The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Whoosh—! KABOOM—!!

“Urgh…!”

The underground temple was drenched in an orange glow as the explosion’s shockwave slammed into me.

Gritting my teeth, I planted my feet firmly on the ground, bracing myself against the force.

But my resistance didn’t last long.

“Argh!!”

The gale swept me off my feet, hurling me backward.

[30 seconds elapsed.]
[Bloom duration has ended.]
[Your appearance has reverted to normal.]

As Bloom faded, my stats reverted to their original values, leaving me unable to withstand the onslaught any longer.

Tumbling across the ground for what felt like twenty revolutions, I eventually scrambled to my feet, panting and sore.

‘As expected, controlling Black Sun Explosion with this body is impossible.’

The Sun Swordsmanship’s third form, Black Sun Explosion.

This was the final technique, where the sword erupts with a massive detonation, akin to a sun going supernova.

Its sheer destructive force was unmatched, but that power came with significant drawbacks.

The explosion was so intense that even the shockwave made it nearly impossible to stay upright.@@novelbin@@

If this were a properly learned skill, I’d have been shielded by an aura to protect against the heat and aftershock.

But this was different.

I had used all my mana to forcefully activate the Black Sun Explosion, leaving no resources to defend myself.

And with my low stats, it was even harder to endure the aftermath physically.

Still, it had been worth it.

The Death Knight’s recognition required demonstrating high-level Sun Swordsmanship.

And beyond that, I had something to prove—

‘I wanted to show the efforts of the Sword Emperor who once mastered Sun Swordsmanship.’

Of course, the execution wasn’t perfect.

While I had forced the mana circuit open and activated Black Sun Explosion, the result was incomplete, as the system message had indicated.

Ideally, the explosion should have been vast enough to engulf a fortress. Yet, due to my lack of proper mastery and insufficient mana, it barely filled half the underground temple.

But even so, the results were undeniable.

Hissss—

As the explosion subsided, the scene became clear.

The temple was in ruins, its once-pristine architecture reduced to rubble.

[Lv 210. Death Knight of the Sun Temple defeated.]
[You have leveled up.]
[Reward: Strength +2, Mana +3.]

The Death Knight had been obliterated, leaving no trace behind.

Clang!

Its weapon, thrown high by the shockwave, fell to the ground with a metallic crash.

Though the Black Sun Explosion had been incomplete, it had been enough to defeat the Death Knight in a single blow.

“See? I warned you, you stubborn bastard.”

I muttered to the empty air, walking over to pick up the fallen sword.

As I did, a familiar notification appeared.

[Sword of Faded Solar Flame]
[Grade: Heroic]
[Effect: Attack Power +350]
[Skill: Crimson Flame (B)]
[Trait: Flame Worship (A)]
[This is a growth-type item.]
[Growth conditions: Unknown.]
[An ancient relic imbued with the essence of the sun, though some of its information has been lost.]

I couldn’t help but smile as I examined the stats.

“Phew, got it again in this life. My greatest weapon.”

Like the Trust Bracelet, this was another growth-type hidden piece, commonly referred to as the Flame Sword.

In my previous life, this had been my primary weapon. Among all longswords, it was unparalleled.

Though currently only heroic-grade with just the first form of Sun Swordsmanship, Crimson Flame, its potential was limitless. Once fully upgraded, its stats would become absurdly powerful.

This sword had carried me to the title of Sword Emperor in my previous life.

It was a reunion with an old companion.

But not everything had gone as planned.

I had defeated the Death Knight alone, acquired the Flame Sword, yet—

[Special Quest]
[Gain the Death Knight’s Recognition (0/1)]

The special quest remained incomplete.

‘Even though I showed it a technique beyond its level, it wasn’t enough to impress it, huh?’

The Death Knight had only used up to the second form of Sun Swordsmanship.

Whether it was due to the passage of time or its lack of skill in life, I couldn’t be sure.

I had thought demonstrating a higher form would suffice for its recognition, but it seemed I was mistaken.

“Well, it’s not like I can try again… nothing I can do now.”

Though disappointed, there was no point dwelling on it.

With the Death Knight gone, there was no way to retry.

Sighing in resignation, I stored the sword in my inventory and began heading toward the passage at the far end of the chamber.

But as I turned to leave the temple—

A sudden phenomenon occurred.

I thought it lost forever… but to see the Black Sun Explosion once more… A magnificent blade. Descendant of Sun Swordsmanship, may the Sun God’s blessing guide your path…

The Death Knight’s voice echoed across the expansive chamber.

And with it—

[Condition Met.]
[You have gained the recognition of the Death Knight of the Sun Temple.]
[Special Quest: Gain the Death Knight’s Recognition (1/1) complete.]

The quest completion message appeared.

‘What? I actually succeeded…?’

I couldn’t make sense of what had just happened.

And the surprises didn’t end there.

[Rewards being distributed.]

Just as I froze, stunned by the turn of events—

Rumble—! BOOOOM—!!

The ground quaked violently, and a square pedestal rose from the center of the temple floor.

This was something I had never seen in my previous life.

Cautiously, I ascended the steps to the pedestal.

There, resting atop it, was something entirely new.

“This is…?”

A reward I had never encountered before my regression.

***

At the Bucheon Station hunting grounds, where dozens of gates were installed:

Flash—! Flash—! Flash—!

“Whew, good work, everyone.”

“Great job, seniors! Thankfully, no casualties this time either.”

“Yeah, but what’s the point? The drop items were crap. We won’t even break even on costs at this rate.”

“Ugh, my skin is stinging. This is why I hate desert dungeons.”

Hunters emerging from the dungeon wore expressions of exhaustion and frustration.

Their complaints varied:

Some were irritated because the raid yielded no valuable items, even though it was successful. Others grumbled about the harsh conditions of the dungeon itself, with its unbearable heat and lack of comfort.

This was common in raids.

Expensive loot was rare, and the harsh environments of dungeons were anything but convenient.

Such was the case for the hunters at the Bucheon Station hunting grounds.

However, amidst the grumbling crowd, one person stood out with an unusually cheerful expression.

Flash—!

“Wow, I can’t even calculate how much I gained from this raid.”

Kang Hyunsoo walked away from the desert dungeon with a bright smile.

The scorching sunlight was no match for his Volcanic Cloak and sunscreen, and he’d achieved massive level gains and acquired a hidden piece.

But that wasn’t all.

After obtaining the Flame Sword, he had headed straight for the boss room and cleared the dungeon.

[You have cleared a C-Rank Dungeon.]
[You have completed Absolute Beauty Quest 4.]
[Objective: Clear a C-Rank or higher dungeon without summoning your beauty assistant (1/1).]

[Reward]
[Beauty Trait: Growth (D)]

Completing Absolute Beauty Quest 4 granted him a new trait: Growth.

The effect was incredible.

[Beauty Trait: Growth (D) - Increases your height by 2 cm. This effect is applied once upon acquisition.]

Although it only applied once, it still added 2 cm to his height.

Kang Hyunsoo, previously 175 cm tall—the exact average for a South Korean male—now stood at 177 cm.

While this wasn’t a dramatic difference, it was a step forward for a swordsman. Longer limbs could provide a slight advantage in combat.

In his previous life, he had always regretted being unable to change his height. But now, with the Growth trait, the impossible had become reality.

Hyunsoo couldn’t help but smile.

And the good news didn’t end there.

[The penalty for Absolute Beauty Quest 4 has been lifted.]
[Summoning your beauty assistant is now available.]

“Oho! Congratulations on successfully completing the Beauty Quest, Master!”

With the penalty lifted, he could now summon Swallow again.

The sunglasses-wearing swallow appeared, hovering by Hyunsoo’s head in stealth mode.

Hyunsoo groaned.

“Ugh, my ears are already hurting.”

“You summoned me, Master. Admit it, you missed me.”

“Missed you, my ass. I just summoned you to test if it worked and to check the next Beauty Quest.”

Though he didn’t admit it, Hyunsoo had indeed missed Swallow. But his pride wouldn’t let him say it out loud.

He also had another reason for summoning the bird: to verify the details of the next Beauty Quest.

Immediately after completing Absolute Beauty Quest 4, he had received the conditions for the next one.

And they were absurd.

[You cannot receive Absolute Beauty Quest 5 due to insufficient charm.]
[A supplementary quest has been issued to increase your charm.]

[Supplementary Beauty Quest 11]
[Your weight is disproportionate to your height.]
[You must lose weight. Achieve the ideal weight for aesthetic balance.]
[Objective: Reach a weight of 70 kg and 15% body fat (85/70), (28%/15%).]

Though supplementary quests weren’t new to him, being told to go on a diet was a first.

Hyunsoo stared at the quest window, dumbfounded.

“Is this real? Are they seriously telling me to diet?”

“That’s correct, Master. I’ve been telling you for a while now—your body fat percentage is too high. The system is simply enforcing what you’ve ignored.”

“What the hell? This is all muscle!”

Hyunsoo flexed his biceps indignantly, but Swallow merely glanced at his slightly rounded stomach and smirked.

“Enough whining, Master. Start your diet. From now on, you’ll limit carbohydrates and focus on proteins and dietary fiber.”

“…Damn it.”

As much as he wanted to ignore the quest, he couldn’t. A quest was a quest, and it had to be completed.

Sighing, Hyunsoo muttered under his breath as he walked.

“What a shame. I was thinking of celebrating your return with a fancy buffet full of fruit.”

“Fruit…?”

“Yeah, a place with fruit that tastes way better than grape-flavored candy. But if I have to diet, I guess we can’t go.”

Swallow hovered midair, flapping his wings as if deep in thought.

Then, as if coming to a resolution, the bird spoke.

“Dieting always starts tomorrow, Master. Let’s go to that buffet right now!”

“Ha, now you’re talking. By the way, isn’t there a beauty trait that can lower my weight? That’d make dieting unnecessary.”

“You really like taking shortcuts, don’t you?”

“Damn right. When we get to the buffet, I’m starting with the sashimi, you little punk.”

With that, Hyunsoo and Swallow joked their way toward the Bucheon Station hunting grounds exit.

But their plans for the buffet would have to wait.

As they prepared to leave for their celebratory meal—

Tap, tap, tap, tap!

“Huff, huff… Thank goodness you’re still here, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter!”

Choi Jiwoo, the poster star of the Hunter Bureau, appeared before them.