Chương 40: Chapter 39: Fifty Points

"One more question," Yuto said, feeling the hilt of Gloria, the sword, and fixing his gaze on Ellun. Now that she stood before him in the real world, she had a remarkable presence. The ether around her was rippling because of her, even though she wasn't doing anything at the moment.

"Do you... intend to continue to exist in that form?" he asked.

"Hmm." She stared down at the back of her pale hand. The skin of it seemed to intrigue her, since she ran the fingers of her opposite hand along it.

"There are other ways. I need not be real like this. I could even disappear inside you," she said. Then she breathed in the musty air of the chamber. The air could not be clean, by any stretch of the imagination, but she moved her red lips as though she was tasting it slowly.

"But I would rather not," she finished, and her lips formed a slim smile.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I only just made it out into the real world. I would rather not retreat into the darkness again. I would accept it if it were inevitable... but right now, it doesn't seem to be," she said.

"I don't know why I was made to materialize. It was the will of the Void, no doubt. But not even I can fathom all the Void's intentions." Ellun tested the air a few more times, then nodded slowly.

"In any case, here I am, as the Void wanted—to watch you in the real world, rather than crouch in the darkness." She walked softly to Yuto and gripped his clothing gently. It was such a natural, childlike gesture that he felt another ache in his chest.

"Does it make you uncomfortable to have a little girl like me following you around?" she asked.

"I don't mind. As long as you don't get in the way," he said casually. He pushed her hand away softly, which drew an amused snicker from Ellun. He did his best to ignore that. Then he turned to the status window. He had to check the changes in it that had flashed past earlier. I achieved level 10 and a job change...

He had to know what that meant.

Name: Yuto Class: Voidborn Level: 10 Stamina: 60 Ether: 60 Strength: 45 Agility: 35 Charm: 30 Remaining points: 50 Void Skills: Void Steps (Lv. 4) ┗??? Void Hand (Lv. 5) ┗ Void Scythe Void Authority (Lv. 1) Void Blade (Lv. 1)??????

Yuto gasped at the numbers. His level had been stuck at nine for a while, but it had finally gone up. Each level had given him ten new points, but this time, there were fifty instead.

And there are more skills, too.

He had two skills available to him right away, as well as multiple that were hidden by question marks.

"And that's not all," Ellun said, walking up beside him and gazing into the status window with him. Because she had been born of the Void, she could apparently see it.

[Void Storage (Lv. 2)] When she moved her finger, another screen appeared next to the status window. Void Storage. It had been level one ever since he had first acquired it. But now that he had achieved what was called a job advancement, it was level two.

"How has it changed?" he asked.

"At level one, it only contained the bare minimum for survival. My egg was in there, too," she said. She bent low and picked up a piece of rock from the floor.

"At the previous level, it could only hold items that were already there. But the Void Storage is now far more convenient to use," she said. She placed the rock into the screen as he watched. The screen updated its display to show what she had just done. [1 small rock.] [Just a rock. There is nothing special about it.] Yuto stared at the description on the screen and chuckled in disbelief. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"I see. It does seem useful. Does this mean I can put in whatever I want?" he asked.

"Yes, most things, other than living creatures. That's not the end of its features, but... They haven't been unlocked yet. You may look forward to using them later," she said. She removed the rock and put it back on the floor.

"It says here that my class is Voidborn. What does it mean?" he asked.

"It's exactly as it sounds. You have gained a new job or class. You have confirmed your existence, hatched me, and reached level ten. Now you are beyond human. For certain. You are Voidborn," she said.

"So I am no longer human?" he asked.

"Did you think you could get your revenge on the Constellations as a human being? The beings you want to kill are beyond comprehension for a human mind. If you wish to go after them, then you must also become someone beyond your race's understanding." Ellun's voice was icy. It almost sounded as if she intended to harden his resolve. It was unnecessary. The smile on his face was far colder than her voice.

"I have no compunction about becoming something other than human or dying after losing my humanity," he whispered, his eyes on the status window.

"I noticed two new skills. Void Authority and Void Blade. What are these?" he asked.

"All ether on Callisto is controlled by the Constellations, in the end," Ellun replied.

"More specifically, if there is a being who is higher than you, then they will control the ether, not you. It doesn't matter how skilled you are at manipulating it. The only ether that you will be able to maintain control over will be the ether from the Void. It is powerful, granted, but it cannot compare to the ether that is to be found all over Callisto," she said.

"Of course," he said.

"If a higher being such as a Constellation or an Eclipse decides to fight you, they will bring a vast amount of ether to bear down on you," she continued. It hadn't been his ability that had allowed him to kill the clown—the clown's death had been self-wrought, a result of his lust for the Void's power. If the clown had not overreached and tried only to kill Yuto, then Yuto would never have won.

Two years had passed, and those years had made him stronger, but he was still not strong enough to fight an Eclipse head-on. Not to mention the fact that they seemed to have unique sovereign powers, they were much higher beings than him and wielded absurd amounts of ether.

"Void Authority allows you to steal control of ether from another," she said. His eyes widened.

"It can even control ether that has been used to form a spell. At Level 1, the most it can do is momentarily pollute the ether and sway it. But in time, as it levels up, you will even be able to steal ether that is being actively used by an Eclipse," she said. If that were truly possible, then this was an incredible ability indeed. Maybe it could even be called a sovereign power. Ellun's lips twitched in amusement at his shock.

"Oh, don't be surprised just yet. You don't even know the true power of the skill. Because, you see, it is able to cut off the blessings and sovereign powers granted by the Constellations," she said.

"It can do... what?"

"The Constellations love to lend humans their power, show off their generosity, and watch the fight that ensues. Void Authority forcibly cuts the connection between Constellations and humans. If it is an enemy who relies solely on the help of the Constellations, this skill will give them a taste of deep despair the moment it pollutes their ether," she said. Yuto gulped. His ultimate enemies were the Constellations. If he could progress this skill to the end, it would surely be a key weapon against them.

"And now for Void Blade. It does not merely cut flesh. It cuts into one's very being." She continued to grin. She seemed to enjoy his reactions. A finger pointed to the skill window.

"It is similar to the Void Scythe, which is an extension of Void Hand. As you know, Void Scythe costs a great deal of ether to use. Void Blade is more efficient, though it does not have as broad a reach. Think of it as an additional edge, tacked onto your weapon of choice," she said.

"So I could think of it as a knife made with ether?" he asked.

"What a foolish question. This is incomparably more powerful and keen. Didn't you hear me? This weapon will not cut flesh, but rather one's very existence. Even a slight graze will resist healing, even with the help of healing magic or potions," she told him.

"Does that mean I can aim to bleed an enemy out with shallow cuts rather than going for a critical wound?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be a valid strategy, but don't over-trust the skill. It isn't impossible to heal. It's just harder," she said. In a battle situation, however, that was an impressively useful skill.

"The true worth of this ability lies in the fact that it completely ignores physical defense. Not even the hardest armor or shield will block Void Blade."

"Excellent," Yuto marveled quietly. He found himself nodding in appreciation. Void Steps and Void Hand had already been enough to give him an edge in most situations, but now he also had Void Authority and Void Blade.

"Don't let it make you arrogant. It is true that you have gained some powerful skills, but the enemies you are after are still much more powerful, and these will not be enough. Not in the least," Ellun said.

"I wasn't. You are the one who sounds like she is bragging," Yuto noted.

"Me? Why would you say that?" She quickly hid her smile and glared at him coldly, as if she hadn't been grinning the entire time.

"You seem to have decided to take me lightly. I may look like a girl, but I represent the Void. Need I remind you?" she asked.

"No. And I apologize if I offended you," he said meekly. He had only meant to poke a little fun at her, but her reaction made it impossible for him to carry on. He turned his attention back to the status window.

"Fifty remaining points. The Void is generous," he commented.

"You spent a long time at level nine. And the large number of points is in part a reward for the job change. You should be grateful, Yuto, and use the points wisely," she said. Yuto was lost in thought as he stared at the stats. He wasn't sure how to distribute so many points. I don't need any points in Charm at the moment. In order to utilize his new skills, he would have to place more points into Ether.

I nearly collapsed from fatigue on several occasions after coming to Velkyne. That was because he had been fighting without rest ever since he came, but still, he felt the need for more stamina. There was no guarantee that more battles like the ones he had had would not follow. If anything, future battles would be even more intense.

I will have to begin using Gloria more in close-quarters combat, not just relying on the Void Skills, he thought. Then he allocated his points.

Name: Yuto Class: Voidborn Level: 10 Stamina: 75 (+15) Ether: 85 (+25) Strength: 55 (+10) Agility: 35 Charm: 30 Remaining points: 0 A freezing shiver raced through his body the moment he confirmed his choices. It was an indescribable sensation. Like every bone in his body was being reconstituted, and the blood in his veins was thickening. The resentful power in his core was added to his body. He took a deep breath and plucked Gloria from the floor.

It hadn't been particularly heavy earlier, but perhaps because of his added ten points to strength, it now felt light as a feather.

"A wise decision. Well done," said Ellun solemnly, with a nod. A mysterious smile appeared on her face, as if to suggest that she enjoyed the changes that were coming over him. She turned and walked toward the door.

"Time to go. Your companions are anxiously waiting for you outside."