Weeks passed by in a leisure manner just like it was some sort of a mirage. Kevin felt it strongly as he was living fulfilling days for quite a while now. There is no problem with his studies, his mother has increased his allowance, his sisters were less mean to him, and the frequency of bumping into Julia was quite low nowadays.
He kind of wishes this kind of day to continue. But of course life was never doing things in the way you wanted to.
[Host your next world is ready to transfer in]
These were the words that sent Kevin to remember how his life is no longer normal. Although he talks with his system on daily bases, he began treating it like a friend. No longer questioning its existence and accepting its presence like it was meant to be just like that.
"....right." Kevin said as he placed his pen on his study desk. "There is still that."
[....]
[You forgot did you?]
"....well things were quite peaceful lately." Kevin said with a chuckle. "It made me forget about the game worlds. ``Are all game worlds the same as the last one?"
[There are plenty of game worlds out there. Only that you might not experience all of them as one's game worlds is based on the 'genre' they are highest in the evaluation they had. So in your case your genre of world falls under the horror category]
"Same goes for the failed hosts?"
[Yes same as them]
[They are failed hosts due to them failing a step during binding process, but they all passed most of the much needed requirements to participate on the game worlds]
[So in a way their existence was reasonable to the game world despite them not possessing a system.]
"Why do they exist? Most of them die if they end up in worlds like the one Kathrine originates." Kevin can't help asking as he remembered the death of his first world. Although some of them have survived some worlds, they all still died just taking the world's background.
[Can't say.]
[You don't have enough authorization to know about it yet.]
"Figure as much." Kevin says as he anticipated not being answered. He has been trying to pry open his system's mouth over some things, but he was often stopped from asking more as he still doesn't have enough authorization for it.
"How long can my entering the game world be delayed? I have to finish these first before going there. I cannot risk not doing this due to being shaken right?"
[We need to go in within two hours from now]
[If you insist we could just wait for the time to run out. That way we will be forcefully pulled to the world regardless of your resistance later.]
[Though this is a good way to prepare one's mind before going to a 'battlefield']
"Okay that is more than enough." Kevin said as he did his assignments with great diligence.
After an hour he was done with what he had to do. As he didn't want to go there on his own initiative, he chatted with his system to pass time and mentally prepare himself for anything he might encounter in the game worlds.
In fact, as they were chatting, I browsed some information on the internet about monsters. As he knew that he might fall into another supernatural world as horror was often associated with these. He might as well have some about them.
And when the time comes up. He once again felt a vertigo distinctly characterized by world transfers. Feeling it once is not enough to make him used to it. In fact he felt that he will never be used to it no matter how many times he will experience it.
Opening his eyes, he could see a huge space of an underground tunnel. There were torches upon the walls and there was a group of people with him. From their attire they seem to be an archeology team or treasure hunters.
As he learned that game worlds' terror, he observed everything around him. Categorizing everyone based on his impression on them. Of who could be the player and who are not. This is to minimize and protect himself when whatever awaits them at the end of the tunnels.
Like in the first game world, the players are easy to spot. There are at least ten of them here, rendering the rest of the 30 people party to be NPCs. Quite a disadvantageous number in comparison to possible attackers.
As he was well-averse in interacting with people despite not wanting to communicate with them outside of necessity, he quickly integrated into the group.
As the players knew that most newly arrived players don't get to know much details of the 'game', they generously shared to him what they knew.
Apparently they are in the tomb of a king similar to the pharaohs' of egypt. Their identities were mixed up with treasure hunters and of the academes. All of them should be seeking either knowledge of this king or the king's treasure.
Kevin was a little excited with the idea of his identity when he first heard it. He likes to find things, a theme that was usual of his birthdays prepared by his sisters. He enjoys the thrill of solving puzzles, riddles and working himself on them.
Though his system poured cold water on him as he was getting fired up of acting like a real treasure hunter.
[Host your identity is an academe]
[Stop fantasizing something not your role]
"Killjoy." Kevin simply spat at his system for interrupting him. " Send me the details of this world"
[Transfering]
Feeling a little dizzy, Kevin leaned his weight on the walls to support himself. Which is not a rare sight as the tunnel was long and most of them were tired of walking on the uneven surface. Thankfully there were no traps in it or the ground, if not most of them are dead like those in movies were.
The background of this world is almost similar to the last gameworld he is in. It involves curses too. Only much more sinister and not as active as Kathrine's.
This tomb was built way back in the first era of kingdoms of this world. The royal families of these kingdoms possess real power that gods have granted upon them. Power that runs upon their blood and no one else.
One of them was the owner of this tomb. The vague history of the past mentioned this tomb, but its name was long lost in time. But the description of their rule and wealth was recorded even in the recent records of the later eras. Making many trying their best to search and unearth this illustrious tomb.
One of the expedition members, an ambitious archeologist, has received a reliable source of its location. He made a deal of halving the treasures and the priceless records in it with the source and set off to the tomb. This team was precisely that group of people he gathered.
Following the original tragedictory, they are bound to die the moment they show greed with the mountains of treasure upon the old king's tomb. Dead servants woke up in their slumber to chase them away, carnivorous insects feasting upon their flesh, and the worst of the curse's effect was making them kill each other due to the very greed they possess.
"....in short this world is a battle royal in the later stages." Kevin wanted to massage his forehead in stress of this outcome. "I don't know if the last world was fucked up or this world is even more so. Say what are the standards for the gameworlds anyway?"
[Can't say]
[You don't have to worry about that at all]
[All you need is to find a girl]
"Easy to say." Kevin said, scanning the crowd. "There are at least five girls in this group. Three of which are players whom I rather not be involved in. They might stab me later when the curse came into effect."
[Try your best host]
"Haha." Kevin fake laughed in sarcasm. "It is more like doing your best system. I need you to step up in your game now. My survival is connected to your efforts."
[I will try]
[Though no promises.]
[I am still very weak to do anything]
"Weak does not mean useless." Kevin continued. "One has to keep themselves improving in order to become strong. So better you start to refine what needs to be refined, work on what is needed to work, and better yet to me trapped on the sweet ignorance of their own helplessness on not recognizing the need to be better."
[You should be a teacher instead of an accountant]
[You preach too much]
"It was in my career goals." Kevin said not liking to be interrupted in the middle of his preaching. "To make things work don't use your weakness as an excuse to just be a bystander in this whole thing. Remember, you are part of the reason why there are players in this messed up world. Are we clear?"
[Yes Host]
"Good."