Subspace Lv 4 (Part 3)

"Seo-woong."

"Yes, sir."

"Take a trip to the United States next week. It's regarding Kim Hancheol."

"Has the date been finalized?"

Kim Hancheol. Possessor of the rare class 'Guardian.'

He was one of the brightest prospects the Korean Hunter Association had failed to keep. In the chaotic aftermath of the initial Gate Disaster, far too many promising awakeners had crossed the Pacific in search of better support and resources. Currently level thirty-nine, he had stood as a stalwart vanguard for the American pioneer raid team just a few years ago—a hunter of exceptional caliber.

"Yes," Association President Kang Seok-doo replied, leaning back with a grave sigh. "His family will be traveling with him, so make sure they are escorted with every courtesy."

Kim Hancheol's brilliant career had come to a tragic halt during a catastrophic gate raid several years back. While throwing himself forward to absorb a lethal curse targeting his entire party, he had been struck by a vicious affliction known as 'Collapsing Mana.'

The curse continuously eroded the victim's internal mana reserves, and no conventional treatment could halt its progression. Even an S-rank healer in the United States had failed to reverse the damage.

The curse did not stop at stripping away mana. It steadily atrophied his physical musculature and bone density, leaving him barely able to walk. In the end, he had been forced to step down from active duty.

The United States had not neglected him. As a pivotal anchor of their vanguard, he had been granted full citizenship and treated with genuine respect. When the curse struck, they had poured extraordinary resources into his treatment, including invaluable A-rank elixirs. His former raid comrades, who now led the primary American vanguard forces, had supported him wholeheartedly.

Yet even the finest elixirs had failed to stem the decay. His condition only worsened with every passing season.

Naturally, the American authorities had been reluctant to let him go, clinging to the slim hope that medical breakthroughs might one day reverse the curse. But after years of zero progress, and faced with the earnest pleas of his family in Korea alongside Hancheol's own heartfelt wish to return home, they had finally relented. His official raid contract was honorably concluded, and his service was acknowledged with full honors.

South Korean law typically prohibited dual citizenship, but several special legal exemptions had been carved out following the advent of the gates. High-ranking awakeners were among those exceptions, so his repatriation faced no bureaucratic hurdles.

"Is there truly nothing we can do on our end either?" Park Seo-woong asked quietly. "If we could somehow cure him, he would be an indispensable asset to our vanguard."

Kang Seok-doo let out a heavy breath.

"Not at present. Even an S-rank healer threw up their hands."

"Ha..."

"We have no choice but to wait. Who knows what the future might bring? A real dragon just showed up on our soil, after all."

The President's mind drifted toward the young Spatial Mage who had roused the dormant Dragon Knight from retirement. To Kang Seok-doo, who monitored global hunter developments daily, Han Hye was an unprecedented anomaly. That such a miracle had awakened within South Korea's borders was an incredible stroke of fortune.

'Give it a few years, and perhaps that boy might stumble upon an answer.'

The real question was whether Kim Hancheol's deteriorating body could hold out that long.

"By the way, sir," Seo-woong added, checking his tablet. "The American side sent a follow-up inquiry regarding their previous request for Hunter Han Hye's cooperation."

"Ignore it. The compensation is insulting. Just let Han Hye know that an offer was forwarded, nothing more. It's not like their raid desperately requires a Spatial Mage anyway. They're trying to pull a cheap, underhanded trick. Unless they offer an exceptional gate and real rewards, don't even entertain it."

Once I had finished taking stock of everything inside my expanded subspace, I turned my attention to a single task.

Studying the secret manuals.

I had no immediate use for the mountain of gold bars, nor did I have lingering injuries that required healing. The special gate keys would keep until our next excursion. That left personal growth as the obvious priority.

It was my first time acquiring the exact same skill at a higher rank, and the notification revealed that the skill level had dropped by one. When I had learned entirely separate sword arts before, each had occupied its own distinct slot on my status window, making this consolidation genuinely fascinating.

Losing a level sounded like a setback on paper, but in reality, it was an immense upgrade. The gulf between ranks was simply too vast.

The moment the B-rank technique settled into my mind, a cascade of profound insights engraved themselves into my consciousness, and the reason for the numerical decrease became clear.

'The skill carries the same name, but the breadth and depth are on an entirely different plane.'

To put it simply, if the maximum potential of the C-rank Fighting Rooster capped out at fifty points, the B-rank version set its baseline at seventy. The skill level had recalibrated to match a significantly higher performance ceiling. In terms of practical combat output, I was far sharper and more lethal than before.

"Phew."

For the next two days, I devoted myself entirely to honing the upgraded Fighting Rooster—specifically, blending its unarmed footwork and close-quarter strikes into my swordsmanship.

Because Fighting Rooster was fundamentally a martial art of bare-knuckle infighting, a seamless, one-to-one fusion with blade work was impossible. Even so, certain principles aligned brilliantly with the rapid thrusts and swift redirections of Cresea Swordsmanship. As a martial system modeled after the fierce, relentless aggression of gamecocks, its low stances and sudden explosive pivots possessed an uncanny synergy with my fast-paced swordplay.

"Oh! It worked!"

A few days later, I joined Seo Seung-yeon to watch her sidearm undergo an enhancement.

I had been unaware of the details, but the Association had recently confirmed through extensive testing that mundane modern equipment could indeed be imbued and converted into artifact-grade gear.

"This is amazing! The pistol actually became D-rank!"

Because Min-seok's artisan skill level was still developing, he was currently restricted to processing D-rank Gate Metal. Nevertheless, Seo Seung-yeon looked utterly delighted with the result. She claimed her base attributes had nudged upward and the mana required per shot had noticeably decreased.

"I really don't know how to repay this..." she murmured, visibly flustered as she held the sleek, mana-laced weapon.

She seemed determined to offer compensation, but Uncle and I both stepped in to wave her off. Elite awakeners handpicked from Iron Wall and Dawn Light were already taking alternating shifts to safeguard Min-seok day and night.

"Come on, keeping Min-seok safe is more than enough compensation," I told her.

While the guard detail was technically an Association contractual benefit, their personal vigilance and genuine warmth toward the kid warranted real gratitude. To be blunt, Min-seok's current crafting capability hadn't reached the level where he could command astronomical fees anyway. This was just a modest, friendly favor.

"Once Min-seok's level climbs higher and he crafts true high-grade items for you, you can pay him a proper fee then."

"Of course! Naturally," Seung-yeon agreed readily before reaching into her coat and presenting an ornate wooden case. "Right, before I forget. Sani-oppa told me to give you this."

I opened the lid, wondering what it could be, only to find a rare elixir resting atop velvet padding. And a B-rank one at that.

Seung-yeon offered a bright smile.

"It doesn't begin to cover the value of the information you gave us about Gate Metal, but please accept it as a gesture of thanks."

"Ah, you really didn't need to give me something like this..."

"I brought it all the way here, so you have to take it! If I bring it back, Sani-oppa might actually clobber me."

"Excuse me?"

"You know how petty that man can be behind that quiet face, right? If you reject his gift, he'll find an excuse to make my sparring sessions ten times more brutal."

Hmm. Recalling the faint, predatory smirk that occasionally crossed the Divine Spear's lips during our training bouts, her fear felt entirely justified. I resolved never to give that spear fanatic an excuse to vent his frustration on me.

"Don't you dare tell him I said that," she added, eyes darting nervously. "If he finds out, I'm doomed to forced sparring."

"My lips are sealed."

Seung-yeon let out a sheepish giggle.

Truthfully, I had shared the information on Gate Metal as compensation for his martial guidance, but considering Seung-yeon's position, I chose to accept the gift gracefully.

'Dawn Light doesn't sit at the peak for nothing. This is what a real partnership looks like.'

I turned the wooden box over in my hands, thought for a second, and looked at Uncle.

"Should we pass this along to Min-seok?"

"Hm?" Uncle blinked.

"Min-seok's jewelry crafting needs to advance quickly. He'll be heading into a gate soon, and at the end of the day, mana is the lifeblood of an artisan."

Thanks to our recent expedition, my own mana had skyrocketed, leaving me with little immediate need for a mana-enhancing elixir. The rest of Team 1 was in the same boat, having enjoyed substantial stat bumps across the board. Since this was an unexpected windfall anyway, investing it in Min-seok's growth made perfect sense.

Uncle stared at me, his eyes wide and brimming with profound emotion.

"Hye-ya..."

"What's with that look? Are we strangers?"

"Thank you. Truly, thank you."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"I'm sick of hearing that."

Uncle let out a breathless chuckle at my deadpan retort.

"If I just took it for granted, you'd feel slighted, wouldn't you?"

"Well, fair point. In that case, keep groveling."

"Why you little punk—!"

Word arrived from the Hunter Association shortly after. The official compensation for our cooperation in the Trial of Mana had been finalized.

The baseline guild-wide reward was relatively modest:

Compared to our previous mission, it might have felt slightly underwhelming at a glance—back then, every individual member had received a personal pass. But the context was entirely different.

The Night of Despair had been an imminent Gate Break crisis where the national vanguard lacked suitable same-level personnel, necessitating massive hazard pay. The Trial of Mana, by contrast, was a newly manifested trial gate, and our participation had been essentially voluntary despite the official liaison dispatch.

'It's the difference between "We are begging you to save us" and "Here is an incredible opportunity if you wish to take it."'

I had zero complaints. We had already harvested immense rewards and experience directly from the Magic Tower. On top of that, the guild ranking points were generous. Furthermore, that was merely the baseline distribution; an additional tiered reward followed for the primary contributor.

Securing three Priority Passes from a single operation was more than satisfactory. We had already used those passes to reap massive dividends in the past. Counting the one pass we had kept in reserve, our total tally was back up to four, meaning we could comfortably expend three on prime opportunities whenever we wished.

"There are several more gate public announcements scheduled in a few days. Wouldn't it be better to wait and see what pops up?"

"I heard rumors that a couple of very solid ruin gates are slated for release soon."

When the guild members gathered to discuss our next raid destination, we agreed to hold off for the time being. With discharge-type outbreak gates on the rise globally, the announcement cycles had grown shorter, and none of the presently listed dungeons caught our eye.

"Speaking of which," I began, changing the subject with a grin, "remember that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Skill Level Up Scroll I got from Dawn Light?"

As I hinted at the treasures brought forth from the fourth subspace, Minjae's eyes widened to the size of saucers. They practically glittered with such intense anticipation that it was almost intimidating.

"No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠way...!"

"Yeah. A few secret manuals dropped."

I produced the magic grimoire first and slid it across the table. The moment Minjae's fingers grazed the cover, he sprang out of his chair as if propelled by a spring.

"YEEEEES! OH MY GOD!"

His shout shook the walls. I had never seen someone so deliriously ecstatic. He completed a full celebratory lap around the meeting room before skidding to a halt and thrusting two enthusiastic thumbs in my face.

"Hyung, you are literally the greatest human being on this planet!"

"...Sure. Sit down before you pass out."

Mentally drained by his explosive enthusiasm, I gave him a mild nod and turned toward Uncle. Since we were next-door neighbors, I had offered to give him his manual earlier at the apartment, but he had insisted on receiving it alongside everyone else.

"Here's yours, Uncle."

"As always, Hye-ya... thank you. Seriously, thank you."

Perhaps chastened by my earlier teasing about thanking me too much, he delivered the words with exaggerated, playful gravity.

"Are you trying to get on your knees and bow to me now?"

"Do you want a full prostration? I'll do it right here."

"Go ahead."

"..."

"What are you waiting for? I'm watching."

"I'm sorry, I was out of line."

I let out a smirk and turned my gaze toward Lee Shinhee.

"As for Shinhee-ssi..."

"Oh, please don't worry about me," she interjected softly, waving her hands in polite deference. "I'm a healer, after all."

"That's not what I meant."

At first glance, one might assume there was nothing inside the martial caches suitable for a pure backline support. But on closer reflection, that wasn't true at all.

Shinhee consistently carried a shield and a mace as secondary defensive armaments. There was plenty of room to augment her survivability.

"I have a Sword-and-Shield manual and a Blunt Mastery manual. Which would you prefer?"

"Pardon?"

"You train with your secondary weapons in case an enemy slips past the front line, right? Having an official skill to back it up makes a world of difference."

"Uh, wait... wouldn't it be far better to use that elsewhere?" she asked, clearly startled. "B-rank combat manuals are worth tens of billions of won. Couldn't you trade it for high-end elixirs or..."

Her hesitance was entirely understandable. A genuine B-rank combat manual commanded staggering prices on the open market. When I had originally signed my contract as a C-rank hunter, I had accepted a B-rank swordsmanship manual in lieu of an upfront cash bonus.

"Keeping it in the guild is worth far more than money," I replied easily. "Making our team stronger protects all of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠us. Don't feel pressured. It didn't cost me a dime—it dropped straight from my subspace."

I had zero intention of putting martial manuals retrieved from the subspace up for public auction anyway. If I ever needed liquid cash, melting down and selling the endless gold bars was vastly more practical.

Shinhee fell silent for a moment, her brow furrowing in deep contemplation before she spoke.

"I think the Sword-and-Shield technique sounds wonderful... but what do you think, Han Hye-ssi?"

"Are you thinking of adapting the forms to use your mace alongside the shield?"

"No," she admitted, looking slightly embarrassed. "Truthfully, I was always more proficient with a blade. But because healers rarely have the time or mana to master deep swordsmanship, I picked up a mace instead."

"Ah. So you want to switch your secondary weapon back to a sword?"

She nodded earnestly.

"I was worried it might be too late to make the switch, but if I can learn a B-rank Sword-and-Shield skill, starting now feels much better than regretting it later. To be honest, I haven't swung the mace all that much either."

"That sounds like a great plan."

It made complete sense. Given her background in a prominent chaebol family, she had undoubtedly received elite private tutoring in her youth. Even so, as an active A-rank healer, her frontline swinging experience was minimal at best.

"Which brings me to a small favor..." she said, her voice dropping a fraction as a faint blush colored her cheeks.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind... taking a look at my sword form sometime, Han Hye-ssi?"