The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Rumble—! Shhhh—! Splash—!

"Huff, huff… haa, haa!!"

A mountain valley where a waterfall cascaded endlessly.

I swung my sword in rhythm with the sound of the water crashing down.

Even as the sun dipped behind the mountains, casting everything in shadow, and my sweat soaked through every inch of my body, I didn’t stop. My focus remained unbroken.

The sight was peculiar—like an out-of-body experience. It was as though I were observing myself from a distance. But then, I realized something.

"This is…"

The scenery surrounding me, the situation I found myself in—it was identical to when I undertook the Sword Emperor Quest in my previous life.

And to confirm it—

"Wow, kid, you’re relentless. Still at it, huh?"

An old man with white hair approached me.

The one who presided over the Sword Emperor Quest: Old Man Baekgeom.

I didn’t know his real name.@@novelbin@@

He referred to himself only as the "Sword Emperor" and outright refused to reveal anything more.

I had given him the nickname Baekgeom because just calling him the "Sword Emperor" felt too grand, and I planned to take that title for myself eventually.

While Baekgeom had scolded me for being disrespectful, the way he didn’t seem genuinely angry suggested he secretly liked the nickname.

Though his tone was gruff, he was a warm-hearted old man. But that didn’t make the Sword Emperor Quest any less of a nightmare.

"A whole day’s passed, and you’re still swinging your sword… Tough little bastard, aren’t you? Keep this up, and you’ll keel over!"

"Even if it kills me, I’ll keep going. The Sword Emperor title is on the line, after all. If you’re worried, you could always lower the quest difficulty. Talk is cheap, you know."

"It’s not the same, you little brat. Not only are you ugly, but your mindset’s ugly too, trying to take the easy way out."

The Sword Emperor Quest consisted of five stages.

The third stage required striking your sword 100,000 times within three days.

An hour has 3,600 seconds, so clearing this stage meant swinging your sword every second for about 28 hours straight.

In other words, you had to spend every waking moment swinging your sword, leaving no time for eating, sleeping, or even relieving yourself.

I remembered how, by the end, my arms had trembled so badly that just holding my sword was excruciating.

So why was I dreaming of this now?

The question lingered, but no answers came.

In the dream, I kept swinging my sword.

Baekgeom watched me intently, stroking his white beard with a satisfied smile.

"You’re pouring your heart into every single swing. I’ve seen countless dimensional wanderers over the years, but you’re the first to approach swordsmanship with such sincerity."

"Huh? Me?"

His sudden praise caught me off guard.

Gripping my sword with both hands, I glanced back at him.

At the time, I had been under constant pressure from Choi Taehun and Seo Jieun, their gaslighting convincing me that I was inadequate. So, hearing compliments felt utterly foreign.

Even though Baekgeom had no connection to me and was, if anything, supposed to hinder my progress to preserve his title, he didn’t hold back on his praise.

Still suspicious, I swung my sword faster and asked, "What’s your game? Trying to make me lower my guard? That won’t work on me."

"Fool, why would I need to hold you back? I’m just telling you the truth. Your sword carries genuine intent. Not just your swordsmanship—everything you say and do shows sincerity."

"Thanks, I guess. But what does that matter? No one recognizes it. Everyone just calls me ugly and mocks me. Even you call me a fool."

Though I appreciated his words, they felt disconnected from reality.

From the rookie Hunter selection tournament to the Sword Emperor Quest, I had achieved so much.

Yet all I ever received in return were ridicule and contempt.

No matter how clean or impressive my swordsmanship was, admiration was fleeting.

In the end, other Hunters in my team would claim the credit.

Even with videos and photos showcasing my efforts, the public only fawned over better-looking Hunters like Choi Taehun and Seo Jieun.

That constant gaslighting had obliterated my confidence.

"True, you’re not much to look at," Baekgeom said bluntly. "But true worth eventually shines through. Your sincerity will one day become your greatest strength, illuminating you in ways you can’t imagine."

"Sincerity…"

I stopped swinging my sword and stared blankly at him, repeating the word.

The moment of emotion was brief. Reality quickly set in, and I resumed grumbling while swinging my sword again.

"Yeah, right. That’ll never happen. Maybe in your world, but not in mine. Where I come from, people only praise shallow things and call them cool."

"Heh, even if the environment differs, people made of the five elements are the same everywhere. Care to bet on it? Mark my words. No matter how much others ridicule you or how many trials the world throws your way, your sincerity will carry you to the pinnacle."

"Sure, if that ever happens, I’ll grant you a wish. Not that it’ll ever come to that."

Rumble—! Shhhh—! Splash—!

I kept striking my sword in rhythm with the waterfall.

The sounds around me grew faint, and my vision blurred.

When I opened my eyes again—

Flash!

I saw a white ceiling lined with fluorescent lights.

A scene entirely different from the one I had just witnessed.

The dream had ended, and I was back in reality.

"Baekgeom…"

Even as I returned to reality, a strange sense of longing lingered.

In my past life, Baekgeom had been one of the few who treated me with genuine respect. Seeing him again in a dream stirred those feelings anew.

After the Sword Emperor Quest ended, I never saw him again and had almost forgotten about him. To meet him again, even in a dream, felt surreal.

"Well, it’s still a long way off, but we’ll meet again someday."

I smiled faintly as I sat up.

In my previous life, I had lost the opportunity to see him after completing the quest. But now, with my regression, I knew I would face him again when I challenged for the Sword Emperor title.

It felt like the anticipation of reuniting with an old friend.

Although the Sword Emperor Quest required a level of 400 or higher to attempt, meaning it would take some time, I was genuinely looking forward to it.

Still, I couldn’t dwell on nostalgic feelings for long.

"Where… am I?"

As I slowly rose from the bed, still groggy from waking, I took in my surroundings.

I noticed a woman asleep with her head resting on the mattress next to my bed.

There was no need to ask who she was.

The moment I moved, she stirred, seemingly sensing my presence.

"Ah! Hyunsoo oppa!"

She immediately lifted her head and looked up at me.

It was Yoo Hana.

I glanced around the room, puzzled, and asked, "Yoo Hana? Where… am I?"

Looking at the mobile bed, curtains, IV stand, and the emergency button labeled Call Nurse on the wall, it became clear I was in a hospital.

It seemed I had been brought here after collapsing from the overload of upgrading multiple skills during the battle.

But the answer came from somewhere else.

Click.

The door to the hospital room opened in response to my question.

"I brought you here. You needed someone to care for and protect you. Besides, I had some investigation to do regarding the Jaewon University incident."

It was Choi Jiwoo.

The woman who had fought alongside me against Babylon entered the room.

With her ash-gray hair and thin gold-rimmed glasses, she exuded an air of intelligence and professionalism.

"Oh! You’re here, unnie?"

Yoo Hana beamed and stood to greet Choi Jiwoo warmly, her usual bright demeanor shining through.

But...

"Unnie?"

I tilted my head in confusion. It seemed Yoo Hana and Choi Jiwoo knew each other.

"Were these two ever part of the same team? I thought they only met later… Has something else changed?"

As I alternated my gaze between Yoo Hana’s cheerful face and Choi Jiwoo’s calm, businesslike expression, I decided to ask, "Do you two know each other?"

"Of course! We’re super close!" Yoo Hana said enthusiastically.

"We even raided dungeons together a few years ago. Though we ended up going different ways, so we don’t see each other often anymore," Choi Jiwoo added.

Even with my regression, I couldn’t possibly know every small detail. It seemed the two had worked together during the early days of the Great Awakening.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Both Yoo Hana and Choi Jiwoo awakened early in the Great Awakening, and since there were so few Hunters back then, it was natural for them to have formed connections.

While it was interesting to learn, there was something far more important on my mind.

"I see. But… what happened with Babylon? The last thing I remember is Ji Wonhoon and Andy escaping through a portal. Were they caught?"

Babylon.

The organization that hosted the rookie Hunter tournament to recruit members and kidnapped the winners.

I had uncovered Jaewon University’s connection to Babylon and overloaded my body upgrading skills to fight against them, which led to my collapse.

With Choi Jiwoo, a Hunter Bureau operative, involved, I had hoped they might have captured them.

"…I’m sorry. They escaped," Choi Jiwoo said with a regretful expression. "Ji Wonhoon and Andy opened a portal and fled before reinforcements arrived."

Unfortunate.

It seemed the last thing I witnessed was the end of the chase.

But at least there was some good news.

"However, we did manage to arrest the faculty members who kidnapped the Hunters. We captured dozens of Babylon members, so it’s only a matter of time before we catch those two as well."

"That’s right!" Yoo Hana chimed in, clenching her fist in determination. "Don’t worry too much, Hyunsoo oppa! I’ll be here to protect you from now on!"

Her resolute stance was almost endearing.

However, despite her determination, reality presented its own set of challenges.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and asked, "I appreciate the sentiment, Yoo Hana, but… shouldn’t you be heading to work? Isn’t it about time for your shift?"

"Huh? Oh no! Is it that late already?!"

Startled, Yoo Hana glanced at the clock and began hurriedly gathering her things.

The reason she hadn’t attended the award ceremony after the tournament was her part-time job at OnlyYoung.

While the job helped her recover from her interview trauma, she couldn’t afford to miss her shifts until a replacement was found.

Her sense of responsibility was admirable.

"I’ll be back after my shift, unnie! Hyunsoo oppa, see you later!"

"Even after all these years, Hana is still so adorable," Choi Jiwoo remarked warmly, her gaze soft as she watched Yoo Hana leave.

Her expression was a stark contrast to her usual cold and professional demeanor.

As Yoo Hana exited the room, Choi Jiwoo turned her gaze toward me.

"…Hmm?"

Her expression didn’t change.

The same affectionate look she gave Yoo Hana was now directed at me.

It was the first time I had seen Choi Jiwoo smile like that, complete with a gentle eye smile.

At first, I thought her expression was merely a lingering reaction from Yoo Hana, but it wasn’t.

Still wearing her warm smile, she looked at me intently.

Then, suddenly—

"Thank you so much, Kang Hyunsoo Hunter."

She bowed deeply to me.