I Just Subscribed and It’s the Best Hunter of All Time - Chapter 257
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
#Chapter 257
Brilliant light enveloped my surroundings.
Within that radiance, I witnessed something. I felt it, confronted it. And I understood so much.
Fwoooosh—
Thus, not long after, the light faded and when I opened my eyes.
I realized that many things had changed.
—Master?
At the familiar voice calling from directly below, I slowly lowered my head.
There I saw Onyx, jutting out from my armor, gazing up at me.
“Where is this place?”
—I… I don’t know either. When I came to my senses, I was already here.
The place where I opened my eyes was the White Chamber. An empty, pristine white chamber.
I slowly surveyed my surroundings, then gradually organized the complex and chaotic thoughts swirling in my mind.
‘The Source.’
The intense sensation from the moment I encountered that colossal entity remained vivid.
However, no matter how hard I tried to recall the specifics of what transpired, the memories eluded me.
I could only vaguely surmise that something had occurred.
Beyond that, I sensed that something within me had undergone a permanent transformation, and I would soon understand what it was.
‘My divinity has changed.’
It was the divinity I possessed.
The quantity of divinity remained unchanged.
Yet I could perceive it with crystalline clarity and manipulate it without difficulty.
As if it had always been one with me.
Huuuuum—
The moment I grasped this truth, I opened my palm and drew forth my divinity.
Whoosh!
A sphere of light materialized above my palm.
—Ohhh!
Onyx gasped at the sight.
—You’ve acquired divinity!
Being a creature who once stood above demigods, he immediately grasped what this signified.
I nodded.
“Yes. So this is what it feels like to wield divinity.”
I had used divinity in various ways before, but looking back now, those methods were terribly crude.
It was like holding a loaded rifle but not knowing how to pull the trigger, so I swung it about like a club instead.
“The efficiency differs by dozens of times over.”
Now I could accomplish what I did then with dozens of times the efficiency.
And I could do far more than that.
Moreover, my body itself seemed to have transformed to be far more suited to wielding divinity.
“Now I even understand the precise difference between a demigod and a god.”
“Is that so? What’s the difference?”
Onyx asked with keen interest.
It was a fair question.
When his divine rank had plummeted, he’d lost countless memories he once possessed—including much knowledge related to divinity. It made sense that he’d be curious.
Jung Han-sung offered him a simple explanation.
“A demigod is, in a sense, merely taking the first step. To be honest, from my perspective, it just feels like I’ve become somewhat stronger.”
Becoming a demigod didn’t grant me the ability to accomplish anything truly extraordinary.
Reading another’s thoughts. Creating something from nothing. Things like that.
But in truth, being a god wasn’t much different.
‘In reality, what The Tower defines as a god isn’t an omniscient, omnipotent deity.’
They were simply those who had stepped into the realm of transcendence.
Jung Han-sung thought that far and then pressed his temples firmly. His head ached from trying to recall so much knowledge at once.
“I feel it anew, somehow.”
“Feel what?”
“That I haven’t reached the end of something—I’ve simply taken the first step into a new beginning.”
Though I hadn’t yet set foot on Layer 200, it was clear that my journey would continue onward.
‘Perhaps I chose my divine name well.’
Jung Han-sung chuckled softly.
The whisper that had reached him when he faced The Source.
The Ascender.
That was the divine name I had obtained upon ascending beyond transcendence.
“Enough with the hesitation, though.”
“Huh? What?”
“Just speak as you always have. After all, you were once a demigod yourself.”
When I told Onyx to stop being so cautious, his expression visibly relaxed.
“If you insist, master. I suppose I have no choice.”
“No choice indeed. But tell me—don’t you want to ascend to demigod rank again?”
“Huh? Why would you ask something so obvious?”
“Then I’ll help you.”
“What? How?”
“It’s simple. I’ll make you my divine servant.”
Jung Han-sung spoke unhurriedly as he walked through the surrounding space.
“You’ll steadily receive my divine essence and recover your strength. Since you’ve already qualified but merely lost your power, that alone should be enough for you to reclaim your demigod status.”
“I see. Yes, there was such a method.”
Hearing this, Onyx murmured in a dazed voice, as though recalling a forgotten memory.
Jung Han-sung spoke to him once more.
“However, you’ll be bound by my divine essence. You won’t be able to ascend further on your own. You’ll become completely bound to my fate.”
“That’s not even worth deliberating over.”
Onyx scoffed and replied.
“Isn’t that already the case now?”
“That’s true enough.”
―It comes down to whether you remain bound in a state of degradation as a mere creature, or recover as a demigod and become bound to divinity. Naturally, you’d choose the latter.
He wasn’t wrong.
Onyx was already bound to him, after all.
If the status quo was inevitable, then demigod form was obviously superior.
“Good. From now on, absorb it gradually and let your body acclimate to it.”
Jung Han-sung immediately began transferring divine essence to Onyx in measured increments.
In the past, this would have been unthinkable.
The moment he transferred divine essence, it would have become Onyx’s possession instantly.
But now things were different.
Before, I had merely held divine essence within the body of a wretched creature, but now I was a true transcendent being and a demigod.
That divine essence originated entirely from me, and I could restore it even as it was consumed.
Of course, this didn’t mean Onyx would recover his demigod strength all at once.
‘Even being conservative, it’ll take at least six months.’
But for Onyx, that would feel like mere moments.
He had been trapped in the Temple in a degraded state for such an impossibly long time.
“Alright. Now I need to figure out how to escape this place.”
Jung Han-sung tapped against the wall.
The objective completion message still hadn’t appeared, despite having already encountered The Source.
Moreover, the cramped chamber he occupied had no door or any obvious means of exit.
Or rather, it appeared that way.
Until Jung Han-sung thought about wanting to leave.
―Wait, there’s a door over there!
The moment Jung Han-sung pondered how to escape, Onyx pointed to one side and spoke.
When he looked, a door that hadn’t existed before was now plainly visible.
Jung Han-sung regarded it with a peculiar expression before slowly moving toward it.
Click.
The door swung open, revealing a landscape beyond—one he could never have imagined.
* * *
Baek-seol wore a downcast expression. Jung Han-sung hadn’t appeared for nearly two weeks.
Of course, Baek-seol was doing her utmost to manage Han-sung’s Territory so that his absence wouldn’t be felt.
This wasn’t the first time Jung Han-sung had been away for an extended period, so there was no serious cause for concern.
Recently, no one had dared to invade Han-sung’s Territory.
But not seeing Jung Han-sung for so long made melancholy unavoidable.
“Huff, faster!”
“Got it.”
Meanwhile, Cho Cheon-woong and Maria were training diligently.
Maria fired arrows at Cho Cheon-woong, who dodged them with all his might.
Gathered at some distance away were those who had joined relatively recently, conversing among themselves.
It was a peaceful scene in every way.
But then, it happened.
[A ‘Transcendent’ has been born for the first time in this dimension]
Suddenly, a message materialized before everyone’s eyes.
More precisely, before those who had originated from Earth.
Cho Cheon-woong caught sight of it while evading arrows, his expression vacant, and Maria lowered her bow as the message appeared.
Seo Ryeong and the others witnessed it as well.
A Transcendent had suddenly been born—there was no way around the shock.
But the message that followed was even more staggering.
[A protective barrier shall expand across all of Earth, in accordance with the Transcendent’s will]
Jung Han-sung’s subordinates stared at the message with widened eyes.
They had conversed with Jung Han-sung frequently enough to immediately grasp what this ‘protective barrier’ meant.
When multiple Towers faced conquest issues and monsters spilled forth, the barrier was what prevented them from spreading far and wide.
But what could it mean for such a barrier to expand across the entirety of Earth?
It meant Earth itself had become safe.
And that was precisely what Jung Han-sung had been striving toward.
[The divine name of the Transcendent from this dimension shall be inscribed upon The Tower]
Following the message, luminous characters materialized before everyone’s gaze.
Though they had never seen such script before, all understood its meaning.
‘The One Who Ascends.’
It was a word layered with multiple meanings—ascension, transcendence, advancement, all woven together.
They waited for the next message. But none came.
Nearly five minutes passed after the final message appeared before people regained their composure and shifted their attention.
Soon enough, the entire world would be in an uproar.
The message had been delivered to every Awakener originating from Earth. Even those outside The Tower.
“Baek-seol!”
Those in Han-sung’s Territory immediately rushed to Baek-seol and relayed what they had witnessed.
Baek-seol, not being of Earth origin, had not seen the message herself.
“It’s the Master!”
Upon hearing their account, Baek-seol instinctively realized they spoke of Jung Han-sung.
Her tail wagged as she spoke.
“He’ll be returning soon!”
Rather than answer immediately, Cho Cheon-woong scratched his head before opening his mouth.
“Wait, that Transcendent? If he’s reached such a position, wouldn’t he be unable to return right away?”
“Can he return immediately?”
“That… I don’t know either.”
Baek-seol’s ears and tail drooped once more.
She possessed vast knowledge.
Yet her understanding of matters related to ‘Transcendence’ was shallow.
Such information was granted only to those permitted to receive it.
Perhaps Jung Han-sung would never return. Among all the Territory lords she knew, none were Transcendents.
The others who witnessed Baek-seol’s expression shared her discomfort.
If Jung Han-sung did not return, countless complications would inevitably arise.
Whoosh!
Yet moments later, brilliant light bloomed from the center of Han-sung’s Territory.
All eyes instinctively turned toward it, and when the luminescence faded to reveal a familiar silhouette, everyone gasped in astonishment and rushed forward.
“Master!”
“Brother!”
The figure that emerged was none other than Jung Han-sung himself.
Jung Han-sung, seeing those rushing toward him, wore an expression of equal surprise as he spoke.
“What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered here? Did something happen?”
It was clear that Jung Han-sung had no knowledge of the message that had been sent to the others.
Cho Cheon-woong quickly summarized what had transpired for him.
Finally, he posed a question.
“Brother, are you truly that Transcendent? Have you really ascended to that position?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
Jung Han-sung nodded readily.
“I suppose you could call me a demigod. I obtained that qualification upon clearing Layer 199.”
“A demigod, you say…”
Cho Cheon-woong murmured in astonishment.
“What happens now?”
At that question, Jung Han-sung let out a soft laugh.
“What happens?”
Before returning, I had examined Layer 200—what manner of place it was, what path lay ahead.
In that brief span, I had confirmed much and made my return.
Yet nothing had changed.
“I must continue climbing The Tower.”
Ascending.
To ever greater heights.
To the very summit.
This is the destiny I have chosen.
“Onward.”
I will continue ascending The Tower.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————