The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

There were no shouts or hysterics.
When people are too shocked, they freeze in place — and that’s exactly what happened. Most of the hunters from the Muyoung Guild and Ilsum Guild stood rooted to the spot.

And it wasn’t just the hunters.
“……!!”
Even the civilians and reporters watching from Yeouido Park were wide-eyed, staring in disbelief at the twin gates.

Countless eyes were drawn to Kang Hyunsoo, who stood there in his suit, exuding a calm yet commanding presence.
At this point, most people would have flinched or faltered under the weight of such intense scrutiny.
Step. Step.

But Kang Hyunsoo moved naturally, as if he didn’t care about the attention.
He swept his gaze across the hunters and onlookers before turning toward the Thunder Dungeon adjacent to the Grave Dungeon.
“Ah! W-wait…!”

The dungeon guard didn’t even have time to ask a question.
Kang Hyunsoo walked straight into the portal.
Though the twin dungeon system meant a single approval covered both gates, the guard had hoped to engage Hyunsoo and perhaps squeeze out a hefty bribe. Instead, he was left empty-handed, bewildered by how quickly the moment passed.

In the blink of an eye, the situation unfolded.
The people in Yeouido Park stood with blank expressions, stunned by what they had just witnessed.
It was then that one of the hunters from the Muyoung Guild broke the silence.

“Um… Vice Guild Master? Shouldn’t we be preparing to recruit him?”
“...What?”
“You said it earlier, didn’t you? That if he cleared the Grave Dungeon alone, you’d kneel if necessary to recruit him.”

“D-did I say that…?”
Muyoung Guild’s Vice Guild Master, Gwak Dowon, began to sweat nervously as he tried to feign ignorance.
He remembered boasting earlier.
In his mind, the idea of a mid-tier hunter clearing the Grave Dungeon solo was utterly impossible.

Yet here Hyunsoo was, having done exactly that — a blatant contradiction to Gwak Dowon’s confident claims.
His pride stung bitterly.
Part of him wanted to forget about recruitment entirely and just brush this off.

But that wasn’t an option.
As Muyoung’s Vice Guild Master, he couldn’t afford to let talent like Hyunsoo slip through his fingers.
“Vice Guild Master, it’s confirmed. He’s one of the first hunters to ever clear the Grave Dungeon solo. Shouldn’t we approach him for recruitment as soon as he comes out?”

On top of that, it seemed the Ilsum Guild also had their eyes on Hyunsoo.
Of course, Ilsum Guild’s Guild Master, Shim Wonsik, wasn’t fully convinced yet.
“Our guild has been conducting integrity interviews lately, hasn’t it? Just because someone soloed an S-rank dungeon doesn’t mean they’re automatically a good fit. Teamwork is just as important.”

Ilsum Guild, now rising to prominence and challenging the status of the major guilds, prided itself on its structured approach.
However.
“It’s still worth considering. Whether his solo clear was purely skill or aided by some unknown factors, either way, his presence would benefit us. Plus, there’s the risk of another guild snatching him up.”

“That’s a valid point.”
Despite their reservations, Ilsum Guild remained open to the possibility.
Gwak Dowon noticed Shim Wonsik’s subtle glances in their direction.

Clearly, Shim Wonsik was keeping Muyoung in mind, and the familiar tension between the two guilds resurfaced.
“Vice Guild Master, are you really not going to recruit him?”
“Hah, it’s out of my hands for now since he’s entered the dungeon. But… if he manages to clear the Thunder Dungeon as well….”

Both Gwak Dowon and Shim Wonsik turned their eyes toward the Thunder Gate.
“I’ll handle it personally,” they said in unison.
***

[You have entered an S-Rank Dungeon.]
[Defeat the boss monster to clear the dungeon (0/1).]
The landscape shifted, and a message floated mid-air.
Kang Hyunsoo had stepped into the Thunder Dungeon, which bore the exact same terrain as the Grave Dungeon.

As soon as he entered—
“Wow! Did you see their faces, Master? Haha! They were completely stunned!”
Swallow flapped his wings excitedly, his voice brimming with amusement as he hovered nearby.

After clearing the Grave Dungeon and briefly stepping outside to Yeouido Park, Kang Hyunsoo had reentered through the Thunder Dungeon’s portal. The reactions he left behind—shock and disbelief etched on the faces of hunters and civilians alike—were almost comical.
From hunters to ordinary citizens, regardless of age or gender, everyone had been utterly floored.
Dusting off his suit, Hyunsoo let out a quiet chuckle.
“Well, it makes sense. A mid-tier hunter clearing an S-rank dungeon solo is unheard of.”

He could already imagine the sequence of events.
The moment he had entered the Grave Dungeon, the hunters from the Muyoung and Ilsum Guilds must have interrogated the dungeon guard for information about him.
And shortly after, they likely dismissed him.

They would’ve assumed he wasn’t capable of solo-clearing an S-rank dungeon.
Technically, they weren’t wrong.
Most mid-tier hunters couldn’t even clear a B-rank dungeon alone. Surviving an S-rank dungeon would be considered a miracle.

But.
Kang Hyunsoo wasn’t just any hunter.
In his previous life, he had earned the title Sword Emperor, and in this life, he had the Beauty talent and exclusive hidden pieces in his possession.

Most importantly, he had something others lacked—experience.
Take the boss monster of the Grave Dungeon, the Gravekeeper King Mole. The creature’s combat pattern involved hiding underground for extended periods, making it challenging to land attacks.
Unlike ordinary moles, this boss avoided surfacing and instead spewed flames from underground, leaving little opportunity for direct hits.

Typically, defeating it required a tank to draw its aggro and lure it above ground while the damage dealers attacked.
Hyunsoo, however, completely broke this conventional strategy.
Infiltration.

Rather than waiting for the mole to surface, he had descended directly into the tunnels created by the boss itself.
To the average observer, it was suicidal.
Entering a narrow, dark tunnel alone to face a boss monster was akin to walking into certain death.

But Hyunsoo acted boldly.
While the mole spent most of its time underground, its vulnerability above ground made the actual raid time surprisingly short.
To catch a tiger, you must enter its den.

In his previous life, Hyunsoo had learned this lesson well, and his unorthodox approach had yielded success.
This time was no different.
As soon as the Gravekeeper Mole connected its tunnel to the surface by spewing flames, Hyunsoo plunged underground and confronted it directly.

Caught off guard by this unexpected move, the mole froze for a moment, and Hyunsoo seized the opportunity.
Unleashing Black Spot Explosion, he struck the mole, sending it into a groggy state.
In his past life, even after being hit with Black Spot Explosion, the mole had retaliated fiercely. But thanks to his upgraded weapon, the Flame Sword of Rebirth, the attack left the boss critically weakened this time.

The rest was straightforward.
Fearing additional explosions might collapse the tunnels, Hyunsoo switched to Sky Blade Barrage and slashed relentlessly, ensuring a quick end.
[You have defeated Lv 530. Gravekeeper King Mole of the Abyss.]
[You have gained experience points.]
[Your level has increased!]
[Rewards: Strength +3, Magic Power +2.]

It had taken Hyunsoo only two hours to clear the Grave Dungeon—a speed nearly double that of the typical ten-person raid party.
If he hadn’t spent extra time retrieving the Ancient Tomb Key from the boss’s chamber, he could’ve shaved off another thirty minutes.
Hyunsoo’s current abilities were so extraordinary that they defied conventional metrics like level.

To others, his feats seemed unbelievable.
But Hyunsoo wasn’t concerned with their reactions.
“I’ll enjoy their shocked faces later. For now, let’s focus on finding the hidden piece.”

“Understood, Master!”
Hyunsoo and Swallow began the Thunder Dungeon raid.
As expected from its nickname, "Twin Dungeon," the terrain mirrored the Grave Dungeon: under dark, stormy clouds, countless graves stretched as far as the eye could see.

However—
[Lv 520. Corrupt Thunder Mage]
“Graaaah…”

The monsters were different.
While the Grave Dungeon had been infested with moles, the Thunder Dungeon was populated by skeletons in tattered robes, stationed near the tombs.
Moreover, these monsters attacked from a distance.

“Screeeeech!”
As Hyunsoo approached, one of the Thunder Mages noticed his presence and began chanting from its torn spellbook.
Crackle—! Zzzap—!!

Lightning bolts shot toward him at blinding speed, almost impossible to dodge.
But.
Ping—! Zzzap—!

Hyunsoo remained unharmed.
The moment the lightning reached him—
[You resist the magic.]

The Thunder Mage’s attack veered off course, neutralized by his high magic resistance.
This was thanks to the exceptional hidden pieces Hyunsoo had equipped: the Golden Trust Bracelet, the Radiant Sun God’s Necklace, and the Spatial Mage’s Ring. Each of these artifacts significantly boosted his magic resistance, rendering even S-rank monsters’ spells ineffective.
“Wow, Master, with resistance like that, you don’t even need to dodge!”

“Exactly. Let’s pick up the pace.”
Kang Hyunsoo smirked at Swallow’s comment and kicked off the ground with explosive force.
Then—

[Activate]
[Berserker’s Secret Skill: Rampage (B)]
“Graaaah!!”
His pupils turned crimson as he charged recklessly toward the Thunder Mage.

Since the monster’s attacks were ineffective against him, there was no reason to hesitate.
The strategy worked perfectly.
“Kr-Kraaaah…!?”

The Thunder Mage desperately hurled bolts of lightning at Hyunsoo, but every single one was deflected, scorching only the ground around him.
[Activate]
[Berserker’s Secret Skill: Explosive Blade (A)]
Boom!

[You have defeated Lv 520. Corrupt Thunder Mage.]
[You have gained experience points.]
[Your level has increased!]
[Rewards: Agility +2, Vitality +3.]
Swinging his dual blades furiously, Hyunsoo unleashed a devastating attack, causing the S-rank monster to explode into fragments.
After that—

Bang! Crash! BOOM!
Hyunsoo tore through the cemetery, hunting down the remaining monsters.
Unlike in the Grave Dungeon, where he had used the moles to dig up the ground, the Thunder Dungeon’s monsters lacked such abilities, so he systematically wiped them out as he advanced.

Gradually, as he eliminated one monster after another—
“Over here, Master!”
Swallow’s voice directed him to an open field devoid of graves.

Hyunsoo deactivated his Rampage skill and surveyed the area.
This was the same spot he had dug up in the Grave Dungeon using the moles. But this time, he would have to do it himself.
“Alright, let’s get started.”

Hyunsoo stretched briefly, loosening his muscles, before stabbing his dual blades into the ground.
[Activate]
[Black Spot Explosion (SS)]
He unleashed the explosion skill he had been saving.

BOOOOOOM!
The earth trembled violently as a pillar of dirt shot into the sky, leaving behind a massive crater large enough to fit at least a hundred coffins.
However—

“Hmm, I think we need to dig deeper, Master.”
“Damn it, looks like this isn’t enough.”
The hidden piece was nowhere in sight.

Brushing dirt off his shoulder, Hyunsoo resumed the excavation.
With Black Spot Explosion on cooldown, he used Rampage and Explosive Blade to hack away at the ground relentlessly.
[Your clothes are covered in too much dirt.]
[This does not match your fashion style.]
[Appearance Power -1.]

Hyunsoo’s intense digging left him covered head to toe in dirt, enough to lower his Appearance Power.
Channeling his inner mole, Hyunsoo dug for what felt like an eternity, but—
“Damn it! Why isn’t it showing up?”

“Hmm, the location seems correct, but…”
The hidden piece remained elusive. Despite the size of the object being larger than the key from the Grave Dungeon, making it theoretically easier to spot, nothing had appeared.
At that moment, Swallow proposed a theory.

“Maybe the explosion drove it even deeper underground?”
“…Hah. I brought it just in case, but I didn’t think I’d actually have to use it.”
Sighing, Hyunsoo activated his Quick Outfit Change skill.

In an instant, his suit transformed into a training outfit, and his dual blades were replaced with a shovel.
“Just ten minutes. I’ll give it ten minutes.”
[Your fashion is now suited for a dirt-covered environment.]
[Appearance Power +1.]

Glancing at the floating message, Hyunsoo began to dig.
A mid-tier hunter’s version of high-speed shoveling commenced. Without a single pause, Hyunsoo relentlessly scooped dirt and tossed it aside.
The effort was so intense that the sharp edge of the shovel had worn down to a blunt curve within ten minutes.

Then, just as beads of sweat formed on Hyunsoo’s forehead, lowering his Appearance Power by 1—
Thunk!
The shovel struck something solid. Finally—

[Ancient Tomb’s Chest]
[Grade: Mythical]
[A chest sealed in ancient times.]
[Warning: Its contents are unknown.]
The chest containing the hidden piece emerged from the dirt.