The Temptation of Subspace
Kim Jihun gazed at the monitor with a beaming smile, his face brimming with joy. There, displayed on the screen, were the Caprica points he'd earned yesterday.
"Just one day, only about four hours of streaming..."
Despite it being his very first broadcast, he'd racked up 3,000 points—roughly 30,000 won in value. Not a bad start at all. In fact, it could even be called a solid success.
"Playing the games I love and making money on top of it? This is way too good to be true."
Jihun looked contentedly at his computer, upgraded with a whopping 300,000 won. Sure, he'd sunk a lot into Overwatch, but at this rate, he'd recoup that investment in no time. The promising situation filled him with renewed vigor.
"Alright. Let's keep earning like this."
Balancing studies and a part-time job was tough, but turning his passion into profit was incredibly satisfying for Jihun.
Though Jihun had started game streaming, he never neglected his studies. If anything, he had even more free time now than during his bookstore shifts. He dove headfirst into his schoolwork.
"Cliche, cognitive, coherent..."
Jihun was memorizing English vocabulary. He'd nearly perfected multiple wordbooks. His once-pathetic English scores had climbed to the point where perfect marks were routine.
"Never dreamed I'd get this good at English."
In the past, he'd stumbled over even middle-school-level questions. Forget TOEIC or TOEFL—he'd struggled with high school problems. But now, Kim Jihun could follow British dramas or American pop songs without much trouble.
"Won't have to worry about language barriers on an overseas trip someday."
Satisfied, Jihun thought that. Then, a random idea popped into his head.
What if I studied other languages too?
While mastering English, he'd grown intrigued by foreign tongues—each infused with a nation's culture, daily life, and wisdom, so different from Korean. French, Russian, Japanese... Learning them and traveling would be a blast.
But Jihun shook his head.
"A retaker like me? No time for that. Gotta nail the CSAT first."
Regrettably, he was just a college exam retaker. His top priority was the entrance exam. With entrance subjects demanding his focus, other languages felt out of place for now. He shelved the idea—but didn't abandon it.
Once I'm in college, I'll learn them. Save up, then take Mom and Dad on an overseas trip.
Jihun harbored fantasies of travel. His family wasn't well-off, so he'd barely done domestic trips, let alone abroad. His dream? Succeed big, treat his parents to luxury travels, and let them live it up.
A sweet, endearing goal that brought a gentle smile to his face. But Jihun was determined to make it real someday.
"Yeah. Someday I'll make bank, do whatever I want, and live the good life."
Reaffirming his ambitions, Kim Jihun steeled himself. But then he muttered,
"Wait, isn't there something else I should be focusing on besides the CSAT and language study?"
Before he knew it, he'd barely thought about creation lately.
"Hm."
Asrie, who had been watching Kim Jihun closely, opened her eyes. Her sacred blue irises shimmered. With a dissatisfied expression, she murmured,
"He hasn't been practicing creation much lately, has he?"
She kept observing him. He wasn't doing any training to become a Creator God. At first, he'd been diligent with quests, but after hitting a wall on advanced object imitation creation, he'd all but given up.
Asrie frowned in disapproval.
"If he'd steadily built up his Creation Force, he could create advanced objects too... To just drop it like this."
She was annoyed. Possessing the noblest, most radiant talent of all—Creation Talent—yet neglecting to hone it, distracted by side benefits. To Asrie, who had toiled for eons to reach high Creator God rank, Jihun seemed utterly foolish.
"Once he becomes a Creator God, all this will be fleeting amusements. So foolish, Kim Jihun."
His laziness frustrated her. But he was human, steeped in human routines and values. Forcing change would cause friction, even if she intervened. Better to ignite his motivation instead.
Asrie murmured,
"If I offer a reward that's hard to obtain with his current power—a rare item or ability—it should spark his drive easily."
She rose slowly, spread her wings, and focused her Creation Force. Opening her beautiful lips, she intoned a divine utterance.
"All things exist."
The tips of Asrie's fingers began to glow...
Kim Jihun was deep in his studies. The CSAT was still months away, but he had no intention of slacking. Creation Talent could be honed anytime, but the exam only came once.
That mindset shifted with the sudden spectacle.
Flash!
The Creator God Manual on his desk corner lit up brilliantly! The mysterious book began to glow.
Whoosh!
It slowly floated up. Golden radiance bathed the room. Jihun stared in bewilderment.
What's going on? I haven't touched it lately—why's the book acting up now?
He had no clue. Lately, it had stayed quiet except during quests. Now this? Tense, he watched closely.
The book hovered gracefully, pages parting. Golden text appeared.
Jihun read it slowly.
Special Trial from High Creator God Asrie
📍 Task:Advanced Object Imitation Creation x20
🎁 Reward:Personal Subspace
"Huh?"
Jihun's dumbfounded voice echoed in his room.
"A personal subspace."
He stared at the golden text, deep in thought. Most folks hearing "subspace" would picture something from fantasy novels—a mystical pouch like a game inventory, holding endless items regardless of weight or size.
And now it dangled as a reward? Unbelievable. He reread the text.
Reward: Personal Subspace.
Yep, crystal clear. Jihun tilted his head.
"Wait, wasn't there already an advanced object imitation quest? Why's this special one stacking on top?"
He couldn't make sense of it—just puzzled. No idea Asrie was prodding him out of frustration with his slacking.
Gazing at the text, greed began to stir.
"A subspace..."
His abilities had grown since getting the Creator God Manual. Simple structures were no problem now, and Creation Talent boosted all his other talents massively. Plus his enhanced body—radiant looks, superhuman physique.
But he was still human. A genius one, sure, but human. Creation was the exception, yet stuck at basic objects.
A subspace, though...
"I want it."
How convenient—an infinite pocket for heavy gear or valuables. And if time stopped inside like in novels, fresh food storage too.
Jihun stomped excitedly. The reward was too tempting. More practical for daily life than creating objects right now.
"Ugh!"
But he knew he couldn't claim it yet. Weeks stuck on advanced imitation? Even smartphones failed every time. Twenty successes? Impossible.
He eyed the golden text sadly.
"It's just pie in the sky."
Indignant, his gaze locked on one line:
Reward: Personal Subspace
He was going mad with desire. An avid fantasy reader, the idea of wielding novel powers thrilled him.
"Argh! I want it! I want it so bad!"
Writhing in greed, Jihun suddenly froze. Then he muttered,
"Alright. I'll get it, no matter what. Even if I have to grind my powers nonstop."
With fierce resolve in his eyes, he committed. Human greed burned fiercer than expected.