The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

“Now, we begin the 3rd Promising Rookie Hunter Selection Tournament!”

“Wooooooah!!!”

At Jaewon University’s sports field, the crowd erupted in cheers following the announcer’s call.

Spectators, organizers, and reporters—well over a thousand people—filled the area, fueling the intense atmosphere of the event.

The Tournament Format:

Participants would enter a dungeon located at the corner of the sports field while wearing recording cameras functional even within dungeon dimensions. The gate to this dungeon led to a D-grade instance dungeon, where each team would enter its own unique dimension upon entry, allowing up to 100 teams to raid simultaneously.

Rules:

1. Speed: The fastest dungeon-clear time determined the rankings.
2. Fair Play: Any foul play, such as using cloaked or unregistered Hunters, would result in disqualification.
3. Safety: Any team member fatalities during the raid would also lead to disqualification.

Essentially, this was a Raid Time Attack competition.

But what made this tournament particularly engaging was the broadcasted footage. Though not live, spectators could view the recorded raid clips on a screen, reviewed and approved by the organizers.

Spectators could enjoy the footage knowing there would be no casualties, as the dungeon was widely regarded as a safe training ground. Both the audience and participants had a deep familiarity with the mechanics of this particular dungeon.

The Scene:

Veteran teams often practiced on this dungeon specifically for the competition. As a result, both the spectators and the Hunters had the experience to be considered “experts” of this tournament.

Yet for Yoo Hana, sitting in the waiting area near the massive screen, unease lingered.

“Can we really take first place? There are so many strong Hunters here...”

So far, everything had gone smoothly.

Her morning shift as a part-time worker had ended without issue, and her registration as a participant was completed without complications. Though it had been a long time since she last raided, her Hunter license was still valid, as licenses don’t expire unless explicitly revoked.

However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that first place was out of reach.

During registration, she had seen that Kang Hyunsoo was listed as a low-tier Hunter under level 100.

Although he assured her that his actual level was higher and that he simply hadn’t updated his records, Yoo Hana found it hard to believe that he could have reached anywhere close to the tournament cap of level 200 in just two months.

Optimism vs. Reality:

She wanted to believe in his confidence but struggled against the overwhelming evidence. Still, she reminded herself that her primary goal wasn’t to win but to confront her past trauma and grow from the experience.

While she admired Hyunsoo’s determination to win, she was more concerned about simply clearing the dungeon.

She glanced at him as he focused on the screen showing other teams’ raid progress. Hesitantly, she broke the silence.

“Um... Are we really okay? I think we’re the only team with just two members. Can we even clear it?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I can clear it by myself if needed. If I fail, you can always retreat since it’s a safety-enabled dungeon.”

“Ah… I see. Ha ha…”

Yoo Hana forced a laugh. She had voiced her concern more to ease her nerves than to find a solution, but Hyunsoo’s direct response left her feeling awkward.

Shifting the Mood:

Determined to break the tension, she clapped her hands and flashed a bright smile.

“Oh! By the way, what should we call each other inside the dungeon? There will be a lot of high-pressure situations where we’ll need to communicate quickly!”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with. I’ll just call you ‘Hunter Yoo.’”

“Hunter Yoo? That’s too formal... Hmm, let’s see. You’re eight years older than me, so how about…”

Her voice trailed off as she tried to think of a suitable title. The first thing that came to mind was ‘oppa’ (older brother).

“Ugh, why can’t I say it out loud?”

No matter how hard she tried, the word refused to leave her lips.

From her perspective, Kang Hyunsoo’s face still looked like that of someone in their mid-thirties—at least, compared to his old appearance, which she had once mistaken for a man in his forties.

Calling him “oppa” felt impossible.

As she struggled with her thoughts, Hyunsoo spoke up, sparing her the effort.

“…Just call me ‘ahjussi’ (uncle).”

“Oh! Okay, ah-ahjussi…”

The awkwardness only deepened.

Face turning red, Yoo Hana quickly excused herself, claiming she needed water, and hurried away.

Watching her retreat, Swallow commented from above.

“She was so cheerful earlier, but now she’s completely flustered.”

Hyunsoo nodded as he followed her with his gaze.

“It can’t be helped. It’s her first raid in a long time, and she probably hasn’t fully overcome her trauma.”

When Yoo Hana had volunteered to join him, Hyunsoo had been genuinely surprised.

In his past life, this was well before she had overcome her trauma of losing her comrades. That she had decided to participate with him was a decision he couldn’t fully understand, though he didn’t question it.

Instead, he chose to accept her offer without probing. Bringing up her past would likely only deepen her fear.

More importantly—

“She’s destined to be Korea’s greatest healer. Having her on my team will make winning so much easier.”

Her skills were already proven, and her presence significantly increased their chances of victory.

Meanwhile, on the Leaderboard:

<3rd Promising Rookie Hunter Selection Tournament>

<Current Standings>

1. 1st Place - 44:42
2. 2nd Place - 46:50
3. 3rd Place - 48:37
   ...
4. 200th Place - 1:17:00

“Whoa! A new record! Hunter Hwang Wonchang’s team has broken the 45-minute barrier!”

“Ha! That’s nothing,” Hwang Wonchang smirked, arrogantly brushing back his hair as the screen displayed his team’s raid performance.

“Whoa, is that even possible? They’re one-shotting all the mobs!”

“This is insane! They must have god-tier items and talent to finish that fast.”

“First place is basically guaranteed.”

The audience and other Hunters in the waiting area marveled at Hwang Wonchang’s performance.

It was undeniably impressive. His team navigated the dungeon’s maze-like structure without hesitation and eliminated massive monsters with single, decisive strikes.

Everyone seemed convinced that he would take the championship.

But…

Kang Hyunsoo calmly stretched his body instead of feeling anxious.

The leaderboard's records were exactly the same as his previous life.

Though no one was paying attention to him now, he knew that if he filled the gaps left by Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun, victory would undoubtedly be his.

While Hyunsoo prepared himself and recalled the events of his previous life, the announcement came.

"Now, the final 100 teams, please prepare yourselves!"

"Oh! It's our turn! Mister, would you like some water?"

Their turn to enter had come, and Yoo Hana returned just in time with a bottle of water.

Gulp, gulp.

Hyunsoo quickly drank the water Yoo Hana handed him.

"Thank you. Let’s head in now."

Wiping the water from his mouth, he stepped toward the gate.

Other hunters waiting for their turn also began to move.

"Phew, can we really do this?"

"We have to. Winning this will change our lives!"

The air among the participants buzzed with tension.

Flash! Flash! Swirl!

Holding hands with their teammates, hunters stepped into the portal one team at a time.

The party system activated as soon as they held hands, and within 10 seconds of entering, separate dimensions for each party were created.

"Let’s get ready too."

"Yes, Mister!"

With a 10-second interval, Hyunsoo and Yoo Hana also clasped hands and stepped through the portal.

Whooosh!@@novelbin@@

[You have entered a D-Rank Dungeon.]
[Defeat the boss monster to clear the dungeon (0/1).]

A message appeared, and the scenery changed.

The wide sports field was replaced by a rocky mountain shrouded in thick fog.

Visibility was reduced to about 10 meters.

You could make out nearby shapes, but distinguishing the terrain beyond that range was nearly impossible.

However, neither Hyunsoo nor Yoo Hana panicked.

They immediately got to work.

The first task was checking their equipment.

Hyunsoo inspected the small camera mounted on his chest and asked, "Is your camera working properly?"

"Yes! It’s recording just fine!"

Preparation Time: 3 Minutes

This pre-raid period was provided to ensure the cameras attached to each participant’s chest were functioning correctly. The recorded footage was critical as it would be submitted as evidence and shown to the audience later.

Fortunately, both Hyunsoo and Yoo Hana had no issues with their cameras.

After finishing the camera check, Hyunsoo said, "Let’s equip our gear and get ready to move out."

"Alright!!"

The two opened their inventories and retrieved their items.

Flash!

A long staff materialized in Yoo Hana’s hands.

"Wow… It’s been so long, Snowflake."

The silver orb at the end of the staff sparkled, earning it the nickname “Snowflake.” Yoo Hana hadn’t used it in years since quitting her hunter career.

Tears welled in her eyes as she gazed at the staff, but the moment didn’t last long.

She caught sight of Hyunsoo watching her, fully prepared.

"Oh! I’m sorry, Mister! I got a little distracted seeing my old gear again…."

"It’s fine. We still have about 30 seconds left before we start."

"Oh, good! But, um… why aren’t you wearing armor? It’s dangerous to be in the lead without proper protection!"

Yoo Hana looked wide-eyed at Hyunsoo’s simple outfit.

As the vanguard, he would be expected to absorb the brunt of the monsters’ attacks, making armor essential.

Yet Hyunsoo was only holding two swords, wearing nothing more than his shirt and slacks from earlier.

It was a risky choice that could lead to fatal consequences before she even had the chance to heal him.

But Hyunsoo seemed unconcerned.

"Don’t worry about it. I won’t get hit."

"Excuse me? You won’t get hit?"

"That’s correct. So just…"

Hyunsoo replied nonchalantly, then turned his gaze toward the foggy path ahead.

Beep-beep-beep!

With the alert from the camera signaling the start of the raid, he added, "Just follow me closely."

Thud!

With a powerful leap, he launched himself forward in an instant.