt a familiar emotion surging within him.
It was rage!
'This goddamn System... what did it make me do?!'
He was only in this situation because he had listened to the System's advice. If he had followed the normal route, he should have killed the Goblins by now, and he would already be on his way to the Frontier City.
Thanks to his knowledge of Eccles, he would score rather highly in the tests and rank near the top among beginners.
His future would have been rather bright.
'But now...'
His expression turned dark.
'I am stuck as an Undead that can't go anywhere near humans, or I will be immediately spotted and killed.'
"System, what do you have to say for yourself?" Constantine asked angrily.
[Please calm yourself, Host.]
{This is a necessary part of the process to obtain your massive bonus. You just have to trust me on this. Once you get close to the Frontier City, it will manifest itself.}
"I thought it was when I entered the city and became an Adventurer."
[No, Host.]
{What I meant was that it will fully manifest when you become an Adventurer. But before entering the city, you will feel its partial effect. Don't worry about the Miasma Emission. It won't affect your progress at all.}
Constantine stared at the Interactive System Interface in front of him.
The translucent panel glowed with brilliant golden light, and it seemed to ooze sincerity.
Despite witnessing this, Constantine couldn't help but feel a great sense of dread. His instincts as a gamer, and as someone who had already died once, told him this was an extremely risky and dangerous task.
He would likely die if he ventured down the path set for him by the System.
'Let me check my Racial Trait and Class Description, just in case.'
<Racial Trait>
Undead
You bear a grudge against all living things. As their natural enemy, you cannot normally coexist with humans.
You will feel a natural enmity toward all living creatures and will be compelled to attack them on sight. You do not age, and you are numb to all that makes one alive. You cannot be killed unless your weak spot is destroyed.
As a classified monster, you can understand all monster languages, but you cannot naturally understand humans and other higher races.
<Class Description>
Ghoul
You are a less intelligent Undead of the lowest class. You are unable to defy your instincts as an enemy of the living. You will also be easily identified as an enemy by all life forms. You have no special abilities or traits apart from having your brain as your only weak spot.
"...."
After reading through these details, Constantine fell silent for a long time.
The System also said nothing.
"I have to attack any living person I see, and I can easily be identified as an Undead. This essentially means a human city is the last place I should go!"
Constantine felt angry once again.
This was a high-end System, which also had access to this information. It knew all of these things, yet it still advised him to venture into the Frontier City.
Wasn't that simply telling him to go and die?