Something Keeps Appearing in My Subspace - Chapter 9

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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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9. Value Investment
[Authentication confirmed]
Despite the late hour, my Hunter Net authentication went through instantly. It was the first moment I accessed posts on Hunter Net.
[Have the Gates been getting harder lately, or is it just me? (15)]
[Do Spacers actually exist? This isn’t a hoax, right? (31)]
I spotted a post related to me and clicked on it immediately.
“For real though. He even broke the record for Gate training. Lee Hong-ju’s the best lolol”
– What’s so good about being a Spacer? Honestly no clue;; Isn’t it just a pack mule?
┗ I’m curious what rank someone like that is;; Maybe watch the news once in a while
– I heard the Subspace storage is about the size of a shipping container. It’ll get bigger as the skill levels up, but that’s insane;; Can Korea actually win the contract competition with this?
Unlike the Workshop, this was a place filled with experienced hunters who recognized my true value.
Though anonymous, the flood of praise felt genuinely good.
– Not even a combat class, yet they crushed the Knight’s record. That alone makes them a top prospect. And that’s before considering the Subspace ability.
┗ But is that even possible? The Knight’s record was already a sensation.
┗ There’s a way.
┗ What way?
┗ Their awakened skill is S+ or A+. Skills with + grades have stat bonuses, you know.
I was already aware of this. Certain skills provided additional stat effects just by existing.
For instance, something like +3 to all stats. When the skill levels up, the bonuses stack as well.
That doesn’t mean it shows as S+ on the status window, though.
It’s just a name hunters gave to those + grade skills.
‘That’s a decent excuse.’
It was something I hadn’t considered. My current stats were already beyond the normal range thanks to Red Dragon.
If anyone noticed, I could simply claim my skill was + grade.
[This is Saebyeok Guild. If the Spacer is using Hunter Net….]
When I searched for “Spacer,” several guilds appeared to be reaching out to me.
One in particular stood out.
Saebyeok Guild.
Though the second-ranked guild domestically, it had far greater recognition than the top guild.
It was the guild where Shin Chang, the highest-level hunter in Korea, belonged. The reason it was ranked second was due to its elite, selective approach.
They focused on high-tier Gates rather than sheer quantity of Gate subjugations.
‘Saebyeok doesn’t seem bad.’
The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head. There was no need for me to make the first move.
I wasn’t the one in a hurry.
I even questioned whether joining a guild immediately would be wise.
‘If I join, I’d have to move as a team….’
I had too many secrets to keep.
The dragon egg I was preparing to hatch, my stats, and the weapons that emerged from the Subspace—all of it needed to stay hidden.
Given the attention I was receiving lately, it almost seemed unnecessary to hide anything….
But there was no reason to flaunt what I possessed.
‘The kidnapping of an S-rank healer in the United States—who knows what might happen if I’m not careful.’
It would be better to grow stronger first, then collaborate with Saebyeok Guild. After all, they’re a small elite force of high-level hunters.
Even if I joined, I wouldn’t be able to operate with them immediately.
With that in mind, I intended to form my own team.
If the egg hatches, Uncle Iron will be part of it, so I was hoping to find talented mages or healers.
People who wouldn’t notice my secrets, or if they did, wouldn’t reveal them—trustworthy individuals with discretion.
Of course, finding such people wouldn’t be easy.
‘I’ll search slowly.’
* * *
After browsing Hunter Net for a while, I completed my Gate entry application.
‘Labyrinth Dead End’.
It was one of the survival-type Gates. In the Labyrinth Dead End, I’d have to endure waves of monsters rushing toward me.
‘Monsters swarm at regular intervals.’
In truth, it wasn’t a textbook survival-type Gate. Since the back was sealed, it was similar to defending an entrance.
But that didn’t matter.
The recommended level was 5-10, so even if it was difficult, the difficulty would be appropriate. Besides, I had the Flowing Sword in my Subspace.
Since more than three teams had already failed to clear it, the application itself went through smoothly.
‘I wonder if it’ll be approved.’
However, whether the application would be accepted was another matter entirely.
I was confident I could clear it, but the Hunter Association wouldn’t see it that way.
Well, if they refused, I planned to tell them about my ability—that I could enter the Subspace.
A specialist in survival-type Gates.
Since I could navigate Gates that others avoided, it would definitely increase my market value.
Though I had no intention of entering only survival-type Gates indefinitely.
After that, I entered the Subspace.
It was time to experiment with the egg’s hatching. Before going to the Workshop, I’d ordered a heating device.
[Heating Device (D-rank)]
-A heating device crafted from low-grade magic stones.
-When infused with mana, it releases heat.
It’s equipment used by hunters.
Since electricity couldn’t be brought into Gates, it was a device powered by magic stones that emitted warmth.
I bought it partly because I’d eventually need it, and partly to experiment with the egg’s hatching.
I turned on the heating device and cradled the egg. Even at maximum temperature, it didn’t feel hot.
‘Is this A-rank flame resistance? That’s insane.’
It seemed like even actual fire wouldn’t feel hot to me. If this didn’t work, should I try holding the egg over a campfire?
Entertaining such thoughts, I spent ten minutes.
“Hmm.”
But unfortunately, there was no notable reaction. It seemed the heating device was ineffective.
When I first saw the Red Dragon, the egg had reacted to just the heat from the rare-grade furnace.
‘Wait?’
Now that I thought about it, the egg had reacted when I’d eaten the Sunflower of Radiance and exhaled before.
And today I’d received the Flame Herb.
‘What if I eat the Flame Herb and breathe out? Would it react?’
It was a medicinal herb I’d consume anyway—there was no harm in trying. I opened the wooden box and retrieved the Flame Herb. I could feel its warmth.
I was about to bring it to my mouth when, on a whim, I held the Flame Herb close to the egg.
Crackle—!
That was the moment. The egg didn’t shake, but I heard something scratching from within.
“Oh. It’s reacting.”
Of course. This was a Red Dragon egg. It probably didn’t need ordinary heat—it needed the essence contained within the medicinal herb itself.
‘What if I leave the Flame Herb on top of the egg and activate my thermal ability while cradling it?’
The moment I placed the Flame Herb atop the egg—
Whoosh—.
The Flame Herb I’d placed on the egg suddenly withered away in a burst of heat.
“What?”
The egg had absorbed the Flame Herb.
“This is… insane…!”
I couldn’t help but be flustered.
The Flame Herb was a C-rank medicinal herb. By price alone, it was worth tens of billions—and the egg had just consumed it in my stead.
Whoosh!
However, the movement inside the egg felt noticeably more active. I could sense a gentle warmth emanating from it.
[Red Dragon Egg]
-A dragon egg that is not far from hatching.
-A bit more heat is required for hatching.
I immediately checked the egg’s description. The contents had changed from what I’d seen before.
The second description now included “a bit more.” Originally it had just said “heat is required.”
‘Could it be that it needs to consume flame-related medicinal herbs to hatch?’
This would cost more than I’d anticipated. I was somewhat surprised, but it wasn’t a bad situation.
At least the direction was now clear.
Medicinal herbs themselves cost tens of billions, but a Red Dragon—you couldn’t buy one for hundreds of billions, even thousands of billions.
What am I saying?
Dragon Coins.
This is the bottom of the market.
Whatever medicinal herbs the egg needs to consume, I’ll provide them no matter what.
* * *
The next morning.
The man I met in front of Yong-Yong Samgyeopsal seemed tense, letting out a heavy sigh unlike his usual demeanor.
“Sigh. I’m worried.”
“About what?”
“The training center. I haven’t exercised in years.”
A specialized Hunter training facility.
The Workshop is another name for a Hunter Academy where Awakened ones learn about Gates, swordsmanship, magic, and more.
Since it’s exclusively for Awakened individuals, the training is brutal.
There’s a gym too, but the weights themselves are on a different level. If you have Strength stats, you can just lift several hundred kilograms.
Even with stats, you still need to exercise.
Some people rely on their stats and skip training—they’re fools. It absolutely helps regardless.
‘There was an experiment, after all.’
A strength competition between a muscular man and an ordinary person with identical Strength stats. The result?
The muscular man won.
“You’ll adapt quickly.”
“But when you think about it, once the Red Dragon hatches, I’ll be riding around on it. Do I really need to train?”
“Pardon?”
The old man spoke with confident eyes as I looked at him with a pitying gaze.
“No, it’s not that I suddenly don’t want to exercise or anything….”
“It seems like you suddenly don’t want to exercise?”
“I’m telling you, I’m not.”
“Then why?”
“Honestly, if I’m riding a dragon around, what does physical ability matter? If the Red Dragon doesn’t hatch, I can’t even return to being a Hunter anyway.”
It sounded like half a joke, half serious. The first part was a joke, the second part was serious, you could say.
He was probably just being cautious—expecting too much would only lead to greater disappointment. I smiled and spoke.
“You don’t need to worry about that. There’s been progress.”
“What?”
I explained to the old man what had happened. That the egg had reacted after consuming the Flame Herb. That the hatching had drawn even closer as a result.
The old man was startled.
“Are you insane? Do you know how much that costs!”
Ah, so that’s what surprised him?
The old man seemed even more excited than I was. Well, elixirs certainly are expensive.
“Once it hatches, what’s the big deal? Honestly, if you’d asked me for that elixir back when you were returning to being a Hunter, even without the Red Dragon egg, I would’ve given it to you.”
“What are you saying….”
That trivial elixir—I wouldn’t have minded giving it all to him. But since he kept looking apologetic, I added playfully.
“If it really bothers you, I’ll pay you back later once I strike it rich with the Red Dragon. If I’m traveling with a dragon, hundreds of billions will be nothing.”
“…Yes. I’ll hold you to that.”
The old man answered after a moment of silence. He understood what I meant. That’s the kind of relationship we had.
“Anyway, it worked, so I’m planning to try more going forward. I think I need to feed it more flame-related elixirs.”
“Can you obtain them?”
“I’ll try. And besides, there’s the contract period, right?”
Once you become E-rank, you can sign a Hunter contract. Whether it’s foreign or Korea, offers will come in.
Honestly, I’m not sure how much I’ll receive. A Knight received nearly a hundred billion on his first contract.
Having broken that record and possessing a Subspace, wouldn’t I receive at least the same or more?
“I was originally hoping for secret treasures or elixirs anyway. I’m just planning to ask for flame-related elixirs instead.”
This was something I’d already decided back when I was still an Unawakened Hunter. Honestly, even if I had hundreds of billions right now, it wouldn’t change anything for me.
Buying a house or a car would probably be the end of it. Having lived without much, I don’t even know how to spend money properly.
‘Besides, receiving a growth elixir would be more beneficial.’
This was a contract that promising Awakeners frequently made. Once they grew stronger, they could earn more money.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Once I become stronger, I’ll earn more money anyway. There’s no use for it. Even if I die inside a Gate, there’s no one to leave money to.”
“No one? You should leave it to me.”
“So you’re saying you’ll ignore the cost of the growth elixir Red Dragon consumed and take my inheritance too?”
“…I’ll buy lunch and dinner today!”
“It’s not just today’s lunch and dinner—shouldn’t you be buying my meals until the day I die?”
The old man laughed heartily.
“I might not be able to do that once Red Dragon hatches.”
* * *
“It has been confirmed that Earth’s mana density is increasing. The UN Gate Countermeasure Committee has decided to designate the anomalous phenomena occurring in Australia as ‘Erosion.'”
“Erosion, I see….”
The Korean Hunter Association President nodded while reviewing the documents.
Australia, now a land of monsters, had high-grade Gates opening constantly.
The problem was that the land near the Gates had begun to transform—into terrain from an alien world. And not just one.
The areas near Gates had been warped into the terrain of more than twelve different worlds, the kind only visible inside Gates.
“What about the Gate situation?”
“Other countries experienced similar phenomena. The proportion of survival-type and narrative-type Gates increased, and hunter mortality rates rose noticeably.”
“Since mana density began increasing?”
“Yes. Gates are definitely becoming more difficult. The problem is, level-restricted Gates are also increasing.”
The Association President exhaled deeply.
There was no way around it.
“The probability of survival-type and level-restriction overlapping will rise.”
“This is no trivial matter.”
“Forget about this Erosion or whatever—I’m already worried about the current Gates themselves.”
Survival-type Gates had higher difficulty compared to their recommended level, but sending high-level Hunters could manage it.
Even if you sacrificed some experience and rewards, you could at least prevent Gate Break itself.
But level-restricted Gates were different. Unlike ordinary Gates that non-Awakeners could enter, only Awakeners of a specific level could access them.
The real problem was when level-restricted Gates overlapped with survival-type Gates.
When only the appropriate level could enter an already difficult Gate, subjugation became harder.
The possibility of Gate Break occurring increased.
Australia had become a land of monsters precisely because of level-restricted survival-type Gates.
“This is maddening. We still have unsolved level-restricted Gates….”
The Association President rubbed his temples in frustration.
A-rank Hunters had been stationed at high-level Gates. Those were beyond recovery if Gate Break occurred.
The problem was the ambiguous, low-level Gates. Recently, it had become difficult to find skilled low-level Hunters.
In short, it was a manpower shortage.
If left as is, Gate Break would occur and cause civilian casualties.
“Hmm.”
Promising low-level hunters came to mind. Yet I couldn’t guarantee they’d have what it took to clear a level-restricted survival Gate.
Then a name surfaced unexpectedly.
Han Hye, the Spatial Mage.
Her Subspace ability alone was exceptional, but what truly astounded me was how a non-combat class had shattered the Knight’s records.
‘Considering her performance at the Workshop….’
With just a bit more growth, it would certainly be possible.
Such thoughts crossed my mind, yet I couldn’t make a decision immediately—not because of doubt, but because of the immense value of her abilities.
I couldn’t afford to lose a Spatial Mage in a low-level Gate under any circumstances.
At that moment, the Secretary burst through the door to my office.
“Association President!”
“What is it?”
“The Spatial Mage has submitted an application to enter a survival Gate.”
I’d ordered all reports concerning the Spatial Mage to be prioritized, which was why the Secretary had come in immediately.
“What? Who’s she going with?”
The Secretary scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“Well… the application lists only one person.”
“She’s going alone?”
I couldn’t help but be taken aback.

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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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