The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Flash!

Thud! Thud! Roll—
“Ugh…!!”
Dizzying motion.

Kang Hyunsoo tumbled across the ground before quickly steadying himself and drawing his twin swords.
He had used the swordsmanship manual, but instead of directly acquiring its techniques, a portal had suddenly materialized and dragged him in.
For a moment, he thought he’d fallen into a trap, but it didn’t seem to be the case.

There was no immediate threat nearby, and the message that appeared confirmed his situation:
[Swordsmanship Training]
Use the lost swordsmanship to defeat the mythical giants (0/1).
This was a space designed specifically for swordsmanship training.

“Phew, so it’s like the Sword Sovereign quest—a solitary training ground,” Hyunsoo muttered.
Though the sudden development caught him off guard, his past-life experience allowed him to grasp the situation quickly.
This wasn’t an ordinary dungeon. The messages and mechanics were different.

[Summoning Prohibited Zone]
[The Beautiful Companion cannot be summoned.]
[An unknown force is blocking communication.]
Swallow, his usual sarcastic companion, was unavailable here.
Still, Hyunsoo wasn’t overly concerned.

If Kyle had passed this trial in his previous life, there was no reason for him to falter.
There’s nothing to fear. With my current strength, I could take down even an SS-ranked dungeon boss.
With his hidden pieces, skills, and level, he was confident in his abilities.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, thunder and lightning erupted above the ruins of a temple in the distance.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Massive figures began to approach, shaking the very ground with each step.

Hyunsoo raised his twin swords, ready for battle, but what he saw left him momentarily speechless.
[Gigantes]
[...]
[Gigantes]
The towering giants advancing toward him had no visible levels.

This phenomenon was something Hyunsoo had only encountered once before—with the Sword Sovereign Elder. That elder had been the strongest swordsman Hyunsoo had ever met, and now, there were seven of these giants, all clad in impenetrable armor.
“Damn…!!”
【Activate】

[Thunderstorm Slash (SS)]
[Lightning Sever (A)]
Crackle! BOOM!
Hyunsoo unleashed a preemptive strike, slashing with his lightning-infused swords.
【Activate】

[Divine Beast Summon (SSS)]
A portal opened, releasing a blazing dragon that roared as it breathed fire across the ground.
The flames engulfed the battlefield, creating towering infernos and molten pools of lava.
But…

Thud! Thud! Thud!
The giants continued advancing, undeterred by the dragon’s breath.
“Che, this isn’t going to be easy,” Hyunsoo muttered.

Though parts of their armor melted, the damage wasn’t significant. Neither the flames nor his lightning-infused swordsmanship had dealt critical blows.
【Activate】
[Bloom (SS)]
Using the Bloom skill to amplify his strength, Hyunsoo resolved to adapt his strategy.

These Gigantes were as formidable as—or perhaps even stronger than—the Sword Sovereign Elder. He needed to rely on every advantage.
‘First, I’ll try to halt their movements.’
Hyunsoo dashed forward and activated a skill designed to exploit their vulnerability.

【Activate】
[Charm (D)]
Charm was a skill meant to momentarily disrupt the opponent’s thoughts, giving Hyunsoo an opening to strike.
But something unexpected happened.

Clink. Clank.
The Gigantes stopped moving entirely.
“Huh…?”

Hyunsoo lowered his swords slightly, puzzled.
The giants weren’t just slowing down—they seemed to have completely dropped their hostile intent. One by one, they knelt before him, as though paying respect.
Are they… captivated by me?

It was an absurd notion, yet the skill’s description came to mind:
[Charm (D) - Seduce the target. Targets with a lower Charm stat than the user will experience temporary mental disruption.]
Even as Hyunsoo struck one of them with his flame sword, shattering a piece of its armor, the giant didn’t retaliate. Instead, they all stood and began mimicking his movements.

“You’re… teaching me?”
The Gigantes nodded in unison.
Suddenly, the training ground shifted from a battlefield to an impromptu classroom. Hyunsoo now had several gigantic, indestructible swordsmanship instructors.

***
“Master! Please wait for me! I’ll follow you right away!!”
In the living room of the dormitory, Swallow made a dramatic declaration as he shot toward the portal that had sucked Kang Hyunsoo inside.

His determination was fierce, as though he could break through a wall if necessary.
But his resolve lasted only a moment.
Thud!

“Oof!”
Swallow collided with the portal and fell to the floor in a heap.
No matter how many times he tried, he couldn’t enter the portal.

Master, can you hear me? Master?
Even communication was blocked.
Swallow adjusted his sunglasses and picked himself up. While his summoning link remained intact, indicating Hyunsoo was safe, it didn’t ease his anxiety.
Just as he prepared to attempt entering the portal again, the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
“Hello? It’s me, Choi Jiwoo from the Hunter Bureau. I have urgent news about your rank reassessment, but I couldn’t reach you, so I came here directly.”
The intercom buzzed, and a voice echoed through.

It was Choi Jiwoo, a Hunter Bureau agent.
The phone in the living room, which had been ringing earlier, must have been from her.
Swallow tapped the intercom with his beak to open the door and flew to greet her politely at the entrance.

“Welcome, my lady. You’re as radiant as ever today.”
“Oh! Hello, Swallow. It’s good to see you. I was worried something had happened to Hunter Kang Hyunsoo, but I’m glad to see that’s not the case.”
Though it was unusual to converse with a talking bird, Choi Jiwoo had met Swallow before, so it didn’t feel too strange.

Her relief was evident—knowing Swallow was still active suggested Hyunsoo was likely safe.
However, Swallow’s expression remained grim, and the reason soon became clear.
“Well, you see… there’s been an incident.”

“An incident?”
“Master used the swordsmanship manual from the tournament reward, and a portal appeared. He was sucked in, and I couldn’t follow.”
“…What?!”

Choi Jiwoo was stunned.
Swallow led her into the living room, where the glowing portal still hovered ominously.
Whooooom—!!

“This is the portal he was pulled into?”
“Yes, my lady. I tried to follow him, but I was denied entry.”
Choi Jiwoo reached out to touch the portal, but just like Swallow, her hand was blocked.

Thud!
Unlike a typical portal, which felt soft and fluid, this one was solid as a wall.
“Is there any way to get inside?” Swallow asked, fluttering anxiously around the room.

“You said it came from a reward item? Then… we’ll have to wait.”
“Wait? Is that our only option, my lady?”
“For now, yes. There have been reports of similar portals appearing due to item rewards, but entry was always impossible.”

“What happened in those cases?”
“…The hunters were declared missing. The portal eventually disappeared, but the hunters never returned. People could only guess at their fate.”
Swallow was visibly shaken by her explanation.

The unknown nature of what was happening inside the portal made it impossible to gauge Hyunsoo’s situation.
A heavy sense of unease settled over the room.
But Swallow quickly shook his head, banishing his doubts.

“No, my lady. As long as my summoning link remains active, Master is fine. I don’t know what he’s facing in there, but I’m sure he’ll prevail.”
His voice was resolute, backed by his unwavering faith in Hyunsoo.
Swallow had a reason for his confidence—Kyle, in the previous life, had completed the same swordsmanship trial and become one of the strongest in the world. If Kyle could do it, so could Hyunsoo.

Whoooosh!
“…!!”
“Ah!!”

While Swallow and Choi Jiwoo were speaking, a brilliant light burst from the portal, and a figure emerged.
It was a tall, imposing man whose very presence commanded attention.
“Hunter Kang Hyunsoo!!”

“Master, you’ve returned! You’ve done so well!!”
Choi Jiwoo and Swallow both ran to Hyunsoo, practically throwing themselves at him in relief.
Their sudden enthusiasm left Hyunsoo baffled.

“Huh? Choi Jiwoo? Swallow? What’s with you two all of a sudden…?”
While Swallow clinging to him wasn’t unusual, having Choi Jiwoo in his dorm was unexpected.
They quickly explained what had happened.

“We heard you were sucked into the portal created by the swordsmanship reward! We thought you might never return!” Choi Jiwoo exclaimed.
“To think the portal even blocked my summoning link! There were stories of hunters vanishing without a trace. You must have endured so much, Master!” Swallow added with dramatic flair.
Hyunsoo quickly pieced together the situation.

They had assumed the worst-case scenario and thought he was in mortal danger.
“Ah, well, it was tough… I had to learn a new swordsmanship technique, after all.”
Though the situation had been challenging, their concerns didn’t align with reality.

“Actually… they were pretty accommodating,” Hyunsoo said, scratching his cheek as he recalled the giants’ unexpected hospitality.
He had returned not just unscathed but with powerful new skills—and a strange story to tell.