Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 111
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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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111. Corridor of Sacred Blood (1)
[Corridor of Sacred Blood]
-Recommended Level: 36~40
-Party Limit: 5 members
The Gate that Chun-bae mentioned was the Corridor of Sacred Blood, and both the recommended level and party size were a perfect match for us.
‘Sacred essence drops there?’
-Affirmative. I haven’t been there myself, but I’ve heard that sacred essence was obtained from this Gate during the time when the Previous Princess was active.
Well, the name itself is the Corridor of Sacred Blood. Sacred blood. It’s probably named that way because it’s related to sacred essence.
-There’s nothing wrong with obtaining sacred essence. If things go well, I could even provide magical instruction to the mage.
‘You’re like a battery, but is it okay to use you like that right now?’
-It would be uncertain for later stages, but at our current level, an advanced curriculum is manageable. Of course, the sacred essence we obtain must be above a certain threshold.
Since Chun-bae is the one using sacred essence, there shouldn’t be any problems.
‘That said, there are more Gates you know about than I expected.’
-Which ones are you referring to?
‘The Gates you’re familiar with.’
Chun-bae had experienced two worlds. I’d thought there might be some overlap, but there were more coincidences than I’d anticipated.
One thing aroused suspicion: a god who survived the Erosion.
-There’s a possibility it’s merely an astounding coincidence, but it could be otherwise.
I don’t know what that creature is thinking. Does it find amusement in watching our desperate struggles? I have no intention of missing this opportunity.
There may be danger, but I had to exploit what could be exploited. I needed to turn their carelessness back against them.
‘What exactly is this Gate like?’
-I’ve heard reports that vampires appear there, but I know nothing beyond that.
‘Vampires. They’re not exactly common monsters.’
-Considering the level range, they shouldn’t be particularly weak.
It didn’t sound bad. Aside from the sacred essence alone, vampires were worth facing at least once.
When I relayed Chun-bae’s information to the guild members, they all nodded in agreement.
“If Chun-bae says so, we have to go. It’s not every day we get an opportunity like this.”
“Yes. We’ve had good results so far.”
Min-jae answered calmly, which was because I hadn’t mentioned anything about magical instruction.
If I had, he’d probably get excited, start shouting, and run around the room.
‘It’s better to call him to the Training Facility separately and tell him later.’
Besides, they’d said it would only be possible if the sacred essence we obtained inside was above a certain level.
I thought it was best not to raise expectations too high beforehand.
“They say vampires appear, but Chun-bae doesn’t know anything beyond that. It’s different from the Snow Field Gate.”
“Still, wouldn’t our level be more than sufficient to clear it?”
“Of course. We usually breeze through Gates at our own level.”
There was no disagreement.
Corridor of Sacred Blood.
There were some other teams that had applied, but as long as we had priority, there was no need to compete.
Now I had 2 priority slots remaining.
The mana concentration in the air had stabilized, making it unlikely I’d obtain more unless another trial Gate appeared.
‘Two should be sufficient anyway. If I only choose the Gates I absolutely must enter.’
Since I’d used my priority, the Gate assignment was confirmed shortly thereafter.
“It’s not too far away. I was thinking we could enter in two days—does that schedule work for you?”
“No problems at all.”
And so, it was decided that we would enter the Gate two days later. There was nothing particularly I needed to prepare.
The only officially recognized weakness of vampires was silver weapons.
‘When a vampire appeared in the release-type Gate, even holy water had no effect. Crosses were the same.’
I’d asked Chun-bae out of curiosity, and his answer was straightforward.
-That’s because it’s water without sanctity imbued in it. In a world where God truly exists, holy water becomes a weakness.
‘So a silver sword would be sufficient?’
-Affirmative. It should be more effective than when dealing with werewolves.
I’d already brought silver weapons when I went to hunt werewolves.
Since they supposedly performed better against vampires than against werewolves, perhaps I could put them to proper use.
-However, the effectiveness varies depending on the vampire’s strength. It won’t be completely useless, but….
‘Hmm. Really? Would the Heavenly Sword or the Windstyle Sword be better?’
-Affirmative. Even accounting for additional effects, the silver sword you currently possess isn’t particularly exceptional.
‘I see.’
-To be honest, I suspect Inferno would deal the most damage rather than any weapon.
After all, it’s flames that even burn mana. Wouldn’t it be stronger against a vampire’s regeneration than a silver sword?
* * *
“Brother! My Engraving skill leveled up!”
Amid all this, there was good news.
Min-seok’s Engraving skill level had increased—his level had recently become 3 after entering another Gate.
“It’s all thanks to you, brother!”
Under the Hunter Association’s coach, he’d invested his stats primarily in mana with some in stamina.
Combined with the spirit elixir I’d gifted him, his Engraving skill usage count had increased, so he’d been practicing diligently.
“It’s thanks to you. You’re the one who went into the Gate well.”
Of course, I deserved some credit, but I was being modest.
It was to boost Min-seok’s confidence and interest, since he’d been reluctant about entering Gates.
“So can I engrave your weapon now? I want to be helpful! I can even engrave C-rank metals now!”
Min-seok asked hesitantly, gauging my reaction. Hmm. I found myself conflicted.
The reason I hadn’t received engraving right after awakening was to receive proper engraving later.
‘But when he asks like this… my resolve wavers.’
It didn’t seem like a bad idea. The weapons I currently used were the Windstyle Sword and the Heavenly Sword.
Usually I wielded the Windstyle Sword, and when the situation called for it, I used the Heavenly Sword.
Among them, the Windstyle Sword seemed fine to receive engraving. After all, the Windstyle Sword was D-rank and the Heavenly Sword was B-rank.
As time passed, I would eventually use the Heavenly Sword.
‘The Heavenly Sword is superior as a blade itself anyway.’
Even Chun-bae acknowledged this. The rank difference in weapons wasn’t arbitrary, setting aside additional effects.
I primarily used the Poong-shin Blade because I never knew when I’d need to deploy Wind Severance in combat.
While it depended on circumstances, if I acquired a superior sword, the Poong-shin Blade would likely drop to third priority.
As my level increased, the enemies I faced grew correspondingly more formidable.
“Then, want to give the Poong-shin Blade a try?”
“Yes, please!”
Min-seok’s face lit up with genuine delight. When I’d suggested trying it later before, he’d looked dejected.
After watching the news and hearing updates, it seemed he wanted to be useful to us.
Though he’d awakened as a Gemsmith, he couldn’t exactly advertise it anywhere.
Perhaps he simply yearned for recognition from us.
“What are you planning to set into it?”
“The red stone you gave me last time, hyung!”
A red stone?
Had I ever purchased something like that for him? As I pondered, a memory suddenly surfaced.
It was the Flame Essence Jade I’d obtained from the Gate I’d visited with Mister. I’d acquired it in Flame Valley and used it against the Lava Sentinel.
Since it was C-rank, it was precisely at the level Min-seok could work with.
“You mean the Flame Essence Jade?”
“Yes! Since you gave it to me, I want to use it for you, hyung!”
“That’s admirable.”
Receiving gemsmithing work on an item I’d given him—and from Min-seok no less. The sentiment felt unexpectedly moving.
Still, curiosity stirred within me about something else.
The Poong-shin Blade was a sword imbued with the power of wind. What would happen if a Flame Essence Jade containing the power of fire were set into it?
Would Wind Severance transform into launching flames instead?
“Give it a try.”
As I handed over the Poong-shin Blade, Min-seok took the Flame Essence Jade and brought it close to the blade.
Having used his gemsmithing skill frequently of late, the sensation felt entirely different from when he’d first awakened to it.
Back then, it had felt like simply bringing Gate metal to a weapon, but now there was a depth of intention behind it.
With deep concentration, he moved the Flame Essence Jade along the blade, seemingly searching for the optimal position.
“Found it!”
The moment Min-seok cried out, the Flame Essence Jade began glowing crimson before seeping into the blade.
With nimble fingers, Min-seok lifted the jade and traced it from the top of the blade down to the bottom.
As the Flame Essence Jade moved, crimson threads began melting and fusing into the metal.
I hadn’t witnessed his gemsmithing skill in recent times, and the difference wasn’t merely noticeable—it was transformative.
-You possess a talent for gemsmithing. You’re naturally finding paths where the Gate metal and weapon can resonate effortlessly.
‘It certainly seems that way.’
Even to my untrained eye, the delicacy of his work was evident.
-There are still areas lacking refinement, but you’ll master them soon. The Gemsmith may grow faster than I initially anticipated.
At Chun-bae’s praise, a satisfied smile bloomed across my face unbidden. Then Min-seok’s busy hands came to a halt.
The Flame Essence Jade had vanished.
In its place, the blade of the Poong-shin Blade was now overlaid with crimson hues.
At first glance it resembled rippling waves, but upon closer inspection, it looked like flames dancing in the wind.
“It’s finished!”
“Should we take a look?”
“Yes! I’m confident about this one!”
Min-seok puffed out his chest proudly.
“Out of everything I’ve crafted so far, I worked the hardest on this and did my best!”
His earnestness was endearing, so I chuckled and picked up the Poong-ryu Blade. My eyes widened involuntarily.
[Poong-ryu Blade (Fire) (C-Rank)]
-A sword once wielded by Poong-shin, the Sword Master of Bogtan, when he was very young.
-A blade imbued with the power of wind, now combined with the power of flame through the craftsman’s touch.
-If Strength and Agility are 15 or higher, Wind Slash (Lv1) can be used.
-When flame dwells in the blade, the inherent power acts as if it will explode.
The basic description itself hadn’t changed much from before. It wasn’t as if flame now shot out instead of wind slash.
But something significant had changed.
First, the character for fire had been added next to the Poong-ryu Blade’s name. More importantly, the blade had been promoted to C-Rank.
“The blade looked slightly damaged, so I filled that part with Flame Jade!”
So that’s why it became sturdier? The rank increase happened because of that? I could only marvel.
Min-seok had every right to be confident.
However, I still couldn’t understand what it meant that when flame dwells in the blade, the inherent power acts as if it will explode.
It was certainly due to the Flame Jade, but in any case, an additional option had been added.
‘Can I use this together with Inferno?’
It was a thought that suddenly occurred to me, but Min-seok’s hopeful face came first.
“How is it?”
“It’s excellent. Really. I’m satisfied. You’re amazing, Min-seok.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
I meant it. I had considered switching to the Heavenly Piercing Blade instead of the Poong-ryu Blade precisely because of the latter’s rank limitations.
After all, it was the sword from the first chamber—a beginner’s blade with poor durability.
‘A C-Rank blade will be much more useful.’
Delighted by my praise, Min-seok jumped around excitedly. At the sound, Mister came in.
“What’s going on?”
“Min-seok crafted the Poong-ryu Blade and its rank went up.”
“What?”
Mister was startled and silently mouthed a question to me, asking if it was alright, without Min-seok noticing. It seemed he was concerned because it was my weapon.
Min-seok’s crafting skill level was still low, after all. But then, suddenly, his eyes widened.
“Wait. The rank went up?”
“Why?”
“Min-seok has never had this happen before while crafting?”
“Huh?”
I’d been busy lately so I hadn’t noticed, but it seemed this was the first time something like this had occurred.
In terms of enchanting, it was as if a ‘Critical Success!’ had appeared.
“Would you like to take a look?”
Mister had used the Poong-shin Blade before, so he understood the explanation well enough. I drew the sword.
“This is… incredible.”
After examining it, Mister barely restrained an awestruck curse in front of Min-seok.
“I think I need to call Seo-ung.”
And through the phone, Seo-ung’s voice came through, clearly flustered.
It seemed Min-seok’s market value was about to skyrocket.
* * *
[Corridor of Sacred Blood]
-Recommended Level: 36~40
-Party Limit: 5 members
-Eliminate all vampires that have infiltrated the Religious Sect. Time remaining: 7 hours 59 minutes.
Leaving Min-seok’s good news behind, our Guild entered the next Gate.
The mission itself given by the Gate was straightforward.
Just as Chun-bae had said, vampires would appear, and we simply had to kill them all.
However, the situation itself was far from simple.
“What… what is this?”
“Right?”
“This is unsettling.”
The moment we entered the Gate, we found ourselves trapped in what looked like an Underground Prison.
Our equipment was nowhere to be seen, we wore only filthy rags, and our hands were bound in thick iron shackles.
“Is this a narrative-type Gate?”
“It feels similar.”
Not all Gates on Earth could be classified into just a few categories.
Some Gates had hunting-type missions but started with narrative-type scenarios imposed upon them.
“You heretics! Quiet down! Want me to execute you before the ceremony?”
Just then, a distant guard struck the ground with his baton, shouting.
“Heretics… so the vampires that infiltrated the Religious Sect have us bound like this.”
I spoke quietly to avoid causing unnecessary commotion.
“Aside from the weapons, how are we supposed to deal with these shackles? We don’t even have a rogue.”
Min-jae worried softly, but I simply chuckled.
“That’s nothing.”
Whoosh—using Leap, the shackles shattered instantly. Min-jae’s eyes widened.
“Right, I have Poong-shin.”
“And I have this.”
I pulled the Caduceus Key from my Subspace.
“Shall we escape first?”
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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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