Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 202

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

202. Trial of Fire (3)
‘Now I understand the pattern.’
From what had just transpired, I could discern the nature of the Trial of Fire Gate. Without combat, the lever wouldn’t budge, and we couldn’t advance to the next passage.
In other words, the Trial of Fire Gate required us to split into two teams to progress.
Otherwise, we’d have to take a lengthy detour through the scorching flames, which was an extraordinarily grueling approach.
Assuming this was the first checkpoint, the second and third passages would be equally difficult to breach.
‘A Gate with no time limit. I have no idea how many similar trials await us.’
Even with flame resistance, hunters of lower ranks would suffer in this space. If we repeatedly took the long route, our heat-protection measures would deplete rapidly.
Beyond that, stamina was a critical concern. In an environment like this, even rest wasn’t truly restful.
The same applied to my team. Of course, we had extraordinary heat-resistant equipment in the Subspace and infinite water supply through the Heart of the Sea.
Still, taking the long detour imposed considerable strain on the hunters’ stamina.
‘This is no ordinary trial for nothing.’
The environment itself was grueling, and the enemies that appeared were formidable, making it difficult to split the team.
In essence, it was similar to the previous trial of endurance, but with combat added on top.
It was fortunate I was here; I could only imagine the suffering the hunters from other nations were enduring.
I gathered my thoughts. This wasn’t a moment to indulge in lengthy contemplation.
-Whoooosh!
In the vastly expanded space, fire-attribute monsters surged toward me.
Yet I felt no concern.
There was no one I needed to protect.
There were certainly moments when I’d need my allies’ support depending on the situation, but in circumstances like this, fighting alone was far more convenient.
“Hmm.”
I drew the Pungryuseong Blade and surveyed the surrounding monsters. The reason I wasn’t using Essirel was simple—I worried the extreme heat might damage the blade.
I hadn’t wielded it earlier either. In fact, most hunters had brought backup weapons rather than their primary arms.
‘An A+-rank blade—if I mishandle it against flame monsters and it gets damaged…’
Moreover, the Pungryuseong Blade was perfectly suited for this Gate thanks to Choi Min-seok’s craftsmanship.
The very reason we carried backup weapons was to prepare for situations like this.
“Let’s eliminate the ones at range first.”
I harbored no doubt of victory. With A-rank flame resistance at level 7, I was confident I wouldn’t sustain serious injuries from flame attacks rather than physical strikes.
I used Leap to position myself behind a Burning Lizardman that spewed fireballs from a distance.
-Slash!
My plan was to eliminate the troublesome ones first. After that, I anticipated close-quarters combat would unfold.
In the chaos of battle, I’d have opportunities to employ Cockfighting, Swift Movement, and Crescia Swordsmanship.
-Thud!
For someone capable of spatial movement like me, eliminating the enemy’s rear guard wasn’t particularly difficult.
With several Leaps, while the monsters floundered in confusion, the ranged attackers fell one by one.
-Boom!
The damage wasn’t entirely absent. Some of these flame monsters detonated violently upon death, and I was caught in the blast.
The Amulet of Protection had activated in the previous battle, and flame resistance didn’t grant immunity to flame attacks.
‘This is troublesome indeed.’
My hair remained unsinged, though my exposed skin bore the brunt of the blast—shallow abrasions and minor lacerations torn open by the shockwave.
Without my flame resistance, the damage would have been far more severe.
‘I should play it safer… or perhaps I could counter with Scorching Flame instead?’
* * *
“Mm…”
“Will you be alright?”
Meanwhile, the Chulbyeok Guild Members resting in the area where Han Hye had departed suddenly tensed as they noticed the Dragon Guild Members’ expressions shift dramatically.
The cheerful demeanor of the Dragon Guild Members had abruptly turned grave.
“What’s wrong? Has something happened?”
“A battle has broken out.”
“A battle?”
The Chulbyeok Guild Members half-rose in confusion, bewildered by the sudden mention of combat. They couldn’t fathom what was occurring.
“Ah, could it be…?”
“Yes. We have the Cooperation Ring.”
It was an item the Dragon Guild had received after rescuing the American Hunters. It functioned only within a certain range, though the exact distance remained imprecise.
As one drew closer, the status became clearer; at greater distances, one could only faintly sense it.
At our current distance from Han Hye, precise details were impossible to discern. In fact, even the location remained uncertain, and her condition was ambiguous.
Given the considerable distance, we could only barely perceive that she was under attack if we concentrated intensely.
“Surely not Han Hye…”
“Yes. I suspected as much, but it seems the lever can only be pulled during combat.”
“Right. Hye would have tried pulling it before engaging, so this confirms it.”
The Dragon Guild Members’ words caused the Chulbyeok Guild Members’ expressions to grow serious.
“Are you certain she’s fine? Should we return now to provide support…?”
They had just endured combat themselves. The thought of her facing those enemies alone seemed impossible.
The Dragon Guild Members, by contrast, remained relatively composed.
“From what I can sense, she seems to be managing.”
“Right. If things go south, Hye can escape immediately anyway.”
It was the Chulbyeok Guild who seemed flustered instead. How could they remain so calm when their guild leader was under attack?
“But surely, you said she’s being attacked right now…?”
“Ah, it’s fine. This much is nothing.”
…
They knew the Space Mage was formidable—hadn’t they witnessed her capture the Witch and Jo Ji-hyuk themselves?
Yet there was a gap between hearing about something from afar and actually experiencing it firsthand.
“Is this really happening?”
“I have no idea…”
Only the quiet murmurs of two Chulbyeok Guild Members echoed through the space.
.
.
.
“Oh. Not bad at all?”
While the Chulbyeok Guild worried about Han Hye, she was actually reveling in combat.
After dispatching the ranged attackers, what remained were enemies wielding weapons forged from flame.
Han Hye dove directly into their midst, anchoring her focus on spatial awareness while surrendering her body to Cockfighting.
She blended Cresea Swordsmanship with Imperial Foundation Swordsmanship in her defense.
—Whoosh!
Though it was close-quarters combat, these monsters composed of pure flame demanded careful attention to the inferno itself.
She countered with Blazing Consumption—burning the incoming flames with flame itself. This too drew from infinite reserves.
‘My head’s starting to ache a bit.’
Multiple enemies. While maintaining spatial awareness and simultaneously managing the flames, the concentration required was substantial, yet it was an exhilarating experience.
From an objective standpoint, she was operating at an elevated level.
The previous Han Hye had found it taxing merely to practice blending Cockfighting with both sword techniques.
Now, accustomed to that foundation, she had added Blazing Consumption to the mix.
—Whoosh!
Though she occasionally stumbled and took damage, her A-rank flame resistance proved more than sufficient.
Without realizing it, Han Hye slipped into a state of complete absorption.
Evading, swinging, deflecting, and thrusting—all while burning the flames converging from both sides with Blazing Consumption.
Despite the additional layer of Blazing Consumption, every movement flowed seamlessly into the next.
[The Cockfighting skill (B-rank) has increased in level.]
It was hardly surprising that Cockfighting—the foundation of both evasion and offense—would advance during such intensity.
By the time Han Hye emerged from her trance, nearly all the monsters had been eliminated.
“Huh?”
So absorbed had she been that she hadn’t noticed the enemies dwindling. Only when the incoming attacks lessened did she regain awareness—just a handful remained.
After dispatching the last of them, Han Hye realized her Cockfighting skill had advanced and smiled with satisfaction.
‘Something feels more… cohesive now.’
A martial art inspired by fighting cocks—Cockfighting shone brightest when attacking with reckless aggression.
While anchoring herself in the defensive foundations of Imperial Foundation Swordsmanship, she had glimpsed a path forward that balanced offense and defense.
—Whoosh!
As the enemies vanished entirely, the wall of flame adjusted once more. Before her lay an open doorway and a lever.
Han Hye pulled the lever without hesitation.
—Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The familiar vibration of a distant door opening resonated through the chamber. Before the threshold, Han Hye paused briefly in thought, then pressed forward.
Her companions had instructed her to advance once the door opened anyway. She could cross first and they would follow.
‘There might be something else ahead.’
Two diverging paths.
Paths meant for cooperation, yet there was no guarantee that hidden rewards would be identical. Especially not after combat triggered the door’s opening. There was no harm in investigating.
“Tsk, it’s the same.”
Unfortunately, nothing remarkable awaited. Even advancing further yielded the same result—a corridor filled with walls of flame, identical to before.
“Well, I shouldn’t expect anything special just from opening the first gate of a Trial.”
After briefly surveying the surroundings, Han Hye turned back toward her companions. She had decided to wait beyond the doorway before they crossed.
—Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
I didn’t forget to use the flame talisman for automatic flame hunting.
‘I hope I can level up one or two things in this Gate.’
The journey didn’t take long.
“Han Hye! Are you alright?”
“There was combat, wasn’t there!”
The Chulbyeok Guild Members were doubly shocked when Han Hye returned.
Once because she had defeated all those enemies alone, and again because she bore no serious wounds.
“Your body….”
They asked with concern, yet seeing nothing obviously wrong, they couldn’t quite bring themselves to ask properly.
“Just a few scrapes.”
The moment Han Hye answered, her body glowed. As the distance closed, Lee Shin-hee, having identified the injured areas, began chanting a healing spell.
“How on earth did you defeat all of them alone?”
“Ah, well, it wasn’t exactly alone….”
It was a question from a Chulbyeok Guild Member, and Han Hye, about to answer truthfully out of habit, hastily stopped herself.
If she said she preferred being alone, wouldn’t that make her seem terribly antisocial?
“…Since I was by myself, I just kept leaping away and unleashing flames indiscriminately.”
However, even as an excuse, the content didn’t differ much from the truth.
You could practically see the Chulbyeok Guild Members thinking to themselves, ‘We must have been in the way….’
“Anyway, there was nothing much on that side—was there anything here?”
Han Hye quickly changed the subject, sensing their gazes had shifted from surprise to reverence.
“No. There wasn’t much here either.”
“Then let’s move forward.”
Worried her words might cause misunderstanding, Han Hye hastily got the group back on their feet.
However, there was one thing she needed to ask permission for.
“Lee Hong-ju, would it be alright if I walked beside you?”
“Beside me?”
“This talisman stores fire, and it works with the flames here too.”
Now that I’d discovered automatic flame hunting was possible with the talisman, I had no intention of leaving it unused.
Given how rapidly Han Hye was growing, the flame talisman needed to recover its original form just as quickly.
-Whoooosh!
The Chulbyeok Guild Members followed behind, watching Han Hye’s automatic flame hunting with fascination.
“She’s a Space Mage, right? Not a flame mage or anything?”
“I’ve felt it for a while now, but she’s definitely different.”
“Isn’t she completely different compared to last time we saw her?”
“That’s true too….”
* * *
“You’ve worked hard.”
“This time must have been more difficult—are you sure you’re alright?”
With Han Hye’s automatic flame hunting, the group made considerable progress. Before long, they had passed the second checkpoint and cleared the third as well.
The pattern remained the same. The Korean Hunters fought together first, then Han Hye moved separately.
“Not yet. If the difficulty keeps rising at this pace, we might need to go together next time.”
Still, the Gate’s difficulty had undeniably increased. Each individual monster had grown stronger, and their abilities were far more varied.
Their numbers had swelled considerably too, leaving not just the party but Han Hye herself bearing minor wounds. Han Hye was considering Choi Chul-gi as a potential candidate.
“If I go with Mister and use the Dragon Scale Piercer I’ve been charging up beforehand, we should be able to break through.”
“True enough. I have decent fire resistance myself.”
“Let’s see what comes next before deciding.”
With the situation settled, Min-jae showed curiosity.
“We’re in first place then, right?”
Having grown closer in this short time, Lee Hong-ju answered with a smile.
“Definitely. Even we from the Dragon Guild can’t move freely with our forces divided. Other guilds must be struggling even more. Some might have already used escape items and left.”
Han Hye agreed with this assessment. The reason she could move leisurely while conducting her automatic flame hunting was precisely because of this situation.
And so they advanced once more.
-Whoosh!
Han Hye’s automatic flame hunting had become a familiar sight by now. In this short span of time, even the Iron Wall Guild members had come to understand Han Hye.
Rather than genuine understanding, they had simply grasped that she operated on an entirely different wavelength.
“Hm?”
That was when something caught in Han Hye’s spatial awareness as she carved through the wall of flames, separated from the Korean Hunters.
Within the wall of fire, there was an empty space. The implication was unmistakable.
‘A hidden area?’

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————