The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become-Chapter 163

Even if they stayed still, like Sword Kings or Swordsmen, Luke might be using his mana to sense his surroundings, not just relying on sight, and detecting their presence.

Even if Luke opened his eyes and tried to use Charm, Hyunsoo doubted it would work as intended.

But then—

It worked.

As Hyunsoo erased his presence by hanging from the ceiling, Luke opened his eyes, and the moment their gazes met, Hyunsoo used Charm, and Luke was completely brainwashed, going beyond mere seduction into full submission.

However, it wasn’t perfect.

When Hyunsoo, still hanging from the stalactite, landed on the ground—

"Eh! Why am I waking up...? Ugh, these damn intruders...!!"

The effect of the Charm faded as Luke's mind cleared.

Because the skill’s rank was low, even though it had hit, the duration was short.

Realizing his state, Luke’s anger gathered in his hands, and his aura began to swirl.

[Sloth Skill: Sloth Concentration (SS) - The energy accumulated while being lazy is concentrated in the palm. When striking a target, it causes a massive explosion and shockwave.]

Though the skill was small in size, its power was unmistakably SS-grade.

The skill Luke cast had destructive power comparable to the Black Spot Explosion.

However, Hyunsoo, right after landing—

【Activated】

[Charm (D)]

Hyunsoo used Charm again by looking into Luke’s eyes, casually responding to the attack.

The effect was outstanding.

"Cancel the skill."

As Hyunsoo gave the command—

Swish—

The Sloth Concentration, which had been growing in Luke’s hands, vanished.

Swallow, gliding toward Hyunsoo, marveled at the result.

"Charm works really well. It seems that after not interacting with people for so long, he has no immunity to mental attacks like seduction."

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"It seems so. Hey, Luke. Where is the Valley of the Ancient Times?"

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Swallow threw out a hypothesis, but that wasn’t the main point.

What Hyunsoo truly needed to know was the location of the Valley of the Ancient Times, which had the fragments of Beauty.

The reason Hyunsoo came to find Luke and refrained from using stronger sword techniques was because of the Valley of the Ancient Times.

If things escalated into a deadly battle like with Kyle, he might never find the location.

So, Hyunsoo quickly asked about the location of the Valley of the Ancient Times in order to achieve his original goal.

"The location of the Valley of the Ancient Times? That’s in East Asia… No! Damn it, are you using this trick again!!"

The effect of the Charm wore off more quickly this time.

Though Hyunsoo managed to get Luke to admit the Valley was in East Asia, he wasn’t able to hear more.

"You’re a successor of Lust, aren't you!?"

As if adding insult to injury, Luke closed his eyes and resisted.

Once again, the Sloth Concentration bloomed in his palms.

Then, at that moment—

Tap—tap—

"How about you just give up, Luke? Your quest is probably already a failure. If you keep resisting, your life might be at risk, just like Kyle."

Hayuri approached from the cave entrance, suggesting Luke surrender.

Luke froze in place, grinding his teeth, then turned to Hayuri and asked,

"Kyle... Was he really dead, not just missing?"

"Oh, you know? I thought you'd be asleep, but you’re up now."

"I’ve heard the news in my own way. I heard about Kyle and Iron disappearing. Was that your doing?"

"To be precise, it was their doing. They tried to kill us first."

"Isn’t that just the victor’s version of things? People always deny their own mistakes and say the other side was at fault first."

Hayuri smirked, drawing closer.

At that moment,

Hyunsoo, still watching Luke, asked,

"What are you here for?"

"I heard you were going to wake him up forcefully, but it was too quiet. I came to check. But he woke up, huh? How did you manage that?"

Hayuri looked at Hyunsoo in wonder, but Hyunsoo didn’t answer.

It would have been a long explanation, and now wasn’t the time for that.

Instead of answering Hayuri's question, Kang Hyunsoo spoke to Luke.

"Where is the Valley of the Ancient Times? Just tell me, and I’ll leave you in peace."

"...Th-the Valley of the Ancient Times? I don’t know. It’s the first time I’m hearing of it."

"Don’t know, huh... That means the information is wrong. In that case, I guess I’ll have to torture the person who gave me this information."

"Torture!? You...!"

Luke gasped in a trembling voice at Hyunsoo's response.

Of course, Luke wasn’t the only one surprised.

Hayuri also stepped closer, her eyes widening slightly as she whispered in Hyunsoo’s ear,

"Torture? Is that your thing?"

"Shh. Just watch quietly."

Hyunsoo gestured for Hayuri to stay silent, then began fidgeting with his twin swords, applying further pressure on Luke.

The one who had passed on the information about the Valley of the Ancient Times to Luke was Choi.

There was no way he could torture anyone.

But Hyunsoo didn’t stop there. He pressed Luke further by playing along with the lie.

The reason was simple.

When he heard the news about Kyle's death, he could feel Luke's anxiety.

When Hyunsoo had heard about Luke's temperament from Hayuri, she had told him that while he was usually indifferent, he was quite considerate toward people he knew.

Kyle had likely been someone important to him, as he had been the commander of the allied forces.

Also, the person who provided the information about the Valley of the Ancient Times was likely someone close to Luke. Hyunsoo figured Luke would be deeply shaken by the mention of torture.

The strategy worked.

It seemed that Luke, judging Hyunsoo as someone who would torment his subordinates, began to divulge the information.

"The... the Valley of the Ancient Times is in Africa... No, in Egypt…"

"I thought I heard it was in East Asia... Looks like I’ll have to treat the source horribly."

"No, no! I made a mistake! The Valley of the Ancient Times is... in North Korea!"

"North Korea...? Are you still not awake?"

"It’s true. The Valley of the Ancient Times is a term for a strange dungeon formed in Pyongyang, North Korea. I’m telling you the truth. If you want to torture the source... I won’t let you leave here easily either."

Though Luke tried to deceive for a moment, it seemed like the information was genuine.

Luke opened his eyes and stared at Hyunsoo.

His gaze was much fiercer than before.

Additionally,

Hayuri lent weight to Luke's words.

"Though I suspected it was in East Asia, if it's really North Korea, it makes sense. But if it is North Korea…"

"It’s hard to get in, isn’t it? I’ve heard the successor has changed there and there's a civil war going on."

It was troubling.

Even if Luke's words were true, North Korea had become a chaotic mess to the point where it could no longer be called a country.

It wasn’t just that.

"Yeah, it won't be easy. North Korea is ruled by the Sin of Pride now."

"Mm…?"

"The Sin of Pride...?"

"You didn’t know? A few years ago, the first person who inherited the Sin of Pride died, and the successor has changed since. Now, they’re settled in North Korea. Pride has the characteristic of dominating others and organizations... more precisely, dictating them. The reason the successors of Pride failed their quests was because, while expanding their influence, they faced opposition not only from hunters but also from the political establishment and the elites. It seems like this new successor has overcome all that."

According to Luke, North Korea was currently being ruled by the successor of Pride.

If the Valley of the Ancient Times truly was in Pyongyang, access would be even more difficult.

"How do you know this, when you’ve only been asleep?"

"Do you think I only have one source of information? Even if I don’t directly interact with them, I can still hear things. And there’s nothing impossible in this world. As long as you have enough money, that is."

Hyunsoo gave Luke another suspicious look, but Luke just shrugged, looking at the gold and jewels piled up inside the cave.

Now, the only option left for Hyunsoo was to go to North Korea and verify the truth of the information Luke had provided.

"This is a bit of a bind. What are you going to do, Master?"

"Are you going?"

Swallow and Hayuri asked with concern.

Hyunsoo paused for a moment, then turned toward the cave entrance.

And then—

Shick—Shraaack—!! Krrrkrkrkrk—!!

Hyunsoo swung his twin swords, attacking the ceiling and collapsing the cave entrance, blocking the exit.

"It seems like this journey will take longer. I’ll let you sleep until I return."

"You damn—!!"

Luke’s screams echoed from behind.

Hyunsoo paid no attention and calmly exited Mount Fuji.