“Ugh, where is she?! Practice started ages ago! Have any of you heard from Minjung?”
“No, ma’am...”
In a spacious practice room lined with mirrors, Dreamworld’s CEO, Ahn Hyunjoo, glared at the four remaining members of Asenne. Her frustration was palpable.
Having just returned from reporting to Hayuri, she had found Do Minjung missing.
This should have been the time for choreography practice after her earlier schedule. Instead, Minjung had driven off in her car during a short break, disappearing without permission.
If Ahn Hyunjoo had accompanied her personally, none of this would have happened.
But she had been preoccupied reporting to Hayuri about Babylon and couldn’t oversee Minjung’s schedule.
‘That girl’s a ticking time bomb. She needs constant supervision.’
Asenne wasn’t just popular in Korea—it had fans worldwide.
And among the group, Minjung’s popularity was unparalleled. However, there was one glaring issue: of all the idols contracted under Hayuri, Minjung harbored the most resentment toward her.
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To Ahn Hyunjoo, though, Hayuri was nothing short of a savior.
She had cleared Ahn Hyunjoo’s crippling debt and catapulted her to success as the head of an entertainment company.
Sure, exploiting young idols wasn’t exactly ideal, but for someone who had lived under the weight of financial ruin for so long, it was a price she could bear.
And it wasn’t illegal, after all.
“If I have to, I’ll teach her a lesson she won’t forget,” Ahn Hyunjoo muttered darkly.
“Ah...”
“Wh-what do we do, unnie...?” the other members of Asenne stammered, trembling.
They knew all too well what happened when someone stepped out of line.
Ahn Hyunjoo had a reputation for her extreme methods of discipline. Somehow, the masked hunters she summoned always managed to find the runaways, no matter where they hid.
Just as she was about to make the call to summon them—
Clack.
“I’m back.”
The practice room door swung open, and in walked Do Minjung.
Despite being late and unreachable, she looked utterly unbothered.
Her nonchalant attitude only further stoked Ahn Hyunjoo’s anger.
“Where have you been? And why haven’t you been answering your phone?”
“Just went for some fresh air,” Minjung replied casually, tossing her hat and mask into a corner.
“Give me your phone!”
Ahn Hyunjoo’s eyes burned with fury as she snatched Minjung’s phone.
Opening the messages, she immediately found something suspicious:
[Unregistered Number - I had a great time today. Get home safe.]
[Me - You too, oppa! Be careful on your way.]
[Unregistered Number - Call me anytime you’re free. I’ll come running.]
[Me - Hehe, thanks!]
An unregistered number, but the tone of the conversation made it obvious.
She had been exchanging texts with someone—and had just met them.
“Who is this?”
“Just... someone I know.”
“Do you think I’m stupid? Do you expect me to believe that?”
Minjung’s excuses fell flat.
Hands on her hips, Ahn Hyunjoo pressed further, waving the phone in her hand.
Cornered, Minjung averted her gaze and confessed.
“He’s someone I recently got to know. I saw him on YouTube and got interested. Then we happened to meet during a schedule...”
“On YouTube? Who is he?”
“That’s...”
Her voice grew fainter with each word.
Ahn Hyunjoo stepped closer, her voice sharp and commanding.
“Speak up!”
“He’s the Paju Hunter.”
“The... Paju Hunter?”
“Yes, the one who took down the masked hunters in Paju. That’s what everyone on YouTube calls him.”
The moment she heard Minjung’s answer, Ahn Hyunjoo’s eyes darted back to the phone.
The person Minjung had been in contact with, the man she had just met—
‘Kang Hyunsoo...?!’
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The very same hunter she had reported to Hayuri earlier—the one who had dismantled Babylon.
***
“Phew, that went well.”
Standing before the A-rank gate at Han River Park, Kang Hyunsoo smiled in satisfaction as he looked at the floating messages.
With this raid, he had accomplished two major milestones:
[You have completed Swordsmanship Quest 22.]
“I can’t rest when Minjung’s determined to do her part. It wouldn’t feel right.”
After meeting with Do Minjung, Hyunsoo had returned to the A-rank dungeon at Han River Park to continue his raids.
Despite his exhaustion, he pushed on, knowing he needed further growth to execute his plans.
It hadn’t been easy—his fatigue led to lapses in focus, causing repeated failures in the Absolute Beauty Quest, which required him to take no hits.
But perseverance paid off.
[Swordsmanship Skill: Quick Draw (B) - Draw your sword at lightning speed to slash enemies in front of you. The first strike deals double damage. This skill can only be activated when the sword is sheathed. Mana cost: 200.]
[Beauty Trait: Harmony (A) - Evaluates the harmony between your outfit and the surrounding environment, assigning a score. The maximum score is 10, and each point increases the effects of Beauty Skills by 2%.]
The rewards included a new swordsmanship skill and a beauty trait.
The Quick Draw skill was familiar.
Hyunsoo had occasionally used it in his previous life, but it wasn’t his go-to move in combat because the reaction time was slower than wielding an unsheathed sword.
On the other hand, the Harmony trait was entirely new.
The description was straightforward, and tapping on its details revealed:
[Beauty Trait: Harmony (A)]
Casual suit style with a cardigan, shirt, and slacks.
Natural setting with a river and trees.
Outfit is decent but not a perfect match for the environment.[Score:] 4/10
[Additional Beauty Skill Effect:] +8%
“Why is this outfit only a 4? I thought I dressed pretty well,” Hyunsoo muttered.
“Objectively, it’s neutral at best, Master,” Swallow replied bluntly.
Hyunsoo couldn’t accept the low score.
Ever since unlocking the Fashion category under his The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become trait, he had put effort into learning about style.
By now, he could shop for clothes at department stores without relying on Han Sungbin, raising his Appearance Power by over 5 points. Yet the score was disappointing.
Frowning at the rating, Hyunsoo’s wounded pride found solace in a new opportunity:
[You cannot receive Absolute Beauty Quest 10 due to a low fashion score.]
[A supplementary quest has been assigned to increase your charm.]
[Auxiliary Beauty Quest 15]
“Precisely, Master. It’s not just about reaching 10 points; you need an external affirmation.”
If it were a man’s approval, he could ask Han Sungbin. But for a woman...
Scrolling through his contact list, Hyunsoo pondered his options.
His eyes fell on the recent messages exchanged with Do Minjung:
[Kang Hyunsoo:]
Call me anytime you’re free. I’ll come running.
[Do Minjung:]
Hehe, thanks!
Though they hadn’t spoken since, their conversation had ended on a positive note.
Trusting that things were on track, Swallow glanced at the phone screen and spoke.
“She’ll be fine, Master, right?”
“We agreed to stay in touch if anything came up. No news is good news. Let’s trust her for now.”
It was a calculated risk, but Hyunsoo believed it was worth it.
The easiest solution would have been to ignore Minjung’s plight or report it to the Hunter Bureau. But he hadn’t chosen that route.
Minjung had come to him for help, and the connections between Hayuri and Ji Wonhoon were too significant to overlook.
Taking down Ji Wonhoon had provided key information about his Beauty Talent and Frontier. Investigating further could uncover more.
‘Minjung has decent acting skills. She’ll manage. Plus, I gave her an item as a backup. We just need to wait.’
Resolving to focus on his current task, Hyunsoo resumed scrolling through his contact list.
Just as he reached for a name—
Buzz!
His phone vibrated.
[Caller: Hunter Yuhana]
A perfectly timed call from someone who might just be able to help.