The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become-Chapter 131: Acceleration (1)
[Lv 505. You have defeated the Abyss Guard Captain.]
[You have cleared an S-rank dungeon.]
“Phew, great work, everyone. That was no easy raid, but you all followed through wonderfully.”
“Ah, Guild Leader, your strategy was incredible! Especially how you pulled aggro at the end—it made taking it down so much easier.”
“Exactly! Without your plan, this would have been nearly impossible!”
The lush plains of the S-rank dungeon spread out before them.
Ten hunters, their swords, spears, and axes raised high, cheered loudly in celebration of their victory over the boss.
“It seems like the day our Arang Guild ascends to a mid-tier guild is just around the corner!”
“Absolutely. Clearing the Abyss Guard dungeon will bring a flood of applications our way. All thanks to you, Guild Leader!”
“Haha, what did I even do? It’s all thanks to your hard work. Alright! The items dropped well, so let’s head out for a celebratory meal!”
“Guild Leader, will it be beef or pork?”
“Of course, beef! Eat until your stomachs burst!!”
“Woohoo!!”
Today marked the guild’s first-ever clearance of an S-rank dungeon.
It wasn’t on the level of an SS-rank dungeon cleared by a top-tier guild, but it was still an achievement worth celebrating.
Not only would ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) this raise the guild’s prestige, but it would also lead to a significant increase in membership applications.
With smiles all around, the hunters of the Arang Guild headed for the portal that had appeared after defeating the boss monster.
Thunk—!
“Huh...?”
Something was wrong.
Instead of passing through the portal, they were repelled back.
“What the...? We can’t get through.”
“It’s like a wall is blocking us!”
The hunters, perplexed, touched and prodded the portal.
Normally, their hands should slip through as if passing into water, but now, that wasn’t the case.
Then it happened.
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[Exit is unavailable.]
[A dimensional rift is opening due to an external force.]
[Continuous mission initiated.]
[Eliminate the monsters emerging from the dimensional rift.]
A notification window appeared, followed by a rumble in the distance.
Fwoosh—!! Thud! Thud! Thud!
[Lv 750. Awakened Ancient Weapon]
[...]
[Lv 750. Awakened Ancient Weapon]
Giant figures clad in steel armor dragged massive swords behind them as they approached.
There were over ten of them, each an enormous and intimidating presence.
But more than their size, what truly shocked the hunters was—
“Th-this can’t be...!!”
Their levels.
They were far too high.
Even among existing SS-rank entities, these were near the top tier.
For hunters who had just barely cleared an S-rank dungeon, this was an opponent beyond their ability to handle.
Their very presence was overwhelming.
“G-Guild Leader, what should we do about this...?”
“Run... E-everyone, run...!”
The guild leader frantically scanned their surroundings.
But—
From behind them, more ancient weapons appeared, cutting off their escape.
There was nowhere to run.
“Aaaaaaah!!”
Boom—!!
A massive sword from one of the ancient weapons came crashing down, splitting the ground and crushing the hunters beneath it.
***
“Phew, it’s so peaceful.”
“Indeed, Master. Quiet and serene.”
In a luxurious living room with polished marble floors, Kang Hyunsoo and Swallow lay sprawled on the sofa, murmuring softly. A face mask rested on Hyunsoo’s face as he enjoyed a rare moment of calm.
It had been a month since Kang Hyunsoo defeated Kyle Dusk.
The successor of Envy, who had been blinded by jealousy and attacked in desperation after refusing to accept the results of the tournament, had ultimately lost his life. Despite being one of Hyunsoo’s most formidable foes—so strong that his swordsmanship felt almost meaningless, and he couldn’t even activate his "Beauty Swordsmanship"—Hyunsoo had triumphed using his hidden talents.
Since then, life had been peaceful.
While Kyle’s disappearance and Iron’s retreat caused chaos in the United States, it had little to do with Hyunsoo. After all, Kyle and Iron had come to him in secret with the intention of killing him, and from his perspective, it was nothing more than an act of self-defense.
Even Iron seemed to acknowledge this, as he quietly vanished upon returning to the U.S., taking no further action.
The wave of organized hate comments against Hyunsoo disappeared as well, leaving him to reclaim a semblance of normalcy. He moved out of the Hunter Bureau’s lodging and into a penthouse in Gangnam, Seoul, where he could savor his newfound tranquility.
The penthouse was a paradise of luxury—a dazzling living room, an enormous bathroom that felt fit for sleeping in, and amenities like a private sauna, a home theater, and exercise facilities. It left little reason for him to leave the house.
In short, it was a personal utopia for one.
Of course...
[Auxiliary Beauty Quest 22]
[Your skin has suffered significant damage from recent late-night work.]
[Apply a face mask for 30 minutes before bed for one week (6/7).]
Even in the midst of peace, Hyunsoo didn’t completely let his guard down. The face mask he wore while lounging wasn’t just for leisure—it was part of completing a quest.
Hyunsoo never neglected his quests, even while resting. As a result:
《Status Window》
[Lv 595. Kang Hyunsoo]
[Title: Handsome Sword Phantom]
《Stats》
[Strength: 660] [Agility: 645] [Intelligence: 615] [Stamina: 715] [Mana: 640]
《Talent Stats》
[Sword Mastery: 380] [Charm: 390]
《Skills》
[Divine Descent (SSS)] [Gigant Slayer (SSS)] [Bloom (SS)] [Flourish (SS)] [Black Spot Explosion (SS)] [Blood Sword (SS)] [Blood Burst (SS)] [ ... ]
《Talents》
[Lv 2. Swordsmanship]
《Special Talents》
[Lv 2. Beauty]
《Fusion Talents》
[Lv 1. Beauty Swordsmanship]
《Hidden Talents》
[Lv 1. Dark Elegance]
His growth was staggering.
‘This is unbelievable. My status window is packed.’
Even through the thin mask on his face, his stats were an impressive sight. Hyunsoo’s level had almost reached 600, and he had gained new skills tied to "Dark Elegance." Compared to his previous life, he had grown beyond recognition.
At level 600, he could challenge the Sword King Quest. Clearing it would grant him hidden pieces of immense power. If he followed the planned path and acquired those abilities...
‘It might even be possible to take down those monsters beyond the dimensional rift.’
The creature of unknown level that had sent him back in time—and the other monsters lurking behind it—could finally be within his reach.
And with his overwhelming beauty talent:
[Divine Quest]
[Path to Divinity (0/3)]
Complete the Sin of Lust (80%)Recover the Fragment of Beauty (38%)Pass the Altar’s Trial (0%)The Divine Quest, which promised godlike powers, was also making steady progress.
Swallow seemed to share Hyunsoo’s thoughts.
“You’ve gained so much from Kyle. Your hidden talent, Dark Elegance, surfaced, and absorbing part of the Sin fragment raised the second divine path from 33% to 38%.”
“Well, yeah. But I lost some things, too.”
Hyunsoo replied to Swallow’s comment while picking up the remote and turning on the massive TV mounted on the living room wall.
“Weekly Top 10! Let’s look at this week’s trending topics. At number one... a candid video of Hunter Kang Hyunsoo!”
“Two days ago, a video of Kang Hyunsoo shopping at a local market went viral, reaching 10 million views in a single day.”
“Crowds gathered at the market just to catch a glimpse of him, causing temporary traffic congestion. His popularity is off the charts!”
The news program on TV was covering a story about him.
All he had done was visit the market near his house to buy groceries, and it had turned into a national sensation.
“Phew, looks like I’ll have to stick to deliveries from now on.”
“Well, Master, you did expect this to some extent, didn’t you? It’s a necessary step, after all.”
“True, but... it’s still hard to get used to.”
Being in the spotlight for every little thing was a stark contrast to his previous life. Even as the Sword Emperor, few people had acknowledged him, but now, it was the complete opposite.
Wherever he went, people swarmed him, asking for autographs, selfies, and even CF offers through email and texts—despite him never sharing his contact information.
All it took was a change in appearance to flip his life upside down.
It was flattering, but also deeply uncomfortable.
“Master,” Swallow chimed in, “don’t forget, your fame is crucial for unlocking future Absolute Beauty Quests. It’s part of the plan.”
Considering everything, Hyunsoo had accepted this necessity. But when faced with the reality of it, he couldn’t shake the awkwardness.
“Enjoy it, Master. Isn’t this the life you once dreamed of?”
“Well... yes, but... I’d still like to enjoy this peace a little longer.”
Having lived a life of neglect and disdain, it was hard to adapt to such an abrupt reversal of fortune. He wanted to savor this quiet reprieve for as long as possible.
But as if the world couldn’t stand to let him rest, the peace didn’t last.
While Hyunsoo was lounging on the sofa, watching TV with a mask on, the anchor’s expression suddenly changed.
“Breaking news. An anomaly has occurred in an S-rank dungeon in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Following a guild raid failure, the portal’s rank has increased to SS, and the dungeon break countdown has been accelerated to three days. The Hunter Bureau is advising all Wonju residents to evacuate immediately...”
“An S-rank dungeon... turned into an SS-rank?”
Such an event was unheard of. Dungeon ranks didn’t increase due to failed raids, and the accelerated countdown made no sense.
Then, Hyunsoo remembered something.
Swallow seemed to recall it as well.
“Master, isn’t this the event that was supposed to happen a year from now?”
“...Exactly.”
The SS-rank dungeon break in Wonju from his past life—it was identical in every detail. From the failed raid to the level increase and the countdown to the break, it all matched.
In his previous life, the Muyoung and Ilsum guilds had attempted to clear it, but they failed, and the dungeon erupted. Monsters with levels in the 700s devastated not just Wonju but even parts of the Seoul metropolitan area. It had taken U.S. intervention to barely resolve the crisis.
Over a thousand casualties. An event Hyunsoo could never forget.
But something was off. There was still supposed to be over a year until that incident.
And then, as if to confirm his suspicions:
[Surprise Quest]
[A mysterious entity has torn open the dimensional rift.]
[Defeat the boss monster and recover the Fragment of Sin (0/1).]
[Location: SS-rank dungeon in Wonju, Gangwon Province.]
A new quest notification appeared.
Hyunsoo’s brows furrowed.
“This is...”
“It seems, Master, that you’ll have to handle this. For some reason, the quest has activated, and more importantly... this was Kyle’s role in the previous life.”
Hyunsoo nodded.
In his past life, Kyle had played a key role in the subjugation squad for this event. With his absence, it was only right for Hyunsoo to step in.
[You have maintained the face mask for 30 minutes.]
[Auxiliary Beauty Quest 22 complete.]
[Apply a face mask for 30 minutes before bed for one week (7/7).]
[Reward: Charm +35.]
As the auxiliary quest completed, Hyunsoo removed the mask from his face and reached for his phone.
“Chief Choi Jiwoo, can I ask you for a favor?”
