The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become-Chapter 157

Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun hadn’t helped, making excuses about being busy since it wasn’t their title quest.

Hyunsoo had to complete the entire process alone.

But this time?

It had barely taken any effort—all thanks to the experience from his past life.

The castle gate remained open, preventing enemy reinforcements from being summoned. Yuhana and Jin Seoyun were guarding the mechanism well.

“The hidden piece dropped too, Master! It’s here among the gold coins!”

Hyunsoo had worried that skipping some of the previous quest prerequisites might have caused the drop to fail.

But no, everything was intact.

The Sword Emperor Quest had activated, and the hidden piece had dropped.

Approaching the pile where Swallow was perched, Hyunsoo picked up a crimson cloth from the heap of gold coins.

This hidden piece was—

[Wandering Knight’s Cloak]

[Rank: Mythic]

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Effect: Reduces physical damage by 20%.Skill: Wander (SS) – Temporarily shifts the wearer's body into a subspace, allowing them to evade all attacks. Consumes 100 mana per 0.1 seconds. Maximum duration: 3 seconds.Skill: Flight (S) – Grants the ability to fly. Consumes 10 mana per second.Trait: Delayed Pain (SS) – Distributes incoming damage over time. While delaying damage, attacking a living entity absorbs life force to recover wounds.

"Finally got it."

Hyunsoo cherished this cloak.

In his previous life, it had saved his life when Seo Jieun and Choi Taehun ambushed him.

Using Delayed Pain, he had survived their trap, healing by attacking monsters in the dungeon.

That incident had ultimately led to his regression.

The -20% physical damage reduction was especially effective against swords, spears, and axes—perfect for future battles.

Not just for the Sword Emperor Quest, but as an essential defensive piece going forward.

"Alright, doesn’t exactly match my outfit, but whatever—I'll wear it anyway."

"Maybe you should wrap it like a scarf for now. You can figure out a more stylish way to wear it later."

When he wore it as a cloak, his Appearance Power decreased due to the poor fashion match.

But tying it around his neck like a scarf restored his Appearance Power to normal.

Following Swallow’s advice, Hyunsoo secured it around his neck and—

"I’ll be back. Entering."

Immediately, he activated the Sword Emperor Quest.

This title quest could only be completed inside this zone, and since Yuhana and Jin Seoyun were waiting at the castle gate, he had to clear it quickly.

Fwoooosh—!!

[You have started the Sword Emperor Title Quest.]

[Objective: Overcome all three trials to earn the recognition of the sword.]

[Failure or death will return you to your previous location.]

The dense forest around him shifted, replaced by a grand training ground surrounded by dozens of tiled-roof houses.

At the same time—

Whoosh—! Whoosh—! Shiiiing—!!

From behind the houses, hundreds of swords rose into the air.

From curved blades to daggers, longswords, greatswords—each one hovered as if controlled by an unseen hand, ready to attack.

The meaning was obvious.

[Trial of the Sword – Part 1: Survive for 10 minutes in the Sword Storm.]

"Hah… Guess I’ll be running a lot."

For the next 10 minutes—

These floating swords would attack relentlessly from all directions.

Hyunsoo could only dodge or parry—surviving was the goal.

But it wouldn’t be easy.

The swords couldn’t be destroyed, and they would never stop attacking.

He had experienced this before in his past life, but there were too many variables to guarantee a perfect clear.

If only Swallow could set up a shield or something to give me some breathing room…

[Cannot summon in this area.]

[Beauty’s Assistants cannot be summoned.]

[Unknown forces are obstructing the connection.]

Swallow could not be summoned for this Sword Emperor Title Quest.

This left Hyunsoo with no choice but to face the trial on his own.

"Come at me, you sword ghosts!"

Hyunsoo took his stance, twin swords in hand.

Then—

[Remaining Time: 10 minutes]

As the countdown began—

Swoosh—! Whoosh—! Squeeeeeek—!!

Countless blades flashed viciously, attacking Hyunsoo from every direction.

＊ ＊ ＊

“Mmm… this hidden piece must be a pretty good item. Or maybe he still doesn’t trust me.”

After Hyunsoo, Yuhana, and Jin Seoyun entered the dungeon, Hayuri folded her arms and muttered as she watched the portal.

She had come all the way to Japan with the intent of helping Hyunsoo, wanting to assist him in the search for the Inheritor of Sloth.

At the same time, she was trying to gauge the situation—whether Hyunsoo or the Inheritor of Sloth showed any weaknesses.

And if they did?

She had a plan to attack from behind.

But deep inside, she had been holding back her greed. And yet, that opportunity had never come.

Hyunsoo was using her just as much as she was using him, never fully accepting her as a true companion.

Honestly, when she first learned about Hyunsoo, she thought it would be easy to lure him.

He was a newbie who had just inherited a sin, and she was a seasoned veteran who had controlled power for a long time.

But she was wrong.

Hyunsoo had not only destroyed Babylon, but had also resisted Do Minjung’s temptations, cleverly extracting only the essential benefits from every deal.

And after winning the World Swordsmanship Tournament, he had even defeated Kyle, the Sin of Wrath.

Was there anyone like him before?

That’s why Hayuri was careful, always keeping her guard up.

Although they had formed a temporary alliance, she was still waiting for an opportunity, biding her time.

Hyunsoo, despite his demeanor, was much more thorough and stronger than most realized.

Especially the Japanese.

“Are you sure this is the right way?”

“Yes, the National Intelligence Agency confirmed it with satellite tracking. The dungeon is definitely in this area.”

A conversation suddenly reached Hayuri’s ears near the SS-rank dungeon Hyunsoo had entered.

She quickly hid behind a tall tree using her Greed power.

Then, from the path Hyunsoo had walked, rustling noises signaled the approach of several people.

“Huff... huff. What are we even doing in this dungeon?”

“Who knows? There’s probably some great treasure here. That’s why they made up an excuse to come all the way to Japan.”

“That’s right. And in the end, all the spoils will belong to us. Heh heh.”

Almost twenty hunters emerged, each wielding a variety of weapons like swords, spears, and staves.

They laughed sinisterly as they began to encircle the portal.

It was obvious what their intent was.

Hayuri, having studied Japanese to handle her celebrity’s activities, recognized the tattooed yakuza members immediately.

Hmm… Yakuza? They're openly advertising their criminal nature.

Their tattoos—bright and colorful irezumi—were clearly visible on their necks, wrists, and ankles. In Japan, tattoos were often associated with criminal organizations and were generally looked down upon, especially in public facilities like hot springs. Despite this, these men proudly displayed them.

When Hayuri looked closely at their faces—

She recognized a few.

These were yakuza hunters who were part of a hunter crime syndicate.

They kidnapped civilians to sell organs, and even extorted items from other hunters, forcing them into illegal activities.

Why had they come here?

It was obvious.

The Japanese government had informed them.

After the Japanese Hunter Bureau had been humiliated by Hyunsoo, these yakuza hunters had likely been sent for revenge.

This wasn’t just speculation.

“Yeah, yeah. We’ve arrived. We’re surrounding it now… if they show up, we’ll strike immediately.”

“This’ll go smoothly, and once it does, we’ll make sure to take care of you! Hehehe!”

Hayuri overheard the yakuza hunters’ conversation, likely reporting to the Japanese Hunter Bureau.

It seemed like they were planning to ambush Hyunsoo and his team when they came out.

Hmm, should I just go look for the Inheritor of Sloth?

She wasn’t overly concerned.

The moment Hyunsoo showed up, those yakuza hunters would be the ones losing their lives.

With the power of Greed, she could take advantage of any opening—but how could they possibly defeat Hyunsoo?

Hayuri’s curiosity shifted, but then—

Wait a second.

She halted, taking a moment to think.

This was a place where no one would be watching—an ideal setting for playing around with her toys.

This is… an opportunity.

No CCTV, no witnesses—she could do whatever she wanted without fear of repercussions.

With a sly grin on her face, Hayuri turned away from her search for the Inheritor of Sloth and headed toward the portal.

Then—

“...?”

“Eh?”

“A woman…?”

The yakuza hunters, seeing her approach, tilted their heads in confusion.

“Hello there, cute little toys.”

With a smile, Hayuri waved her fan, releasing a cloud of black smoke created by the power of Greed.