Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 44
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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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44. Shin Chang (1)
Shin Chang, Kim San.
Ten years ago, during the Gate Incident, he awakened with the rare class “Lancer.” It was one of the more respectable classes, with several other capable users besides Shin Chang.
Of course, Shin Chang’s fame didn’t stem solely from fortunate awakening luck.
There were two major reasons why Shin Chang became so renowned.
‘Talent and hidden potential.’
Skill rank isn’t absolute. Depending on an individual’s physical talent, C-rank spearmanship could defeat B-rank spearmanship.
In that regard, Shin Chang possessed everything. He wielded A-rank spearmanship to its absolute limits through overwhelming physical talent.
There was once when an S-rank spearmanship user from China dismissed Shin Chang and challenged him to a duel. Shin Chang won that match with only A-rank spearmanship.
Around level 35, just like me now, he obtained a “Skill Rank Promotion Ticket” from a high-difficulty Gate.
‘As far as is known, only two people on Earth have obtained a Skill Rank Promotion Ticket.’
And so, a hunter with such extraordinary physical talent and S-rank spearmanship was born.
Korea maintained stability through the Gate Incident thanks to Shin Chang. I personally held him in high regard as well.
Unlike other hunters who were tyrannical and morally bankrupt, the Saebyeokbit Guild was known for its exceptional character.
That’s why non-awakened hunters and porters hoped to work with Saebyeokbit. Of course, there were concerns.
‘I hope he doesn’t do something without saying a word and then have people claim he said something he didn’t.’
.
.
.
“You’ve arrived?”
Fortunately, when I met Shin Chang again, Seo Seung-yeon was present as well. Once again, Shin Chang extended his hand to me without a word.
As I awkwardly shook his hand, Seo Seung-yeon spoke up instead.
“I’m so delighted!”
That doesn’t seem to be the case at all.
The thought crossed my mind, but I couldn’t voice it aloud.
“He doesn’t talk much. He’s famous for being taciturn, you know? Please understand.”
“…I’m delighted as well.”
Shin Chang gave a light nod, and the corners of his mouth rose faintly.
“You seem to like her. Actually, he was quite impressed after seeing Han Hye’s video.”
How does she discern meaning from expressions? I found myself newly admiring Seo Seung-yeon’s ability.
“You’re too kind.”
“Come on, you were really amazing! Is it because you’re S+ rank? Your stats relative to your level are absolutely ridiculous.”
“They’re somewhat high.”
When Seo Seung-yeon spoke, Shin Chang’s expressionless face brightened his eyes—it seemed I needed to direct my conversation toward Seo Seung-yeon.
“Somewhat high isn’t right! I felt it before, and I saw it directly this time too.”
Saw it directly?
My suspicion deepened in that moment.
“Can I ask how many stats increase per skill level?”
“+3 to all stats.”
Since Seo Seung-yeon asked while gauging Shin Chang’s reaction, I answered without hesitation. There was no reason to hide this.
“What? All stats at 3? That’s insane….”
Seo Seung-yeon gasped at my words. Shin Chang’s eyes widened too. So this is how you deduce someone’s inner strength through inference?
I was starting to grasp the technique.
“I know an S+ rank abroad, and only three of their stats reached 3. I was even envious of that, but this doesn’t make sense.”
Since she was sharing information about another S+ rank, I listened intently. I’d assumed we were all similar, but it seemed I was ahead.
Truly befitting a princess. I allowed myself a subtle, satisfied smile that wouldn’t show on my face.
“By the way, I saw the analysis video of Han Hye. Is that accurate?”
“Which part?”
“Your spatial awareness. We learned through the last sparring match that you can teleport and use the Subspace as a shield.”
“That’s correct.”
There was no reason to hide such information from Shin Chang and Seo Seung-yeon, the nation’s top hunters. It wasn’t as if the items coming from the Subspace were dangerous.
I explained that I could perceive a certain range of space around me in three dimensions, and also mentioned my physical immunity.
“Magic still gets through, though.”
“Wait, so it’s genuine physical immunity, not just resistance to a certain level of force?”
Well, if even the Red Dragon couldn’t pierce it, shouldn’t it be called physical immunity?
As I nodded, Seo Seung-yeon looked startled. Shin Chang’s lips, which had been pressed together, parted slightly—he seemed genuinely shocked.
“Kim San is surprised too.”
I’d guessed correctly. At Seo Seung-yeon’s words, Shin Chang closed his lips again.
“So if I turned around, you’d know which finger I was pointing, right?”
“Yes.”
“If we played shell games, you’d never lose?”
“Huh?”
What kind of nonsense was that?
It wasn’t wrong, exactly, but the sudden comment caught me slightly off guard. Seo Seung-yeon laughed.
“I’m joking. Wow, that’s really enviable. I can sense things intuitively too, but it’s not precise. More like knowing roughly where an attack is coming from?”
Seo Seung-yeon, seeming delighted, demonstrated by turning her head back and forth rapidly.
“But if what Han Hye says is true, your distance perception is exact. That means in combat, you can push yourself to the absolute limit of danger, right?”
“I’m not quite at that level yet.”
“You will be! You can develop it!”
“Yes, I’ll work on it.”
She was right. At this point, I decided to ask my own question.
“Are you perhaps protecting our guild, Seung-yeon?”
“Oh?”
Her flustered reaction confirmed my suspicion.
“You noticed?”
“You helped us this time. You even mentioned seeing it directly earlier.”
“Did I say that? I thought you’d probably figure it out anyway.”
Seo Seung-yeon tilted her head while readily admitting it.
“You’re all talented people.”
“But why didn’t you help us sooner?”
“It’s about image.”
According to Seo Seung-yeon, openly helping would have been difficult. While the protection was justified, there could be controversy about favoritism during the emission-type Gate crisis.
With casualties occurring, if word spread that only we received protection, it would damage not just the Hunter Association’s image, but Saebyeokbit’s and ours as well.
“Besides, Hunters develop through extreme situations. I had my trigger half-pulled and was in a state of hyper-focus.”
Seo Seung-yeon spoke with a hint of complaint.
“You moved so fast, and even with the helicopter there, it was exhausting to follow without being detected.”
That’s true. We traversed the urban landscape with the Grendel. Only someone like Seo Seung-yeon could have kept up.
Hearing more of the story, the first shot used a suppressor and a restraint round, so it didn’t eliminate the Grendel in one hit.
In any case, while it was grueling back then, Seo Seung-yeon’s words weren’t wrong.
I didn’t realize it, but it was close to overcoming an extreme situation with insurance in place. I actually did become more accustomed to the spatial leap.
“Thank you.”
“Ah, no need for thanks.”
As we were having this conversation, Shin Chang finally opened his mouth.
“…Sparring.”
It was a pleasant, deep baritone. He spoke just that one word and closed his mouth, and I nearly burst out laughing at the fact that the first word I’d ever heard from Shin Chang was “sparring.”
Besides being taciturn, Shin Chang was also famous for being a battle-crazed maniac.
During the past emission-type Gate crisis, footage of him grinning widely while engaging in fierce combat with monsters had become a meme.
Seo Seung-yeon clapped her hands in realization.
“Right. He wanted to do some sparring with you.”
“Sparring? With me?”
“He said if your spatial sense is genuine, he can help develop it.”
In a way, it would be like personal tutoring from Shin Chang. There was no reason to decline.
It was an opportunity to learn combat from someone of Shin Chang’s caliber.
“I’m grateful for that.”
“But Han Hye also needs to help him a bit.”
“Me?”
“Attacks using spatial movement. I saw the footage from this incident—you sliced the Grendel with a spatial shift during the attack, right?”
That’s right. The main focus of discussion was me leading the Grendel on a pursuit.
However, more professional observers actually focused on that attack instead. They called it an unavoidable attack.
“In the future, monsters that use spatial movement might appear, right? He wants to learn how to respond to them.”
I can provide this much help in exchange for Shin Chang’s tutoring. It’s not even really help, honestly.
I can also practice my timing more. I nodded readily.
“Of course.”
“Really? Thank you! He was quite worried about what he’d do if you didn’t agree.”
I wanted to say, ‘That doesn’t seem to be the case at all,’ but the person in question was Korea’s top-ranked Hunter.
I simply kept quiet.
Hmm. Now that I think about it, his expression does seem more relaxed than before—was he really that worried?
The faint upturn at the corners of his mouth looked genuinely pleased.
“When should we set it up? What time works for you?”
“Anytime. I can’t enter Gates right now anyway.”
Following the Emission-Type Gate crisis, the Hunter Association had imposed heightened security measures, prohibiting hunters from entering Gates.
Shin Chang suddenly thrust his phone toward me.
“Your number?”
At my question, Shin Chang gave a faint nod.
I entered my number, and he made a brief call before hanging up—a remarkably straightforward way of exchanging contact information with Shin Chang.
As the conversation wound down, I remembered something I’d forgotten.
I hastily pulled out paper and a pen from my Subspace.
“Could I get your autograph…?”
Min-seok was a devoted fan of Shin Chang. No matter how much the moment seemed to be concluding, I couldn’t refuse his request.
“….”
Shin Chang signed silently once more, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly higher than before.
He seemed to genuinely enjoy my autograph request.
* * *
-Han Hye? This is IBC Broadcasting….
Following the third Emission-Type Gate crisis, interview requests had been flooding in to the Dragon Guild, particularly to Han Hye.
Calls were coming in from broadcasters who didn’t even have her phone number.
“How on earth are they finding out my number?”
The broadcasters’ interest stemmed from the fact that Han Hye had consistently avoided media exposure.
The Hunter Association had released a brief statement about the situation through official channels, but that was all.
The Dragon Guild, particularly Han Hye, had become a subject of global interest beyond Korea.
The broadcasters desperately wanted to be the first to air her appearance on their networks.
“In that case, it might be better to do an interview in some form.”
Han Hye spoke with Park Seo-ung, the Association President’s direct secretary, and heard the full details.
-Yes. If you’re interested, we can introduce you to broadcasters who will conduct the interview comfortably without any inconvenience.
In cases like this, broadcasters could air unwanted questions or portrayals to boost ratings.
Han Hye felt reassured by the Hunter Association’s introduction and agreed. That’s why she was now participating in this broadcast interview.
Three members of the Dragon Guild participated: Han Hye, Choi Chul-gi, and Seo Min-jae. Lee Shin-hee had declined the offer.
The Dragon Guild’s healer hadn’t become a major topic of discussion, so it was her choice to maintain a lower profile.
“First, Dragon Knight Choi Chul-gi and Mage Seo Min-jae. The firepower you both displayed at such an early level—barely into the 20s—is simply unbelievable.”
While Han Hye received the most attention, the Dragon Knight and Seo Min-jae were no less remarkable. The destructive power of a mage wielding an A-rank skill was considerable.
It rivaled the destructive output of a mage approaching B-rank.
Of course, the difference in magical power stats meant they fell short in speed and sustained output, but it was certainly worthy of attention.
And Choi Chul-gi drew even more interest than Seo Min-jae.
While Choi Chul-gi had photos taken during his contract signing, this was the first time footage of Red Dragon and the Dragon Knight in actual combat had been recorded.
-Krrrgh!
“Seeing a real dragon for the first time—it’s absolutely adorable. If you all had been here, you would’ve instantly become fans!”
Since we’d given advance notice, the announcer conducting the interview refrained from reaching toward Yong-yong.
The atmosphere was quite pleasant and cheerful. After the Q&A with Seo Min-jae and Choi Chul-gi concluded, it was Han Hye’s turn.
“Next is Han Hye. You became a major topic of discussion for holding your ground against four Grendels during this Emission-Type Gate crisis. What were your feelings at the time?”
Han Hye answered honestly.
Park Seo-ung was watching from behind. He said he’d edit out any problematic statements on his own.
“I thought I needed to save people. The citizens, of course, and the Hunters who participated in the defense, and my Guild members.”
“Still, four Grendels must have been an incredibly difficult choice. It was a decision that required risking your life, after all?”
“I did think it was dangerous. But considering my abilities, I felt it was worth attempting. I have spatial movement, and I can block attacks too.”
The announcer conducting the interview opened her mouth and widened her eyes, listening with admiration.
“In other words, that was truly remarkable self-sacrifice.”
“Self-sacrifice? I wouldn’t go that far… I just needed to hold out until higher-level Hunters arrived.”
Beyond that, they also shared everyday conversation—what kind of food I liked, and such.
Two days after filming ended, the broadcast aired, and people’s reactions were incredibly heated.
-Wow, the Red Dragon looks so damn cute on video;;>
-Is adoption possible?
-If we just get another Red Dragon and breed them, that should work?
-Looking for one urgently?
-You’re on your own for that
-You’re a fool ㅜㅜ
-‘I thought I had to save people’ ← I was very moved ㅜㅜㅜㅜ
-‘yes? As far as the spirit of sacrifice… … ’ << I like you so much that you don’t show any condescension haha.
Some guys do what they're obviously supposed to do and then act like every citizen owes them something.
lol
But while the broadcast was airing on television, Han Hye wasn't watching it.
"Hmm. Is there really no other way to utilize the Subspace?"
She was in a one-on-one training match with Shin Chang—or rather, a one-on-two match now that Seo Seung-yeon had joined in, like a tutoring session.
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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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