Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 263

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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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263. Dragon 2nd Team?
The naming contest for the Iron Wing Phantom Blade would require some time. I allocated approximately one week for submissions.
Since brilliant ideas were what mattered, there was no need to rush the process.
‘If I’m not satisfied, I can always hold another contest.’
According to Chun-bae, a skill’s name could be changed as many times as needed. It wasn’t an urgent matter. Well, was it urgent?
Regardless, I lacked naming sense, so I left the contest in others’ hands and attended the Swordsmanship Meeting instead.
“Are you comfortable with the Australia Subjugation?”
“Of course.”
Once the Subjugation Team roster was announced, we exchanged the customary pleasantries before moving into sparring, as we always did.
These Swordsmanship Meeting matches didn’t seem particularly important to me.
[Space Mage’s Swordsmanship Meeting? Isn’t that just entertainment?]
-Does he enjoy beating up people weaker than him?
┗Maybe it’s just pure swordsmanship training?
┗Seems like he does it out of boredom
Since my every move attracted attention, details about the Swordsmanship Meeting had long since spread among the public.
Most reactions back then were skeptical—questioning whether sword training was even possible with such a level gap.
-No, it’s not entertainment. They fix their stats there and do pure swordsmanship training
That was knowledge only half-understood by most.
As one intelligent commenter had noted, the Swordsmanship Meeting was fundamentally a place where we restricted our stats and exchanged sword techniques.
While I held an advantage in our matches, I didn’t always win. There were times I lost.
Dong-hyuk, Sang-yeop, Bong-seok, and Knight Lee Hong-ju all trained diligently in swordsmanship.
-Ooh?
-Ooh!
They would analyze my techniques and prepare thoroughly, sometimes finding openings to strike at my weaknesses.
Based on that, I would identify gaps in my own swordsmanship and develop countermeasures against similar strategies.
“The Swordsmanship Meeting really turned out well.”
That was what Bong-seok had said last time. Everyone agreed. Their sword skill levels had risen considerably.
While my own leveling speed was naturally fast, everyone else’s growth rate had accelerated as well.
Advances in swordsmanship strengthened us, and frequent exchanges of opinions about Gate subjugations helped tremendously.
It was a positive cycle.
Dong-hyuk showed the most dramatic transformation. His growth rate was far faster than the others, and his sword technique development was visibly remarkable.
He was on the verge of mastering the Phantom Blade skill that Chun-bae had taught him.
‘I’m genuinely looking forward to it.’
I hoped he would reach the next level soon. Once the phantom blade images became real, how would I penetrate them? How would I defend against them?
It was an S-rank skill, after all. I suspected it would provide significant inspiration for me.
Chun-bae had said that once a unique skill manifested, focusing on it was the right approach.
Though its name would soon change, the Iron Wing Phantom Blade seemed capable of becoming an S-rank skill, so I felt excited as well.
.
.
.
“I have a concern I’d like to bring up.”
Just as the Swordsmanship Meeting was wrapping up, Dong-hyuk spoke.
“A concern?”
“Well, it seems I’ll need to find a new team.”
“What?”
Everyone was taken aback by Dong-hyuk’s words, especially given his remarkable progress. His expression had seemed off all evening.
“You’re saying Dong-hyuk is leaving?”
At Sang-yeop’s question, Dong-hyuk awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
“By mutual agreement?”
“Uh…”
After hearing the details, it made perfect sense. A person oriented toward growth struggles to fit in a team focused on safety.
Truth be told, it’s hard to say either side is wrong. If I hadn’t possessed this level of ability, I would have become safety-oriented myself.
‘Not everyone is the same, after all.’
Knight Lee Hong-ju’s eyes brightened.
“Do you remember the proposal I made last time?”
“Of course.”
“If Han Hye has no intention of forming Dragon 2nd Team, I’d like to recruit you into our guild.”
Lee Hong-ju’s sudden statement caught everyone’s attention, and all eyes turned toward me.
“Dragon 2nd Team?”
Dragon 2nd Team, out of nowhere? Looking closer, I sensed more than just curiosity about Dong-hyuk’s future—there was genuine interest in the proposal itself.
“Hmm, well, I’ve given it some thought, but…”
Being asked so directly made it difficult to answer. I’d been suddenly presented with a choice and needed time to consider it properly.
In truth, the topic of Dragon Guild’s 2nd Team came up frequently.
Even if we aimed for a small, elite Advance Team like Saebyeokbit, the necessity of a 2nd Team remained undeniable.
The reason was clear: we needed backup personnel in case something happened to any of our current members.
‘It’s not for nothing that Advance Teams across nations operate at least 2 or 3 squads.’
Eleven years had passed since the Gate incident. And for the past two or three years, the growth of Advance Teams had slowed somewhat.
People attributed the recent acceleration in Advance Team growth to me, but that’s only half true.
While it’s true that some were spurred on by my presence, the period when Advance Team growth stalled was largely spent organizing and preparing 2nd and 3rd Teams.
Over that time, it became clear how difficult it was to fill even a single vacancy.
‘When the vanguard of an Advance Team—the most exposed to danger—falls…’
The team becomes nearly immobilized while searching for and training replacement personnel.
Initially, they tried combining top-tier hunters, but too many problems arose from that approach.
That’s why nations’ Advance Teams began developing 2nd and 3rd Teams. The same concern applied to us, given our extraordinary growth rate.
Things are going well now, but what if a problem arises? How would we handle it?
‘Each guild member is such exceptional talent that finding a replacement isn’t easy.’
Even when discovering talented individuals, don’t we need to bring them up to our level?
But there was one reason I kept hesitating: our growth rate is simply absurd.
A 2nd Team would inevitably grow slower than us, making it difficult to close that gap. If I’m being honest, there was another reason too.
‘We’ve done well so far, so there shouldn’t be problems going forward’—that’s what I told myself.
I do need to do this. It might be better to get it done before it’s too late.
Thinking about it now, that’s true. Even if Dragon 2nd Team can’t keep up with our growth rate, it’s better than training them when a real crisis hits.
Especially since there’s an opportunity to recruit a hunter with S-rank swordsmanship who’s on the verge of reaching ten thousand.
Even if there’s no problem, it doesn’t matter. Training talented Dragon 2nd Team members will also strengthen our power to resist mana erosion.
It might be a bit concerning, but couldn’t we just hire Guild House staff to minimize the workload?
“Could you wait a few days? I need to discuss this with the others.”
Still, consultation with the guild members was essential.
Hmm.
As I left after saying that, it suddenly occurred to me that Lee Hong-ju’s proposal was for Dong-hyuk and me.
If it had been for himself, he would have asked me to come to Iron Wall separately. He’d already made that suggestion before.
Looking at this, Lee Hong-ju really is a good person.
* * *
“Dragon 2nd Team?”
“I always thought we’d have to create one eventually.”
“We’ve been too busy with other things to pay attention to it.”
“And we’ve been progressing without any real problems either.”
That evening, I immediately summoned the guild members and held a meeting. There were some minor issues.
-Min-jae, where did you go on a date?
-Huh? How did you know?
-You came all dressed up.
-I didn’t finish the date. I came right away when you called.
-What?
-When Han Hye calls, I have to come right away.
Honestly, that’s the kind of thing you could put off if you mentioned it. But when I told him not to do that, Min-jae shook his head.
-No way, guild matters are much more important. My girlfriend agreed too.
-The kind of agreement we know about, right?
Anyway, the other guild members were positive about Dragon 2nd Team. They all had similar thoughts to mine.
“It’s late even now. I think it would be better to do it before it gets any later.”
“Right. Besides, where else would you even find a warrior with S-rank swordsmanship?”
Of course, there were things to keep in mind.
“But we won’t be able to keep giving them constant attention from our side.”
It was what Mister said, and I agreed with him.
“We need to plan this carefully. Even if we put in effort during the recruitment phase, after that they’ll have to manage on their own.”
“Right. The Advance Team usually operates that way too, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. When initially forming Dragon 2nd Team, they operate as almost independent teams. Once Dragon 2nd Team catches up, that’s when we start over.”
Even when operating as independent teams at this stage, the Advance Team focuses on building a solid foundation. After all, we need to reduce the level gap.
“But we won’t do that. We’ll continue as we are.”
“Right. We can do it even when a real problem comes up. There’s no serious danger right now.”
It was quite sudden, but the decision to establish Dragon 2nd Team was made without major issues.
We’ve been rushing so much that everyone already recognizes the necessity, which helped.
“Then we’ll need to hire more Guild staff.”
“Fortunately, the building itself was large from the start.”
When we first selected the Guild House, I received considerable help from Lee Shin-hee. I glanced over at her briefly.
“Lee Shin-hee, could you perhaps…?”
“Yes. I’ll look into it. I think we can also recruit additional staff through the people here.”
True enough. We’d already recruited almost exclusively aces for our Guild staff. Min-jae shrugged his shoulders.
“Hiring staff shouldn’t be a problem, right? Our company’s evaluation is top-tier. Thanks to you, hyung.”
“Huh?”
That’s right. Every time something good happens, I shower bonuses on everyone, so the Guild has become the dream workplace of the Hunter industry.
Creating the 2nd Team didn’t seem like it would be as troublesome as I’d initially thought.
“By the way, how is the Chairman doing?”
Mister asked casually. Since that one meal we shared early on, there had been no contact at all. I’d received quite substantial help from him in the beginning.
Back then, I’d even worried about the Guild being privatized. Lee Shin-hee laughed.
“Of course. He’s doing well.”
“There’s been no contact, so…”
“He doesn’t like it, does he?”
“What?”
Did I somehow displease him?
Back then, Lee Shin-hee had been quite embarrassed, but now it was the opposite—I couldn’t understand how things had reversed.
“We’re doing too well. Better than imagined.”
“Then shouldn’t he be more involved…?”
“It would look awkward. Think about the Dragon Guild’s image right now. If a corporate chairman starts interfering with the Dragon Guild, people will say he’s meddling.”
“Ah…”
“Still, he’s incredibly pleased.”
As our Guild’s fame grew, Lee Shin-hee’s identity became known to the public as well. Despite all her efforts to keep it hidden, it was unavoidable.
From what Lee Shin-hee told me, the company’s sales skyrocketed because of it. Perhaps this was our way of repaying him?
“So now the problem is finding Hunters for the 2nd Team.”
“We’re going with five people, right?”
“Yes. Reliable talents only. We’ll go with a small, elite force like Saebyeokbit.”
Min-jae laughed again this time.
“There’s no need to worry. If word gets out that we’re forming a 2nd Team, almost every Hunter in Korea will apply.”
“That’s right. Among growth-oriented Hunters, there’s probably no one who wouldn’t want to join the Dragon Guild.”
Hmm. If that’s the case, then there’s not much to worry about?
.
.
.
-The Dragon 2nd Team? You shouldn’t be asking me. If you call me, I’ll gratefully go!
Since it was already decided, I told Dong-hyuk about it. His reaction was exactly as expected. I immediately leaked the news about the formation of the Dragon 2nd Team.
It was only natural that Hunter Net exploded.
-The Dragon 2nd Team?
-Seriously, just go ahead and apply.
-Apply right away.
-Honestly, don’t bother if you’re just mediocre.
Then applications began pouring in, and despite setting level restrictions based on Dong-hyuk’s tier, the response was overwhelming.
The Guild staff member’s comment was spot-on.
“Over 50% of hunters in the specified level range have applied?”
In a situation where safety-conscious hunters made up more than half the population, over 50% applying meant…
It essentially meant nearly everyone except lifestyle hunters had submitted applications. And that wasn’t even the end of it.
-Han Hye.
Seo-ung also received a message.
-Overseas hunters have been inquiring about Dragon 2nd Team. What should we do?
I’d only considered the talent pool within Korea, but it had expanded internationally.
‘The problem isn’t whether I can find talent—it’s deciding which candidates to choose from.’

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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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