The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

The penthouse offered a stunning view of Seoul’s skyline, but its interior told a different story.
Crash! Bang! Smash!

“Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!!”
The air was filled with the sound of shattering objects. Kyle, his arm bandaged from the earlier fight, was wreaking havoc.
He destroyed everything in sight—tables, sofas, chairs, plates, liquor bottles, and even the refrigerator. Despite the luxury and durability of the items, Kyle’s frustration spared nothing.

Tremble, tremble…
Building staff stood nervously at the entrance, unable to intervene.
Kyle had returned to his penthouse after a brief treatment following his loss in the finals of the Greatest Swordsmanship Tournament. But unable to contain his rage, he had begun this destructive tirade.

For someone known as a strong and noble hero, this outburst was a stark contrast.
The loss had shaken Kyle to his core.
Kyle was not just any hunter; he was America’s representative hunter, hailed as a hero who had saved humanity.

Adulation followed his every step, and a red carpet always seemed to await him. He had lived a life free of defeat—until now.
This time, he had fallen hard.
And worse, it had happened during a globally broadcast tournament, against an obscure hunter from Korea.

Why couldn’t the Sin of Envy replicate his skills? What’s the reason? Is he really stronger than me? What kind of item does he have…?
The questions gnawed at him, one after another.
The more he replayed the match in his head, the more suffocated he felt. The destruction around him escalated, as if he were trying to crush his own doubts along with the furniture.

If he lost control of his strength entirely, the entire penthouse could collapse.
But before that could happen—
Thud!

“Stop.”
Kyle froze as Iron approached, gripping his wrist just as he was about to hurl a vase at the window.
“Let go of me…!”
“Destroying this place won’t change anything. Face reality, Kyle.”

“Face reality? And then what? Huh?!”
Kyle growled through gritted teeth, but Iron replied calmly, “What if I told you I’ve uncovered Kang Hyunsoo’s secret? Would that change nothing?”
Kyle paused at the mention of Hyunsoo’s secret, lowering the vase.

Iron gestured to the frightened staff, signaling them to leave.
“…You’ve found out Kang Hyunsoo’s secret?”
“I’m still piecing things together, but look at this.”

Iron held out his phone, showing Kyle something obtained from U.S. intelligence.
“This is Kang Hyunsoo’s hunter license from a year ago.”
“A year ago? What does that matter…?” Kyle began to scoff but stopped when he saw the document.

The hunter license was bizarre.
Kyle squinted at the photo and name on the screen.
“This is supposed to be Kang Hyunsoo’s license?”

“Yes, from just one year ago.”
[Korean Hunter License]
Name: Kang Hyunsoo
Rank: Lowest Tier
A lowest-tier hunter.

It hadn’t been long since then, yet he had grown strong enough to defeat Kyle. That level of progress should have been impossible.
But that wasn’t the only oddity.
“This doesn’t even look like him. Is this really Kang Hyunsoo?”

The face on the license was entirely different.
It resembled something beastly—like an orc or a gorilla. Comparing it to Hyunsoo’s current appearance was like comparing night and day.
“Did he get plastic surgery?”

“Even with surgery, this level of change is impossible in such a short time.”
“Then how…”
“Don’t you remember?” Iron cut in.

“During the final moments of the match, his appearance changed. It’s a huge topic online right now.”
Iron swiped his phone, replaying a video of Hyunsoo’s final battle against Kyle. He paused at the moment when Hyunsoo’s appearance shifted—when his features became even more striking during the match’s climax.
It wasn’t merely attractive; it was something transcendent, almost divine.

At first, Kyle had thought it was a camera distortion or some other trick. But after watching the footage repeatedly, he knew it was real.
“Transformation magic? Disguise techniques?” Kyle muttered, his mind racing.
Iron shook his head. “It doesn’t seem like that. My theory is…”

“The Sin of Lust.”
“…!!”
Iron voiced his hypothesis: that Kang Hyunsoo was the successor to the Sin of Lust.

“It’s not confirmed, but it fits. The sudden change in appearance, the inability of the Sin of Envy to replicate his skills, and even Babylon’s downfall—it all ties together if he’s inherited the Sin of Lust.”
“Now that you mention it…”
Kyle finally found a lead to cling to.

While losing the match had been infuriating, the lack of explanation was what angered him most.
Even if a skill was complex or magical, the Sin of Envy had always been able to replicate or counter it. For example, if an opponent used transformation magic, Envy might not copy the exact skill but would imbue Kyle’s sword with the power to cancel it.
But this time, nothing happened.

Neither Hyunsoo’s petal-like swordsmanship nor his clones were copied.
“For now, we need to investigate further,” Iron concluded. “But the possibility of him being the successor to Lust is high.”
Kyle chuckled lowly. “So, that bastard inherited the Sin of Lust?”

His laughter grew darker, his eyes glinting with malice as he gazed out the window.
“Fine. Let’s prepare thoroughly. I’ll take his head… piece by piece.”
***

“Phew…”
Steam wafted through the bathroom as Kang Hyunsoo lay soaking in the warm water of the tub, letting his exhaustion melt away.
It had been a long time since he had such a moment to himself.

During the tournament, he had pushed efficiency to its limits, leaving no room for leisure. And after his victory, Jin Seoyun had dragged him to a celebratory dinner, robbing him of any chance to rest.
Now, finally, he had time to himself.
After a while, Hyunsoo finished his bath and stepped out, feeling refreshed.

[You have completed the Beauty Daily Quests.]
Wash Hair (1/1)
Brush Teeth (1/1)
Take a Shower (1/1)
[Reward: Charm +1]
The message popped up in front of him.
“Hmph, the rewards are getting stingier,” Hyunsoo muttered.

Since acquiring the Beauty Talent, he hadn’t missed a single day of completing his daily quests. But the rewards had steadily diminished over time. Now, they were down to just +1 Charm.
“At this rate, there won’t be any rewards left…”
As Hyunsoo dried his hair with a towel, visibly disgruntled, Swallow, perched on the table, offered his two cents.

“The rewards are modest because you’ve become so refined, Master,” Swallow quipped.
“You’re saying it’s because I’ve gotten better-looking?”
“Exactly. It’s like cleaning—there’s less to clean the tidier a space becomes. Moving from mid-tier to high-tier is challenging, but the leap from high-tier to top-tier is even harder. Your appearance has reached such a refined state that basic tasks yield little benefit.”

“…So, what you’re saying is that I used to be so ugly and messy that there was more to improve on, but now there isn’t?”
“You’ve grasped the essence perfectly.”
Swish! Flap!

Hyunsoo lunged at Swallow, but the bird effortlessly fluttered up to the ceiling.
One of these days, I’ll deal with that beak of his, Hyunsoo thought, clicking his tongue as he got dressed.
Although he grumbled, he didn’t seem too bothered. The daily quest rewards no longer mattered much.

What mattered now were the Absolute Beauty Quests.
[Divine Quest]
Path to Divinity (0/3)
Path 1: Complete the Sin of Lust (70%)
Path 2: Collect the Shards of Beauty (33%)
Path 3: Pass the Altar’s Trial (0%)
With the first quest 70% complete, Hyunsoo was steadily progressing. And if the rewards fell short, he could always make up for them through other means.

Returning to the living room, Hyunsoo opened the plastic box he’d placed on the table earlier.
“Oho, are you planning to use it already?” Swallow asked.
“Yeah. No point in hoarding it—it’ll just go to waste.”

Inside was the prize from the Greatest Swordsmanship Tournament: the mythical-grade Lost Swordsmanship Manual.
Until now, he hadn’t had the time or privacy to use it. But now, he did.
Hyunsoo picked up the ancient-looking book and activated it without hesitation.

Whoosh!
Light burst from the book.
[You are using the Lost Mythical Swordsmanship Manual.]
[You will acquire the Lost Mythical Swordsmanship.]

“Alright, let’s see what kind of swordsmanship this is,” Hyunsoo muttered, a smile creeping onto his face.
As a Sword Sovereign, he was both curious and excited to discover what a mythical-grade item could offer.
But just as he eagerly awaited the results, something unexpected happened.

[To ensure accurate acquisition, training will begin.]
[A portal is being generated.]
Whoosh!
Instead of simply absorbing the knowledge, the light morphed into a portal that materialized in mid-air.

“What the…? Whoa!”
“M-Master! What’s happening?!”
Hyunsoo was abruptly sucked into the portal.

Swallow tried to grab him with his wings, flapping desperately, but it was futile.
Hyunsoo disappeared entirely into the portal, leaving Swallow flapping helplessly in the empty room.