The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

"How do you…?!"

"Did you know everything from the beginning?!"
Kyle and Iron were visibly shocked by Kang Hyunsoo’s words.
Neither of them had ever revealed that they were the Successors of Envy and Wrath, yet Hyunsoo already knew.
Even information agencies like the CIA were unaware of this detail, so how could he possibly know?

The same question raced through their minds, but the answer soon became clear.
Standing next to Hyunsoo with a sly smile was another Successor.
"Hayuri…! You’re the one who told him everything!"

"So this was all a trap from the start!"
"My, aren’t you quick on the uptake," Hayuri teased, twirling her fan. "You should have figured it out the moment I appeared."
With a mischievous grin, she waved her fan.

Rumble—!
The ground between Kyle and Iron erupted, sharp rocks shooting upward and forcing them to leap apart.
"Think you can handle it? If it looks like you’re losing, just call for me. I’ll grab you and get us out of here," Hayuri said casually, her tone betraying no concern.

"Focus on your own fight," Hyunsoo replied dryly.
With that brief exchange of nonchalant encouragement, they each chased down their respective opponents.
This separation was pre-planned.

"How do we handle it? Kyle and Iron are used to working together. A two-on-two fight doesn’t favor us."
"How about splitting them up?"
"That’s doable. I’ll take Iron. Kyle’s skill-mimicking ability makes him tricky to deal with."

"And can you handle Iron?"
"He's all about physical strength. If I keep circling him with magic, I can stall him for a while. Killing him might take time, but I’m confident I won’t lose."
They had assigned themselves targets accordingly.
Hyunsoo would face Kyle, and Hayuri would deal with Iron.
Of course, a one-on-one fight didn’t guarantee victory.

While their abilities had certain advantages, Kyle and Iron were both higher-level and more experienced in battle.
The disparity was particularly severe between Hyunsoo and Kyle.
But there was a solution.
[A portion of Greed’s energy has entered your body.]
[All skills and traits temporarily enhanced by 30%.]

The black energy from Hayuri’s power flowed around Hyunsoo, strengthening him.
What had once been a dangerous opponent was now a reassuring ally.
"You arrogant bastard. Do you think you can beat me just because it’s one-on-one?" Kyle growled, swinging his longsword and unleashing a wave of sword energy.

Hyunsoo sidestepped the attack and closed the distance, retaliating with swift dual-sword strikes.
Even without Bloom and despite Kyle’s higher level, the buffs from Hayuri’s Greed power made the fight manageable.
The two clashed repeatedly.

Boom! Clash! Crash!
Amid the chaos of their blades, small injuries began to accumulate on Kyle’s body.
But it wasn’t enough to end the fight.

Even with their plan unfolding as expected, Hyunsoo lacked the finishing blow needed to turn the tide completely.
Using Bloom was out of the question due to its cooldown, leaving Hyunsoo to rely on conventional methods.
‘Should I try something else?’

Hyunsoo decided to test a basic skill mid-combat.
Kyle was too preoccupied blocking his dual swords to mimic the skill—or so Hyunsoo thought.
But he was wrong.
Fwoosh!

As Hyunsoo’s flaming sword traced an arc of fire using Flare, Kyle countered with his longsword, extinguishing the flames and unleashing his own fiery attack in return.
‘Damn it, I can’t use basic swordsmanship either.’
Kyle’s Envy allowed him to erase others’ skills and replace them with copies of his own. It was an infuriating ability.

Even the advanced sword techniques Hyunsoo had acquired were useless. His only option was to rely on the Beauty Talent.
But as the battle dragged on, this too worked against him.
The core strengths of the Beauty Talent—Bloom and Blossom—were unavailable.

[Evasion Combo: 76]
[Evasion Combo: 77]
Slice!
[Evasion Combo: 78 failed.]
[You failed to evade consecutive attacks.]
[Evasion Combo reset to 1.]
Despite dodging up to the brink of activating Blossom, Hyunsoo failed at the last moment, his Trust Armor brushing against Kyle’s blade and resetting his progress.
It was a disastrous situation.

[You are sweating too much.]
[Appearance Power -1.]
The longer the fight continued, the weaker Hyunsoo became.
His growing movements caused him to sweat more, and his armor’s protective shields were steadily deteriorating.
To turn things around, he needed to boost his stats enough to evade Kyle’s attacks 100 times in a row, but there was no immediate solution in sight.

Sword skills were out of the question due to Kyle’s mimicry, and Hayuri—
"How long can you keep running?!"
"Annoying pest!"

—was too busy dealing with Iron.
She flitted across the wasteland using Blink, casting waves of black energy, but Iron chased her relentlessly, smashing through terrain with his shockwave-inducing knuckles.
Even as his arms were slashed and his thighs pierced by Hayuri’s magic, Iron showed no sign of stopping, clearly intent on catching her.

Hyunsoo realized that the burden of turning the situation around rested solely on him.
Hayuri was occupied, and Swallow, after exhausting his feather attacks and barriers, retreated momentarily.
—“Ugh! I’ll be right back, Master!!”

[Your Beauty Supporter has exhausted all energy.]
[Summoning canceled.]
The supporter had run out of energy and required recharging.
‘Damn it. It’s all or nothing now.’

【Activation】
[Berserker’s Secret Art: Frenzy (B)]
[Temporarily increases attack power, defense, attack speed, and movement speed by 300%. Costs 200 HP and 200 Mana.]
"Graaaahhh…!!"
Hyunsoo made his final gambit.

Using Frenzy, which drastically enhanced his physical abilities, he aimed to evade Kyle’s attacks and activate Beauty Swordsmanship. If Kyle mimicked the skill, it might become useless, but it was better than steadily losing ground.
However—
"Graaaahhh!!"

As expected, Kyle immediately copied the skill.
The two men were soon wreathed ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) in an aura of crimson energy.
What followed was a battle befitting the term "berserkers."

Boom! Crash! Clash!
They collided head-on, neither dodging nor retreating, exchanging frenzied blows without a moment’s hesitation.
The intensity of their clash caused shockwaves to ripple outward, winds roaring through the battlefield. Even Hyunsoo’s Trust Armor, designed for durability, began to crack under the strain.

Wounds piled up, blood spraying through the air with every strike.
Hyunsoo had originally planned to use Beauty Swordsmanship, but the opportunity to do so vanished, along with his composure. His focus narrowed to a singular, primal instinct: attack.
The situation worsened.

[You are sweating too much.]
[Appearance Power -1.]
[Your clothes are torn in multiple places.]
[Appearance score reduced.]
[Overall score: 5/10.]
[Additional Appearance Power: +15.]
With his clothes shredded and blood and sweat soaking his body, Hyunsoo’s Appearance Power plummeted.
As a result, the stat bonuses tied to it diminished, leaving him more vulnerable. The cycle of decline continued.

Switching to Quick Change could have mitigated the appearance loss, but Hyunsoo’s reduced mental clarity left him unable to think of such solutions.
One thought occupied his mind:
‘Am I… becoming ugly again?’

Since his regression, Hyunsoo had worked tirelessly to improve himself.
He had juggled the development of two talents—something most would find impossible.
His driving force? The discrimination he had suffered in his previous life due to his appearance.
He remembered the scornful looks, the dismissive attitudes, the silent ridicule he endured before his regression.

Determined not to experience that again, he had poured effort into self-care, fashion, and even refining his swordsmanship into a style that balanced offense, defense, and evasion.
But now, everything he had built seemed to be unraveling.
His painstakingly cultivated Appearance Power and harmony score were crumbling before his eyes.

Finally—
‘This damned beauty, beauty, beauty…!!’
The frustration he had suppressed exploded.

Hyunsoo swung his dual swords even more furiously, abandoning all concern for his own injuries.
His attacks became pure, unrelenting aggression, unburdened by thoughts of appearances.
For beauty existed not only in one’s outward form but also in the artistry of swordsmanship.
Simpler.
More savage.
Utterly relentless.

Hyunsoo focused solely on his swords, ignoring everything else.
His clothes were in tatters, his bare torso streaked with blood, but none of it mattered. His entire being was concentrated on the whirlwind of blades he unleashed.
And then, as he descended into a trance-like state—

[Despite severe injuries and profuse bleeding, your natural beauty shines through.]
[Hidden Talent Unlocked!]
[Hidden Talent: Decadent Beauty acquired.]
[Decadent Skills acquired: Blood Sword (SS), Blood Web (SS), Bloodburst (SS), Blood Fortification (SS).]
[Decadent Trait acquired: Blood Frenzy (SS).]
A hidden power awakened within him.
New strength surged through Hyunsoo’s body, spreading like wildfire.

Kyle’s movements appeared slower, and a feeling of omnipotence overcame Hyunsoo, as if he could cut through anything.
There was no time for contemplation.
Hyunsoo surrendered to his instincts.

He stepped forward.
"Raaaah! Kang Hyunsoo…!!!"
Kyle screamed, swinging his longsword, but Hyunsoo dodged deftly.
Blood spilled from his wounds, scattering through the air in an arc.

At that moment—
【Activation】
[Blood Web (SS)]
The droplets of blood floating in the air suddenly spread out like a spider’s web, ensnaring the space around Kyle.

"W-What is this…?!"
Kyle swung his sword in panic, but the web of blood held firm, refusing to be cut.
As he struggled to find an escape—

Boom!
The blood web detonated with devastating force, engulfing Kyle in a massive explosion.