Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 169

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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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169. Temple of Slaughter (4)
I ran at full speed, searching for the path down to the 1st Floor. Hadn’t I already mapped out the route beforehand?
Since I’d oriented myself before descending, I moved without the slightest hesitation.
I was making full use of my ability to sense what lay below from above.
The search on the 2nd Floor had taken only five minutes, so reaching the destination at full sprint took less than two.
“Here it is!”
And the place I arrived at was a vast space similar to when we first entered through the Gate. In its center stood a stone statue.
A Human Warrior nearly two meters tall, his lean muscular frame gripping a greatsword and shield.
-I can sense divinity.
Just as Chun-bae said, I too could perceive the sanctity emanating from the shield. Yet it felt different from the temple’s atmosphere.
“Hmm. Something feels off….”
“Rather than that statue being the shield’s owner, it feels like he took it from someone else, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The Human Warrior’s weapon was a greatsword, and he clutched the shield like a trophy seized from an adversary.
“That doesn’t concern us anyway.”
“True.”
With The Butcher closing in from behind, I quickly examined the shield’s specifications first.
“Wow….”
The moment Mister gasped in awe, I instinctively knew this shield was A-rank.
And I was right.
[Vault of Carnage (A-rank)]
-A shield bestowed by the God of Endurance upon his Apostle. It cannot be broken save by divine power.
-When defending with the shield, it can absorb and store a portion of the force and impact received, which can be released later.
-Strength, Stamina +3. Skill ‘Carnage Release’ available.
When I’d visited the Korean Hunter Association’s treasure vault before, I’d been so overwhelmed that I worried future Gate items wouldn’t satisfy me.
I was wrong. This was an A-rank item, and its specs were absurd.
For a hunter, a shield’s most crucial quality is its durability. The fact that it cannot be broken without divine power was already a pass.
No, it exceeded mere adequacy—there was no shield like this. But the ability that followed was even more astounding.
“This doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“A-rank is A-rank. We saw that recently enough.”
“Absorbing a portion of the impact….”
“If you block something like a bomb with it, you’d be able to unleash that bomb’s force through the shield later.”
From the conversation between Min-jae and Chul-gi, its value was immense.
Even Lee Shin-hee, who rarely showed emotion, had her mouth open in amazement.
‘Carnage Release’ surely had limits, but considering the shield was A-rank, its power would exceed our expectations.
In other words, there was no better weapon for a vanguard dedicated to defense.
“Perhaps the core of this Gate was using this shield to stop The Butcher.”
This was where the Gate Break had occurred. Even by Chun-bae’s reasoning, The Butcher was an opponent that couldn’t be defeated.
Meaning there was no way to defeat The Butcher through ordinary methods.
But if we found this shield on the 1st Floor, things would be different.
Perhaps the key was blocking The Butcher’s attacks with the shield and returning them through Carnage Release.
“Isn’t that a bit too malicious?”
When Mister complained, Min-jae nodded in agreement.
“Exactly. The Butcher came charging down the moment we arrived on the 1st Floor. How are we supposed to find it in such a vast space? Finding the exit would be faster.”
“Well, we found it, didn’t we?”
Lee Shin-hee laughed and shrugged her shoulders.
-I think it would be much better to just use this shield rather than recover the divine essence from it.
Though I was in a state of divine essence shortage, I agreed with Chun-bae’s sentiment.
If I recovered the divine essence, the item’s performance would diminish, but this shield was worth that sacrifice.
“….”
While we had this conversation, Han Chul’s eyes widened and he swallowed hard.
Well, the owner was already decided from the moment we realized it was a shield.
“This belongs to Han Chul.”
As a Guardian, Han Chul uses both sword and shield. His swordsmanship also employs a sword-and-shield technique similar to what I’d taught Lee Shin-hee.
Among our guild members, only Lee Shin-hee and Han Chul used shields, and the A-rank shield rightfully belonged to Han Chul.
“I’m not sure if I should accept something so precious….”
“Come on, I received an A-rank elixir and got a cloak too.”
The stat boost from the A-rank elixir was noticeable immediately after consumption, but I couldn’t feel the cloak’s effects until here, where I could distinctly sense it.
My body moved slightly faster and felt stronger when fighting the hidden Fanatics.
“Still….”
“You know our guild’s distribution principle. It’s Han Chul’s. If you’re still concerned, wouldn’t it be fine to give your current shield to Lee Shin-hee?”
At my words, Lee Shin-hee waved her hand.
“No, I’m fine with it.”
Our guild members fall into two categories: those like Mister and Min-jae who accept what’s given without hesitation, and those like Han Chul and Lee Shin-hee who decline first.
Well, I think both types are good. There’s satisfaction in giving to either kind.
“No. I’d rather Lee Shin-hee use it than sell it somewhere. It’s quite a fine item.”
“Then I’ll gratefully….”
“Take it quickly. The Butcher seems to be coming soon.”
Thus, the shield transfer ceremony took place right there. Han Chul took the Carnage Vault, and Lee Shin-hee inherited the shield Han Chul had been using.
“Please give me that.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Lee Shin-hee’s original shield naturally went into the Subspace.
“I’ll give this to you when we leave. You can dispose of it as you see fit.”
Since Lee Shin-hee rarely needed to use a shield, her shield’s rank wasn’t particularly high, but it was still worth selling.
Even if Lee Shin-hee was wealthy, it would be strange for me to keep it. But Lee Shin-hee shook her head.
“Just in case, it might be good to keep one as a spare. A D-rank shield could be useful in an emergency.”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
The spare shield I was currently carrying was E-rank, so upgrading it by one tier seemed reasonable.
Besides, Han Chul’s shield would rarely break anyway.
-Thud! Thud!
That was when it happened. You could say the timing was perfect. From deep down that distant corridor came the sound of heavy footsteps.
Along with it, the scraping sound of a sword being dragged across the floor.
“They’re here.”
“Thank goodness. We managed to get the shield.”
What I’d been most worried about was encountering The Butcher before finding something valuable on the 1st or 2nd Floor.
Now it didn’t matter. Even if we gained nothing else from this Gate, our haul was already sufficient.
We’d obtained an A-rank shield.
Even if The Butcher proved stronger than expected and forced us to use the escape Secretary, it wouldn’t be a loss at all.
“Everyone understands, right? If the situation feels uncertain, don’t hesitate to use the Secretary.”
I had Leap and spatial awareness, so finding an exit here wouldn’t be a problem for me.
Now that we’d secured a valuable item, it was time to protect my teammates.
“Well, it’d be even better if we defeat it.”
“Right. We should collect all the rewards.”
“Since Mister’s spatial range is somewhat limited, let’s have him cover the rear while Han Chul and I engage it directly.”
The moment I finished speaking, I felt strength surge through my body. It was the effect of the Howling Wolf Cloak—when sensing killing intent, my strength and agility increased by 2.
And then, The Butcher appeared.
* * *
“….”
The Dragon Guild members immediately understood this wasn’t where a Gate Break had occurred, just from seeing The Butcher.
The atmosphere itself was ominous.
Despite having gaps in its blade, the massive greatsword caked with blood looked too heavy even for Han Hye to lift with both hands.
Moreover, wearing only pants with no upper garment, its entire body was covered in muscle so densely packed that it made a thunderous sound with each step.
It was even larger than Kim Han-chul, the biggest member of the Dragon Guild and someone who never lost in terms of sheer size anywhere else.
“Oh….”
In that moment, Kim Han-chul suddenly let out an exclamation of admiration. Then, almost unconsciously, he glanced around nervously.
“My apologies. It’s just… the ideal physique I’ve always envisioned….”
Since Kim Han-chul rarely showed such a reaction, Han Hye and the other Dragon Guild members were slightly taken aback.
Han Hye let out a hollow laugh.
“Well, I suppose that’s understandable.”
Han Hye had never seen a fitness enthusiast quite like Kim Han-chul.
It seemed like outside of training hours, he was always at the gym.
Every time she visited the premium gym built in the Guild House, Kim Han-chul was there.
Morning, evening, or dawn….
“Hrrgh….”
The Butcher, upon seeing Han Hye’s group, stopped in its tracks and exhaled with a faint, twisted smile.
Its crimson eyes were clearly somewhat unhinged, no matter how you looked at it.
The blood splattered across its entire body and what appeared to be fragments of flesh or viscera clinging to its upper torso certainly contributed to that atmosphere.
“As you can all see, this thing isn’t in its right mind, and it’s no ordinary creature.”
During that brief standoff, Han Hye reminded her guild members of the situation once more.
“It places mental strain as well. If an emergency arises, don’t hesitate to use the Secretary.”
The Spirit stat exists for a reason. Enemies with sufficient strength cause hunters’ bodies and minds to shrink back in fear.
And The Butcher standing before me was certainly radiating that aura. Along with a vicious, divine presence.
-Thud!
Without any warning, The Butcher kicked off the ground. The moment I registered that, I bolted forward as well.
At a glance, this creature was no ordinary foe. I had no intention of closing the distance to my guild members, especially those in the rear.
‘Fast.’
I assessed The Butcher as possessing stats comparable to an early Level 60 vanguard member.
But The Butcher was definitely faster than me. The difference was unmistakable.
This wasn’t an enemy meant to be fought directly. As a calamity, it was designed to be evaded, just like in survival-type Gates.
The Butcher’s greatsword came slashing diagonally like a whip.
‘A greatsword for the first time….’
I welcomed swordplay, but given the nature of this opponent, I approached with unusual seriousness.
Could I block it? The problem was the opponent moved so fast I barely had time to think.
‘Deflect….’
I twisted my body, trying to parry it away, but it didn’t go as planned.
Clang-!
The destructive power of The Butcher’s greatsword was overwhelming.
I managed to deflect and block it as intended, but my wrist throbbed painfully. I couldn’t even consider a counterattack.
Whoosh- I was driven back over a meter just from the deflection. The real problem came next.
The Butcher took a single step forward and brought the massive greatsword down with the speed of a dagger.
‘Damn….’
I rolled across the floor to evade. I was saving my leap ability as a last resort.
Boom-!
The greatsword had gaps between its teeth, but its destructive power seemed undiminished.
The ground where I’d been standing shattered, sending debris flying in all directions.
“…Blessing!”
“Pierce through!”
Because The Butcher kicked off without warning, Lee Shin-hee’s buff settled on me a beat too late.
Followed by Seo Min-jae’s magic pouring down, giving me a moment to catch my breath.
And I assessed the situation coldly.
I’d prided myself on possessing vanguard-level stats. Objectively, that assessment was sound.
‘I would have tried to handle this alone normally….’
But that was impossible now.
This was a higher-tier enemy. Unless it were on the level of Shin Chang, fighting it alone was out of the question—that was my conclusion.
However….
The Dragon Guild wasn’t the type of enemy that would force us to use an escape Secretary. I thought it was worth attempting.
“Han Chul!”
“Yes!”
“It’s been a while since you’ve had to put in some real effort.”
Kim Han-chul let out a low chuckle.
“It was exactly what I hoped for.”
I meant it sincerely. In truth, since joining the Dragon Guild, I had rarely found myself in a fierce, blood-soaked battle.
Perhaps when facing imps in the Witch’s Forest—but those were hardly challenging opponents. Even when I hunted the Earth Dragon, all I did was run around.
But now, I was truly prepared in my heart. Despite the dire circumstances, anxiety did not surface.
My heartbeat remained steady as always. It meant I was maintaining perfect composure.
“Face me-!”
I shouted, stepping forward with the Vault of Atrocity in hand.
Provocation-type skills rarely worked well against enemies stronger than myself, but….
“….”
Perhaps because of the Vault of Atrocity I held, the Butcher’s lips curled into a bloodthirsty grin.
“Yes. Look at me.”
I smiled back at him. I just needed to focus on defense. After all, I had Han Hye.
‘Now this is getting interesting.’
And Han Hye felt the same way.

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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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