The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

"Uh… so you're saying that the participant in the Ultimate Swordsmanship Tournament is the successor of Envy?"

"Yeah, that's right. And not just any participant. It's the guy who won the tournament in the previous timeline."
Sitting on the couch in the living room, I crossed my arms and legs as I elaborated on Swallow's summary. Meeting Hayuri had yielded significant intel on the Seven Deadly Sins.
Thanks to her, I had a clearer understanding of the Seven Sins' activities and could plan my next moves more precisely.

According to her, there were currently five active successors of the Seven Deadly Sins, myself included. Sloth's successor was missing, and Pride's successor kept changing, leaving their identity unknown.
Aside from Hayuri and me, the remaining three were Choi, Iron, and Kyle.
Of them, the most unpredictable was the successor of Envy: Kyle Dusk.

Kyle Dusk—leader of the United Alliance during the Great Cataclysm and guild master of the Sword Guild—was strong enough to make me hit a wall in the tournament during my previous life.
The problem was...
"So, isn’t the Ultimate Swordsmanship Tournament the one you were planning to win this time around, Master?" Swallow asked.

"Correct."
The tournament's grand prize had been my target for some time now.
The Ultimate Swordsmanship Tournament was an event organized by the International Hunter Association. Its prize was a legendary swordsmanship manual retrieved from an SS-rank dungeon break.

The eligibility criteria were strict: hunters above level 300 who used swords as their primary weapon. The tournament format was a single-elimination bracket, with every match being a knockout round.
In my previous life, I had been eliminated early in the qualifiers after losing to Kyle. This time, however, I was far stronger than I had been before regression, and I had intended to win the tournament and claim the prize.
But...

"Hate to spoil the mood, but there’s a good chance you might lose again, just like last time," Swallow said, unapologetically.
"Yeah, I know. That’s a fair assessment," I admitted, rubbing my temples.
If Kyle was the successor of Envy, everything changed. Unlike in my previous life, where I had planned to overwhelm him with the power of beauty, that plan might not work if he had access to Envy's abilities.

I wasn’t entirely sure how Envy's powers manifested, but if I considered the possibility that Kyle hadn’t been at full strength in the previous timeline, I couldn't underestimate him now.
Basing my assessment of Kyle solely on his past abilities was a mistake. I had to assume he was two, three, or even several times stronger than before.
I needed a strategy.
Sitting on the table in the center of the living room, Swallow chimed in, "Why not just skip the tournament altogether? It’s risky, and your identity as the successor of Lust might get exposed."

"I can’t. I need that prize to overcome the challenges ahead."
The prize—a legendary swordsmanship manual—was invaluable. In my previous life, it had propelled Kyle to become one of the world's strongest hunters. The manual vanished after a single use, granting SS-grade skills and traits.
Kyle had already been a top-tier hunter representing the United States, but the manual had elevated him to unparalleled heights.

Even though I had eventually earned the title of Sword Emperor after Kyle’s victory, I had to admit that his level and swordsmanship skills were superior.
For someone who needed to prepare for the crises ahead and rise to the world's top, that manual was not something I could afford to miss.
More importantly, running away from a rival I’d lost to in a previous life?

My pride wouldn’t allow it.
"Then why not ally with Hayuri?" Swallow suggested. "Didn’t she propose that before you parted ways?"
"An alliance?" I repeated, stroking my chin.

Before leaving the city of Yongin, Hayuri had offered me some compelling information about the Seven Sins.
"That’s all the information I can give you. So, what’s your plan?"
"What do you mean?"

"An alliance. Iron and Kyle have already formed a pact and are working together. Based on my investigation, I can’t confirm the exact numbers, but their quest progress has more than doubled. Their movements give me a rough estimate. Shouldn’t we pool our resources and work together too?"
The idea of an alliance through quest-sharing wasn’t unreasonable. If Iron and Kyle were boosting their progress by collaborating, forming our own alliance was a logical countermeasure.
But...

"I’m not sure we have the level of trust needed for an alliance yet. And I can’t determine if it would be beneficial. Let’s hold off for now."
I hadn’t accepted her proposal. An alliance lacked sufficient safeguards and didn’t seem to offer me any tangible benefits.
"Forming an alliance with Hayuri is too risky. There’s no clear advantage, and it’s uncertain if we’d even stand a chance against Kyle together," I concluded.

"Then you’ll have to grow stronger on your own, Master," Swallow said.
"Yeah, that’s the best course of action for now..."
While relying on my own strength seemed like the ideal path, there was a snag.

Quests take too long.
[Absolute Beauty Quest 11]
[Maintain your current Appearance Power without dropping more than 10 points for 15 days. (5/10)]
[Remaining time – 10 days.]
[Failure will reset progress.]
Completing the quest would take up most of the time before the tournament's qualifiers in two weeks. Although I could finish it, the need for rapid growth made the timeline feel tight.

There was also the matter of my swordsmanship quest.
[Swordsmanship Quest 24]
[Swing your sword 1,000 times daily for 15 days. (5/15)]
[Day 5: Slashes completed (1,000/1,000)]
[Failure to meet the daily quota will reset progress.]
This quest would take an additional five days beyond the beauty quest. Relying solely on quests for explosive growth wasn’t realistic.

Swallow voiced my thoughts aloud. "Master, quests alone won’t cut it."
"I know. Unlocking advanced swordsmanship techniques is out of the question too. But honestly, skills aren’t what matter most right now."
Reflecting on my previous life, I realized that swordsmanship wasn’t the most crucial factor at this stage.

What mattered most—something impossible to bridge through training alone—was equipment.
Although I now had the Flame Sword and the Commander’s Sword, which were far better than my previous life’s weapons, the latter was still of rare grade. It wasn’t enough.
I needed hidden pieces—legendary gear previously claimed by others like Choi Taehun. That was my top priority.

Even if the path ahead was long, I would take it one step at a time.
"Let’s go," I said, standing up and straightening my clothes. "It’s time to excavate a new weapon."
***

Yeouido Park, At Its Heart
"Looking for hunters with healing talents! High rewards guaranteed!"
"Our party consists of nine mid-tier hunters! Anyone over mid-tier interested in raiding an A-rank dungeon? Just one more spot left!"

"Join the Shining Guild today! Get a 100 million won signing bonus and free equipment rentals!"
The expansive park, more of a plaza in scale, was teeming with people.
The reason was simple.

From C-rank to S-rank, Yeouido Park had become a hunting hub, with countless dungeon portals scattered across the area, offering a wide variety of gate levels.
As a result, the park and its surroundings had turned into a bustling hotspot, drawing people from all walks of life.
Dungeon sentries guarded the gates, hunters formed parties, guild scouts sought to recruit talent, and civilians came to gawk at the spectacle. Photographers and reporters captured every moment of the hunters’ movements.

Rain or shine, Yeouido Park was always alive with activity, but the crown jewel of the area was undoubtedly the twin S-rank gates in the park’s center, shimmering with blue and brown hues.
Nicknamed the Thunder Dungeon and the Tomb Dungeon, the gates were identical in terrain and rank, though they spawned different types of monsters. Known for their high experience points and exceptional item drop rates, the twin gates attracted top hunters from around the world.
Today was no exception.

"Whoa, look over there! The guild master of Ilsum Guild just showed up!"
"Ilsum? Isn’t that the new guild everyone’s talking about? They’re almost rivaling the Big Three these days. Look at those sharp eyes!"
"And over there! That’s the vice guild master of Muyoung Guild!"

The area near the twin gates was a festival of sorts, bustling with hunters and spectators alike. From the vice guild master of Muyoung, one of the Big Three guilds, to the rising guild master of Ilsum, notable hunters crowded the scene.
Wannabe hunters loitered nearby, hoping to catch the eye of someone influential. The sheer number of people had even drawn food trucks to the park's outskirts, forming a vibrant marketplace.
Amid the bustling scene, the attention of curious onlookers was suddenly drawn elsewhere.

"Huh? Look over there."
"Who’s that? That silhouette is no joke."
A man entered their view.

He was dressed like any ordinary citizen out for exercise—running shoes, track pants, a windbreaker, and a cap pulled low. His outfit was unremarkable.
But his appearance was anything but ordinary.
Nearly 180 cm tall, with flawless, sun-reflecting white skin and strikingly sharp features, he stood out even among the hunters nearby, making them seem like ordinary people in comparison.

He carried no visible equipment, which only added to the mystery.
"Judging by his outfit, he’s probably not a hunter."
"Maybe he’s a model here for a photoshoot?"

"Man, he looks familiar somehow..."
The crowd speculated, assuming he was a celebrity.
Meanwhile, under the growing scrutiny of the crowd, the man, Kang Hyunsoo, adjusted his cap.

‘As expected, I’m attracting attention.’
"There’s no avoiding it. Yeouido Park is one of the hottest spots, and getting into an S-rank dungeon comes with this kind of scrutiny."
Hyunsoo, dressed casually in athletic wear, pulled his cap lower. This was precisely why he hadn’t rushed straight to the hidden piece he was after.

The dungeon’s rank was S, requiring not just one, but both dungeons to be cleared individually. Moreover, the gates were under constant guard, making it impossible to enter without permission.
The presence of two S-rank dungeons meant security was tighter than ever.
As Hyunsoo approached, one of the sentries guarding the gate stepped forward, spear in hand.

"This is an S-rank dungeon. Non-hunters are not permitted entry."
"I’m a mid-tier hunter. I’m here for an S-rank dungeon raid and have already secured the bid."
"How many party members are accompanying you?"

"I’m going in alone."
"Alone...?"
The sentry tilted his head in disbelief. Clearing an S-rank dungeon solo was unheard of.

In his previous life, Hyunsoo had cleared dungeons like this with a party that included Seo Jieun, Choi Taehun, and others. This time, however, things were different.
To claim the hidden piece and achieve growth, he needed to clear the dungeon solo.
That’s why Hyunsoo had come prepared.

"Here’s my dungeon entry permit, issued by Hunter Bureau Chief Go Kyungseok," he said, handing over the document.
Before arriving at Yeouido, he had visited the Hunter Bureau and persuaded Go Kyungseok to issue him a universal dungeon entry permit.
It wasn’t exactly standard procedure, but it hadn’t been particularly difficult, either. Hyunsoo’s victories in the past—saving Samcheon Guild hunters, triumphing in duels, and dismantling Babylon—had earned Go Kyungseok’s trust.

The permit was a privilege few could secure, but for Hyunsoo, it was a straightforward matter.
Even so, the sentry remained skeptical.
"This... this seal is authentic. May I confirm this with the Hunter Bureau?"

"Go ahead."
Hyunsoo handed over the permit, watching calmly as the sentry, eyes wide with surprise, pulled out his phone to contact the bureau.
As the scene unfolded, an unusual energy spread through the crowd.

Whoosh! Whoosh!
The vice guild master of Muyoung Guild, the guild master of Ilsum, and other hunters near the twin gates turned their heads simultaneously, their gazes fixed on Hyunsoo.