Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 110

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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110. Level 40 Warrior, Lee Sang-yeop
[Hunter rank criteria adjustment due to vanguard level increase.]
Before After
F-Rank: 1~7 → 1~10
E-Rank: 7~15 → 11~20
D-Rank: 16~25 → 21~30
C-Rank: 26~35 → 31~40
B-Rank: 36~45 → 41~50
A-Rank: 45~55 → 50~60
S-Rank: 55+ → 60+
Those who recently applied for rank advancement probably caught wind of it through the grapevine, but it’s officially confirmed as of today.
Level is merely a guideline; rank is determined by actual ability and Gate subjugation evaluation.
-What, they’re changing it this abruptly?
-Different ranks have different benefits, shouldn’t they have given advance notice?
┗That’s decided by the UN Gate Countermeasure Committee, not the Korean Hunter Association’s fault
┗Really?
┗Yeah, when hunters cooperate, rank confusion gets messy, so they’re using global standards. But how can you not know this? What rank are you?
┗I’m F-Rank
┗What rank benefits does a lowly F-Ranker even get, lol
The Hunter rank criteria had changed. The news was just spreading now, but I’d heard about it long ago.
I was planning to apply for B-Rank immediately once I reached level 36.
With our abilities, we could’ve received B-Rank right away without issue, but during the period when the change was confirmed and we awaited the announcement, promotion was completely impossible.
After the change, I could have applied for B-Rank immediately. Our abilities were more than sufficient. But I didn’t.
‘I didn’t go through all this trouble matching the level criteria and applying for nothing.’
As the subject of public attention, my every move draws scrutiny. Rank determination was no exception.
There was a need to be cautious, even slightly.
The reason they say level is merely a guideline and that rank is determined by ability and Gate subjugation evaluation is because very few receive rapid rank advancement.
Even from C-Rank onward, you typically need at least 2~3 levels above the minimum requirement for Hunter rank advancement to be approved.
‘By the old standards, you’d usually need to be around level 28 or 29 to become C-Rank. Only a select few get promoted the moment they hit the level.’
With the criteria changed, there was no reason to pursue early promotion. It could invite unnecessary scrutiny.
The slight difference in benefits was worth accepting. Seo-ung also recommended I aim for level 41 instead.
-Once the Association President steps down, the Daeup Guild Master could become the Association President. You might invite unwanted accusations of favoritism.
-Of course, I understand you have the ability. A year ago, I would’ve just approved it… I can only apologize.
Since the advice was given due to future complications, I accepted it gratefully. I thought the same way myself.
It was all because of the Daeup Guild being problematic. It’s good that the current Association President continues, but…
The issue was that reelection wasn’t possible. It was legally determined. This wasn’t something I could resolve.
I couldn’t go out and protest anywhere. It wasn’t something I could change through Lee Shin-hee’s Grandfather either.
‘I hate when things get complicated.’
Actually, there was only one solution here: rapid growth. If I rose overwhelmingly, there would be little room for criticism.
Our Guild rank was still limited to slightly above mid-tier, but rapid growth would eliminate that problem too.
Gates of level 50 and above are evaluated on a different scale for Guild ranking points. After all, hunters capable of clearing such Gates are exceedingly rare.
This was precisely why I hadn’t been overly concerned when checking the Guild rankings. The future would resolve itself.
‘Liu Zhen, the Daeup Guild, and even the Übermenschen if I include the last time.’
They were all merely problems that would be solved by my growing stronger. I had no worries.
Haven’t I been breaking world records and advancing all this time? I would simply continue forward.
Of course, there was one final task to complete before my fresh start.
The final step in solidifying my foundation. It was time to test everything I’d built through sparring.
“Mister, are you ready?”
“Of course.”
Since Shin Chang was inside a Gate, I would start with sparring against Lee Sang-yeop, my former swordsmanship instructor.
* * *
“Thank you for your time.”
“Phew, thank you for your time.”
Lee Sang-yeop smiled after finishing his sparring match with the Dragon Knight. This was only the second time he’d witnessed the Dragon Knight’s combat.
When he’d seen it during the Trial of Mana, he hadn’t actually observed any spear techniques, so he’d been quite anticipating this.
‘Not bad at all.’
Excluding his past activities since they were far too long ago, he’d only been wielding a spear for a few months.
The same timeframe as Han Hye beside him. Considering that, the Dragon Knight’s spear technique was quite serviceable.
Speaking bluntly, he didn’t seem to possess any extraordinary talent in spear arts.
But that wasn’t the critical factor for his role.
Especially considering his original combat method was riding atop the Red Dragon.
If the Dragon Knight had to fight dismounted from the Red Dragon, the situation would already be dire.
‘It’s rare to find talent like Han Hye’s again.’
The Space Mage Han Hye had astounded him from the first meeting. What he’d said before wasn’t mere flattery.
In his assessment, she surpassed even knights. Among everyone he’d ever seen, she possessed the greatest talent with a blade.
When they’d met a second time and sparred, he was shocked. She’d grown far faster than he’d anticipated.
The gap between himself, who’d wielded a sword for years, was closing far more rapidly than expected.
“Shall we rest for a moment?”
“Yes. I think ten minutes should suffice.”
And now, having sparred with her periodically…
He felt tension. With each meeting, he could tangibly sense the gap narrowing bit by bit.
Naturally, it wasn’t merely a matter of swordsmanship. There was also a difference in stats.
During their first sparring session, Lee Sang-yeop had held back somewhat. Recently, he hadn’t. He could feel Han Hye holding back her strength.
Observing her speed and power when she moved to block in urgent moments during sparring, he couldn’t even begin to guess her true capabilities.
He was a warrior, so he would certainly invest his stats more aggressively in offense than a Space Mage would, yet this was the reality.
“Let’s continue.”
“Yes.”
And this Han Hye he faced now was even stronger than last time.
A combination of Cressea swordsmanship and footwork techniques. Her defense was E-rank, but her foundation in Imperial basic swordsmanship was solid.
Slash—!
Clang—!
The wooden swords collided sharply. The swift blade technique that Lee Sang-yeop had first advised me on had now become a realm beyond his guidance.
It was thanks to the swordsmanship I’d developed through Shin Chang and Lee Sang-yeop’s instruction, finally refined within the Gate.
This was no longer the simple, leisurely defense I’d displayed during our first sparring match.
Attacks came that appeared orthodox at first, then twisted mid-path. The unpredictability was the problem.
‘Will it be orthodox swift blade or a variant?’
If I reacted to what I saw, I’d be half a beat too slow against orthodox technique; if I predicted, the variant would catch me off-guard.
Moreover, as the body techniques I’d observed before merged into my swordplay, the power of my swift blade increased.
When I attempted counterattacks during the exchange, the defensive swordplay I’d seen at the workshop proved remarkably solid.
Though clearly different techniques, they complemented each other perfectly.
“Hah!”
Han Hye exhaled sharply, flicking Lee Sang-yeop’s blade aside before extending her left foot and driving her right knee forward.
A cockfighting strike.
The moment I reflexively moved to defend with my left hand, Han Hye pivoted on her left foot, rotating her body in the opposite direction.
‘A spinning kick?’
Just as I was thinking about her leg, the wooden sword suddenly emerged from her rotating side and stabbed toward my abdomen.
Thud—! I’d lost my grip on the sword, distracted by her right leg.
“Ugh!”
Lee Sang-yeop grimaced in pain and stumbled backward.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I’ve only recently learned this, so my power control is—”
“No, no, it’s fine.”
It wasn’t fine. It hurt tremendously. I’d suspected the stat difference, but I never imagined it would be this severe.
It was clear she was operating at a level beyond what I’d anticipated.
‘Just what are her stats?’
Then Han Hye asked with an innocent expression.
“Sang-yeop.”
“Yes?”
“Just now, wouldn’t it have been better to either create distance and strike down with the deflected blade, or close in completely and kick my left foot?”
The moment I heard it, I knew she was right. I’d been distracted by her leg—it was a matter of distance.
If I’d maintained proper distance awareness, I would’ve been fine.
‘No, close in from the front?’
Actually, advancing forward would have been better. Reduce the distance and counter-thrust against the opponent.
In that instant, something flashed through my mind.
Simply by narrowing my distance awareness, the existing swordplay techniques revealed themselves in an entirely new light.
[The skill ‘Palgeo Swordsmanship (Rank B)’ has increased in level.]
Distance awareness was fundamental to combat, but I’d never deeply explored the inverse—narrowing rather than widening distance.
Fighting monsters, I’d naturally only pursued the safest approach, so this aspect had been naturally excluded.
“Ah, did you perhaps intentionally take that hit again?”
Then, seeing my bewildered expression, Han Hye—who’d just offered this advice—asked with an innocent face as if nothing was amiss.
Since my swordsmanship level was higher, there had been several occasions where I’d knowingly received her attacks.
“…What?”
For Lee Sang-yeop, who had been sincere, it was nothing but bewildering.
Was this teabagging that went beyond banter?
As Lee Sang-yeop entertained such thoughts, a memory from the past surfaced.
-You let me win on purpose, didn’t you?
-…Ha, yes.
Though retired now, there had been a master who taught him swordsmanship when he was a novice hunter. Back then, he had posed a similar question to his master.
Had his master felt the same way then? But he didn’t want to grudgingly admit it like his master had.
“…No, that’s not it.”
“What?”
“I didn’t let you win. It was a sharp attack.”
I knew Han Hye was a good person and hadn’t asked with malice. I had been the same way.
Yet for some reason, Lee Sang-yeop felt a wound in his heart.
“And… thank you.”
“What?”
“Thanks to you, my swordsmanship skill leveled up.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Come on, that’s not my doing. It’s all because you’re so skilled. You would have leveled up soon anyway.”
“Master, I’m sorry….”
“?”
* * *
“That was fine, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah. It was good. Since Sang-yeop has such skill, we could spar like the real thing. And he took everything we threw at him well.”
“I didn’t just suggest sparring for nothing. Real combat is always good, but there aren’t many opponents who’ll take everything we dish out.”
“We should do it often.”
I was satisfied that Uncle enjoyed sparring with Sang-yeop. Moreover, Sang-yeop’s swordsmanship skill had leveled up too.
It was a bit disappointing that my skill level didn’t rise, but it was fine.
-Once you solidify your foundation perfectly, your growth speed will accelerate.
Chun-bae had said that. Sang-yeop acknowledged it too.
-Han Hye, you’ve become much more proficient than last time. You said your skill level hasn’t risen yet, right?
-Right. It seems like I’ve improved, but the level won’t go up.
-It’s probably because you’re combining two skills, or rather even defensive swordsmanship. I think it’ll all rise at once when it does.
I was already using Toukai and Crescia swordsmanship based on Imperial fundamental swordsmanship.
Rather than training one thing, I focused on reviewing and combining what I already knew, so this was only natural.
If I kept training, wouldn’t everything rise at once like Sang-yeop said?
After that, I met with the guild members at the Guild House.
It was to choose a new Gate to enter. We had agreed to meet according to the weekly announcement schedule.
“Should we use the priority entry when Han Chul arrives?”
“More or less? If there’s something decent, we can’t help it.”
That’s unavoidable. Even if he’s a provisional Guild member, I can’t pass up what’s in front of me just to use it together later.
Actually, I think Han Chul would dislike that even more.
‘Even when choosing beef, he was like that.’
It’s our priority that we earned together—he’s the type who’d blame himself if he thought he’d missed out on a good Gate because of his consideration for others.
Just then, as the Gate postings appeared and I was scanning through the list.
Han Hye.
Chun-bae spoke up.
A Gate with a Holy attribute is appearing.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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