I Just Subscribed and It’s the Best Hunter of All Time - Chapter 129

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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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#Episode 129.
Cho Cheon-woong held an enormous axe—a weapon I had never seen him wield before.
“Where did you get that?”
“Ah, I obtained it on Floor 42! It’s far superior to my previous equipment, so I switched to it entirely.”
“Do you know how to properly handle an axe?”
“When I was in China previously, I received training in basic weapon techniques. My previous weapon wasn’t even my primary arm.”
I nodded at Cho Cheon-woong’s response.
“What floor are we on now?”
“Floor 44.”
“Floor 44. Not bad at all.”
Since he had joined me immediately upon reaching Floor 40, this meant we had climbed four additional floors since then.
A respectable pace.
I myself often ascended four floors in a single day, but I was well aware that my case was abnormal.
“Let me see.”
First, I drew an ordinary iron sword instead of Arzka, which I had been using as my primary weapon recently.
Then I deactivated all equipment with special abilities, stored them in my inventory, and gave Onyx separate instructions.
“Stand back for a moment.”
—Understood.
As I deactivated my equipment, Onyx transformed into his serpentine form and withdrew to the side.
Now lightly equipped, I spoke to Cho Cheon-woong.
“Cho Cheon-woong, come at me with every means at your disposal.”
“Every means, sir?”
“Yes. I need to gauge your full strength so I can determine how best to assist you.”
“Understood.”
At my words, Cho Cheon-woong gripped his axe firmly and summoned his fighting spirit.
I spoke to him in an even tone.
“Come at me.”
“Then, I’m coming!”
Cho Cheon-woong wasted no time and charged toward me.
With Cho Cheon-woong towering a full head above me and possessing a muscular frame, his approach was genuinely threatening.
Moreover, despite his size, he moved with considerable speed.
Indeed, he deserved his reputation for possessing top-tier physical enhancement abilities.
‘Perhaps in pure physical capability alone, he might actually surpass me.’
While my own physical prowess was far beyond ordinary humans, the odds were high that Cho Cheon-woong, specialized as he was in that domain, exceeded me.
Furthermore, Cho Cheon-woong currently benefited from all the effects of his equipped gear.
He closed the distance in an instant, then unleashed his axe with full force.
Whoooosh!
A vicious sound accompanied by powerful wind pressure filled the air.
A direct hit would shatter bone and flesh even from a powerful monster.
But no matter how devastating an attack, it means nothing if it doesn’t connect.
I sidestepped the incoming attack with a single lateral movement, then swept my blade across.
Thwack.
The sword struck Cho Cheon-woong’s ribs lightly.
An attack devoid of any real force.
Yet Cho Cheon-woong’s face contorted as though he’d taken a devastating blow.
Not from pain—but from the realization that in actual combat, that strike would have been fatal.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The pattern repeated several more times.
I evaded his attacks by the narrowest margins, punctuating the exchanges by tapping my blade against various points on his body.
Boom!
Yet even amid this onslaught, Cho Cheon-woong remained composed, pursuing me with relentless focus.
His composure was commendable.
Had he lost control and launched wild, desperate attacks, I would have ended the sparring immediately.
Whoooosh!
But regardless, the fundamental dynamic hadn’t shifted.
His axe was certainly destructive by any measure, yet its movements were painfully straightforward.
After witnessing only a handful of strikes, I could read his entire pattern with perfect clarity.
At this rate, no amount of time would allow his axe to even graze my sleeve.
I felt a flicker of disappointment beginning to settle in.
Then, in that moment.
Cho Cheon-woong charged forward, raising one leg high before driving it down with tremendous force.
In that instant.
A deafening boom erupted.
The earth trembled violently as though struck by an earthquake—something no mere physical strength could achieve.
A skill, equipment effect, or some special ability was at work.
Whatever it was, the impact was powerful enough to make even me stagger momentarily.
Cho Cheon-woong seized the opening, rushing forward to swing his axe.
The speed was several times faster than before. It appeared his hidden abilities extended beyond just one.
This time, the axe seemed certain to cleave through me.
Until I extended my blade.
Clang, clang, clang!
My casually extended sword deflected his axe cleanly away.
Without channeling mana or activating any skill, the axe twisted sharply in an entirely different direction as if by magic.
Considering the force contained within that axe, it was a remarkable feat.
“Ugh!”
Cho Cheon-woong, completely unprepared for this, couldn’t overcome the axe’s momentum and drove it straight into the ground.
All I needed to do was place my blade gently against his throat.
“That last attack showed promise.”
“Ah, I thought it was my trump card, but I never expected it to be completely ineffective.”
As I withdrew my blade, Cho Cheon-woong straightened up with an embarrassed expression.
Jung Han-sung chuckled softly in response.
“You got too excited thinking the attack would land. If you’d kept it more streamlined, I wouldn’t have been able to block it so cleanly.”
“I suspected as much. I did pour quite a bit of power into that one.”
Cho Cheon-woong, sensing the same thing himself, nodded at my words with a regretful expression.
I spoke to Cho Cheon-woong then.
“Once I upgrade the core one more level, I’ll be able to freely choose where I enter the Territory.”
“Ah, between your Village and the Auxiliary Base?”
“That’s right. Once the upgrade is done, let’s hold sparring matches once a day.”
At those words, Cho Cheon-woong’s expression brightened considerably.
“Really?”
“Yeah. And I’ll think carefully about axe techniques—whether there’s anything worth learning.”
“Ah, wouldn’t it be better to just use a sword instead?”
“No. My sword techniques won’t mesh well with your style anyway.”
The sword techniques I’d mastered had aspects that didn’t quite align with Cho Cheon-woong’s combat style.
So there was no need to force him to learn swordplay.
“I have something in mind, so don’t be impatient and just wait.”
“Ah, yes!”
I was planning to teach something to both Cho Cheon-woong and Maria anyway.
Sparring would help them, certainly, but to genuinely elevate their combat strength, I’d need to do more than that.
Fortunately, my abilities were quite useful for teaching others.
Hadn’t I already used my Subscription ability to impart valuable knowledge to the Village people?
I organized my thoughts and asked Cho Cheon-woong.
“Want to go another round?”
“Yes! I’d love to!”
So I sparred with the energetic Cho Cheon-woong several more times.
Of course, the result of each match was my victory.
* * *
The next day.
After sleeping at Han-sung’s Home and returning, I received a report that all dungeons except one had been cleared.
“There were no casualties?”
“Some of the undead sustained damage, but they’ve all recovered now.”
At Maria’s words, I nodded.
“That’s a relief.”
Undead creatures can recover from damage below a certain threshold given sufficient time. More precisely, it’s closer to repair or restoration.
Judging by how quickly they recovered, the damage itself hadn’t been that severe to begin with.
If their bodies had been reduced to dust, they wouldn’t have been able to recover without my intervention.
“So the only thing left is the High-Rank Dungeon?”
“That’s right. Oh, and we hired three more people for administrative positions this time.”
“Three people?”
“Yes. Can you see them over there?”
Jung Han-sung looked toward where Maria was pointing.
There, Baek-seol stood with Herman, addressing three newly arrived people with animated conversation.
Herman, originally a low-ranking clerk, was already performing crucial duties within the Territory.
From what I could see, the three newcomers also appeared to come from relatively prestigious professions, much like Herman.
“Once those three settle in properly, things will become far more manageable. I’ll lighten your workload as well.”
Maria was proving to be an exceptionally capable assistant to Baek-seol, even exceeding my expectations.
However, I had no intention of keeping her perpetually shadowing Baek-seol and handling Territory-related duties.
As an Awakener, Maria’s greatest contribution to the Territory would ultimately come from ascending The Tower.
Besides, Maria herself would surely desire that path.
“That’s why I’m doing my best,” Maria said.
She spoke with a faint smile.
“Oh, and I think we’ll be able to construct a proper training ground soon. The construction contractors who joined us this time have fulfilled all the necessary conditions.”
“That’s excellent. I heard the contract negotiations went smoothly as well.”
“Yes. Thanks to the blueprints, the contract was remarkably straightforward.”
Thinking back to how Devela and the others had their eyes widen upon seeing the blueprints, it wasn’t particularly surprising.
“Then… all that’s left is to clear the High-Rank Dungeon.”
“Should we gather all the undead creatures from the Village?”
“No. There’s no need for that. The ones who’ve been traveling with me are more than sufficient.”
Currently, I commanded nearly two hundred undead creatures.
Their numbers had steadily increased as I continuously subjugated surrounding monsters.
However, I didn’t bring all of them along. They served admirably as laborers and guards for the Village.
“I’ll finish quickly and return, so let Baek-seol know.”
“Understood.”
With that, I left Maria behind and departed from the Village with light, purposeful steps.
Truth be told, I was genuinely looking forward to the High-Rank Dungeon.
The previous dungeons had been far too easy to satisfy my expectations.
―As always, the master has quite the warrior’s spirit about him.
“You’re only noticing that now?”
Had I not possessed such inclinations, I wouldn’t be climbing The Tower with such fervor.
“A High-Rank Dungeon should provide a proper challenge.”
―I hope there’s something worthwhile in there.
Onyx licked his lips as he spoke. By “something worthwhile,” he undoubtedly meant something imbued with holy power.
Well, if Onyx could break his seal and grow stronger, that would benefit me as well.
Currently, Onyx was somewhat ambiguous to be called a Mythic-grade armor.
Right now, it felt more like merely sturdy armor.
―Why are you looking at me like that?
“What do you mean?”
I feigned ignorance and increased my pace further.
Not long after, I arrived at the entrance of the High-Rank Dungeon.
“Hmm. The entrance here is remarkably well concealed as well.”
The entrance to the High-Rank Dungeon lay at the foot of a modest mountain.
It was concealed behind massive boulders and dense grass, which explained why it hadn’t been discovered during reconnaissance.
The entrance was so well hidden that it would have remained invisible without a deliberate, thorough search.
“All right. Then….”
Jung Han-sung lifted Arzka.
‘Come forth.’
As he willed it, black smoke erupted from the blade, and moments later, it transformed into the form of undead creatures.
Arzka, who dwelt within the sword, was far more taciturn than his first impression suggested, yet he performed his duties with precision.
Jung Han-sung surveyed his subordinates as they materialized before him, then spoke.
“This place will be far more treacherous than the other dungeons. There’s no need to rush—let’s proceed methodically.”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
Tap, tap!
With that, Jung Han-sung led them into the dungeon’s depths. And immediately after.
A deep rumble echoed.
The surroundings plunged into darkness in an instant, accompanied by the deafening sound.

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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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