Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 86

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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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86. Pharva Ancient Ruin (6)
“Those bastards are going to have a rough time. Did they say high-rank spirits? They looked incredibly powerful.”
As Mister shrugged while gazing at the Subspace blocking the entrance, Dr. Felime opened her mouth.
“It is their karma. I was the one who discovered the clues and granted them the opportunity to explore these ruins… yet they sought to harm others and seize everything for themselves.”
Dr. Felime had every right to be exasperated. She had merely found the initial clues and requested investment.
Yet they attempted to kill the very source and plunder everything.
“Regardless, only one side will survive. And the survivors won’t be in good condition either.”
“Heh heh. So this is what they call having your cake and eating it too?”
Apart from resolving the situation cleanly, I harbored a small personal regret. It stemmed from the combat.
The knights in the Exploration Team and the Flame Spirit were opponents I would have liked to face at least once.
‘It would have been a chance for real combat experience.’
Somehow, I always seem to breeze through Gates. Not that I intended it that way.
In truth, this one had a fairly demanding structure as well.
We infiltrated the Ruins in nearly record time. Yet their response was remarkably swift.
I wondered if perhaps their arrival at this very moment was all part of some design.
‘Fighting both sides would be far more difficult.’
I wasn’t deliberately avoiding combat. Of course, blocking the entrance with Subspace was intentional… but.
I couldn’t very well fight in an unreasonable situation, could I?
“Everyone, prepare yourselves.”
In any case, real combat would come.
My spatial sense range is 30 meters. The Subspace range is the same. If we move beyond that distance, the barrier blocking the entrance will disappear.
I couldn’t afford to leave trouble behind, so it was best to deal with them immediately once combat concluded.
Whether spirit or human, I would grant them no time to recover.
“How is it progressing?”
“The spirit side is stronger.”
Chun-bae’s concern wasn’t without reason. The Exploration Team held out better than expected, but…
They were no match before the high-rank fire spirit.
“Gaaaahhh!”
Over there, in that narrow corridor, the knight riding the Flame Horse—being a spirit—found it difficult to block the charge with physical force.
Moreover, the spirit filled the corridor with flames. Screams of agony from those burning echoed through.
“Ugh…”
After the fierce crackling of flames consuming everything, the combat noise diminished considerably.
In remarkably little time, the Flame Knight had eliminated all remaining forces.
A perfect example of using one’s enemies against each other.
Of course, separately from that, my mind was already working rapidly. On how to deal with the Flame Knight.
‘Far stronger and faster than the Magma Golem. I’m uncertain about the physical durability of its body, but I should assume it’s superior.’
The problem was my companions. First, only Mister and I possessed fire resistance skills.
That charging speed earlier was beyond imagination. Being a spirit, its coordination with the Flame Horse was exceptional.
A one-on-one in such a narrow corridor was something I had to avoid. The problem was that drawing it here would endanger my companions.
Well, the solution was simple enough.
“Once I open the Subspace, the spirit will enter through here again. At that point, go back through that Entrance.”
“Through there?”
“There will be a corpse, so it’ll be unsettling, but that’s our best option. It’s too dangerous to turn around here.”
Even if I evaded the spirit’s attacks, this creature could still strike the rear guard directly.
To block it with a leap, I’d ultimately have to take the full brunt of that charge, which put us at a severe disadvantage.
I couldn’t maintain aggro constantly either.
There’s a reason why vanguard formations include not just a main tank at the front, but a separate warrior protecting the rear.
“Mister, you and Yong-yong guard the Entrance. Don’t let it strike from behind carelessly.”
I’d open the Subspace while leaving space near the Entrance.
The spirit would have difficulty attacking, but Lee Shin-hee and Min-jae should be able to cast healing and magic spells.
“Understood. Let’s try it.”
“The first attempt is crucial. I need to let it come at me before entering.”
Just as we finished discussing, the battle on the other side concluded. The Flame Knight was heading this way.
The Flame Horse’s footsteps echoed. Or rather, it was the sound of flames roaring.
“Get ready… I’m opening it now.”
* * *
To the left of the Entrance, our party stood at a distance. We needed to stay out of the spirit’s line of sight.
It could sense us through mana, but it would attack what it saw first.
Yong-yong and Choi Chul-gi guarded the front of our group. Han Hye stood directly facing the Entrance, holding the Wind-Flow Sword.
The moment I withdrew the Subspace, she swiftly swung her blade twice.
Two wind slashes with a brief delay formed an X-pattern toward the spirit. The Flame Knight paid no heed and spurred his mount forward.
The Flame Horse charged straight ahead with a rough neigh. The knight then swung his sword.
—Whoosh!
Undulating flames and wind collided. The flames wavered, but dealt no damage to the knight.
Fortunately, the Flame Knight charged forward exactly as Han Hye intended.
He glanced sideways at our group but didn’t change direction.
The others didn’t realize it, but it was because Red Dragon Yong-yong was there. To the spirit, the Red Dragon appeared to be an ally.
“Now!”
Han Hye moved diagonally to the right, sweeping the Wind-Flow Sword upward at an angle to deflect the knight’s attack.
Clang! Clang!
Even in the brief span of the mounted charge, two blade strikes connected. Han Hye felt her wrists sting as she clicked her tongue.
‘It’s not mere flame.’
Despite being composed of fire, the sword possessed physical force equivalent to steel.
Combined with the Flame Horse’s mobility, the destructive power was overwhelmingly on their side.
Of course, during this exchange, our party safely entered toward the Entrance. I extended my hand.
Whooom—
A Subspace materialized near the Entrance, leaving just enough space for one person to pass through. Choi Chul-gi stood before that opening.
“Brother! Perfect!”
Now Seo Min-jae and Lee Shin-hee could lean through the gap and cast magic and healing spells.
Even if the knight attacked, Choi Chul-gi was there, and the narrow opening made it relatively safe.
“A blessing…!”
Lee Shin-hee’s buff touched my body. Strength and agility enhancement. I shook my shoulders lightly.
As the Flame Knight passed by and turned around, my eyes gleamed.
‘Not in perfect condition.’
Of course, I only had one comparison point. That was all I’d seen when I dodged the initial charge.
But the difference was definitely there.
This charge just now was slightly different from the initial one.
The speed had slowed microscopically, and the power of the raging flames also seemed somewhat diminished.
‘Well, they were no ordinary foes.’
The corridor wasn’t wide. The Exploration Team would have lost in such unfavorable terrain, but those creatures were far from ordinary either.
In the fierce battle, they had dealt quite a bit of damage to the Flame Knight.
-This seems manageable enough.
Chun-bae recognized it too and spoke up. I smiled with satisfaction.
‘Perfect. I wanted to test myself against them anyway.’
I’d secured a decent opponent for real combat. What I wanted now was to separate the knight from the Flame Horse.
I was more interested in developing my swordsmanship than simply raising my stats.
For that, fighting a dismounted opponent was better than fighting one mounted on the beast.
Then the Flame Knight charged again, the Flame Horse scattering embers in its wake.
Whoosh—
I opened a Subspace again, toward where the Flame Knight was charging. I wasn’t targeting the knight.
Only below—I was targeting the Flame Horse. But my timing was slightly off.
The Flame Horse leaped lightly over the Subspace. A blade descended from the sky.
I pulled my upper body back and deflected the sword.
Unlike when we’d grazed before, the flames the spirit unleashed spread in all directions. Heat erupted outward.
‘It’s hot.’
Even I, with A-rank flame resistance, felt it that intensely.
Without the skill, merely being nearby would have caused damage from such heat.
“Brother!”
-Sizzle!
Min-jae’s magic then struck the spirit. It was water magic, but it had no effect.
It evaporated the moment it touched the Flame Knight. The water became thin mist and dispersed.
But even that mist didn’t last long. The heat rapidly drove away the moisture-laden vapor.
There was no time to rest. The Flame Knight charged again.
Whoosh—!
Having tried it once, I could time it perfectly this time. A Subspace formed right in front of the Flame Horse’s nose.
Boom. Despite being made of flames, the Flame Horse stopped with a tremendous impact. The recoil sent the knight flying backward.
I attacked immediately, but the Flame Knight hastily swung his sword to deflect my strike.
Then he transformed into flames and stood upright on the ground again.
“I’ll handle the Flame Horse!”
That’s when Choi Chul-gi joined in. From the look of things, the Flame Knight was only focused on me.
If I joined in at this moment, I could make the battle considerably easier.
“Yes! If things get dangerous, I’ll use Leap!”
Han Hye grinned. I had been about to call Choi Chul-gi anyway. Perhaps because we’d been together for so long, our teamwork was flawless.
The escort duty for the group had become precarious, but if the enemy’s target shifted, using Leap would solve the problem.
Thus, the exact situation Han Hye desired materialized. The knight glanced toward the Flame Horse, then fixed his gaze on Han Hye.
His eyes, like volcanic rock, appeared hollow. The attack came in an instant.
—Whoosh!
A flaming blade aura shot forward like Han Hye’s wind slash. Han Hye evaded the flames with Leap and swung her sword toward the knight.
Thus their blades clashed. The Flame Knight’s flaming sword against the wind-infused Wind-flow Blade.
With each collision, flames rippled and danced upon the wind as if the interaction between the two swords created a phenomenon of its own.
“Brother! Are you alright?”
“I can hold my ground!”
A superior-tier spirit. Had I not possessed flame resistance, the heat would have left burns on my exposed skin.
But because it was me, I could endure it.
The real problem lay in swordsmanship. The Flame Knight’s blade technique was superior.
The spirit’s attacks poured down relentlessly, but I parried without panic. Moreover, I began to vary my technique, mixing in different styles of swordsmanship.
‘Imperial Foundation Swordsmanship combined with Crescea Swordsmanship….’
Defensive swordsmanship and swift strikes seemed incompatible, but in reality, they were not.
One simply needed to defend stably and then counterattack with swift strikes.
“….”
“Wow….”
As the blade exchanges continued for a brief moment, gasps of admiration erupted from the group.
Though they knew little of swordsmanship, the two swordsmen clashing within the rippling flames appeared as if they were dancing.
[Skill Crescea Swordsmanship (Grade B) has increased in level.]
[Skill Flame Resistance (Grade A) has increased in level.]
In the process, two of my skills rose in level. It was from continuously exchanging blades within the flames.
It was quite a satisfying achievement, so I couldn’t help but smile.
‘Is real combat truly the best teacher?’
The heat diminished, and clashing blades became slightly easier. The tide of battle gradually shifted in my favor.
The Flame Knight had already expended considerable strength fighting enemies outside.
“Brother!”
And Seo Min-jae, who had snapped back to attention from his amazement, unleashed his magic at the knight.
A spear of sand aimed at the Flame Knight. Perfect timing, one might say.
‘It’s time to finish this.’
I immediately used Leap. Toward the knight’s back as he stumbled, evading the sand spear erupting from the ground.
The Wind-flow Blade, brimming with mana, severed the knight’s neck. I didn’t stop there.
Two diagonal slashes descended upon the Flame Knight’s body. And the flames extinguished.
The Flame Horse had already fallen to Choi Chul-gi.
[Your level has increased.]
“Min-jae. Your timing was perfect.”
“Wow, your timing isn’t just crazy—I’ve never seen swordplay like that before!”
Of course, the scattering flames created far more visual impact than the actual sword exchanges themselves.
Han Hye scratched the back of her head as Seo Min-jae’s eyes widened in amazement.
‘I’ve been coasting on this for far too long.’
The Professor and his Assistant were also staring at Han Hye with astonished expressions.
“Magnificent. That duel shall surely be remembered as legend.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Once this is over, I shall repay you properly. I must also express my gratitude to Gerom for sending such distinguished individuals.”
Han Hye let out a hollow laugh at his suddenly formal tone. Just then, Lee Shin-hee approached with a worried expression and asked.
“Are you hurt anywhere else? You were inside those flames.”
“Not particularly. My flame resistance is quite high, and the flames never actually touched me.”
“Shin-hee, could you heal him? The Flame Horse kicked me, and I think my shoulder blade is cracked.”
Instead, Choi Chul-gi had simply walked over, clutching one shoulder.
“It’s not a serious injury, is it?”
“Of course not. I’m tough! Ugh!”
As Choi Chul-gi tried to flex both arms to show off his muscles but immediately grabbed his shoulder in pain, laughter rippled through the group.
“Anyway, since everyone’s fine, let’s move on.”
.
.
.
After passing the Flame Knight, no other enemies appeared. There was simply a corridor ahead.
As we followed it, the heat intensified.
“I can’t go any further…”
Despite holding ice stones, the Professor and Assistant declared their surrender. It wasn’t merely hot.
Beyond the difficulty breathing, advancing further would literally cook their bodies.
Even the Hunters Lee Shin-hee and Seo Min-jae looked strained. Mister was sweating profusely as well.
Only Yong-yong and I remained relatively comfortable. The creature wore a cheerful expression, seemingly delighted by the situation.
“I’ll keep watch here. Go ahead and check inside, Hye.”
There could be an ambush from behind at any moment.
“Should I?”
“Please do. If there’s any writing inside, copy it down for me.”
Advancing a bit further, an open space appeared. It resembled the Volcano Core itself.
A corridor about 2 meters wide extended roughly 10 meters, and 30 meters below lay the Lava Sea.
‘It’s scorching.’
The heat was so intense that even I, possessing A-rank flame resistance, felt the burn.
Yet I couldn’t stop.
‘That’s the essence.’
At the end of the corridor, atop an Altar, a glowing red essence burned brilliantly, as if drawing in the power of the Lava Sea surrounding it.
And as I drew closer, I could only gasp in astonishment.
[Pharva Essence (S-Rank)]
An S-rank item had been lying there all along.

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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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