I Just Subscribed and It’s the Best Hunter of All Time - Chapter 190

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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 190
As lightning spread across the grassland, the shadows’ outlines flickered and faded, scattering into dust.
Even formidable monsters crumble pathetically when their weaknesses are exposed.
The shadows surrounding us possessed powerful physical immunity, making them exceptionally difficult to engage.
Imagine a situation where their attacks connect while yours do not. How frustrating would that be?
Moreover, they possessed a degree of magical resistance as well.
Considering how creatures immune to physical attacks typically fall helplessly to magic, one could gauge just how troublesome these shadows truly were.
Yet they too had a natural counter—holy power.
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
That was precisely why the shadows were falling so pathetically now.
They had no means to resist a force that countered their very nature.
Cho Cheon-woong and Maria were each devising their own methods to dispatch the shadows one by one, but they couldn’t match the speed at which I was sweeping them away.
Thus, the shadows encircling us dwindled rapidly.
From my perspective, I didn’t need to expend much effort—simply releasing lightning and swinging my sword was enough to fell enemies with ease.
‘Another one.’
So I focused on the fragments left behind where the shadows fell.
They had the exact same appearance as the fragments I’d extorted from the Green Forest Bandits.
However, not every shadow left a fragment as it dissolved.
The ratio was roughly one in ten.
That’s why the Green Forest Bandits hadn’t possessed many shadow fragments either.
They had engaged moderately before withdrawing.
Meanwhile, I was literally sweeping away every shadow in sight.
Even with a one-in-ten probability, the rate at which shadow fragments accumulated was staggering.
At this pace, I could almost build a small hill from shadow fragments.
―Kiiiiiek!
But as the one-sided slaughter continued, they seemed to realize they had no way to endure it.
Suddenly, one of them let out a piercing shriek, and the rest began retreating in a rush.
I considered pursuing them, but soon abandoned the idea and stopped the others as well.
“This should be enough.”
“Huff, huff. Understood.”
“Yes, understood.”
After all, I had fought the shadows only for the fragments they dropped when defeated.
With so many fragments already collected, there was no need to chase down those fleeing.
“Let’s gather all the fragments in one place.”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
They began collecting the fragments scattered throughout the area.
Since it was simple work, I summoned the reserve undead to help gather the fragments as well.
After some time passed, the accumulated fragments were clearly substantial in quantity.
“Is this amount sufficient?”
Cho Cheon-woong asked Jung Han-sung a question.
Jung Han-sung nodded without hesitation in response.
“It’s enough. I’m already getting a sense of it.”
When I examined a single fragment, I felt something to a certain degree, but now that sensation was far more intense.
I gestured for the others to step back, then placed my hand over the assembled fragments.
“Hmm.”
Though I primarily dealt with undead as a Necromancer Commander, I possessed some knowledge of summoning magic as well.
Necromancy covered a remarkably broad field, and among its disciplines was one involving summoning interdimensional entities and overlaying them onto undead.
I hadn’t delved deeply into that particular branch, but I possessed sufficient knowledge to examine these fragments carefully.
‘So the summoning was conducted using these fragments as a medium.’
When I observed each shadow, there was a reason the summoner’s presence felt so faint.
Summoning magic conducted this way, using specific materials as a medium, naturally weakened the connection to the caster.
The connection to the medium itself was far stronger.
However, when this many mediums were gathered together, it became possible to use them to backtrace the summoner’s location.
Before long, I lifted my head and gazed in one direction.
“It’s that way.”
That direction was opposite from where we had been walking, and at first glance, there was nothing particularly distinctive about it.
Just the same grassland stretching endlessly.
But the sensation clearly pointed in that direction.
After a moment of thought, I spoke to the others.
“Let’s move while carrying all the fragments.”
“Ah, understood.”
“I’ll have the undead carry them, so just help me distribute them.”
I distributed the considerable quantity of fragments among the undead to carry.
Though I had already pinpointed the summoner’s location using these fragments as a medium, something told me I shouldn’t leave them behind.
It felt as though they would serve some purpose.
The undead placed the fragments into a sack I retrieved from my inventory, slung it across their shoulders, and marched in single file.
I led the way forward while speaking to the others.
“I have a feeling the end is drawing near.”
“The end?”
“Yes. The mana from whoever summoned those shadows felt familiar.”
As I gathered the fragments, I discovered one additional fact—that mana felt distinctly familiar.
“It’s similar to the spatial distortion magic that unfolded in the space we passed through earlier.”
“Ah! Then it must be the same person who designed these Ancient Ruins!”
“That does seem to be the case.”
I continued walking as I answered.
“Though I’m uncertain what connection that person has with the swordsman known as the master of these Ancient Ruins.”
“Hmm. That is strange.”
The master of these Ancient Ruins was not originally known to be a mage.
Which made it all the more puzzling.
What exactly was the true identity of the being that awaited at the end of this path? And what remained in that place?
Jung Han-sung pondered these questions as he continued walking.
After a considerable time had passed.
As the night grew deeper, Jung Han-sung discovered the first artificial trace in the Grassland.
“A grave?”
It was indeed a grave.
A proper grave with a gravestone erected.
Jung Han-sung and the others approached to examine it.
However, the gravestone bore only characters that appeared to be a name—”William”.
No other traces were visible.
“What could this be?”
“I’m not sure. Is this the grave of the Ancient Ruins’ owner?”
Jung Han-sung muttered thus while examining the gravestone closely, checking whether there might be some hidden mechanism.
But no matter how thoroughly I searched, nothing caught my eye. It was truly an ordinary gravestone.
While I was unable to grasp any clues, Maria stared intently at the grave and spoke.
“Should we dig up the grave?”
“Ha, you’re joking.”
Cho Cheon-woong responded with a laugh from beside her, but fell silent upon seeing Maria’s expression.
It was clearly an expression of sincerity.
“Well, if there are no other clues, we probably should do that.”
Cho Cheon-woong also spoke seriously after giving it thought.
But then.
“No. I think I understand.”
Jung Han-sung muttered thus and issued an order to one of the undead.
“Pour the fragments here.”
The undead silently approached and hurled the fragments at the spot I indicated.
It was directly in front of the gravestone. However, even after pouring the fragments, no noticeable change occurred.
But Jung Han-sung paid it no mind and spoke.
“Next.”
Then another undead approached and poured fragments. And this process continued to repeat.
As the undead poured fragments in turn, and when the supply began to run low.
Uuuuung―!
Suddenly, a dark light flowed forth from among the poured fragments.
A truly paradoxical light. Light that was dark? How could that be?
But in The Tower, common sense from Earth had been shattered more than once, so no one was particularly surprised.
They simply watched the growing pile of fragments with eyes that mixed caution and anticipation.
Uuuuuuuung―!
Soon the light grew stronger, and at some point it trembled and began to float up into the air.
Chwaarrrrk!
Jung Han-sung observed the shape the fragments were forming.
It was a massive circle.
The fragments positioned themselves along the circle’s perimeter, and the light gathered increasingly toward the center.
And the moment the perfect circle was completed.
Whoosh!
The light flashed brilliantly one final time, and a shimmering membrane materialized within the circle.
It was quite literally a vast barrier.
The membrane undulated, creating waves like water, and its interior felt as deep and dark as a black sea—gazing into it alone was enough to feel the crushing pressure of being pulled inside.
“A dimensional gate… essentially a gateway.”
Maria spoke.
Jung Han-sung nodded in agreement. He had been thinking the same thing.
“It seems those fragments were invitations after all.”
Following the mana threads connected to the fragments, we arrived at this place and poured the fragments forth—creating the dimensional gate.
An extraordinarily blatant invitation.
‘So they laid out a path beforehand, essentially summoning us to come this way.’
Jung Han-sung thought this to himself, then spoke to the others.
“Check your equipment before we enter.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
Both inspected their gear at Jung Han-sung’s command. He himself then verified his sword and equipment before looking at the barrier once more.
“I’m ready.”
“So am I.”
“Then, let’s go.”
I didn’t know what lay beyond, but having received an invitation, there was no reason to simply pass it by.
Jung Han-sung stepped toward the barrier, sword in hand, and the other two followed closely behind.
Uuuuuung—!
The barrier undulated, and a familiar sensation struck me. Dizziness.
The distinctive phenomenon felt when traversing space.
Then the crisp air became heavy and humid. And finally, my vision rippled as a different landscape came into focus.
The newly arrived location was a space enclosed by walls of deep gray brick.
‘Have we returned to the Ancient Ruins?’
Jung Han-sung scanned his surroundings quickly, contemplating.
It didn’t seem to be a space we’d passed through before, but the architectural style was identical to the Ancient Ruins.
“It seems we’ve returned to the Ancient Ruins?”
Cho Cheon-woong, a moment later, voiced the same thought aloud.
Jung Han-sung nodded slightly and pointed ahead.
“We should head that way.”
“Ah, there’s only one path there.”
Where Jung Han-sung pointed, a single passage existed; everything else was sealed off.
It appeared we could only reach this place by traversing the Grassland.
We hadn’t discovered such a space when we thoroughly searched the Ancient Ruins before.
In any case, it seemed the only way to be certain was to go and check directly.
Jung Han-sung and his companions proceeded forward along the corridor.
The passage was quite lengthy, yet it contained neither traps nor lurking monsters.
Walking through it in relative peace, a massive door soon appeared ahead of them.
It was fashioned in a style similar to what they had encountered before.
Jung Han-sung saw no need to approach it himself and instead commanded the undead.
Thud!
The undead stepped forward, grasped both door handles, and began to pull with all their strength.
Grrrraaaaahhh―!
The door was quite heavy; accompanied by a deep, resonant sound, it slowly swung open on both sides.
Jung Han-sung narrowed his eyes, focusing intently on the landscape visible beyond the slowly opening door.
And then, his gaze met someone’s.
Beyond the open door.
“Ah, you’ve finally arrived.”
Someone sat in a massive chair, their expression one of ennui.

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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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