The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

So it wasn’t a hallucination…

Kang Hyunsoo frowned deeply and gripped his sword tightly.

The purple aura radiating from the masked hunters’ bodies was the same as what he had seen in his previous life.

During his final battle in the dungeon before his regression—

• You don’t need to know the details. Goodbye, Hyunsoo.
• Thanks for everything, Oppa.

Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun had swung their blades, unleashing purple aura against him.

It was a skill he had never seen before, despite fighting alongside them for years.

The destructive power had been overwhelming.

Even though Kang Hyunsoo had mustered all his strength to counter, the purple aura had been too much, and he had plummeted off a cliff.

The sight unfolding before him now brought back those painful memories.

I need to figure out what this power is.

Rather than charging recklessly, Kang Hyunsoo kept his guard up, carefully observing the masked hunters.

The sheer intensity of their energy was one reason he refrained from attacking immediately.

But there was something else—

This might explain why Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun betrayed me. Maybe it wasn’t just infidelity.

He had to gather clues about this mysterious power.

Meanwhile—

“Those guys are radiating some weird energy!”

“They’re up to something… but we’re not going to just wait around!”

“Attack them now! Before they finish whatever they’re doing!”

Ignoring caution, Jin Seoyun and the Samcheon Guild hunters charged at the masked hunters.

They wanted to stop them before they could complete whatever ominous power they were preparing.

But to Kang Hyunsoo, this was the wrong move.

In many situations, an ambush could blur the line between a strategic advantage and reckless impatience.

“Wait! Be careful—!”

He shouted urgently, but it was too late.

“Haaahhh!!”

The Samcheon Guild hunters lunged forward, wielding greatswords, spears, axes, and other weapons.

“Keh, walking right into our hands.”

“Good. Let the slaughter begin…!”

The two masked hunters with the longsword and staff countered.

BOOM—! BOOM—! CRASH—!!

“Arghhh!!”

As the hunters’ skills closed in, the masked hunters broke their stance and swung their weapons.

At first glance, it seemed like they were merely parrying.

But—

SMASH—!!

The destructive force was on another level.

Simply by imbuing their weapons with the purple aura, their attacks became significantly more powerful.

So much so that they nullified the hunters’ skills entirely.

It wasn’t quite as devastating as the ranged attacks Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun had unleashed in his previous life, but it was undeniably destructive.

And it didn’t stop there.

Whoosh—! CLANG—!!

“Arghhh!!”

“Eeeek…!”

Weapons and armor shattered, leaving deep gashes on the Samcheon Guild hunters’ bodies.

Blood sprayed across the cavern.

Despite their three-to-one advantage in numbers, the hunters were clearly outmatched.

“Damn it, Swallow! Cast protective shields on anyone in danger!”

“Oho, helping others? How noble of you. Understood, Master!”

Though Kang Hyunsoo desperately wanted to study the purple aura, the situation was deteriorating rapidly.

If he didn’t act, the Samcheon Guild hunters might start dying.

After instructing Swallow, Kang Hyunsoo launched himself forward.

But just as he was about to join the battle—

WHOOSH—!

Someone stepped in front of him.

“I’ll deal with you!”

It was the dagger-wielding masked hunter he had fought earlier.

CLANG—!!

The clash of their blades echoed as their weapons locked in a stalemate once more.

Their rematch had begun.

SCREECH—! SCREEEEECH—!!

Sparks flew as the old blade of Kang Hyunsoo’s mercenary sword began to wear down.

The purple aura surrounding the dagger was too potent for his battered sword to withstand.

By all appearances, retreat would have been the logical choice.

But Kang Hyunsoo held his ground.

The reason was simple:

This is unlike anything I’ve seen. The energy feels similar to necromancers’ aura, but it’s fundamentally different. It’s turning magical energy into something physical… how is that possible?

He wanted to analyze the power enveloping the dagger, even if it meant risking the stalemate.

But no matter how closely he observed, its nature remained elusive.

To make matters worse—

SCREEEEECH—!!

The pressure from the dagger grew stronger, forcing him to abandon the stalemate.

“What… is this power?”

Kang Hyunsoo muttered as the blade inched closer to him.

Even with all the knowledge he had accumulated in his previous life, he had never encountered anything like this.

Out of desperation, he asked.

“Why are you so curious? You’re too ugly to even be a worthwhile sacrifice!”

Predictably, he received no meaningful response.

Instead, the masked hunter’s voice turned venomous as he wildly slashed his dagger, escalating the intensity of his attacks.

The others were no different.

“Keh heh heh! You think sheer numbers can defeat us?!”

“Ugh, their speed is insane…!”

Despite outnumbering the masked hunters nine-to-three, the Samcheon Guild hunters struggled.

Even Jin Seoyun, Min Dongchan, and Ha Jaesung, with their superior skills, couldn’t land a hit. The masked hunters evaded like assassins, slipping past every attack.

Eventually—

The masked hunters broke through their formation, charging straight toward Han Sungbin.

“Just as I heard… a pretty face. I’ll cut off your head and offer it as tribute…!”

“……!”

Shiver!

The deranged glint in the masked hunter’s eyes sent a chill down Han Sungbin’s spine.

Panicking, he raised his greatsword, but his defense was half a beat too late.@@novelbin@@

SLASH—!

“Arghhh…!”

“Han Sungbin!!”

The masked hunter’s longsword sliced through Han Sungbin’s left thigh, forcing him to one knee in pain.

“I’ll finish you!”

The masked hunter raised his longsword to deliver a killing blow.

But then, something unexpected happened.

CLANG—!!

As the sword neared Han Sungbin’s neck, a radiant blue barrier materialized, deflecting the attack.

“W-What?!”

The masked hunter staggered in confusion and raised his weapon again.

But just as before, he couldn’t land the strike.

“Not so fast!!”

Kang Hyunsoo appeared in an instant, his old sword striking toward the masked hunter’s exposed side.

Not missing the fleeting opportunity, Jin Seoyun rushed forward and swung her saber.

The masked hunter leapt back effortlessly, avoiding her strike. With a smirk curling one side of his lips, he spoke.

“I don’t know what kind of defensive skill that was, but it won’t change the outcome. Fine, I’ll take my time and slowly bleed you all dry.”

His tone oozed with confidence, like a predator savoring its prey.

It wasn’t arrogance.

BOOM—! CRASH—! BANG—!!

“Argh! This can’t be happening…!”

“Potion! Someone get a potion over here! Taeyoung is unconscious!!”

Despite their efforts, Min Dongchan, Ha Jaesung, and the other five Samcheon Guild hunters couldn’t overpower even a single masked hunter wielding a staff.

Some of them had already collapsed, bleeding from stab wounds to the abdomen or slashes to their limbs. Kang Hyunsoo, too, was struggling against the dagger-wielding hunter.

Jin Seoyun surveyed the chaotic battlefield, her lips pressed into a tight line as her fists trembled. Then she shouted.

“All Samcheon Guild members, evacuate the dungeon with the injured! I’ll hold them off!”

The boss monster had already been defeated, and a portal had appeared at the center of the boss room, leading outside the dungeon.

If they could just hold off the masked hunters, escape was possible.

“C-Commander…!”

“Go now! Report this to the Hunter Bureau and request reinforcements! If anyone refuses, I’ll see to their immediate expulsion!”

“Ugh! Understood!”

Though it was a difficult order to follow, Jin Seoyun’s commanding tone left no room for argument.

Reluctantly, the Samcheon Guild hunters carried the injured on their shoulders and made their way toward the portal.

Min Dongchan and Ha Jaesung flanked Han Sungbin, supporting him as they staggered toward the exit.

The sight made the masked hunters scowl.

“Running away in plain sight?”

“You think we’ll just let you?”

The masked hunters, one with a longsword and the other with a staff, roared in anger and prepared to give chase.

But they were forced to stop abruptly as they prepared to leap forward.

“You’re not moving an inch.”

[Activation]
[Pillars of Shackles (C)]

THUD—! THUD—! THUD THUD THUD THUD—!!

Jin Seoyun summoned massive stone pillars, forming a circular barrier that surrounded the masked hunters.

And these weren’t ordinary pillars.

“Ugh, my body…!”

“I can’t move!!”

A translucent aura stretched between the pillars like a wall, restricting the masked hunters’ movements.

Meanwhile—

“Damn, we finally lost them. How’s Han Sungbin? Is he okay?”

“Hyunsoo! Yeah, he’s stable for now. But you need to get out too!”

“Go on ahead. I’ll be the last to leave.”

FLASH—! FLASH—! WHOOSH—!!

Under Kang Hyunsoo’s protection, Min Dongchan, Han Sungbin, and the rest of the Samcheon Guild hunters passed through the portal, escaping the dungeon.

***

“Whew, they cleared the dungeon safely.”

Near Daechi Station.

Jang Seonggeun, Jin Seoyun’s assistant secretary, let out a sigh of relief as he watched the portal of the open dungeon shift from black to silver.

The color change signified that the dungeon had been cleared, and the escape portal had been activated.

For hours, his nerves had been on edge.

It had been six hours since Jin Seoyun and the hunters entered the dungeon, with no news. His mind had been plagued by ominous thoughts, but thankfully, his worries were unfounded.

“I need to notify the vice guild master right away.”

Smiling, Jang Seonggeun pulled out his phone and began typing a message.

But just as he started writing, something unexpected happened.

Whoosh—! Whoosh—! WHOOSH—!!

From the silver portal, light poured out as hunters began emerging.

“Ugh! Intruders, there were intruders!”

“Please report this immediately!!”

“We have injured hunters here!!”

The scene was chaotic.

Some hunters were bleeding profusely, while others collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

“Kyaah! The hunters are hurt!!”

The commotion shocked not only the nearby civilians but also Jang Seonggeun.

Wide-eyed, he rushed toward Min Dongchan and Ha Jaesung, who were supporting Han Sungbin.

“W-What happened here?!”

“There were intruders. Three masked hunters ambushed us right after the boss raid!”

“What? Intruders? That’s impossible! I’ve been standing guard here the entire time…!”

Jang Seonggeun shouted in disbelief.

It was impossible for anyone to enter the dungeon after it had been cleared, which meant the intruders must have infiltrated beforehand. But he had been standing watch from the start of the raid until now, without leaving his post.

The only suspicious event he could recall was…

Could it have been that moment…?

One incident came to mind: when an elderly woman had stopped to ask him for directions.

Jang Seonggeun bit his lower lip, blaming himself.

But now wasn’t the time for regret.

Ha Jaesung spoke firmly to him.

“They knew how to cloak themselves. What matters now is responding to this. Contact the Hunter Bureau and the guild immediately!”

“Understood. So, eight people have exited the dungeon so far. What about Miss Jin?”

“Team Leader Jin Seoyun is still inside, buying us time. She ordered us to retreat. Everyone except her has escaped, so there should be a total of nine people.”

Ha Jaesung provided the detailed count for clarity.

But—

“What? There are only eight people. It seems one person is unaccounted for.”

Jang Seonggeun’s report contradicted Ha Jaesung’s information.

Looking up, they quickly counted the hunters who had exited the portal. There were indeed only eight, not nine.

The missing person was quickly identified.

“Where’s Hyunsoo…?”

Kang Hyunsoo, the mercenary, was nowhere to be seen.