The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Chapter 52

“Hm...?”

Kang Hyunsoo stared blankly at the hunters collapsing to the floor, glass still in hand.

It was such an abrupt and strange event, with over ten people falling simultaneously, that it almost seemed like a prank.

Other attendees shared his confusion.

“What’s going on? Did they all just get drunk and pass out?”

“Embarrassing! Get up already! You’re hunters, for crying out loud.”

“Maybe they drank too much of the expensive stuff?”

Some laughed or clicked their tongues at their fallen teammates rather than rushing to help them.

But then:

“Hey, hey, get up. You can’t sleep here.”

“Wait, something’s wrong...!”

“They’re not breathing!”

The situation took a grim turn.

Not only were the hunters on the floor unresponsive, but:

Crash! Thud! Clatter!

“What the—? Someone else collapsed over here!”

“Ugh, I’m... suddenly so sleepy....”

Thud!

Even those who had been laughing moments ago started losing consciousness one by one.

Even Hwang Wonchang, who had been sneering at Hyunsoo earlier, couldn’t stay on his feet.

“What is happening...?” Hwang muttered as he dropped his glass and crumpled to the floor.@@@@

This isn’t just drunkenness.

Realizing something was seriously wrong, Kang Hyunsoo immediately threw his drink to the ground.

But as he did so, a faint ping echoed in his ears.

“Ugh...!”

His vision blurred, and he felt himself growing faint.

Poison? A drug? Whatever it is, they must have spiked the drinks.

But who? And why?

Questions flooded his mind, but no one was there to answer.

Thud!

Kang Hyunsoo collapsed to the floor, joining the rest of the unconscious hunters.

“People are passing out!”

“Call 119! Someone call 119!”

The banquet hall quickly descended into chaos, with organizers and attendees scrambling to assist.

However, the commotion didn’t last long.

Soon, the hall grew eerily calm as every hunter—including Kang Hyunsoo—had fallen unconscious.

“Are they all asleep now?”

“It appears so.”

“As always, the drug is incredibly effective. Move the new recruits to the initiation site.”

“Yes, understood.”

The staff, their faces devoid of emotion, began dragging the unconscious hunters out of the banquet hall.

They grabbed them by the arms, heads, or even the backs of their necks, dragging them across the floor with little regard for their well-being. It was clear this wasn’t a rescue operation.

Even the head of security, who was overseeing the scene, made no effort to help.

Instead, he sneered, kicking the heads of the unconscious hunters.

“Heh. Imagine how easily we subdued these hunters, who gained their powers through such ‘talents.’ Truly, his greatness is unmatched.”

Meanwhile, as the staff moved the unconscious hunters, a group approached Kang Hyunsoo.

But when they reached him, the head of security raised his hand to stop them.

“Wait. The champion is someone the president holds in high regard. I’ll take him personally.”

“Understood, sir. I’ll prepare the others for the initiation.”

“Good. Carry on.”

The staff member bowed and exited the hall with the rest of the unconscious hunters.

Now, only Kang Hyunsoo and the head of security remained.

“Well, let’s get going.”

“Alright, keep up the good work, Swallow. You did well.”

“Oh? A compliment, Master? How rare.”

“Don’t make it sound like I’m always chomping at the bit to criticize you. I give credit where it’s due.”

With that, Hyunsoo acknowledged Swallow’s contributions and pulled out his phone.

No need to overthink this. Once I report it to the police or the Hunter Bureau, it’ll be dealt with.

But when he tried to make the call:

[Unable to send or receive signals in this area.]

“Damn it. They really went all out.”

Whatever the culprits had done, both phone and internet signals were completely blocked.

Hyunsoo considered abandoning the scene to escape and find help, but:

“There are guards stationed at the building’s exits as well,” Swallow reported after scouting outside.

And more importantly:

“They don’t seem to realize that you’ve regained consciousness yet.”

Hyunsoo let out a long breath.

“These bastards... What are they trying to pull?”

If he simply fled, the whole incident might be covered up.

There was no telling whether the abducted hunters would be freed or disappear without a trace. The chances of it being swept under the rug were high.

In his previous life, he had never heard of such an event occurring.

I need to figure this out. No, I have to figure it out.

His instincts told him to dig deeper, especially with the peculiar connection nagging at him: Ji Wonhoon’s secretary, who bore an uncanny resemblance to the agents of Babylon.

Taking the ID badge from the unconscious security chief, Hyunsoo turned to Swallow.

“Lead the way. We’re following those hunters.”

“You’ve caught the scent, Master.”

“Yeah, I’m certain Babylon’s involved.”

“I feel the same. This way, Master.”

Hyunsoo followed Swallow out of the banquet hall, twin swords in hand.

As Swallow had warned, the path was labyrinthine.

They exited through an emergency stairwell and descended one flight of stairs before finding themselves in a narrow hallway.

Multiple doors lined the corridor.

Fortunately, no guards were present to complicate matters.

Instead, two large steel doors equipped with lock panels blocked their path.

[Access Badge Required.]

“Do you know which one it is?”

“Not beyond this point, Master.”

Hyunsoo clicked his tongue.

“Guess I’ll have to pick one.”

He decided on the left door and pressed the security chief’s ID badge to the lock.

[Access Granted.]

The steel door slid open, revealing a dark corridor stretching into the distance.

This feels like a trap.

“Looks clear so far, Master.” Swallow flew ahead to scout, confirming there were no immediate dangers.

Hyunsoo advanced cautiously, his guard up, until he reached the end of the corridor and entered a wide, well-lit space.

“What the hell is this...?”

His voice echoed in the cavernous room.

Under bright fluorescent lights, rows upon rows of massive glass tanks stretched as far as the eye could see.

The space resembled a laboratory, its sterile, eerie atmosphere putting Hyunsoo on edge.

Each glass tank was filled with a blue liquid. Floating within were strange, amorphous shapes that seemed almost alive.

At the far end of the room, one tank caught his attention.

Is that... a person?

The sight was disturbingly familiar yet alien enough to cause cognitive dissonance.

Compelled to investigate, Hyunsoo moved deeper into the room. But as he approached the tank:

Whoosh!

A sharp, murderous aura surged toward him from behind.