***
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Flash! Flash!
As flashes ignite from the throne,
“This is… exceptional? The best massage I’ve had till date.”
Yoon Sejin settled into the seat with a look of sheer comfort.
“This is an EX-grade item,” he was told.
“…You’re joking, right? A massage chair, that’s EX-grade?”
“That’s right.”
“Besides the refreshing sensation, does it have any other effects?”
Yoon Sejin asked incredulously. Suddenly,
Swoosh…
His body became enveloped in pure white light, especially bright around his eyes.
“Uh…”
He blinked against the coolness felt around his eyes.
The area which had been slashed and crushed like it went through a mincer.
Shockingly, it seemed completely restored in an instant.
And then,
“No way…”
The lost sight returned, vision clear and sharp once more.
“Ah, Dad… your eyes? Can you see now?!”
“Yes… I can, Seah.”
“Dad!”
With a heart full of joy, Yoon Seah tried to embrace her father, but the throne blocked her approach with a flash of light.
“Why is this happening?”
“It looks like only one person can sit at a time.”
“Ah…”
Yoon Seah scratched her cheek in her excitement to hug her father. Yoon Sejin, watching her, remarked,
“Seah, you’ve gained a lot of muscle.”
“…That’s what you say first after your sight has been restored? So touching.”
“Still the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“Ugh… Stop, it’s cringy. Just go with ‘you’re muscular’.”
Reacting to Yoon Sejin’s words as if she got goosebumps, Yoon Seah held her arm and looked over at Seong Jihan.
“Uncle, how did you do this? Even the supporters said Dad’s eyes couldn’t be treated yet.”
“That massage chair, It has the power to restore the body to its prime. I thought maybe it could restore the eyes since it’s an EX-grade item.”
“Wow. So it wasn’t a joke, it’s actually EX-grade?”
“Why would I joke about something like that? Brother-in-law, any more system messages?”
Following Seong Jihan’s inquiry, Yoon Sejin gazed into the void.
“It says sitting on the BattleNet-endorsed Constellation increased the level limit by 30. It also says it restored the body.”
“No messages about increasing the void stats limit?”
“Nothing like that.”
“Okay then.”
So the void increase only applies if one has void abilities?
Seong Jihan nodded to Yoon Sejin,
“Just tell the media you recovered your sight using a recovery item.”
“Yeah… we can’t disclose the existence of this chair.”
“And Seah, it’s your turn after brother-in-law is done.”
“Eh? Me? I’m perfectly healthy. Let Dad sit again.”
“It doesn’t carry over. And I want to test something.”
When Yoon Sejin got up from his seat, Yoon Seah took her turn on the Constellations throne.
Flash! Flash!
Light burst forth from her body.
“Wow… this feels really great?”
The one who declared that she doesn’t need massages, Yoon Seah’s expression softened in an instant.
The throne’s relax feature had even restored sight that was lost.
Fatigue was thoroughly erased from her body.
And then,
“Oh… I’ve got a message too! The level limit increased by 30, and the void stat threshold… it’s gone up?”
“Really? You don’t have any void stats yet, do you?”
“No… I don’t have the stats yet, but the limit went up.”
Yoon Seah, though a Void Analyst by class, hadn’t yet acquired any void stat.
However, a message appeared that didn’t appear for the Sword King, seemingly related to her void involvement.
“How much did it increase by?”
“It went up by 10. It’s bound to the will of the void starting from 110.”
“Mine only went up 5. The throne’s effects are stronger on you.”
“Really? Is it because I’m a Void Analyst? But when will I actually get void stats…”
What’s the point of an increased limit with no actual void ability?
While Yoon Seah lamented comfortably seated on the throne,
[The Constellation ‘Witch of the Void’ is astounded by your sitting on the throne.]
[She’s contemplating an unbelievable thing to happen, even if it’s an illusion.]
After selecting the class Void Analyst, the quiet Constellation Witch of the Void sent a message.
* * *
“Oh… Mom sent a message!” Yoon Seah exclaimed.
“What is it, Seah?”
“Well…”
She glanced at Yoon Sejin and said,
“She… said Dad should leave.”
“…Okay, got it.”
Having just regained his sight with a satisfied smile, he left the room with a wry grin upon hearing that.
“And me?”
“Uncle needs to stay.”
“Really? You have something to tell me?”
“Um… Mom’s asking if you’ve invested a lot in void stat.”
“Tell her it’s at 55.”
“Mom complains you don’t plan on living long. She says to stop increasing it.”
“It’s fine.. I can live up to 70, right?”
The void stat that had proved so beneficial to Seong Jihan—the abilities it provided were just the beginning, with many perks gained from embracing the void, like the void shop and training grounds now essential elements.
He couldn’t abandon void capabilities, not knowing when he’d face the Marital God.
“I’ll keep working with the void.”
As Seong Jihan firmly refused, a cascade of messages rolled down Yoon Seah’s system window.
[The Witch of the Void laments you never listen to your sister.]
[Asking why would you do this? If you don’t want to live long, she complains.]
[Even if it’s an illusion, does it need to be this real? She grumbles.]
Seong Jihan, bringing up that in the system window made Yoon Seah scratch her cheek.
‘Better not to pass this on.’
After berating Seong Jihan for a while, the Witch of the Void got to the point.
[The Witch of the Void asks if you really want void abilities.]
The message’s tone suggests she might grant them if desired.
Yoon Seah asked with shining eyes, “Uncle. Are void abilities that great?”
“Why?”
“Mom says she’ll give them to me.”
“Don’t accept them.”
“Why not? I want to be stronger!”
“Living long is better.”
“But you, uncle?”
“Me? I’m fine. There’s a way.”
Yoon Seah narrowed her eyes.
It felt like a dismissive answer with no evident plan.
Then,
[The Witch of the Void says she can grant void powers temporarily if you promise not to increase your void stat by more than 10.]
“10? Is there a problem if it’s more?”
[The Witch of the Void insists that the gap between your current stat and the void threshold must be over 100.]
“Ah…”
Now that her limit increased by +10 after sitting on the throne,
It seems okay to have 10 void stats points.
“Uncle. Mom says as long as there’s a 100-point gap between the threshold and the current stat, it’s okay.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Should I…?”
Yoon Seah, appearing decisively, seemed beyond persuasion.
‘…I shouldn’t let my niece go astray.’
Seong Jihan silently consented.
She readily spoke to the message window,
“I promise, Mom.”
[The Witch of the Void temporarily bestows void on ‘Yoon Seah’.]
Swoosh…
A purple mist rose and absorbed into Yoon Seah’s body, and a void ability manifested in her status window.
[The Witch of the Void once again warns not to increase the void stat more than 10 until the limit is raised.]
Ending the message with one more emphasis on not to go beyond 10, the Witch of the Void cut off.
“Mom’s gone…”
The joy of obtaining a void stat was fleeting as Yoon Seah became silent once more, watching the system window wistfully.
Meanwhile,
[The throne has been unsummoned.]
[It can be resummoned in one month.]
The throne, having served its purpose after seating three players, vanished into the light.
‘The throne… it was pretty good after all.’
It restored Yoon Sejin’s eyes in an instant and increased the threshold for void stat.
Though the reason why it was EX-grade remained a mystery, it proved quite useful.
‘But Jiah’s words… differ from those of the Constellation of the Dead star.’
The Constellation of the Dead star earnestly told Seong Jihan not to exceed the void stat by 100, but the Witch of the Void emphasized there has to be a 100-point gap between the threshold and the void stats.
Between the two Constellations, it seemed more logical to follow the words of the ‘Witch of the Void’.
Yet,
‘If I abide by my sister’s words, even if the void limit rises each time I sit on the throne… it means not increasing void stats for over 10 months.’
The throne, summonable once a month, and even with following its intervals to increase the limit,
If he abided by his sister’s words, Seong Jihan would have to leave his void stats untouched for over ten months.
‘I can’t afford to do that.’
Seong Jihan decided not to listen to her, just like when she was alive.
Of course,
“Seah, don’t ever increase your void stat points by more than 10.”
Yoon Seah was the exception.
“Understood. Uncle, will you keep a 100-point gap?”
“Not me, I’m fine.”
“Really…! Mom was lamenting you’re still disobedient.”
“Was she? I’m somehow different with my sister.”
Seong Jihan chuckled.
“Ugh. Really…”
Yoon Seah glared at him, then suddenly clapped her hands enthusiastically,
“Ah. Uncle! I have something to brag about!”
“What’s that?”
“I reached level 213.”
Yoon Seah, who had been blessed with Late Bloomer’s effects, continued to exhibit an impressive growth rate even after ascending to the Diamond League.
“But… uncle, what level are you?”
“Me?”
Seong Jihan checked his status in response to Yoon Seah’s question.
“215.”
“Ah~ so close. Thought I’d overtake you this time! Why’s your level so high without playing much?”
“Gained levels as rewards from the promotion match and national team battles.”
Though Seong Jihan explained so, the fact that Yoon Seah was only two levels behind—a closer gap than he expected—surprised him.
‘Late Bloomer’s growth rate is unbelievably high.’
There had been quite the gap before, but while Seong Jihan took a break from leveling up to catch Shizuru and prepare for the battle against the Elves,
Yoon Seah impressively closed in on him.
Of course, their abilities differed like heaven and earth despite the narrowed level gap.
“I should log into BattleNet again.”
“Uncle, you’re finally starting?”
“Well, can’t have you overtake me just like that.”
Seong Jihan decided to return to BattleNet, which he had neglected due to training.
‘And now, with leveling up, I can increase void as well.’
Thus, Seong Jihan, who entered the game for the first time since reaching diamond, saw,
[You are among the top 0.001% of players.]
[You have been assigned to the Diamond League, Space – 4 Area.]
‘Space 4?’ Instead of Gangnam 1 Area, he was reassigned to Space – 4 Area.
A change brought on by BattleNet’s main game.
‘For Earthlings, Space 12 was the highest before… and I just reached diamond and I’m up to 4 already.’
As Seong Jihan contemplated his memories of a past life,
[The player has been assigned to the special dungeon map, ‘Boss Election’.]
[Will you participate in the ‘Boss Election’?]
He received the message that a special map had been assigned to him.
***
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