Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 127

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

127. Lv42 Sword Master Liu Zhen (1)
Lv42 Sword Master Liu Zhen (1)

I couldn’t help but feel bewildered. I hadn’t anticipated Liu Zhen would mention them.
Could it be that Übermenschen had made contact with him as well?
It was possible. A nineteen-year-old prodigy being brainwashed within China….
They might have thought they could subtly reveal the truth and bring him over to their side.
“You’re saying the same thing.”
“That part’s true, but you can’t trust those people.”
“Are you saying you’re different?”
“Of course I am.”
Still, I couldn’t continue the conversation. This was a gathering of advance teams from various nations.
“What’s happening!”
“Didn’t the Space Mage just ignite flames?”
“Is it an attack?”
“Draw your weapons!”
We were both engulfed in flames. From China’s perspective, they could judge Liu Zhen to be in danger.
Well, it didn’t matter. I had no intention of resolving everything here anyway. My goal was to arrange a meeting.
“We need to talk. Not right now, though.”
“….”
“I saw you making a complicated expression during the sparring match. It seems you have some doubts too.”
Through my spatial awareness, I could already sense the advance team hunters approaching. Water magic was already flying toward us.
Thanks to Scorching Flame, which even burned mana, I managed to block it, but I couldn’t hold out much longer. The mana consumption was too great.
“Is it difficult to do this alone?”
“There are always people around me.”
“Tch.”
Right. Since I wasn’t wearing any surveillance device on my body, I brought this up this way….
If my guess was correct, they wouldn’t leave him alone.
There was no time. A Chinese S-rank hunter was about to thrust a spear at me.
“…I’m staying here until today. Floor 187.”
Liu Zhen, his face hardened, handed me the soft cloth that had been wrapped around his upper body.
“I’ll try my best. For now, put your clothes on. Ah, I was just covering you while you changed?”
The moment Liu Zhen put on his top, I immediately extinguished the Scorching Flame surrounding us. The area was filled with advance team hunters.
Hunters from China and Korea were close by.
The Chinese side seemed intent on breaking through, while the Korean side seemed intent on defending. Seeing Shin Chang’s back gave me reassurance.
In an atmosphere thick with tension, Liu Zhen clapped his palm against his fist and spoke.
“Master. Since I lost the bet, I had something I needed to give you. The Space Mage was just covering me while I changed my clothes.”
“….”
China’s S-rank spear master looked at Liu Zhen and me, his expression darkening. He appeared furious.
China’s S-rank spear master frowned upon seeing me and Liu Zhen. He looked angry.
Both to me and to Liu Zhen.
“What foolishness….”
But his gaze toward Liu Zhen was far more severe. It made sense—he’d suffered defeat in a match where pride was on the line, and on top of that, lost a B-rank item.
Instead of words, he gestured roughly at Liu Zhen with his chin. Come here, it meant.
“….”
Liu Zhen lowered his head slightly and followed him. Then he turned and exited the banquet hall.
Until the Chinese hunters had completely withdrawn, silence filled the banquet hall.
Then someone whistled, followed by scattered applause. Not quite cheers—more like obligatory clapping.
But the eyes of the hunters watching me had shifted noticeably from before.
Before the match, it had been mere curiosity and intrigue, but now their gazes carried something far more captivating.
Some of them nodded slightly.
“….”
Shin Chang approached silently and smiled with a knowing grin, nodding in approval. I could feel the pride radiating from him.
Then his gaze shifted meaningfully toward my sword.
“….”
A perceptive man.
He didn’t speak since others were watching, but he’d clearly recognized the Heavenly Sword immediately.
It made sense—we sparred regularly, so he would notice such a change right away.
Then Seo Seung-yeon rushed over excitedly.
“Wow. Han Hye, I knew you’d win. That was seriously impressive!”
“Right? I didn’t expect such a dominant victory. And your breathing is still steady.”
“It’s nothing.”
Then I met the eyes of our guild members in the back. Since they knew about the Heavenly Sword, they were simply smiling.
Han Chul seemed particularly moved, though.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Hard work? I learned a lot. Now, shall we finish our meal?”
“Let’s do that. Those annoying bastards even left on their own. Han Hye did great work!”
Chul-gi laughed heartily.
“By the way, what did you get from the bet?”
“Oh, this?”
Only then could I examine what Liu Zhen had handed over. I’d been too shocked by what he’d said.
[Silk Armor of True Protection (B-rank)]
-Soft and fine silk capable of withstanding the blade of a skilled swordmaster, yet supple and delicate.
“Hm?”
At first, I wondered why he was giving me cloth, but there was a reason it was B-rank.
If it could withstand a skilled swordmaster’s blade, it clearly possessed defensive capabilities far beyond the ordinary.
It was what Liu Zhen had worn against me, after all. He’d definitely been wearing it directly against his skin.
I could consider it another layer of protection for myself.
* * *
Even after the Chinese hunters departed, the banquet continued. According to Seo Seung-yeon, this was when people typically built relationships.
Since they’re all hunters who risk their lives in battle, they need a bit of alcohol to loosen up.
“I was really impressed. That was incredible?”
“When you visit our country, please reach out. Here’s my contact information.”
“Do you have time later?”
After the match, quite a few hunters came to find me. It was strange seeing people I’d once dreamed of becoming approach me first.
Unfortunately, since I had to communicate through an interpreter, we couldn’t have deeper conversations.
Beyond that, I didn’t have the mental space to engage in meaningful dialogue with the other advance teams.
It was because of the Übermenschen Liu Zhen had mentioned.
“Han Hye, you were trying to cover up when you took off your clothes earlier, weren’t you?”
Perhaps sensing the subtle dissonance in my demeanor, Lee Shin-hee covered her mouth and posed the question delicately.
“How did you know?”
“Because it was forced. It could have looked strange otherwise.”
That’s true. The Chinese hunters had indeed tried to rush forward. It was forced.
While nominally it wasn’t something I could protest strongly against, examining it closely revealed grounds for suspicion.
Other hunters unfamiliar with me might have thought I was simply overly considerate.
However, those close to me like our Guild would have immediately detected the irregularity.
“There’s something that makes me suspicious. I’ll explain in detail later.”
Though we spoke quietly, the venue was crowded with people everywhere. Lee Shin-hee nodded in understanding.
“Yes. I’ll wait.”
Despite my lack of mental ease, I couldn’t afford to look too serious and troubled in this setting.
If I showed too much concern, the Chinese side might grow suspicious as well.
As alcohol flowed and hunters mingled and conversed, Han Chul was quite busy as well.
He appeared to be exchanging greetings with the American advance team hunters.
“You’re back to your old self?”
“Not quite back to how I was yet.”
“Considering how skeletal you looked before, you’ve definitely recovered. You’re completely fine now, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank goodness. Really. I was so worried.”
“Wait. I’ll catch up soon.”
“Anytime.”
The atmosphere seemed quite pleasant. The American hunters were genuinely congratulating Han Chul.
Then Han Chul introduced the American hunters to me.
“…This is Jackie and Blake.”
Blake, America’s super rookie who had made a favorable impression during the confrontation with Liu Zhen, was among them.
Since there was genuine rapport between us, I smiled and shook his hand.
“Good to see you. I knew you’d win. A real hunter is different from someone who just talks big.”
“Ha ha.”
I could only laugh awkwardly, since there was a high probability that Liu Zhen wasn’t merely someone who talked big.
“We requested cooperation from our side this time, but it fell through, I heard.”
“The conditions didn’t align.”
“I thought so too when I watched. Let’s catch it next time if we get the chance. Make sure to contact me if you ever come to the United States!”
Blake, whom I’d found likable online, turned out to be quite an appealing person in person as well.
Serious yet bright.
Turning my gaze, I could see several hunters I was acquainted with engaging in casual sparring matches.
Unlike the serious atmosphere Liu Zhen and I had created, they were laughing with close friends.
One person was even holding a wine glass in one hand while wielding a sword in the other.
“It’s quite different from yesterday.”
“Well, yesterday the topic of Australia came up, and today we’ve had more to drink.”
That said, not all the hunters were moving about actively. There were introverts among them, after all.
From Korea, Shin Chang, Lee Shin-hee, and I were holding down our table.
“Haha!”
Mister and Min-jae were conversing elsewhere, which made sense since both were extroverted people.
I was somewhere in between, but I didn’t particularly feel like wandering around.
Without an interpreter, conversations wouldn’t flow, and I had things to think about regarding the Liu Zhen matter.
As I was drinking with Shin Chang and Lee Shin-hee at the table, Shin Chang suddenly spoke up.
“…If it’s because of me, you can go mingle.”
“What? That’s not it at all.”
“…It’s not?”
“I can’t communicate with them anyway. I don’t really like wandering around.”
Now that I thought about it, it probably stemmed from my days as a Gate orphan. Back then, everyone on the streets was a competitor.
Just when I’d think we’d gotten a bit closer, many would sneak away with clothes or hidden food.
“I don’t really like these kinds of gatherings either.”
When Lee Shin-hee said that too, Shin Chang scratched his nose with an embarrassed expression and raised his glass.
“…Let’s have a drink.”
“Yes. The alcohol is delicious.”
“…”
I changed the subject to ease Shin Chang’s embarrassment, but he simply nodded quietly.
Lee Shin-hee smiled softly and continued the conversation.
“Yes, it really is delicious.”
* * *
“It’s chaos.”
“Why?”
“Liu Zhen’s defeat got posted. Hunter Net is going insane.”
“Yeah. The whole thing is flooded with Han Hye’s name.”
When we left after the banquet, I’d already heard that the match results had spread, and I was now at the center of attention.
Min-jae immediately showed interest.
“Oh? I should check it out too. There was someone talking trash about it.”
“Trash talk?”
“Ahem. Yeah, that happens.”
I wanted to see it immediately as well, but this wasn’t the time to focus on that.
‘I can check on that later.’
Back at my lodgings, I found myself thinking about Liu Zhen.
First and foremost, what occurred to me was that he might be undergoing some form of indoctrination by the Chinese Government.
Though “indoctrination” might be too strong a word—when I’d met him directly, he hadn’t seemed completely brainwashed.
In any case, it was certain that there were discrepancies in what both Liu Zhen and I understood to be true.
‘Considering the timing, the Chinese side must have deliberately engineered that confrontation.’
That was plausible enough, but what truly astounded me was the existence of the Übermenschen. They’d told Liu Zhen the very same things I had.
The reason, I suspected, was to reveal the truth to him and draw him into their ranks.
It seemed the Übermenschen had their fingers in China’s internal affairs. From what I could tell, Liu Zhen hadn’t been completely indoctrinated yet.
They’d likely planned to show him a semblance of truth midway through, only to indoctrinate him themselves afterward.
‘If Liu Zhen ends up joining the Übermenschen… I feel dizzy just thinking about it.’
My country was far enough from their sphere of activity that we hadn’t suffered major damage, but their notorious reputation wasn’t without reason.
Awakened criminals gathered in places where law and order had collapsed—their atrocities were beyond description.
Even when I’d gone to Saudi Arabia before, hadn’t Seo Seung-yeon taken sniper shots? In neighboring regions, they engaged in terrorism.
Ultimately, everyone fell silent when asked who would uproot the Übermenschen, making it difficult to even resist them.
‘In a way, has this actually helped me?’
Liu Zhen had shown surprise at my words, yet his reaction was complicated. It had been the same during our sparring match.
He probably hadn’t immediately believed what the Übermenschen told him, but their words had certainly planted seeds of doubt in his mind.
So the problem now was singular: how could I convey the truth to Liu Zhen?
To be honest, I’d never originally intended to go to such lengths to tell him the truth.
‘I just thought I’d tell him if the opportunity arose, out of pity.’
But telling him wouldn’t mean I could bring Liu Zhen to Korea, would it? I’d been prepared to accept that if circumstances didn’t permit it, so be it.
Yet now that the Übermenschen had been mentioned, I couldn’t leave things as they were.
If I simply let matters stand, Liu Zhen could suddenly fly off to join the Übermenschen.
Mister and I had achieved a degree of safety, certainly, but…
‘When I think of young Min-seok…’
I had to inform Liu Zhen of the truth while also warning him about the Übermenschen.
Though I knew them as an axis of evil, if they spoke honeyed words again, there was no telling what might happen.
“Hmm. The problem is how to get there without being noticed.”
The real issue was arranging a private conversation with Liu Zhen.
Whether I used Leap or rode Yong-yong, heading toward Beijing Tower would draw all eyes.
Even if I managed to get there, there was a high probability his room had listening devices.
Should I resort to informing China that the Übermenschen had made contact with Liu Zhen?
-I believe I could handle that for you.
As I was pondering this, Chun-bae spoke up.
“Huh?”
-I still have some remaining divine power left.

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