The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Chapter 36

Whooosh—!

“Phew... It's like an oven out here.”

A scorching heat battered not just my face but my entire body.

As soon as I stepped through the portal, a clear sky, blazing sunlight, and an endless desert stretched out before me.

At first glance, it looked like a tourist spot.

But the reality was far from that.

This place was—

[You have entered a C-rank dungeon.]

[Defeat the boss monster to clear the dungeon (0/1).]

Also known as the Desert Dungeon.

It was a place swarming with monsters in the early level 200 range.

For now, since I was at the dungeon’s entrance, there were no immediate attacks. But in the distance...

[Lv 201. Razor-Backed Scorpion]

[Lv 200. Blazing Cactus]

Monsters with identifying markers lurked in pits scattered across the sandy terrain.

From poisonous stingers to scorching spines, these creatures weren’t particularly strong. Their patterns were simple, their attack speed slow, making their moves easy to evade.

However, I had prepared for this environment in advance.

[Worn Volcano Cloak]

Grade: AdvancedEffect: Fire Resistance +10Passive Skill: Flameproof (E) - Reduces fire damage by 20%.

A cloak imbued with volcanic energy. Although tattered, it offers excellent fire resistance.

I had purchased this piece of equipment from the item marketplace before entering the dungeon.

The ashen-colored, slightly frayed cloak offered no physical defense but specialized in fire resistance, making it a versatile item in this fire-heavy dungeon. In my previous life, I scraped together all the money I had to buy this exact piece. Back then, this cloak had significantly lowered the dungeon’s difficulty for me.

Even so, the raid wouldn’t go as smoothly as it did then.

[Status Window]

[Lv 98. Kang Hyunsoo]

[Title: Ordinary Swordsman]

[Stats]

Strength: 95Agility: 105Intelligence: 78Stamina: 115Mana: 70

[Talent Stats]

Swordsmanship Mastery: 72Charm: 0

[Skills]

Bloom (S)Wild Slash (B)Sky Blade (B)Stomp (C)Fascination (C)Acceleration (C)Charge (D)Iron Slash (E)Swift Strike (E)

[Talent]

Swordsmanship Lv. 2

[Special Talent]

Beauty Lv. 1

[Talent Traits]

The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become (S)Hair Enhancement (D)Skin Improvement (E)Temperature Stability (E)Helper Summon

Although I now possessed the Beauty talent and hoarded hidden pieces, my current level was only 98. Unlike before, when I had Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun beside me, I was alone.

By common sense, clearing this dungeon should have been nearly impossible.

But...

“It’s not unbeatable. It’ll just be a bit of a grind.”

If I stuck to my judgment, I could push through with some effort.

“Let’s get started.”

After tying the cloak around my waist and drawing my twin swords, I prepared to charge forward.

But just as I was about to begin the raid—

“Ah, damn, I almost forgot. Sunscreen!”

I remembered something crucial.

From my pocket, I pulled out an arsenal of sunblock—creams, sticks, sprays—everything one might need to battle UV rays.

Then, with a resigned sigh, I began to slather it all over.

“Phew... Skincare isn’t easy, is it?”

I applied sunscreen thickly on every exposed area: my face, neck, and hands. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I followed up with a sunscreen stick for a second layer, finishing off with a spray.

The result? My skin turned so white it was almost ghostly, and the sticky texture was borderline unbearable. But I had no choice.

[Caution: The sunlight is extremely intense.]

[Skin damage is increasing.]

[UV exposure may cause burns or aging, permanently reducing your Charm stat and Appearance Power.]

The system itself was issuing warnings about the dungeon’s intense heat.

In my previous life, I had ignored Seo Jieun’s advice during the early stages of a raid, skipping sunscreen. My skin had peeled terribly, and I suffered for it.

If the same thing happened this time?

There was no telling how much my Charm stat would drop.

[Excessive sunscreen application has caused whitening (ghosting effect).]

[Your face and body colors no longer match.]

[You have become less attractive.]

[Appearance Power -1.]

[Appearance Power: 26]

[Effect: All stats +52.]

Although I lost a single point of Appearance Power due to the whitening effect, it was far better than having my skin burn like before.

“Well, now I’m really ready to begin.”

With all my preparations complete, nothing was holding me back.

Fixing my gaze on the markers scattered across the sandy terrain, I dashed forward.

Tap—! Whoosh—!!

[Activating Skills]

Acceleration (C)Charge (D)

Wind whipped past my cheeks as the scenery blurred with my speed. With both movement and attack speed boosted by 50%, I closed the distance in an instant.

Swift Strike (E)Iron Slash (E)Increases attack speed by 30% for 10 seconds. Consumes 10 Mana. Cooldown: 1 minute.Doubles the sword’s attack power for a single, powerful strike. Consumes 10 Mana.Effect: Appearance Power +10, Sword Attack Power +10%, Attack Speed +10%, Movement Speed +10%.Synergy: Slight synergy effect between two talents.Additional Effect: Experience gained from defeating monsters +150%.

The additional effect from my title had played a major role.

Soloing the dungeon already provided a substantial experience boost, and the title’s 2.5x multiplier had made leveling up almost inevitable.

“Great. Let’s clean up this place.”

Big rewards bring even bigger motivation.

With a smirk, I adjusted my grip on the twin swords.

From the distance, more monsters were charging my way.

Shriek—!

Screeeech—!!

This time, I took the initiative.

Pabat—!

Since Stomp was on cooldown, I rushed toward the monsters myself.

Of course, this wasn’t easy.

Even with the additional stats granted by the hidden pieces and my Appearance Power, the level gap was still a challenge.

But...

Shing—! Fwoosh—! Splat—!

I moved like flowing water.

The cacti hurled spines from afar, and the scorpions lashed out with their poisonous stingers, but I dodged each attack with simple body movements and counterattacked swiftly.

It was near-perfect execution, like a seasoned drill instructor’s demonstration.

Naturally, this came as no surprise.

In my previous life, I had cleared this dungeon dozens of times with Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun.

The battles were so familiar that my body reacted before my mind could process anything.

The results were no different from back then.

I evaded their attacks and weaved through the battlefield, swinging my twin swords with precision.

“Kyahhh...”

[Lv 201. Razor-Backed Scorpion defeated.]

[Lv 200. Blazing Cactus defeated.]

The monsters fell one after another, their dying cries echoing across the desert.

And with their deaths came yet another reward.

[You have gained experience points.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Reward: Agility +3, Intelligence +2.]

I leveled up again, even though it hadn’t been long since my last level up.

This time, the level-up was even more significant.

[You have reached Level 100!]

[Conditions fulfilled: Title upgraded.]

[Title: ‘Swordsman’ has evolved into ‘Swordmaster’.]

Upon reaching Level 100, my swordsmanship title had upgraded as well.

[Title: Ordinary Swordmaster]

Effect: Appearance Power +10, Sword Attack Power +15%, Attack Speed +15%, Movement Speed +15%.Synergy: Increased synergy effect between two talents.Additional Effect: Experience gained from defeating monsters +200%.

The title’s effects had improved significantly.

While the Appearance Power boost of +10 remained the same, the increases to sword attack power, attack speed, and movement speed had risen from 10% to 15%. The experience gain multiplier also jumped from 150% to 200%.

In my previous life, the Swordmaster title had only provided a 10% boost to sword attack power, attack speed, and movement speed. Compared to that, this version was 1.5x better.

On top of that—

[You have acquired a new skill as a reward for obtaining the Swordmaster title.]

[Swordsmanship circuits unlocked.]

[Skill: Sky Blade (B) upgraded.]

[Skill Effect: Sky Blade (B) power increased by +10%.]

The reward also enhanced my Sky Blade skill, which was part of the Swordmaster title.

Normally, earning the title would have granted the Sky Blade skill. But since I already had it, the system instead upgraded the skill’s damage by an additional 10%.

It was my first time encountering such a reward, and my reaction was simple:

“This is completely broken!”

I couldn’t hide my excitement.

In my previous life, I had been strong, but Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun had taken the lion’s share of the rewards.

But now?

Everything was mine, and thanks to the Beauty talent, I was growing even stronger than before.

A grin spread across my face.

“At this rate, I might need to adjust my plans.”

The goal of this raid was to secure the hidden piece. But before that, wiping out the trash mobs for more levels didn’t sound like a bad idea.

After all, the stronger I was, the better my chances against the hidden piece’s guardian.

Thudthudthudthud—!

“Kyahhh!!”

“Shrieeek...!”

“Look at them, walking right into my hands.”

Watching the incoming wave of monsters in the distance, I smirked.

Pulling out more sunscreen from my pocket, I liberally applied another layer across my body.

“Well then... Shall we go for some power leveling?”

Gripping my twin swords tightly, I charged toward the heart of the desert.