Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 241

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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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241. Ja-tan (2)
“Ja-tan will be coming this time, right?”
“Probably. High probability, I’d say. He wouldn’t have shown up at the Trial of Flames Gate for nothing.”
This conversation took place right after Gates opened simultaneously across the entire nation. Mister nodded with a stern expression.
“It’s sooner than I thought. Should I have used the rank-up voucher to increase the grade of Dragon Scale Piercing Spear?”
“I saw the future.”
“Still, if I’d known your revenge would be this close, I would’ve spent it on my skills.”
I could feel his sincerity, so I smiled faintly. Since the world changed like this, we’d been the ones who helped each other the most.
Min-jae opened his mouth with a tense expression.
“When Ja-tan appears….”
“Just like we practiced. Han Chul and Shin-hee, you move along the Han River and provide ranged support from a distance, while Hye and I fight on the front lines.”
After facing the flame monster, I hadn’t only received psychological counseling. This situation was something we could anticipate.
Naturally, training to face Ja-tan had been added to our regular guild drills.
There wasn’t much reference material available. He hadn’t shown himself since the first Gate incident, and the Awakeners back then were level 1—nowhere near capable of confronting him.
All we had were videos of him destroying several bridges along the Han River.
-I had no idea how durable his shell would be….
At our level, we’d devised various combat strategies. So there was no need to rack our brains now.
We simply recalled that training and waited calmly.
Some time passed. Ten Gates opened just in the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions assigned to us. From small to large… the variety was extensive.
Since we couldn’t predict where or what size Gates would open, this was the busiest time as Hunter deployments shifted constantly.
-Griffin appearance at the large Gate in Seongbuk District!
With so many Gates appearing, some areas looked particularly dangerous. It was a case where strong monsters emerged from large Gates.
The probability of casualties before reinforcements arrived was extremely high.
Yet we still hadn’t been called. The situation with Ja-tan and everything else was unfolding quite seriously.
Amid all this, a natural question arose. Even Min-jae tilted his head in confusion.
“They didn’t forget we’re here, did they?”
The reason they’d called in the top-tier guilds separately was because proper orders might not come down amid the chaos.
Though the Gate incident had only just begun, it was entirely possible.
Many Association Staff members had been replaced along with the Daeup incident. Plenty were identified as they filtered out those connected to Daeup.
Regardless of right or wrong, it meant many veteran Association Staff had left.
“Let me check.”
Just in case, we decided to verify first. There was a direct line connecting us to Seo-ung, so there was no problem.
-This is the Dragon Guild. Should we move to Seongbuk District?
-No. Additional deployment teams are en route.
Given the firm response, fortunately they hadn’t forgotten about us.
To prepare for emergency situations like this, quite a few additional deployment teams were ready to support at any time. However….
-There were still some left? I thought almost all of them had been deployed.
-Yes. Not many remain, but I apologize for the wait. We truly need you to move only when there are no more additional deployment teams available.
Right. We were the special task force for the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions. Even if the situation was serious, using us now would be wasteful.
However, there was no need to wait for that “little while” as Seo-ung had mentioned.
Weeee—!
The Gate alarm had sounded again. I could tell something was wrong even before the broadcast started wailing.
Unlike the colossal Gate that had opened in Busan, we were now near the Han River.
-Kyaaaah!
A massive surge of mana swept past us. The wave was so intense it made my skin crawl, and it felt hauntingly familiar.
When had I experienced something similar? Exactly eleven years ago.
“A colossal Gate….”
Back then, I hadn’t sensed such detailed fluctuations. That was before I could even feel mana, back when Earth had no Awakened at all.
So this is what a colossal Gate’s aura feels like. My heart began pounding violently with tension.
[H-Han River! Colossal Gate emergence!]
Unlike before, the call didn’t wait for a response.
-Dragon Guild, moving out to the Han River.
-…I’ll send reinforcements as quickly as possible.
There was a brief silence in Seo-ung’s response. Even for us, he must have felt that stopping a colossal Gate would be overwhelming.
Just look at the France incident—didn’t it require the Sword King and even Britain’s Grand Mage?
-Please, hold the line. I’m asking you.
I’d heard that Saebyeokbit in Busan was also struggling considerably. It would be difficult for them to send reinforcements here.
It didn’t matter.
‘Ja-tan will emerge from the Han River Gate.’
I had no intention of merely holding the line. I was going to capture him. I stood up, gripping Essirel.
“Let’s go.”
“Right.”
My guild members rose to their feet with hardened expressions.
* * *
The Gate had opened above the Han River itself. Not on the riverbank or in a park, but directly over the water. Exactly as it had been eleven years ago.
I stood at the place where my parents had sacrificed themselves in my stead. My heart had been pounding violently ever since.
I couldn’t tell if this was fear or a burning desire for vengeance. Perhaps it was both.
Standing motionless before the Gate on the verge of opening, I felt utterly disconnected from the world around me.
“Over here! What are you doing! Get moving!”
The surroundings were too chaotic. Soldiers were establishing defensive lines, and Hunters were being deployed.
The scene was in turmoil as the situation changed in real time. I alone stood still among it all.
No one gave us orders. It was an unfamiliar feeling. During the last discharge-type Gate, I’d simply moved as instructed.
We hadn’t even been in charge of Gate defense back then.
‘Wait, wasn’t I supposed to follow orders? I led Grendel and caused quite the chaos.’
Regardless, a colossal Gate had suddenly appeared. I’d thought there wouldn’t be another in Korea since one had manifested in Busan.
Seo-ung said he’d send reinforcements quickly, but there were no guarantees.
‘The situation was already chaotic even before the colossal Gate opened.’
To stop a colossal Gate, we’d need Iron Wall or other top-tier guilds to arrive, but would they have the capacity?
Those gathered here were assembled from whoever was available. There were strong Hunters among them, but most were lower-ranked.
Still, it shouldn’t be a problem. As long as we mark Ja-tan properly, the difficulty of conquering the colossal Gate decreases.
Rather than powerful monsters like Ja-tan or winged lions appearing, the other monsters weren’t particularly strong.
‘If we just take down Ja-tan, we can handle the rest. We have the firepower to catch Ogres or Trolls.’
And not long after, the Gate began to open in waves. That’s when someone placed a hand on my shoulder.
I turned to see it was Mister.
“Ready, Kong?”
The unexpected question made my head tilt naturally. But his intention was obvious. He was trying to ease my tension.
Suddenly, old memories surfaced. It was when I entered Flame Valley with Mister at a low level.
“Yeah. Of course, Yong.”
Unlike back then, Mister didn’t question why I called myself Yong instead of Dragon Knight. He simply offered a deep smile.
Right. Back then, unlike my younger self, I now have Mister and my guild members.
“Is that why the Dragon Guild is called the Dragon Guild? I thought it was because of Red Dragon.”
Min-jae said something ridiculous, and Han Chul nodded seriously.
“Ah, so that’s how it was. I also thought it was because dragons are technically dinosaurs in a way.”
This wasn’t the kind of conversation that should happen in such a serious situation. Lee Shin-hee laughed incredulously, and my expression mirrored hers.
Well, the tension certainly seemed to have dissipated.
—Boom!
And with a violent surge of magical power, the massive Gate opened wide.
* * *
“Screech!”
The first thing to burst out of the massive Gate was an Orc. An Awakened Orc. Before the name of a massive Gate, it was a trivial existence.
An arrow shot by a stationed archer pierced the Orc’s brow. The Awakened Orc collapsed helplessly.
Han Hye looked at that Orc and recalled the past. A creature she could now kill with a single gesture…
Eleven years ago, there was no way to know how many people it had killed.
“Shriek!”
And starting with that Orc, monsters began pouring out bit by bit. Goblins, Orcs, Lizardmen, and other beast-types as well.
Those weren’t the Dragon Guild’s responsibility. Skills from the stationed Hunters flew forth.
Though not perfect, they were prepared. The monsters that escaped the Gate fell before long.
Some Hunters experiencing a massive Gate for the first time cheered in triumph.
“What, this is manageable?”
But it didn’t last long. As if the previous attack had merely been a taste, monsters began pouring out like a tidal wave.
Even the Orcs and Goblins that Hunters called ‘trash mobs’ couldn’t be called that anymore when their numbers swelled.
“Here they come!”
“Teams 1 and 2, mages!”
“Don’t dump everything at once! Control your firepower!”
“You there! Hey! Bastard!”
“Don’t panic! You’re team 3!”
Chaos had begun, yet it wasn’t chaos at all. Among the monsters pouring like a tidal wave, something massive revealed itself.
Ja-tan’s head.
“Grrrrooooaaahhhhh———!”
It was less a roar and more a low, prolonged cry. Yet its effect was far greater than any ordinary monster’s roar.
In an instant, every body went rigid. It was a cry that naturally instilled terror.
“….”
Han Hye stiffened slightly, but she regained her composure within moments. It was the effect of continuous psychological therapy.
My heart raced intensely, though not quite as much as when I’d faced the flame monster. I gripped Essirel tightly.
Then, following its head, a colossal foot emerged. It was thicker and more solid-looking than the support pillars of the Han River bridges.
Did monsters show no consideration for one another? That foot crushed the heads of the monsters that had emerged earlier as it stomped the ground.
-Boom!
-Screeeech!
The impact sent water from the Han River spraying in all directions. Part of Ja-tan’s carapace emerged beyond the Gate.
Long, thick worm-like creatures began writhing through the holes that appeared on the carapace.
That was when the Dragon Guild moved.
Before Ja-tan could fully escape through the Gate, they intended to strike while there was still any opportunity left.
“Mister!”
“Got it!”
When facing Ja-tan, the first lesson of the guild’s training was precisely this moment. If Ja-tan fully escaped through the Gate, the number of worms would increase as well.
It would become even more difficult to attack. The strategy was simple.
“This damned turtle bastard!”
Choi Chul-gi, riding Yong-yong, passed in front of Ja-tan to draw its attention. He prepared the Dragon Scale Piercing Spear. The target was the worms on the carapace.
There was no intention to harm Ja-tan directly. It was merely to draw attention.
-Crash!
The briefly charged Dragon Scale Piercing Spear pierced through the worms and lodged itself in Ja-tan’s carapace.
The carapace was so incredibly hard that even as the worms were pulverized, not a single scratch appeared on it.
But it didn’t matter. The real objective was Han Hye’s side. While Ja-tan’s attention was briefly diverted, Han Hye could reach Ja-tan through successive leaps.
It was the head portion. When it had fully emerged, I’d tucked the head away, but not now. I grasped Essirel with both hands and brought it down with all my strength.
-Crack!
I leaped above the head to pierce the brain in one strike, bringing it down with full force, but… Ja-tan’s skin was harder than imagination.
Sparks flew from Essirel where it met Ja-tan’s head. It didn’t penetrate.
‘This insane bastard. Not even the carapace, but the head….’
Still, it wasn’t entirely ineffective. The tip of Essirel had managed to dig into the thick flesh even slightly.
“Grrrraaahhh——!”
Perhaps from the pain, Ja-tan let out a terrible shriek. And I used Severance centered on that blade tip.
It was a full-power Severance, pouring every ounce of mana I possessed into it.

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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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