The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

“In my previous life, my opponent in the second preliminary round was Kyle.”

Kang Hyunsoo briefly recalled the events of his past life as he stood before the lottery box.
Placing his hand inside, he carefully rolled the balls around before selecting one. The drawn number was D-18.
"Kyle Dusk, D-18."
In his previous life, the opponent he had most wanted to avoid had been Kyle, and fate had placed them in the same group. They had fought an intense battle during the second round of preliminaries, but Hyunsoo had ultimately lost.

Considering Kyle’s true identity, losing back then was inevitable.
But the memory of that defeat had stung deeply.
Since that moment, Hyunsoo had poured all his effort into surpassing Kyle, dedicating himself entirely to swordsmanship.

Logically speaking, there was no need to avoid Kyle. If Hyunsoo intended to win the tournament, he would eventually have to defeat him.
However...
“Not yet. I still need more time.”

Delaying a confrontation with such a challenging opponent would give Hyunsoo more time to grow. There were about two weeks left until the finals, and if he used that time to train and complete quests, he could become significantly stronger.
Kyle wouldn’t be idling during that time either, but considering his own rate of growth before regression, Hyunsoo was confident he could surpass himself.
This made today’s draw particularly important.

"Master, you must draw carefully. Focus on the sensations in your fingertips."
Even Swallow, who was discreetly perched nearby, emphasized the gravity of the situation.
“Place your hand in the box and select a ball,” the chief overseer instructed.
Following the guidance, Hyunsoo inserted his right hand into the hole in the box.

And then—
Don’t shuffle the balls.
Twisting his hand awkwardly toward the two o’clock position, he reached for the farthest ball.

The reason was simple.
In his past life, he had shuffled the balls before picking one. Now, without knowing what lay inside the box, he chose to act contrary to his previous actions.
I need to minimize the odds.
Even with past experience, random draws like this couldn’t be entirely controlled. All Hyunsoo could do was act as differently as possible from his past self.

By not shuffling and reaching at an angle he would have never used in his previous life, he finally selected a ball.
“C-6.”
It was a number different from his past life.

Handing the ball to the chief overseer, Hyunsoo returned to his seat with a calm expression. Despite achieving his desired result, he couldn’t relax just yet.
One more hurdle remained.
“Participant #12, Kyle Dusk. Please step forward and select your number.”

After three other hunters had drawn their numbers, Kyle’s name was called.
With unwavering confidence, Kyle strode to the lottery box. Without hesitation, he plunged his hand into the box, drew a ball, and checked the number.
Then, with a faint smile, he said, “Number 6.”

“...!!”
Hyunsoo’s eyes widened in shock.
In his past life, Kyle’s number had been 18. There was no mistake. It was such a distinctive number that Hyunsoo remembered it clearly.

But this time, it was 6.
Hyunsoo’s mind raced.
Did my draw influence this change? By not shuffling and acting differently, did I alter the outcome?

"It’s highly likely, Master. If only we could compare the other numbers drawn earlier… but I can’t recall those."
Even Swallow’s guidance offered little clarity.
The second round was scheduled for tomorrow. Should Hyunsoo focus on maximizing his growth by then? Or should he prioritize obtaining the hidden piece from the SS-grade dungeon? That dungeon would take over a week to clear...
As Hyunsoo’s thoughts grew increasingly chaotic, the chief overseer examined Kyle’s ball and announced, “D-6. Please return to your seat.”

“...!!”
D-6.
Fortunately, Kyle was in a different group.

Though their numbers matched, Hyunsoo was in Group C, while Kyle was in Group D. They wouldn’t face each other during the preliminary rounds.
"Oh, congratulations, Master! Things turned out just as you hoped!"
Swallow chimed in cheerfully. Hyunsoo let out a sigh of relief.
What could have been the worst-case scenario had turned into the best possible outcome. If they had been in the same group, the tournament’s structure, which held matches within the same venue through the fourth round, would have guaranteed an early clash.

But with them in separate groups, Hyunsoo was spared the immediate encounter.
Unintentionally, something else had changed.
That night, after the group draw concluded:

└ “Whoa, it’s true!”
└ “He’s on a completely different level. You can’t miss him.”
└ “Name’s Kang Hyunsoo.”
└ “Wait, Kang Hyunsoo? Isn’t he the hunter who won the Jaewon University Rookie Tournament? I think I saw him in the tournament footage.”
└ “Yeah, but he looks way better now. His build and dual swords are the same, though.”
└ “What the...? Did he get plastic surgery or something?”
Online discussions exploded once people connected the Yeouido Hunter with Kang Hyunsoo, piecing together his past achievements and new appearance.

Meanwhile, under the shadow of a dim streetlamp in Seoul...
“Interesting. So, his name is… Kang Hyunsoo?”
A mysterious figure, their face obscured, smirked as they gazed at the text and photos displayed on their phone.

***
After his regression, Kang Hyunsoo often pondered this question:
Does changing your appearance truly change your life?

Swallow was always quick to emphasize the greatness of beauty’s power, and Hyunsoo couldn’t deny the difference in how people now reacted to him. Yet, he still wondered how fundamentally things could change.
Of course, many things had changed.
He had formed connections with people like Jin Seoyun, Yoo Hana, Choi Jiwoo, and Do Minjung—individuals he hadn’t even spoken to in his previous life. His growth rate had also drastically increased. However, this was largely due to leveraging his knowledge from before his regression.

Not everything was the result of his improved appearance alone.
This time, however, he witnessed undeniable proof.
“Huh… This really became such a big deal.”

Looking at his phone screen, filled with articles and posts about him, Hyunsoo let out a hollow laugh.
Community forums, social media, even news outlets were plastered with his tournament footage and photos.
He had expected some noise. After all, he had cleared the Twin Gates simultaneously and rejected a major guild’s offer in front of countless witnesses.

But he hadn’t expected this level of attention.
In his past life, Hyunsoo had also won the first round of the Swordsmanship Tournament and even claimed victory at the Rookie Hunter Selection Tournament.
Yet, neither event had garnered much attention.

In fact, they hadn’t even been mentioned.
It wasn’t until he cleared an SS-grade dungeon and solved numerous unresolved cases that he became well-known. Back then, during this phase of his life, public interest had been almost nonexistent.
The only difference now was his appearance. And the public’s response had completely changed.

The value he had once placed at the very bottom was now wielding enormous influence.
Though a faint bitterness lingered, he didn’t find it entirely unpleasant.
Most of the comments on the posts were compliments, after all.

“Congratulations on passing the first round, hyung!”
“You’ve become such a hot topic! Don’t forget about us when you’re famous, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo!”
“Wow, Hyunsoo-oppa! Are you going to start shooting commercials now?”

The congratulations poured in from those around him.
At the Yangjae Station training ground’s private room, applause erupted.
Jin Seoyun, Han Sungbin, Yoo Hana, and the other colleagues he had been training with were all celebrating Hyunsoo’s newfound fame.

For hunters, becoming well-known meant easier entry into guilds or parties, as well as additional income from advertisements.
Still, Hyunsoo couldn’t help but recall the inconveniences fame had brought in his past life. Back then, it had often been more trouble than it was worth.
Even so, there was no need to reject his colleagues’ kind gestures.

“Thank you. And congratulations to all of you for passing the first round as well.”
With a faint smile, Hyunsoo returned their congratulations.
He wasn’t the only one to make it through the first round.

Although Yoo Hana hadn’t participated, Jin Seoyun and Han Sungbin had both competed at the Goyang Sports Complex and emerged victorious.
Their shared training sessions had paid off.
He was glad for Jin Seoyun, but Han Sungbin’s success was particularly satisfying. Sungbin had overcome the hardships of his past life and was growing magnificently.

There was another person to congratulate.
As Hyunsoo and his colleagues shared their joy, the door clicked open.
“Ah, this is the right place. Hello, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo. Nice to meet you all.”

It was Choi Jiwoo.
The Hunter Bureau’s star had arrived at the special training room.
“Jiwoo-unni! Welcome!”

“Thank you for coming, Hunter Choi Jiwoo.”
Hyunsoo shook hands with her and greeted her warmly.
Her purpose was simple.

“As I mentioned before, I passed the first round and came here to train with you.”
“Yes, we’ve been waiting for you. I was confident you’d make it through, Hunter Choi Jiwoo.”
Hyunsoo and Jiwoo had made a pact to train together after the first round during her previous visit to his lodging. At the time, her schedule had been packed, so she couldn’t join earlier.

Now, her timing was perfect.
[Swordsmanship Quest 26]
Objective:
Train with other awakened individuals who possess swordsmanship talent for 100 hours (0/100).

Note:
The total time decreases proportionally with the number of participants.
This quest was designed to benefit from having as many skilled swordsmen as possible.
“Well then, let’s all work hard and make it through the second round!”

“Yes, let’s do it, hyung!”
“I’m not going to hold back anymore, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo!”
“I just learned a stamina boost and fatigue recovery skill! I’ll buff everyone!”

The room filled with cheers and enthusiasm.
With a small smile, Hyunsoo joined his comrades in their intense training session.