Constantine was at his limits.
Despite his undead state, he wanted to explode in rage as he yelled at the System.
"An error at this time? Bullshit!"
All this time, Constantine had been overlooking the System's odd behavior, using different excuses to justify the many strange things it did.
But there was only so much he could endure.
"Are you really a top-of-the-line System?!" he screamed.
[What is that supposed to mean, Host?]
"It means you are trash!" Constantine cried, feeling the weight of a heavy blade on his flimsy shield.
The wooden object creaked under the pressure.
A few more hits from the male Adventurer's longsword and it would break apart for sure.
[I only exist to serve you, Host.]
{In my opinion, this is an opportunity for you. If you let them kill you, you'll be able to restart this entire game from scratch. You will make the best choice for yourself once that happens.}
"Hell no!"
If he was doubtful before, Constantine was even more certain at this moment.
The System could not be trusted.
'That old man... Did he lie to me?!'
Arrows whistled through the air as Constantine had this dreadful thought.
He managed to block the projectiles fired at him, but his shield was rapidly losing its integrity.
It was only a matter of time before he ran out of defense.
'The girl with the daggers is patiently waiting. Once my defenses are gone, she will also take action and attack!'
Constantine was running out of time.
But he was also trapped.
He couldn't turn around to open the chest, since that would give these Adventurers the perfect opportunity to attack him.
Worse yet, the chest might not even contain an offensive weapon.
It was a random treasure chest!
If he risked his life and opened it, only to find some other reward inside, he would essentially be throwing his life away.
'My life...'
Constantine felt his heart jump at that moment.
All this time, even though he had suffered all manner of things and tried his best to avoid being killed, he had always assumed death wasn't the end for him.
If he truly died, he would simply lose out on life-changing money and be forced to return to his rather mundane life.
It would be rather unfortunate, but at least he would still be alive.
That was what he thought.
'But if that old man lied about the System, what else did he lie about? Could it be that there is no money waiting for me at the end of this entire journey? And if I die, isn't it possible that I may never return to Earth?!'
Constantine shuddered immediately.
It wasn't solely because of this frightening realization, but also because his biggest immediate fear had come to pass.
His shield had finally shattered to pieces.
"Damn it!" He gritted his teeth as he tried to retreat from the incoming attacks. "Damn it all!"
Unfortunately, he was simply too slow as a Ghoul.
Against multiple humans who were enhanced with Potions and had better gear than him, he simply stood no chance.
WHOOSH!
Three arrows landed in his chest, two daggers sliced off his dominant arm, and the heavy blade sliced through his upper torso.
In an instant, all he had left was his upper body and one arm.
Constantine felt his Level drop back to 1, only one step away from destruction. At that moment, panic set in despite his numbed state.
He could only imagine how he would have reacted with human emotions.
'Potion... I need my Potions!'
Constantine quickly tapped the Potion icon in his Inventory, but he could only be disappointed by the System yet again.
<Error!>
<Error!>
<Error!>
[System Error]
{Your chosen item cannot be summoned at the moment. Please try again later.}
"Fuck! Fuck!!"
Constantine tried to crawl away, but there really was nowhere to run. He was already trapped in a tight corner, with the treasure chest near the wall a short distance away.
Unfortunately, he was still noticeably farther from the chest than his enemies.
They were also very determined to end his life. There was no way they would simply let him open a Treasure Chest right before their eyes.
Even then, because of his desperation, Constantine could only crawl forward.
'I don't want to die!'
He screamed in his mind, growling and twisting his body like a real monster on the verge of death.
[Host, just give up.]
{Dying will actually help you. I am being as honest as possible. There is no need to drag this out any further.}
Constantine ignored the System and kept crawling forward.
He gritted his teeth until blood spilled from his mouth.
'I have to... live!' he desperately told himself. 'I haven't accomplished anything with my life yet. I can't just die like this...'
He recalled his past.
The way his siblings always excelled at everything while he remained average.
His parents were constantly disappointed.
He could never live up to their expectations of him.
Even in the one thing he was good at—playing games—he wasn't anywhere near the best. In the end, he could only reach 100 Percent Completion after ten years of playing a game that had already fallen off.
This wouldn't be a major accomplishment to everyone, but to him... it meant something.
For the first time in his life, he had done something extraordinary.
Something no one else in the world had achieved!
He was exceptional!
As if the universe was trying to prove this, he had even been specially invited to this new world to play a realistic version of the game, and his reward for completion was beyond anything he could have imagined.
This was solid proof!
Proof that he wasn't a failure!
He hadn't wasted his life. He wasn't a waste of space or a nobody, after all!
'But... if I die here, that's what will happen.' Constantine felt his vision grow blurry as he struggled to reach the chest.
If he died, his parents would never know that he had been offered this chance.
The world wouldn't be aware of his accomplishment. Even if he returned to Earth, what would he have to show for it in the end?
That was why, despite his reservations, he had to accept the floating head's deal.
It was the only way to prove it!
To himself and to others!
'I am not a failure! I am not someone who will lose just like this! I can't! Not when there is still so much I can do and accomplish!'
This surge of willpower allowed him to finally reach his goal.
As for why he wasn't immediately struck down by the humans behind him, Constantine was surprised himself.
Until... he heard their voices.
"W-what? Why do I feel so weak and drowsy?"
"Me too! My body's strength is leaving me..."
"Is it because of that Ghoul? Should we retreat?"
Upon hearing this, Constantine's eyes bulged.
His Skill!
The Miasma Emission Skill!