The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become-Chapter 148: Friends (9)
BOOM—!! CRACK—!
A monster crashed to the ground, defeated, as a lone figure landed gracefully in front of it.
Her hair was tied back, and she wore a simple jacket and jeans. Over her shoulder rested an enormous hammer, seemingly too large for someone her size to wield.
She had suddenly appeared and sent the monsters flying with a single swing of her weapon.
“Ch-Cho... Choi...?”
It was none other than Choi, the famous mukbang creator.
Recognizable even to the hunters, her unexpected arrival sent shockwaves through the battlefield as she effortlessly crushed level 700 monsters with her hammer.
“Wait, isn’t she a YouTuber?”
“Yeah, the one who does mukbang videos... How the hell is she this strong?”
“Am I dreaming?”
Some hunters, unable to process the scene before them, slapped their own cheeks to confirm reality.
But it was no dream.
After catching her breath for a moment, Choi dashed back into the thick of the monster horde, hammer raised high.
BOOOOOM—!!
A massive shockwave rippled across the battlefield as her hammer struck the ground, shaking the earth beneath her feet.
Hwang Ji-hyuk, the Muyoung Guild’s master, and Shim Wonsik, the Ilsum Guild’s master, stood frozen, their jaws agape.
“Yoon Chohee Hunter...!”
“I thought she retired after her exploits during the Great Cataclysm... How is she here?!”
Their astonishment stemmed from two points.
First, Yoon Chohee—better known now as Choi—had long since retired and become a YouTuber, completely distancing herself from the hunter world. And second, despite her years of inactivity, she was effortlessly annihilating level 700 monsters.
Her raw power was on par with Kang Hyunsoo’s earlier display.
Shim Wonsik turned to Go Kyungseok, who was watching the battle with a similarly astonished expression.
“Chief, did you convince her to come back?”
Yoon Chohee had been a priority target for recruitment by every major guild since her early days during the Great Cataclysm.
But no matter the offer or terms, she had always refused, cutting all ties to the hunter world.
Shim Wonsik thought Go Kyungseok might have finally succeeded in persuading her, but the chief shook his head.
“No, I never contacted her. I think... she came because of the crisis.”
Shim Wonsik let out a breath of admiration.
“Well, if that’s the case, she’s a true hero.”
With renewed determination, Go Kyungseok, Shim Wonsik, and Hwang Ji-hyuk sprang into action.
“If someone like her has come out of retirement, we can’t just stand here watching. Let’s go crush those monsters!”
“Agreed.”
The three men leaped forward, joining the fray with renewed vigor.
As Go Kyungseok fought his way through the battlefield, he eventually reached Choi’s side, cutting down an abyssal golem as he approached.
“Yoon Chohee Hunter, have you returned to the field?”
Choi glanced at him briefly, her expression unreadable.
“...I’m just helping out for now. It was a request.”
“A request? From whom?”
Over the years, countless requests had been made for her return. Major guilds and even the Hunter Bureau had begged her to come back, arguing that letting her talent go to waste was a national loss.
But she had rejected every single one.
Yet here she was, hammer in hand, fighting on the front lines.
Go Kyungseok’s eyes widened in surprise, and he was about to ask further when Choi seemed to notice his gaze and fell into thought.
She recalled the day the portal first appeared over Seoul.
Before parting ways, Kang Hyunsoo had spoken to her.
- “If possible... when the forced dungeon break happens, please help the hunters. If we don’t act, Seoul will fall.”
- “...Didn’t I already tell you? I want nothing to do with this. Whether the dungeon break happens or Seoul falls, it’s not my problem.”
- “Didn’t you retire to live a peaceful life? If you ignore this, that peace will crumble. Some of your subscribers might even lose their lives.”
- “Th-that’s...”
- “I understand how you feel. But please, use the resolve you showed me earlier for this dungeon break instead. If it feels wrong to break your principles, think of it as paying me back for that appearance in your video. I’ll take that as a yes.”
- “W-wait a second...!”
Choi had called after him, but Hyunsoo was already gone, disappearing into the shadows of the alleyway.
For days afterward, Choi had wrestled with his words.
She knew she was strong.
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Even though she hadn’t been an active hunter for years, her constant mukbang streams had allowed her to build and store immense power.
Her battle experience was extensive, and she was more than capable of handling SS-class dungeon monsters.
But should she help?
Logically, the answer was no.
She’d ignored dungeon breaks near her before, seeing them as someone else’s problem.
But this time...
‘Ugh, why does this feel like I’d be committing a crime if I stayed out of it?’
For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, Hyunsoo’s words had stuck with her.
Was this the power of the Sin of Lust?
Even though she had no obligation to listen to him, his words echoed in her mind, like the lingering emotions of a first crush.
In the end, she couldn’t ignore the situation any longer.
‘Alright... I can’t just turn my back on my subscribers.’
Convincing herself it was for their sake, she had arrived at Gangnam Boulevard, where the hunters were making their stand.
And now, she was swinging her hammer with all her might.
“Just... here to protect my subscribers, that’s all,” she muttered vaguely, answering Go Kyungseok’s question.
Then, without waiting for a reply, she gripped her massive hammer in both hands and charged toward the monsters once more.
***
As the unexpected chaos unfolded, Kang Hyunsoo stood unfazed amidst the battlefield. Unlike in his previous life, he did not react with haste or confusion. Even as Frontier appeared, strengthening the Succubus Queen and summoning a flood of new monsters through portals, Hyunsoo merely let his twin swords hang by his sides, exuding a calm aura.
"Hyung...!"
"Kang Hyunsoo Hunter, come back here!"
"I'll cast buffs for you, oppa!!"
Han Sungbin, Jin Seoyun, and Yuhana readied their weapons, preparing for the impending fight.
From above, Frontier burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Like a rat trapped in a cage, aren't you?!"
To Frontier, Hyunsoo looked cornered, overwhelmed by the sudden surge of enemies. It seemed as though the only thing left was to capture the terrified prey.
But then—
"Are you done summoning? If so, let’s begin."
Hyunsoo’s voice rang out, calm and cold. He glanced around at the countless enemies surrounding him.
"What...?"
Before Frontier could comprehend his words—
SWOOSH—!!
Hyunsoo vanished.
And then—
SLASH—! BOOM—! KABOOM—!!
Explosions erupted across the field.
From the ground to the sky, the battlefield was engulfed in a symphony of flames and slashing winds, his attacks radiating immense destructive power.
[Lv 785. Reinforced Abyssal Golem has been defeated.]
[Lv 780. Reinforced Abyssal Wyvern has been defeated.]
Everything caught in the blast radius fell in a single blow.
Frontier's smirk twisted into an expression of disbelief.
"Impossible...! The Sin of Lust shouldn’t produce this level of destructive power!"
But Hyunsoo seemed unimpressed with his own handiwork.
After pausing briefly, he muttered to himself.
"Too slow."
Hyunsoo then activated another ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) skill. With a casual slash of his sword, the shadow at his feet rose, twisting into a humanoid form.
【Activated】
[Sword Specter Skill: Summon Sword Ghost (S)]
Summons a ghost obsessed with the sword. The summoned specter can fight independently or mirror the summoner's actions. Consumes 10 mana per second. Usable for up to six hours per day.
It was a special reward from the Sword Specter title quest, a skill he hadn't obtained in his past life.
Although this was its first use in combat, it proved incredibly effective.
The summoned Sword Ghost, armed with twin swords like Hyunsoo, immediately charged into the nearest monsters and unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.
At first glance, the Sword Ghost’s strikes seemed less lethal than Hyunsoo’s. But then—
BOOM—! BOOM—! KABOOM—!!
"KREEEEAAAAHHH!!"
Monsters exploded as blue flames erupted from their wounds.
【Activated】
[Sword Soul Detonation (A)]
When the sword inflicts damage, the sword soul embeds itself into the wounds. Activating Sword Soul Detonation triggers an explosion, dealing massive damage.
Thanks to this skill, another reward from the Sword Specter quest, the Sword Ghost annihilated monsters with eerie efficiency.
Unlike Hyunsoo, the specter didn’t use charm-based skills, but its unique methods more than compensated.
Moreover, it was completely immune to charm effects.
"Charmed."
[Immune to Charm: Your charm stat far exceeds the opponent’s.]
Even when the reinforced Succubi tried to bewitch the specter, it remained unaffected, continuing its merciless assault.
Hyunsoo observed this with a small smile.
"Not bad."
He resumed his own slaughter, dashing across the battlefield with dazzling speed. Lightning storms, blackhole explosions, and even his SSS-ranked Sun God Descent devastated the endless waves of monsters pouring from the portals.
[Lv 785. Reinforced Abyssal Succubus has been defeated.]
[Lv 780. Reinforced Abyssal Dark Knight has been defeated.]
[Lv 775. Reinforced Abyssal Manticore has been defeated.]
Hundreds, even thousands of enemies fell to his twin blades.
Frontier attempted to retaliate, hurling lightning from his staff, while the Succubus Queen unleashed waves of seduction.
But—
"Tsk, annoying."
【Activated】
[Chain Pull (S)]
Hyunsoo summoned chains of aura, wrapping them around the Succubus Queen and dragging her to her knees.
Rather than kill her outright, he immobilized her, ensuring she wouldn’t interfere further.
Why?
Because the battlefield had turned into a level-up paradise.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
Every swing of his swords brought another wave of experience points.
When Hyunsoo had entered the dungeon, he’d been in the low 600s.
Now—
《Status Window》
[Lv 730. Kang Hyunsoo]
[Title: Radiant Sword King]
He had gained over 100 levels.
Hyunsoo smirked, his blades dripping with blue flames.
"Is that all? The monsters you’re summoning are just too delicious."
This dungeon had become his ultimate "level-up buffet."
