The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

“So… everything here is mine, correct?”

Sitting on the floor of my small studio apartment, I stared at the pile of magic stones, potions, and various miscellaneous items spread before me.

“Yes, that’s correct, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo!”

Sitting opposite me, Han Sungbin knelt respectfully, bowing his head.

His over-the-top courtesy felt excessive, almost burdensome.

It wasn’t just his demeanor that made me uncomfortable.

“Well, I was informed someone would deliver the rewards, but I didn’t expect you, Hunter Han Sungbin, to personally come.”

“You saved my life. I thought it only right to come and thank you in person. Please don’t feel too burdened by it.”

After the D-rank open dungeon incident:

<Jin Seoyun – Hunter Kang Hyunsoo, thank you so much for all your hard work today. The identities of the intruders remain unknown. The Hunter Bureau is analyzing the situation, and I’ll inform you as soon as we know more. The rewards and compensation should be delivered today.>

Jin Seoyun had sent me a message summing up the events and confirming that rewards and a token of gratitude would be provided.

Given the severity of the situation—where many hunters had been wiped out in Incheon, and both Han Sungbin and Jin Seoyun had narrowly escaped death—their gratitude was understandable.

The reward included all items dropped from the D-rank open dungeon and a special bonus of approximately 100 million won.

Still, I hadn’t expected such swift delivery or for the famed star of the hunter world, Han Sungbin, to personally bring it.

And then there was this:

“Thank you, but… isn’t this your weapon, Hunter Han Sungbin?”

Among the reward items, one stood out.

A massive greatsword stretched from the middle of the room all the way to the far wall.

It was Han Sungbin’s weapon—his personal gear.

He had offered it as part of the reward.

The reason was simple.

“You saved my life, and I wanted to give you something meaningful in return. But I spent all my money on equipment, so… this is the most valuable thing I own.”

Han Sungbin seemed determined to reward me however he could.

On top of that:

“And if it’s not too much trouble, could I consider you my mentor, Hyung-nim?”

Han Sungbin wanted to form a close bond with me.

‘What’s with this guy? Why is he acting like this?’

Though he didn’t have an actual tail, the look in his eyes resembled that of a puppy eager to follow its owner.

It wasn’t just me who noticed.

“If he could, he’d probably offer you his liver and gallbladder,” Swallow remarked dryly from his perch on the drying rack.

From my perspective, there wasn’t much downside to this.

Han Sungbin was one of the hottest hunters in the scene right now, and considering that I’d saved his life, the rewards he offered felt justified.

However:

“Thank you, but I’ll have to decline.”

“Decline? Was it not enough?”

“No, quite the opposite. It’s too much. Helping each other during a raid is only natural. While this situation was particularly dangerous, there’s no need to go this far. The dungeon drops and the bonus compensation are more than enough.”

I pushed the greatsword back toward him, clearly signaling my refusal.

It wasn’t because I was rich—far from it. Financially, I wasn’t even in a position to buy a single standard-grade item.

But I had the experience of a lifetime from my previous life as the Sword Emperor.

Becoming wealthy was only a matter of time for me. From my perspective, Han Sungbin was still just a kid.

No matter how sincere his gratitude, accepting the primary weapon of a low-level hunter who hadn’t even reached level 200 didn’t sit right with me.

‘I’m not going to take a sword with a kid’s fingerprints all over it.’

Besides, his greatsword wasn’t suited to my dual-wielding combat style, nor was it something I could use for long.

In just a few more levels, I’d have access to hidden pieces far superior to this.

And there was another reason.

“Ah… so you feel burdened. Then… about calling you Hyung-nim…”

“Let’s take it slow. We’ll have plenty of chances to meet again.”

To be honest, having someone get too close to me made me uneasy.

While friends like Min Dongchan or Ha Jaesung were fine, forcing a relationship under the pretense of mentorship wasn’t something I wanted.

I’d learned from Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun’s betrayal that such connections could be meaningless.

Han Sungbin might be hurt by my response.

If this were my previous life, I would have gladly formed a bond with him out of gratitude.

But now, my focus wasn’t on camaraderie or material possessions.

I had more important priorities.

Looking at Han Sungbin’s crestfallen expression, I spoke up.

“Well… if you really want to repay me, could you recommend a salon?”

“A salon?”

“My hair’s gotten long and needs some attention. The place I used to go to closed down, and I don’t know any good spots. Can you suggest one?”

It was an odd and somewhat awkward request for a reward.

But for Han Sungbin, it seemed to matter little.

He tilted his head briefly in confusion before his face lit up.

“If that’s all, leave it to me! I’ll make the appointment right away!”

With sparkling eyes, he immediately pulled out his phone.

***

“This is the place Han Sungbin mentioned, right?”

“The sign says so, Master.”

On the streets of Seocho-dong, I looked up and spotted a sign hanging on the second floor of a tall building in central Seoul:

<Time Hair – Seocho Branch>.

It was a large salon located in a sleek high-rise—a common sight in the city.

But honestly, I felt nervous.@@novelbin@@

In my previous life, I’d only ever gotten quick trims at the neighborhood salon. Coming to a professional place like this to “style” my hair was entirely new territory.

‘Well, there was that one time…’

The memory wasn’t something I wanted to recall, but back when I first started dating Seo Jieun, I’d decided to try and spruce myself up.

At the time, I had gone to my usual salon to get a “volume magic” treatment for my slightly wavy hair, thinking it might look better straightened.

The results were disastrous.

• "Pfft! Hyunsoo Oppa, what’s with your hair? You look like you’re wearing a swim cap!"
• "Haha! Oh my God, this is hilarious! You should become a comedian—you’ve got the face for it!"

It turned out to be a complete failure.

Whether it was the stylist’s fault or just my face being incompatible with the hairstyle, I didn’t know.

But my bangs had been plastered to my forehead so flatly that my hair looked like a swim cap, drawing mockery from both Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun.

From that day on, I’d given up on hairstyling entirely.

Even after my regression, hair remained an unexplored domain for me.

Would this actually raise my Appearance Power? And even if it did, would the results be worth it?

My anxiety must have been obvious, as someone decided to chime in.

“There’s no need to be nervous, Master. It’s just a salon. And if they mess up your hair, I’ll personally smack the stylist upside the head in retribution, so don’t worry.”

“…What retribution? Just behave yourself.”

Buoyed by Swallow’s questionable encouragement, I finally stepped inside the salon.

Taking the elevator to the second floor:

Whirrr—

“Welcome to Time Hair!”

The luxurious interior and the cheerful smiles of the staff greeted me.

All eyes immediately turned toward me, and for a moment, I froze before walking up to the reception desk.

Though unfamiliar with this setting, it wasn’t hard to figure out what I needed to do.

“Hello, sir. Do you have a reservation?”

“Yes, under Kang Hyunsoo.”

“Ah, you’re the client booked by Hunter Han Sungbin! Please follow me this way.”

After confirming my name, the receptionist courteously led me into the main salon area, where rows of mirrors and chairs awaited.

Taking a seat, I began to wonder:

‘What kind of style should I ask for…?’

It was clear I needed to look better to raise my Appearance Power.

But what style would suit me?

Should I show them a photo of a celebrity? Ask them to make me look like Han Sungbin?

“Please wait just a moment. The stylist will be with you shortly.”

While the staff draped a gown over me and left, I continued to agonize internally.

As it turned out, my worries were unnecessary.

A few moments later, a stylist, who appeared to be in her early 30s, walked in.

“Hello, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo! I’m Designer Cha Yoojin. Nice to meet you.”

“Ah, nice to meet you too.”

“I heard from Hunter Han Sungbin that you’re on a tight schedule. Shall we proceed with the down perm as planned?”

Before I could say anything, it seemed arrangements had already been made.

Now that I thought about it:

• “Hunter Kang Hyunsoo, do you have a preferred hairstyle or something you usually go for?”
• “Not really. I usually just keep it short.”
• “Got it! Then I’ll recommend something I think will suit you best. I’m sure it’ll look great!”

Han Sungbin had promised to take care of everything when making the reservation.

At the time, I didn’t understand what he meant, but now it was clear he had opted for a “down perm.”

I wasn’t entirely sure what that was, but:

“Sure, let’s go with that.”

I decided to trust Han Sungbin’s judgment.

Since I had no expertise in this area, it seemed best to leave it to the professionals.

My reasoning was simple:

If this didn’t improve my Appearance Power or I didn’t like the results, I could always try something else later.

“Alright, let’s get started!”

Cha Yoojin, who was famous enough to have appeared on TV and internet shows, began working on my hair alongside her assistants.

They applied a solution to my hair and said, “Please wait about 30 minutes,” before moving on to other clients.

Thus began a period of waiting that brought back memories of patience-testing salon visits from my past life.

For now, there were no visible changes. Perhaps because the process had just started:

[Support Beauty Quest 10]

• Reach Appearance Power of 20 (18/20).

My Appearance Power remained stuck at 18, showing no signs of increasing.

All I could do was wait for the styling to finish, but sitting still was more challenging than expected.

As a hunter accustomed to constant movement, staying idle in a chair made me restless.

“Wow, there sure are a lot of stylish and attractive people here. You, Master, look like a completely different species. It’s hard to believe you’re the same kind of being as them.”

Swallow, hidden under invisibility, flitted around the salon, critiquing the staff and clients alike.

Only I could hear or see him, but his commentary was a constant distraction.

I glared at him through the mirror and muttered under my breath.

“…Go away for a bit.”

“What? No way, Master! I can’t miss such a fascinating spectacle! I mean, wouldn’t you be bored without me?”

Despite his protests, I had already made up my mind.

[Unsummoning the Beauty Assistant.]

Whoosh!

The salon grew noticeably quieter.

The newfound peace brought a sense of calm.

Of course, it was still a bit dull.

With the solution in my hair, I couldn’t move much, and there was no one to talk to.

But it wasn’t a big deal.

I simply pulled out my phone to pass the time.

As soon as I unlocked it:

Bzzz—

<Samcheon Guild Transfer: 100,000,000 won.>

A deposit notification appeared on the screen, displaying the 100 million won reward.