Whoooom—
Pitch darkness filled his vision.
Not a single ray of light penetrated the void.
“...What’s going on?”
His mind was clear, but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t feel his body.
Had he sustained a fatal injury?
Just moments ago, he had been proving his qualification at Babylon’s underground altar. Now, he found himself in this state as soon as he opened his eyes.
“Let’s check my senses one by one.”
Though he couldn’t make sense of the situation, Kang Hyunsoo decided to analyze his condition systematically, step by step.
At least his hearing was intact.
- The time for the final showdown draws near.
Suddenly, a strange woman’s voice echoed in the darkness.
No—more accurately, it reverberated inside his head.
And that wasn’t all.
Though Kang Hyunsoo hadn’t moved his head, his perspective suddenly shifted on its own.
- Ah, yes. There’s not much time left to enjoy this moment of peace.
He found himself staring at a knight leaning against a gnarled, lifeless tree.
The knight’s identity was hidden beneath armor, a cloak, and a helmet, making it impossible to discern anything about them.
It was then that Kang Hyunsoo realized this place wasn’t an empty void. It was a nighttime landscape devoid of stars or even the moon.
The scenery unfolded without his volition.
This wasn’t a memory or experience of his own, not even from his past life.
For a brief moment, he considered it might be a dream, but the sensation was entirely different.
And then he remembered.
“This... this is like that time...”
He’d experienced something similar before.
It had happened when he absorbed the Beauty Fragment and glimpsed fragments of Ji Wonhoon’s life.
“So, this must be a memory from the altar.”
Though he couldn’t tell whose memory it was, it seemed likely that it belonged to whatever had been sealed in the altar.
Kang Hyunsoo focused intently on the scene before him, determined not to miss any information.
- Do you believe we stand a chance?
- Well... no. That would be too optimistic.
Next to the knight leaning against the tree, a woman in a pointed hat and robes approached, her staff in hand.
She stood with impeccable posture, her skin radiant and unblemished.
Though only her chin and the area beneath her hat’s brim were visible, she exuded vitality and life.
In stark contrast, the knight seemed shrouded in death’s shadow.
Though their face was hidden, their hands were pale, resembling the night sky itself.
Their conversation mirrored this disparity.
- You might not even last until the final showdown.
- You’re right. I won’t.
- Then what do you plan to do?
- Plan? Ha— cough! I’ll just let things take their natural course. As the will of the universe dictates.
- The will of the universe? Don’t tell me you intend to do nothing and simply meet your end!
The knight was clearly nearing death.
Despite the valor implied by their armor and the sword planted firmly in the ground, their demeanor was anything but imposing.
The woman, gripping her staff, raised her voice in frustration.
- You’ve gathered everything! You’ve taken it all into your hands, and now you plan to leave it all behind? What about the ones left behind? Why even bother collecting it all in the first place?
- You know why. I had no choice. If I hadn’t acted, the divine essence would have scattered, becoming prey to the Outer Gods. This universe wouldn’t have even been able to resist.
- So you just bought some time, is that it? But once you’re gone, the divine essence will scatter again anyway!
- Heh... don’t be so angry. Just wait and see. You never know.
The knight tilted their head upward, gazing at the pitch-black sky, their tone filled with conviction.
- Perhaps someone will appear—someone capable of completing the task of this universe, which even I couldn’t accomplish.
***
Whoooosh!
A surge of energy.
The return of sensation.
“...!!”
I snapped my eyes open.
For a moment, I wondered if I was still trapped within the altar’s memory. But that wasn’t the case.
My senses were fully restored, and when I looked around—
“You’ve awakened, Master!”
“Ah! Are you alright, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo?”
Swallow and Choi Jiwoo greeted me with concern right in front of my face.
I sat up, taking in my surroundings, and asked, “Where am I...?”
Reality had returned, but something was off—I wasn’t in the underground altar. Instead, I was at the entrance of Babylon’s abandoned factory.
Fortunately, the reason soon became clear.
Kneeling by my side, Choi Jiwoo glanced toward the staircase leading underground as she explained.
“There was a flash of red lightning, and when I came to, we were back here. You were lying on the ground unconscious. I went down to check, but the altar and statues had completely disappeared, as if they were never there.”
“The altar and statues vanished...?”
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“That’s correct, Master. I confirmed it myself. All that remains is an empty passage.”
Swallow, hovering next to her, nodded in agreement.
The sudden disappearance of the battlefield where we had just been fighting—it was a baffling phenomenon.
But I wasn’t panicked.
I turned my gaze to the messages still floating in the air, which offered a crucial clue to the situation.
[You have proven your qualification, and the Altar of Lust is now fully sealed.]
[Divine Quest]
[The Path to Divinity (0/3)]
[If certain conditions are met, the Altar of Lust can be summoned in a desired location.]Analyzing the messages, it seemed the altar had been the Altar of Lust, which I had successfully sealed by proving my qualification.
And once I completed The Path to Divinity steps 1 and 2, it appeared I’d be able to summon the altar again.
“So, my deduction was correct, wasn’t it?”
- It seems so, Master. You’ve become quite adept at analyzing situations without my help. But why would the Altar of Lust be here in the first place?
“Ji Wonhoon likely discovered it but couldn’t prove his qualification, so he left it hidden here. Without Absolute Beauty, proving qualification would’ve been impossible.”
With Choi Jiwoo nearby, I mentally communicated with Swallow, piecing together the puzzle.
It wasn’t particularly difficult.
By combining the quest details, rewards, and Ji Wonhoon’s history, the answer became evident.
However, as Swallow and I unraveled the scattered clues—
“Could you tell me what happened at the altar? I feel like you might’ve uncovered something important,” Choi Jiwoo asked, her sharp instincts quickly honing in on the situation.
“Well...”
I hesitated, exchanging a glance with Swallow as I deliberated.
Brushing it off would be tricky, considering Choi Jiwoo had directly experienced the quest related to Absolute Beauty. But revealing the full truth meant exposing secrets that stretched far into my past.
And as a Hunter Bureau agent, she’d likely press for more details and potentially report them to her superiors.
Caught in this dilemma, I struggled to find an appropriate response.
“It seems difficult for you to share. If that’s the case, you don’t have to tell me,” Choi Jiwoo said unexpectedly, her tone calm and understanding.
I tilted my head in surprise. “Really? That’s alright with you?”
“I’ve had my suspicions for a while now,” she admitted. “I’ve always thought there was something unique about you, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo. It’s why I suggested the potential evaluation in the first place. But what matters isn’t your power itself—it’s how you choose to use it. That’s why I won’t pry further.”
Looking back, it made sense that Choi Jiwoo already knew a part of my secret.
She might not have known about my Beauty talent specifically, but she had clearly grasped that my abilities were unlike those of ordinary hunters.
And unlike Seo Jieun or Choi Taehun, she didn’t try to exploit it.
Despite being a Hunter Bureau agent, she had never attempted to dig into my secrets. Instead, she focused on helping me grow stronger.
That consideration had remained consistent to this day.
Choi Jiwoo stood, extending her hand toward me as she continued, “But when you’re ready to talk, I hope I’ll °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° be the first person you tell. That way, I can do everything in my power to help you.”
“...Alright, I’ll do that,” I replied, smiling as I grasped her hand and allowed her to help me to my feet.
***
“Thank you for today, Hunter Choi Jiwoo.”
“The thanks should come from me. Thanks to you, we completed the mission safely. Dinner was delicious, too.”
Yongin city center.
After wrapping up the events at Babylon’s base, Choi Jiwoo and I headed into town for dinner.
The menu? Grilled Pork Belly.
As we left the restaurant after enjoying perfectly grilled meat prepared by the staff, the sun was already setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and red.
Standing by her car in the parking lot, Choi Jiwoo turned to me and asked, “Will you be staying around here for a while longer, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo?”
“Yes, I still have some errands to run. Plus, I need to clean up—I’m drenched in sweat and covered in dust.”
My Appearance Power had dropped by five points after the battle and lying on the dusty factory floor. To maintain my Absolute Beauty Quest, cleanliness was a priority.
Luckily, there was a spa nearby.
Following my gaze, Choi Jiwoo looked at the spa building before sighing regretfully.
“I’d love to join you, but I have too much work piled up. I’ll be in touch again, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo!”
“Take care on your way back, Hunter Choi Jiwoo.”
With a faint smile, Choi Jiwoo got into her car and drove off.
As the car disappeared into the distance, Swallow spoke up.
“She used to always have such a stoic expression, but now she smiles quite often.”
“True. It’s something I never saw in my previous life.”
“It seems it’s because you’ve made her feel at ease, Master.”
“Hmm? At ease? That’s unexpected. Why aren’t you saying it’s because I got better-looking?”
In the past, Swallow would attribute every change in my life to my improved appearance. This time, however, was different.
Flying into the air, Swallow responded to my remark.
“Of course, that’s the main factor, but this time your calming presence also played a role. If I had to quantify it... I’d say it’s a 9-to-1 split.”
“Don’t tell me the 9 is for my looks?”
“Precisely, Master. You know me so well.”
Of course. Pigs would fly before Swallow stopped attributing everything to my appearance.
For a moment, I thought his perspective might’ve shifted, but no—Swallow remained steadfast in his belief that appearance was the ultimate factor.
As expected from a companion obsessed with Beauty.
However, some things never change.
As I approached the entrance of the spa building, I called out.
“If you’re done watching, why don’t you come out already?”
My words were directed at a shadow awkwardly hiding next to a utility pole.
“Not bad. Piercing through my concealment and sensing my presence—you’ve improved,” said a familiar voice.
Sin of Greed.
With a sly smirk, Hayuri stepped out from the shadows, one corner of her lips curling upward.