The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

“Damn it, she managed to bind us even after we unlocked our potential.”

“That Jin Seoyun, huh? Typical spoiled heir—did she throw her money at skills too? How utterly pathetic!”

Inside the boss room of the D-rank open dungeon.

Two masked hunters, surrounded by towering stone pillars, knelt on one knee and glared up at Jin Seoyun with gritted teeth.

They had attempted to prevent the retreat of the Samcheon Guild hunters, but Jin Seoyun’s skill had immobilized them.

No matter how much they struggled, their legs refused to move.

And for good reason.

The stone pillars forming the barrier around the masked hunters were part of:

[Combat Skill: Pillars of Shackles (B)]

• Creates an arena for combat. Any individual standing inside the arena is bound by shackles, restricting movement. The intensity of the restriction decreases by 10% every 30 seconds. Hunters with the combat talent are unaffected. Consumes 500 mana every 10 seconds.

Without a combat talent like Jin Seoyun’s, escaping was impossible.

However, the skill wasn’t foolproof.

I need to end this quickly. I can’t maintain this for long.

The skill consumed a significant amount of mana, and its effects diminished over time.

Moreover, it wasn’t a selective skill—it affected everyone within the barrier.

This was why Jin Seoyun hadn’t used it earlier while fighting alongside her team.

But now that her teammates had all escaped, it was the perfect opportunity to eliminate her enemies.

“Pathetic? You call me pathetic when you ambushed us while hidden in stealth?”

[Activation]
[Sword Wind (D)]

Jin Seoyun swung her saber, sending a blade of energy hurtling toward the immobilized masked hunters.

She chose a ranged skill to attack them before the shackle effect weakened.

The two hunters were helpless against the incoming Sword Wind.

But just as the blue blade reached them, something unexpected happened.

Slash—! CLANG—!!

The dagger-wielding masked hunter dashed out of the barrier and deflected the attack.

That wasn’t all.

“Hah, how laughable!”

In a blink, he charged at Jin Seoyun and slashed his dagger.

W-What speed…?!

Jin Seoyun raised her saber, but the masked hunter’s movement was so fast it seemed like teleportation.

Before she could bring up her saber, his dagger was already aimed at her throat.

But—

Thwack—!

“Argh…!”

The one screaming wasn’t Jin Seoyun.

As the dagger neared her throat, someone rushed in from the side, slamming into the masked hunter’s flank and sending him flying.

“C-Commander…!”

Thud—! Roll—! Crash—!!

The masked hunter tumbled across the ground, clutching his side, before rising shakily to his feet. He turned toward his attacker.

“You… how did you get back here?!”

It was Kang Hyunsoo.

The ugly mercenary who had supposedly fled through the portal just moments ago.

Jin Seoyun was equally stunned.

“K-Kang Hyunsoo Hunter…? Didn’t you leave?”

She had thought she was the only one left, yet Kang Hyunsoo had reappeared to save her.

It was the second time he had saved her.

Blushing slightly, Jin Seoyun looked at Kang Hyunsoo, who kept his gaze fixed on the masked hunters as he replied.

“I pretended to leave. It was to catch them off guard.”

Earlier, during his clash with the dagger-wielding hunter, Kang Hyunsoo had kicked the man back and joined the Samcheon Guild hunters heading for the portal.

But he had no intention of leaving.

Realizing that a straightforward fight wouldn’t work against the masked hunters, Kang Hyunsoo had hidden behind the portal, waiting for the right moment.

When the masked hunter charged at Jin Seoyun, Kang Hyunsoo closed the distance in an instant and launched his ambush.

The plan was perfectly executed.

Though not entirely flawless.

Damn it, his armor stopped me from finishing him in one strike.

Kang Hyunsoo had successfully stabbed the man’s side, but his old mercenary sword couldn’t penetrate the armor beneath his robes.

Still, it wasn’t a failure.

Not only had he saved Jin Seoyun, but he also triggered a hidden reward.

[You saved an ally in a dangerous situation.]
[Condition met.]
[Hidden Style Quest unlocked.]

[Hidden Style Quest 1]

• Surpass your natural limits with style (0/1).

Style, huh?

Unlike Absolute Beauty or auxiliary quests, this was something new. But there was no time to dwell on it.

While exchanging a few words with Jin Seoyun and glancing at the quest, the masked hunters regrouped.

“Hah! Do you think you’re some kind of hero? I’ll show you reality!”

The injured masked hunter hurled his dagger, and the two trapped within the pillars broke free, launching ranged attacks.

“You think these bindings can stop us?!”

“We’ll send you both to hell!”

Their attacks flew at alarming speed.

“Kang Hyunsoo Hunter, I’ll hold them off—please escape through the portal…!”

Jin Seoyun stepped in front of Kang Hyunsoo, intending to shield him.

Though wounded, she believed her higher level meant she could at least delay the masked hunters.

But just as she activated a defensive skill, she felt her body lift off the ground.

Kang Hyunsoo had scooped her into his arms and moved them aside.

BOOM—! BOOM—! KRA-KA-BOOM—!!

The masked hunters’ attacks struck the ground harmlessly.

“……!”

Jin Seoyun’s eyes widened.

She had been ready to take the hit, only for Kang Hyunsoo to evade with her in his arms.

And then, as she looked up at him—

W-What is this…? Huh?!

Her breath caught.

His face, so close to hers, was breathtakingly beautiful.

It was on a completely different level from the “ugly” visage she had seen before.

And for good reason.

At that moment, Kang Hyunsoo had activated:

[Activation]
[Full Bloom (S)]

• Maximizes latent beauty for 30 seconds.
• Appearance Power: 999.
• Appearance Power Effect: All stats +1,998.

“Don’t worry about me. Focus on escaping first.”

He set her down gently, eyes fixed on the masked hunters.

“His appearance… changed?”

Thud—! Whoosh—!

Before they could make sense of what they were seeing, Kang Hyunsoo charged at the remaining masked hunters.

Their levels must be above 200. I’ll have to take them out.

Until now, Kang Hyunsoo had avoided using Full Bloom to avoid drawing attention. But with Jin Seoyun being the only other person left—and trustworthy enough to keep a secret—he no longer hesitated.

“Here I come!”

With lightning speed, he closed the gap and slashed at the two masked hunters emerging from the pillars.

Slash—! SPLAT—!

“Guh…!”

Thud—! CRASH—!!

The two fell instantly, unable to react to his overwhelming speed and power.

Jin Seoyun stared in stunned silence at the sight.

But the danger wasn’t over.

“Watch out, Master!”

Wooooom—! BOOM—!!

The corpses of the two masked hunters swelled grotesquely and then erupted in a massive explosion.

Flames swept through the entire boss room, engulfing everything in their path, including Kang Hyunsoo.@@novelbin@@

Fortunately—

“Cough... Corpse explosions, huh? These guys really don’t hold back.”

Kang Hyunsoo emerged with minimal injuries.

Though he had been close to the center of the explosion, the Trust Bracelet’s shield and Swallow’s timely barrier had protected him.

But before he could relax—

“How dare you kill my comrades…! I’ll make sure you never leave this place alive!!”

The dagger-wielding masked hunter surged through the smoke, his eyes blazing with fury beneath his mask.

His attacks came hard and fast.

Clang—! Clang—! KRA-KA-BOOM—!!

The hunter’s dagger, now wreathed in a deadly purple aura, moved at a speed far beyond what he had shown before.

But Kang Hyunsoo remained calm.

He’s strong, but not overwhelmingly so—not like that time.

Effortlessly, Kang Hyunsoo parried the strikes with his worn mercenary’s sword.

His composure was so steady that he even had the leisure to speak mid-battle.

“This is my last question. What’s the true nature of that purple aura you’re using?”

“Die, you bastard!!”

“If you won’t answer…”

Kang Hyunsoo’s eyes narrowed.

“Then I have no reason to let you live any longer.”

He struck with precision, aiming for the masked hunter’s neck with all the strength his boosted stats could muster.

But just as he was about to deliver the final blow—

A sudden complication arose.

[30 seconds elapsed.]
[Full Bloom’s duration has ended.]
[Your appearance reverts to normal.]

Due to the prolonged battle, Full Bloom’s effects wore off.

And that wasn’t all.

Snap—! CRACK—!!

[The Worn Mercenary’s Sword has broken.]

“……!”

As the worn mercenary’s sword shattered against the purple aura of the masked hunter’s dagger, Kang Hyunsoo found himself in a dire situation.

“Die!!”

Fragments of the shattered blade scattered in the air, and the masked hunter seized the opportunity, thrusting his dagger toward Kang Hyunsoo.

But just as the blade was about to strike—

Clang—!!

A sharp gale of sword energy sliced through the smoke and deflected the dagger.

It was Jin Seoyun.

Though she had appeared to be keeping her distance, she intervened at the critical moment, using her skill to buy Kang Hyunsoo precious time.

Seizing the opportunity—

Thwack—!!

“Guh—!!”

Kang Hyunsoo delivered a powerful kick to the masked hunter’s stomach, forcing him to stumble back.

And then—

“How dare you threaten Master!”

Swallow, still cloaked in invisibility, swooped down and delivered a series of blows to the masked hunter’s head.

Smack—! Smack—! Thud—!

“Ahh! What the—?! Ugh—!”

The masked hunter’s head snapped back and forth, his curses turning into groans of pain.

In the meantime—

“Are you alright, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

Kang Hyunsoo knelt on one knee, catching his breath.

He had hoped to eliminate all the masked hunters using Full Bloom, but one remained.

This wasn’t a good sign.

[Hidden Charisma Quest 1]
Achieve charisma beyond your natural limits (0/1).

While Full Bloom had allowed him to dispatch two enemies, the Hidden Charisma Quest remained incomplete. Moreover, defeating the remaining masked hunter—empowered by the eerie purple aura—seemed nearly impossible at his current level.

Jin Seoyun appeared to realize the same.

“That masked hunter… it’s like he’s possessed. Should we escape? If we regroup with the guild members outside, we might be able to take him down together.”

“If we could reach the portal, that might work,” Kang Hyunsoo replied, shaking his head. “But he’s blocking it. The moment we get close, he’ll regain focus.”

“Then what should we…?”

Standing upright, Kang Hyunsoo extended his hand toward Jin Seoyun.

“Give me the Elixir of Ascension.”

“The Elixir of Ascension?”

“Yes. If I drink it, I’ll win.”

There wasn’t a shred of doubt in his voice.

Despite being a low-level hunter without even a weapon, Kang Hyunsoo’s confidence was palpable. It was enough to convince Jin Seoyun.

Though hesitant at first, she retrieved the golden potion they had acquired from the boss raid and handed it to him.

“Take it. Quickly.”

“…You’re giving it to me without any argument?”

Kang Hyunsoo raised an eyebrow, surprised by her lack of resistance.

Based on her past personality in his previous life, he had anticipated a heated debate before she would hand it over. Yet, she offered it without hesitation.

Her response was equally unexpected.

“I trust you. When you say you’ll win, I believe it.”

Her unwavering gaze reflected genuine trust.

She’s treating me differently from how she did in the previous life…

The change was unexpected, but it wasn’t unwelcome.

No, in fact, it felt… gratifying.

“I’ll make this quick.”

Kang Hyunsoo uncorked the potion and drank it in one go.

The effects were immediate.

[You have consumed the Elixir of Ascension.]
[All basic stats and talent stats have permanently increased by +20.]
[Swordsmanship Mastery has increased from 52 to 72.]
[Charisma has increased from -43 to -23.]

Every stat surged, and with it came both familiar and unfamiliar developments.

One was predictable:

[Swordsmanship Mastery has surpassed 70.]
[You have acquired the skill: Acceleration (C).]

The other was entirely new:

[Charisma has surpassed -30.]
[You have acquired the skill: Allure (D).]

A charm skill…?

In his previous life, he had never come across anything like this. But there was no time to dwell on it.