The Handsomer You Are, the Stronger You Become-Chapter 159

“Because no one qualified had appeared. Only one person has come this far.”

“One person…?”

Hyunsoo’s voice trailed off.

Given that the Sword King hadn’t been affected by the regression, it was highly likely the Sword Emperor hadn’t been either.

Hyunsoo’s guess proved to be correct.

“He was incredibly ugly. It almost seemed like a gorilla was swinging a sword.”

“…That bad?”

“Yeah. As a Sword King, his swordsmanship was impressive, but he was so ugly that he didn’t want to pass on my power. It was fortunate he didn’t clear the trials in one go. On the other hand, you… even just by your appearance, you’re impressive. I’ll allow you to receive my power. Hahaha!”

The Sword Emperor laughed, pleased with himself, but Hyunsoo didn’t respond.

It was clear that the ugly gorilla the Sword Emperor was talking about was most likely Hyunsoo before his regression.

Though Hyunsoo acknowledged his unattractiveness, it didn’t stop him from feeling irritated.

Hyunsoo looked at the Sword Emperor and asked,

“You’re pretty particular. Does your power really hold that much value?”

How could someone be so focused on appearance when they had so much power to offer?

It was a loaded question, but the Sword Emperor didn’t seem to mind.

In fact, he became even more boastful.

Rising from the throne, the Sword Emperor grabbed the sword stuck into the floor beside him and spoke,

“That’s right. The power I wield is both imperial and sovereign.”

Boom—! Whoosh—!!

When the Sword Emperor drew the sword, a tremendous aura burst forth.

Hyunsoo had to raise his twin swords to block the force, but that wasn’t all.

At the moment the aura burst—

[The Sword Emperor of the Blade]

Suddenly, static appeared on the recognition tag of the Sword Emperor.

[The Sword Sage who offers his sword to the heavens]

The title had changed to a new name.

From Sword Emperor to Sword Sage.

When he mentioned that he was both imperial and sovereign, Hyunsoo didn’t quite understand at first, but now it was clear.

The Sword Emperor was also the Sword Sage.

So that’s why the Hidden Swordsmanship Title Quest is named Sword Sage.

Hyunsoo had been confused earlier about why the quest was named Sword Sage, considering there was already a Sword Emperor.

But now it was clear—the Sword Emperor was the Sword Sage.

Hyunsoo, still curious, asked,

“Does Sword Sage mean the emperor of swords?”

“Yes. But… as a human, I could only contain one characteristic at a time, so the quests were separated.”

“…Now I see why you’ve been so particular. Just who are you really?”

Now that he understood, Hyunsoo couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

The Sword Emperor began walking down from the throne, step by step, as he spoke.

“I’ve wielded a sword from a young age in a chaotic world. By the age of adolescence, I became the Sword King and pacified the martial world. By my twenties, I was the Sword Emperor, unifying the world. And by my thirties, I became the Sword Sage, ruling over the land.”

Hyunsoo couldn’t help but click his tongue.

It was astonishing that he became Sword King at 15, Sword Emperor at 20, and Sword Sage by 30.

He was not just a sword genius—he was the very embodiment of swordsmanship.

But as the saying goes, "The flower that blooms first wilts first."

“My life was filled with glory. But my health failed me. I discovered a higher realm of swords when I ascended to the position of Sword Sage, but I had no time to pursue it. My vessel shattered under the weight of its power. Just before my death, I came here, thanks to the offer of an unknown entity who asked me to find a successor.”

The Sword Sage stood still after recalling his past, then turned to look at Hyunsoo.

“The sword has been my truth, my way, and my life. Only those who surpass me can bear this power. Will you prove your vessel to me?”

The Sword Sage demanded Hyunsoo to prove his worth.

The method was simple.

[Sword Sage Title Quest begins.]

[Defeat the Sword Sage within the time limit (0/1)]

[Time Limit: 6 hours]

[You have only one chance.]

[If you lose or forfeit in the duel with the Sword Sage, the quest ends immediately, and you will return to the original entrance.]

[No retries are allowed.]

To defeat the Sword Sage in this duel.

Hyunsoo had somewhat anticipated this.

The moment the Sword Sage revealed himself, Hyunsoo could feel his desire to fight.

But—

“Six hours as the time limit… I have many questions, but it’s too short.”

The time given was quite limited.

To be honest, when he realized that conversation was possible, Hyunsoo had hoped to talk more, like he did during the Sword King trial.

If he could, he would have liked to befriend the figure or at least share a drink.

But this time, that wasn't possible.

“I, too, have many things I wish to ask you, but it cannot be helped. This was created with the last remnants of my life force.”

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on ƒreewebɳovel.com.

It seemed that the Sword Sage had used his remaining life force to create this trial.

In that case, it was only right to do as the Sword Sage desired.

Hyunsoo readied his twin swords.

“Well then, let’s complete what I’m inheriting.”

Earlier, the Sword Sage had mentioned that, although he had found a higher realm of swordsmanship after becoming a Sword Sage, he couldn’t pursue it.

Clearly, there was another title above the Sword Sage.

The Sword Sage didn’t deny it.

Instead, he responded,

“Yes, prove it to me!”

A grin spread across the Sword Sage's face as the trial began.

Slash—!!

Hyunsoo responded, charging forward and swinging his swords to meet the strike.

A tremendous shockwave shook the entire arena.

It wasn’t just about meeting swords anymore—the palace’s lavish decorations shattered with the impact.

The moment the swords collided, Hyunsoo realized,

‘This is… everything I have to give!’

He knew that he couldn’t defeat the Sword Sage unless he used every ounce of his power.

This wasn't just a hunch.

Even though Hyunsoo had responded with a dash and a barrage, it was ineffective.

“Pathetic!!”

The Sword Sage was entirely unaffected by his response.

As soon as Hyunsoo used his powerful moves, the Sword Sage mirrored them exactly.

With a stomp, the Sword Sage swung his sword in all directions.

It was almost as if he had duplicated Hyunsoo’s moves in real-time.

Other techniques like the Sky Splitter and Dual Slash were replicated with the same precision.

Hyunsoo realized that, despite still having time left, it was time to go for the final blow.

After using Displacement to create some distance, he shouted,

“Let’s see if you can follow THIS!!”

[Activate]

[Giant Slash (SSS)]

This was the sword technique that had even shocked the Sword King in the past.

Swinging the Incarnation Sword, Hyunsoo summoned a giant blade as large as his body.

But—

“Heh, laughable.”

The Sword Sage didn’t even flinch.

Despite the giant sword coming down at him, he remained calm, holding his own sword above his head in a defensive stance.

His defense was much more reserved compared to the massive sword descending upon him.

However—

Boom—!!

The attack did not land.

The SSS-ranked Giant Slash was blocked by the Sword Sage’s sword.

“Good effort, but it’s still not enough to defeat me…”

The Sword Sage smiled faintly, caught in a deadlock with the giant sword. But before he could finish his sentence—

Swoosh—!!

Hyunsoo closed the distance and swung his Thunder Sword.

From the start, he had anticipated the Giant Slash would be blocked, so he had already prepared his next move.

“Ha!!”

The crackling sound of the Thunder Sword hit the Sword Sage’s defense.

There were no defenses left for the Sword Sage at this point.

But—

Crash—!!

The Thunder Sword halted right in front of the Sword Sage's face.

The reason was simple—

“You shouldn’t forget, I have two hands.”

The Sword Sage also revealed his twin swords.

However, his swords were invisible.

When the Thunder Sword was deflected, the lightning bounced off and wrapped around the invisible swords, only to vanish.

That wasn’t all.

“Now, I’ll show you my swordsmanship.”

With a flick of his sword, the Sword Sage slashed through both the Giant Sword and the Thunder Sword.

Slash—slash—slash—!!

“Ugh…!!”

Hyunsoo found cuts on his shoulder, calves, and thighs as the Sword Sage’s invisible swords landed with incredible precision.

Even with Displacement to create distance, running away was useless.

It felt as if the laws of the universe were being broken.

Even though the distance seemed impossible for the swords to reach, they still landed on Hyunsoo.

It was an uneven fight, one that seemed impossible to win.

Then, Hyunsoo paused, exhaling heavily.

“Ha, I see now…”

Breathing roughly, he swinged his twin swords from a distance once more.

And in that instant—

Slash—slash—slash—!!

Once again, the Sword Sage’s space was thrown into disarray, and pieces of his royal robe were sliced off.

“……!!”

The Sword Sage’s eyes widened in shock.