Chapter 01
A crack appeared.
A gate had formed, sucking in everything around it—pavement, traffic lights, cars—whatever it could.
Even me, sitting in my car.
It happened in an instant.
BEEEEEP!
I was just driving down a quiet road when suddenly, my car crashed into the ground, blaring its horn endlessly.
“Cough! Cough!”
Thick smoke rose from the half-destroyed car, forcing a cough out of me.
No matter how much I looked around, all I could see was a completely enclosed tunnel.
I was screwed. This place…
As much as I wanted to deny it, the memory of the crack swallowing me was far too vivid.
Where I was now was definitely…
A dungeon.
A dungeon for a civilian? That was practically a death sentence.
Could my luck get any worse?
Yesterday, I got fired from my job.
Today, the house I barely managed to rent after being scammed disappeared.
And now, even my one and only car was destroyed.
And on top of that, I ended up in a dungeon, completely unprepared.
Why do bad things always come all at once? I felt hopeless.
The car’s horn, blaring since earlier, showed no sign of stopping. If this kept up, it might attract monsters.
I hurriedly tried to undo my seatbelt. I couldn’t stay here any longer.
“W-why won’t this work…?”
But my trembling hands couldn’t seem to unlock the clasp. I kept fumbling, failing over and over.
I grew more anxious by the second.
It felt like a monster might show up at any moment and kill me. Fear overwhelmed me, and tears began to stream down my face.
Screeeech!
It didn’t take long.
When I saw the shadow in front of me, I tasted despair for the second time.
At the edge of the wall lit by the car’s headlights, I saw a massive antenna.
No, no.
I couldn’t even breathe properly.
As the monster’s full form slowly emerged, I frantically pressed the seatbelt release button. At last, with a clicking sound, the belt came loose.
I pushed the car door with all my strength, desperate to escape.
I didn’t want to die helplessly here.
But then I realized.
I was really going to die.
Thunk, thunk. No matter how much force I used, the car door wouldn’t budge.
Outside the window, a massive centipede—easily several times the size of a person—crawled toward me. Its countless legs wriggled grotesquely, and its sturdy mandibles opened and closed repeatedly.
It was staring directly at me and quickly closing the distance.
Terror paralyzed me. I couldn’t think of what to do.
My mind went blank, and all I could manage was a stupid scream.
“Aaaaah! Aaack!”
BANG!
The centipede charged at the car, slamming into it. The already damaged vehicle crumbled under its attack.
My legs were pinned under the wreckage. I couldn’t free myself no matter how much I struggled.
Please, someone save me. Anyone.
A sudden gate, appearing out of nowhere. Too little time for anyone to come and help.
My cries for help were meaningless echoes.
But even so, I couldn’t stop.
I pleaded with the empty air, hoping for a miracle.
Now, there was only one thing I could wish for.
The system.
I prayed for a system window to appear and save me even now. Any ability would do—just let me awaken and escape this crisis.
But the massive centipede was still staring at me, and nothing appeared in front of me.
The creature seemed to toy with me as it slowly backed away, preparing for another charge.
This time, its jaws would be aimed at my neck.
“Please.”
Once again, I desperately begged as I watched the scene unfold. I didn’t even know who to pray to or how. I just screamed.
“Save me. I’ll do anything! Please!”
I didn’t want to die like this.
It couldn’t end this way.
I was just starting to get by in life. After struggling this much, I deserved some reward. Why are you killing me?
Why here of all places again?
Why?
Through my blurred vision, I saw the centipede charging at me again.
Like slow motion, I saw the car window shattering and fragments flying. I could clearly see inside the monster’s mouth.
That was it. No one was going to save me. No final hope. Nothing.
“Shit.”
I spat out what would be a crude last word for a final message.
I never thought I’d end my life swearing.
But then again, this world was just that shitty.
[Puhah.]
And just before the centipede’s jaws touched my neck, in that brief moment.
A strange blue window appeared before my eyes.
Two simple words.
The system window that appeared at the moment of death mocked me.
Huh?
[“Even a mouse hole has its day in the sun!”
▸ Hidden Skill: Subspace (Rank Unmeasurable)]
I didn’t even have time to read what was written. The system displayed the next window before me.
[“You sunfish! You might die from just a tiny scratch?”
: A dangerous factor has been detected. You are being forcibly relocated to the Subspace.]
In an instant, my surroundings changed.
Gone were the terrifying jaws of the monstrous centipede and the suffocating darkness of the tunnel.
Instead, I found myself standing in the middle of a vibrant green meadow.
I opened my eyes wide in disbelief and looked around. All I could see was an endless field of grass.
The stale, oppressive air of the underground cave had been replaced with the cool, spring-like breeze. The wind brushed past me.
There was nothing threatening here.
Absolutely nothing.
At that realization, I finally let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.
Ha. A hollow laugh escaped.
I couldn’t believe what had just happened, nor could I make sense of this situation.
But one thing was clear.
I was alive.
Tears streamed down my face again. I had stared death in the face—and survived.
I was alive. Truly, I was aliv—
[F-rank monster ‘Large Worker Centipede’ wishes to enter!
Will you allow entry?
Yes | No]
What the hell.
No! No?! NO!
Startled by the sudden system window, I frantically pressed “No” over and over again.
Could it even come in? Why would I let it in?!
[F-rank monster ‘Large Worker Centipede’ is very disappointed that it couldn’t eat you!
Would you like to allow the sulking centipede to enter?
Yes | No]
Why are you asking again?!
What do you mean “disappointed it couldn’t eat me”? I shuddered at the grotesque message and kept mashing the “No” button.
The tears that had come from relief were now threatening to retreat back into my eyes.
[F-rank monster ‘Large Worker Centipede’ group and B-rank monster ‘Super Long Centipede’ group have discovered your subspace entrance!
Will you allow entry?
Yes | No]
No way in hell!
✦✦✦
For what felt like forever, I had to keep hitting “No” to the unrelenting stream of system windows.
Only after the sun had set did the messages finally stop appearing.
It was maddening. If I had accidentally pressed “Yes,” it would’ve been game over. I couldn’t let my guard down for a second.
“Isn’t there some kind of ‘permanent ban’ option or something?”
[Due to the Subspace Administrator’s stats being ‘extremely’ low, the permanent ban function cannot be used.]
As I muttered to myself in frustration, another system window popped up.
I couldn’t tell if it was being helpful or sarcastic.
What’s with the quotation marks around “extremely,” emphasizing it like that? And my stats are too low to ban anything?
When someone awakens, they’re supposed to receive basic stats proportional to their abilities. No matter how strong a regular person might be, they couldn’t beat even the lowest-ranked F-Rank Hunter.
It’s been over a decade since gates first appeared in this world. I at least knew how to check my stats.
“Status Window.”
Feeling uneasy, I immediately called up my status window.
[Title | Subspace Administrator
Stats | “You’ve been neglecting exercise, haven’t you? Poor you, not knowing the joy of working out!”
: No stat adjustments.
▸ Overall Stats Rating (FFF-rank)]
Sure enough, as soon as I said “status window,” my information appeared.
…I couldn’t help but rub my eyes several times, wondering if something was wrong with my vision.
Are you kidding me?
I mean, seriously? I awakened, so why are my stats like this? And F, F, F?
I’d never heard of anything like this happening. Awakening was supposed to mean becoming stronger, wasn’t it?
[Skill | “The one and only small and adorable skill for you!”
1. Subspace (Rank: Unmeasurable)
▸ Would you like to view the details?
Yes | No]
Just in case, I scrolled down, and this time, there was a description of the skill.
Haha. Small and adorable…
I’m pretty sure something’s wrong with this system. It’s oddly irritating.
Still, at least there’s a detailed description. Maybe I’ll learn something more if I look at it.
I don’t know what “Rank: Unmeasurable” means, but… wouldn’t this kind of subspace skill be pretty good, even if I am F…FF rank?
I pressed “Yes,” and a new window popped up above.
I wonder what kind of explanation it has.
[Subspace Detailed Description
: You can enter subspace! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و]
Seeing the message with an emoji, I clenched my eyes shut and shouted,
“That’s a ridiculously short explanation!”
Is this how Hunters usually live in such an unkind world? I don’t think so. It feels like it’s just me.
Honestly, I’d been a little hopeful about this whole awakening thing. How many people have turned their lives around because of it?
Even one of my coworkers at the office had awakened and then flaunted it endlessly.
But look at this. Look at this!
It was utterly deflating.
Haah. Fine, whatever.
“At least I’m alive.”
Though I was briefly baffled by the absurd contents of my status window, not long ago, I’d been desperately clinging to life.
The fact that I was here, alive and well, was enough. A miracle had happened, just as I had wished.
I didn’t need anything more.
“Ugh!”
Or maybe there is something to wish for.
After sitting for a while, when I tried to stand up, I collapsed back down from the pain in my leg.
“This is crazy.”
I must’ve been out of my mind earlier. Now that I looked, my legs were in terrible shape.
Blood was heavily stained on my tattered pants. My left ankle was either sprained or broken—it was hard to move.
I must’ve gotten injured when the centipede rammed into the car and crushed its frame.
No wonder my legs had been stuck and wouldn’t budge earlier.
Now that I saw the wounds with my own eyes, the pain hit me all at once. I couldn’t help but grimace.
“I need to get out… but how?”
I let out a sigh, almost like a lament.
With my legs in this state, I had no idea how I would leave this place or where I should even go in this vast plain.
[Would you like to open an exit connected to the outside?
Yes | No]
But thankfully, it seemed like there was some hope left.
Perhaps it reacted to what I said because a system window appeared.
An exit, huh? At least the system wasn’t entirely heartless.
Without hesitation, I pressed the screen.
I wanted to return to reality as quickly as possible. I didn’t need any more of these surreal, nightmarish experiences.
Soon, a gate resembling a door materialized.
With an unnecessary creaking sound effect, the door opened.
And then—
“Keeeeeek!”
“Ki-gi-gi-k!”
“Kaaaaaaah!”
Through the narrow crack of the door, I saw a mass of centipedes’ legs and antennae trying to force their way in.
Bang! I quickly slammed the door shut again.
Holy crap.
I almost died.
Panting heavily even though I hadn’t run anywhere, I rubbed my arms to try and calm the goosebumps spreading all over my skin.
“W-Who said I wanted to leave through there?!”
At my shouted protest, a system window popped up again.
[Currently, only one registered entrance location: <S-rank Giant Centipede Den>
Would you like to exit?
Yes | No]
Exit, my ass!
🌱
Thank you for reading! ♡
