***
***
“Mom says there’s no secret about your birth.”
Not long after,
Yoon Seah came to Seong Jihan, smiling brightly, sharing what she heard from Seong Jiah.
“There’s nothing?”
“Yes. She went to the gynecologist with you when you were born and even got peed on while changing your diaper, you know?”
“She remembers such old memories quite well.”
“I think I would remember that too.”
“Anyway, it’s clear I wasn’t picked up from somewhere.”
Seong Jihan nodded in agreement.
“But why ask about your birth all of a sudden?”
“Because I am overwhelmingly strong. It made me doubt if I’m really human.”
Not wanting to explain to Yoon Seah about understanding unfamiliar characters, Seong Jihan gave that as his reason.
“…Uncle. Mom is warning you not to be too arrogant. That you might fall on your face if you do.”
“Tell her, I got it.”
“You don’t seem like it at all…”
As Yoon Seah shook her head and left the room, Seong Jihan thought,
‘If there’s no secret about my birth, could there be something peculiar about the Seong bloodline itself?’
Both Seong Jihan and Seong Jiah had shown exceptional talent in BattleNet.
Not only Seong Jihan, Seong Jiah was also one of the few in BattleNet belonging to the priestess class.
Additionally, Yoon Seah, Seong Jiah’s daughter, had inherited a transcendent gift like ‘late bloomer’.
It was hard to chalk it up to simple chance or good fortune.
‘Considering our family history, with our parents no longer here, it’s impossible to know…’
Seong Jihan decided to stop dwelling on the unsolvable and to check the rewards he obtained from this game.
Firstly, what caught his eye was an additional 20 to his remaining stats.
With +10 from the first-place reward and a 10-level increase after the game ended, he had amassed 20 points to spend.
‘I’ll invest all these in the void…’
Having allocated points into the void stat with each growth opportunity, his void capacity, which was 60, increased to 64 as Seong Jihan invested all 20 points into it, even as the front digit switched to 6, and each increment now consumed five of his remaining stats.
‘But the investment is worth it.’
Seong Jihan recalled his recent battle in BattleNet.
Without having fortified all his abilities through void, he would have died long ago at the hands of Solar Faction players.
Competing against humanity’s players on Earth could be managed without the power of the void; however, to face those above, the power of the void was absolutely essential.
‘With my capacity limit increased by 30, there’s still a long way to reach max limit. I can invest without any concern.’
Resolved to focus investment on the void whenever he leveled up, he checked the title he had received for clearing the epic quest.
[Void Enforcer]
-A title awarded to those who cooperate with the will of the void.
-While equipped, the power of the void is amplified, particularly against beings not aligned with ‘Order’, drastically boosting the power of the void.
-On the other hand, once the title is equipped even once, the chance of the player being bound to the will of the void increases, and the void capacity is reduced by 15.
Unlike previous titles, which granted only perks, the Void Enforcer had clear advantages and disadvantages.
‘This is… much more than just a title.’
Most past titles mostly offered experience buffs. Even those that did improve stats only played supporting roles. However, the Void Enforcer significantly strengthened void powers.
Especially,
‘A significant increase against entities that do not follow ‘Order’…’
‘Order’ as referred to by the void.
By now, Seong Jihan had a rough understanding of what this meant.
‘Those deemed as bugs by BattleNet must be the ones not following ‘Order’.’
Like the tentacle case of the Blue Blood Demons,
Such bug-level existences sought immortality by hopping between possessions, clearly beings against the natural order.
The substantially amplified power of the void against these entities was an amazing advantage.
All the more so since most core forces of opposing species in the Space League were these ‘bug-level players’.
And now a title that amplifies the power of void for each higher-tier opponent faced…
‘Although it has side effects, it must be equipped.’
Despite the increased risk of being bound to the void, it was a title he had to use.
Especially with the possibility of being targeted by the Wandering Martial God.
It was imperative to get used to wielding the enhanced power of the void with this title on.
[Would you like to equip the ‘Void Enforcer’ title?]
“Yes.”
[You have equipped the ‘Void Enforcer’ title.]
[The power of the void is further amplified.]
[Void capacity is reduced by 15. If void capacity reaches the limit, the player will be irrevocably bound to the will of the void.]
[Suppressing several entities that defy ‘Order’ can lead to an upgrade of the title by the ‘will of the void’.]
The will of the void promising an upgrade if more bug-level players are suppressed was like a double-edged sword.
It was hard to predict what would unfold if the title upgraded itself, but for now,
‘I might as well surf the tiger’s back…and continue on with the power of the void.’
Resolute in utilizing the power of the void,
‘I’ve decided to hold off on leveling up for a while. I should practice harnessing this amplified power of the void.’
Seong Jihan re-entered the training ground.
* * *
Since the incorporation of BattleNet into the main game, the schedules of BattleNet players revolved entirely around the Space League matches.
While the World Championships League was a system for nations to compete for rankings among themselves, the Space League matches determined the very survival of humanity. It was only natural that all focus shifted towards the Space League.
The third Space League game was scheduled for early April, a time when each country typically held regional league matches.
“There needs to be some adjustments to this schedule.”
“We need to keep a week before and after the Space League matches clear.”
Considering player fatigue, the World BattleNet Association adjusted national team game schedules.
“But won’t there be too many matches during this time?”
“Well, it’s the national championship.”
“Players need a week of rest time compared to the Space League matches.”
“Even so, won’t the national team matches overlap too much?”
“National team matches have less fatigue compared to the Space League, don’t they?”
“Let’s proceed with this plan.”
As a result, from late March to early April 2021, the Hell Race began.
-Wow… Is this revamped schedule for real?
-As a viewer, I’ll have a lot to watch, so it’s fun, haha.
-The Taiwan match, China match, and then straight into the Space League… all within two weeks? That’s intense!
-The national team players are going to be worn out.
-We had the Taiwan match last time, why again?
-The April schedule was moved up, that’s why.
-Seong Jihan is going to have a tough time…
-Nah, he’s probably going to get banned from playing anyway, haha.
-Just need to be there like a totem of victory.
At the Korean BattleNet Center, Director Noh Youngjun sighed as he observed the reactions of enthusiasts who enjoyed the abundance of matches.
“While the Space League is crucial, the schedule is too tight.”
“The Association should have adjusted the schedule earlier; they’re getting criticized for this.”
“That’s right. The Association’s handling of affairs is lacking… Are all the players ready?”
“Yes. Most of them are at the BattleNet Center. Seong Jihan is in training, so we haven’t been able to reach him.”
“Hmm… is that so?”
Seong Jihan was unreachable whenever he was in training. Director Noh Youngjun pondered, ‘With Seong Jihan, we’d be at full strength, but even without him, I think we can beat Taiwan.’
In the previous Taiwan match, Korea managed to win without Seong Jihan, leading with the Sword King. Although the elderly player caused some concern during the first game, he didn’t show a threatening presence afterward.
However, since then, the elderly player hadn’t demonstrated remarkable performance.
The elderly player was troublesome,
Yet, since the game against Korea, there had been no significant actions from him.
In contrast, the Korean national team had added a rookie archer named Yoon Seah to the already formidable lineup of Seong Jihan and the Sword King.
‘Unlike the Japan match, Taiwan isn’t known for strong supporters compared to us… Even if the Golem Map keeps showing up, we still have a chance.’
No matter how one looked at it, winning the upcoming Taiwan match seemed inevitable.
“Let’s just call Jihan from the China match onward. He should rest in preparation for the fierce games of the Space League.”
“Understood. Shall I cease contacting him?”
“No. Keep trying. He has to show up for the China match, right? But is this training room a place cut off completely from the outside world?”
“Yes. According to Yoon Seah, she couldn’t get in touch with him either…”
“That could be a problem. We definitely need him for the China match.”
Cognizant of the overwhelming power difference, the coaching staff disregarded the Taiwan match.
“Hmm… Is there no way to contact him?”
They were already writing off Taiwan as a victory, now thinking about how to reach Seong Jihan for the next match.
“Do we need to sponsor him or something?”
“BattleTube isn’t turned on.”
“Maybe leave a message on the board…”
“There’s no message board for Seong Jihan’s BattleTube, you know?”
“Really? Just videos sitting there?”
“Yes. It’s known that editing is managed by the Daegi guild…”
No matter how much they brainstormed, making contact with Seong Jihan, who was in the void training room, was impossible.
As the staff worried that they might not use Seong Jihan for the China match,
Just then,
“There’s no need to worry. I’m here now.”
The strategic analysis room’s door opened, and Seong Jihan walked in.
“Seong…Seong Jihan?”
“You came all the way here…!”
Unlike other national team players who weren’t obliged to come to the center, Seong Jihan had special treatment.
As he, who normally resided in the penthouse, came down to the strategy room, the coaching staff lit up with hope.
“Oh!! Seong Jihan, how did you manage to know about everything? We were struggling to find a way to contact you…”
“Yes. I’ll arrange a method to communicate when I’m in the training room later. It’s a special space, so normal communications don’t work.”
“Thank you. As for the Taiwan match… truthfully, you don’t have to participate. It would be better to rest for the matches against China and in the Space League.”
Considering the distinct power difference from Taiwan,
Director Noh Youngjun suggested Seong Jihan needn’t stress himself with that game.
“Oh no, I plan to participate. It’s not like playing one more game would be too burdensome.”
“Is that so? Well, thanks. You’ll be banned in Taiwan anyway, so it’ll be much easier for us afterwards.”
Through recent games, Seong Jihan had established himself as the unrivaled champion among players worldwide. He was the player most countries would ban without hesitation. Once he was banned, there would be no need for Yoon Sejin and Yoon Seah to worry about being banned themselves.
From the coach’s perspective, even if Seong Jihan couldn’t play, just forcing the opponent to use their ban card makes managing the series much easier.
“Ban, huh…”
Seong Jihan only smirked at that, then shifted the conversation.
“Could I see the footage of Taiwan’s elderly player from our last match?”
“Ah… that person? Sure. I’ll get it ready right away.”
Directed by the coach, the efficiently moving staff caught Seong Jihan’s eye.
He recalled what Pythia had said.
[Excluding the Wandering Martial God, he’s the closest to the god of martial arts. It’s not about winning, but enduring even for a minute in front of his sword is difficult.]
Seong Jihan and Pythia made a bet on that prophecy, wagering him staying a minute against Dongbang Sak’s power.
‘I wonder how it will turn out.’
Watching the old man’s martial feat on the screen,
Seong Jihan prepared for the Taiwan match, a game everyone in Korea was confident they would win.
***
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