Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 272

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

272. Catoblepas (3)
“Mega Gates 2 and 3 confirmed destroyed!”
“Teams 2 and 3! We’re joining the Catoblepas subjugation!”
The Conference Room, which had been filled with despair just an hour ago, had transformed into something entirely different.
“Finally!”
To illustrate the shift: those who had been hurling curses at each other over conflicting opinions moments before now embraced in joy.
“I was harsh earlier, wasn’t I?”
“We were both right. It was just a difference in perspective. I respect your view too. You were correct that Catoblepas had to be the priority.”
“No. I think I was being too extreme in my thinking.”
To an outside observer, it would have seemed like pure farce, yet every word they spoke was sincere.
Wasn’t the subjugation of Australia a matter upon which the fate of the entire world hung?
“Thank goodness. The Übermenschen have been quiet too.”
There were two primary concerns heading into the Australia subjugation.
One was the emission-type Gates that would appear while the Advance Team was in Australia, and the other was the Übermenschen.
After the Coordinate Secretary was exposed through attacks by China and the Übermenschen, several nations had acquired the item.
What worried them wasn’t just terrorism—it was that hunters participating in the Australia subjugation might use the Coordinate Secretary to return to their home countries.
‘They gathered for the greater cause, but if their own nations came under terrorist attack, anyone would go back.’
Because of this, every nation remained on high alert. Fortunately, as the Australia subjugation progressed, both threats had remained dormant.
“They understand the severity of this situation too.”
Someone’s remark had pierced halfway through the truth.
“Right, didn’t a Mega Gate open in their territory last time too?”
“Two of them. They managed to contain them, but they must have realized their own regions could be devastated at any moment.”
Even as time passed, the exhilaration of having closed two Mega Gates only intensified rather than faded.
“The… the Space Mage!”
“He’s slashed open Catoblepas’s flank!”
“But that hide… Choin couldn’t penetrate it even after multiple attacks…”
The sight of the Space Mage capturing Ja-tan had been broadcast worldwide. At that time, he had traversed the Subspace multiple times to break through the shell.
“Has he grown stronger?”
“Insane.”
Yet that hide, which had remained unmoved even against attacks from Choin and the Grand Mage and other hunters, had been pierced with a single strike this time.
Blood streamed from Catoblepas’s flank as if a long line had been drawn across it.
Han Hye, who was at the scene, understood the peculiarity of the hide, but it would have been impossible for those in this room to recognize it.
That’s why it appeared in stark contrast to Choin and the Grand Mage, and why admiration was inevitable.
“If it hadn’t been for the Space Mage…”
“The whole atmosphere would have fallen apart.”
The Trimbo subjugation was thought to pose no significant problem from the start. They had assembled a subjugation team led by Fist King, but in terms of total combat strength, it was the weakest for that very reason.
The Lion-Human had been unexpected. If the Space Mage hadn’t seized the spear, Shin Chang would have suffered severe injuries in his wounded state.
“We would have found it nearly impossible to even think about capturing Catoblepas.”
“By now, Fist King must have headed toward the Lion-Human.”
The conversation didn’t last long.
“Is he insane?”
“What?”
“Look at that!”
The Conference Room erupted with crude expletives mixed into exclamations at the sight unfolding before them.
-Thunk! Thunk!
Han Hye, mounted atop the Catoblepas, was savagely stabbing its back.
“Is the hide weak on its sharp sides?”
Someone noticed it, but most were simply overwhelmed by the spectacle, lost in admiration.
“This is real, right? I’m not dreaming?”
The Catoblepas, which had caused fifty percent of the subjugation team to struggle, was being slaughtered the moment she arrived.
“So that’s why they call her the Space Mage?”
“It’s absurd, really.”
“Huh?”
The expressions of those marveling at the Space Mage’s prowess hardened at that moment. The Catoblepas, which had kept its head lowered, lifted it.
Then it spewed a liquid mixing green and violet toward the sky.
“Tell everyone to fall back—”
“We’re already falling back!”
“But why is the Space Mage still—?”
“What?”
“The Space Mage is still up there!”
As all the hunters created distance, only Han Hye remained on the Catoblepas’s back.
-Thunk! Thunk!
Stabbing with Esirel.
* * *
“Everyone, dodge!”
The experienced Advance Team members were already moving. Regardless of my shout, most hunters on the ground had already turned to flee.
It was obviously ominous, and judging by the volume expelled, it was undoubtedly a devastating area attack.
“You!”
“I’m fine!”
Even Fist King, checking on me one last time, chose to retreat. I remained in place.
-Thunk! Thunk!
Stabbing the Catoblepas’s back. Of course, I didn’t forget to keep watch on the sky.
Whatever that was, if it was an attack method this creature hadn’t used before, it would possess considerable destructive power.
The green and violet liquid the Catoblepas spewed skyward soon reached the limit of its resistance to gravity.
Then it began falling to the ground under gravity’s pull.
“Insane.”
The range of the poison mist falling like drizzle exceeded imagination. It spread across the entire region.
The only place remaining unscathed was the Lava Zone near the Gate, which had undergone its second transformation.
-Sizzle!
Though it was a transformation zone near the Gate, there were no hunters or monsters there because the heat was unbearable.
I could tell just by watching how the toxic mist evaporated the moment it touched the S-rank spear.
The vaporized toxic fog spreading to nearby areas was merely a secondary concern.
Yet the reason I stood here was simple—I was banking on my equipment.
[Heart of the Ten-Thousand Poison Fox (S-rank)]
-A divine beast ring crafted from the Heart of the Ten-Thousand Poison Fox.
-Nullifies and weakens nearly all poisons except those imbued with divinity.
-Absorbed poisons can be extracted and converted into mana.
-Mana +10, Skill Ten-Thousand Poison Storm (A-rank) available.
The greatest utility of this ring, which I’d retrieved from the Daeup Guild’s warehouse, wasn’t the A-rank skill—it was in the second description.
-Nullifies and weakens nearly all poisons except those imbued with divinity.
Since Catoblepas wasn’t a monster that wielded divinity like the Lion-Human, whatever poison it inflicted on me would be in a ‘weakened’ state.
Moreover, I could even convert the absorbed poison into mana.
‘Perfect timing to use this.’
Though I could replenish from my Subspace, I’d climbed onto its back immediately after wounding it, hadn’t I?
In other words, I was now nearly immune to that poison and could unleash Severance recklessly from atop this creature.
‘The Daeup Guild really takes care of me.’
Who knew they’d repay the wages I’d skimmed back when I was a porter? Not that tears of gratitude actually came to my eyes.
-Thwack! Thwack!
As I continued stabbing Catoblepas’s back without pause, the toxic mist soon touched my body.
The Heart of the Ten-Thousand Poison Fox immediately activated.
‘Tch. It’s potent, isn’t it?’
I’d hoped for complete nullification, but it wasn’t quite that simple. My vision blurred ever so slightly.
My breathing quickened and heat began rising through my body.
Well, this was a monster that emerged from a Mega Gate and destroyed Australia. The poison it exhaled had to be A-rank or S-rank.
Fortunately, this level was manageable. I’d done some testing while raising my poison resistance.
-Shrieeeek!
And the stronger the poison, the more mana accumulated in the Heart of the Ten-Thousand Poison Fox. That meant I could use Severance, that mana-devouring skill, without restraint.
I used it truly recklessly, striking whatever my spatial sense picked up.
Since I’d already carved up the surrounding area, I decided to move forward. I stabbed Essirel while advancing and tore through the surroundings with Severance.
Blood sprayed everywhere.
“Gaaahhhhh!”
The creature shrieked in agony and spewed toxic fog once more. I thought it was the same as before, but the situation had grown slightly more dire.
The toxic mist seemed to layer upon itself, its color deepening noticeably.
Yet this worsening situation didn’t apply to me. Layering and intensifying poison didn’t grant it divinity.
Rather, I was in awe.
‘Insane. The mana accumulating is more than what Severance consumes?’
I hadn’t anticipated Catoblepas using poison at all. And it was the strongest poison-wielding monster I’d ever encountered.
If I hadn’t possessed the Heart of the Ten-Thousand Poison Fox, I probably would have retreated to strategize. How to break through it.
Not now. The strength of its poison and the speed of my mana recovery were experiences I’d never known before.
That meant Catoblepas would suffer consequences because of its own poison.
* * *
“Grrrraaaaaahhhhh!”
With each successive strike, Catoblepas’s screams never ceased. As time wore on, I could distinctly feel the power of its roar weakening.
The oppressive pressure gradually diminished as well. It meant my attacks were landing true.
—Squelch.
By now, its back had become a sea of blood.
‘Insane regeneration.’
New flesh was sprouting where I’d pierced it before, so I kept returning to stab those spots again. Blood kept pooling beneath my feet because of it.
Still, it seemed like it wouldn’t be much longer.
—Crunch.
As I continued excavating with my spear, I’d finally pierced through its thick hide and muscle, and now its spine was beginning to show.
Its gait had slowed considerably as well.
‘That said.’
As I gained a bit of breathing room, the message window I hadn’t been watching began nagging at my attention. During combat, I usually ignore incoming messages, but…
Something had been updating continuously since earlier. It wasn’t just once or twice, so naturally curiosity stirred.
[Skill ‘Poison Resistance (Rank D)’ has leveled up.]
[Skill ‘Poison Resistance (Rank D)’ has advanced in rank.]
[Skill ‘Poison Resistance (Rank C)’ has leveled up.]
[Skill ‘Poison Resistance (Rank C)’ has leveled up.]
[Skill ‘Poison Resistance (Rank C)’ has advanced in rank.]
‘Insane.’
Now that I thought about it, this was only natural. Hadn’t I raised Poison Resistance this way before?
The difference was, it had never progressed this rapidly. The skill rank itself was advancing, not just the level.
‘Poison Resistance Rank B at level 7?’
When the rank naturally advanced, the skill level itself had decreased and then climbed again, it seemed.
Even accounting for that, the growth rate was absurd. It had been around Rank D level 6 before, hadn’t it?
“Huh?”
Meanwhile, my mana was running dry. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t sprayed or expelled poison mist before this.
Ironically, the reason my hunting speed had slowed was because Catoblepas hadn’t attacked with poison mist.
This wasn’t entirely bad news.
The toxic mist rain had stopped as well. Though the ground was contaminated, the subjugation team surveying the battlefield was drawing closer again.
They were all equipped with gas masks and protective suits.
I had plenty in my Subspace too, but since Team 1 was operating in a different tactical zone, they’d brought their own.
“Insane! You alright?!”
Fist King shouted from below.
“I’m fine!”
“What kind of items are you carrying anyway? Is it a Poison Resistance skill? You said you raised it like some kind of masochist!”
“Both!”
When I grinned back, Fist King looked at me with envious eyes.
“Keep attacking! Let’s finish this and head back!”
There was one positive effect from the Catoblepas’s toxic mist rain.
The monsters charging toward us had decreased considerably. Monsters are living creatures too. They wouldn’t want to venture into a zone of such insane toxicity.
-Kwaaang!
In any case, I had inflicted wounds on far too many parts of its body. After severing its back, I had recklessly used Segmentation on its flanks as well.
And in the wounded areas…
-Kwang!
“Graaahhh!”
Because the Catoblepas lacked its hide, the hunters’ attacks began to penetrate, unlike before.
Its absurdly powerful regeneration could no longer shine in this situation.
“Where’s Choin?”
Even so, Choin was nowhere to be seen, so I asked Fist King.
“He said he won’t come because he’d have to remove his gas mask to fire his heat beam?”
“…”
Fine. Let’s just say he’s a coward. Fist King held up his bare fist, which he’d pulled out from inside his protective suit.
He hadn’t fought bare-handed from the start. His protective suit had torn as he continued punching. It was only natural.
“Some people think their fists are protective gear.”
I was somewhat concerned.
“But are your fists really okay?”
“I have some toxin resistance too.”
He chuckled.
“Enough to endure?”
“Yeah?”
“My toxin resistance skill level is rising right now.”
This crazy bastard?
“Your method is better than I thought?”
It’s a method I’ve used before, but I had no intention of using it against S-rank poison…
Did I even have A-rank toxin resistance to begin with?
“Graaahhh…”
The Catoblepas, having lost its hardness from my attacks, could not withstand the coordinated assault of countless hunters.
-Kuung!
A heavier impact sound than when Ja-tan fell. The toxic mist that descended spread widely because of it…
But since the protective suits of the hunters except Fist King remained intact, there was no major damage.
The protective suits of the hunters participating in the Australia subjugation were incredibly rare items imbued with magic.
It was only natural that the hunters who participated in Australia would cheer.
“This crazy bastard!”
“We finally got that monster!”
If I could see their actual faces, I wouldn’t know, but watching them flail about with both arms raised while wearing protective suits seemed somewhat cute.
Some even collapsed flat on the ground. It was a place full of poison, after all…
I thought it must have been that exhausting. Team 1 had continued fighting, and Team 2 and Team 3 had fought consecutive battles.
Among them, the hunters who could still move came toward me after their brief moment of celebration.
“Space Mage!”
“How did you pull off something like that, you monster!”
“You’re absolutely insane!”
“I acknowledge you!”
Is this what they mean by “countless requests for a handshake”? It’s disconcerting to hear words like “madman” and “monster” delivered as compliments, but I suppose that’s the nature of it.
In any case, it seemed I had left quite the impression on the Advance Team members—those hailed as the finest from their respective nations.

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