The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become

Chapter 63

My vision was filled with an endless stream of notifications.

‘What is all this...?’

The first thing that caught my eye was something familiar.

After defeating the dungeon boss, the Skeletal Emperor, the usual system messages appeared.

[You have entered a B-rank dungeon.]

[You have defeated the boss monster of the B-rank dungeon.]

[Clear the dungeon by defeating the boss monster (1/1).]

[A portal to escape the dungeon has been created.]

As expected, the system recognized my success, and an escape portal formed. Standard procedure.

Following that were the rewards for my swordsmanship quest.

[Swordsmanship Quest 19]

Defeat a boss monster of Level 300 or higher (1/1).

[Rewards]

Strength +10Stamina +5Swordsmanship Proficiency +25

The Skeletal Emperor, with a level exceeding 300, naturally fulfilled this quest. It was a predictable result.

What truly mattered, however, was the outcome of the Absolute Beauty Quest.

[Absolute Beauty Quest 7]

Clear a B-rank or higher dungeon solo without taking a single hit (1/1).

Fortunately, it was marked as completed.

I had been worried that I might have grazed the Skeletal Emperor’s blade during our final clash, but I had defeated him before that could happen.

The rewards soon followed.

[Rewards]

[Beauty Trait: Skin Enhancement upgraded from E-rank to D-rank.][Skin Enhancement (D): Improves skin condition. Reduces sebum production. Lightens scars. Minimizes pores and reduces skin blemishes and warts. Expels toxins that harm skin quality.][Beauty Trait: Handsomeness Makes You Stronger upgraded one sub-trait rank randomly.][Trait: Body Frame upgraded from C-rank to B-rank.][With the upgraded Body Frame trait:] Muscle mass slightly increases.Body fat decreases.Base attack speed +10%.Base movement speed +10%.Base reaction speed +10%.

The rewards were satisfying.

Upgraded skin detoxification features and doubled basic speed bonuses from 5% to 10% thanks to the enhanced Body Frame.

With this, all my goals for the dungeon had been achieved.

Yet the most shocking revelation was still to come, appearing at the very end of the notifications.

[Explosion of Coolness!]

You demonstrated seamless swordsmanship combinations that surpassed your limits.

[Coolness Score: 100 points.]

[Achieve a Coolness Score of 100 points by surpassing your talent's limits (100/100).]

[You have completed Hidden Coolness Quest 2.]

[Rewards]

All talent stats increased by +50.Swordsmanship Proficiency: 182Charm: 110

I had earned a perfect Coolness Score of 100 thanks to the flawless execution of my swordsmanship while battling the boss.

This was an entirely unexpected reward.

While the system didn’t reveal specific grading criteria, it seemed that perfectly chaining together high-level skills at my relatively low level had earned me full marks.

It was no easy feat.

Sky Splitter, Skyward Blade, Solar Flare: Black Sun Explosion—executed in sequence.

Each of these skills was so demanding that I felt utterly drained after using just one. Their ranks were far higher than what I could comfortably handle at my current level.

If not for the stat boosts from my Beauty Talent and the Sword Emperor’s knowledge from my past life, I wouldn’t have been able to attempt it.@@@@

The system’s recognition of my performance with a perfect score underscored just how difficult the feat was.

One misstep, and I might have ended up in a situation similar to my earlier battle with Ji Wonhoon. But this time, I had succeeded, and the rewards were sweeter than I could have imagined.

‘This is incredible!’

Clenching my fist, I couldn’t help but celebrate internally.

Not only was I thrilled to have earned the system’s acknowledgment, but the stat increase was also staggering.

+50 to all talent stats.

This wasn’t just a simple numeric boost.

Skin tone brightens slightly.Basic cleanliness maintained even without washing.Wearing terrible outfits reduces Appearance Power less drastically.Sweat no longer produces foul odors, and Appearance Power is less affected by sweating.Face (C)Body Frame (B)Skin (C)Fashion (E)Scent (D)??? (Locked)

However, the downside lay elsewhere.

[Sword Adept Title Quest]

Legacy of a Swordsmanship Family

Upon initiation, a virtual dungeon will be created.Injuries in the virtual dungeon do not affect reality. All damage will be restored once the quest concludes.Do you wish to attempt the Sword Adept Title Quest? [Yes] / [No]Note: Failing the quest results in a 10% decrease in Swordsmanship Proficiency.

Failing would reduce my hard-earned swordsmanship proficiency by 10%.

Although the system provides a dedicated recovery quest to regain lost stats, completing it takes a significant amount of time. Moreover, repeated failures exponentially increase the time required for recovery.

This made caution essential when attempting title advancements.

In my previous life, I had received the Sword Adept Title Quest before reaching Level 300, but I hadn’t attempted it until I surpassed Level 350.

Still, my chances this time weren’t slim.

With my Appearance Power bringing my stats closer to my past life’s level, plus exclusive hidden pieces and newly unlocked skills, I had more options at my disposal.

There was one issue, though.

“I think I need at least one more rare-grade sword to attempt this...”

The second weapon in my arsenal was a concern.

While my Flame Sword was of hero-grade and more than adequate, I was alternating between Choi Taehun’s sword and Seo Jieun’s sword, both of which were advanced-grade at best.

To bridge the level gap and handle Sword Adept-level skills, I needed at least two rare-grade weapons.

As I mulled over this, Swallow interrupted.

“Hm... Should I check for anything useful nearby? Oh, Master! There’s an item dropped by the boss monster here!”

His announcement was a welcome surprise.

Amid the debris where the Skeletal Emperor had fallen, a glimmer of a sword peeked out from the junk loot.

I rushed over and picked it up.

[Fallen Emperor’s Command Sword]

Grade: RareEffect: Attack Power +120Skill: Summon Wraith Knights (C)Description: A sword once wielded by the emperor who ruled the continent.Inflicts fear on humans.Deals +50% additional damage to humanoid monsters.

“...Should I buy a lottery ticket today?”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

The golden-bladed sword exuded a luxurious aura.

“What’s so amusing, Master?”

“This sword... it has an insanely low drop rate.”

“How low? Hm, I don’t recall it being in my database. It must be quite obscure.”

“Exactly. I’ve only ever heard of it but never seen it before now.”

The Command Sword from the Emperor’s Tomb boasted top-tier performance among rare-grade weapons. Its drop rate was so abysmal that one might only see it once a year, if that.

I hadn’t even bothered checking for loot earlier, convinced the odds were against me. But luck had clearly smiled on me.

“With this, there’s no reason to hold back.”

“Oh? You’re attempting the quest, then?”

“You know the saying—strike while the iron’s hot. When luck’s on your side, you go all in.”

In a situation where I needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible, the missing piece had fallen into place. There was no reason to delay.

[You have chosen to attempt the Sword Adept Title Quest.]

[A virtual dungeon is being created.]

Whooosh!

A white portal materialized as I confirmed my selection. Without hesitation, I stepped through.

[The Sword Adept Title Quest begins.]

[Prepare for battle.]

The dim cavern transformed into a training ground as sharp killing intent filled the air.

Sshhhk! Sshhhk! Sshhhhk!

Blades of pure energy rained down from every direction, heralding the start of the trial.