Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 2

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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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2. Even in Dragon’s Nest, If Only I Awaken My Subspace (1)
“Phew.”
I was alive, at least.
The moment I closed the door, all sound ceased. It seemed my ‘subspace’ was indeed a realm entirely separate from reality.
Fortunately, even within the subspace, I felt no significant mana drain.
There had been consumption when opening the door, but once inside, it appeared no further mana expenditure was necessary. A relief.
‘It’s far too dark.’
Not that I was in a position to complain, but the space I’d entered was shrouded in darkness. As my breathing steadied, the reality of it sank in.
Not a glimmer of light reached my eyes, and I couldn’t even distinguish ceiling from floor.
I retrieved the portable flashlight I’d secured at my waist.
“Ugh!”
The sudden brightness stung my eyes slightly. Yet it granted me clarity about the space’s structure.
The subspace was precisely a square chamber.
Its length, width, and height each measured roughly six to seven meters. The ceiling towered impossibly high.
“Huh? What’s this?”
But the space contained other objects. Beyond the dragon egg I’d brought.
A desk and two books came into view, with a sword and staff positioned beside the desk.
‘Looks like someone’s workspace.’
For a moment, I wondered if another awakened one existed, but I quickly shook my head.
The items here looked unmistakably distant from anything modern.
“What language is this?”
The inscriptions on the book covers were entirely unfamiliar. They resembled artifacts from some medieval era.
Even the paper’s texture differed from anything I knew.
“What is this? A lantern?”
A lantern-like object rested on the desk. Peculiarly, a mana stone was embedded where a candle would be.
The moment my hand touched it, mana drained from me, and the lantern ignited.
“A mana-powered lamp?”
I knew awakened hunters had access to flashlights powered solely by mana.
Yet this differed from modern designs. I shifted my gaze to the sword and staff beside it.
[Poong-shin’s Blade (D-Rank)]
-A sword once wielded by Poong-shin, the Sword Master of Bogtan, in his youth before his curiosity led him elsewhere.
-The blade harbors the power of wind.
-If Strength and Agility are 15 or higher, Wind Slash (Lv.1) becomes usable.
[Red Magic Tower Advanced Staff (D-Rank)]
-A staff manufactured by the Red Magic Tower.
-Increases mana efficiency when casting spells.
-If Mana ability is 15 or higher, Mana ability increases by 3.
“…?”
I immediately recognized these sword and staff as no ordinary items. D-Rank equipment alone commanded prices ranging from thousands to hundreds of millions.
Moreover, a sword capable of skill activation and a staff that boosted stats? Their value ascended further still.
Such items existed in my subspace. I don’t know why they were here, but one thing was certain.
‘Whoever left them behind…’
They were mine now.
‘This is insane.’
Even if my ability was simply this space itself, that would have been enough. Having worked in the hunter industry, I understood the potential of such a space.
But to have weapons as well?
Regardless of the reason, this was no ordinary inventory. Could it be because my ability was S-rank?
I wondered what else might be here.
My gaze shifted toward the bookshelf.
It was natural to be curious about the books displayed there. Though there were only two, the weapons had been D-rank after all.
[Svinfood Empire Foundational Swordsmanship (E-rank)]
[Red Magic Tower Basic Grimoire (E-rank)]
“Hmm.”
Perhaps because I’d just seen D-rank weapons, the books marked as E-rank felt slightly disappointing.
Yet in reality, these were quite rare.
The books that awakened hunters called “secret texts” emerged from gate dungeons at extremely low probabilities.
They’re generally not high-ranked, but even low-ranked ones are precious.
It’s been ten years since gates opened. How much have Earth’s swordsmanship and magic advanced?
Learning swordsmanship at a dojo typically results in F-rank swordsmanship. As for magic, there’s barely anywhere that teaches it properly.
Moreover, these secret texts grant knowledge of martial arts or magic simply by reading them, making them highly coveted items.
As I gazed at the items for a moment, one thing became clear.
Regardless of where these items came from, they were not of Earth’s origin.
Just looking at the books written in an unknown language, the desk, and the mana lamp made that obvious.
‘What on earth is this?’
Swordsmanship and magic. As if presenting two choices, there were two books and two pieces of equipment.
I had no idea where they came from or what the person who left them intended.
But one thing was certain…
I’d hit the jackpot. Just selling that grimoire and sword would net me at least two billion won.
‘…But first, I need to survive.’
The excitement of discovering treasure faded quickly, and my mood plummeted.
Jackpot or not, it was time to face reality.
What good were a sword and staff worth enormous sums if I couldn’t sell them?
Outside wasn’t a goblin, orc, or troll—it was a dragon.
Learning an E-rank secret text wouldn’t change the situation. Even an S-rank one wouldn’t help.
The blood drained from my head.
‘This isn’t the time for this.’
My subspace was a special ability. It wasn’t merely granting extra storage—it seemed to hold secrets I didn’t yet understand.
But ultimately, all of it only had value if I survived.
First, I decided to properly assess my current situation.
All I had was a water canteen tied to my waist and a bundle of dried meat in my pocket as emergency rations.
‘Time….’
I checked my wristwatch. Roughly six hours remained until the gate closed.
If I simply remained here, I could easily survive. But one problem persisted.
‘Whether time flows the same inside this subspace as it does outside—that’s what matters.’
Judging by the second hand ticking on my wristwatch, time seemed to be flowing here as well….
But I couldn’t know for certain whether the outside world shared the same temporal flow as this place.
The reason this thought suddenly struck me was because everything inside the subspace looked far too pristine. Not even dust had accumulated.
The very fact that I couldn’t hear the dragon’s roar confirmed this was a space separated from reality.
There was only one way to verify it.
Open the door again, just as before.
If time wasn’t flowing out there, the dragon would still be in the exact same position as when it first entered the lair.
I prepared myself to open the subspace’s door with extreme caution.
‘Just a crack. Really, just a tiny crack.’
The door responds to my thoughts.
Earlier, I’d opened it wide enough for a person to pass through, but opening it smaller was also possible.
Whoooosh—
I concentrated with all my might and opened the door. Light flooded into the black space. As intended, a gap slightly larger than my fist appeared.
And there, in the illuminated area, I saw the dragon. It was frozen in the exact same pose as the last time I’d seen it.
Thud— thud— thud—.
But at that very moment, the dragon began rushing toward me. It charged with an enraged expression, eyes blazing.
It was nearly upon me.
“Damn it.”
My body went rigid from the shock, then I slammed the subspace shut. Cold sweat poured down my face.
I tilted my head back and let out a deep sigh.
“This is a mess.”
* * *
Time flows differently inside and outside the subspace. In other words, no matter how long I endure here, it means nothing.
I’d acquired excellent weapons and techniques, gained a subspace with secrets, and now I was simply going to die.
‘That absolutely cannot happen…!’
I’ve survived with such tenacity all these years. I’m not just an orphan—I’m a gate orphan. My survival has been nothing short of pathetic.
I’ve been treated like garbage and begged for scraps. I’ve harbored resentment, yet also received the rare kindness of benevolent souls.
Of course I made every effort to awaken.
Despite my poverty, I learned swordsmanship, endured ice-cold baths in the dead of winter, and even attempted a five-hour sauna challenge before losing consciousness.
‘None of it worked.’
Yet I never gave up, continuing my life as a porter, always hoping that one day I would awaken.
And then, at last, I achieved that long-cherished awakening.
Give up because of some overgrown reptile?
That was unacceptable.
I couldn’t die like this, not even if it meant dying with regrets.
‘If I’m going to die, I’ll at least accomplish something first.’
Shouldn’t I at least drive my blade into the monster that killed my parents once, so I won’t have regrets when I die?
But contrary to my resolve, the answer didn’t come easily.
I pondered for a long time, but I couldn’t see a path forward. If I only open the dimensional pocket one second at a time so the dragon can’t react?
How many seconds is six hours?
I did a quick calculation and shook my head.
It doesn’t make sense. There’s far too much time. The dragon would be far stronger and more agile than me.
‘Even if I open it just a crack, if it breathes fire, I’m dead.’
After deliberating for so long, I flopped onto the floor of the dimensional pocket in frustration. My head was burning.
“Damn it.”
Perhaps from thinking too hard, my mind had gone rigid and wouldn’t work properly.
As I sighed again and turned my head slightly, I caught sight of the dragon’s egg. In that instant, a lightning bolt struck through my mind.
Wait.
Could I survive with that?
.
.
.
I contemplated the idea that had suddenly occurred to me. Of course, it wasn’t anything grand.
The plan was simple.
First, I open the dimensional pocket just wide enough for my fist, like before.
Second, I place the dragon’s egg in front of the fist-sized opening of the dimensional pocket.
Since the dragon egg is large, it can’t pass through the opening to the outside. Unless the dragon intends to destroy its own egg.
What madman would kill their own child to catch a kidnapper?
Unable to do that, the dragon would have no choice but to face off with me, the hostage-taker.
‘Mana consumption doesn’t matter either.’
Keeping the dimensional pocket open drains mana, but that’s fine. I can close the door and recover mana inside the pocket.
It means I have plenty of time to rest.
I have a bottle of water and some jerky too. It’ll take longer than six hours since I need to rest, but it’s enough to hold out.
‘Am I a genius?’
Being a gate orphan who couldn’t receive proper education, I’d always had a sharp mind.
But this plan had a fatal flaw. What if the dragon’s egg could withstand the dragon’s breath?
[Red Dragon’s Egg]
-A dragon egg with only a short time remaining before hatching.
-Heat is required for hatching.
If an egg that requires heat can withstand the dragon’s breath, I’ll burn to death from the flames seeping through the narrow gap.
From what I know, burning to death is the most agonizing way to go… This was my only concern.
But there was no other option.
If I stayed put inside, I’d starve to death.
‘If I’m going to die anyway, I might as well try.’
It might be excessive worry. If the dragon’s egg needed heat to hatch, the dragon wouldn’t be incubating it—it would just breathe fire on it.
I remember the breath that melted the forest. That egg would likely melt too.
I steadied myself, grasped the dragon’s egg, and prepared to open the gate to the subspace.
I held the egg in my left hand and the Poong-shin Blade in my right.
‘I’m not sure if I’ll need it, but….’
Simply holding it brought a strange sense of reassurance. I exhaled slowly, drawing in a deep breath.
Then I opened the subspace gate.
Just as before, I focused intently.
The gate began to open slowly beneath the spatial rift. Cold sweat trickled down my face as I swallowed hard.
-Grrrrr!
A low roar echoed through. The dragon’s silhouette appeared directly beyond the opening. Its terrifying reptilian eyes fixed upon me.
I hurriedly placed the dragon’s egg in front of the subspace entrance and pressed my left hand firmly against it.
Boom-! Boom-!
Since the egg was elliptical, it couldn’t completely seal the entrance. A gap of roughly one centimeter remained.
Through that gap, I felt the roar and slight vibrations. Yet the impacts weren’t directed at the egg itself.
I had found my answer.
I clenched my teeth and shouted.
“I’ve got your spawn! Go on—try attacking!”
It was the dialogue of a third-rate villain attempting a hostage situation.

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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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