I Just Subscribed and It’s the Best Hunter of All Time - Chapter 90

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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 90.
This room had been completely empty when I first examined it.
Dust and cobwebs clung to every corner from lack of maintenance, and cracks spider-webbed across the walls and floor.
But now it was entirely different.
An ornate patterned carpet covered the floor, and light streaming from the ceiling illuminated the room brilliantly.
―Guest? Are you quite alright?
In the center of the room stood a two-headed puppet, grinning widely as it looked at me.
I called them puppets because they appeared to be carved from wood.
The kind used in puppet theater or marionette shows, one might say.
I stared at the puppet for a moment before asking a question.
“Who are you?”
―I am Chacha!
―My name is Lara!
Though it had only one body, each head had its own name, and the puppet introduced itself in turn.
Then it continued in a bright, cheerful voice.
―It has been quite some time since a guest has visited us!
―We are delighted to see you. Welcome. How may we assist you?
“…When I checked earlier, this room seemed to be empty.”
Chacha and Lara answered me in turn.
―Ah! That was because it was not the proper entrance!
―Only through the correct entrance can one enter this place! It is our room.
“I see. But what are you two doing here?”
―We were waiting for a guest!
―Not knowing when you would arrive made for terribly tedious times, but now that you have finally come, all that waiting was worthwhile!
―Do you have any questions for us, guest?
“Can I ask anything?”
―Yes! Anything at all!
―Though we cannot answer what we do not know!
I fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“What is the name of this castle?”
―It is Fatalis’s Castle.
―The castle of our great master, Fatalis.
The answer came simultaneously from both heads.
Fatalis. A familiar word.
That made sense—I had entered Phatalith’s Trial after all.
So I posed another question.
“Who is Fatalis?”
―A great being!
―Our master! The great architect! Praise Fatalis!
“Tell me more details….”
But the moment I tried to request a more detailed explanation, the two dolls snapped their mouths shut before speaking in stiff, mechanical voices.
―We don’t know.
―We don’t know.
The atmosphere made it clear they would never answer.
At that, I changed my approach.
“You mentioned finding the secrets of this place. Do you know anything about it?”
―Of course!
―It is our role to assist those who challenge our great master’s trial!
At that, Chacha and Lara responded with brightened voices.
―If you exit through the door you entered, it will be safe! You’ll simply wander through an abandoned castle!
―If you use the key to leave, you can see the true form of this place! To find the secrets, you must use the key wisely!
―However, you must be careful!
―You never know what might jump out, when, or where!
―Friendly helpers like us are rare. There are far more dangerous ones.
They spoke in turn, then made a creaking sound as they extended their hands forward.
In their palms lay a wooden key.
―Please take this key.
―It will surely be useful.
“I wish you could explain in more detail….”
I trailed off.
The moment Chacha and Lara finished speaking, their bodies went limp.
Like robots with dead batteries, they remained completely motionless.
“Are they dead?”
I tried speaking to them again, but there was no response.
―Curious.
Onyx muttered upon witnessing this.
I picked up the wooden key from Chacha’s palm and spoke.
“Right? Just a moment ago, they seemed so alive. I wasn’t just imagining it, was I?”
―I saw it too, Master.
It didn’t seem like I was seeing things.
I scanned the room once more, but nothing else caught my attention.
After examining the dolls a bit longer, I turned away.
“It seems the key to this is using these two keys.”
―Recalling what they said, it seems the wooden key is used later.
“That’s what I thought too. For now, we should probably use the metal key first.”
I answered Onyx while opening the door to look outside.
The same drab Corridor I’d been seeing appeared.
I closed the door again and this time inserted the metal key into the keyhole.
Click―.
I turned the key and opened the door again. This time, an entirely different landscape revealed itself.
The long-neglected Corridor vanished without a trace, replaced by an ornate passageway that stretched before me.
The floor was carpeted with the same luxurious weave as the room I’d just left, and the walls and ceiling were immaculate.
The windows remained intact, not a single pane shattered.
“Hmm.”
The sense of mystery only deepened with each discovery.
I glanced back briefly at the limp dolls before stepping out of the room.
―Still empty, though.
“Right.”
The Corridor’s appearance had transformed completely, yet not a trace of human presence could be found anywhere.
“Still, let’s sweep through the whole place systematically.”
I moved forward and methodically checked each room on the 1st Floor in sequence.
But this time, too, yielded nothing of significance.
Eventually, I finished exploring the 1st Floor and returned to the Staircase in the Hall.
―Be careful, Master.
“Suddenly?”
―Something feels like it’s about to happen soon.
At Onyx’s warning, I chuckled and placed my foot on the Staircase.
“Honestly, I was hoping something would show up soon anyway.”
While the atmosphere was certainly intriguing, what I truly preferred was a straightforward confrontation.
Of course, I remained vigilant regardless.
I’d heard plenty about the notorious reputation of Phatalith’s Trial during my research.
I climbed the Staircase with sword drawn, ready to respond the moment an enemy appeared.
The instant I stepped onto the Second Floor.
―Hahaha! Count Nemantel’s reputation is in tatters!
―Absolutely! His face turned completely red!
―So what happened after that?
Multiple voices suddenly pierced my ears.
I froze, then carefully stepped back onto the Staircase.
The voices cut off abruptly.
‘What is this?’
When I stepped onto the Second Floor again, the voices resumed.
The pattern repeated no matter how many times I tested it.
A single step made all the difference—the voices sounded, then fell silent.
―These don’t sound like ordinary conversation.
Onyx, having experienced the same phenomenon, relayed his observation.
I nodded slightly and looked toward the source of the voices.
They were coming from my left, relative to where I stood.
I advanced slowly, sword held loosely at my side.
From the Second Floor Hall, I could see the Corridor stretching left and right in a layout similar to the 1st Floor.
Nothing particularly remarkable caught my eye here either.
I’d better check that direction first.
I decided to investigate where the sound was coming from first. At least I knew something was there.
I carefully moved my feet toward the left Corridor.
―That’s why the Count knocked over that goblet!
―Really? Even with his temperament, I didn’t think he’d go that far….
As I drew closer to the room where the voices were coming from, my sense of doubt deepened.
Something felt off.
The content of the conversation didn’t seem particularly special. It just felt like several people having a normal chat.
Yet there was something unsettling about it. And the closer I got to the room, the stronger that unease became.
The door to the room where the voices came from was slightly ajar, and when I reached it.
I belatedly realized what was causing my discomfort.
It was too smooth.
The content itself was mundane small talk by any measure.
But the exchange of that conversation was excessively perfect.
The timing of laughter, the moment gasps escaped, and even the emotional expressions attached to the ends of sentences.
It flowed as naturally as if someone had read aloud from a perfectly prepared script.
In other words, it was strange precisely because it was too natural.
Conversations between people don’t normally flow this smoothly.
When there are multiple people, someone inevitably interrupts, or someone reacts unexpectedly. Unforeseen laughter or silence sometimes creeps in.
But this conversation had none of that.
―This is something I experienced a few days ago.
―Oh, what kind of thing?
―I think you’ll be quite surprised when you hear it.
Listening to that perfect conversation, I slowly poked my head forward to peer beyond the slightly open door.
There was a cozy Reception Room.
A soft-looking sofa. A small table with refreshments. And right in the middle of it….
A bizarre entity was sitting.
Its back was twisted and contorted, its skin mottled as if multiple human hides had been stitched together.
One head. Two arms. At first glance, it resembled a human.
―So I was startled and said, what is this! Do you know what it said?
―What did it say?
―It answered, this is not your fan, madam!
―Hahaha! You were mistaken!
Watching the multiple mouths dotted across its face gape and emit different voices made it clear this was far from an ordinary human.
“….”
After observing that entity for some time, I suddenly noticed the voices had stopped.
That’s when our eyes met.
Simultaneously, the mouths scattered across its face curved into smiles, and it spoke again.
―We have a visitor.
―Indeed. Don’t just stand there—come inside.
―Come here!
There was no doubt it was directed at Jung Han-sung.
Jung Han-sung saw it clearly.
Then it slowly turned its head.
Yes. The mouth Jung Han-sung had seen was attached to the back of its head. So what was on the front of its face?
The answer came immediately.
Nothing.
Where a face should have been was simply smooth and featureless.
Yet strangely, Jung Han-sung felt as though his gaze had met something.
―Won’t you come in?
―Ah, is it because there isn’t enough space?
―Don’t worry. Here. The seat next to me is empty.
In that state, it continued to speak to me.
Jung Han-sung hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the room. If I wasn’t going to just stand here watching, I had to do something.
“Who are you?”
And Jung Han-sung posed the question, just as I had done with the dolls before.
After a brief silence, an answer came.
―Who do you mean?
―Are you asking for my name?
―Hmm. Your words seem rather short.
Precisely, they were answers.
It responded to the question in turn, as if multiple people inhabited a single body.
‘How unsettling.’
Even as Jung Han-sung thought this, I prepared to ask another question.
At first, it seemed to be answering properly enough.
But that was my mistake.
―He’s come in.
―He’s entered.
―He’s here.
The moment Jung Han-sung fully stepped through the doorway.
It suddenly lurched to its feet and spoke in an excited voice, voices overlapping.
―Become.
―One.
―With us.
At that very moment, the air in the room transformed.
A seething heat and stench washed over Jung Han-sung—a putrid mixture of mold, rotting blood, and stale sweat.
Jung Han-sung quickly stepped back and drew his sword.
Crack.
Snap.
Soon, its limbs began to twist at grotesque angles and elongate.
―Us and….
―Become….
―One aaaaaaaaaaaa―!
The voices overlapped and stretched, tearing apart as they transformed.
What filled the room now was a grotesque sound that could no longer be called a human voice.
Crackle!
At the sight, Jung Han-sung drew a sharp breath and gathered his strength.
“Right. It’s about time we fought.”
A smile was already playing at the corners of my lips.

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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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