I Just Subscribed and It’s the Best Hunter of All Time - Chapter 94

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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 94.
Jung Han-sung attempted to examine the person standing behind the puppet.
However, it proved difficult to discern their appearance clearly. Their entire form was shrouded in something akin to black mist.
All that was visible was a faint silhouette.
―We knew.
―That you would climb this far.
Moreover, the voice that reached his ears was identical to that of Chacha and Lara from the 1st Floor.
Jung Han-sung fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“Are all the trials finished?”
―That’s right.
―It’s over.
―Congratulations. This trial is quite a challenging one.
Chacha and Lara spoke in cheerful voices.
Upon hearing this, Jung Han-sung voiced a question that had suddenly surfaced.
“When we met on the 1st Floor, your manner of speaking seemed somewhat different.”
At that, Lara and Chacha, who had been moving their lips earnestly until just moments ago, simultaneously clamped their mouths shut. And they stared intently at Jung Han-sung.
But that too was brief.
―This trial was far more difficult than what you felt while breaking through it directly.
―You were blessed with considerable fortune as well.
It seemed they had decided to simply ignore what Jung Han-sung had just said.
However, their words sparked another curiosity, making it impossible not to ask again.
“Fortune followed me?”
―Yes.
―For example, on the 1st Floor.
―You encountered us without facing any traps whatsoever.
―About half of all those who have challenged so far have failed to surpass the 1st Floor.
“Traps… I didn’t sense anything like that at all.”
Jung Han-sung furrowed his brow.
On the 1st Floor, he had only memories of exploring an empty Corridor and a few vacant rooms before discovering a key and meeting them.
―Of course. You entered alone.
―That’s why you didn’t encounter any traps.
“Does entering alone have something to do with the traps?”
―Yes. The 1st Floor was designed as a trial targeting multiple people.
―Because you were alone, you were able to pass through that place without facing any danger.
After saying that much, they pointed ahead before Jung Han-sung could ask anything further.
The empty space between Jung Han-sung and them.
―Now choose.
―What you will take with you.
And immediately after, two objects materialized from thin air.
One was a large box, and the other was a single book.
The chest was slightly ajar, and through the gap, I could see gleaming gold coins, magic stones, and what appeared to be jewels.
The book on the other side, however, was far from ornate, bearing neither a title nor any other markings.
―This is a treasure chest.
Chacha pointed at the chest as she spoke.
―For overcoming such a perilous and arduous trial, it’s more than sufficient as a reward.
Lara then gestured toward the book on the opposite side.
―This contains a portion of the great one’s knowledge. What you’ll gain is unknowable. It could be exactly what you need most, or it might be utterly useless.
Then Chacha and Lara spoke in unison.
―Choose what you won’t regret.
Jung Han-sung looked at both rewards again.
First, the treasure chest… it seemed like there was no way to lose by choosing it.
Just what was visible to the eye appeared quite substantial.
The knowledge on the other hand held an element of uncertainty.
I couldn’t even determine what kind of knowledge it was, and beyond that, they were saying it could be ‘utterly useless.’
Normally, after climbing this far with such difficulty, choosing something that might be a complete bust wouldn’t be an easy decision.
“I’ll take the knowledge.”
But Jung Han-sung didn’t deliberate long before choosing the knowledge.
Financial wealth was something I lacked nothing of even now. As I continued climbing The Tower and managing my Territory, I would continue to earn more.
Knowledge, on the other hand—wasn’t that something I could only obtain in this very moment?
For Jung Han-sung, there was no reason to hesitate.
―Hmm.
―Hmm.
At Jung Han-sung’s choice, the two dolls stared at him intently before breaking into broad smiles.
―What a shame.
―An excellent choice.
―Most usually take it.
―Here.
―You could have enjoyed more.
―The reward you’ve chosen.
―Unfortunate.
At that moment, the treasure chest vanished without a trace, and only the book flew toward Jung Han-sung.
He reflexively caught it.
A brilliant light erupted outward.
Immediately after, radiant luminescence spread throughout the space.
Jung Han-sung could see the dolls through the expanding light. But then, he noticed them drooping limply.
Instead, the black silhouette that had stood motionless until now began to move.
Still obscured by what seemed like black mist, Jung Han-sung somehow sensed that it was smiling.
―Until we meet again.
And with a voice I was hearing for the first time, everything around me turned completely white.
* * *
The light faded.
When my vision cleared, I found myself back in my Unique Space.
―Master, are you alright?
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
I answered Onyx’s question and reflexively looked ahead.
A message hung in the air before me.
[You have completed Fatalis’s Trial]
[You receive a Fragment of Fatalis as your reward]
The message was unusually brief compared to usual.
I then looked down at my hand, where a single book rested.
It was the book I had chosen as my final reward.
‘Is this the Fragment of Fatalis?’
Upon checking, it was indeed.
No additional items had been added to my inventory.
“Hmm.”
I examined the book’s cover briefly before placing it in my inventory.
There were things I needed to check first.
I opened my system window.
“Good, it’s working.”
Both my status window and subscription window opened without any issues.
It felt like a part of my body had been severed and then reattached.
I had grown so accustomed to this system while climbing The Tower that its absence felt deeply wrong.
Next, I checked the time. Exactly one hour had passed.
‘The flow of time really is different here.’
I had no idea exactly how much time had actually elapsed inside, but it was certainly far more than one hour.
Just like the trials others had experienced, time must have flowed differently.
I closed all the floating windows and looked down at my armor, speaking.
“Onyx. You’re unharmed too, right?”
―That is correct, Master.
“Did you see that at the very end?”
―Those dolls? After you chose your reward, one of them seemed to act strangely.
At Onyx’s response, I stroked my chin.
What I had actually wanted to ask about was what ‘it’ had said while laughing just before I returned, but it seemed Onyx hadn’t consciously registered that at all.
“Well, the doll’s reaction was definitely odd too.”
Still, Onyx was right—the doll’s behavior had been unusual.
When I chose the book, Chacha’s reaction seemed deeply disappointed and frustrated.
It didn’t seem like simple spite over me not choosing the reward she had explained.
‘Rather… it felt like she was upset that I had dismantled a carefully laid trap.’
Especially that phrase—”you could have enjoyed it more”—nagged at me. Was that box not just an ordinary reward?
Perhaps it wasn’t.
When I thought about the tremendous notoriety attached to the name Phatalith’s Trial, it was understandable.
“But somehow, the difficulty felt lower than I expected.”
Onyx asked in a tone that suggested he found my muttering absurd.
―Are you speaking in your right mind? Master.
“Why?”
―Someone of your caliber was pushed to the brink of crisis multiple times, yet you say the difficulty was low? If ordinary people faced this, 99 out of 100 would have failed.
I thought that might be true, but reconsidering it, I had to admit it probably wouldn’t be easy for an average Awakener of the 50s Floors.
Even the creature on the Second Floor was at least at Floor Master level.
On Floor 3, I nearly fell victim to a powerful mental attack, and on the 4th Floor, I almost got caught in the collapsing Staircase.
And the mage I encountered on the 5th Floor was several times stronger than the creature on the Second Floor.
If my final gambit hadn’t worked properly, it would have been quite dangerous.
―You threw risky moves one after another and they succeeded, which is why the battle ended quickly. If you’d stumbled even once, it would have been very dangerous. Master.
Onyx spat out bitter words as if he’d made up his mind to do so.
But I shook my head and answered.
“Gambit? I calculated everything before fighting.”
―Don’t lie. Master.
“Is that all you can do—just add ‘Master’ to the end?”
Onyx answered with a dissatisfied hissing sound instead of responding to my words.
I chuckled and brought over a chair from the side, then sat down.
“So, shall we check the reward now?”
Phatalith’s Trial is famous for two things.
Difficulty so extreme it’s called atrocious. And rewards that match that level.
So far, only a handful of people have cleared the trial, but everyone who did spoke of receiving extraordinary rewards.
Some even said they became rankers thanks to the rewards they obtained from clearing the trial.
‘Though I doubt everyone receives the same reward.’
I pulled the book out of my inventory again, thinking to myself.
Since the numbers written on Fatalis lead to different trials, the rewards are probably different for each one.
―Hmm. From what I can see on the surface, it doesn’t look particularly special.
“Right. It really just looks like an ordinary book.”
I’d examined it before, but the book’s contents were completely unguessable from its appearance.
There was only one way to find out.
To open it and look directly.
I carefully opened the book.
“Huh?”
But the book’s contents were somewhat different from what I’d expected.
It wasn’t that there was something trivial written inside, or incomprehensible characters, or anything like that.
It was simply empty.
I muttered with a bewildered expression.
“There’s nothing….”
But before I could finish speaking, a brilliant light suddenly burst forth from the book.
The light pierced through Jung Han-sung’s eyes and burrowed into his mind.
When I regained consciousness moments later, a new message materialized before my eyes.
[You have acquired Fatalis’s Puppet Mastery (A) Skill]
I stared at the message with a dazed expression.
It wasn’t that I failed to comprehend the message’s meaning—rather, the torrent of knowledge that suddenly flooded my mind left me momentarily bewildered.
―Master, are you alright?
When I came to my senses, Onyx had poked his head out from his armor and was watching me.
I nodded with difficulty and responded.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Phew.”
―What happened?
“That wasn’t an ordinary book. Wait, where did it go?”
The book that had been in my hands just moments ago had vanished without a trace.
―The book turned to dust and disappeared right after you opened it. And it wasn’t just now.
“Huh?”
―Nearly six hours have passed.
“Six hours have passed?”
Shocked by his words, I verified it myself—it was true.
From my perspective, the time between opening the book and regaining consciousness felt like nothing more than an instant.
―Was it some kind of trap?
“No, it wasn’t.”
I shook my head.
“After seeing that light, knowledge flowed into my mind. It was even registered as a skill.”
―Like when you use your own ability?
“Yeah. It felt similar to that.”
Though the method was far more crude, the sensation itself was comparable.
It was as if knowledge that wasn’t originally mine was being etched into my mind.
I took a deep breath to calm my overheated thoughts and spoke again.
“In any case, I’ve obtained an A-rank skill. It’s a puppet mastery technique bearing the name Fatalis.”
―Just hearing the name, it doesn’t sound ordinary.
“Right. It contains extraordinarily… sophisticated knowledge.”
First and foremost, the skill itself was undoubtedly a jackpot.
Not merely because of its high rank, but because it offered considerable room for application in my arsenal.
‘It seems to have particularly excellent synergy with necromancy.’
With this, it might even be possible to strengthen my undead to an entirely new level.
“But that’s not all.”
―There’s more?
“Yes.”
Beyond the skill itself, there was one more crucial piece of information.
“The method to enter the next trial. That information was included as well.”

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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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