The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

“Congratulations, Vice Guild Master!”
“We knew you’d make it!”
“Thanks to you, the prestige of the Muyoung Guild has reached new heights!”

In the grand ballroom of a luxury hotel, classical music filled the air as hunters in the signature uniforms of the Muyoung Guild clapped and cheered for Gwak Dowon as he entered.
The reason was clear from the large banner displayed on the wall:

Gwak Dowon had achieved the unexpected.
When he first announced his participation in the tournament, no one believed he would make it to the semifinals.
Despite being labeled a master swordsman and a high-ranking hunter, with titles like The Blade Draw Master following his name, the competition was filled with too many formidable participants.

But Gwak Dowon defied expectations.
Through the preliminaries, the round of 16, and the quarterfinals, he steadily climbed the ranks.
Even without the audience's attention, he broke through his opponents’ shields and secured victories.

Finally, the matchups for the semifinals were announced:

Kyle vs. Jace

Kang Hyunsoo vs. Gwak Dowon
It was now a battle between two Korean hunters, with Gwak Dowon facing Kang Hyunsoo.
Interestingly, Gwak Dowon hadn’t initially planned to participate in the tournament.

The prize—a rare and coveted swordsmanship manual—was tempting, but the competition was stiff, and the two-week duration didn’t fit well with his schedule.
That was, until he met Kang Hyunsoo.
The encounter at the Twin Gates had ignited something in him.
Despite being the vice guild master of Muyoung, Gwak Dowon had been humiliated by Kang Hyunsoo, who completely ignored his authority and left him kneeling in front of everyone. The incident had made Gwak a laughingstock among the public.

From that moment on, Gwak Dowon had one goal: to face Kang Hyunsoo in the tournament.
Every time a match ended, he searched for news about Hyunsoo, hoping their paths would cross.
Though fate hadn’t placed them in the same group, they finally met in the semifinals.

“This is my chance to restore my dignity!”
In hindsight, it was better this way.
If they had met during the preliminaries, even a victory against Hyunsoo wouldn’t have garnered much attention.
But a win in the semifinals? That would guarantee the spotlight.

The nation was already abuzz about two Korean hunters making it to the semifinals of the prestigious tournament.
In fact, the mere presence of a Korean hunter in the semifinals was cause for celebration.
Muyoung Guild’s leader, Koo Hanmoo, had even organized a grand party in Gwak Dowon’s honor.

“Congratulations, Vice Guild Master. Those were spectacular matches,” Koo Hanmoo said, raising his glass.
“Thank you, Guild Master. I couldn’t have reached the semifinals without the guild’s support.”
Gwak Dowon bowed his head respectfully.

One of the biggest factors behind his success was the Sword of Beginnings, a mythic-grade weapon gifted by the guild master.
The sword boasted an attack power of 800 and enhanced its wielder’s attack power, speed, and range by 200% with its first strike.
It was a perfect weapon for Gwak Dowon, who specialized in iaido-style blade drawing.

Weapons weren’t just about raw power; synergy with the user could create unmatched results.
In the tournament, where the goal was to break the protective shields provided by watches, precision was key.
It didn’t matter whether one aimed for the head, chest, or legs—any hit dealt the same amount of damage to the shield. Targeting harder-to-defend areas became the optimal strategy, a technique Gwak Dowon had learned from Koo Hanmoo himself.

Of course, the guild master humbly downplayed his role.
“All I did was offer some advice. The rest was all you, Vice Guild Master. Now, let’s raise a toast!”
“Yes, sir!”

Koo Hanmoo lifted his champagne flute and addressed the guild members.
“To Vice Guild Master Gwak Dowon’s successful advance to the finals!”
“To the finals!”

The guild members’ cheers filled the ballroom, and the atmosphere grew livelier.
Many speculated that Muyoung Guild had surpassed other prominent guilds like Samcheon and Cheolhyeol. Some even joked about Gwak Dowon defeating Kyle and winning the entire tournament.
In the midst of the celebration, a slightly tipsy guild member approached Gwak Dowon with a wide grin.

“Vice Guild Master, I think you’ll win the semifinals easily. Kang Hyunsoo seems completely out of it.”
“Out of it? What do you mean?”
“Take a look at this.”

The guild member handed Gwak Dowon his phone, which displayed a video.
“Ahhh! It’s Kang Hyunsoo!”
“Wow, he looks incredible in person!”
The video showed Kang Hyunsoo entering a department store, dressed in a sharp suit.
Even from his side profile, it was clear the man was turning heads.

However—
“Wait, aren’t those women with him super pretty? Where have I seen them before?”
“Isn’t that Jin Seoyun and Choi Jiwoo? Looks like it.”
“Han Sungbin’s there too!”
Hyunsoo wasn’t alone.
Three women and one man followed closely behind him, giving the impression that they were a group.

The women included Jin Seoyun, heiress of a major conglomerate; Choi Jiwoo, the Hunter Bureau’s star; and Han Sungbin, dubbed the "Face Genius."
Even Gwak Dowon recognized them, especially Jin Seoyun, who had rejected his advances in the past.
“What’s the point of showing me this?” Gwak Dowon asked through gritted teeth, barely containing his anger.

The guild member, thinking Gwak would find it amusing, was startled by his furious reaction.
“Well… I just thought it was interesting. I heard he’s been holed up in the training facility until now, but here he is at a department store.”
“Today? Is this a recent video?”

“Yes, it was uploaded an hour ago. There was another video from this morning, too.”
“This morning?”
“Yes, he was at a theme park earlier. Now he’s shopping at a department store. Looks like he’s been out all day.”

“So he’s not even visiting an item exchange?”
“No, it doesn’t seem like it.”
“This bastard... Does he think so little of me that he’s out shopping before the semifinals?”

Gwak Dowon let out a hollow laugh.
While he was attending a congratulatory party, he had still completed a training quest just before arriving.
A brief break was one thing, but skipping training entirely?

“Maybe he’s just full of himself,” the guild member suggested.
“Full of himself?”
“Yes. He only recently became famous, right? All the attention and admiration might’ve gone to his head. He probably thinks he’s invincible now.”

“So you’re saying he has a case of celebrity syndrome?”
“Exactly, Vice Guild Master.”
The explanation made sense.

It seemed unlikely that Hyunsoo was outright ignoring him. Instead, Gwak Dowon concluded that Hyunsoo’s ego had inflated from all the newfound attention.
In Gwak’s mind, Hyunsoo was now an arrogant playboy, using his good looks to woo women and neglecting his training.
“Kang Hyunsoo... I’ll crush you in front of the entire world.”

Smash!
Gwak Dowon’s champagne glass shattered in his hand as his resolve burned brighter than ever.
***

"Huh?"
A strange, ominous sensation struck the back of Kang Hyunsoo’s neck, like the faint trace of killing intent brushing against him.
Hyunsoo, who had been browsing items in the department store, paused and turned his head.

But there was nothing there.
“What’s wrong, Master?”
Swallow, who was perched discreetly nearby, noticed Hyunsoo’s momentary tension and tilted his head in curiosity.

Hyunsoo scanned the area, but all he saw was:
“Jiwoo-unni, what do you think of this? I think it would look great on you!”
“Uh, I-I don’t think this design suits me….”

“Come on, just try it on. It looks amazing just holding it up against you!”
Yoo Hana was holding a dress against Choi Jiwoo’s body, while Jin Seoyun stood nearby, appraising the outfit with a critical eye.
The Absolute Beauty Quest had tasked Hyunsoo with shopping alongside women for 24 hours.

Believing the quest rewards would be more valuable than the benefits of pure training, he had decided to focus on it.
Though the proposal had come out of nowhere, his companions had surprisingly agreed without much resistance.
“It’s a quest that requires me to shop with women for 24 hours….”

“What? There’s a quest like that?”
“Fascinating.”
“I’m in!”

After Hyunsoo briefly explained the quest, they decided to make a day of it. Starting with a theme park, they moved on to an item exchange market, and now they were at a department store, following a carefully planned itinerary.
Initially, Hyunsoo had thought the quest would be simple.
[Absolute Beauty Quest 12]
[Shop with members of the opposite sex for 24 hours (12/24)]

“…Only halfway there.”
Time seemed to crawl by, and Hyunsoo could feel his energy draining.
It was exhausting.

Meanwhile, the women showed no signs of fatigue.
“Wow! This looks amazing on you, Jiwoo-unni!”
“R-Really?”

“Try this one on too!”
It was as if they were possessed by shopping spirits. From morning until now, they had bought so many items that Jin Seoyun’s assistant had to carry all the shopping bags back to the car.
Yet, the women showed no signs of stopping.

Even Swallow, oddly enough, was fully invested in the activity.
“Hmm, Jin Seoyun seems to favor the version with lace. It really enhances the cute factor.”
Despite being hidden, Swallow murmured his thoughts aloud, critiquing the choices of the three women with surprising enthusiasm.

Recently, he had taken to overlaying his judgments with memories from Hyunsoo’s own experiences, becoming more independent in his assessments.
Hyunsoo watched Swallow and the women with a mix of amusement and amazement, until a paper cup suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision.
“Are you okay, hyung? Here, have some water.”

“Oh, thanks.”
Hyunsoo looked up to see Han Sungbin, who handed him the cup with a calm, cheerful expression.
Sungbin’s sharp, handsome features showed no signs of weariness.

Flashing a bright smile, he glanced at the shopping-obsessed women and said, “You should take a break, hyung.”
Hyunsoo briefly considered Sungbin’s suggestion, but he quickly shook his head.
“I appreciate it, but I can’t. I’m the one who suggested this in the first place.”

Determined, Hyunsoo downed the water in one go and resumed walking around the store.
Standing idle felt dull, so he decided to do some window shopping.
The store had plenty of clothes to browse, and there was a men’s section on the other side that caught his attention.

As Hyunsoo wandered through the store, something unexpected happened.
Sparkle, sparkle—
In a corner of the store, a mannequin began to emit a radiant light.

“What is that?”
Hyunsoo’s eyes narrowed as he approached the glowing mannequin, curious about the unusual phenomenon.