The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Chapter 100

When does love come and stir one's heart?

For Choi Jiwoo, that had been a question for some time.

It wasn’t that she had never experienced love.

When she was in elementary school, she had liked a boy in her class, writing him letters and giving him chocolates.

However.

After the great upheaval, and the death of her hunter older brother, Choi Jiwoo’s heart had turned cold.

The Hunter Bureau’s investigation revealed that her brother had been betrayed not by monsters, but by his fellow hunters, which led to his untimely death.

Choi Jiwoo prayed every day.

She prayed that she too would awaken, and that she could enact justice.

In the trial, the group that had harmed her brother had hired top-tier lawyers, and due to a suspended sentence, they were set free.

After that.

Choi Jiwoo prayed in her room and, eventually, awakened.

Her talent was in the three-sword style.

It was a term referring to thin swords, one of the swordsmanship talents.

Choi Jiwoo tirelessly worked on her growth.

She barely slept, constantly moving between dungeons and training grounds, developing her talents much faster than others.

At first, fighting the grotesque and enormous monsters had been difficult, but with nothing but revenge fueling her, she pushed herself to the limit.

Nothing could stop Choi Jiwoo.

High-level boss monsters, and hunters who harbored ill will toward her.

All of them fell to her rapier.

Choi Jiwoo had grown rapidly, driven by revenge for her brother.

And then, she finally encountered them.

"Wow, a beautiful hunter is joining our party today."

"Choi Jiwoo Hunter? Nice to meet you. We’ll do our best to serve you."

"We’ll handle everything so you can just enjoy the view, heh."

"Don’t hold me back. I’ll wipe out the monsters today!"

The four hunters who killed her brother.

A raid with the culprits.

Choi Jiwoo had leveled up, then intentionally approached them.

‘Just like you did to my brother, I’ll return it tenfold.’

With revenge in her heart, Choi Jiwoo smiled brightly as she replied.

"Yes, let’s start the raid."

Thus, the dungeon raid began.

Choi Jiwoo followed the hunters who were hunting monsters and waited for the right moment.

Since they were outnumbered, it was best to take down one first before starting, so she could have the upper hand.

Just then.

A hunter with yellow-dyed hair stood before her, exposing his back completely.

A perfect unprotected state.

‘Now’s the time!’

Choi Jiwoo lunged her rapier toward the hunter’s back.

But then, at that moment...

Clang-!!

"Heh heh, did you think we wouldn’t notice?"

"I’ve been meaning to find you one day, but here you are, delivering yourself to us, how nice."

"And you’ve ripened nicely, heh heh."

The other hunters blocked Choi Jiwoo’s attack.

They had noticed her plan from the beginning and set a trap.

"You bastards...!!"

"Hahaha! I’ll give you credit for making it this far, but you should know better than to try and attack us!"

"You’re just as vicious as your brother!"

"And that’s what makes it so fun, heh heh heh!!"

Choi Jiwoo attacked the hunters with her rapier, but the skill difference was vast, and she was outnumbered.

A crisis where no hope seemed visible.

Meanwhile, the four hunters, with faces full of joy and desire, charged at Choi Jiwoo.

But then, just as Choi Jiwoo swung her rapier and the hunters charged like beasts...

Fwoosh-! Boom—!!

"Ack!!"

"What, what’s this?!"

"An explosion, suddenly...!!"

"I knew it, you're doing the same disgusting thing again.""Misguided zeal is nothing but arrogance. I’ll take away your tomorrow.""You... you bastards...""Choi Jiwoo, your revenge is over, so now live your life. That’s the best way to honor your brother."

She felt like it was time to completely let go of love...

But then something changed inside her.

Kang Hyunsoo.

The moment she saw him, the man who saved the Samcheon Guild hunters by standing against Babylon, a warm breeze like spring filled her heart.

At first, she didn’t recognize it.

She just saw him being attacked by masked hunters and, thinking it looked dangerous, decided to help a little.

But as time passed and they experienced several incidents together, her feelings began to change.

He could have handed the case over to another department, but he insisted on handling it himself. He was interrogating Babylon hunters, tracking down their remnants, all to protect Hyunsoo.

It wasn’t just a sense of justice or duty.

There seemed to be something more.

But even Choi Jiwoo herself didn’t fully understand why she felt this way.

This feeling was so foreign to her that she didn’t know how to deal with it. So, she threw herself into work to distract herself, trying to resolve it by focusing on her duties.

Choi Jiwoo occasionally sent texts to Kang Hyunsoo to stay in touch.

She wanted to talk, but all she could discuss was work.

She wanted to eat together, but there was never an opportunity.

However, during her ongoing investigation of Babylon, the end was finally in sight.

Most of the Babylon agents started revealing information about their base.

Once the investigation was finished, she would have no reason to contact Kang Hyunsoo anymore.

So, Choi Jiwoo gathered her courage.

She had already found and searched Babylon’s base once, but due to a lack of manpower, she asked for Kang Hyunsoo's help.

Their long-awaited meeting was finally set.

Choi Jiwoo even went as far as to wear makeup, something she didn’t usually do, as she waited for him.

But then...

"Hello, Hunter Choi Jiwoo. Long time no see."

"...?"

The moment she had been eagerly waiting for had come, yet Choi Jiwoo couldn’t fully enjoy it.

In Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

She had arranged to meet in a city near Babylon’s hidden base, but she failed to recognize Kang Hyunsoo.

Instead of him, a tall, handsome man appeared.

Then, she realized...

The man in front of her had the same voice as Kang Hyunsoo.

"K-Kang Hyunsoo Hunter?!"

Choi Jiwoo covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide in shock.

His appearance was so transformed that even an ordinary celebrity would pale in comparison.

Could it be her eyes playing tricks?

Choi Jiwoo rubbed her eyes and looked at him again, but the result was the same.

"Wh-what happened? Is this really the Kang Hyunsoo I know?"

"I lost some weight. Bought some clothes too."

"No way... Can someone change this much just by that?"

Choi Jiwoo, with an expression of disbelief, scanned him from head to toe.

He had definitely lost some weight, and his fashion had completely changed.

Especially his outfit—normally a bit too bold for an average person—looked perfect on him.

It was like he was shooting a photo spread in everyday clothes.

A shirt with a slight V-neck and a long coat with a waist tie—none of it felt over the top, but instead gave him a daring, impressive look.

And that wasn’t all.

"But you came earlier than the scheduled time. Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I ate already. How about you, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo?"

"I ate as well. Shall we stop by a café and grab a drink before we leave?"

"Th-thank you..."

Before, she used to answer questions briefly and only when necessary, but now, he was speaking smoothly.

It wasn’t just his appearance that had changed.

What could she say? It felt like Kang Hyunsoo had leveled up in his daily life, just like how hunters level up.

As they headed to the café, Choi Jiwoo couldn’t help but steal glances at him.

And then, it finally hit her.

‘Ah... I’m... nervous...’

The long-frozen emotions inside her melted, all because of Kang Hyunsoo.