“One more question.”

Yuto looked at Elun as he ran his hand over the hilt of Gloria, still planted in the floor. Now that she stood firmly in reality, her presence was quite powerful. Simply standing beside him was enough to make the surrounding aether ripple under her influence.

“Do you... intend to keep existing in that form?”

“Hmm.”

At his question, Elun gazed down at the back of her pale hand. As though fascinated by her own skin, she slowly stroked it with the fingers of her other hand.

“There is another way. Rather than remaining manifested like this, I can conceal myself within you.”

With that, Elun drew a deep breath of the musty air filling the chamber. Not even the most generous description could have called it fresh, yet she worked her red lips as though savoring its taste.

“But I do not wish to.”

Her lips curved into a faint smile.

“Why?”

“Having finally entered reality, I have no desire to return to that darkness. If circumstances demanded it, I would have no choice but to accept... but that is not the case now.”

“...”

“I do not know why I have come into reality in this fashion. Presumably, this too is the Void’s will, but even I do not understand all its true intentions.”

After savoring the air a few more times, Elun nodded slowly.

“Regardless, I entered reality in accordance with the Void’s will. It would wish me to watch over you here, rather than cower in the darkness.”

She approached Yuto with light steps and gently caught the hem of his clothes. The gesture was so natural that he felt another sharp pang in a corner of his heart.

“Does having a little girl like me trailing after you make you uncomfortable?”

“... I don’t mind, as long as you don’t get in the way.”

Yuto answered indifferently, gently shaking off the hand clutching his clothes. Elun chuckled softly, seemingly amused by his reaction.

Trying to ignore her laughter, he focused on his Status Window. He wanted to examine the text that had flashed past earlier.

‘Reached Level 10, and a class change...’

He needed to find out exactly what that meant.

Name: Yuto.

Class: Void Born

Level: 10

Stamina: 60

Aether: 60

Strength: 45

Agility: 35

Charm: 30

Remaining Points: 50

Void Skills:

Void Step LV4.

┕???

Void Touch LV5.

┕Void Scythe

Void Dominion LV1.

Void Blade LV1.

???

???

.

.

Yuto could not help drawing a sharp breath at the figures displayed in his Status Window. After stagnating for so long, his level had finally risen to 10. Normally, each level granted him ten remaining points, but this time he had received fifty for a single level.

‘More skills, too.’

Several skills remained unidentified, hidden behind question marks, and two new ones had been added.

“That is not all.”

Elun had come up beside him and was studying his Status Window with him. Being born of the Void, she apparently could see it.

Void Storage LV2.

As Elun moved her finger, another screen appeared beside his Status Window. Void Storage had remained at Level 1 ever since he first obtained it, but his class change had raised it to Level 2.

“How is it different now?”

“Level 1 Void Storage contained only the bare minimum of items needed for survival. Though my egg was there as well.”

Elun crouched and picked up a fragment of stone from the floor.

“Level 1 Void Storage could only store and retrieve the objects that were already inside it. Level 2, however, is more convenient.”

Making a show of it, she pushed the stone fragment into the Void Storage screen. An entry for the stone she had just inserted appeared immediately.

[Small Stone Fragment x1.]

[Just a stone. Nothing special.]

Yuto gave a dry chuckle at the description on the screen.

“I see. That is convenient. Can I put anything in there?”

“Most things, apart from living creatures. It has other functions as well... but they have yet to be unlocked. You may look forward to that later.”

Elun retrieved the stone fragment and set it back on the floor.

“I have a class called Void Born now. What is it?”

“It means precisely that you have changed to the Void Born class. By completing Proof of existence, hatching me, and reaching Level 10, you have definitively ceased to be human and awakened as a Void Born.”

“So I’m no longer human.”

“Did you expect to take revenge on the constellations while remaining in a human body? The beings you seek vengeance upon stand far beyond the bounds of humanity. To defeat them, you too must step beyond those bounds.”

Elun’s voice turned cold. It sounded as though she were trying to steady Yuto’s resolve, to keep it from wavering.

There was no need. His answering smile was colder still.

“I have no attachment to remaining human or dying as one.”

He spoke in a low whisper, gazing at his Status Window.

“I’ve gained two new skills, Void Dominion and Void Blade. What are they?”

“All aether in Callisto is ultimately subject to the constellations’ dominion,” Elun replied.

“To be precise, aether is inevitably subject to beings of a higher order than you. No matter how proficient you are at manipulating it, the only aether you can control is the Void aether within you. It is certainly a mighty power, but it cannot compare to all the aether that exists throughout Callisto.”

“I suppose not.”

“If you face ‘higher beings’ such as the constellations or Eclipse, they will crush you with their vast reserves of aether.”

Yuto recalled facing Crimson Ringmistress in the underground colosseum. That immense mass of red aether had moved with no more than a flick of her finger. He had grown stronger over the past two years, but he still could not fight Eclipse head-on. Even setting aside their unique divine authorities, beings of such exalted standing wielded absurdly vast quantities of aether.

“Void Dominion seizes aether controlled by another being and places it under your control.”

“...!”

“You can also take control of the aether that composes magic. At Level 1, you can only temporarily corrupt and control it, but as its level rises, even aether controlled by Eclipse will fall within your grasp.”

If that truly was possible, it was an astounding divine authority. Watching his astonishment, Elun continued, the corners of her mouth twitching upward.

“Do not be astonished just yet. Void Dominion’s true worth lies in severing the blessings and divine authorities bestowed by constellations.”

“What... did you say?”

“The constellations enjoy lending humans power, taking credit for it, and watching the spectacle. Void Dominion forcibly severs the link between constellation and human. Anyone who relies solely on a constellation’s blessing will know profound despair the moment Void Dominion corrupts them.”

Yuto could not help swallowing hard. His ultimate enemies were the constellations themselves. If he developed Void Dominion to its full potential, it would surely pose an enormous threat to them.

“Void Blade does not merely cut flesh. It carves away existence.”

Seemingly pleased by Yuto’s reaction, Elun laid a finger on the skill window, the corners of her mouth still twitching.

“It is similar to Void Scythe, which branches off from Void Touch, but Void Scythe consumes tremendous amounts of aether. Void Blade is more efficient, though it cannot sweep across a wide area like the scythe. It merely overlays your weapon with a blade.”

“Like a blade made of aether?”

“Do not ask foolish questions. It is incomparably stronger and sharper. Did I not tell you? This blade does not cut flesh; it carves away existence. Even a mere graze from Void Blade leaves a wound that healing magic and potions cannot easily mend.”

“Then instead of aiming for a fatal wound, I could keep grazing an enemy until they collapse from blood loss?”

“That is one tactic, but do not put too much faith in it. Such wounds are not impossible to heal, merely difficult.”

Even so, it was a skill of overwhelming potency in combat.

“Void Blade’s true worth lies in its ability to ignore physical defenses. No matter how hard or thick a suit of armor or shield may be, it cannot stop Void Blade.”

“Excellent.”

Yuto could only nod, murmuring in admiration. Void Step and Void Touch alone had given him the advantage in most battles, and now he had Void Dominion and Void Blade as well.

“Do not get too full of yourself. It is true you have acquired powerful skills, but the enemies you must defeat are so powerful that these alone are nowhere near enough.”

“I’m not full of myself. Aren’t you the one looking pleased with yourself?”

“I? Me? Are you speaking of me?”

Despite having been unable to suppress her smile a moment before, Elun glared at him with an icy expression, as though she had done nothing of the sort.

“It seems you have already begun to think little of me. I may currently wear the form of a girl, but I am the Void’s agent. Have you forgotten that?”

“I haven’t forgotten. If I offended you, I apologize.”

He had only intended to tease her a little, but with Elun taking it so seriously, he could hardly continue. He apologized without reservation and returned his attention to his Status Window.

“Fifty remaining points. The Void is certainly generous.”

“You did spend a long time at Level 9, and those fifty points are also something of a reward for your class change. Yuto, you should be grateful to the Void and use them wisely.”

Listening to her, Yuto studied the stats in his Status Window and considered how to spend his fifty points.

‘There’s no need to invest in Charm right now.’

To make use of his new skills, he needed to put points into Aether.

‘How many times have I nearly collapsed from exhaustion since entering Belkain?’

That was partly because he had been fighting almost without rest since arriving, but he could feel his lack of stamina. There was no guarantee he would not face battles like these again. In fact, the battles ahead would be fiercer still.

‘In future battles, I’ll need to rely more on close combat with Gloria, not just Void Skills.’

Having reached his decision, he allocated his points.

Name: Yuto.

Class: Void Born

Level: 10

Stamina: 75(+15)

Aether: 85(+25)

Strength: 55(+10)

Agility: 35

Charm: 30

Remaining Points: 0

The instant he confirmed the allocation, an intensely cold shudder swept through his entire body. It felt as though every joint in his bones was being reconstructed and the blood in his veins was growing denser.

Yuto steadied his breathing and drew Gloria from the floor. It had not felt particularly heavy when he pulled it free earlier, but now it felt remarkably light, perhaps thanks to the ten points he had added to Strength.

“A wise choice. Well done.”

Watching beside him, Elun nodded in satisfaction. A strange smile crossed her lips, as though she delighted in his transformation, before she set off toward the door ahead of him.

“Come, let us leave. Those companions of yours are waiting outside, beside themselves with worry.”