Subspace Lv 4 (Part 2)

"Gold?"

The very first thing that caught my eye in the newly opened chamber was a mountain of radiant gold. It was no exaggeration; the entire space was bathed in a warm, gilded glow, studded with gems that twinkled like stars in a night sky.

To be precise, resting near the far wall was an enormous glass enclosure—roughly three meters wide and three meters deep—crammed to the brim with gold bullion and glittering coins. Nestled amidst the precious metal were colorful gemstones of every imaginable cut, heaped into rolling miniature dunes.

"Whoa... how much is all this even worth?"

Without knowing the current market price for gold, I couldn't even begin to tally the sum. Tens of billions of won? Hundreds of billions? Or perhaps far more?

Mana-powered lanterns were mounted along the top of the glass case, casting a dazzling amber brilliance that illuminated every corner of the room.

"Isn't this basically winning at life?"

No, it went far beyond mere retirement money. If our world were peaceful and free of gates, a fortune like this could sustain ten generations of descendants in lavish luxury. Then again, had the gates never appeared, I wouldn't have laid eyes on such treasures in the first place.

"There's seriously an absurd amount here."

— It could hardly be otherwise. Having traversed three separate worlds, these objects have been reduced to mere scrap.

Come to think of it, he had a point. While I didn't understand the exact nature of the Erosion, in the face of complete civilizational collapse, gold and silver lost all conceivable value.

Then something caught my attention.

"Wait a second. Three worlds?"

— Did not the pre-predecessor confirm the existence of a Space Lord who preceded her? The very first iteration of the Subspace was likewise brimming with gold and precious jewels. There was far more than this, in fact.

"More than this?"

— Even when the end of the world draws near, there are always those who hoard wealth. Perhaps they intended it as an investment for the future. Our previous masters held that same sentiment.

Chunbae explained that stockpiling mountains of treasure inside the Subspace was an act of consideration for their successors.

— Master Han Hye's world is unusual, allowing you to amass staggering wealth through hunter expeditions. However, the previous and pre-previous generations inhabited vastly different eras.

A medieval fantasy world. It was a society strictly stratified by social caste, where service was rewarded with aristocratic titles rather than corporate contracts.

— Though there were those who orchestrated rebellions, many were unable to secure significant monetary gain, unlike yourself.

"If that was the case, things must have been tough for them."

— Affirmative. This wealth was left behind so that the Lord of Space would never suffer financial hardship, regardless of shifting human relationships or fickle loyalties. What you see here is merely a fraction of it.

I blinked, wondering if I had misheard.

"This is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠only a fraction?"

— This sanctuary has persisted through three distinct worlds. Possessing the Subspace, achieving a baseline level of success was only natural.

Fair enough. The Pre-predecessor had been an accomplished mage of the Magic Tower. Anyone capable of constructing Chunbae would naturally possess exceptional competence. And even if the Previous Lord was said to lack talent, the safeguards left by her predecessor would have ensured she reached a considerable height. Since the Lord before her had also left behind a monumental hoard, the accumulated riches would naturally be boundless.

Just how much gold and treasure lay locked away in the deeper compartments? Chunbae added:

— Even if Master Han Hye's prospects were to darken, you need not trouble yourself with replenishing this coffer.

"That much, huh?"

A dry chuckle escaped me.

To be honest, I didn't desperately need gold right now. I wasn't particularly driven by greed, and I already possessed more money than I could spend—with even more on the way. Between the national contract payout from the Korean government and the funds from Saudi Arabia, my bank accounts were overflowing.

Still... it's reassuring.

Looking upon that towering hoard brought an odd sense of comfort. Was this the kind of smug contentment billionaires felt in movies when standing before their private vaults? It felt as if every worldly worry had dissolved into thin air. If someone as indifferent to material wealth as me felt this way, anyone else's eyes would have rolled straight back into their heads.

— Master Han Hye. Gold is not all that awaits you in the fourth compartment.

"Right."

Prompted by Chunbae's reminder, I turned my attention elsewhere. Flanking the golden hill were two entirely distinct setups, and one in particular immediately drew my gaze.

"What in the world is that?"

Contained within a large glass basin similar to the treasure vault was a tank filled with a luminous, sky-blue fluid.

— It is a healing facility.

"A healing facility?"

The tank Chunbae referred to was somewhat smaller than the treasure enclosure, measuring roughly two and a half meters in height and two meters on each side.

"That liquid? How would anyone breathe in there?"

— It is a therapeutic solution that allows underwater respiration. Designed to automatically purify itself when supplied with mana, it was crafted with great dedication by the pre-predecessor.

Just what kind of person had she been? Then again, considering she built Chunbae, she clearly wasn't ordinary. In comparison, an advanced healing tank was child's play.

— Its function is to facilitate the rapid, complete recovery of the physical body. It is particularly suited for use within the Subspace, where time stands still.

As Chunbae elaborated on its mechanics, the logic behind its creation became crystal clear.

To begin with, even high-ranking healing skills didn't offer 'complete recovery.' For light scratches or flesh wounds, perhaps. But if one suffered a deep, grievous laceration, healing magic essentially provided rapid battlefield triage. In sustained combat, residual trauma lingered. If pushed too hard, wounds could reopen even without taking fresh hits.

That happened with the ogres, too.

Even after receiving Lee Shinhee's A-rank heal while defending against the mid-to-small gates, hadn't my wrist continued to throb with a dull ache? Of course, fighting without a healer was exponentially worse. Regardless, the ability to rapidly mend an injured body within the Subspace was an invaluable asset. Even if time didn't flow in this realm, spending dozens of hours resting here would still be an inefficient drag.

— The ideal procedure is to enter the tank after receiving treatment from a healer. However, should circumstances prevent that, it is fully capable of healing severe wounds on its own—though it will require somewhat more time.

One question remained.

"Shouldn't something this vital have been placed in the first or second compartment?"

— Negative. While the solution purifies automatically, its supply is not infinite. A reserve of healing solution exists further back, but it is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not abundant.

"In other words, she didn't want to waste it on just any incompetent successor?"

It was a quintessential demonstration of the Pre-predecessor's mindset. She loathed the thought of her hard-won contingencies being squandered on the unworthy. And given that Chunbae still withheld certain truths from me, her standards must have been exceptionally stringent. Frankly, I couldn't blame her.

If I left behind a legacy meant to save the future, only for some useless fool to ruin it... yeah, I'd be pissed.

Since assessing someone through casual conversation was unreliable, she had likely hardcoded restrictions into Chunbae based on specific qualifications—probably my level or the proficiency of my Subspace skill. Well, that was something to uncover in due time. Honestly, whether I learned more about the Erosion right now didn't change reality. If we couldn't overcome it, our world would simply suffer the same fate as the fallen civilizations depicted in the gates.

— Operating the mechanism requires a high-grade magic stone at minimum, but its performance more than justifies the expense.

"Sounds great."

If this fourth compartment had been unlocked during the recent Outbreak Gate crisis, for instance, the entire campaign would have been considerably smoother. I could have rotated in here to instantly restore my physical condition.

"And over there..."

I shifted my focus to the opposite side.

Resting atop a modest wooden desk were several bound tomes. Even without opening them, their nature was unmistakable.

— They are secret martial manuals.

"There sure are a lot."

Until now, I had only encountered three manuals: the swordsmanship and magic tomes from the first compartment, and the Fighting Cock manual from the second. Perhaps unlocking the fourth compartment meant I had earned a fair degree of recognition, because there were ten books neatly arranged across the tabletop.

— Only one will be of immediate utility to Master Han Hye.

"Only one?"

Just as a flicker of disappointment surfaced, Chunbae continued:

— They consist of manuals for frontline primary weapons, hand-to-hand combat, and esoteric magic. However, Master Han Hye has already established your primary armament, have you not?

Upon closer inspection, he was entirely right.

There were various weapon techniques and spellbooks, most of them graded B-rank. In an instant, memories of the past flashed through my mind.

— "In the next compartment, who knows? Maybe there'll be B-rank or even A-rank manuals waiting."

Uncle had said something along those lines over drinks shortly after my awakening. And now, after all this time, I was finally standing before a collection of B-rank manuals.

— Turan Sword and Shield Art is a defensive discipline that utilizes both a blade and a shield. It does not align with the combat style I have observed in Master Han Hye.

"Is there no point in learning both?"

— Affirmative. Their fundamental doctrines diverge too sharply. Unless you achieve grand mastery in Cresea Swordsmanship first, your efforts are far better directed elsewhere.

Having decided to trust Chunbae's guidance regarding my progression, I offered no protest. His advice had never steered me wrong. Even when the Hunter Association offered a choice of swordsmanship manuals, Chunbae's counsel had proven spot-on.

So that's why he urged me to take Cresea Swordsmanship back then—because the manual waiting in the fourth compartment was a sword-and-shield style.

In the end, that choice had granted me Cresea Swordsmanship, which suited me far better than an encumbering shield. It seemed the predecessor who stocked these shelves leaned toward defensive paradigms. The magic manual hailed from the Red Magic Tower, maintaining consistency with earlier texts, and the very first imperial swordsmanship I had learned was also a defense-first, counter-second style.

I set two of the tomes aside.

"I can give the magic tome to Minjae, and the spear manual to Uncle."

— It will prove of immense benefit to them. In the case of Chireon Spearman Art, it includes specialized techniques for mounted combat.

Uncle had acquired a B-rank spear manual around the same time I chose Cresea Swordsmanship, but he had never been entirely satisfied with it. It clashed subtly with his preference for riding Yongyong into the fray.

"And the one you said would help me... it's this, right?"

I picked up the remaining tome.

Curiously, it shared the exact same name as the physical combat skill I had obtained in the second compartment.

"Is this the same style I've been practicing?"

— Affirmative. It is the martial art developed by a close companion of the pre-predecessor. A specialized Bookbinder transcribed it into a permanent manual.

"Does that mean an A-rank version will turn up later?"

— ......

Chunbae offered no reply, which was practically a confirmation. I didn't bother asking if it was good. A technique bequeathed by a close friend of that legendary mage was guaranteed to be exceptional. Besides, hadn't I already proven its worth through countless dungeon crawls? Hand-to-hand combat wasn't merely about throwing bare-fisted strikes; it had revolutionized my footwork, evasive maneuvers, and overall body coordination.

"Not bad. It's not as jaw-dropping as the third compartment, but still."

— The Subspace is primarily designed as an auxiliary environment to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nurture the growth of future Space Lords.

"Right. Not spoon-feeding everything, but offering just enough support to let us stand on our own two feet."

Though I phrased it modestly, this was already an overwhelming degree of spoon-feeding. No other hunter on Earth enjoyed this kind of backing.

"And that leaves this."

Sitting just behind the manuals was a crystal orb, virtually identical to the one I had discovered in the second compartment—the one containing the recorded message from the past. The moment I lifted it into my palm:

"Huh? That's all?"

The instant the words faded, I realized the voice was subtly different from the one I had heard before. It sounded profoundly drained, laden with an unmistakable exhaustion. The contrast in warmth and vitality was night and day.

— It is a message left by the previous Lord of Space.

Ah. Though Chunbae and that unnamed deity had dismissed her as talentless... to me, she was the gracious benefactor who had bequeathed an invaluable spirit herb farm.

"Thank you. I will keep moving forward."

Knowing she couldn't hear me, I gently rested a hand on the orb and nodded.

Having surveyed the chamber, I was about to study the manual when Chunbae spoke again.

— There is still one matter you have overlooked.

"Hm?"

A sudden, wondrous resonance emanated from the bracelet around my wrist. It felt like a delicate fusion of mana and divinity.

Click.

With a soft chime, a hidden drawer slid open beneath the underside of the desk.

"What's this? My Spatial Sense didn't catch it at all."

— Spatial Sense is not omnipotent. In areas where divinity has been applied, your perception can be clouded.

I carved Chunbae's advice deep into my mind. I had grown accustomed to relying unconditionally on Spatial Sense; this was a timely reminder of its limits.

"And this is...?"

Resting within the concealed compartment was a slender, silver key.

My breath hitched. An S-rank item! First the S-rank armor in the third compartment, and now an S-rank key here... It hammered home just how extraordinary the predecessors had truly been.

— Whether inside or outside a gate, it is a master key capable of breaching almost any locking mechanism.

"It says here that it permanently vanishes, though."

— That only applies if it is used in the specific lock for which it was originally created... yet throughout all our travels, such an occasion has never arisen. In short, so long as it is not used for its 'true' purpose, it will remain in your possession indefinitely.

"Hmm. Could there have been a specific lock inside the gate where this was first discovered?"

Keys were inherently purpose-built items; the concept of an all-unlocking master key was an anomaly in itself. That alone justified its S-rank classification. As long as I didn't stumble across its destined counterpart, I had effectively acquired a universal skeleton key.

"Why was it kept hidden like this, though?"

A lingering question remained.

— Because it is an artifact prone to severe abuse, and one that easily paints a target upon its bearer.

I caught a subtle nuance in Chunbae's tone.

"So it's fine for me to have it?"

— Affirmative. From what I have observed, Master Han Hye is fully qualified to possess this key without concern.

When I first met Chunbae, I had felt a trace of disappointment over how tight-lipped he was. But now I understood why that had ceased to bother me. This proved it: I had already earned Chunbae's genuine trust. He was only held back by the strict protocols established by the Pre-predecessor.

"There aren't any hidden secrets like this back in the earlier rooms, right?"

— Negative. Nothing concealed remains within the first three compartments.

"I hope the next gate has plenty of locked doors. I'm itching to take this for a spin."

— You will likely be quite astonished. Though the description states 'almost any,' I have never once witnessed a mechanism capable of resisting it.

Hearing Chunbae's confident remark, a spontaneous grin spread across my face.