The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Chapter 78

BOOOOM!

A surge of black energy erupted, soaring from the fortress to the heavens.

"He's gone berserk?!"

"Do you think I’ll let you rampage freely?!"

As Ji Wonhoon unleashed his power, Kang Hyunsoo and Jin Gijun immediately reacted.

Without hesitation, they swung their weapons: Hyunsoo’s twin swords unleashing Heaven Splitter and Jin Gijun’s massive axe generating a powerful whirlwind.

Clang! Clang! CRAAANG!

Neither attack could penetrate Ji Wonhoon’s protective barrier.

Despite wielding their strongest skills, they couldn’t even scratch the black shield enveloping him.

And Ji Wonhoon wasn’t finished.

"Is that all you’ve got, even with the power of beauty?!"

As Hyunsoo and Jin Gijun pressed their assault, Ji Wonhoon completed his transformation.

Raising both arms high, he gathered the rampant black energy around him, condensing it into an intense, controlled force. With a swing of his staff, he sent the energy hurtling toward them.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The black energy materialized into blade-like shapes, streaking toward Hyunsoo and Jin Gijun in a deadly straight line. The blades approached like falling dominos, closing in from afar.

“...!”

Hyunsoo and Jin Gijun tried to block with their swords and axe, but the energy blades tore through their defenses.

Slash! Slash!

The black energy sliced at their cheeks, shoulders, and thighs.

Ji Wonhoon’s attack wasn’t just creating sword-like constructs—it was tearing through space itself.

“Damn it, this is...!”

"It’s a spatial slash! We need to get out of range!"

Hyunsoo and Jin Gijun leapt back, putting distance between themselves and the source of the attack.

"Spatial slashes... That’s a skill reserved for SS-rank dungeon bosses or top-tier hunters. How is he using it?"

"It must be because of his left arm," Jin Gijun replied, pointing to Ji Wonhoon’s blackened arm.

Hyunsoo frowned. "His arm... Now that you mention it, it doesn’t look normal."

"Not surprising. I cut it off a while ago," Hyunsoo admitted reluctantly.

"You... cut off his arm?" Jin Gijun’s eyes widened.

During their last confrontation at Jaewon University, Hyunsoo had severed Ji Wonhoon’s arm so completely that reattachment should have been impossible.

But now, not only was the arm restored, it moved as if it were natural, radiating a mysterious black energy capable of spatial destruction.@@@@

That wasn’t the only problem.

The battlefield lay in ruins, littered with the remnants of the earlier clash. Amidst the chaos, a masked hunter who had been knocked unconscious crawled from the wreckage toward Ji Wonhoon.

“President... Please, help me...”

But Ji Wonhoon’s response was merciless.

"Out of my way, pest!"

Slash! Slash!

With a sweep of black energy, he sliced the operative into pieces.

Ji Wonhoon’s berserk state spared no one—ally or foe alike.

"Do you think I don’t see you creeping closer? I’ll kill every last one of you here!"

BOOOOM!

His voice thundered as waves of black energy blades lashed out toward Bang Ilhyung, Na Youngjin, Jin Seoyun, and the other hunters attempting a sneak attack.

“Damn it!”

“Everyone, dodge!”

The hunters were on the brink of being overwhelmed when—

"Grace of Swiftness!"

Yoo Hana activated a support skill, boosting the hunters’ attack and movement speeds.

Their enhanced agility allowed them to leap sideways, narrowly avoiding the deadly blades.

In the midst of the chaos, a notification flashed before Hyunsoo’s eyes:

[Your Charming Helper uses Weakness Detection.]

[Consumes 10% Charged Charm.]

[Weakness Detection Successful.]

[Identified Weaknesses: Heart, Left Arm.]

[Weakness points highlighted in red within your field of vision.]

Jin Gijun’s plan was clear: he intended to sacrifice himself to secure Hyunsoo’s and the others’ escape.

But Hyunsoo refused to back down.

“No, I won’t run,” Hyunsoo said resolutely.

Instead, he proposed an alternative.

“Deputy Guild Leader, can you buy me three minutes?”

“Three minutes? Do you have a plan?”

“The odds are fifty-fifty. If I fail, I’ll take everyone and head straight for the boss portal.”

“That’s good enough. I’ll hold him off—go ahead and start!”

Without hesitation, Jin Gijun charged toward Ji Wonhoon, swinging his massive axe.

BOOM! CRASH! BOOM!

Explosions and deafening sounds echoed as Jin Gijun engaged Ji Wonhoon in close combat.

Meanwhile, Swallow descended from above, introducing himself with his usual flair.

“My name is Swallow, a loyal pet to Master Kang Hyunsoo. Ji Wonhoon’s black arm is his weakness. His spatial blades cannot be blocked, but they only last three seconds—dodge carefully!”

“Where did this talking bird come from?!” Jin Gijun exclaimed, stunned.

“Who cares? It’s helping us!” shouted Yoo Hana, taking up position.

Swallow adjusted his sunglasses for style, then dropped his stealth, aiding the Samcheon Guild hunters directly. Even Jin Seoyun, Han Sungbin, and Yoo Hana joined the fray, attacking Ji Wonhoon from all sides.

Hyunsoo, meanwhile, knelt on the ground, planting his twin swords before him.

He tore the sleeves of his shirt with a quick motion, biting down on the fabric.

[Your outfit has been damaged.]

[Fashion stat decreased. Appearance Power -1.]

Though his Appearance Power dropped, it was necessary to brace for what came next.

“Alright... let’s see if you can block this. Heaven-Earth Gale!”

BOOOOOM!

Jin Gijun unleashed the SS-rank skill Heaven-Earth Gale, creating a massive whirlwind that erupted from both the ground and sky.

But Ji Wonhoon sneered, teleporting out of range before retaliating with a storm of black blades.

“Damn it, this bastard!” Jin Gijun growled as the relentless attack left him and the hunters battered.

Amid the chaos, Hyunsoo concentrated on his internal flow of mana.

He circulated it through his body: from his heart to his legs, legs to arms, arms to his head, and back to his heart. The flow followed a clockwise direction until—

Hyunsoo reversed it.

Redirecting mana from his legs to his head, he forced it to flow counterclockwise.

“Urgh!”

A searing pain shot through his body, forcing a groan from his clenched teeth.

Had he not bitten down on the torn fabric, he might have screamed in agony.

The excruciating process pushed him to the brink of unconsciousness, but Hyunsoo endured. If he faltered, it would all end here.

“Hold on. Endure. You have to.”

Victory and defeat were the only outcomes.

Hyunsoo’s high intelligence stat proved invaluable, allowing him to maintain clarity even under such torment. As sweat drenched his entire body, memories of training alongside Choi Taehun in his past life resurfaced.

Though the process was agonizing and managing reverse-flowing mana was no easy feat, Hyunsoo refused to give up.

[You’re sweating excessively.]

[Appearance Power -1.]

Every fiber of his being ached, yet he pressed on, unwilling to let Ji Wonhoon claim victory.

Finally, something snapped within him.

Snap! Snap!

It felt as though invisible strings in his mind had broken.

[Hidden Swordsmanship: Berserker’s Secret Techniques unlocked!]

The notification confirmed his success.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Berserker’s Secret Technique: Exploding Sword (A) acquired.]

[Berserker’s Secret Technique: Frenzy (B) acquired.]

[Berserker’s Secret Technique: Roar (C) acquired.]

A cascade of skills appeared, gifts that could turn the tide of battle.