Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 112
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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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112. Corridor of Sacred Blood (2)
Through my spatial awareness, I sensed the Guards were stationed twenty meters away—at the end of the Underground Prison, right before the staircase.
Exactly two of them. One was dozing while the other smoked.
Click—click—.
I quietly unlocked my companions’ shackles without making a sound. The absence of our equipment left me feeling oddly exposed.
“Our gear is stored at the far end of the Corridor.”
“The far end? Thank goodness it wasn’t confiscated entirely.”
Unlike other Hunters, we didn’t carry large backpacks, so our belongings were minimal.
Just the armor and weapons we’d been wearing originally.
“Well, even if it had disappeared, it wouldn’t have been a major problem. Inconvenient, certainly, but manageable.”
“That’s true.”
Most Hunters would have panicked if they found themselves in an Underground Prison wearing nothing but rags.
Even with a thief present, unlocking shackles without any equipment is a formidable challenge.
And even if they somehow managed to escape the prison, they’d be defenseless without weapons.
We were deep inside the Underground Prison. If we tried to leave through the Corridor, we’d definitely be caught.
‘There are additional forces stationed above.’
But none of that applied to us. I had my Subspace.
Whoosh—.
I opened the Subspace and retrieved our weapons and clothing first, handing Mister a silver spear before distributing the rest of the gear.
“Change quickly. Lee Shin-hee first. We’ll turn around.”
Hunter garb—specialized clothing modified for Hunters—was something I always carried as backup.
After changing rapidly, I drew my Flowing Wind Blade. I hadn’t been armed when entering the Gate.
“Can you sense the interior layout?”
“Roughly. Not much detail. Since we’re in the prison, it seems to be the outer section. Not very tall. The Sect itself appears to be quite expansive.”
“What’s our next move?”
“Well, I’m thinking I’ll use Leap to deal with those Guards, gather our belongings, and then we leave.”
The mission itself was straightforward—eliminate all the vampires within the Sect.
Once we create a commotion, wouldn’t the vampires come rushing out on their own?
Tap—tap—.
Someone in the adjacent cell stirred and tapped lightly against our shared wall. What was that? They couldn’t have overheard our escape plan.
We’d spoken in whispers so quiet they shouldn’t have heard anything but faint rustling sounds.
“Please don’t worry. We plan to rescue the brothers before the execution ceremony takes place.”
“…?”
What was he saying? The sudden words made my companions and I exchange confused glances.
The man in the adjacent cell must have spoken too loudly, because the Guard in the distance struck the floor with his baton again.
“Quiet!”
After that, the man in the next cell sat back in the corner of his cell and fell silent. What was happening here….
Then I remembered what the Guard had mentioned earlier about an execution ceremony. My companions seemed to recall it too.
“Being stripped of our equipment and shackled seemed harsh, but we’re supposed to be rescued during an execution ceremony, aren’t we?”
At Min-jae’s words, Mister nodded.
“That’s possible. They’d break through here again, grab their gear, and leave—all part of the plan. There’s probably a Helper involved.”
It was a reasonable point. The situation itself was difficult, after all. But conversely, it could be a trap.
“We don’t know. We might have to escape from here no matter what. Trusting that they’ll rescue us at the execution ceremony feels risky….”
“Exactly. We could end up dead if we just trust them blindly.”
As expected. Lee Shin-hee, being sharp, shared my concerns. Mister and Min-jae nodded, saying, “Yeah, that could happen too.”
No one knew the answer. It really could be a Helper. It was pointless speculation until we faced the actual situation.
“Let’s stick with the plan. Even if there is a Helper, it’d be annoying to get dragged all the way to the execution ceremony just to break back out.”
“True. Let’s gear up first.”
“Then let’s move.”
After a quick discussion, I used Leap beside the Guard. Subduing him was instantaneous. He was completely defenseless.
Even though he was called a Guard, he was from the Sect, so he wore religious vestments, but something felt off about it.
Anyway, after subduing the two Guards in an instant, I walked straight down the Corridor.
“What, what is this?”
“How?”
The prisoners locked in other cells panicked and murmured. One of them even cried out softly.
“Hey, hey! Let me out too!”
Hmm. I hesitated briefly, but there was no reason to free them. I didn’t know why these people were here.
If the Gate’s objective was to escape this place, I would’ve freed everyone for the chaos… but that wasn’t it.
“Wait. Let me get my allies out first.”
However, if they suddenly started screaming, we’d have to fight before even gathering our gear, so I placated them for now.
I headed toward where my companions were and opened the cell bars.
“You handled them?”
“Of course. Go get the gear.”
“You’re the best, hyung.”
Min-jae grinned widely as he passed, and a man from the cell next to ours pressed his face against the bars with a bewildered expression.
Gaunt and lean—the typical look of a devout clergyman.
“How on earth…?”
Since I didn’t know if he was ally or enemy, I was about to turn away with a light shrug when—
“Brothers! Please take me with you! I know where the Saint is being held!”
The Saint?
Hmm. A place full of vampires with a Saint imprisoned here. Even without a Hidden stage, it seemed the Gate’s core lay there.
Why hadn’t Chun-bae mentioned that this Gate had sanctity? If it was a Saint, the connection seemed even more relevant.
“Should we trust him once?”
“Well, what’s the harm in being deceived?”
Mister said that, and Min-jae and Lee Shin-hee nodded in agreement.
“Come out.”
* * *
“Let us out too!”
The prisoners in the Underground Prison shouted, but I ignored them and headed up. There weren’t many forces stationed above.
Four. That was all of them guarding the Entrance to this Underground Prison facility.
“What’s all that commotion down there?”
“Leave it. Megin’s probably tormenting someone again.”
“Tsk. Even if they’re heretics, shouldn’t they be spared punishment?”
“Punishing heretics is justified.”
As I carefully ascended the stairs, I heard the Guards conversing from above.
“I’ll go first. Mister will come up from behind.”
The suppression was instantaneous. Defenseless enemies. Using a leap, I brought both of them down in a flash.
And the moment the remaining two tried to stand in panic, Mister and I each handled one more.
“Indeed, you are truly brothers.”
The man opened his mouth, as if recognizing us.
“But how exactly did you escape on your own? The key to the Underground Prison is kept by the Archbishop and only handed over before the execution ceremony.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. That’s why we originally planned to help you during the execution ceremony. Our reach only extends to the executioner.”
“There’s always a way. But how did this situation come about?”
Blending into a narrative Gate like this wasn’t particularly difficult. You simply asked the other party.
Of course, there was no guarantee they’d tell you the complete truth.
“You must be bewildered at being branded heretics the moment you returned to the Sect, but while you were away on your expedition, the Sect fell under the control of vampires.”
“Was such a thing possible?”
“The Archbishop was a vampire. The moment he sent out the strongest brothers in the Sect, he revealed his true nature. The upper echelons of the Sect were either killed or turned.”
Hearing this, it seemed we were strong soldiers or holy knights of this Sect. We’d been caught up in an evil conspiracy during our absence.
This man really did seem to be a Helper. Though I couldn’t be 100% certain yet.
“I see. How were you originally planning to help?”
“Though the Archbishop revealed his true nature, there were believers who learned the truth and went into hiding. The executioner was going to pretend to execute you, set you free, give you weapons, and we’d rescue the Saint.”
“How many people are there?”
“Seven in total. Five are priests, and there are only two knights like yourselves.”
There were only four Guards here, but two knights and five priests.
Hmm. No matter how I looked at it, they seemed like dead weight.
I wondered if the fight would have been much harder if the Gate had proceeded according to its original flow.
“What happens to those people now?”
“Since you haven’t appeared at the execution ceremony, they won’t take action. They can’t even send word right now.”
The man smiled as if it didn’t matter.
“But the current situation is actually better. Because of the execution ceremony about to take place, most of them are likely gathered outside the Sect. We just need to rescue the Saint discreetly.”
It seemed I’d deviated from the original route by escaping independently.
It was like suddenly skipping to the boss mob in a story-driven game.
“This Archbishop fellow…”
“He’s probably with the Saint. He took her, saying he needed her blood.”
Was this actually better?
The order had shifted slightly, but I had to catch all the vampires anyway.
Rather than tediously breaking through from outside and fighting, it was better to deal with the boss first and then handle the minions.
It was essentially a speedrun using a glitch.
‘A hidden scenario might occur here too.’
If we breach from the outside, the Archbishop vampire could pull something with the Saint.
If I rescue the Saint early, I might gain additional rewards.
“Let’s go. Where is the Saint?”
“…?”
The man tilted his head, regarding me with a puzzled expression. After a moment of thought, I realized my phrasing had been off.
“My apologies. Where is the Saint located?”
“She is in the Old Main Hall, which lies beyond the Corridor behind the Main Hall. This way….”
The man guided us through the back entrance.
“The execution ceremony is imminent, so there won’t be many people around, but the back path is safer.”
* * *
“It’s getting dark soon.”
“Well, this is a place where vampires appear, after all.”
Outside, dusk was approaching. Since vampires grew stronger at night, the time within the Gate had shifted to evening as well.
As we exchanged such words, I observed the man walking ahead of me.
‘He really does seem like a proper Helper.’
I’d harbored slight suspicion when he mentioned taking the back route, but the man genuinely guided us through the narrow passages behind the buildings.
He skillfully avoided all the Guard positions I sensed through my spatial awareness.
“Wait.”
“What is it?”
“There are people nearby.”
The Religious Sect was quite expansive, but our passage encountered no obstacles. I possessed spatial awareness, after all.
Whenever people passed during the man’s guidance, we either detoured or waited, so there was no risk of discovery.
We couldn’t take a completely empty route. Occasionally, there were individuals scattered about working.
I subdued them safely using Leap.
“Everyone’s moving about.”
Following the guidance, I sensed people within the Sect pairing up and heading outside.
“They’re relocating for the execution ceremony soon. That makes things easier. Here we are.”
Behind the Main Hall, with gardens on both sides, lay the Corridor. White pillars stood in neat rows.
Beyond it stood a building that appeared older than the Main Hall. Being within the Sect, it possessed quite a sacred appearance.
“There’s no one around?”
“After the Archbishop brought the Saint there, he issued an access restriction. Officially, he claimed she was in devout prayer.”
“Let’s proceed.”
With no one nearby, I decided to simply follow the Corridor. Venturing into the garden would draw more attention.
“Hye.”
“Yes?”
“When we catch the vampire later, before killing it, there’s something I want to try. Is that okay?”
At the sudden remark, I tilted my head reflexively.
“What would that be?”
“Nothing strange.”
He was smiling softly, like someone who’d just remembered something amusing. Well, he wasn’t the type to do anything particularly strange.
“Are you planning to test out some vampire folklore or something? Did you bring garlic?”
“Not exactly. Something similar, though.”
“Well, if you get the chance, give it a try.”
We were exchanging such remarks when we arrived near the center of the Corridor.
Suddenly, the door to the Old Main Hall behind us creaked open. A man with pale white skin and blonde hair stepped out.
“….”
“…?”
We were both startled by the sudden encounter. Though I recognized him immediately.
“It’s, it’s the Archbishop!”
Hmm. I’d been wondering if he was moving people around to secretly rescue the Saint.
Either way, I’d skipped right past the entire narrative sequence and ended up face-to-face with the actual boss monster.
“Uh….”
The boss monster we’d encountered simply stood there in a daze for a moment, then turned around, shut the Old Main Hall door, and bolted.
“…He ran?”
“He ran.”
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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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