Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 175

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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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175. Long Wei (1)
“Übermenschen has been spotted in Korea.”
“Pardon?”
I couldn’t help but be taken aback by the name Übermenschen. We had quite the troubled history with them.
There was an incident when I went to Saudi Arabia, and the name came up again with Liu Zhen.
And most importantly, it was because of Min-seok, who was in Korea.
If Übermenschen had been spotted in Korea, my first concern was Min-seok’s safety.
“Surely not….”
“It doesn’t seem to be related to Min-seok, though I understand your concern. We’ve been quite careful about it on our end.”
Seo-ung paused to choose his words carefully.
“As you know, Han Hye, we’re constantly monitoring everyone who has information related to Min-seok—except for you and Chul-gi.”
That’s right. It was something I’d heard about from the beginning. Those helping Min-seok had agreed to the Hunter Association’s security oath.
Given the sensitive nature of the information, they received additional benefits in exchange for providing their personal details to the Association.
“We just confirmed Min-seok’s safety a moment ago.”
I was relieved for now, but worry still gnawed at me. There seemed to be no reason for Übermenschen to enter Korea other than Min-seok.
Targeting me or Uncle would be pointless—we’d grown considerably since those days.
“This Übermenschen member was being hunted in China.”
“Ah, could it be the one from back then…?”
A memory came to mind immediately. It was after my encounter with Liu Zhen. Liu Zhen had mentioned Übermenschen to the Chinese authorities.
An Übermenschen member who had infiltrated the upper echelons of China was discovered, and a pursuit ensued.
“Yes. Someone who fled while evading pursuit by the Chinese Public Security.”
“So one of them is still at large.”
“Yes. We heard they completely lost track of this one.”
When I heard that two of the three were captured and one was still being pursued, I’d assumed they were a thief-class hunter.
I thought they’d be caught eventually and didn’t pay much attention after that, but it seemed they still hadn’t been apprehended.
“We heard they fled southward… It appears they smuggled themselves in by boat.”
“But why here….”
Honestly, if they were going to smuggle themselves in, it would’ve been better to slip into Southeast Asia. They’d need to return to Übermenschen’s main operational area.
Since the Gate incident, our country had maintained considerable security. Once you entered, it was difficult to leave.
‘Or is it? If they smuggled in, could they also smuggle out?’
The real problem was that I couldn’t determine their true intentions. Information about Min-seok could have been leaked.
“How did you confirm it?”
“We received a tip. Someone said they saw a similar face. After checking the CCTV footage, we determined it was the same person.”
The wanted person was an Übermenschen member named Long Wei.
I didn’t know their real name. I knew they were East Asian, but everything else was a fabricated identity.
Moreover, despite being an Awakened, their hunter abilities hadn’t been clearly identified. They’d worked as a personal bodyguard for the high-ranking official who was captured and never revealed their abilities.
The Chinese authorities, who failed in their pursuit, seemed to have concluded they were at least a level 50 or higher thief-class hunter.
“We need to go catch them.”
The situation was sudden, but now that Übermenschen’s location was identified, the best course of action was to go capture them immediately.
Korea was a place where Übermenschen’s reach was limited, but one could never be too careful.
They had already infiltrated the upper echelons of China, so Korea wouldn’t be any different.
However, Seo-ung shook his head.
“We haven’t pinpointed the exact location yet.”
“Didn’t you confirm it through CCTV?”
“That footage is from three days ago. They’ve apparently moved since then. We’re currently tracking their movements.”
Then there was nothing to be done about it.
“Can I go after them too?”
“Of course. We were planning to request cooperation from other hunters anyway. Naturally, that includes you, Han Hye.”
“Hmm. As for my guild members…”
I found myself hesitating. Tracking Übermenschen. Since it was outside a Gate, it warranted careful consideration.
In truth, Min-jae and Lee Shin-hee weren’t suited for this kind of work. Rear-line classes would struggle to carry out tracking missions.
Lee Shin-hee could position herself nearby and respond if casualties occurred, but Min-jae was more ambiguous.
A chase would inevitably unfold in the city, and it would be difficult to use Min-jae’s magic. The buildings would all be destroyed.
“Regarding that, I’m planning to assemble a separate team.”
Fortunately, Seo-ung put my concerns to rest.
“I’m personally planning to assign additional guards to Min-seok, but I think it would be better if Choi Chul-gi remained by his son’s side.”
“That’s right.”
We couldn’t know how the situation would unfold. If their target was Min-seok by any chance, he could be bait.
It was a scheme—a false tip to lure us away while they targeted Min-seok.
“For now, I think I need to go see the Association President. I’ll contact you right away.”
Seo-ung excused himself and immediately rushed toward the Hunter Association.
Well, the fact that he’d informed me of the situation in such an urgent crisis involving Übermenschen’s appearance was consideration enough.
“Mister.”
I immediately called Chul-gi.
“Where are you? Come home right away.”
.
.
.
“Übermenschen came to Korea? Are you insane?”
Upon hearing the news, Chul-gi quickly returned home from the Training Facility. He was drenched in sweat.
“I’m not sure if it’s because of Min-seok, but we need to be prepared. For now, I’m planning to join the pursuit.”
“What about me?”
“Wouldn’t you feel uneasy leaving Min-seok’s side?”
When I mentioned the possibility that this could be a feint targeting our movement, he nodded in agreement.
“That’s true. I’d feel anxious if I left.”
“I’m leaving Yong-yong behind, so if a dangerous situation develops, you can take Min-seok and fly away immediately.”
In truth, moving with Chul-gi and Min-seok would have been the safest approach.
But doing so carelessly could actually expose our information instead.
If they didn’t know about Min-seok, we’d be revealing his existence on our own.
Since only a handful of people in the Hunter Association knew of the Stoneworker’s existence, we couldn’t employ such a strategy while we were being observed so closely.
—Han Hye. The pursuit team has been decided: Seo Seung-yeon, our sniper, along with the other Dawn Light Guild members, and you.
Then a call came through to Seo-ung.
The Iron Wall Guild’s main team was already inside a Gate, so cooperation wasn’t possible. That’s why I and Dawn Light were going instead.
Since Dawn Light, Korea’s vanguard, had already confirmed their participation, it wasn’t a major concern. The only thing that bothered me was that Shin Chang wasn’t on the pursuit team.
If Dawn Light was participating, Shin Chang’s name should have come up first, but instead it was Seo Seung-yeon’s.
“What about Shin Chang?”
—Shin Chang is on standby at the Hunter Association. We’ve prepared a helicopter. It could get dangerous, after all.
That reasoning made sense. Since the old man’s house was near the Association Vicinity, a helicopter could get him there in less than three minutes.
If this turned out to be a feint and the enemies were targeting Min-seok… Shin Chang would arrive faster than anyone.
“A kind of insurance, then.”
—Exactly.
“With Shin Chang as insurance, we can face any situation with confidence.”
—And since Shin Chang knows Min-seok, there’s no one more suitable.
It was typical of an Association executive’s work. The way they painted the big picture and deployed personnel was reassuring.
Besides, if Shin Chang moved and we assigned someone else as backup, we might end up learning things about Min-seok that we shouldn’t.
—Can you come to the Association right now? We’re currently mobilizing all our forces to track their movements, and they should surface soon.
“Yes. I’ll move immediately.”
* * *
“I was wondering who the extra person was, but it’s Han Hye.”
Seo Seung-yeon smiled at me with a grin.
“I thought it might be Daeup since Iron Wall went into the Gate, but I’m relieved.”
“Right. With Han Hye, we don’t have to worry about ability.”
“Welcome.”
When I arrived at the Association, the Dawn Light Guild members were already there. Since I knew some of them, I greeted them, and they said they’d been training nearby and could come quickly.
The timing worked out quite favorably for us.
Still, it felt odd that the vanguard members, some of whom were over level 60, didn’t seem to mind me being in the late 40s level range.
Then again, since I’d been seeing Shin Chang and Seo Seung-yeon regularly, they probably knew internally that my stats were at the vanguard level.
“The world’s gone mad. The Übermenschen are entering Korea too.”
Seo Seung-yeon spoke while crossing her legs in the chair.
“Well, they could already be here without it being strange. They were even in that closed-off China. Remember how shocked we were back then?”
“True. Watching what those Daeup bastards do, it wouldn’t be strange if they’d joined hands with the Übermenschen.”
“Tsk.”
Seo Seung-yeon had spoken, but the Dawn Light healer gave her a look. It seemed to be because of me.
Disparaging other guilds wasn’t a good thing, after all.
I smiled faintly. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who disliked Daeup. Then again, any established hunter would know about Daeup’s misdeeds.
Especially if they were from Dawn Light, which ranked in the top three alongside them, they’d know even better. Seo Seung-yeon shrugged.
“It’s fine. Han Hye doesn’t like Daeup either.”
It was something that came up briefly while sparring with Shin Chang. The Dawn Light healer, who had teased me about it then, asked me now.
“Really?”
“Yes. Back when I was a porter, they stiffed me on payment. Even after I awakened, they stole my personal information and called me about it.”
“Oh right, now that I think about it, didn’t Daeup no-show during that last emission-type Gate? That made things pretty rough for Dinosaur Guild, didn’t it?”
“Yeah. I was really annoyed back then too.”
The Saebyeokbit Guild healer nodded repeatedly.
“Those guys are always like that. Ugh, you have no idea how ridiculous it was for us. Even when we apply for Gates together, we get pushed back. They discriminate from above, you know? At least things got a bit better after the Association President arrived. Just thinking about when the Association President changes makes me dizzy already.”
The Saebyeokbit Guild healer had clearly been holding a lot in, unleashing complaints like machine-gun fire at my single remark.
Since it was honestly relatable, I nodded along in agreement.
“Right? Even back when I was a porter, I heard a lot of bad rumors. Something about collusion with politicians and all that.”
“It’s the truth though. Even with this no-show, they’re sneaking away like nothing happened. What, personal political beliefs? That’s complete nonsense.”
We’d only known each other by face, but complaining about Daeup together suddenly sparked a sense of camaraderie between us.
It seemed the Saebyeokbit Guild members had plenty pent up as well.
“Damn those bastards. Just thinking about when I got pushed back on that Ruins Gate makes me annoyed all over again.”
As Seo Seung-yeon spun her pistol on her finger while complaining, the Saebyeokbit Guild healer sitting beside her frowned.
“Seung-yeon. Don’t spin the gun around.”
“Yes.”
“I know your skill, but it scares me every time the muzzle points my way.”
“I’ll be careful.”
It was also a moment where I could learn more about the Saebyeokbit Guild in detail.
Though Seo Seung-yeon got along with Shin Chang without hesitation, she officially belonged to Saebyeokbit’s B-team.
The healer I’d just spoken with was from the main team. There was clearly a strict hierarchy between them.
And then Seo-ung came in.
“Long Wei’s location should be coming up soon. Before that, let me give you a brief briefing first.”
Seo-ung continued speaking as the room quieted down.
“First, since Han Hye has joined the existing Saebyeokbit members, I don’t think there will be any major issues. I was thinking, what if Han Hye takes over Shin Chang’s position….”
Seo-ung asked the Saebyeokbit Guild members, and they all nodded silently.
I was the one who was flustered instead. Shin Chang’s position?
“Really? Is that so?”
“Well, with Han Hye, there’s no problem. I think it’ll work perfectly if you just fill that spot.”
They’re giving me that much recognition?
Of course, since Shin Chang was in the dealer position, if I took that role, it would fit well. It wouldn’t make sense to move me to the front or back line.
But the feeling was different. Just a year ago, I was dreaming of becoming a Hunter while looking at Saebyeokbit….
Being recognized like this felt surreal. Seo-ung continued speaking.
“Actually, we don’t have detailed information about Long Wei. The name is an alias, and we can’t be certain of his actual age, level, or skills.”
Seo-ung turned on the screen.
“Still, through the footage sent by the Chinese side, we can at least figure out roughly his job and skills….”
That’s when the door burst open. It was the Association Staff member who often accompanied Seo-ung.
“We’ve located Long Wei.”
Seo-ung nodded. The Saebyeokbit Guild members were already standing up from their seats, looking at me.
As I stood up from my seat, Seo-ung continued speaking.
“We’ll brief you on the 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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