Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 254

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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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254. The Sixth Subspace
“Huh?”
My first reaction was bewilderment. There seemed to be nothing there. But upon closer inspection, that wasn’t quite right.
I had to perceive it not with my eyes, but with mana. I felt a transparent barrier of mana within the Subspace.
And beside it was some kind of device. Given that it channeled a power combining divinity and mana—something like Chun-bae’s strength—it appeared to be something the Previous Previous Master had created, but….
I couldn’t even begin to guess what it was.
“What is this?”
To be honest, I’d been expecting A-rank secret techniques or items. I thought it was about time they started appearing.
But this device in the sixth Subspace was certainly no ordinary thing.
-It is a combat recollection training device.
“A combat recollection training device?”
-It can summon enemies you have faced thus far from within Han Hye’s memories.
“Oh?”
-Though it appears small in size, the Subspace can be adjusted to enlarge it. However, efficiency diminishes with massive monsters.
Right. Summoning something like Ja-tan would require completely restructuring the Subspace.
“So you’re saying people are better than that?”
-Affirmative. It is advisable to use this for the development of combat skills.
Hearing the explanation, it didn’t sound bad at all. Especially since I’d just mastered the Iron-Wing Sword Technique, wasn’t I? This was optimal for adapting to it and advancing further.
-Of course, the phantoms that appear are extracted from Han Hye’s mind, so they will differ from actual opponents.
“So it’s like reconstructing enemies I’ve faced before?”
-Affirmative.
That was fine with me. There were many I’d actually wanted to face again. The Sword Guardian and the Fist King, of course, and Liu Zhen as well.
I’d grown since then, but I still hadn’t fully unraveled Liu Zhen’s swordsmanship.
-And Han Hye, you have now acquired the qualifications to hear about erosion.
“Finally.”
I’d thought the condition was either my level or the Subspace skill level, but it seemed to be the latter.
Only upon reaching the sixth Subspace could I learn the truth.
The Previous Previous Master who configured Chun-bae seemed quite thorough. Come to think of it, even back then, his mind was remarkably sharp.
“Alright. I’m ready to listen.”
-Before I speak, I must confess honestly that this information may have lost much of its significance.
“Lost its significance?”
-The truth that I and the Previous-Previous Princess grasped is not particularly extensive. And Han Hye, you have already heard information from the God of Play that allows you to infer a great deal.
That’s right. I had spoken with the God of Play quite a bit. They’d said I was receiving far more attention than the previous princesses.
“Tell me anyway. At least the parts you and she figured out.”
-Yes. The mana erosion that the Previous-Previous Princess and I grasped is akin to ‘an unstoppable calamity’.
“Unstoppable?”
Then what have all my actions been up until now?
-Affirmative. Through conversations with the God of Play, the Previous-Previous Princess theorized that mana erosion is the form in which a self-awareness has emerged within the essence of ‘mana’ itself.
“A self-awareness emerging within the essence of mana? What does that even mean?”
-Simply put, you can think of it as will developing in air, oxygen, or water.
The revelation was too shocking to accept immediately. I recalled what the fake God of Play had said when we met at the Gate last time.
—Erosion? Hmm. Erosion, you say…. That’s quite a fitting name, isn’t it?
—But that’s not the answer. Calling mana itself “erosion” doesn’t quite fit.
—Do you call it human erosion when humans reproduce and increase in numbers?
—From nature’s perspective, it might look that way, but that’s incorrect.
—What else would it be? It’s mana. Pure and fundamental. I was simply fortunate.
I hadn’t understood well why he’d used reproduction as an example while talking about human erosion… but the puzzle seemed to be coming together.
“Does that mean mana with consciousness is expanding on its own?”
—Affirmative. I cannot be certain, but that is my current hypothesis.
“Wait. Then what are the gods? They’re just expansions of mana, aren’t they?”
—Not merely mana. Divine power is considered a superior force to mana, but the essence of divinity ultimately rests upon mana as its foundation.
What did that even mean?
—Please recall that the gods you encountered were not omnipotent. I too continue my existence through a combination of divine power and mana.
Now that he mentioned it, that was true. The God of Play and even the evil deity I’d met at a lower level were merely strong—they showed glimpses of human personality.
Perhaps gods were beings possessing power so abnormal as to be extraordinary and overwhelming.
* * *
“Alright. I’m starting to get a clearer picture now.”
It took me some time to fully grasp Chun-bae’s explanation. What helped was the conversation I’d had with the God of Play.
Fragmented information I couldn’t understand had come together with the Previous Previous Master and Chun-bae’s theories.
Of course, I’d only come to accept it.
I couldn’t truly understand the full situation. After all, even the Previous Previous Master and Chun-bae were only at the stage of “speculation.”
“Then what about the God of Play? How is he even alive?”
—I suspect the God of Play may have been the first to discover mana that had developed consciousness.
That seemed plausible. Chun-bae continued.
—I apologize for telling you only now. It was the Previous Previous Princess’s intention that discussing this early in your awakening could break an awakened one’s resolve.
“No, it’s a set parameter. It was frustrating then, but I understand.”
I could sympathize with the Previous Previous Princess’s reasoning. If someone newly awakened had heard such things, could they have grown properly?
Mana erosion is suspected to be an “unstoppable calamity.” They would likely give up early and decide it better to escape danger and live comfortably for a time.
‘While selling off the treasures from the Subspace.’
I might not have been different. If it weren’t for avenging my parents, I wouldn’t have worked so hard to grow.
Leaving the past behind, I returned to the conversation.
‘So the God of Play was the first to discover it.’
Come to think of it, the God of Play had said he was fortunate.
Considering his personality, he might have nurtured it after first discovering it. Simply because it seemed amusing.
That grew beyond control into mana erosion. Seeing how he sometimes evaded the erosion’s gaze….
It was clear he’d become a position he couldn’t handle alone.
‘That he could become either an enemy or an ally.’
Didn’t that mean his actions would change depending on what I did?
For instance, if I became incredibly strong, he might become an ally.
Then his behavioral principles made sense to me.
While the outcome was beneficial, those difficult obstacles were also….
‘Perhaps it could be seen as a test.’
One thing emerged from that conclusion.
“It might not be something that cannot be stopped.”
If mana erosion were truly an ‘unstoppable calamity’ as Chun-bae said, the God of Play wouldn’t have shown interest in us.
-Affirmative. That’s also why they said it was merely ‘close to’ an unstoppable calamity.
Of course, it’s possible the God of Play is simply bored and showing interest in the princesses the way a child plays with ants. That possibility does exist.
However, I don’t believe that’s the most likely scenario.
It’s because they continued showing interest in the princesses while avoiding the gaze of erosion.
Perhaps the God of Play sees potential not in individual people, but in the very role of princess itself.
‘That’s where they’re selective. After all, they showed no interest in the Previous Princess.’
If that were true, the words left by the Previous-Previous Princess made sense.
-Head toward the end of this space.
It was the first and last voice message left by the Previous-Previous Princess. Perhaps she reached the same conclusion I did.
In this role of princess that the God of Play shows interest in….
‘She must have thought there was an answer.’
The natural question that followed was inevitable.
“How many levels of the Subspace did the Previous-Previous Princess reach?”
-The Previous-Previous Princess reached level 8.
“That’s not very high?”
-It was a difficult world. She didn’t have much room to spare Skill Level-Up Tickets for the Subspace.
Right. The Previous-Previous Princess didn’t receive an inheritance from the Subspace like I did. I invest in the Subspace because I have this, but….
It must have been difficult for her.
To survive, she would have needed to use Level-Up Tickets on other skills like Severance or Incineration.
Reaching level 8 under those circumstances is actually impressive.
‘She said she was preparing for the next generation early on.’
The God of Play showed interest around that time. Perhaps, just as I received an inheritance, they were expecting this kind of butterfly effect.
Well, regardless. Having heard the speculations from Chun-bae and the Previous-Previous Princess, nothing changes fundamentally.
“The answer is simply to grow stronger.”
-Affirmative. While there’s no clear answer visible in this fight, hope remains.
* * *
After reviewing the conversation and finishing my thoughts, it was time to examine the device from the sixth level of the Subspace.
A combat review training device, if I recall correctly. It seemed quite useful.
As soon as I saw it, I thought of many people I wanted to face.
First, Shin Chang and Fist King. Beyond them, Toljet, the Sword Guardian, the Martial Artist who passed down the fighting techniques, Liu Zhen, and others.
-We have data on the Martial Artist and the Sword Guardian, who were colleagues of the Previous-Previous Princess.
“Huh?”
-The Previous-Previous Princess registered them.
“Oh?”
The Martial Artist and the Sword Guardian? I absolutely wanted to test myself against them.
—However, the data inputted is from level 90 onwards, so I cannot recommend it at this time.
“That’s a bit….”
It was obvious I’d get beaten before even having a proper sparring match.
“Set it up in stages instead.”
—That would have been impossible given when this device was created.
“Ah, well then I’ll accept that.”
It seems like we’re in the final stretch after all.
I figured I should try the Sword Guardian and the Martial Artist using the data already in my head.
—There is data for the Previous Princess as well, but I cannot recommend it.
“….”
That bastard, the Previous Princess. How much disrespect does he endure? The poor guy.
“By the way, are the A-rank secret techniques and items…beyond this point?”
Honestly, that’s what I’d been hoping for, so it was disappointing. The spear technique tournament still had some time left, but I needed to prepare diligently too.
I wish there had been a spear technique.
—Would you like a detailed explanation of the remaining Subspaces?
“Hmm. No, that’s fine.”
The seventh and eighth stages. There weren’t many steps left. They’re probably in the next one or the one after that. Let’s save it as a future pleasure.
But it made me think the Previous Previous Master was quite ruthless too. Nothing like that in the sixth stage either?
‘Is this an arrangement for growth?’
Perhaps it came from a desire to see future generations grow stronger. High-grade items and secret techniques are rare, so they’d need greater qualifications.
The legacy he’d accumulated…he probably hoped that someone like the Previous Princess wouldn’t squander it recklessly. A treasure vault that only opens for those who’ve reached a certain level.
“Hmm. Which one should I activate first?”
I turned my gaze toward the device.
I thought Toljet would be the best choice to start with. After all, I’d obtained the Iron-Wing Sword through him.
Right now, it seemed best to familiarize myself with the Iron-Wing Sword. But emotional curiosity reared its head.
It was about the Fist King and Shin Chang.
‘I lost in our sparring match, but….’
In a battle against illusions, I could use Severance and Incineration freely. Of course, since it was sparring, the Fist King and Shin Chang probably weren’t going all out either.
If I used Severance and Incineration, could I defeat them?
It seemed like I could.
It was data from the sparring match I experienced. But I was curious about the margin of victory.
—However, this is a device that requires divine essence, so I recommend using it only when necessary.
“You should have mentioned that earlier.”
I’d sensed it from the start, but since there was no mention of it, I thought it just operated on its own.
It seemed I’d need to either find something containing divine essence separately or farm it from the Gate.
—Currently, there is enough remaining for approximately two uses.
“Then it’s better to choose Toljet first.”
That’s when the phone rang. The Subspace entrance was left open, so it was connected to the outside.
I checked who it was—it was Seo-ung.
“What’s the matter?”
—I contacted you because there’s an urgent matter regarding Min-seok that I need to discuss.
Min-seok? I bolted from the Subspace without hesitation.
“Has something happened to Min-seok?”
The gravity in Seo-ung’s voice struck me as ominous.

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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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