The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become-Chapter 135: Acceleration (5)

Boom—!

The cavern trembled violently as a colossal dragon emerged from the portal, its size dwarfing even the mysterious creature that had partially broken through earlier.

There was no doubt as to who had summoned it.

Kang Hyunsoo.

Standing at the edge of the barrier, his Flame Blade radiated with the essence of the sun. The blazing energy from his sword seemed to amplify the size of the portal, allowing the dragon to fully materialize.

“Roar—!!”

With a deafening cry, the ancient dragon opened its jaws wide, unleashing a massive breath attack.

Fwoooosh—! Crash—!!

The crimson barrier that had withstood countless attacks shattered instantly, reduced to fragments by the dragon's fiery breath.

“What... an Ancient Dragon?!”

The mage who had been performing the ritual froze mid-chant, hastily trying to reconstruct the barrier.

“Not so fast!”

“Haaargh!”

“We’ll execute you here and now!”

Shim Wonsik, Nam Seyoung, and Jin Gijun charged forward, seizing the opportunity created by the dragon's devastating attack.

“Damn it!”

The mage narrowly avoided their strikes by using a Blink spell, vanishing from their line of attack.

Boom! Crash—!

Their combined assault struck the floor, shaking the cavern but failing to land a hit.

However, their efforts were not in vain.

The interrupted ritual caused the black portal in front of the altar to flicker and collapse in on itself.

Crackle—! Sizzle—!

The portal vanished entirely, cutting off the massive creature attempting to emerge. Its lower limbs, still caught in the portal, were severed.

Simultaneously, the identity of the creature was revealed.

[Lv 850. Imperfect Abyssal Traitor, Damat]

A monster whose name and level had previously been unreadable now stood partially revealed—a massive, incomplete form with only its upper body in the physical realm.

“Damn these... wretches...! You’ll regret this interruption!”

Realizing that the ritual had failed, the mage abandoned all pretense of resistance. Summoning a purple portal with a wave of his staff, he began to retreat.

“No, you don’t!”

Shim Wonsik, Jin Gijun, and Nam Seyoung lunged to intercept, but the mage vanished before they could reach him.

Their chase ended in failure.

But there was no time to dwell on missed opportunities.

“Graaaah—! I... I need... life...!”

Damat’s deep, guttural voice echoed through the cavern as it thrashed wildly. Despite its incomplete form, it was still a towering and terrifying presence.

“A talking monster...?!”

“And it’s level 850!”

“Damn it, how are we supposed to fight that?!”

Even experienced hunters like Jin Gijun and Nam Seyoung were shaken by the creature’s sheer size and power.

But one among them remained calm.

Hyunsoo leaped toward the top of the altar, his eyes fixed on Damat.

The time for Aphelion’s Divine Dragon had ended, and a new threat had emerged.

“Oh... life... so much life...”

Damat’s gaze fell on the unconscious hunters of the Arang Guild, lying at the top of the altar. It extended a massive hand toward them.

【Activated】

[Nan Strike (B)]

[Black Hole Explosion (SS)]

Boom—!!

Hyunsoo’s twin swords struck Damat’s reaching hand, forcing it away with a thunderous blast. The force of his attack sent the massive creature’s upper body reeling backward, slamming it into the cavern wall.

“Graaaah—!!”

Though Hyunsoo’s techniques displayed immense power, they couldn’t fully take down Damat. Its massive size and unparalleled level made it a daunting adversary.

‘Level 850... This is the kind of monster I’d only have faced years from now.’

Hyunsoo recalled his time as the Sword Emperor in his previous life. Back then, he, Choi Taehun, and Seo Jieun had defeated a boss monster at level 880. That had been considered one of the most formidable encounters of its time.

For Damat to appear at this stage in his regression was utterly unprecedented.

After repelling Damat’s hand, Hyunsoo unleashed another series of attacks.

【Activated】

[Thunderstorm Strike (SS)]

[Heaven’s Cleave (SS)]

Crack—! Boom—!

Lightning surged, and a massive slash tore through the air, striking Damat from a distance.

Though the attacks inflicted visible wounds, such as a deep gash in its shoulder and temporary paralysis from the lightning, the damage was far from fatal.

“Damn it...!”

Despite the challenges, Hyunsoo wasn’t alone.

“Hyunsoo Hunter, we’ll join you!”

“Take this, you bastard!!”

Shim Wonsik, Nam Seyoung, and Jin Gijun charged in unison, their combined efforts raining attacks on Damat.

“Insolent humans...!!”

Boom! Boom! Boom—!!

Damat roared, slamming its chest with a sound that reverberated through the cavern. Columns of flame erupted from the ground, forcing the hunters to retreat.

The searing heat was so intense it melted nearby rock.

“Shit...!”

“Over here! Quickly!”

Shim Wonsik and Nam Seyoung barely managed to escape the flames, taking refuge near the altar.

Hyunsoo expanded his Trust Armor, creating a protective barrier to shield the unconscious hunters of the Arang Guild from harm.

Once the flames subsided, Shim Wonsik called out urgently:

“Hyunsoo Hunter, let’s coordinate our attack!”

“No, everyone else, take the Arang Guild hunters and evacuate. I’ll hold that thing off by myself.”

“By yourself? Wouldn’t it be better if we worked together to take it down?”

“If we don’t act now, the Arang Guild hunters will die. They’re still breathing, but they won’t last much longer. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t uncover the identity of that mage or the monster, but saving the hunters is the priority. That’s °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° what we came here for.”

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

“...Alright. Now that I think about it, that’s the right call.”

“I agree.”

“Let’s hurry up and get them out of here!”

Kang Hyunsoo’s firm words drew nods from the team.

Though their pride stung at the thought of retreating without slaying the monster, saving the Arang Guild hunters remained their primary mission.

Shim Wonsik, Jin Gijun, and Nam Seyoung began carrying the unconscious hunters toward the portal connected to the SS-grade dungeon’s exit.

Meanwhile, Hyunsoo charged at Damat.

He needed to buy time for his allies to evacuate the hunters. But more importantly, Swallow had returned with critical information.

[Lv 850. Imperfect Abyssal Traitor, Damat: Neck, Multi-Element Weakness.]

[The weak spot is now highlighted in red in your vision.]

Hyunsoo immediately targeted the weak spot at the center of Damat’s neck with Heaven’s Cleave.

Slash—!!

The attack failed to fully penetrate.

Whenever he tried to close the distance, Damat would retaliate.

“Graaaah—!!”

Columns of flame erupted around the monster, forcing Hyunsoo to retreat.

‘Damn it, if only Colossal Strike wasn’t on cooldown.’

Both of his SSS-grade techniques required an hour-long cooldown.

With no other choice, Hyunsoo decided to try something different.

Activating Blossom, he increased his speed and launched himself at Damat.

But the moment his transformation began, Damat’s reaction changed drastically.

“Ah... that power... Sin? Hah! What a delectable morsel!!”

Recognizing the power of Lust, Damat grinned with its half-melted face and surged with newfound energy.

Boom! Boom! BOOM—!!

Flames erupted everywhere, while Damat’s massive arms swung wildly in Hyunsoo’s direction.

Adding to the chaos, razor-sharp claws emerged from Damat’s fingers, striking from every angle.

“Shit! Damn it!”

“Master, I’ll block the rear!”

Swallow managed to intercept some of the attacks with its protective barriers, but Hyunsoo was still struggling.

Every strike he landed with the Flame Blade and Thunder Blade left visible wounds on Damat.

The multi-elemental nature of his attacks amplified the damage, but it wasn’t enough.

The monster healed as quickly as it was injured.

‘Damn it... if only there was another long-range swordsman to assist me!’

A single, well-coordinated strike on Damat’s weak spot could turn the tide.

But his comrades had already left with the Arang Guild hunters, leaving Hyunsoo to fight alone.

For a moment, he considered retreating.

But the emergency quest remained unfinished, and he couldn’t ignore the regret gnawing at him.

It was then that a familiar voice called out.

“Hyunsoo! We’ve evacuated the Arang Guild hunters, so get out of there now!”

It was Gwak Dowon.

The same man who had initially refused to fight stood at the portal’s edge, yelling at Hyunsoo.

Though the reasons for his return were unclear, he seemed to have stayed behind while the others evacuated.

‘If it’s him...!’

Hyunsoo’s eyes lit up as he dashed toward Gwak Dowon.

“Focus your energy into your draw technique!” Hyunsoo shouted.

“What?!”

“Channel it through this!”

Hyunsoo thrust his dual blades forward, combining the energies of the Flame Blade and Thunder Blade into a single glowing sphere at their tips.

Gritting his teeth, Gwak Dowon cursed.

“You’re insane!”

But he moved as instructed, unsheathing his sword and channeling his energy into Hyunsoo’s glowing sphere.

The result was immediate.

BOOOOOM—!!!

A surge of combined power erupted forward, cutting through the air and piercing toward Damat’s exposed neck.

“Impossible!”

Damat tried to defend itself, summoning a barrier and preparing to unleash a devastating beam attack.

But the combined energy tore through the barrier like paper.

“SHRAAAAAAA—!!”

The monster roared in agony as the attack struck its weak spot.

【Activated】

[Joint Swordsmanship: Trinity Strike (SS)]

Pierce—!! BOOOOM—!!

A massive explosion filled the cavern, shaking the ground and obliterating Damat’s form.

[Lv 850. Imperfect Abyssal Traitor, Damat, has been slain.]

[You have gained experience points.]

[Level up!]

[Rewards: Stamina +2, Magic Power +3.]

Damat’s enormous body disintegrated into dust, scattering into the air.