Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 12

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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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12. Labyrinth Dead End (3)
“Sigh.”
The Association President tapped his leg anxiously.
Ever since the Spacer entered the survival-type Gate alone, he’d abandoned his duties to await the report.
“How long has it been since they entered?”
“Thirty-five minutes have elapsed.”
Only thirty-five minutes had passed?
Subjectively, it felt like twice that duration. It couldn’t be helped. This was an awakened one with Subspace abilities, after all.
Objectively, blocking Gate entry was the correct decision. Gate applications and assignments fell under the Hunter Association’s purview, after all.
This wasn’t a Gate that a Level 6 non-combat awakened one could subjugate alone.
“Based on the Gate’s color, they’re still alive, but I believe you should have blocked their entry. You shouldn’t have assigned a Secretary and granted permission like that.”
The Association staff viewed Han Hye’s decision this time as arrogance.
Breaking the highest record at the workshop, then making an absurd decision born of self-confidence.
“Seo-ung, you need to see the bigger picture.”
The Association President disagreed. While others objected, he’d approved Han Hye’s Gate application for two reasons.
The first reason was that he genuinely believed Han Hye might succeed in subjugating the Gate.
‘An awakened one with A+ or S+ rank skills, and quite intelligent.’
Though Han Hye claimed to be holding back, the Association had confirmed that he possessed stats in an entirely different league from others.
His performance at the workshop proved this.
The theory exam wasn’t mere memorization. And the Instructors who taught him directly said he was far from arrogant.
‘He’s also a former non-awakened Hunter. He must have witnessed many monsters and hunters.’
Had his experience been shallow, I would have stopped him.
But if someone with such extensive field experience made this decision, it meant he’d calculated his odds. After all, he knew better than anyone what becomes of those who act recklessly.
The second reason was to win Han Hye’s favor. I even provided an expensive insurance policy—a Gate Escape Secretary.
Even if Gate subjugation failed, I thought an intelligent one like Han Hye would learn something valuable.
Perhaps to judge more carefully, or how to manage stamina distribution during monster combat.
And I hoped he’d believe the Association respected him. He was a Hunter I truly wanted to secure.
“Do you really think they’ll succeed in subjugating it?”
“If I had to put a number on it, around eighty percent.”
Of course, possibility and concern were separate matters.
The Secretary scratched the back of his head.
“Then what happens?”
“We’ll witness the emergence of a legendary newcomer. Even setting aside the Subspace ability.”
The Association President tapped his desk with his fingers.
“If the Spacer succeeds in subjugation, we abandon the Spirit Summoner.”
“Pardon? But that’s the person with A-rank Spirit Magic?”
A Spirit Summoner with A-rank skill. Until Han Hye appeared, this awakened one had been the Association’s top priority.
Currently, they were bidding against proposals from the United States and Korea, raising the price.
“No matter how much we’re playing it cool, abandoning them would be…”
“Seo-ung, do you think that Spirit Summoner with A-rank skill could subjugate the Labyrinth Dead End alone at Level 6?”
“That’s….”
The Secretary couldn’t respond. Even if an S-rank Spirit Master came, it would be difficult to handle alone.
“Actually, I’m starting to feel like this choice is more of a Spacer’s appeal. As if saying, ‘I’m talented enough to reach this level.'”
“….”
“It’s better to focus boldly on one side.”
* * *
[Time remaining until Gate collapse: 1 hour 55 minutes.]
First, I harvested mana stones from the goblin corpses of the first wave that I’d killed beyond the transparent wall.
There was cash on the floor, so I couldn’t just leave it behind.
After that, I descended the stairs where the monsters had emerged. The underground had a corridor structure similar to the level above.
The difference was that there were prison-like spaces on both sides.
‘So that metallic sound I heard just before the wave was from this?’
There were ten cells in total, and some iron bars remained unopened. However, there were no monsters inside them.
I didn’t need to look to know. My spatial sense could confirm everything within 20 meters around me.
Instead, only chunks of mana stones lay scattered on the ground. I understood that Gate Subjugators disappeared when they died, but….
It was slightly unsettling that only mana stones remained. Had the Gate killed the monsters on its own, leaving only the stones?
‘This is literally cash just lying on the ground.’
Earlier, I had dismantled the monster corpses myself, but now only mana stones were left sitting there.
The problem was that the iron bars were locked, blocking the way.
Should I open a Subspace entrance between the bars like before? I was contemplating this moment.
A brilliant idea suddenly came to mind.
‘I can open two Subspace doors, can’t I?’
Earlier, I had thought one entrance to the Subspace would be enough. It wasn’t.
This depended on how I utilized it.
For instance, what if I could divide the doors into an entrance and an exit? Like opening a portal in a game.
With the original Subspace, once I opened the entrance and went inside, no matter where I opened a door from within, I’d exit from where I first entered.
‘If I could divide them into entrance and exit, things would be different.’
I created a Subspace entrance right in front of me. Now I just needed to create another door on the inside of the iron bars.
I took a deep breath and moved my mana. And….
Whoooosh—
“It worked!”
A passage had been created that allowed me to pass through by way of my Subspace, connecting the inside and outside of the iron bars.
I could sense that the distance at which I could create doors intuitively was 20 meters—the range of my spatial sense.
When I entered the Subspace, another door had been created a few meters away.
At a point where I could see inside the iron bars. Despite my superior spatial sense, the scenery visible to my eyes was slightly disorienting.
‘Wait.’
What if I could bring the two doors created inside this Subspace together?
I could perform something like spatial movement across a 20-meter range in an instant.
There were other applications as well.
For instance, I could thrust a sword from where I stood to attack an enemy’s back from behind, or reflect an opponent’s magic through the Subspace.
‘It wasn’t for nothing that my spatial awareness improved and I gained the ability to create an additional entrance.’
If I could practice at the Training Facility and reflect a baseball traveling at over 250km per hour through a Subspace entrance….
It meant I could pull off most magic spells.
When that time comes, the speed of opening a Subspace entrance will be everything. Well, I figured I’d practice those techniques at the Training Facility rather than here for now.
I pocketed the magic stone and pressed forward.
“Hm?”
After walking a bit further down the corridor, a circular chamber appeared. There was something like an altar inside, but no other passage beyond it.
Since I hadn’t encountered any branching paths on the way here, this had to be the end.
‘They called it the Labyrinth Dead End, but it feels more like they just carved out a single section of the Labyrinth rather than the whole thing.’
I could sense it more acutely because I’d entered other Labyrinth Gates before. There should have been branching paths here, but there weren’t any.
In any case, a necklace with a silver circular pendant rested on the altar.
[Protective Necklace (C-Rank)]
-When the wearer faces a critical situation, it automatically generates a protective barrier (B-Rank) once per activation.
-The protective barrier requires one day to recharge.
“Wow, insane.”
An exclamation burst out the moment I saw it. The Protective Necklace—shortened to “Pro-Neck.” It’s such a famous item that you can’t not know about it.
Every Hunter, whether frontline or support, wanted this thing.
And for good reason. The fact that it defends against dangers you don’t even perceive was absurdly broken.
Sure, it only works once per day, but it’s a B-Rank protective barrier. The value has to be worth at least tens of billions.
‘I’ve never heard of a Protective Necklace dropping from a low-level Gate.’
In the first place, a C-Rank item appearing in a 6-10 level Gate didn’t make sense.
The best you’d normally get from here was an E-Rank item.
It seemed the reward was exceptional precisely because I’d reached a place inaccessible by ordinary means.
I put it on immediately.
No hesitation whatsoever. Even if I’m strong for my level, you never know what might happen or when.
.
.
.
[Gate ‘Labyrinth Dead End’ subjugation complete.]
[You have gained experience points.]
[You have leveled up.]
After that, there was nothing else to see, so I exited the Gate. I was a bit disappointed—if it were a real Labyrinth, I would’ve explored every corner.
With my improved spatial awareness, finding hidden spaces would’ve been easy.
My level rose by one more as a bonus reward, bringing me to level 9.
Three levels from a single Gate. I’d said it casually, but my growth rate was insanely fast.
There were no additional rewards beyond that, but leveling up my Subspace and obtaining the Protective Necklace was already more than enough.
As I stepped outside the Gate, my head felt slightly dizzy.
Unlike the monotonous Labyrinth, the space outside provided far too much sensory information.
“Oh! Manager? The Gate is…”
“Disappearing! You actually subjugated it instead of just escaping?”
The Association Staff members managing the Gate startled and rushed toward me.
When they assigned me a Gate Escape Secretary, their faces were full of worry—they clearly hadn’t expected me to actually clear it.
“Are… are you alright?”
The staff members moved about busily. Among them, someone grabbed a phone and hurriedly stepped back. Were they reporting to the Hunter Association?
“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”
“How on earth did you… no, you must have had a hard time.”
“Not at all. It was a comfortable outing.”
“Pardon?”
“No injuries and my stamina is fine—should I write up the report and head out?”
Normally, after clearing a Gate, you have to write a report. Immediately if you’re in good condition, later if not. It’s for your own benefit and that of other Hunters.
By collecting and sharing information about Gates, you can obtain data on Gates with similar names.
“You’re… going to do that right now?”
I recounted what happened inside the Gate. Monsters emerged every hour, and I dealt with them.
Of course, I didn’t tell them everything. I couldn’t mention the Flowing Style Sword.
“I rested in the Subspace while fighting, so my stamina remained fine. I didn’t sustain any injuries either.”
“Pardon? You fought while resting in the Subspace?”
“I can enter the Subspace myself.”
I opened a Subspace entrance, stepped inside, and demonstrated by making a stabbing motion with my sword.
“I can’t attack from the outside like this. It means only I can attack.”
After experimenting with Chul-gi, I confirmed that weapons could enter but my body couldn’t. It wasn’t complete invulnerability.
It was similar to the transparent walls in the Labyrinth.
Since the torch’s flames could enter and mana could pass through, magical attacks probably would too.
“What is this… you could actually enter it?”
“I entered the solo survival-type Gate because of this. Since I can make it even smaller, I’m guaranteed to clear any solo Gate.”
“Yes?”
I entered the Subspace and made the entrance no larger than a fist. The staff member’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
“This… it’s maintained?”
“When I close the Subspace door, my mana recovers. If I just bring food and water, couldn’t I clear even multi-day survival Gates?”
I showed this intentionally.
I had entered the Subspace during the workshop too, but the Association didn’t seem to know about it.
I judged this would greatly help raise my market value. Level-restricted survival-type Gates were a global problem.
Australia had been destroyed because of high-rank level-restricted survival-type Gates.
“Han Hye. Just a moment.”
The staff member who had gone to make that call returned and asked for my understanding before disappearing again with the phone.
It seemed he was reporting this to the Hunter Association immediately.
“I have one question though.”
“Ah! Yes. Please, ask freely.”
“Is it possible to apply for E-rank Hunter status with just this one clear?”
Normally, to become an E-rank Hunter, you had to clear three or more Gates at the recommended level of 6-10 and apply to the Association.
“Since I went in alone, I’m at level 9 right now. I think I’ll probably be level 10 or higher by the next Gate.”
But processing everything by the book would waste both time and efficiency.
Since E-rank Hunters could enter Gates of level 11 and above, it was better to get the paperwork done in advance whenever possible.
“Of course. Even if I brought a freshly promoted D-rank Hunter, they’d complain if I told them to enter the Labyrinth Dead End alone.”
The Association Staff member was looking at me with admiration in his eyes.
“Shall I process your E-rank application right away?”
I’d worried he might say it wasn’t allowed by protocol, but fortunately he had some flexibility. In a few days, I’d hear back from them.
Once contracted as E-rank, my home country would get negotiation priority, and only then could I meet with other nations.
“I’ll relay this to the President. Since you’ll be resting today, I’ll make sure to contact you first thing tomorrow.”
“Really? Doesn’t it usually take several days?”
When I was a porter, a Hunter I’d worked with applied for E-rank, and it took a full week just to get an offer.
“Haha, since it’s Han Hye, we need to process things quickly. If you’d like, we could even do it today.”
It seemed he was paying me considerable attention.
And the next day at lunch.
I was able to meet the Association President’s Secretary near my home.

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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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