***
***
-0… How many zeros is that?
-A hundred billion GP?
-Wow, a Celestial Cube? What’s that?
-The alien CEO was a bigshot…
Viewers who wouldn’t even dream of sponsoring such a hefty amount were taken aback by the sponsorship from the extraterrestrial being this time.
With the recent GP exchange rate around 2 dollars per GP, a hundred billion GP was essentially equivalent to at least two hundred billion dollars.
‘The Palace of Pleasure invitation was worth a hundred billion GP…. How much is he paying just for information?’
Seong Jihan stared at the Celestial Cube resting on his palm.
A small, cubic object that rose on his hand.
This item, shining in pure white, didn’t display any messages or indications.
“What’s this used for?”
[The Celestial Cube extends the evolutionary limit set for the races.]
“Evolutionary limit… What does that mean?”
[Evolution originally refers to the act of adapting to the given environment for a race. In biological terms, it’s more appropriate to consider it as a change. Just like how larger organisms decrease in size due to the environment. However, evolution in the BattleNet is different.]
“How so?”
[All races participating in the BattleNet can advance themselves based on the rewards of the game… Haven’t you had such experiences yourselves?]
‘Is he referring to the rewards from the Planet Colonization map?’
The resource extraction from the Planet Colonization map that benefited all of humanity.
The impact of these rewards on humanity was immense, with experts predicting that the average human lifespan would increase by several years.
That’s why hardcore BattleNet fans chose the first match against the World Tree Elves as the most important game in the Space League.
The light fanbase had many people voting for the ‘Planet Colonization’ game, which directly benefited them.
-We really became a lot healthier during planet colonization. My acne disappeared completely, haha.
-I used to work at a dermatologist’s clinic back then, and it went bankrupt because no one was coming in… I lost my job…
-Wow, we didn’t give refunds for mere changes of mind.
-My father had surgery during that time, and thanks to that, he received good care and is healthy now… I’m always grateful.
Viewers began posting thank you messages, each recalling that time.
The Planet Colonization event was an important turning point that made people realize BattleNet could be beneficial to humanity.
“I heard that people obtained resources and became healthier during the Planet Colonization map.”
[Such opportunities consistently arise while playing BattleNet. That’s why races that have endured in BattleNet for a long time have all increased their lifespans and evolved into bodies suitable for combat… However, there is a limit to this benefit.]
“Is that the evolutionary limit you mentioned earlier?”
[That’s right. The bonus given to the entire race… It cannot be continuously stacked. Eventually, you reach the ‘evolutionary limit’. This limit is set differently for each race. But it’s generally proportional to the ‘grade’ at which the race is evaluated. You’re probably the lowest grade, so your evolutionary limit will come quickly.]
-Tsk tsk, how miserable it must be to be the lowest grade race. Even the limit is low.
-Humanity, considered the epitome of all beings on Earth, is struggling once they venture into outer space, it’s so sad.
-They even lost to the last-place Zojin race…
If you’re the lowest tier, does that mean the limit is generally low?
Seong Jihan gazed silently at the Celestial Cube.
‘We’re going to escape from BattleNet anyway, so is there any need to use this for humanity?’
The Celestial Cube seemed useful only for races deeply entrenched in BattleNet.
For a race like humanity, whose goal was to escape from this world, even if they were the lowest grade, it seemed unlikely they would reach the evolutionary limit.
In the first place, even in his previous life, there were no options that gave bonuses to the entire race like the Planet Colonization map.
Unless it was a special map, it would be difficult to encounter such opportunities.
“Does this have no other use? Can’t it be sold?”
[No. Even if you want to buy it, the moment you obtain it, the item becomes tied to your race. It will be used automatically soon.]
“It’ll be used on its own?”
What a self-willed item this is.
Rather than using the Celestial Cube directly, it seemed Seong Jihan would have to be satisfied with the information fee.
Just as Seong Jihan was thinking that,
Ziiing…!
Light burst out from the pure white cube.
[It has been used. Congratulations, humanity, on your increased limit.]
Even if the limit was increased, what good would it do if it was unreachable anyway?
Seong Jihan watched the cube disappear with that thought, but…
[This race does not have an evolutionary limit set in BattleNet.]
[The use of the Celestial Cube has been terminated.]
Thunk!
With that mechanical sound from the Celestial Cube, the light ceased.
* * *
‘No evolutionary limit set?’
Despite being considered a lower-tier race, having no limits was completely unexpected. And since it was conveyed through sound rather than text, everyone heard about humanity’s lack of limits.
The viewers reacted intensely.
-Huh? Wasn’t the whole point of being the lowest tier having the lowest limits?
-Humanity… might be more impressive than we thought?
-Does this mean we can keep evolving endlessly?
-Wow… Then shouldn’t we keep grinding in BattleNet?
-Humanity with no limits… Nice. Let’s endure in BattleNet and become gods!
-Gods, my foot, lol. Without Seong Jihan, we get thrashed by the bottom rankers.
-All the more reason to leech off Seong Jihan while we can!
The bonus obtained from the recent Planet Colonization was also immense.
If such bonuses continuously stacked, even if not reaching godhood, couldn’t they grow from the lowest grade to at least a middle-grade race?
People who greatly felt the effects during Planet Colonization began discussing staying in BattleNet.
Meanwhile,
[What… No limit?]
Octane was startled and didn’t send a message for a while.
“Don’t you have anything to say about this?”
Seong Jihan spoke to Octane, who had become mute despite claiming to gather information.
[I don’t comment on phenomena not found in the data…]
“Guess this doesn’t happen often?”
[Often? It has never happened. Even in the data of me, Octane, the legendary investor… There hasn’t been a single rumor of such a case… However, Having no limit is by no means a good thing.]
“Is that so?”
[Yes. This is something that should be impossible in the first place. BattleNet will never overlook such a deviation…]
“A deviation, huh. The World Tree Elves do all sorts of things, though?”
[They are powerful… And you are powerless, are you not?]
Between the World Tree Elves backed by the administrators and humanity without such backing, it was obvious who BattleNet would draw their sword against first.
“But there hasn’t been much action from BattleNet regarding this.”
[They may be in the process of identifying the cause… Anyway, whenever it happens, this bug will eventually be ‘fixed’.]
“Hmm…”
[Blue Chip, I will withdraw my offer of equity investment. The risk is too great for that.]
“I had no intention of giving equity anyway.”
[Providing decisive information is also too risky for me now…]
-What? Are you pulling out?
-Disappointing, Mr. CEO
-Fine, pull out your shares, but why withhold information?
-Are you trying to avoid getting involved with humanity? Lol
-Hey, what did we do wrong?!
When he was eager to invest fully, the moment Octane heard about humanity’s evolutionary limit status, he tried to pull out.
He sent a message.
[Let me tell you one thing before I go. To get a high score in the guild mission, the guild members need to acquire scores evenly. Don’t try to do everything alone… Alone, you won’t be able to clear round 20.]
“Alright. Goodbye.”
[Until you are ‘fixed’, I will occasionally bet on you…]
With that as his last message, Octane’s messages ceased.
‘As expected of an investment firm CEO, he’s quick to cut losses.’
Although the extraterrestrial viewer had provided a substantial amount of GP and useful information, it was regrettable to see him go.
Seong Jihan contemplated this as he looked at the Celestial Cube, an item currently of no use to humanity.
‘Should I take it to Artemus?’
With that thought, Seong Jihan put the Celestial Cube into his inventory.
And around the time this matter was wrapping up,
[The maintenance period has ended.]
[Round 11 begins.]
The invasion of beings towards the Northern Wall began once again.
“Ah, this was a defense mission? I forgot for a moment since the rounds paused.”
“Well, Seong Jihan-nim, you were busy suppressing the other race all over the place. Easy to mistake it for an invasion.”
“But… The races that were supposed to defend the Northern Wall with us have all disappeared, right?”
“I guess you are right”
Originally, the guild mission of the Northern Wall was to be defended together with other races but while enhancing the guild emblem, Seong Jihan had already annihilated all the other races.
However,
[Humanity is the only race remaining in Area 12 of the Northern Wall. Difficulty will be adjusted.]
As this message appeared,
Swooo…!
The endlessly wide fortress walls shrank again.
The walls, which had been too immense for humans to defend, didn’t shrink to the size they defended until round 10, but they transformed to a scale perceptible to human eyes.
“Oh…!”
“This is completely advantageous for us?”
And,
Swish…!
Beyond the walls, a pure white fog spread.
Massive ghostly entities began pouring out in droves.
Their appearances varied from one another, but…
“Uh… Aren’t they the other race that died earlier?”
“They’re already appearing as ghosts.”
They closely resembled the other race that had died by Seong Jihan’s hand.
“With 3 percent of my power shared, I will only intervene when there’s danger.”
The guild emblem that had reached 10 enhancements before becoming the Celestial Cube.
The Ability Sharing buff had risen from the initial 1 percent to 3 percent.
This was maintained even after the emblem transformed into the Celestial Cube, greatly empowering the players.
“Yes!”
“Leave it to us!”
“I was itching to do this anyway!”
The rankers, who shared 3 percent of Seong Jihan’s ability but never had a chance to use their power, were desperate to put it to use.
While Seong Jihan watched with folded arms,
“Wow, Uncle, look at this! Void Arrow turned into a missile!”
“So this is how far sword energy can reach…”
The rankers were experiencing firsthand how incredible 3 percent was.
Yoon Seah tore through the ghost horde in an instant with the Void Arrow that had grown immensely in size.
The Sword King split the heavens and earth with each swing of his sword, just like when Seong Jihan used the Total Annihilation Horizontal Sweep.
“Oops. The soccer ball burst…”
There were occasional cases of players like Masied being unable to control their powerful strength, causing their weapons to break.
But most of them were overwhelmingly defending the fortress walls.
-Is this… really humanity?
-Just how immense is Seong Jihan’s latent power? This is only 3 percent?
-The rankers have gotten insanely stronger, right?
-Wow, the difference between a Master and Bronze wasn’t an exaggeration.
-Seong Jihan’s totem effect is amazing. He could just stand there with his arms crossed and it would be enough, lol.
The rankers had become so powerful that they continued to clear rounds without Seong Jihan having to intervene.
[Round 11 cleared.]
…
…
[Round 19 cleared.]
[The final round begins.]
And before long, the guild mission was approaching its end.
* * *
Meanwhile,
on the Star of the Martial God, Tuseong.
“Humanity has no limits?”
While recovering his strength,
Longinus, who had been watching Seong Jihan’s channel, widened his eyes.
Humanity, a race considered weak in the world of the BattleNet, yet having no limits set upon them. Even for him, who had ascended to the constellation, this fact was astonishing.
At that moment,
“You were watching it too, Longinus.”
Gilgamesh abruptly appeared in Longinus’s domain.
“…Gilgamesh? What brings you here?”
“How’s your recovery going?”
“It still needs some more time.”
“How much?”
“I’m not sure. It might take several months, maybe even close to a year.”
Longinus gave a vague reply to Gilgamesh’s inscrutable question.
“Up to a year… By then, if he becomes a constellation candidate, you won’t be able to touch him.”
“Is it because of the penalty for touching a constellation candidate? I can bear that anyway. It’s not something you need to worry about.”
“No, it’s not just about you bearing the penalty anymore. He caused an incident earlier.”
“Are you saying this incident is related to the revelation that humanity has no limits?”
“That’s right.”
“…You seem to know something about it.”
Gilgamesh merely smiled at Longinus’s question, refusing to answer.
Instead…
“I’ll help you with your recovery.”
“What…?”
“So that you can descend before he becomes the constellation candidate.”
He made an unexpected proposal to Longinus.
***
***
