Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 185

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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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185. D-Day
“Hold on a moment.”
I raised my hand while maintaining distance. When Dong-hyuk lowered his sword, the others fell silent in unison.
We’d agreed that such requests could be made at any time during sparring. Insights could arrive at any moment, after all.
‘What could it be?’
I turned the matter over in my mind within the quiet. The reason I’d stopped the match was because it could be dangerous.
Upon seeing Dong-hyuk conceal his skill’s rank, my first thought was whether this man might be Übermenschen.
The reason was obvious—I’d recently been concerned about the collusion between Übermenschen and Jo Ji-hyuk, the Daeup Guild Master.
Though Dong-hyuk didn’t appear that way on the surface, such appearances mattered little.
‘One cannot judge people by their exterior alone.’
It was something I’d learned harshly during my days as a Gate orphan.
One must not judge others based solely on appearance.
There were those who looked virtuous yet struck from behind, and those who looked fearsome yet possessed noble hearts.
Appearance was not everything.
My thoughts grew quite tangled.
I’d once heard from Sang-yeop about the participants in the Swordsmanship Meeting, but the circumstances didn’t match.
‘Dong-hyuk was born in Korea and had never set foot abroad even once.’
That meant he hadn’t grown up under Übermenschen and come to Korea, nor had he concealed his identity like Rung Wei from China.
I’d heard that Dong-hyuk and Sang-yeop attended the same swordsmanship dojo in middle school.
If that were the case, recruitment must have happened later. Dong-hyuk concealed his rank from the contract’s start—if he were with Übermenschen, he’d have been recruited during his awakening phase.
Could that even be possible in Korea, where Übermenschen’s reach barely extended? I didn’t think so.
‘Then why hide it in the first place?’
Typically, early-stage awakeners didn’t disclose their stats, but when possessing high-rank skills, they revealed those ranks.
It was only natural. The value of S-rank versus D-rank skills couldn’t be compared.
‘The contract scale changes from the start, and the Hunter Association’s support differs accordingly.’
The substantial compensation I and Mister received during our contracts stemmed partly from skill utility, but also from rank.
And afterward, I received considerable consideration from the Hunter Association.
‘In any case, there’s no reason for Dong-hyuk to conceal his skill rank.’
Rather, if he’d recently colluded with Übermenschen like Jo Ji-hyuk is now suspected of doing, that would be one thing—but something was off from the beginning.
For that reason, it was difficult to hastily conclude he was with Übermenschen.
-What troubles you so deeply?
After I’d remained silent for a moment, Chun-bae asked. I explained my reasoning, and received an unexpected answer.
-Phantom Overlap Swordsmanship is S-rank, but its utility is poor in low-level ranges.
‘Is that so?’
-Affirmative. One must reach at least level 7 to be treated as S-rank. Before that, it’s merely C-rank swordsmanship.
‘C-rank?’
-Because beyond leaving afterimages in swordsmanship, the fundamental aspects are lacking. Before level 7, acquiring other swordsmanship skills is essential.
It was astonishing information. I knew growth-type skills existed among S-ranks. But they didn’t degrade to C-rank…
Though, my Subspace is a skill of considerable value, but honestly, without the Previous Previous Master’s arrangements within it, it would be difficult to call it S-rank.
-However, once level 7 is achieved, it can surpass other S-rank swordsmanship. One can control the afterimages at will.
‘Wow, that’s impressive.’
Yet that revelation didn’t resolve all my doubts.
‘But I wouldn’t have known that in the early stages of awakening.’
I had many questions, but I couldn’t very well ask if that was an S-rank swordsmanship technique right here and now.
I didn’t have time to deliberate further, and I needed to prepare for the next sparring match soon enough.
-How about saying it’s a swordsmanship technique you’ve seen inside a Gate? If there were other intentions, wouldn’t it be obvious?
‘Hmm.’
Unlike with Jo Ji-hyuk, I didn’t develop any suspicions. It seemed there was a separate reason for this.
Rather than overthink it, I decided to proceed with the sparring match.
“Ah, some insight came to mind, but it slipped away.”
“I see…”
Dong-hyuk, standing across from me, genuinely seemed disappointed by my words.
“If that insight came from my Phantom Sword, wouldn’t it emerge if we exchanged blades a bit longer?”
His suggestion seemed so sincere that suspicion didn’t take root.
“Very well.”
I decided to exchange blades with him. Still, I resolved to remain vigilant just in case.
We were sparring with wooden swords while wearing the constraint bracelets, after all.
If he really was Übermenschen, couldn’t he unleash a killing strike during the match?
.
.
.
Fortunately, Dong-hyuk didn’t suddenly launch a killing strike at me. The sparring ended in my favor.
Though our stats were equal, I was handling him better now that I’d grown somewhat accustomed to the Phantom Sword.
I could maintain distance and engage while the afterimages persisted. For now, it resembled a defensive swordsmanship style.
If I could eventually control those afterimages at will as Chun-bae suggested, things would be different.
“Thank you for the match.”
Unfortunately, I didn’t gain any swordsmanship insights. It remained more of an unusual experiential encounter.
After that came the sparring between Sang-yeop and Bong-seok. Bong-seok wielded an impressively aggressive swordsmanship style—it was fascinating to watch.
After today’s Swordsmanship Meeting concluded, I considered calling Dong-hyuk aside for a private conversation, but decided against it.
If it wasn’t related to Übermenschen, there’d be no problem, but if it really was their doing…
‘For now, the wisest move is to feign ignorance and leave it alone.’
Next week, I had planned to surveil Daeup Guild Master Jo Ji-hyuk’s movements with Seo Seung-yeon.
If I carelessly provoked Dong-hyuk and he sensed something suspicious, it would be catastrophic.
Since Dong-hyuk hadn’t attacked me first today, it was better to defer him in favor of Jo Ji-hyuk.
Hah. As I turned these thoughts over in my mind, a sigh escaped unbidden.
‘I’m intelligent enough, but I absolutely despise scheming.’
I just wanted to focus on hunter work. External interest was appreciated, but I hated being tormented by these extraneous complications.
The Übermenschen had been imposing restrictions on my actions since my early awakening.
Same with Daeup. At least with Daeup, if I gathered sufficient evidence, I could prevent their next candidate from becoming Association President—that was some consolation.
Without that leverage, my fury toward Übermenschen would be three times what it is now.
‘Well, it’s still irritating now, but that’s beside the point.’
Though it felt odd to say it, I found myself hoping that Jo Ji-hyuk had joined hands with the Übermenschen.
If the evidence was clear enough, I could dispose of him in one fell swoop.
Then my future activities in Korea and the Korean hunter industry would become far more convenient.
* * *
There was still time before Seo Seung-yeon would enter the Gate under cover. My daily routine remained unchanged.
Personal training and guild training.
The intensity was slightly higher than usual. It wasn’t intentional, but with next week approaching, my body naturally tensed with anticipation.
Still, I made sure not to overexert myself. Actually, there was one thing different from my usual routine.
I exposed myself to the public slightly more than normal.
“Hunter Han Hye! Could we possibly get a photo?”
“Of course. A Subspace shot?”
“Wow! Thank you so much!”
It wasn’t conspicuous exposure. Just visiting a cafe near the Training Facility or eating out.
I was leaking glimpses of my daily life to the outside world.
The goal was to make the Übermenschen think I wasn’t paying attention to them.
It was a strategy Seo Seung-yeon and I had devised together.
“You’re a real fan! Wow, I never thought I’d see you in person.”
“Thanks to you, I’m living comfortably. I’m always grateful!”
Separate from my intentions, these were pleasant moments. People were genuinely kind to me.
Ever since I defeated Liu Zhen, I was being evaluated as the next candidate for the national team and a future world champion.
Lately, when traveling abroad and mentioning my nationality, people would recognize I was from the Space Mage’s country before I even had to explain.
Compared to the cold stares I’d endured during my Gate Orphan days, it was a complete transformation.
“How exactly will it proceed?”
As the date drew closer, I learned the specific details of next week’s plan from Seo Seung-yeon.
-Right now, someone disguised as me is accompanying Saebyeokbit.
Hunters at the candidate level attract attention even during training. We have fans waiting outside the Training Facility too.
Since Seo Seung-yeon was currently handling surveillance of Jo Ji-hyuk, a double had been brought in.
-We’ve hired a makeup specialist from the foreign film industry, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
Saebyeokbit had put considerable effort into this. The disguised hunter would even enter the Gate with them.
To show how serious they were, they’d even arranged an escape secretary for the double.
-We’re planning to avoid direct combat with Jo Ji-hyuk as much as possible.
“Right. Shin Chang will be entering the Gate too.”
Saebyeokbit would actually be entering the Gate. Both the main team and Team B together, heading toward a Gate with a wide level range and strict personnel limits.
Only Seo Seung-yeon would be excluded. Therefore, our objective wasn’t combat.
-We’ve made our choice. Rather than catching the Übermenschen and Jo Ji-hyuk, who are in collusion, at the scene, we’re focusing on securing evidence and dealing with them decisively afterward.
I thought it was a wise decision. Even if Dae-eop Guild Master Jo Ji-hyuk meets with the Übermenschen, he won’t leave Korea immediately.
If we try to catch both, we might lose them both. So we’re catching one.
-All of this depends on Rung Wei’s words being true and Jo Ji-hyuk falling into our trap.
That’s right. It’s a serious concern and our hope, but the premise itself could be false.
And even if it were true, Jo Ji-hyuk would need to show his hand.
I continued my daily routine with a touch of anxiety, waiting for the day Seo Seung-yeon had mentioned.
And the following week… D-Day finally arrived.
“They’ve entered now.”
From the rooftop of a building roughly 1.5 kilometers away from the Daeup Guild House, Seo Seung-yeon and I lay concealed.
Seo Seung-yeon observed without even a telescope, proving she hadn’t earned her sniper credentials for nothing.
Real-time reports confirmed that Saebyeokbit had entered the Gate. From the disguised decoy to Shin Chang himself, photographs captured everyone’s entry, and the story had already made the news.
This was the critical moment. If Jo Ji-hyuk had truly allied with the Übermenschen, there would never be a better opportunity than now.
“Hmm…”
An hour and a half passed. Seo Seung-yeon sighed. Jo Ji-hyuk showed no particular movement.
Even though I’d deliberately scheduled Saebyeokbit’s Gate entry for 6 PM to give Jo Ji-hyuk every advantage to act.
“Could it be he’s not involved?”
Seo Seung-yeon answered in a deflated voice. Since Rung Wei’s testimony, she’d been monitoring Jo Ji-hyuk on barely any sleep.
Even today, exhaustion was plainly visible. She deserved to be tired. She’d been waiting for this day alone.
Well, looking at it this way, it might seem like I’m hoping Jo Ji-hyuk was involved…
But honestly, that’s true. He’s always been a pretty worthless guy, so I’d be glad if he was involved and we could dispose of him.
“That’s possible. Or he might have calculated even this far ahead. If he’s a cautious person.”
With Rung Wei already caught, he might be planning to lie low for two or three months regardless of what happens.
Of course, it would be difficult for Seo Seung-yeon to maintain surveillance the entire time.
“Want to grab a simple meal? I have plenty of food in my Subspace.”
“Really? What do you have?”
Seo Seung-yeon’s eyes lit up. It must have been difficult to eat proper food while staking out.
“Chicken, pizza, sushi, Chinese food, and more… I have it all.”
“I’ll take pizza, or wait, do you have tteokbokki too…? Huh?”
Seo Seung-yeon was speaking while looking toward Jo Ji-hyuk’s location when her eyes widened.
“He pulled something strange-looking from a drawer. I’ve never seen it before.”
And twenty seconds later.
“He’s moving.”
Whether he was heading to meet the Übermenschen or not, it was time for us to move as well.

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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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