I Just Subscribed and It’s the Best Hunter of All Time - Chapter 185

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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 185.
The Insect Summoner’s true identity, his purpose—none of it mattered to me.
Not that I wasn’t curious, but such questions could wait for later.
After I brought him to his knees.
Crackle, crackle, crackle—!
Jung Han-sung swung his blade once more, incinerating the insects that rushed toward him.
Even for someone like Jung Han-sung, eliminating the overwhelming swarm of insects in a single stroke was impossible.
But that didn’t mean the Insect Summoner held the advantage either.
His insects were equally unable to penetrate the electrical field I had woven around myself on all sides.
In other words, neither side could inflict significant damage through ordinary attacks.
Of course, in a prolonged engagement, I held the advantage.
No matter how vast the insect swarm, they would be continuously depleted with no immediate means of replenishment.
But I possessed the means to recover my depleted mana.
And at this very moment, I had more than enough reserves. The mana consumed by ordinary attacks was negligible.
The Insect Summoner seemed to recognize this as well, for while he continued to pour out insects relentlessly, he was preparing an alternative strategy.
Meanwhile, I had never intended to prolong this battle.
Fighting in such a manner was not my way.
‘The insects surrounding him are quite troublesome.’
I continued to emit electrical discharges as I analyzed the situation.
The insects he was spewing forth in mad profusion were annoying, but not particularly difficult to handle.
If I wished, I could easily break through and reach the Insect Summoner directly.
The real problem lay with the differently colored insects encircling his position.
Those insects were sturdy enough to withstand my blade strikes and seemed to possess considerable resistance to electrical attacks as well.
Considering the opponents my blade had cut through thus far, it was remarkable.
But I soon realized that this exceptional durability stemmed not solely from the insects themselves.
‘The insects are a special variety, certainly, but it seems the enhancement he’s applying to them is the greater factor.’
An Insect Summoner, broadly speaking, was a term for those who possessed the ability to command insects.
It was similar to how one who uses magic is called a mage, and one who uses a blade is called a swordsman.
As such, Insect Summoners, like mages and swordsmen, encompassed a diverse range of practitioners within their ranks.
For instance, one Insect Summoner I had faced previously focused primarily on the insects themselves.
That one collected a vast variety of insects and concentrated on drawing out their maximum potential.
‘Fighting against insects with all manner of abilities was quite bothersome.’
In contrast, this Insect Summoner before me seemed to focus more on ‘insect arts’ itself rather than commanding diverse insect varieties.
Even now, that was evident.
Crash, crash, crack—!
Whoooooom—!
The swarm of insects that had blocked my blade strike simultaneously released a resonant wave.
It was not a power the insects themselves were generating, but rather the effect of mana flowing from the Insect Summoner.
In other words, he was using the insects as a medium to manifest his abilities.
Crackle—!
Jung Han-sung evaded the incoming wave by moving his body rather than confronting it directly.
There was no need to face such an attack head-on. Besides, his priority right now was figuring out how to defeat the creature, not dealing with each of its attacks one by one.
‘The others won’t be much help, it seems.’
Cho Cheon-woong and Maria weren’t idle, though.
They were also dealing with the Insect Summoner’s insects. Well, that was helping in its own way, I suppose.
The undead were also holding back the swarms of insects pouring toward them, so I dismissed that concern entirely.
―Indeed, the difference in power level is quite significant.
It was then that Onyx spoke up.
He was right about that.
There was a clear power gap between the Insect Summoner and Jung Han-sung. It came down to magical energy reserves.
‘His magical power seems to be at least three times what I have.’
If the Insect Summoner had possessed magical reserves comparable to Jung Han-sung’s, the battle would already be decided.
That said, Jung Han-sung’s magical reserves weren’t meager. In fact, they were far above average.
The reason for such a disparity was simple.
The Insect Summoner was an Awakener who remained at Floor 120 or higher. And Jung Han-sung was holding his own against such an Awakener without falling behind.
But learning such a fact now didn’t change anything in particular.
The objective remained the same—I had to bring him down.
‘How can I break through?’
Ideally, I’d land one decisive, lethal blow.
If I only inflicted a moderate wound, there was no telling what the creature might do.
If it made a final desperate move, I could handle it, but the others could suffer serious injuries.
“Kahahaha! You came forward so confidently, yet you’re nothing special!”
The Insect Summoner mocked Jung Han-sung relentlessly.
He was deliberately provoking me, hoping I’d lose my composure and reveal an opening.
But Jung Han-sung ignored him and continued observing the Insect Summoner carefully.
Then, at a certain moment.
‘I see it.’
Jung Han-sung’s eyes gleamed.
The dark insects wrapped around the Insect Summoner densely, making it difficult to exploit any gaps.
Yet there were moments when those insects revealed an opening.
Specifically, when targeting the creature’s vital points.
When aiming for a vital spot, the insects would momentarily swarm to that location to strengthen defense, but as a consequence, the number of insects protecting other areas would decrease.
However, it was difficult to call that a significant opening.
After all, the Insect Summoner himself likely considered damage to non-vital areas acceptable, which is why he allowed it.
Yet among those areas, there was a spot that wasn’t exactly a weakness but one that Jung Han-sung could certainly exploit.
It was around the creature’s left shoulder.
Crackle!
Once Jung Han-sung identified his target, he immediately prepared to strike.
First, he spread an electrical net and burned the swarming insects in massive numbers once more.
The Insect Summoner immediately displayed vigilance and manipulated his insects in response.
Crack!
Yet Jung Han-sung brushed past the insects effortlessly, closing the distance to the Insect Summoner in a heartbeat.
As the gap narrowed, I felt him panic, his mana surging outward in desperation.
The insects then stretched like chains, coiling around my body while simultaneously reinforcing the defensive perimeter around the Insect Summoner.
But I paid no attention to such things.
My focus remained singular.
The mana threads extending from the Insect Summoner, woven between the insects themselves.
Slash!
I swung my blade, severing the thickest strand among them.
In that instant, several insects lost control, scattering in all directions.
The Insect Summoner hastily poured his power into regaining command of the insects.
Boom!
Seizing that opening, I aimed for his heart.
The insects swarmed toward that point, reinforcing their defense.
A textbook response, yet his reaction felt more desperate than before.
As his control weakened, their movements grew simpler—exactly what I had anticipated.
Thanks to this, the defense around his shoulder, my true target, noticeably faltered.
Crackle!
I drew upon my lightning core, channeling my divine technique to its peak.
In that instant, time itself slowed.
Only I moved at normal speed within that decelerated world.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Lightning erupted in a violent cascade.
The insects moved at speeds beyond the Insect Summoner’s perception, yet even that proved useless now.
He had already been completely deceived by my earlier feint at his vital point.
Slash!
My blade pierced through the shallow swarm of insects, driving deep into the Insect Summoner’s shoulder.
Of course, this alone could not be called a fatal wound.
The Insect Summoner was far too resilient to fall merely from a blade through his shoulder.
Crackle!
But through the embedded blade, lightning poured forth.
That lightning ravaged his body like a violent torrent, severing the mana threads binding him to his insects in one catastrophic moment.
“Ahhhhhhhhh―!”
The Insect Summoner shrieked in terrible agony, his body convulsing.
Yet even in his torment, he desperately poured mana into reorganizing his insects.
Had he been granted sufficient time and composure, it might have succeeded.
But I would never allow such a thing.
Whoosh―.
I withdrew my blade and swung it again toward his body without hesitation.
This time, some of the insects managed to block the strike, but―
Crack!
My blade was too much for it to withstand.
The Insect Summoner, his chest pierced through, gasped for breath as he clutched at the wound.
But that was merely the beginning.
Screeeeeech!
The moment the Insect Summoner lost complete control, the insects began to rampage in absolute frenzy.
Some of them lunged at the people nearby, but far greater numbers descended upon the Insect Summoner himself.
As if seeking vengeance against the one who had controlled them all this time.
Of course, I understood the truth.
The insects harbored no such emotion as revenge.
They were simply driven by instinct toward the ‘fragrant’ mana emanating from their former master.
“Ugh, ugghhh!”
The Insect Summoner belatedly attempted to regain control of the insects, but the situation had already spiraled beyond redemption.
The insects swarmed over his body completely.
I sensed the aura within that mass gradually weakening until it suddenly vanished, and I turned away.
“Huff, huff. Is it over?”
Cho Cheon-woong then posed the question to me.
Cho Cheon-woong was drenched from head to toe in the insects’ viscous bodily fluids.
It was unavoidable, having borne the brunt of the insects’ assault across his entire body during the battle.
“Yes.”
So I answered while subtly increasing the distance between myself and Cho Cheon-woong.
Fortunately, he didn’t notice.
“Thank goodness. Though I’ve faced Insect Summoners before, I’ve never encountered one like that.”
“Tell me about it. He was quite formidable.”
As Cho Cheon-woong and I conversed, Maria spoke from beside us.
“I believe this is Jade, the Insect Summoner.”
“Jade?”
“Yes. An Insect Summoner of unknown origin who has earned infamy over a considerable span of time. The insects he commands and his appearance match what I know of him.”
“I’d like to hear more details.”
I gathered more detailed information from Maria. After hearing it all, I pondered.
‘He doesn’t seem to be from Earth.’
Considering the period when he appeared, his range of activity, and various other characteristics, the probability that he originated from another dimension seemed quite high.
Maria also mentioned that many people speculate the same thing.
“Though we don’t know exactly which dimension he came from.”
“I see.”
I nodded and looked once more toward where Jade lay.
In that brief moment, most of the insects had scattered. They had departed after completing their purpose.
“He left something behind, though.”
I sent an undead to retrieve something that had fallen in that spot.
It was something like a jade-colored brooch.
Maria examined it before speaking again.
“It appears to be some kind of key.”
“A key?”
“Yes. I suspect it’s an artifact that can unlock entrances at specific locations. I’ve encountered something similar before.”
At her words, Jung Han-sung pondered for a moment before placing it in his inventory.
“For now, let’s keep moving.”
We still needed to focus on exploring the Ancient Ruins.

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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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