The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Though I had told them it was fine, the two of them didn’t stop expressing their gratitude.

In a way, it was understandable.

Thanks to this raid,

[Beauty Quest 17 has been completed.]

[Raise at least one party member’s level by 30 (55/30)]

[Reward]

[Charm +10, Mental Image Experience +30%]

The two had leveled up by 55, far surpassing the initial goal of 30.

In fact, the raid had nearly ended on the third run.

After running the Abandoned House Dungeon three times, they had gained 29 levels.

However, it hadn’t quite hit the 30-level mark, so I had no choice but to run one more dungeon.

Thus, after completing the dungeon four times, I reached a 37-level increase and achieved the required condition.

And so, we ended up doing one more dungeon.

Honestly, I could have ignored Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana’s requests and left without a word.

Their level-ups were already more than sufficient.

It’s rare for a hunter to clear an A-Class dungeon five times in a row on their own, and the raid itself was an incredibly difficult task. I had already done more than enough for them, but I decided to go along with it for their sake.

It also felt somewhat wrong to finish the quest and slip away by myself after they had asked for my help.

[You have made a beneficial decision for others. When performing a good deed, Mental Image experience increases.]

This message appeared, notifying me that I could now earn Mental Image experience.

Although the experience gain was reduced compared to doing the dungeon solo, playing in a party wasn’t a total loss.

Thus, I cleared the Abandoned House Dungeon one more time.

[You have successfully completed a good deed.]

[Mental Image Experience +5%]

The Mental Image experience had increased.

I was satisfied with the result.

I raised my hand, signaling to Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana, who were bowing repeatedly, to stop.

"I understand your gratitude, but you don’t need to keep doing that. You must be tired, so go home and rest."

"That would feel like we’re not being grateful enough... If it’s okay, would you like to «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» have a meal before you go, Hyunsoo Oppa?"

"How about a dinner gathering? There’s a hanwoo restaurant nearby that I know."

Even though I tried to dismiss them politely, the two seemed to have teamed up and wouldn’t back down.

‘This is... much different from what I expected.’

Though I appreciated their gratitude and their offer to treat me to a meal, I wasn’t quite used to it.

In my previous life, Jin Seoyun was the picky granddaughter of a chaebol family, and Yoo Hana was a world-renowned hunter who was hard to even meet once.

The idea of these two women asking me to have a meal together was something I could never have imagined in my past life.

It was an unrealistic situation, but here it was, unfolding right in front of me.

It felt like I should immediately accept and book a restaurant.

However...

"We’ll save the celebration for another time."

"Huh!? W-Why?"

I gently refused with a small smile.

The reason was simple.

[Mental Image Tutorial has been completed, and the Absolute Beauty Quest has been unlocked.]

[Absolute Beauty Quest 11]

[Do not allow your Appearance Power to drop by more than 10 points for the next 15 days (0/10)]

[Remaining Time – 15 days]

[Failure will require restarting the quest from the beginning.]

There was too much to do.

First off, with this raid, I had completed Beauty Quest 17 and unlocked Absolute Beauty Quest.

[You can now attempt the Sword Demon Upgrade Quest. Would you like to proceed?]

[Yes / No]

The Swordsmanship Title Quest had also been unlocked.

Clearing this Sword Demon Title Quest would grant a powerful swordsmanship skill, which would play a significant role in acquiring the next Hidden Piece. I had to clear it.

If I didn’t get the Hidden Piece soon, someone else might find it first, so it was better to clear it as quickly as possible.

Therefore, I had no choice but to postpone the meal with the two of them.

"Are you really that tired, Hyunsoo Oppa?"

"Ah, how about we go to a cafe for a bit?"

Jin Seoyun and Yoo Hana seemed completely uninterested in my refusal.

Without even asking, they began to guess the reasons and try to offer solutions.

I stopped them once more and said,

"It’s not that. It’s just that I have a quest I need to finish quickly. We’ll eat later."

"A quest...!"

"Then, can we help you somehow?"

"It’s something I have to do alone. No one can help with it. It might take over a week."

"Over a week...?"

"Then, there’s nothing we can do..."

To explain in detail, the two of them also seemed to give up, puffing their cheeks and dropping their heads.

However, seeing Yoo Hana and Jin Seoyun sulking made me feel somewhat uncomfortable, so I asked them for a small favor.

"If you really want to help... could you buy me some bandages?"

"Bandages for wounds? I always carry some with me!"

In response to my words, Yoo Hana took out an emergency kit from her inventory.

As she had said, there were white bandages in the box, but it wasn’t the quantity I needed.

"This is fine, but I need more. About ten of them."

"Ten?!"

"Why would you need that many bandages...? Well, since you're in a hurry, I’ll go buy them!!"

"Ah! I'll go with you, unni!!"

Jin Seoyun ran towards the convenience store inside Namsan Tower.

Since the dungeon appeared at Namsan Tower, various emergency supplies had been sold at the convenience store, so getting them wasn’t a big issue.

After receiving the bandages from the two, we parted ways.

I began preparing for the next task.

As soon as I returned home, I took a shower to wash off the sweat, applied perfume to maximize my Appearance Power, and then set up several outfits matching the dungeon’s concept.

Seeing me move quickly like this,

"Wow... you’re really starting right away, Master."

"Yeah, there's no point in dragging it out. Plus, I’m itching to get started."

"Even after becoming so handsome, your old determination from the past life hasn’t changed."

Swallow shook his head in apparent frustration.

It was understandable for him to react like that.

While most people would be drained after running the raid a few times, I had done it five times and was now pushing to complete the title quest as well.

But I enjoyed it.

Though it was physically exhausting, it wasn’t unbearable, and above all, I was excited.

The encounter with the one I had fought tooth and nail against in my previous life.

"Long time no see, you charcoal-soaked bastard."

Having finished my preparations, I smirked and touched the message in the air.

Then,

[The Sword Demon Quest has been unlocked.]

[Prove that you have reached the peak of swordsmanship by defeating the Sword Demon.]

With the notification that the quest had begun,

Whoosh—!!

A dark portal appeared in the living room.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

Afterward, the scene shifted from the living room to a traditional house yard.

[Lv 450. Sword Demon Obsessed with Swords]

The holder of the title greeted me.

In the middle of the vast yard stood a shadow, devoid of facial features, with dual swords hanging loosely.

A monster obsessed with swords, having lost its life and become a ghost, yet still yearning for battle.

But unlike my past life, I wasn’t welcomed by the Sword Demon alone.

As I entered the dungeon and took my first step, a new message suddenly appeared.

[Combat preparation detected.]

[The Dignity Maintenance System is activated.]

[Excessive sweat, clothing damage, and severe injuries will cause a decrease in Appearance Power if it falls more than 20 points.]

"What’s this?"

"You know the saying, right? With great power comes great responsibility. Now that your Charm stat has risen, you’ve become ridiculously handsome, so you need to maintain that beauty."

"What happens if I can’t maintain it?"

"If you don’t, the effect of Appearance Power, which currently gives all stats +3 per point of Appearance Power, will drop to +2, +1. It won’t go to zero, but it will revert to the previous state."

"What’s with this sudden penalty..."

"It’s not a penalty, think of it as a ceiling. Even before, your Appearance Power dropped if you sweated too much, but now the range has increased. If you can’t maintain your ridiculously handsome state, it’ll just be your ‘handsome’ stats instead."

"...That makes sense."

It wasn’t wrong.

If I couldn’t maintain my ridiculously handsome state, I’d only be using the power of a slightly handsome state instead.

It was something I had forgotten, given the recent upgrade to the "The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become" skill that kept me from sweating too much.

However, even with that, it still felt sudden from my perspective, and more importantly,

"Phew, I get it, but this doesn’t seem easy..."

Maintaining dignity against the Sword Demon was no simple task.

Even now, it was proving difficult.

While I was taking a quick break inside the dungeon,

Whoosh—!

The Sword Demon swung its sword toward me.

It was swung from a distance so far that I didn’t think it would hit.

But then, the previously calm air vibrated, and suddenly,

Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish—!!

The sword strike shot out right in front of me.

It was like the attack had crossed distances instantly, moving through space.

But I didn’t take any damage.

Before the attack could hit, I quickly jumped back, drawing my dual swords, and countered with a wild strike.

However,

Zzzzt— Zzzzt—

"Tch, the pain is still there."

My hands tingled.

The Sword Demon’s sword was so powerful that even a slight swing could unleash immense destructive power. If I made the slightest mistake in blocking, I could lose the sword in my hand.

So,

"How many of these should I use this time?"

I brought out the bandages.

Not for wound healing, but to ensure I didn’t lose my grip on the sword while facing the Sword Demon.

I faced the Sword Demon again.

Though my level was lower than in my past life, thanks to my Appearance Power, my overall stats were similar, and my skills had become much more diverse thanks to my beauty.

I had the power to clear it.

I wrapped the bandages around my dual swords and hands.

"Alright, let’s have some fun."

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"Heh! I’ll join too, Master!"

Swish—!

With Swallow, I rushed toward the Sword Demon.