Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 198

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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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198. Dark Ruins (4)
-Han Hye, be cautious just in case. This is a considerably powerful entity.
‘Yeah. That’s what it seems like.’
Chun-bae offered me his counsel. I had already suspected as much. The very aura it emanated was different. More than that, the scent of magical power radiating from its very existence was distinct.
The gatekeeper, Diluvian, was formidable as well. Even while focusing on defense earlier, I had traced the counterattack’s sword path in my mind.
An easy path forward was not apparent. It was only natural—this was a boss-tier enemy from a level 46-50 Gate.
Thanks to that, my thoughts became somewhat simpler.
Since the Grand Duke would be stronger than this creature, this wouldn’t lead to a chain of revenge—rather, it was time for rewards.
“First, I must express my gratitude. Though you are human, you have accomplished what even the demon folk could not. To you, I offer my respect and thanks….”
Nereion bowed with such grace that nobility itself seemed to emanate from the gesture. “Elegant” would be the fitting word.
As Nereion made this gesture, Diluvian behind him hastily lowered his head as well.
“I apologize for my suspicion. Before I understood, it was not of my own will.”
“It’s fine. I understand.”
I could not dampen such a pleasant atmosphere, so I graciously accepted the apology.
Nereion smiled.
“It is proper to repay a favor twofold, but I hope you will understand that my circumstances are not favorable at present.”
“Not at all.”
Since my counterpart was a demon far stronger than myself, I responded with appropriate deference. And I meant it sincerely.
Had this demon’s situation been better, he would not have emerged from a Gate of this level now.
Still, to think he was one who had contended for the seat of Grand Duke in the Demon Realm….
I knew he was strong, but I could not gauge just how strong. Perhaps around level 70-80?
“Please, accept these.”
The benevolent-faced demon extended a necklace and a small box toward me.
[Necklace of Dark Harmony (Grade A)]
Oh? As I received it and examined it briefly, I barely suppressed a gasp of admiration. I could not discern its full specifications, but it was certainly a Grade A necklace.
This alone was sufficient reward for my purpose in coming to the Ruins. The box was not yet the time to open, so I refrained.
“Thank you. Once again.”
Nereion bowed once more. Was this the end? Well, this much is certainly sufficient.
It was in that moment of thought.
“Under normal circumstances, I would have sought your aid in attacking the Grand Duke….”
The demon spoke. A faint hope lingered in my mind.
“However, it seems your strength has not yet reached that of the Grand Duke.”
This was a fact I had already learned from Chun-bae just moments ago. It was then that Diluvian interjected.
“Perhaps in time, it would be possible.”
“In time?”
“When I faced them, they were no easy opponent. I see sufficient potential for growth.”
Perhaps the strong recognize the strong. Though I had fought defensively, he must have gauged my abilities to some degree.
Had we fought properly, it would have been a difficult battle for us both. Though with my guild members, I would have prevailed.
“In the future, then… it might indeed be possible.”
“Yes. We cannot defeat the Grand Duke immediately. First, you must gather your strength.”
As I listened to the explanation, a sudden question arose in my mind.
‘Later? What does that mean? Are you saying I should train in this Gate for years?’
-Negative. It is closer to the foundation of a linked Gate.
‘A linked Gate?’
-After clearing this Gate, once Han Hye reaches an appropriate level, a Gate will appear nearby.
‘A Gate will appear around me?’
Now that I thought about it, I had heard at the Guild Conference that new types of Gates had been appearing recently.
I had even entered the same Gate twice before, and it wouldn’t have been strange if different Gates were connected to it.
This information seemed like something I should report to the Hunter Association as well. There was no telling when something like this might happen again.
I had no intention of hiding this kind of information sharing.
‘Should I see this as an opportunity?’
-Affirmative. However, you should understand that facing the Grand Duke will be quite difficult. It could be dangerous.
‘True. If things go wrong, it’s a Gate Break. How difficult do you think it would be?’
-It is difficult to gauge. Based on the current situation, it appears to be at least a level 75 or higher Gate, and it will be challenging.
I hesitated for a moment, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. Just from this reward alone, I had obtained an A-rank necklace and some mysterious box.
If I defeated the Grand Duke later, I could receive S-rank items… no, I was certain I could obtain items of S-rank or higher.
“If it is possible, I would like to help you in the future as well.”
“I knew you would say such a thing, you who found my name.”
Seeing how naturally Nereion accepted this, I couldn’t help but wonder if this linked Gate was actually a hidden reward.
“However, I should see your strength to know for certain…”
Was he suggesting we test ourselves against each other? I didn’t need to decline. I was confident in my guild’s abilities.
“If Diluvian has acknowledged it, there should be no problem.”
Nereion smiled while looking at his subordinate. Well, it seemed there was no need to exert unnecessary effort.
“I will contact you separately in the future. We shall meet then. I express my deepest gratitude once more.”
As Nereion spoke, his subordinate stepped forward.
“Now that you have recovered your name, the Grand Duke’s subordinates will arrive soon. You should leave this place quickly.”
The subordinate also spoke to us.
“You should leave this place as well. We’ll meet again later.”
* * *
The two demons departed. Just to be safe, I examined the interior of the building, but there was nothing besides the stone coffin.
It seemed this reward was all there was. After explaining the linked Gate to my guild members, there was only one thing left to do.
“So, should we open what that Demon Realm noble gave us?”
“Yeah, let’s check it out.”
The first thing I examined was the Necklace of Black Water. The jewel on the accessory felt as if the black water we had passed through earlier was alive.
[Necklace of Black Water (A-rank)]
-A necklace favored by a noble of the Demon Realm. The water infused with demonic power contains tremendous strength.
-Just before an enemy’s attack reaches your body, water imbued with demonic energy forms a protective barrier to defend you.
-Magic Power +4, Black Water Barrier (3/3)
“Wow, jackpot.”
“Isn’t this insane?”
All the guild members gasped in admiration upon seeing the necklace. It was impossible not to.
“This should count as an A-rank Protection Necklace, right?”
“No, it’s better than an A-rank protection item. This one activates three times. I’m not sure how long the cooldown is, though.”
Just as Mister said, I had obtained a superior version of an A-rank protection item.
For hunters, three instances of protection were so valuable that they’d pay any price for them, so this necklace held considerable worth.
“Next, what’s next?”
Mister gazed at the box with anticipation. The moment I opened it.
[Occupational Skill Acquisition Right]
“Ahhhhh!”
Mister suddenly let out a shriek. He had every reason to. He hadn’t obtained an occupational skill in quite some time.
“It appeared right here.”
Min-jae spoke with a smile. The guild members’ gazes turned toward Mister. This was clearly meant for him.
I didn’t have many occupational skills myself, but this was sufficient. Right now, prioritizing Burning and Severance was what mattered.
“I’d like to give this to Chul-gi, but does everyone agree?”
There were no objections. Once the guild members consented, Mister bowed his head repeatedly with genuine gratitude.
“Thank you. I’m grateful to all of you.”
“And the necklace…”
I shifted my attention to the black-hued necklace.
“I’m fine for now. I already have a protection item.”
“I’m good too. I have the Sand Soldier Armor, and I already received a skill acquisition right, so I can’t equip another.”
Mister and I stepped back, and Han Chul also withdrew.
“As you know, I’m a Guardian, so such things aren’t necessary for me.”
As the attention shifted toward the rear-guard position, Seo Min-jae and Lee Shin-hee looked startled.
“Pardon? It would make more sense for the front-liners to use that…”
“Technically yes, but there’s no harm in the rear-guard using it either. I’m currently in training, so I’m trying to exclude such items as much as possible.”
Well, in truth, protection items like this had no distinction between front and rear-guard. They were important for everyone.
I had sufficient stats, and I was focused on sword training in actual combat, so I didn’t particularly need it.
I already had a Protection Necklace, and with the item I’d obtained from Liu Zhen, my heart was already protected.
“And since the magical power stat increased by 4, it might be better for the rear-guard.”
“Still, it feels awkward to just accept that… How about we register this as a guild item? We could alternate using it depending on the situation, couldn’t we?”
It was Lee Shin-hee’s suggestion.
“Ah, that works too.”
Well, we already share equipment when needed, but giving ownership to someone can make them hesitant sometimes.
“For now, let the rear-guard members equip it, and we’ll redistribute it later if necessary.”
Thus, the item distribution was neatly settled. Now only one thing remained. A smile naturally formed at the corner of my mouth.
“Mister.”
“Yeah?”
“Should we use the skill acquisition right right now?”
“Right now?”
Mister hesitated slightly.
“I was planning to use it later.”
“You should open it right now. Let’s see what comes out!”
“Ugh. What if something bad appears?”
At Min-jae’s words, Mister scratched the back of his head. It was certainly a reasonable concern.
I had been fortunate—there were plenty of Hunters who obtained E-rank or F-rank skills from their Occupational Skill Acquisition Vouchers.
“Still, wouldn’t your luck be better if you used it in a Ruins Gate where we even found a Hidden area?”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Mister pondered for a moment, then nodded.
“Phew.”
After taking a deep breath, Mister suddenly closed both eyes and began to pray. He was clearly not a religious man, yet…
“God, Buddha, Allah, and… spirits of heaven and earth, I beseech you. Please grant me a good skill. I humbly ask. Amen, Namo Amitabha Buddha, Inshallah.”
I thought to myself—if he prayed like an octopus with all its arms, even if gods existed, they’d probably be offended enough to refuse him.
Yet Mister, far from concentrating on any single faith, even poured water and bowed to the heavens.
He was now dabbling in shamanism as well. In a scene that would make others laugh, Mister used the Occupational Skill Acquisition Voucher.
“Did it come out!”
Mister shouted. His expression was ambiguous. A moment of silence fell. Min-jae, who had been eager about this, licked his lips nervously.
“What is it? Not good?”
As the closest one here, I asked on his behalf. Mister let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh…”
Min-jae’s expression was visibly crumbling in real time. He was at a loss in disappointment—when suddenly Mister smiled.
“It came out! A-rank!”
“Ah!”
Min-jae let out a sigh of relief and complained.
“Why did you trick me like that! I thought it was because of me and got scared.”
“Thanks, kid. I’ll buy you a meal when we get out!”
In any case, Min-jae wasn’t the only one relieved. Since it was rare, I and the others had also been on edge.
Once he said it was good, a barrage of questions naturally followed.
“So, what skill is it?”
“Dragon Scale Piercing Spear!”
“Dragon Scale Piercing Spear? Even the name sounds cool!”
.
.
.
[Gate ‘Dark Ruins’ subjugation complete.]
[You have obtained experience points.]
[Your level has increased.]
Though the events inside the Ruins concluded without combat and somewhat anticlimactically, the results were not bad.
There had been plenty of battles on the way in, and my Severance Skill had leveled up as well.
Moreover, with an A-rank item and Mister obtaining an A-rank skill, we had thoroughly squeezed everything we could from this Ruins Gate.
But it wasn’t over yet.
‘I don’t know when, but if I enter a linked Gate….’
It meant I could obtain at least one S-rank item or higher.
It was when I emerged from the Gate with such joy in my heart.
“Huh, something seems….”
The area outside the Gate was unusually bustling. There were usually fans waiting until the Gate subjugation was complete….
They were all checking their phones, confirming something. They noticed us a beat slower than usual.
“Oh oh!”
“They’re out! They’re out!”
It was a moment that felt oddly familiar.
The Association Staff rushing over the moment we emerged was one thing. When was this again?
“Did something happen?”
“It seems like it….”
It was a moment when my guild members tensed at the ominous atmosphere.
“Is it a Trial Gate that appeared?”
Min-jae opened his mouth. Ah, now that I think about it, the first Trial Gate had a similar situation to this.
And as expected…. The Association Staff continued urgently.
“Han Hye, a Trial Gate has appeared.”

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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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