Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 15

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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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15. Yong-yong (2)
“Huh?”
The old man looked flustered.
I felt the same way. We’d only thought about the dragon hatching. In other words, we’d imagined Choi Chul-gi, the dragon knight who would ride the hatched dragon.
“Right? Should I ride it? I’m not really sure?”
It was natural to assume a newly hatched dragon would be small. But we’d been so focused on the dragon’s egg that we hadn’t thought that far ahead.
“Should I… delay my return by a few years?”
I handed the dragon over to the old man’s hands. The dragon chirped as if displeased.
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
I soothed the dragon and spoke to the old man.
“Let’s try it out first. We need to test it anyway.”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
The old man gripped Yong-yong’s nape firmly with one hand. Yong-yong struggled.
In any case, the old man possessed three job skills.
‘Dragon Unity, Flying Dragon Pierce, Attribute Adaptation.’
Dragon Unity was S-rank, while Flying Dragon Pierce and Attribute Adaptation were A-rank. These skill grades explained why there had been such a fuss when he was a dragon knight.
Of course, back then rare jobs were so scarce that no one could have imagined skills going unused.
Dragon Unity was a technique to ride by becoming one with the dragon, and the old man said he had the method in his head. But he couldn’t ride now since it was too small.
Flying Dragon Pierce was a skill to charge forward in a straight line while riding the dragon, piercing through enemies, and Attribute Adaptation meant becoming similar to the dragon’s attribute.
“Dragon Unity!”
You didn’t have to shout when using a skill, but the old man called out the name.
Perhaps he was desperately hoping the skill would activate.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
In that moment, mana stirred.
Something changed between the old man and Yong-yong. And Yong-yong stopped struggling. They had become one.
Hisss!
It snorted and then lay still in the old man’s hand as if preparing for battle.
“It works!”
“It’s working!”
The old man didn’t stop.
“Attribute Adaptation!”
Whoosh!
Suddenly, flames rippled across the old man’s body.
“Ohhh!”
We rejoiced at the same time. Of course, I quickly came to my senses. Flames were rippling around the old man’s body, after all.
“Doesn’t it burn?”
“No. It seems to be because of Attribute Adaptation?”
By coincidence, both the old man and I had considerable resistance to fire. It was fortunate.
Later, when the dragon grew larger and breathed fire, it should be fine, right?
“Try the Red Dragon Spear too!”
“Red Dragon Spear!”
The old man had retrieved the lance he’d used long ago. One hand held Yong-yong, the other gripped the lance. At first glance, it looked rather absurd.
But the results were anything but.
A deep, resonant hum echoed out.
Then, clutching Yong-yong in his grip, he charged forward fifteen meters at tremendous speed. A violent gust of wind erupted in his wake.
Where the old man had passed, dust and dirt from the clearing scattered explosively into the air.
What was remarkable was that the old man hadn’t pushed off the ground or run at all. He’d simply kept his feet planted firmly on the earth and—
Charged forward at an absurd velocity, riding the Red Dragon itself.
“It works! Perfectly!”
“Old man! Your ankles—are they okay?”
What startled me wasn’t merely the charge itself. The ground where the old man had passed was gouged out roughly three meters across.
It was as if some massive, heavy thing had torn through the earth in its passage.
“No problem at all. Must be the skill’s bonus effect.”
The old man bounced in place. He seemed fine. But his shoes were another matter.
“The soles are completely shredded.”
“Sneakers are cheap to replace anyway.”
“True. Though I should do some wrist exercises. Holding this Yong-yong is getting a bit heavy.”
“Still, you’ve really become a true dragon knight.”
“Of course I have.”
The old man chuckled heartily.
“Ready? Spacer?”
“Of course. Dragon.”
“What? Why am I the dragon?”
“Because the Red Dragon is the main body.”
“Heh, I suppose that’s true.”
Even as I joked, the old man merely grinned that goofy grin of his. Just then, Yong-yong suddenly began hopping across the ground.
Then, it entered the Subspace I’d left open when retrieving the egg.
“Huh?”
“What’s going on?”
No other living creature should be able to enter there besides me.
Yong-yong coiled up, lay down, and closed its eyes. Was it sleeping? Well, being a hatchling, it did sleep quite often.
“How did it get in there?”
“That’s strange.”
Certainly, the mystery lingered. I’d once brought a puppy along during Subspace experiments with the old man. It hadn’t been able to enter back then.
So why could Yong-yong? Was it because the egg had spent so long in the Subspace? What was it?
Regardless, if I closed the Subspace door now, would time stop flowing because of Yong-yong?
I opened the stopwatch on my phone and tested it—but that wasn’t the case. Time still flowed even with Yong-yong inside.
“Whatever the reason, it’s not a bad thing. It would be awkward carrying the Red Dragon around outside anyway.”
“True enough. If it suddenly breathed fire…”
Since the dragon was still young, a single mistake could trigger a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.
“Anyway, now that we’ve secured the dragon, we should finalize the contract. Shall I call the Hunter Association for you?”
“That works. I’d rather not make the call myself.”
I immediately dialed the Association President’s personal secretary—the one whose number I’d exchanged during the contract signing. A dragon knight matter certainly warranted the call.
-Yes, Han Hye? What can I do for you?
-An awakened one I know wants to sign a contract.
-…Could it be Choi Chul-gi?
-Yes.
He’d know we were close—after all, I’d registered him at the Training Facility using the Association President’s information.
-So he’s returning to active duty. However, even if it’s a rare class, I’m afraid we can’t provide the same support we gave Han Hye. As you know, skill usage limitations….
-No, that’s not it. I obtained a Red Dragon for him, so he’s become a true dragon knight.
-Pardon?
-He obtained a Red Dragon and became a dragon knight.
-Pardon?
Even after repeating myself, he couldn’t grasp it. Well, I couldn’t blame him.
-What do you mean by…?
-It’s easier to see than to explain. Would you mind coming over now to take a look? The Red Dragon, I mean.
Not long after, the secretary arrived, and his shock upon seeing the Red Dragon and the Association President was entirely justified.
“Where on earth did you…”
Was it time to reveal the truth now?
“Actually….”
I disclosed the truth about what had transpired in the awakened Gate. I hadn’t been able to speak of it before, fearing the dragon egg would be confiscated.
“I understand. It was the right decision, and frankly, such a precious item could have caused serious complications.”
Fortunately, Seo-ung understood my reasoning. The false report posed no problem.
Had my value risen so dramatically that my earlier concerns had become irrelevant?
“Was it also the reason you wanted the flame-attributed elixirs…?”
“Yes. They were necessary for the Red Dragon’s hatching. I gave him all the elixirs I received, and that’s when he hatched.”
Including what I’d obtained at the workshop, four flame elixirs had gone into creating this extraordinarily expensive Red Dragon.
Of course, the Red Dragon’s value exceeded that investment by hundreds of times over. It was beyond calculation.
“Choi Chul-gi, I offer my sincere congratulations.”
* * *
[(Breaking News) Dragon Knight Obtains Red Dragon]
(Article Link)
Legend-tier incident lol
-? Where did he get a dragon?
-Is this real?
-Wtf how? I’ve never even seen a dragon before, how did he get one?
-Didn’t the Spacer have connections? Maybe the Spacer got it for him?
┗How would the Spacer get a dragon egg?
┗Lol for real, I heard that Spacer guy has no manners
┗What does hunting for a dragon egg have to do with being rude?
┗Who cares? That bastard’s gonna bleed soon lol Such a jerk
┗The Spacer is pretty impressive though. Already getting haters;;>
-Wait, didn’t he solo clear the Labyrinth Dead End and get that as a reward?
┗That’s bullshit;; How would a dragon egg come from there.
-The advance team brought back the dragon egg and the Hunter Association hatched it, right?
┗Real talk lol
The return of the Dragon Knight sent Hunter Net into absolute chaos. Of course, it wasn’t just Hunter Net. The media and internet were equally ablaze.
I received dozens of times more attention than I did. I understood why.
The industry only recognized the value of a Spacer, but anyone could see how cool a Dragon Knight looked.
Moreover, the photo of Yong-yong played a huge role. It was the moment Earth’s first Red Dragon appeared.
[Photo of Chul-gi holding Yong-yong]
As this photo spread overseas, it gained a cult-like popularity. It dominated foreign news and communities.
Chul-gi’s thoughts on it were simple.
“Back then, people were cursing me out like that.”
He seemed pleased but not entirely thrilled about it.
In any case, Chul-gi signed a contract too.
A total of 165 billion won.
Less than mine, but still a substantial amount. Honestly, I thought it would be similar to mine or even more. He’s a Dragon Knight, after all.
“Why is it less than mine?”
When I asked Chul-gi, the answer was straightforward.
“I told them the dragon egg was your contribution, and I’d take one B-rank elixir from you instead.”
“Pardon?”
“I already gave Yong-yong four elixirs, didn’t I? I have to repay that debt.”
“I haven’t even repaid the debt I owe you yet?”
Chul-gi let out a hollow laugh.
“Not repay a debt? You’ve given back far more than what I’ve done for you. You gave me a dragon.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“Huh? Gave? Speak properly. Yong-yong thinks I’m the parent. It’s a rental. A rental dragon.”
“Rental or whatever—the debt is more than repaid.”
I said it jokingly, but Chul-gi responded seriously.
“When I make my second contract with the Hunter Association, I told them to reduce my share and increase yours instead.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Of course I do.”
Then he pulled me into an embrace and patted my back.
“Thank you, Hye.”
“It’s nothing.”
Either way, Chul-gi—who had been condemned as a Gate orphan and faced endless criticism—had made a brilliant return as an awakened Hunter.
I gently pushed him away.
“Let’s wrap up this touching reunion and head inside, shall we?”
“Let’s do this.”
The first thing Seo-ung and I did after finalizing our contract was submit a Gate application. Now that I thought about it, it was absurd.
“But when we made the contract, you kept telling me to study real estate, buy a car, and learn about financial management. Now that Yong-yong showed up, you’re rushing straight to the Gate?”
Seo-ung let out an awkward cough.
“Well, my wife is handling the house hunting. And look—”
He couldn’t hide the corners of his mouth twitching upward.
“How could I resist now that I have a Red Dragon? Would you want to look at houses and cars if you were in my position?”
“Fair point.”
When I obtained the Flowing Stream Sword, I’d been desperate to test out skills I’d only seen in manga.
How much more so for Seo-ung, who now possessed a Red Dragon—especially after enduring such tremendous disrespect in the past.
He must have been itching to use that dragon skill against monsters immediately. It was entirely understandable.
Still, I needed to extract a promise.
“After this Gate, you’re handling everything you’ve been putting off.”
“I know, I know.”
There was plenty to do.
First, since we were now two people, establishing a guild came before anything else. There was nothing wrong with a small-scale guild. Guild achievements brought benefits.
Solo hunters received no benefits, which was why the Hunter Association encouraged guild establishment or membership. Solo breakthroughs were dangerous anyway, and managing teams was easier since hunters typically operated in groups.
Recruiting talent, buying property, and acquiring vehicles were secondary concerns after guild establishment.
“Let’s go in.”
This Gate wasn’t a survival-type, but it was famous for being quite difficult.
Naturally, it was a Gate that ordinary hunters avoided.
[Flame Valley of Horned Boars]
-Recommended Level: 11~20
-Entry Limit: 10 people.
-Reach the end of the path before you.
Of course, it was fine for us. Even though the entry limit was 10 people, the two of us could enter.
We’d chosen this place with full consideration.
‘The penalty here is meaningless to us.’
The moment we entered the Gate, I felt warmth. If I could feel it, that meant it was incredibly hot.
And a world bathed in crimson light greeted us.
On both sides of us stood steep cliffs, with scorching lava cascading down their faces.
Because of this, the path beneath our feet was flanked by bubbling lava on either side, spewing molten foam.
“Damn. It’s hot enough to kill.”
“Use your skill now.”
When I handed Yong-yong over—the creature squirming because it didn’t want to be separated from me—Seo-ung activated Dragon Unity and Elemental Adaptation.
Since Yong-yong was still shy around Seo-ung, Dragon Unity was essential.
“Now I can breathe.”
“Can you manage?”
“Yeah. The skill level is low, so it’s just quite warm.”
Though both A-rank, his Elemental Adaptation seemed inferior to my flame resistance. Or perhaps it was because Yong-yong was still young.
“But this skill consumes quite a bit of mana. Once I level up, I’ll need to prioritize mana first.”
I’d allocated my stats primarily to strength, agility, and constitution instead of mana, since I’d been living as a Hunter without relying on skills.
We gazed at the path stretching before us.
If lava alone had been the obstacle to clearing this Gate, the difficulty wouldn’t have been so severe. But naturally, that wasn’t all there was to it.
‘Horned boars swarm down that passage.’
In other words, if you couldn’t withstand and defeat the boars’ charges, you’d be knocked back and plunge into the lava.
Horned boars ahead, lava on both sides.
That’s why most Hunters wouldn’t even dare attempt this place.
It wasn’t for nothing that the Hunter Association assembled teams to challenge this Gate.
Especially when forming a team, it was essential to bring many warriors with exceptional strength and stamina.
They’d advance by holding specially crafted wedge-shaped multi-person shields at the front.
“Let’s go, Yong-yong!”
“Grrrrr!”
“Wait, I should be the one answering… this little beast is getting all the glory.”
“I was talking to Yong-yong. Your true form is Red Dragon anyway.”
“This brat?”
“Heh, let’s finish this quickly and grab some drinks.”
Of course, that didn’t apply to me and the old man.
I had strong flame resistance, and he could use attribute adaptation to gain heat resistance.
In other words, all we needed to worry about were the boars.
“Dragon Cleave!”
Screeeech—
Against the dragon knight’s Dragon Cleave and my Wind Slash, they were like sitting ducks.

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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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