The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

“Oho! It’s here, Master!”

From within the pile of dirt, a wooden chest peeked out.
Though the entire chest wasn’t fully unearthed, Swallow flapped his wings excitedly as soon as the lid became visible.
Kang Hyunsoo wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, letting out a sigh of relief.

The Ancient Tomb Chest was found, which meant the hidden piece was as good as his.
But it wasn’t over just yet.
“Phew, just one more step to go.”

There was still a final hurdle to overcome.
The seal had to be broken.
Inserting the key into the chest would trigger Thunder Magic, unleashing a barrage of lightning bolts. Only by enduring the onslaught could the seal be broken.

If he failed to endure it and let go, the thunder magic would reset, forcing him to start all over again.
In his previous life, this was the moment when Choi Taehun had stolen the hidden piece from him.
While Hyunsoo was paralyzed by the lightning barrage, Choi Taehun had pretended to help him.

-“Let me help you, Hyunsoo!”
Feigning concern, Taehun had opened the chest and taken the hidden piece for himself.
It was a perfect betrayal.

The hidden pieces had a unique characteristic: they could only be owned and used by their first discoverer. The Ancient Tomb Chest Hyunsoo had stumbled upon while fleeing the Grave Dungeon ended up becoming Choi Taehun’s prize.
But things were different in this life.
Choi Taehun was no longer in the picture.

This time, when Hyunsoo inserted the key into the chest and turned it—
Crackle! Zzzzap! Bzzzt!
[You resist the magic.]
The lightning bolts fizzled out almost immediately.

Unlike in his past life, Hyunsoo’s magic resistance was now incredibly high, rendering the paralysis effect useless.
“What? That was too easy! Do you think the hidden piece might not be inside after all?” Swallow speculated, disappointed by the lack of difficulty.
“…No way.”

Even Hyunsoo felt a twinge of anxiety.
Swallow’s point wasn’t entirely unfounded.
Hidden pieces typically came with a proportional level of challenge to justify their rewards.

Creak!
Hyunsoo swallowed nervously and opened the chest.
The hot air, superheated by the lightning, escaped with a hiss.

Inside, a sword lay in the center of the chest, gleaming with a menacing aura.
[Abyssal Thunder Sword]
Grade: Mythical
Effect: Attack Power +950
Skills:
Thunderstorm (SS)
Thunder Slash (A)
Traits:
Electrification (A)
Relic Excavation (B)
Owner: None
Description: A sword imbued with the power of thunder. Lightning attack and resistance increased by +50%.
“Oh! It’s the Thunder Sword! Congratulations, Master!”

The hidden piece was indeed present, dispelling their earlier doubts.
Under Swallow’s praise, Hyunsoo picked up the sword from the chest.
The dark blue blade, the lightning-like raised guard, and the jet-black hilt—all of it matched exactly what he remembered from his previous life.

However—
“…Choi Taehun was an absolute bastard.”
Upon closely examining the sword’s traits, Hyunsoo muttered a curse under his breath.

[Trait: Relic Excavation (B) - Originally an ego sword, but its consciousness and intellect have faded over time. The weapon is tied to its first owner, allowing only the discoverer to use its full effects. Additionally, the owner may designate one shared user to grant access to its abilities and traits.]
The sword’s Relic Excavation trait was different from what he’d been told in his past life.
Items with ownership properties revealed their full details only to their rightful owner. Without ownership, one could only rely on what the current owner shared.

In his past life, Choi Taehun had claimed that the Thunder Sword could only be used by its first owner.
He had pretended to apologize to Hyunsoo, saying the sword was now bound to him and therefore unusable by anyone else.
But the truth was different.

As the owner, Choi Taehun could have designated Hyunsoo as a shared user at any time, granting him access to the sword’s abilities and traits.
The hidden piece could have been shared if Taehun had wanted to.
“Turns out he was even more of a scumbag than I thought.”

“I’m starting to think killing him early was too merciful.”
Although there was no point dwelling on it now, Hyunsoo couldn’t suppress the simmering anger in his chest.
Just as he was fuming over the deceit of his past life—

Boom! Crash! RUMBLE!
“Kurrrraah…!!”
[Lv 540. Abyssal Corrupt Thunder Dragon]

From the pitch-black sky, thunder and lightning erupted, revealing an undead dragon with rotting flesh flying toward him.
The creature was the dungeon’s final boss: the Corrupt Thunder Dragon.
Normally, it wouldn’t leave its designated area near the Gravekeeper Mole’s lair. However, as soon as Hyunsoo claimed the hidden piece, it seemed to have sensed the theft and flown here in a rage.

This wasn’t the first time he’d experienced this phenomenon.
Swallow, recalling the same event from their past life, spoke up as the massive dragon approached.
“Well, here we go again. Think you can handle it, Master? That thing’s definitely stronger than the King Mole.”

The Corrupt Thunder Dragon was not only airborne but also ten levels higher than the Grave Dungeon’s boss, making it significantly more dangerous.
But for Hyunsoo—
“Good timing. I’m pissed as hell right now.”

It was a perfect target to vent his frustrations.
And an ideal opportunity to test the Thunder Sword for the first time.
Though he was familiar with the weapon’s abilities from watching Choi Taehun use it repeatedly in his past life, this would be his first time wielding it personally.

At that moment—
“GRAAAAAAH!!”
The Thunder Dragon roared, opening its maw to unleash a breath attack from afar.

Crack! Zzzzap!
A mix of blue flames and lightning surged toward Hyunsoo, its devastating power evident at a glance.
Even with the Trust Armor, it would be difficult to withstand the attack. Dodging would have been the safer option.

But Hyunsoo didn’t move.
Instead—
Step.

He took a step forward.
“Haaaaah…!!”
Pointing the Thunder Sword at the airborne boss, Hyunsoo activated its power.

Crackle! ZZZAP!
[Activate]
[Skill: Thunder Slash (A) - Forms a barrage of electricity at the tip of the blade and fires it in a straight line. Mana Cost: 500.]
Electricity gathered at the tip of the Thunder Sword, launching forward in a concentrated beam.

BOOOOM!!
The beam collided head-on with the dragon’s breath, creating a massive explosion.
With the deafening sound, the boss monster’s initial attack was completely nullified.

“KRRAAAAK!!”
Furious at seeing its breath attack fail, the Corrupt Thunder Dragon raised its head and let out a piercing roar.
The thundercloud-filled sky above began to glow ominously.

BOOM! CRACKLE! KRAKABOOM!
Dozens of lightning strikes rained down on the ground where Kang Hyunsoo stood.
From the air, Swallow let out a startled cry.

“What?! It’s using that skill already?!”
The skill, Lightning Rain, was the Thunder Dragon’s ultimate move, typically reserved for when it was on the brink of death.
But something had changed in its pattern—perhaps enraged by its failed initial attack, the dragon had unleashed its strongest skill immediately.

The destructive power was staggering.
Kang Hyunsoo fired another Thunder Slash, but the sheer number of lightning strikes overwhelmed his counterattack, with several bolts slamming directly into him.
BOOM!!

“M-Master…!!”
Swallow darted frantically through the air, panicked by the ferocity of the impact.
But—

“I’m fine. Not a scratch.”
Despite taking the brunt of Lightning Rain head-on, Hyunsoo stood firm, completely unscathed.
The reason was simple.

The Thunder Sword provided significant resistance to electric attacks, and—
[Trait: Electrification (A) - As the wielder moves, the Thunder Sword charges with electricity. It can also absorb external electrical sources to recharge. Charged electricity can be released at will during attacks.]
[Electric Charge: 100%]
A portion of the lightning strikes had been absorbed by the sword’s Electrification trait.

In a way, the attack had worked to Hyunsoo’s advantage.
The sword, which had been at 0% charge moments ago, was now fully charged, ready to unleash its maximum destructive potential.
“Are you done yet? Because now it’s my turn.”

Hyunsoo lowered his stance, aiming the Thunder Sword at the airborne dragon.
At that moment—
BOOM! RUMBLE! KRAKABOOM!

Thunder roared through the darkened skies once again.
[Activate]
[Skill: Thunderstorm (SS) - Summons a concentrated barrage of lightning bolts to strike a designated area. Mana Cost: 1,000.]
This time, it was the Thunder Dragon’s turn to face a deluge of lightning, targeted directly above its head.

BOOOOOM!!!
The air itself trembled as the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the sky.
The dragon, true to its nature as a creature of thunder, managed to generate a protective barrier to endure the attack. However—

“KRRRUK…! KAHRRR…”
THUD!!
Moments later, the dragon crashed to the ground, smoke trailing from its body like a charred roast.

The Corrupt Thunder Dragon had a unique trait—after using its ultimate skill, it would exhaust its energy and become vulnerable to follow-up attacks. This time, the damage it sustained was so severe that it fell into an unconscious state upon hitting the ground.
With the dragon grounded and motionless, there was no need for long-range attacks anymore.
“Perfect. Time to blow off some steam properly.”

“Let me join in, Master!”
Lifting his dual blades, Hyunsoo charged toward the dungeon boss alongside Swallow, ready to finish the fight.
***

“Do you really think he’ll clear the Thunder Dungeon? Is that even possible?”
“He cleared the Grave Dungeon, didn’t he? Why wouldn’t he? Sure, the Thunder Dungeon is more difficult, but the terrain is identical, and the only real difference is that the boss is about ten levels higher.”
“Oh, come on, that’s a huge difference! Plus, the Thunder Dragon flies. Without long-range skills, it’s nearly impossible to defeat.”

“It comes down to the ground when it’s exhausted after using its skills, right? That’s when you attack it. That’s how most people clear it.”
In the center of Yeouido Park, a heated debate was underway.
Ever since Kang Hyunsoo entered the Thunder Dungeon after clearing the Grave Dungeon, speculation about whether he could clear it had run rampant.

The discussion wasn’t limited to hunters—it extended to ordinary civilians as well. In fact, betting rings had popped up around the twin gates.
With no consensus on whether Hyunsoo would succeed, the onlookers had turned their pride into wagers.
The betting odds stood at 3 to 7.

Only 30% of participants bet on Hyunsoo clearing the Thunder Dungeon. And even that was relatively optimistic.
After all, even though he had cleared the Grave Dungeon solo, the Thunder Dungeon was considered significantly harder.
Most hunters specialized in one particular type of dungeon. Excelling in the Grave Dungeon didn’t guarantee success in the Thunder Dungeon.

This was precisely why major guilds carefully selected party members for raids.
The 30% who bet on Hyunsoo mostly did so out of admiration or wishful thinking rather than genuine confidence in his abilities.
The general expectation, both among the public and among the hunters from the Muyoung and Ilsum Guilds, was that he wouldn’t succeed.

“Hm… How long has it been since he went in? A little over an hour?”
“Should we ask the Guild Master if we can clear a B-rank dungeon while we wait? It’d be more productive.”
“A raid? What if he comes out while we’re gone? We need to recruit him immediately.”

“So what? There’s no way he clears it in under an hour. It took him nearly two hours for the Grave Dungeon. Besides, there’s a B-rank dungeon nearby. We could probably clear it faster than he clears the Thunder Dungeon.”
“What’s going on over there? Are they about to start a raid? Maybe we should grab lunch or something. Seems like we’ve got time.”
In front of the twin gates, the hunters from the Muyoung and Ilsum Guilds had concluded that Hyunsoo wouldn’t clear the Thunder Dungeon quickly. They decided to kill time by handling other tasks.

But just as some hunters were about to get permission from their guild masters, something unexpected happened.
WHOOOOOOM—!!
A sudden flash of light burst from the previously quiet Thunder Dungeon portal.

Step. Step.
A single figure emerged from the portal.
And when they realized who it was—

“……?!”
“……!!”
The crowd fell into stunned silence.

It was Kang Hyunsoo.
The man they had deemed incapable of clearing the dungeon so quickly was walking out, dressed impeccably in his suit, looking completely composed.