The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become-Chapter 144: Friends (5)

The Sword King's blade had blocked Blossom.

“Ugh... How is that possible...?”

Kang Hyunsoo got to his feet, staring at the Sword King standing beneath a rain of scattered petals.

Never before had Blossom been stopped.

A technique of ultimate refinement that erased and nullified magic, aura, and even the power of sin—it had always prevailed.

Yet it failed.

And it failed against the Sword King, whom Hyunsoo had thought to be inferior.

The truth was soon revealed.

“The Sin of Lust—it’s as powerful as you claimed. But every force has its counterforce. As it happens, I’ve honed a swordsmanship that wields a similar power.”

“A similar power...?”

“Rakshasa Swordsmanship.”

The Sword King answered as he swung his blade once more.

Trailing behind the arc of his blade was a vivid, purple aura, almost hypnotic in its allure.

It resembled the aesthetic grace of Beauty Swordsmanship but carried a darker, more captivating essence.

“The Rakshasa Swordsmanship, much like the Sin of Lust, enthralls and consumes those it touches. As it stems from a similar origin, it counters your power seamlessly. Of course, in a true contest of skill, the outcome depends on the strength of each, but it seems my training hasn’t been in vain.”

The Sword King had deflected Hyunsoo’s Beauty Swordsmanship with a technique imbued with a force akin to the Sin of Lust.

Having mastered countless sword styles, the Sword King had once casually mentioned over drinks that his curiosity for various sword techniques had kept him from specializing in any single one. Had he focused solely on one style, he claimed, he might have surpassed the Sword Emperor.

At the time, Hyunsoo thought it was just idle boasting. But now, he saw it wasn’t a hollow claim.

The Sword King truly possessed both talent and insatiable curiosity, enough to confine himself to this realm to explore the swords of other worlds.

Hyunsoo couldn’t help but acknowledge him.

“Incredible. I never imagined you knew a style like that.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I haven’t been idling. But are you just going to stand there? The power you’ve unleashed doesn’t seem to have much time left.”

The Sword King’s tone was commanding, urging Hyunsoo to make his move.

It was true. Less than a minute remained of Bloom, and the Sword King had already noticed.

“Tch. I was just about to, old man!”

Hyunsoo launched himself forward, kicking off the ground toward the Sword King.

Despite his urgency, recklessness was not an option.

After being kicked in the abdomen earlier—

[Failed to evade the opponent’s attack.]

[Evasion combo interrupted.]

[Evasion Combo: 0]

[Fusion Talent: Beauty Swordsmanship has been deactivated.]

[Conditions must be met to use Beauty Swordsmanship.]

With the evasion combo broken, Beauty Swordsmanship was no longer an option.

In response, Hyunsoo switched tactics, wielding both swords to engage ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) the Sword King in a ferocious melee exchange.

He also deactivated Trust Armor, knowing it would only hold him back now.

[Activation]

[Berserker’s Secret Technique: Rampage (B)]

[Temporarily increases attack power, defense, attack speed, and movement speed by 300%. Costs 200 HP and 200 Mana per second.]

Entering a state of unrestrained aggression, Hyunsoo’s mind went blank as he focused solely on offense.

BOOM! BOOM! CLANG—!!

“Kuh... Your spirit is far greater than before...!”

Even the Sword King was forced back under the pressure of Hyunsoo’s enhanced strikes.

But his counters were no less formidable. Amid Hyunsoo’s relentless barrage, the Sword King found and exploited every slight opening.

SLASH—!!

Blood sprayed as wounds began to accumulate on Hyunsoo’s body, his Appearance Power gradually diminishing.

Despite the pain and blood loss, Hyunsoo didn’t care.

His rationality had long faded, and—

[You are bleeding profusely.]

[Condition met.]

[Hidden Talent: Bleeding Beauty can now be used.]

It only made him stronger.

Power surged through his body.

[Activation]

[Bleeding Trait: Blood Fury (SS)]

[When Bleeding Beauty is active, physical abilities are greatly enhanced upon injury. All stats doubled, plus an additional +1,000.]

With Blood Fury activated alongside Bloom and Rampage, Hyunsoo’s movements became nearly impossible for the Sword King to track.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH—!!

Hyunsoo’s blood-red blade grazed the Sword King’s uniform, leaving faint cuts behind.

As Hyunsoo’s offensive escalated, the Sword King’s defensive maneuvers began to falter.

[Activation]

[Bleeding Skill: Blood Barrier (SS)]

[Forms a protective shield of blood and mana over the user’s body or a specific area. Consumes 200 Mana every 10 seconds.]

The Sword King’s strikes were all deflected by Hyunsoo’s crimson barrier.

“Using the beauty of blood as a weapon... Truly remarkable!”

The Sword King swung his blade to deflect the blood-laden projectiles closing in from all sides, even praising Hyunsoo’s ingenuity.

“But it’s still lacking! Suppress the recklessness and merge it with the petals you unleashed earlier! Their surface differs, but at their core, the two forces are similar. You can combine them!”

Even in the heat of battle, the Sword King imparted his wisdom.

Hyunsoo, taking the advice to heart, deactivated Rampage and redirected all his focus to evading the Sword King’s blade.

[Bloom (SS)]

[Time remaining: 10 seconds.]

With so little time left—

[Achieved: 100 Combo Evasion!]

[You have flawlessly evaded 100 consecutive attacks.]

[Fusion Talent: Beauty Swordsmanship can now be used.]

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A new opportunity had presented itself.

Inside Kang Hyunsoo’s body, he could sense two distinct forces.

Though they felt alien, their core essence was the same: the power of Lust.

Following the Sword King’s teachings, Hyunsoo attempted to fuse the two forces within himself. However, it wasn’t easy.

Whenever he tried to merge them, Bleeding Beauty and Beauty Talent repelled each other.

It became clear that he needed a more practical solution.

In a desperate, improvised move, Hyunsoo redirected the two powers into his swords:

The power of beauty flowed into the Flame Sword.The power of blood coursed into the Thunder Sword.[Activation]

[Blossom (SS)]

[Blood Blade (SS)]

He manifested both powers atop the respective blades and then brought them together.

The instant the two forces converged—

WOOOOOOM—!!

A resonating hum echoed as the energies fused at the tips of his swords.

[You have activated both Hidden Talent and Fusion Talent simultaneously.]

[Hidden Fusion Talent: Bleeding Beauty Swordsmanship has been unlocked.]

The combined powers gave birth to a new, overwhelming force.

[Activation]

[Blood Blossom (SSS)]

Blood-red petals scattered along the trajectory of his blades.

“HRAAAAAAAHH!!”

With a roar, Kang Hyunsoo swung the twin swords, now glowing with crimson brilliance, directly at the Sword King.

The Sword King didn’t evade.

“Hahaha! Yes! That’s the spirit of my disciple!”

He too unleashed his power, summoning a violet aura that surged along his blade.

“Conqueror’s Rakshasa Blade!”

Under a shower of red petals, the two warriors clashed.

BOOOOOM—!!

The collision of Hyunsoo’s twin swords and the Sword King’s blade erupted into a massive shockwave, scattering petals and dust alike.

“Phew... So, the time has finally come.”

In the heart of Gangnam, Go Kyungseok stood amidst the chaos, gazing up at the sky.

WOOOOOOM—!!

A massive portal rotated ominously above Seoul.

[Forced Dungeon Break is now active.]

[Grade: SS]

[Time until full opening: 8 minutes, 50 seconds.]

Less than ten minutes remained.

For days, Go Kyungseok had worked tirelessly to prevent the Dungeon Break.

He coordinated with foreign nations, seeking solutions, and explored ways to enter the dungeon before the break occurred—but no leads had been found.

Still, countermeasures were in place.

The government had issued evacuation orders for civilians, and an emergency decree had summoned hunters from across Korea to the site.

The hunters were confident.

Despite the portal’s enormous size, which suggested countless monsters would pour through, the sheer power gathered in Gangnam was overwhelming.

“Wow, Shim Wonsik, Jin Gijun, Gwak Dowon... Even the guild masters and vice-masters from the top guilds are here.”

“Go Kyungseok’s here too. This isn’t just SS-class. They could clear an SSS-class dungeon with this lineup.”

“This might end quicker than we thought.”

Hunters from all over the country had convened.

Among them were guild masters and vice-masters from Korea’s most powerful guilds, making this one of the most formidable forces ever assembled.

However—

“Any word from Kang Hyunsoo?”

“No, sir. We haven’t received a reply yet. Chief Choi Jiwoo has gone to his residence to check on him.”

“I see. In the meantime, tell the selected raid team to refrain from acting independently.”

Go Kyungseok remained vigilant.

Despite the unprecedented gathering of hunters, Hyunsoo’s warning lingered in his mind: significant casualties were inevitable if they weren’t careful.

Hyunsoo had emphasized his own necessity in preventing such a disaster, yet there had been no contact from him since he’d promised to join after wrapping up his current task.

Just as Go Kyungseok tried to call Hyunsoo—

CRACKLE— CRACKLE— BOOOOOOOM!!

An explosion erupted from the portal, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.

[Lv 720. Corrupted Abyssal Demon Knight]

[Lv 710. Corrupted Abyssal Brainwashed Wyvern]

[Lv 730. Corrupted Abyssal Brainwashed Ogre]

“SCREEEEEEECH!!”

“GRAAAAAHH!!”

A torrent of monsters spilled from the portal, descending to the ground with deafening roars.