"So, the beautiful choice was the kiss, Master? Literally, it was truly a beautiful choice, huh? Kyaa!"
Inside the living room of the luxury house.
After hearing about what happened while the summoning was deactivated, Swallow summarized it and then excitedly zipped around the room, fluttering everywhere.
Flap—Flap—!
Feathers flew through the air, creating a disorienting scene.
I gave up on stopping him, sitting on the sofa, rubbing my forehead as I spoke.
"...No, you idiot. That was just a secondary thing. The real beautiful choice was to prioritize others' well-being. If I had accepted Hayuri's suggestion and exploited Do Minjung with her, the Beauty Quest would've never been cleared."
"Anyways! Kyaa! So, what happened with Do Minjung? You mentioned you dropped her off at the accommodation... Did she have ramen too?"
Swallow’s sparkling eyes were evident even behind his sunglasses. He was at the peak of curiosity, and I could no longer bear to listen.
I grabbed a small stone from a flowerpot next to the sofa and flicked it toward his forehead.
Thwack—!
"Ah!"
The stone hit its mark perfectly.
"You really thought you could keep dodging forever?"
I spoke with a sly grin, like a western gunslinger, blowing air through my finger.
"I literally just dropped her off at the accommodation. There were other members of Asenne there, so she couldn’t even have ramen, let alone water."
After reaching an agreement with Hayuri, I took Do Minjung to the accommodation.
Though it was a little awkward because she had kissed my cheek, it wasn’t to the point of being unbearable.
I knew that Do Minjung did it out of gratitude, not romantic interest.
"Hehe, not exactly what I expected, but still, Master, you’ve made a lot of progress. Now you can interact with the opposite sex without hesitation."
"Hmm... Is that so?"
I crossed my arms and stroked my chin in response to Swallow's words.
It was true that there had been progress.
Because of Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun’s betrayal, I had lost interest in women, but now, I found myself in a situation where I was contacting numerous women.
And more importantly...
Status Window
[Lv 348. Kang Hyunsoo]
[Title: Insanely Handsome Swordsman]
Stats
[Strength: 420] [Agility: 435] [Intelligence: 325] [Health: 475] [Mana: 390]
Talent Stats
[Swordsmanship Mastery: 260] [Charm: 210]
Skills
[Divine Beast's Descent (SSS)] [Bloom (SS)] [Flowering (SS)] [Black Spot Explosion (SS)] [Cutting the Sky (S)] [Golden Roar (S)] [Trust Armor (A)] [Appearance (A)] [Flare (A)] [Heaven's Blade (B)] [Rampage (B)] [Shudder (B)] [Draw (B)] [Acceleration (C)] [Pashin (C)] [Charge (D)] [Counter (E)]
Talents
[Lv 2. Swordsmanship]
Special Talent
[Lv 2. Beauty]
Fusion Talent
[Lv 1. Beauty Swordsmanship]
My physical strength had grown incredibly.
In my previous life, I hadn’t even reached level 200, but now I was level 348, not only with vastly enhanced combat stats but also with the "Beauty" talent, making me many times stronger.
Even more so...
[The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become (SS)]
Special Item
[Mental Image (B)]
[Additional Appearance Power: +20]
[Mental Image Experience: 0%]
When performing beautiful actions and speech, your Appearance Power increases, and Mental Image energy accumulates.
When Mental Image experience is filled, your rank will rise, granting additional effects and new Mental Image skills.
Thanks to the completion of Beauty Quest 10, I had obtained a new detailed item, Mental Image.
Though it was somewhat unfamiliar, a quick search brought up an explanation.
The words of China’s greatest physiognomist, the mystic master.
“Physiognomy is inferior to mental image” (觀相不如心想).
It meant that no matter how excellent someone’s appearance was, the state of their mind would follow.
Mental Image refers to the shape of one's heart, aiming to beautify not just the exterior but the inner self as well.
And as proof of this...
[Through the beautiful choice of helping others, Mental Image has been unlocked.]
[A new Beauty Quest has been granted to evaluate the nature of Mental Image.]
[Beauty Quest 17]
[Raise at least one party member’s level by 30 (0/30)]
The quest was to raise the level of a party member.
Until now, all the quests had focused on my own growth, but with Mental Image unlocked, I was now tasked with considering the growth of others.
It wasn’t just about getting handsomer anymore. Now, I had to cultivate my inner beauty as well.
Though it felt like more work was piling up, it wasn’t a loss.
Until now, things had been fine, but in order to face S-Class and SS-Class threats, as well as the unknown monsters that would appear in the future, having the help of allies was essential.
Just as I was thinking about starting to help others, the timing was perfect.
<If you’re free, want to raid together today?>
I grabbed my phone and sent a message to the allies I had in mind.
Then...
Ding—! Ding—!
Soon, my phone rang.
I tilted my head, looking at the screen.
"Hmm...? A reply already?"
"That’s because Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana are completely smitten with you, Master. Don’t forget, women always carry their phones."
It was a small detail, but with Seo Jieun, it would take at least an hour to get a reply, and she often ignored messages. But Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana were different.
<Samcheon Guild’s Jin Seoyun – Of course! I was just about to prepare for a raid. Where do we meet?>
<Yoo Hana Hunter – Ah! Sounds great, Oppa! Where are you right now?>
Not even a minute had passed before I received their replies.
It wasn’t just a one-time thing.
When deciding which dungeon to raid, or setting a meeting time and place beforehand, the replies came immediately, one after another.
With the meeting place settled easily, I headed to Namsan Tower with Swallow, where an A-Rank dungeon awaited.
But before the scheduled meeting time...
"Hello, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter! It’s been a while. But, I have to say... you’ve become so much more handsome! I almost didn’t recognize you!"
Jin Seoyun had arrived.
Though there was still an hour before the meeting time, she arrived, excited, wearing a coat, makeup, and perfume, looking completely different from usual.
And she wasn’t the only one.
"Oh! You’re here first, Hyunsoo Oppa!"
Just as Jin Seoyun appeared, Yoo Hana ran toward us from afar, her appearance completely changed.
Her black hair, which used to be tied in a ponytail, was now a golden bob, and she was wearing a school-uniform-like skirt and outfit.
I looked back and forth between the two and scratched my head.
"Everyone seems a little different today. Yoo Hana, you’ve changed your hairstyle, and Jin Seoyun Hunter, it looks like you’ve just come from somewhere..."
"I used the beauty salon voucher you gave me right away! How did you know I wanted to do my hair... Hehe! Thanks, Hyunsoo Oppa!"
"Ah... That beauty salon voucher from when we went shopping together, right? Next time, call me along, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter. I’ve been dragged to department stores and fashion shows since I was a kid, so I have an eye for these things."
What was this feeling of strange disappointment in Jin Seoyun’s voice...?
"Uhm... Well, if the opportunity arises, let’s go together."
I hurriedly replied to her, seeing her expression suddenly turn cold.
Then...
—Kuh, looks like Jin Seoyun is jealous of Yoo Hana. You’re becoming more popular, Master!
Swallow, hiding by my side, began to fuss again.
Honestly, if it were any other time, I’d have told him to stop talking nonsense, but this time, I could feel it myself, so I quickly changed the subject.
"Shall we get going now?"
"Okay, Oppa!"
"But, can the three of us really clear the Abandoned House Dungeon? I know it gives a lot of experience, but there are so many traps..."
Just as we were about to start the raid, Jin Seoyun expressed some concern.
It was definitely a valid concern.
The Abandoned House Dungeon typically requires over 10 hunters of level 400 or higher to enter.
On the other hand, none of us were even level 400, and there were only three of us.
However...
"It's fine. The reason the Abandoned House Dungeon is difficult is because of the traps and fear, but neither of those affect me. You two just need to support from the back."
I wasn’t worried.
Despite the high difficulty of the dungeon, I had cleared even more challenging ones on my own.
"Really? Usually, it's hard to trust someone in this situation..."
"I believe Hyunsoo Oppa can definitely do it!"
Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana both clenched their fists in support.
If it had been other hunters, they would have dismissed this as nonsense, but both of them trusted me after going through various experiences together.
And that trust was evident.
[A-Class Dungeon Entered.]
[Defeat the Boss Monster to Clear the Dungeon (0/1)]
[Lv 415. Defeated the Haunted Soul of the Legendary Abandoned House.]
[Experience gained.]
[Level Up!]
[Reward: All Stats +1]
[Beauty Quest 17]
[Raise at least one party member’s level by 30 (3/30)]
A massive level up followed.
After entering the Abandoned House Dungeon, I hunted monsters alone, and both Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana's levels quickly rose.
"Wow! Hyunsoo Oppa! My level is going up so fast!!"
"What... what is this? Even with fewer people, this speed is unreal..."
During the raid in the Abandoned House, both of them stared at the sky in awe, their mouths agape.
It made sense, though.
We hadn’t even completed half of the dungeon, and their levels had risen by three.
The leveling speed was several times faster than usual.
"I have a party member experience buff. Your level-up speed will be faster than usual, so don’t be surprised and just follow me."
I briefly explained the effect of the title I had and then quickly continued with the dungeon raid.
The surrounding area was dim.
Based on my experiences from my past life, I jumped over the traps that caused the floor to suddenly sink.
"Kyiii!!"
Thud!
[Lv 404. Defeated the Hidden Spirit of the Legendary Abandoned House.]
The spirit that suddenly passed through the wall was already met with my sword, and it pierced through its head before it even had a chance to appear.
As for the dungeon's boss monster, the general-type ghost...
"Kyaaaargh!!"
"You hated fire the most, didn’t you?"
【Activation】
[Black Spot Explosion (SS)]
Boom—!!
I burned it.
[Lv 444. Defeated the Haunted General of the Legendary Abandoned House.]
[Defeat the Boss Monster to Clear the Dungeon (1/1)]
[A-Class Dungeon Cleared.]
After defeating the boss monster,
"Th-This is unbelievable..."
"I just went through one dungeon, and my level went up by ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) 10...!"
Both Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana’s levels surged dramatically.
It was only natural.
[Title: Insanely Handsome Swordsman]
[Effect: Appearance Power +50, Sword Attack Power +35%, Attack Speed +35%, Movement Speed +35%]
[Two talents combine and gradually produce synergy effects.]
[Additional Effect 1: 9x experience gain from monster kills.]
[Additional Effect 2: 5x experience gain for party members. If the party members’ levels are lower than the title holder, it increases to 7x.]
Since they were in a party with me and their levels were lower than mine, they were receiving 7x the experience gain.
And this result led to...
"You're even giving us a ride, and now we get increased experience too..."
"I'll follow you for life, Hyunsoo Oppa!!"
Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana were even more drawn to me, their sparkling eyes fixed on my arms.
"You don’t have to go that far... Well, if you really want to help, could you pick up the junk items that fell on the floor?"
"Yes! I'll do it right away!!"
They quickly dropped to the floor, picking up the mana stones and junk items dropped by the boss monster.
Seeing this, Swallow hid his beak with his wings and laughed as if he found it amusing.
—Hehe, looks like they’re willing to give their soul, Master?
"Leveling up is power and life for hunters."
I chuckled softly as I looked at the message floating in the air.
[Beauty Quest 17]
[Raise at least one party member’s level by 30 (10/30)]
It looked like the quest would be cleared after two more runs.
The quest was progressing quickly.
On the other hand, my leveling wasn’t as fast.
If I had been doing the dungeon solo, my level would have increased significantly, but with the added party members, the experience I would’ve been "hogging" was now divided by three.
But this wasn’t a loss.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is frёeωebɳovel.com.
I didn’t level up as dramatically as usual, but still, by clearing this dungeon...
[Completed Swordsmanship Quest 23.]
[Defeat a Boss Monster over Level 400 (1/1)]
[Reward: Swordsmanship Mastery +50]
[Swordsmanship Mastery 350, Level 350 reached.]
[Conditions met.]
[The Sword King Title Upgrade Quest is now open.]
[Sword King Title Quest]
[The Sword Demon’s Heart]
The Sword King title quest had been unlocked.