The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

“Choi Jiwoo Hunter…?”

An unexpected appearance.

Kang Hyunsoo tilted his head in confusion.

Meeting Choi Jiwoo at the hunting grounds was surprising enough, but what stood out more was her apparent urgency in finding him.

His instinct was correct.

“What’s the matter?”

“I have something to deliver to you, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter.”

“To me? Hmm… is this about the investigation? You could’ve just called me on my phone.”

When they met at the Daechi Station hunting grounds, Choi Jiwoo had informed him that she would set up a date for questioning and let him know.

This was about investigating the masked hunters he had dealt with in the dungeon. After Jin Seyoon’s testimony, the Hunter Bureau deemed an inquiry necessary to clarify the details.

They had also mentioned the possibility of reassessing his rank during the process.

While Jin Seyoon had assured him she would take care of things, the investigation itself was unavoidable.

Thus, Hyunsoo had been waiting for the Bureau’s call—but now, Choi Jiwoo had come to him directly.

However, her purpose this time wasn’t about the investigation.

“No, this isn’t about that. We’ve found clues about the masked hunters.”

“...Clues about those guys?”

“Yes. It’s urgent. I tried contacting you, but the signal wouldn’t go through because you were inside a dungeon. So I checked the Hunter Bureau’s records on dungeon entries and came here.”

Hearing this, Hyunsoo’s eyes narrowed.

The masked hunters had used purple auras—a detail that might connect them to Seo Ji-eun or Choi Tae-hoon.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, he focused on Choi Jiwoo’s words.

She scanned their surroundings carefully before continuing.

“Did any intruders enter during your raid?”

“No, there were none. I was alone.”

“That’s a relief. These people belong to an extremist group, so I was worried they might target you again.”

“An extremist group? What kind…?”

“Have you ever heard of Babylon?”

Babylon.

The unfamiliar name made Hyunsoo pause, lost in thought.

But…

“No, I’ve never heard of them.”

It was a name foreign to him.

For a moment, he wondered if it might have slipped his memory from his past life, but it didn’t seem so.

Even Swallow, flying invisibly beside him, chimed in telepathically.

“This is new to me too, Master. It seems Babylon wasn’t a group you encountered in your previous life.”

‘What’s going on? A group I’ve never heard of… and none of this happened in my past life either.’

Hyunsoo furrowed his brows.

Not only was Babylon unfamiliar, but Choi Jiwoo coming all the way to Bucheon Station hunting grounds to find him was also unprecedented.

Clearly, the current circumstances were veering into unpredictable territory—and her words only deepened the mystery.

“Babylon operates in secrecy and works from the shadows, so it’s natural you wouldn’t know about them. They pursue power relentlessly and will do anything to get stronger—no matter how cruel or unethical. They’re so elusive that even the Hunter Bureau, after years of covert investigations, hasn’t managed to find solid leads.”

“They sound serious.”

“They are. They aren’t widely known, but those who are aware of them fear them deeply. Babylon is suspected of being behind numerous acts of terrorism and assassination around the world.”

Terrorism and assassination.

Hyunsoo had largely ignored societal affairs in his previous life, focusing on leveling up and completing swordsmanship quests. Still, he had heard rumors of hunters committing heinous crimes.

This sounded like one of those groups.

Choi Jiwoo’s expression grew graver as she continued.

But she didn’t get to finish.

“They summon portals of violet energy and can move freely through them…”

“Whew, great job, everyone!”

“Not bad at all. Let’s grab some food. What do you all want?”

“How about pork belly, Team Leader?”@@novelbin@@

“Perfect. Let’s go—I’m buying!”

She was interrupted by a group of hunters passing by, fresh from their own raid.

They looked like ordinary hunters, not connected to Babylon, but the tense situation made it hard not to be on edge.

“…Rather than talk here, let’s move somewhere more private, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter.”

“You’re right. That sounds like a good idea.”

Without further delay, Choi Jiwoo and Hyunsoo quickly exited the Bucheon Station hunting grounds.

***

Mafia, Cartels, Gangs, Yakuza.

Across the world, many illegal violent organizations exist.

These groups exploit the weak, using crime and violence as their weapons.

Even as the world changed, these practices persisted.

During the early days of the Great Shift, it seemed these groups might vanish under the overwhelming threat of monsters that pushed humanity to the brink of extinction. Yet, as society entered a period of stability, these organizations expanded their activities into the hunter industry.

Their methods varied.

From bribing hunters with money obtained through illicit means to corrupting those who had failed to achieve mainstream success in the hunter world, they left no stone unturned.

As hunters began joining these illegal organizations for various reasons, governments responded by establishing Hunter Bureaus.

Despite these efforts, the emergence of violent criminal organizations could not be fully prevented.

Babylon was one such group.

"Assassinating America’s top-tier hunter, bombing the Kremlin… Are you saying all of this was Babylon’s doing?"

In a spacious conference room, Kang Hyunsoo repeated the examples he had just heard for confirmation.

Across from him, Choi Jiwoo nodded solemnly.

“Yes, these crimes have been attributed to Babylon. The U.S. Hunter Bureau managed to capture one of their members, revealing the existence of the organization, but that was as far as they got. The captured member was assassinated while in prison before more information could be extracted.”

“That happened? Is this the incident you’re referring to?”

“That’s correct.”

Flip, flip.

As Choi Jiwoo spoke, Hyunsoo nodded and turned the pages of the file on the table.

Photographs of a young man with black hair in a mugshot, a shattered building, and scattered debris filled the pages.

Stamped across the bottom in bold red letters was:

[CLASSIFIED LEVEL 1].

Looking through the materials, Hyunsoo voiced his concern.

“This seems highly classified. Are you sure it’s okay to show this to someone like me?”

After leaving the Bucheon Station hunting grounds, Hyunsoo had followed Choi Jiwoo to a conference room at the Seoul Hunter Bureau.

The room was vast, filled with a long table and rows of chairs.

It felt far too large for just the two of them, but after seating him, Jiwoo began explaining Babylon’s activities.

At first, Hyunsoo thought this level of detail was unnecessary.

But as he skimmed through the files, he understood why.

The information on Babylon was top-level classified.

For the Hunter Bureau, it seemed excessive to share such information with a low-ranking hunter like him.

Yet Jiwoo didn’t appear bothered by it.

“Yes, that’s why I brought you here. You’re a victim, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter. You’ve been caught up in something far bigger than yourself, and I believe you have the right to know the truth. Moreover… Babylon has never abandoned a target once they’ve set their sights on them. While I don’t think you are their primary goal, you cannot afford to let your guard down.”

“They’ve never abandoned a target, huh… That makes them incredibly dangerous. It would be better to uproot them entirely. What about exposing them to the media? If the public knows, wouldn’t it make it harder for them to move freely?”

“Unfortunately, that wouldn’t work.”

“Why not?”

“Babylon is meticulous in concealing their identities. Publicizing them would accomplish nothing except instilling fear among civilians. The harm would outweigh the benefits.”

“…So that’s why this is classified at Level 1.”

Hyunsoo quickly caught on.

The reason Babylon’s existence was kept secret wasn’t solely due to the threat they posed—it was also to protect the image of hunters.

This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Jiwoo continued her explanation.

“That’s why many guilds cooperate in secret to eliminate these organizations before they harm civilians. If Babylon were to show themselves, every official guild in the country would offer their support.”

“That’s reassuring, but the problem is that to get help, I’d need to fend off Babylon’s first attack myself.”

“If you’re concerned, you could take advantage of the Hunter Bureau’s victim support program. Staying in one of our secure facilities would make it nearly impossible for Babylon to reach you. Given the classified nature of this situation, you’re fully eligible for such protection.”

Jiwoo’s suggestion was reasonable, but Hyunsoo shook his head.

“I appreciate the offer, but that wouldn’t work for me. Who knows how long it will take to eliminate Babylon? I can’t live my life hiding forever.”

The Hunter Bureau’s victim support program was an excellent system for protecting targets of hunter-related crimes. However, it also imposed restrictions on personal freedom.

If Hyunsoo entered one of their secure facilities, it would hinder his ability to power level or uncover hidden pieces of knowledge from his past life.

Such constraints would make it impossible for him to prepare for the even greater dangers awaiting in the future.

This unexpected twist in his plans was frustrating, but at least he had a clear alternative.

“I understand. In that case… please take this.”

Seeing his reluctance, Jiwoo reached into her pocket and handed him a small item.

It was compact enough to fit in one hand, but as soon as Hyunsoo examined its stats…

“What is this…?”

His eyes widened in disbelief.

The item Jiwoo handed him wasn’t just useful for dealing with Babylon—it was something capable of confronting even greater threats.

***

Chirp, chirp—chirp, chirp.

Dawn broke over the city, ushering in an early morning filled with soft light.

At Jaewon University, located in Seoul's Jung-gu district, a man was sweeping leaves from the sidewalk with a long broom.

Dressed in a pristine suit with hair neatly waxed and styled, the man’s appearance seemed at odds with his task.

Yet, to the students, the sight was far from unusual.

Two female students, caps pulled low, approached the gate as they made their way to class.

“Oh, look! It’s the President. He’s here again today.”

“Good morning, President! Have a great day!”

Recognizing the man, they gave a polite bow and greeted him warmly.

The man sweeping the leaves was none other than the president of Jaewon University, the highest-ranking figure on campus.

Despite looking to be in his late 30s—almost too young for such a position—he smiled naturally, flashing perfect white teeth as he waved back.

“Haha, good morning! Enjoy your classes, everyone.”

A simple, friendly greeting.

But as soon as the students walked past him, their reactions became noticeably different.

“Eeeek! Did you see that? He’s so handsome!”

“How is it even possible to look like that in the morning? I guess being a former actor really does make a difference.”

The once-composed young women were now giggling, hands clasped over their mouths in excitement.

The reason was simple:

Ji Wonhoon, former actor-turned-hunter, now served as the president of Jaewon University, an institution dedicated to helping ordinary people awaken their potential. His youthful good looks, honed during his acting days, made him an object of admiration.

Though he was actually in his late 40s, his appearance was so striking that most mistook him for someone in his 30s.

“Heh, it’s nice to see such bright energy in the morning.”

Ji Wonhoon chuckled softly as he watched the young women walk away.

His amusement, however, was short-lived.

Rustle!

The sound of movement came from the large tree behind him, and the smile quickly vanished from his face.

In a low voice, he spoke.

“Report.”

Though his words seemed to be directed at no one, a faint voice responded from the foliage above.

“This is an interim report on the 14th Reconnaissance Team massacre. We’ve been gathering information through an informant embedded in the Hunter Bureau, but breaching their security has proven challenging. All we’ve managed to confirm is that the 14th Team’s target was a hunter from the Samcheon Guild, and their raid party included a last-minute mercenary hire.”

“A mercenary?”

“Yes, someone they brought on the same day to fill a gap in their roster. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to identify this individual. Shall we dig deeper?”

The conversation flowed naturally, but Ji Wonhoon never once glanced at the tree above him.

Instead, he resumed sweeping the leaves from the sidewalk as though he were merely talking to himself.

“No need. A mercenary willing to enter a D-rank dungeon is unlikely to have a level exceeding 200. They’re a small fry—of no value to us.”

The words, delivered in a chillingly calm tone, seemed to freeze the very air around him.

But the tension quickly dissipated.

“Whoa, he’s wearing a suit today!”

“Seriously, the university’s perks are amazing. Where else can you see someone who looks like that every morning?”

“Good morning, President!”

“Haha, good morning! Have a great day!”

Ji Wonhoon’s smile returned as more students passed through the gate, calling out cheerful greetings.

Amid the growing influx of students, the conversation about the massacre had to be cut short.

“That incident is no longer of concern. Instead….”

Waving to the students, Ji Wonhoon issued a quiet command through ventriloquism.

“Proceed with the next phase of the plan.”