The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Provocation team! Distract the enemy and draw its attention!”

“Yes, Team Leader!”

“Attack team! Flank them and strike their sides!”

“Spotted an opening! Moving in!”

Inside a dimly lit cave adorned with glowing luminescent stones, Jin Seoyun wielded her saber and pointed at the stone golem ahead, issuing rapid commands.

Behind her, the hunters of the Samcheon Guild moved in perfect synchronization.

Swoosh—! Crack—! Smash—!!

“Graaaah…!!”

[Lv 120. You have defeated the Stone Golem of the Gloomy Cavern.]
[Experience points gained.]

The enormous stone golem, the size of a small house, crumbled instantly.

Three hunters at the front raised their shields to attract its attention while the remaining six flanked and attacked from the sides and rear.

Rumble—!!

The massive stone monster collapsed into dozens of rubble pieces.

From a distance, Kang Hyunsoo clapped in appreciation.

“Wow, no wonder Samcheon is called the best guild in Korea.”

The stone golem, with its level of 120, was one of the stronger monsters within D-rank dungeons. Yet, the nine Samcheon Guild hunters dispatched it swiftly through coordinated tactics.

“Haha! This is nothing, Hyunsoo. Everyone in Samcheon learns these strategies.”

“If you join, you’ll pick it up in no time. With your skills, you’ll adapt even faster!”

Min Dongchan and Ha Jaesung grinned proudly at Kang Hyunsoo’s compliment, their shoulders rising with pride.

The seamless execution of their strategy yielded impressive results, a testament to their training.

However, not everyone was equally impressed.

“Hm, I wouldn’t say it’s worth applauding. Master’s movements and destructive power are far superior,” said Swallow, the bespectacled companion, hovering invisibly overhead with a tilt of his head.

Fixing his gaze on the hunters, Kang Hyunsoo murmured a response, careful to mask his voice.

“Well, that might be true, but for low-tier hunters, this isn’t bad at all. Besides… they’re working hard. Hard enough that I don’t even need to step in.”

From the perspective of someone who had ascended to Sword Emperor in his past life, Jin Seoyun and the Samcheon hunters’ tactics were rudimentary at best.

Yet, considering their levels, their performance was commendable.

They were navigating an unexplored D-rank open dungeon with no prior information, and so far, there had been no casualties.

More importantly…

‘At this rate, I won’t even break a sweat clearing this dungeon.’

What pleased him most was the fact that he didn’t need to intervene.

Nearly five hours into the raid:

[Appearance Power: 14]
[Effect: +28 to all stats.]

His Appearance Power hadn’t dropped by even a single point.

Judging by the length of the cave they’d traversed and the number of monsters defeated, they were nearing the dungeon’s end.

He hadn’t sweat enough to cause his Appearance Power to decline, nor had his clothes been damaged.

This wasn’t due to laziness; the Samcheon hunters themselves had requested it.

Immediately upon entering the dungeon, Kang Hyunsoo helped dispatch several stone golems with his worn mercenary longsword.

Initially, he considered using his dual-sword techniques to finish them quickly.

[You have entered the dungeon.]
[Defeat the boss monster to clear the dungeon (0/1).]

But this D-rank open dungeon only required the elimination of the boss monster to clear, and the mobs posed no significant threat.

Thus—

“Hyunsoo, would you mind covering the rear? We’ll handle the monsters ourselves.”

“You haven’t synced up with us before, so things might get messy if we all engage, right, Team Leader Jin Seoyun?”

“Ah… yes, exactly. No need to push yourself; just stay ready for any ambushes.”

Min Dongchan, Ha Jaesung, and Jin Seoyun all agreed that his assistance wasn’t necessary.

This left Kang Hyunsoo relegated to the role of rear guard—a position that essentially amounted to filling the headcount.

He didn’t mind.

[Swordsmanship Quest 16]

• Clear an open dungeon (0/1) or defeat 1,000 monsters (35/1,000).

[Absolute Beauty Quest 3]

• Clear a D-rank or higher dungeon while maintaining an Appearance Power of 11 or above (0/1).

Completing his quests, not monetary rewards, was his priority.

Frankly, had it not been for these quests, he wouldn’t have accepted Jin Seoyun’s invitation.

And he couldn’t deny that watching the action had its entertaining moments.

“Phew, it’s been a while since I’ve worked alongside guildmates like this. It feels great!”

“Haha, I’m just thrilled to team up with you, Hunter Han Sungbin!”

“You’re too handsome—it’s like my eyes are being purified! Sungbin, don’t push yourself too hard, okay? We’ll take the lead!”

“Oh, you don’t need to protect me that much, but thank you….”

Han Sungbin, the so-called “Face Genius,” was a refreshing sight for Kang Hyunsoo.

Initially, he had dismissed Han Sungbin’s skills as negligible, assuming his fame was based solely on his looks. But watching him wield his greatsword, Hyunsoo realized the young hunter wasn’t bad at all.

Judging by his weapon, Han Sungbin’s talent seemed to be swordsmanship. Though not exceptional, his level was decent—upper-mid tier.

It was clear he hadn’t achieved fame solely through his appearance.

Han Sungbin had diligently honed his abilities as well.

So, as the Samcheon hunters carried out their strategies, Kang Hyunsoo observed, remaining dry and composed.

He kept an eye out for potential emergencies but found no need to step in.

In fact, even if he’d wanted to assist—

“Hyunsoo, it’s been ages since we raided a dungeon together.”

“Yeah. Back in the day, we rode your coattails all the time, and now we finally get to repay the favor.”

Min Dongchan and Ha Jaesung handled the situation.

During their early days as rookie hunters with levels around 20, Hyunsoo had guided them through numerous dungeons. Now, they were repaying his past kindness.

Their dedication was admirable, but it left Hyunsoo feeling awkward.

‘They’re treating me like a hero over something I barely remember….’

For most of his life, he’d been berated by Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun, no matter how hard he worked.

Now, being rewarded simply for having helped them was strange.

Though their gratitude felt a bit overwhelming, it wasn’t unpleasant.

“I wasn’t expecting anything in return, but this makes the raid so much easier. You two have grown a lot.”

“It’s all thanks to you carrying us back then. Let’s raid together more often! We’re not the scared kids who struggled against wolves anymore!”

“Oh, you mean that giant glowing wolf? Man, we almost got killed by that boss monster. If Hyunsoo hadn’t stepped in, we’d have been toast!”

“You guys are over-exaggerating.”

Hyunsoo chuckled at their lighthearted banter.

The memories they were reminiscing about felt like vivid reenactments of the past.

But their nostalgic trip was cut short when a scout from Samcheon Guild returned with urgent news.

“Team Leader, we found a portal leading to the boss room…!”

Following the scout’s guidance, the group walked through a dimly lit corridor.

Vwoooong—!

At the end of the winding cave, a single portal hummed with strong vibrations, swirling ominously.

“This is it, the final stretch. I’ll go in first,” Jin Seoyun declared.

“Yes, Team Leader!”

“Alright, let’s head in. Hyunsoo, you go in last, just in case something happens in the boss room,” said Min Dongchan with a grin.

Jin Seoyun entered the portal first, followed closely by Min Dongchan, Ha Jaesung, Han Sungbin, and the rest of the Samcheon Guild hunters.

Despite not knowing what lay inside the boss room, the hunters moved in an orderly manner, following protocol like the professionals they were.

Swallow, watching from above, acknowledged their efficiency.

“They’re moving smoothly and precisely. Even paying back old favors so diligently. It seems like you can sit back and enjoy this raid, Master.”@@novelbin@@

“True enough. It’s my first time taking it this easy in a raid, but I could get used to it. Maybe I deserve a break for once,” Kang Hyunsoo replied, grinning.

It was a rare moment of respite for someone who’d endured endless hardship in his previous life.

With a smirk, he playfully twirled his longsword as if he were on a casual outing.

Whoosh—!

Finally, he stepped through the portal, entering the boss room.

***

Near the D-rank open dungeon entrance at Daechi Station, Jin Seoyun’s personal assistant, Jang Seonggeun, was on the phone with Jin Gijun, the vice guild leader of Samcheon.

“No unusual activity to report, Vice Guild Leader,” Jang reported calmly.

Given the recent incident at the Incheon open dungeon where an entire team of hunters was massacred, Samcheon Guild had assigned guards at the portal entrance for safety.

Normally, other guild members would oversee such tasks, but with no one available, Jang Seonggeun had to manage it alone.

“I see. This rewards settlement is taking longer than expected. I thought I’d be done by now,” Jin Gijun’s voice came through, tinged with concern.

“There’s no need to rush, sir. So far, there’s been no sign of an early withdrawal from the raid. It seems the young mistress is handling the raid brilliantly,” Jang reassured him.

“Then I should definitely congratulate her in person! Hang in there a little longer, Secretary Jang. I’ll join you soon.”

Click.

The call ended on a high note, leaving Jang Seonggeun smiling faintly.

It wasn’t uncommon for wealthy families to have strained relationships among relatives, but Jin Gijun was an exception. His genuine care for Jin Seoyun was evident, and it was heartwarming to witness such familial affection.

Determined to match that kindness, Jang vowed to do his best.

Just as he was about to resume his watch over the portal—

“Excuse me, young man. Do you happen to know where the Dae-bak Chicken House is around here?”

“Huh? A chicken restaurant?”

An elderly woman dressed in colorful clothing and sporting snow-white hair approached him.

“I heard it’s somewhere near this intersection, but I can’t seem to find it,” she said.

Though he had an important job to do, he couldn’t just ignore her.

“Please hold on for a moment, ma’am. I’ll look it up for you.”

He quickly pulled out his phone to search for the location. Fortunately, the restaurant wasn’t far.

“It’s about 200 meters that way. If you walk just a bit further, you should see the sign,” Jang explained, pointing across the street.

However, as he glanced toward the direction he had indicated—

Whoosh—! Whoosh—! WHOOSH—!

The open dungeon portal pulsed violently three times, as if something—or someone—had just entered.

Jang’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“What was that…?”

The portal’s sudden reaction was unusual, especially given the raid had already begun.

Pulling out his phone, he quickly dialed Jin Gijun.

“Vice Guild Leader, we might have an issue. The portal just—”

Before he could finish, the portal pulsed again, brighter and more violently this time, as if warning of an imminent disruption.