The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

"Most events from my previous life repeat themselves almost exactly."

After my regression, I came to this conclusion through various experiences.

It was an important realization.

Even if I knew what was going to happen, that knowledge would be useless if events unfolded differently from how they had before. Thus, I closely observed the world around me while continuing to grow stronger. Thankfully, most occurrences mirrored those of my previous life.

• "Consumer prices rise 1.9% year-on-year in August."
• "Idol Jang Seolha's sustained popularity continues. New single 'Super Hunter' ranks No. 1 for 12 consecutive weeks."
• "KOSPI surpasses 5,000 points! The highest index in Korea's history!"

Politics, society, culture, economy—news from various fields appeared just as I remembered.

Of course, not everything was identical.

My revenge on Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun, the raid with Jin Seoyun, and rescuing Han Sungbin—all these events unfolded differently depending on how much I interfered.

However, the majority of events remained the same as they had been before my regression. That was why I was confident about winning the tournament.

Not only did the tournament begin on the same date as in my previous life:

<The 3rd Promising Rookie Hunter Tournament>
<Current Rankings>
1st - 44:42
2nd - 46:50
3rd - 48:37
...
200th - 1:17:00

Hwang Wonchang's team holding the top spot with a time of 44:42 also perfectly matched the events of my past life.

"Everything's the same so far. All I have to do now is follow the same steps as before."

With the foundation unchanged, I could replicate my dungeon raid strategy from my previous life and secure victory.

But there was one significant difference.

"This time, I have to do it alone without Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun."

The raid, which had previously been a three-person effort, would now be my solo responsibility. Although Yoo Hana had joined me, the unconventional tactics required to win the tournament weren’t something she could assist with.

Ultimately, I had to conquer the dungeon alone.

The raid began smoothly.

"Just follow me closely."@@novelbin@@

After reassuring Yoo Hana, who was still dealing with trauma, I started the raid. Although the dense fog made navigating the paths difficult, I had the advantage of my memories from the previous life.

Back then, I had been forced to memorize the dungeon layout thanks to Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun’s constant nagging. Now, I could practically map it out with my eyes closed.

The gatekeeper monsters appeared before me.

Without hesitation, I charged at them.

I closed the distance with a burst of speed, paralyzing them with a stomp before unleashing wide-range attacks with my dual swords. The results were spectacular.

In my previous life, it had taken the three of us over three minutes to defeat these monsters. This time, I took them all down in one hit.

"What the...?"

The fight ended far more quickly than I had anticipated. For a moment, I wondered if something had gone wrong, but it wasn’t a mistake.

Swoosh—! Flash—! Slash—!

At the next fork in the road, the monsters I encountered also fell in a single strike.

"Is this because I’ve grown stronger? I’m faster than when the three of us did this together."

Before the raid, I had expected it to be difficult. Instead, the opposite proved true. The boost in my strength from acquiring the Beauty Talent and monopolizing hidden pieces made everything much easier.

I had become so strong that:

"Careful, careful... I need to control my strength."

I had to attack the mid-boss from a distance to avoid accidentally killing it. If I attacked it recklessly in close combat, it might die before I wanted it to. I needed to hold back until Yoo Hana arrived.

There was no other choice.

"If this thing dies, I won’t be able to use the shortcut."

The giant yeti was the key to victory.

In my previous life, while fighting the giant yeti, I had discovered an important trait: when its health dropped to a certain point, it would pick up nearby objects and throw them in a straight line.

Using this behavior, I had devised a strategy to win the tournament. After several trial-and-error attempts, I confirmed that the crescent-shaped rock would land on the opposite mountain peak.

This time, my strategy worked perfectly again. As a result:

<Kang Hyunsoo Team’s Dungeon Clear Time: 23:30>

An overwhelming new record.

In my previous life, my time had been 34:50, meaning I had shaved off an additional 10 minutes.

Additionally:

[You have cleared a D-rank dungeon.]
[You have completed Absolute Beauty Quest 5.]
[Clear a D-rank dungeon or higher with at least one party member (1/1).]

[Reward]
[Beauty Trait: Whitening (C) acquired.]

[Beauty Trait: Whitening (C) - Skin, teeth, and eye color become 20% clearer. If skin is damaged by UV exposure, recovery speed increases by 50%.]

Not only had I completed Absolute Beauty Quest 5, but I had also made progress on my swordsmanship quests.

[You have completed Swordsmanship Quest 17.]
[Defeat 1,700 monsters with a sword (1,700/1,700).]

[Reward: Strength +5, Agility +5, Swordsmanship Proficiency +15.]

[Swordsmanship Proficiency: 87]
[Swordsmanship Proficiency has surpassed 80.]
[Your understanding of swordsmanship has improved.]
[Mana cost for sword skills reduced by 10%.]
[The skill grade of Counterattack has risen from F to E.]

After nearly a month of stagnation, I finally completed my swordsmanship quest. By following the strategy I had refined in my previous life, I not only fulfilled the quests but also reclaimed the championship in this life.

"The winner of the 3rd Promising Rookie Hunter Tournament is Kang Hyunsoo’s team!!"

The announcer’s enthusiastic voice echoed across the campus.

Watching the scoreboard from the hunter waiting area, I allowed myself a satisfied smile.

“Wow, Hyunsoo oppa! We really won!!”

"Looks like Yoo Hana will be basking in the spotlight this time around."

I turned my attention to Yoo Hana, who was bouncing with joy, her bright smile lighting up the room. As I watched her, I couldn’t help but predict how things would unfold from here.

In my previous life, even though I was the one who did all the work, the public's attention had been focused on Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun. This time, I expected Yoo Hana to become the center of attention.

No matter how well I performed, my appearance had always held me back from being recognized. It was a bitter truth, but the data I had gathered in my previous life backed it up, and I had come to accept it as reality.

Just like the old saying: “The bear does the tricks, but the trainer takes the money.” Even with identical feats, the public was more inclined to cheer for those with better looks. Especially someone like Yoo Hana, who, in my past life, had gone on to become one of Korea's most prominent hunters. It was only natural that she would attract the spotlight this time as well.

But reality took an unexpected turn.

The moment our victory was announced:

“Waaaaaaaah!!”
“Kang Hyunsoo! Kang Hyunsoo!!”

The audience roared, chanting my name instead of Yoo Hana’s.

“What the... How is that kind of gameplay even possible?”
“They used the rock the giant yeti threw? I don’t think I could pull that off. That’s incredible.”

Even the hunters in the waiting room looked at me, not with jealousy or resentment, but with admiration and respect.

“...Huh? What’s going on?”

This was a first for me.

The surprises didn’t end there.

“Hah! Kang Hyunsoo Hunter, did you really come in first place?”
“Jin Seoyun… Hunter?”

Jin Seoyun approached me in the waiting room, her expression filled with astonishment. I had no idea when she’d arrived.

And she wasn’t alone.

“Damn! Hyunsoo really won?”
“As expected of the swordsmanship genius! I told you you’d win the moment you said you’d compete!”
“Hyung, you’re amazing! I felt bad for not being able to help you, but you succeeded all on your own!”

Min Dongchan, Ha Jaesung, and Han Sungbin all came over, their faces lit up with smiles, congratulating me.

Scratching my cheek, I asked awkwardly, “Uh… weren’t you all in the middle of a raid?”

“We ran here the moment it ended! We rushed through the raid like madmen to make it on time.”
“We told you we’d come to cheer for you. We couldn’t cancel the raid since it was scheduled in advance, but we came straight here as soon as it was over!”

Ha Jaesung and Jin Seoyun took turns explaining. It seemed they’d known about my participation and had made a point to come as soon as their raid was done.

I felt a wave of gratitude.

Honestly, it felt strange to receive this kind of attention. Having people care about me without any prompting was unfamiliar, and these weren’t just ordinary people.

“Wait, isn’t that Jin Seoyun and Han Sungbin?”
“Wow… They’re stunning. So handsome and beautiful.”
“Kyaaah! I can’t believe I’m seeing Jin Seoyun and Han Sungbin in person! You know them?!”

Even the other hunters in the waiting room, as well as Yoo Hana, recognized how famous they were.

This level of recognition was unimaginable in my previous life.

“These are my raid teammates,” I explained, gesturing to the group. “And this is Yoo Hana. She participated in the tournament with me.”

I introduced everyone with a warm smile.

“Ah, hello! I’m Yoo Hana. I teamed up with Hyunsoo oppa for the competition!”
“Oh, you look so young. You must be quite skilled.”
“Hyunsoo, where did you find such a talented partner?”

“…Oppa?”

Jin Seoyun’s reaction was peculiar. While the others smiled, she folded her arms and bit her lower lip, her expression clearly displeased.

“What’s this sudden chill in the air…?”

I took an involuntary step back, sensing the tension.

That’s when Swallow, who had been lurking invisibly nearby, offered a sly commentary.

“Oh, Jin Seoyun Hunter seems wary of Yoo Hana. She must see her as a rival for Master’s attention. This is getting interesting.”

Swallow’s tone was brimming with amusement.

“As if…” I dismissed the thought.

There was no time to dwell on it anyway, as the announcer’s voice rang out from the stage.

“Now, we will begin the awards ceremony. Teams ranked first to tenth, please come to the stage.”

I turned toward the stage and said, “I’ll be right back.”

“Go on, Hyunsoo!”
“Hyung, you look so cool! I’ll take lots of photos for you!”
“Congratulations, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter!”

Their cheers followed me as I made my way to the stage with Yoo Hana.

“Waaaaaaaah!!!”
“Look, it’s the winning team!”
“Wow, seeing him in person, his physique is no joke. No wonder he could one-shot monsters!”
“The girl next to him… Is her name Yoo Hana? She looks so young.”

The crowd erupted with excitement as we climbed onto the stage. The energy was even more intense up there, something that even Yoo Hana seemed surprised by.

“Wow, this can’t be real, right? I was just working my part-time job this morning, and now I’m standing on stage after winning!”

She marveled aloud, while I took a moment to scan the audience.

“It’s similar to my past life, but… the view is much better this time.”

Most events from my previous life had repeated themselves.

But not everything.

Whether it was a coincidence or the result of my efforts, things had turned out far better than before.

Even the university president handing out the medals was different.

“Now, Jaewon University President Ji Wonhoon will present the medals.”

Unlike my previous life, when Ji Wonhoon had merely placed the medal around my neck without a word, this time he spoke at length.

“Congratulations, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter. Your performance was truly impressive. We’re hosting a celebratory party for the winners tomorrow, and I strongly encourage you to attend.”

He even extended his hand for a handshake.

“Thank you, President Ji,” I replied, clasping his hand with a smile.

“Man, this guy is seriously handsome. I thought the same in my previous life—he’s got presence.”

Ji Wonhoon wasn’t just good-looking; he exuded an air of dignity, enhanced by his kind demeanor. As a former actor turned university president, he left a lasting impression.

If possible, I wanted to maintain a connection with him, just as Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun had once done.

But as I smiled and shook his hand, something behind him caught my eye.

“……!”

Standing in the shadows behind Ji Wonhoon was his secretary.

And his face…

It was identical to the culprit I had seen in the classified Babylon documents.