Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 82

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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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82. Pharva Ancient Ruin (2)
“Here, take this first.”
After confirming we’d entered the Lava Zone, I immediately opened a Subspace portal. I needed to retrieve the ice stones.
Unlike me and Mister, Min-jae and Lee Shin-hee lacked elemental resistance.
“Phew.”
Min-jae and Lee Shin-hee exhaled with relief as they received the ice stones. The oppressive heat had noticeably diminished.
Min-jae held the ice stone against his neck and looked at me.
“I felt it before too, but your items seem to be better quality.”
Since I’d revealed a certain amount about my Subspace’s contents, they knew the ice stones and heat stones weren’t from Earth.
Lee Shin-hee nodded silently in agreement. I shared the same sentiment.
“It makes sense—they were crafted in a world where magic existed.”
Of course, among modern Gate-sourced items, some certainly surpassed what I kept in my Subspace.
After all, a pickaxe couldn’t compare to a jackhammer.
But items like ice stones and heat stones—those created through magic—were almost always superior when sourced from my Subspace.
Both in mana efficiency and actual performance. The same applied to mana potions.
“Exactly. They’ve developed magic the way we’ve advanced science.”
Min-jae’s eyes gleamed with longing for magic. Well, that desire would be satisfied eventually.
Chun-bae had agreed to help Min-jae learn magic.
-Not yet. In the early stages, it’s crucial for a mage to establish their own direction. Of course, my guidance would help, but…
I’d discussed this with Chun-bae before, and his answer was clear—not immediately.
-It’s better to help when he hits a wall than to teach him everything now. To teach him properly, I need more divine essence reserves.
Once our strength increased further and I obtained divine essence, I could satisfy Min-jae’s scholarly hunger.
“Krr!”
Perhaps because it was the first time in ages entering a flame zone, Yong-yong emerged from the Subspace with a contented cry.
His expression was noticeably more relaxed than usual—it was clear that, as a Red Dragon, he genuinely loved the heat.
“You like it, don’t you?”
“Krr!”
When Mister asked, Yong-yong answered vigorously, and his adorable response made us all laugh.
The moment didn’t last long. Though no enemies were visible yet, we were already deep inside the Gate.
“Hmm. But for something called a ruin… I don’t see much of anything?”
Min-jae’s observation was valid. Apart from blackened volcanic rock formed from cooled lava and the lava itself, nothing else was apparent.
Mister gazed thoughtfully at the volcano.
“Isn’t it inside the volcano? You know how in games there are always hidden places somewhere in zones like this?”
“That could be it. We were given quite a bit of time too.”
The Ancient Ruin Gate allotted 72 hours—three days. If it wasn’t a survival-type Gate, generous time limits existed for a reason.
Either something was hidden, or the path to reach it was complex. Looking around, the former seemed more likely.
“Let’s start moving. How about we circle the volcano first? We should scout the perimeter before climbing.”
“Right. If there’s a hidden area outside the ruin, you’d be able to find it.”
Mister, understanding my intention, agreed.
As we advanced slightly, we spotted monsters scattered around the volcano and lava. The variety was considerable.
“That looks like a flame spirit…”
“Quite the variety. From wolf-like creatures to bird-like ones.”
“That one doesn’t seem to be a spirit?”
“Looks like a monster from the Lava Zone? That’s a Magrak, and I’m not sure about the one behind it.”
Small and large spirits composed of flames or lava, alongside monsters with bodies like volcanic rock.
Their numbers weren’t particularly high. They were scattered thinly across the vast terrain.
Naturally, after confirming the enemies, we held a brief strategic meeting.
We needed to discuss a few countermeasures for the battle that would unfold.
“Will they be hostile?”
“It’s a Gate, so we should assume they will be.”
Min-jae spoke with a slightly worried expression.
“My water magic isn’t particularly strong.”
Even during the sand zone last time, water magic wasn’t very effective. I’d heard it was F-rank magic.
It couldn’t be helped—water magic simply wasn’t a popular discipline.
‘Explosions and flames have better destructive power.’
Only a handful specialized in it, and most mages merely learned basic water generation.
It was insurance for when drinking water ran short inside a Gate.
“Why not use sand magic instead?”
Lee Shin-hee tilted her head.
“If you bury them, it should affect the flames.”
“Huh?”
Min-jae let out a dumbfounded exclamation, then seemed embarrassed and cleared his throat.
“I was thinking too narrowly. Sand won’t be as good as water, but it should work fine.”
“Yeah. Watching you use that skill last time, it looked solid.”
Because of the heat, the monsters were near the volcano, so we wouldn’t collide with them immediately as we moved in a wide arc.
As we advanced, we passed a volcanic rock formation that jutted higher than the surrounding terrain.
“Huh?”
“What is that…?”
Behind the volcanic rock, in an area hidden from view, we discovered what could be called ruins.
Well, it wasn’t exactly what you’d call proper ruins.
“Pillars?”
Pillar-like structures appeared above the black volcanic rock. About six of them. What made it uncertain was that the bases of the pillars were buried in the volcanic rock.
Only the upper ends were visible. In any case, we’d confirmed that ruins existed here by chance.
“Do we really have to excavate this volcanic rock?”
Min-jae frowned slightly, and Mister looked at me.
“Feel anything? Like an entrance?”
“Not really…”
However, my spatial sense detected nothing. Which part of the pillar would I need to press to open a door? Besides, the interior of the pillar seemed completely solid.
As I thought this and carefully placed my hand on the pillar—
[The Space Master calls forth the past time within space.]
A familiar notification came to mind.
Wait, was it really familiar? I’d only experienced it once before in my entire life.
* * *
“Huh…?”
“Your Highness?”
And the flowing lava stopped. Just like last time. My job was to transform the Gate.
With only me and my companions unaffected, the time around us began to flow slowly backward.
The lava that had been pouring down slowly flowed back toward the Volcano, and then time flowing into the past accelerated sharply.
Back then, I’d been inside a building and only felt the changes in objects within, but this was different.
“Wow, this is insane…!”
Even the volcanic rocks around us transformed into lava and flowed back toward the Volcano.
Fortunately, we weren’t affected by the external changes, but I was startled nonetheless.
“What… what is that?”
And within a portion of the past time.
An enormous volume of lava shot up into the sky and poured back into the Volcano. It looked like a volcanic eruption had occurred.
And the pillars that had been in front of us revealed themselves completely. Of course, they didn’t look freshly constructed.
Even now, they had the distinct appearance of Ruins. However, tents began to appear in the distance nearby.
“What on earth is happening?”
Lee Shin-hee, rarely flustered, looked around in bewilderment with wide eyes.
Min-jae also seemed taken aback. Both of their gazes turned toward me.
“They were calling it ‘Your Highness.'”
“It’s because I’m a Space Mage. To be precise, they said I’m the owner of the space.”
Your Highness, indeed.
Just before my job title was revealed, an explanation tumbled out of me in desperation.
“Has something like this happened before?”
Mister and I were startled too, but since we’d experienced it once, we remained relatively composed.
Lee Shin-hee’s eyes sharpened as she noticed that.
“Yes, once. A Gate transformation occurred.”
Given the circumstances, I briefly explained what had happened before. I don’t know why.
It was simply an effect that came with the job.
“To transform the Gate autonomously… it’s no wonder it’s an S+ rank job.”
“In a way, it’s a double-edged sword.”
“Let’s focus for now. The surroundings have changed quite a bit.”
Time still wasn’t flowing. Perhaps because the transformed Gate hadn’t been explained yet.
This moment was crucial. We hurriedly surveyed our surroundings.
“It’s gotten less hot.”
The heat around us was different from before. Volcanic rocks were visible here and there, but lava wasn’t actively flowing. There was even greenery visible.
At first glance, it felt like a dormant volcano. The surroundings were the same. With the volcanic rocks gone, the pillars revealed themselves.
Behind the pillars, something that looked like a small Village came into view. But that appearance seemed somehow familiar.
I was sure I’d seen it on Earth, but I couldn’t quite remember the name.
“It feels like Pompeii, doesn’t it?”
“Ah. Right, I knew I’d seen something like this before.”
That’s it. It does feel like Pompeii. As if buried under volcanic ash. Near those ruins of a village, I could see what looked like hastily erected tents.
So what we’d witnessed earlier was a volcanic eruption occurring again on ruins that had already been destroyed by a previous eruption.
“Are they asking us to find something in the ruins before the volcano erupts again?”
“That could be it.”
At that moment, Mister, who had been lost in thought, narrowed his eyes and looked at me. What was that about?
Something felt unsettling.
“Hye.”
“Yes?”
“A thought just occurred to me. The notification said ‘Princess’ again this time—are you sure your job isn’t Princess instead of Space Mage?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The notification window never lies, they say.”
Damn this infuriating message.
But unlike before, I didn’t need to make excuses. A new notification had appeared.
[The Gate has been transformed.]
[Pharva Ancient Ruin Expedition]
-Recommended Level: 31~45
-Explore the Pharva Ancient Ruin.
Remaining time: 71 hours 59 minutes.
Apart from the changed recommended level, there wasn’t much difference in content. But the level range was quite substantial.
“31 to 45? Such a wide gap is quite rare.”
Then Chun-bae spoke up.
-If a Gate transformed by the Princess’s power has such a wide level gap, the probability that it varies by choice is high.
‘Varies by my choice?’
-Affirmative. It’s likely a matter of decisions during the ruin exploration.
And at that moment, I could guess the reason.
“I think the wide level gap might be because of the volcanic eruption?”
“Volcanic eruption?”
“When time was flowing backward earlier, there was that massive volcanic eruption.”
To be precise, the lava flowed backward into the volcano, but…
“It seems like this expedition did something that caused a problem with the dormant volcano.”
“Hmm.”
“It could be unrelated, but given the circumstances, the likelihood is high.”
Since we’d returned to before the volcanic eruption and arrived at this moment, the party members nodded in agreement. Lee Shin-hee’s eyes brightened.
“It might be dangerous, actually.”
“Dangerous?”
“To obtain something hidden in the ruins, we might have to trigger the volcano to erupt.”
I suppose so.
Yeah, that’s true.
Just like in the Lava Zone before—when I removed the Fire Jade, the Flame Sentinel never appeared. This might be similar.
Something is blocking the Volcano, and that something is a precious item. If we take it, the Volcano erupts.
The fact that this place resembles Pompeii supports that theory.
“This place becoming a Ruin might also be because of something inside it.”
“The Volcano erupted in the past and turned it into a Ruin?”
“Yes.”
I turned my gaze toward the back.
“Well, I think we’ll get more details if we talk to them over there.”
Time began flowing again.
Someone wearing glasses was approaching from the tent direction. It was similar to last time.
The Gate had transformed and changed into a narrative-type. That didn’t mean it wasn’t a Ruin Gate, though.
To be honest, my expectations were high.
‘Back then, I obtained a C-rank spear, Holy power, and a job skill acquisition ticket.’
Comparing the Ruin from that time to this one, the level difference was substantial.
That meant the probability of finding something more valuable here was quite high.
“Excuse me! You’re the ones Dr. Felime called and Gerom introduced, right?”
Since I’d entered the flow of the narrative-type Gate, I stepped forward and nodded.
“That’s correct.”
“Welcome! This way, please! I’ll explain the details here!”
Min-jae and Lee Shin-hee had slightly tense expressions. It seemed to be because the Gate had transformed into a higher-level one.
Even with our experience, they’d be anxious.
“Everyone, relax. Last time it changed, we got a C-rank spear and a job skill acquisition ticket that earned us an A-rank skill.”
“An A-rank skill?”
“My leap skill came from there.”
At the mention of such remarkable rewards, Lee Shin-hee and Min-jae’s eyes lit up with interest. Well, that should be motivation enough.
Now it was time to explore the Ancient Ruin.

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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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