The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become-Chapter 156

Hmm, I see.

But Hyunsoo only half-listened, turning his attention back to his phone.

Women’s relationships were an enigma to him, and there was no need to act like he understood everything.

The duel just now had been the same.

He had already known the Japanese Hunter Bureau was recording everything.

The cameras and CCTV inside the dueling arena.

The fact that high-ranking Japanese officials were present to watch and evaluate him.

If the Japanese hunters had managed to defeat him, what would have happened?

The footage would have leaked immediately.

They would have proudly spread the news that a Japanese hunter had defeated Kang Hyunsoo, the Korean prodigy.

Even if they didn’t officially release it, they would have "accidentally" leaked edited clips, claiming they were hacked—just like they had done to hunters from China and the U.S. who had been sent to Japan.

That was why he had crushed them so thoroughly.

If he had played along and allowed himself to get hit or fall even once, they would have edited that footage instead.

By giving them nothing to work with, the result was?

Silence. Absolute silence.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Normally, footage from a duel would be leaked online within an hour—but this time, even after three hours, nothing had been uploaded.

To the point where—

<I heard Kang Hyunsoo was dueling Japanese hunters.>

└ Ohhh, so we’ll get to see another duel soon?

└ Japanese hunters are definitely stronger!

└ Can’t wait for the duel footage. I wanna see Hyunsoo get knocked down lol.

└ So… where’s the video? Why isn’t it up yet?

Even Japanese hunter communities were getting impatient.

They were eagerly waiting for the footage, but—

It wasn’t coming. Ever.

Hyunsoo smirked as he scrolled through his phone.

And just then—

“We’ve arrived. This is Mount Fuji.”

The driver announced their arrival.

“Alright, let’s grab our things and head out.”

Hyunsoo stepped out of the limousine with his companions.

Approaching the gated entrance to Mount Fuji, he showed his temporary access permit to the Japanese officials stationed there.

“H-Huh? K-Kang Hyunsoo-sama…!!”

“We were told you were coming, but to see you in person…”

The Japanese officials cautioned him about the frequent dungeon breaks inside Mount Fuji, emphasizing that the Japanese government would take no responsibility if anything happened.

Hyunsoo simply acknowledged the warning and entered.

And then—

“I’ll be picking up the pace, so keep up.”

Tap—!

With a single push off the ground, he raced up the mountain trail.

He wasn’t moving so fast that his companions couldn’t follow, but he was moving with absolute confidence.

That prompted a shouted question from behind.

“Whoa! Hyunsoo oppa! Do you come here often?”

“No, this is my first time. Why?”

Hyunsoo glanced back slightly, and his companions all chimed in.

“You’re finding the path so easily, like you’ve been here before!”

“Yeah. It’s actually hard to keep up with you.”

“Now that I think about it… Hunter Kang Hyunsoo has always seemed to just know things. Like when he saved Sungbin, or how he handled the SS-rank Forced Dungeon Break…”

“…That’s…”

Jin Seoyun’s comment made Hyunsoo pause for a brief moment as he sprinted along the mountain path.

Was he moving too naturally for someone who had never been to Japan?

His companions were looking at him with curiosity rather than suspicion.

They weren’t outright doubting him, but… he felt a little guilty.

After all, the reason he had such quick judgment and flawless execution was simple.

Regression.

Technically, there was no harm in telling them the truth, but…

There was no reason to reveal his secret either.

There was no way to prove it.

So, instead—

“It’s because of Swallow. He has a wide field of vision and knows a lot. Come out and say hello.”

“Ahaha! Greetings, ladies! It’s been a while!”

He brushed off the question with a smooth excuse.

After all, everything that seemed odd to them was something that Swallow’s abilities could easily explain.

And since they had all seen Swallow before, it was the perfect cover.

As expected, they believed him without much hesitation.

“Wow! The talking swallow! You were here all along?”

"So, you usually stay hidden, right? You're a pretty useful swallow in a lot of ways."

"Hey, you sure you don’t wanna come over to my side? I can treat you much better."

"Haha! I'm perfectly fine with that, but I’m not sure if Master will allow it."

As Swallow deactivated his concealment and fluttered into view, the group welcomed him with wide smiles.

And Swallow, in turn, beamed with pride, clearly pleased with the attention.

"Enough with the nonsense. Find the dungeon entrance already. We need to clear this before nightfall."

Hyunsoo reprimanded as he sprinted along the mountain path.

Now that Swallow was visible, it was time to use him properly to navigate.

While Hyunsoo was relying on memories from his past life to locate the dungeon, the terrain had changed slightly since he had arrived a few years earlier this time.

Fortunately, Swallow already knew where the dungeon was. If he searched from above, they would save a lot of time.

And as expected—

Once Swallow soared high into the sky, it didn’t take long.

"This way, Master!"

They had found it.

A rotating portal appeared at the edge of the valley.

As Hyunsoo approached—

[SS-Rank Dungeon Detected.]

[It contains an aura of mysticism.]

[Would you like to enter?]

[Yes / No]

The exact same message he had seen in his past life.

The Mystic Dungeon.

Now, all that was left was to enter and retrieve the hidden piece inside.

"Is this the place, Hunter Kang Hyunsoo?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Alright, let’s get ready to head in!"

"Then I’ll—"

"Wait, Hayuri. You and I need to talk first."

"...?"

Hyunsoo stopped Hayuri before she could step through the portal.

Then, pulling her aside behind a tree, he issued a different command.

"While I’m inside clearing the dungeon, I need you to search for the Inheritor of Sloth."

"Huh? Why? I thought we were looking for a hidden piece. Aren’t we searching together?"

"No, I can handle that on my own. It’s more efficient if we split up. It’ll take me about four hours, so you should search for the Inheritor of Sloth and meet back here when time’s up."

Hyunsoo had no intention of bringing Hayuri into this dungeon.

He gave her a reason, but honestly, it wasn't necessary—she was strong enough to fight SS-rank monsters.

However—

He didn’t fully trust her.

He had lied and said they were here to track down the Inheritor of Sloth and check out a tip about a hidden piece.

But in reality—

He already knew there was a hidden piece inside the Mystic Dungeon.

He had obtained it in his previous life, so its existence was guaranteed.

But there was no guarantee that Hayuri wouldn’t try to take it for herself.

This hidden piece had a binding function like his dual swordsmanship, meaning that if she claimed it first, there would be no way to take it back.

That was why Hyunsoo had decided to only take Yuhana and Jin Seoyun into the dungeon.

Fortunately, Hayuri went along with it.

"Hmph. Leaving a stunning lady like me alone in the mountains… You’ll never get married, you know?"

"If anyone tries to mess with you, they should be the ones worried."

"Tch, fine. But don’t be late. If it gets dark, I’m heading back down the mountain."

"That won’t be an issue."

With that, Hyunsoo assigned Hayuri her search mission.

Then—

"Let’s head in."

"Huh? What about Unnie?"

"She has something else to take care of."

Without further delay, Hyunsoo entered the Mystic Dungeon alongside Yuhana and Jin Seoyun.

Fwoooosh—!!

[You have entered an SS-Rank Dungeon.]

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

The scenery changed from a mountain to a fortress.

At the same time—

Tap—!!

Hyunsoo rushed forward, cutting down the demonic knights that occupied the castle.

The battlefield was cleared within moments.

Instead of heading up to the palace inside the fortress, Hyunsoo went straight for the main gate.

After slaying the remaining monsters in the area, he pushed the gate open and turned to the others.

"Both of you, guard the pulley system so this gate doesn’t close. I’ll be back soon."

"Just keep this open?"

"Yeah. It’ll take me about two hours. Most of the monsters are already dead, so you’ll only have to deal with a few stragglers. If things get dangerous, retreat to the forest over there."

"Got it! Don’t worry, Hyunsoo oppa! I’ll buff you before you go!"

"Alright. I’ll be back."

Receiving a buff from Yuhana, Hyunsoo sprinted into the forest beyond the gate.

Then—

Shiiiiiing—!

“Keeaaaah!!”

A sharp wind cut through the air, accompanied by the sound of monsters converging.

[You have defeated Lv. 690. Frenzied Corrupt Orc.]

[You have defeated Lv. 690. Frenzied Corrupt Troll.]

[Level Up!]

[Reward: All Stats +1]

Hyunsoo unleashed his Incarnation Sword and Lightning Sword, cutting down the creatures as he advanced deeper into the forest.

After some time—

Just as he was wiping out another wave of monsters, Swallow shouted from above.

"Master, over here!"

Hyunsoo rushed to the source of Swallow’s voice.

There—

[Lv. 700. Frenzied Golden Goblin]

A monstrous goblin, moving so fast it left afterimages, darted through the woods.

Hyunsoo closed the distance immediately, unleashing a Sky Splitter strike across the goblin’s back.

In an instant—

"Kiiieeeek!!"

[You have defeated Lv. 700. Frenzied Golden Goblin.]

Golden dust scattered as the monster collapsed, and a pile of loot—weapons, axes, gold coins—spilled onto the ground.

But that wasn’t all.

The moment Hyunsoo approached the loot pile—

[You have discovered the Map to the Sword Emperor’s Sanctuary.]

[Requirement: Must possess the Sword Emperor Title.]

[Requirement met.]

[You may now enter the Sword Emperor’s Sanctuary.]

[Speak the activation phrase to be transported to the location of the Sword Emperor’s Title Quest.]

For the first time—

The Sword Emperor Title Quest had been unlocked.