I Just Subscribed and It’s the Best Hunter of All Time - Chapter 153

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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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#Chapter 153.
Few ascend The Tower alone.
To be precise, it’s an extremely rare occurrence.
The reason was simple: climbing The Tower solo was grueling.
Of course, The Tower’s difficulty adjusted somewhat based on party size.
Fewer members meant easier difficulty, while more members increased it proportionally.
But if you asked whether that difficulty adjustment was perfect, everyone would likely say no. The adjustment mechanism simply wasn’t that precise.
So when parties were too small, they faced considerable hardship, which is why most climbers ascended with trusted companions they could rely on.
Conversely, as one climbed higher, the proportion of parties that filled all five slots wasn’t particularly large either.
Just looking at those currently ascending Floor 75, you could see this.
Their party consisted of exactly three members.
The red-nosed man standing at the front surveyed his surroundings and spoke.
“Just because you enter The Tower alone doesn’t mean all the traps vanish and missions become simpler.”
“So having more people is better then?”
“Not necessarily.”
The red-nosed man shook his head at the question from another man—one with a shaggy beard and a build as massive as a bear’s.
“If you had five members whose teamwork was absolutely flawless, then yes. But is that easy to achieve?”
“It’d be difficult. Forget perfect coordination—trustworthy people are hard to find.”
The red-nosed man nodded at the Giant Man’s words.
“Exactly. That’s why we’re three. At this size, the difficulty is just right. It’s demanding, but we can manage the workload.”
Of course, the ideal scenario was what he’d mentioned earlier—five members with perfect synergy forming a team.
Alternatively, joining a Guild and integrating into an established team was also viable.
But since these three belonged to neither, they climbed The Tower as a trio.
Then, a pale-skinned man with a somewhat gentlemanly appearance asked a question.
“But if you’re strong enough, can’t you just go alone?”
“You can, technically.”
The red-nosed man let out a derisive snort at the Gentleman’s question.
“Does strength alone make paths materialize and traps reveal themselves? Does food just fall into your lap? Going solo isn’t just about raw strength—you need to be versatile. You have to fill every gap left by missing teammates.”
As he spoke, the red-nosed man pointed alternately at the Giant Man and the Gentleman.
“I’d need to be as sturdy as him and as sharp as you. Is that easy?”
“The former’s possible, but the latter would be damn near impossible.”
“Right, damn near impossible. So anyone climbing The Tower alone is one of two things.”
The red-nosed man turned his gaze forward again, methodically scanning the surrounding path as he spoke.
“Either a complete idiot or a monster.”
“So what do you think that one is?”
“What?”
At the Giant Man’s sudden question, the red-nosed man furrowed his brow and looked toward where he was pointing.
The Giant Man appeared to be nothing more than an unrefined warrior, but he possessed several surprisingly useful abilities.
Among those abilities was enhanced vision, something the red-nosed man lacked, so it took him a while before he could discern something in the distance.
It was a person.
A man walked alone through the corridor, surveying his surroundings as he passed.
“Did he get separated from his companions?”
“He doesn’t look particularly anxious about it, though. Doesn’t he seem rather… accustomed to this?”
Indeed, the man appeared far too composed to have been separated from allies.
He strolled through the passage as though taking a leisurely walk.
While they remained puzzled by this observation.
Crash―!
Suddenly, the wall near the man exploded outward, and a colossal monster burst through.
The faces of the red-nosed group drained of color at the sight.
The creature that emerged was the Guardian—the most formidable adversary on this floor.
It appeared without warning by breaching walls, and possessed such tremendous physical and magical resistance that they regarded it not as an enemy to fight, but as a monster to flee from.
“Quietly, fall back…!”
They began cautiously retreating backward.
The man ahead was unfortunate, but they had no intention of aiding someone outside their team. Dying a pointless death was even less appealing.
Yet the situation unfolded entirely differently from what they anticipated.
The man showed no particular alarm even as the monster burst through the wall and charged toward him.
As though this were routine, he simply raised his hand with casual ease.
Crackle―!
Immediately after, a tremendous surge of lightning erupted forth.
―Grrgh!
The monster, engulfed in the electrical discharge, trembled violently across its massive frame.
Those who had been quietly retreating gasped in astonishment at the sight.
The sheer power of the lightning the man unleashed was staggering, and it was equally shocking to see the monster—against which their own magic had proven completely ineffective—writhing in agony.
Could it be that magic actually did work against it? Could this monster actually fall?
―Screeeeeech!
As these thoughts crossed their minds, the trembling monster suddenly stilled, then let out a piercing shriek.
Seeing this, the Giant Man thought to himself, ‘As expected.’
Though the man possessed considerable power, the monster appeared far too formidable to be defeated by lightning alone.
Still, it seemed that with skillful use of his ability, escape would pose no problem.
All they needed to do was slip away quietly while the man held the creature’s attention.
Then, they saw the man draw his sword.
His intention was clear enough.
Since lightning proved insufficient, he intended to resolve this through physical force. Typically, creatures resistant to magic were weak to physical attacks.
But that was foolish thinking.
This monster was far more resistant to physical force than magic.
He could have survived by unleashing lightning while fleeing.
…While entertaining such thoughts.
The man lightly pushed off the ground and swung his blade toward the charging monster.
Slash―!
What happened next defied everyone’s expectations.
An ordinary-looking sword passed through the monster’s neck without resistance.
Thud!
The monster’s massive head tilted, then crashed to the ground with a thunderous sound.
Witnessing this, Giant Man’s jaw dropped involuntarily. But he wasn’t alone in his shock.
Both Red Nose and Gentleman stood frozen in place, their mouths agape.
A single strike. Just one blow, and that formidable-looking monster was dead. It was a sight that defied all comprehension.
“W-what kind of monster was that…?”
Red Nose muttered unconsciously. Then something suddenly came to mind.
Recently, there had been rumors circulating among climbers.
Rumors of a swordmaster with extraordinary skill.
He had severed a Dragon Race’s neck in a single stroke, leaving a profound impression on many, yet his name and origins remained unknown—a mysterious swordmaster shrouded in enigma.
Meanwhile, Gentleman recalled a different rumor.
There was talk of a climber with formidable lightning abilities. This climber, who had brought a Unicorn with powerful magical resistance to its knees with lightning, remained a complete mystery.
Some whispered he was a young master from a prestigious family or affiliated with the Five Great Magic Towers, but no one knew his true identity.
As for Giant Man, he harbored no such thoughts. He simply marveled internally at how impressive it all was.
While they stood frozen for a moment.
Whoosh—.
A sudden gust seemed to blow from nowhere, and the Male Ranker in the distance appeared to move.
They snapped back to their senses and tried to create distance.
This floor’s mission wasn’t particularly competitive, but encountering a climber far more powerful than themselves didn’t seem wise.
Depending on the other’s whim, they could face grave danger.
But in the very next moment, the Male Ranker stood before them.
He examined all three with transparent eyes, then spoke in a measured voice.
“Are you climbers?”
“Y-yes!”
“That’s correct!”
“I have something I’d like to ask.”
At the Male Ranker’s question, the three swallowed hard and answered eagerly.
“Ask anything you wish!”
“I’ll do my best to answer!”
“Me too!”
The Male Ranker nodded at their responses and opened his mouth.
“Have you ever heard the name Jung Han-sung?”
At that question, they exchanged glances before answering frantically.
“W-we’ve never heard of it.”
“I’ve never heard that name either.”
“Neither have I.”
“Have you seen anyone who uses both a sword and lightning like I do?”
“No!”
At their responses, the Male Ranker furrowed his brow and examined them carefully before finally nodding.
“No lies there.”
The moment they heard those words, an inexplicable sense of relief washed over them—as if they had just escaped the jaws of death itself.
While they hadn’t answered his question with falsehoods, they instinctively sensed that even the slightest dishonesty would have brought catastrophe upon them.
The Male Ranker paused, as if considering something, before speaking to the three once more.
“If you encounter anyone like that, contact me here.”
With those words, he handed over a disposable communication device.
The three accepted it and acknowledged his instructions, and the Male Ranker promptly departed to parts unknown.
After the Male Ranker left, the three remained motionless for some time before gradually regaining their senses and moving with creaking joints.
Meanwhile, as the Male Ranker handed over the device and headed elsewhere, he clicked his tongue in frustration.
‘It’s harder to encounter him than I thought.’
His mind turned to a man named Jung Han-sung.
Recently, he’d been ascending The Tower at a terrifying pace, and possessed a combat style oddly similar to his own.
‘Surely he hasn’t already climbed past me on The Tower.’
The Male Ranker’s expression darkened.
He’d heard that Jung Han-sung was last spotted on Floor 67, so he’d deliberately been climbing slowly.
He’d even commissioned a powerful sorcerer to cast an ‘Affinity’ spell for him.
But if their paths had already diverged, it would be incredibly frustrating.
“Sigh.”
Still, he suppressed his impatience and decided to finish clearing the remaining floors first.
From Floor 76 onward, the chances of encountering him would increase. So he’d head to Floor 76 first. If he didn’t meet him there, he could devise another strategy.
Time was on his side, after all.
* * *
―You’re not climbing any further today?
Onyx asked as Jung Han-sung returned to his Unique Space after just clearing Floor 73.
Jung Han-sung answered simply.
“I thought I’d rest a bit before continuing. I used a lot of power at the end, and my mana’s completely depleted.”
As he spoke, Jung Han-sung assessed his remaining mana. Less than a tenth of his usual reserves remained.
He’d encountered a formidable enemy at the end and deliberately fought without borrowing other powers like the Undead, which had exhausted his mana reserves.
Because of that, instead of pushing straight through to Floor 75 as planned, he’d returned prematurely at Floor 73.
“Phew.”
Jung Han-sung settled into a chair in his Unique Space and leaned back against it.
There was still plenty of time anyway. He just needed to complete the clearing by the end of today.
Once his mana recovered, he’d resume the clearing.
But then, Onyx asked.
―By the way, doesn’t that rumor bother you?
“A rumor?”
―That someone’s searching for a swordmaster who wields lightning and a blade.
The rumor Onyx mentioned was something Jung Han-sung had learned of only a few hours ago.
Specifically, he’d discovered it while checking his communication device, and the moment he saw it, he realized they were searching for him.
The remaining characteristics beyond lightning and swordsmanship matched him perfectly.
Jung Han-sung paused in thought before shaking his head.
“Well, I’m hardly the only one curious about my identity. I didn’t deliberately hide it, though.”
―It doesn’t seem like they’re simply searching out of curiosity about your identity.
“True. They’re searching because they have business with me, but I have no intention of volunteering that information.”
―Hmm. You’re not starting to enjoy concealing your identity, are you?
At Onyx’s question, Jung Han-sung placed his hand on his armor.
“No more food for you going forward?”
―I apologize, Master.
Faced with Jung Han-sung’s threat, Onyx immediately lowered his tail.
Jung Han-sung chuckled softly at that and opened his mouth.
“Good. Keep quiet and rest as well. Once my mana recovers, we’ll move again.”
With that, Jung Han-sung closed his eyes.

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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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