NoveLight ™
“Skin Improvement…?”
I opened the status window to read the detailed description.
[Beauty Trait: Skin Improvement (E)]
The reward I’d earned was a trait that improved my skin.
It seemed straightforward enough—a trait to enhance my skin’s appearance.
“Hm, but how much of an improvement are we talking about?”
Without a mirror, it was hard to gauge the effects right away. Rubbing my cheeks with my hand didn’t reveal much of a difference.
But just as I was examining my cheeks while looking at the reward message, Swallow fluttered down, holding a hand mirror in his beak.
“Congratulations on receiving your reward, Master! Here, take a look at this.”
I glanced at him suspiciously, narrowing my eyes. “What’s with you? Why are you suddenly being so helpful?”
“What do you mean ‘suddenly’? I’ve always been dedicated to assisting you, Master.”
“…Well, alright. Thanks, I guess.”
Though a little skeptical, I couldn’t deny he had been helpful in the past. As annoying and self-absorbed as Swallow could be, he’d shown genuine dedication—like during the Misty Forest and the Hunter Training Ground.
Smirking faintly, I took the mirror he offered and looked at my reflection.
And froze.
“...!”
I was speechless.
The scars, pockmarks, and acne that had once made my skin look like the surface of the moon had smoothed out slightly, leaving my skin looking noticeably better.
‘The scars and pockmarks are less visible!’
Though the changes were subtle enough that others might not notice, I recognized the improvement immediately. Without any ointments or medication, the claw marks from monsters had started to heal, and the redness from acne had faded.
And that wasn’t all.
[Your skin condition has improved.]
[Appearance Power +2.]
[Appearance Power: 5]
[Appearance Power Effect: +5 to all stats.]
[Appearance Power has surpassed 5.]
While I marveled at the subtle improvements in my skin, additional messages popped up alongside the mirror.
[Condition Met.]
[The grade of the Beauty Trait: Handsomer Means Stronger has increased from A to S.]
[Grade increase amplifies Appearance Power effects.]
[Grade increase unlocks detailed elements of Handsomer Means Stronger.]
The trait Handsomer Means Stronger had leveled up.
“A grade increase? Already?”
Unlike items, skills and traits don’t have fixed grades. They sometimes upgrade when specific conditions are met.
But to jump from A-grade to S-grade after completing only a few quests? I’d never seen anything like it.
Curious, I reopened the status window to check the details.
[Beauty Trait: Handsomer Means Stronger (S)]
<Detailed Elements>
[Appearance Power: 5]
[Appearance Power Effect: +10 to all stats.]
“What the hell? Why is there so much all of a sudden?”
I was flustered. The trait now had a list of detailed elements I’d never seen before.
Swallow, noticing my reaction, flapped his wings and began to explain.
“There’s no need to be alarmed, Master. This just means your Appearance Power’s effect has doubled, and the detailed elements have been revealed.”
“I get the stat boost doubling, but what are these detailed elements?”
“They’re the components that determine your Appearance Power. In simple terms, ‘Facial Features’ refers to your face, ‘Body’ to your physique, and so on. The grades next to each element represent your current level.”
“So, you’re saying my Appearance Power of 5 is calculated based on these elements: face, body, skin, and fashion?”
“Exactly, Master.”
“Wait a second. E and F grades? That’s rock bottom! How can my body be graded E? I’ve got some serious muscles, you know!”
I flexed my biceps, showing off my arm muscles in protest.
Honestly, I couldn’t argue about my face—it had been called unattractive more times than I could count, and even I occasionally startled myself when looking in the mirror.
But my body? That was a different story.
As a swordsman who never neglected training, I’d built a solid physique with plenty of muscle. Even in my previous life, I had taken pride in my body.
Unfortunately, beauty’s standards were far less forgiving.
“As I’ve mentioned before, Master, your body has a lot of fat. Though you’ve shed some weight from swinging your sword for 24 hours, you’ll need to go on a stricter diet.”
“Sigh… Fine. Let’s move on. What about the locked question marks?”
“Those will unlock once you meet certain conditions or when Handsomer Means Stronger levels up again. For now… they remain a mystery.”
“You don’t know either?”
“No, not yet. Information about beauty traits and skills flows into my mind as they’re unlocked.”
“…So all this time, you’ve been pretending to know everything, but you’re just winging it?”
“Confidence is key, Master. Isn’t it better to feign knowledge than to admit ignorance?”
“Don’t tell me your claim that beauty talents are amazing was just a bluff, too…”
“Of course not. It’s a fact. With someone as dashing as me assisting you, how could beauty talents not be top-tier?”
Swallow swept a wing dramatically across his forehead in mid-air, exuding flair.
Style over substance, I thought.
He sure loved showing off as the so-called “handsome helper.” I had assumed he was a wellspring of knowledge about beauty traits, but it turned out Swallow didn’t know much more than I did.
At least he wasn’t entirely useless.
Ding!
Another message popped up.
[Your Charm stat is too low to receive Absolute Beauty Quest 2.]
[Assigning a supplementary quest to increase Charm.]
[Supplementary Beauty Quest 7]
[Experience the beauty of various scents (0/10).]
“Experience the beauty of various scents?”
“Oh, a scent-based quest! For that, all you need to do is smell ten different perfumes one after another, Master,” Swallow explained with enthusiasm.
I frowned at the vague description of the supplementary quest, but Swallow’s clear guidance made the task sound manageable. Though he didn’t know everything about the Beauty talent, he often proved to be unexpectedly helpful.
“Smelling ten different perfumes... Huh, that's pretty unique. I mean, showering and trimming nails being quests was weird enough, but this?”
“Beauty lies in the details. What seems trivial on the surface often has profound significance. Just as you’ve become slightly more dashing, following these steps will gradually refine your appearance, Master.”
“Hmph… Maybe you’re right,” I murmured, clearing my throat as I caught the phrase ‘slightly more dashing’ slipping from Swallow’s beak.
It wasn’t something I’d ever heard before—not even out of politeness.
Had I truly become a little more attractive? Could completing these quests genuinely lead to becoming as handsome as I’d glimpsed during Bloom?
Although the thought stirred a mix of emotions, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
“Well, it seems my next stop is a beauty store,” I said, picking up the drop items and heading toward the dungeon’s exit portal with a spring in my step—an unfamiliar lightness I didn’t even notice.
Inside the OnlyYoung Gangnam Branch
“Wow, today’s another day full of handsome guys and pretty ladies!”
Yuhana, a bright-eyed 20-year-old, hummed to herself as she arranged products on the shelves. Despite the hard grind of working weekends, being surrounded by such attractive customers made the job worthwhile for her.
In fact, it was her dream of seeing more beautiful people that had brought her to work in Gangnam in the first place.
Especially now.
“Nothing compares to that one guy from before…”
Ever since witnessing the shocking appearance of that man—who had swept through the store, buying every beauty product in sight—Yuhana had gained a new appreciation for her job.
Humming a cheerful tune, she continued organizing the shelves until—
“Welcome to OnlyYoung—oh!”
The front door chimed, and Yuhana’s cheerful greeting faltered.
It’s him!
The same man, the one with the unforgettable face and bewildering responses, had stepped through the entrance.
Yuhana instinctively clapped a hand over her mouth. The memory of their last encounter surged back, leaving her momentarily speechless.
Luckily, the man didn’t seem to notice her awkward greeting—or her at all.
He wandered the store, scanning the shelves as if searching for something specific, oblivious to her presence.
Still, Yuhana couldn’t help but move quietly to a different section, instinctively keeping her distance.
And yet...
‘Huh? Something feels… different.’
Peeking at him through the display racks, she realized he didn’t seem as unpleasant as before.
‘Wasn’t his face so repulsive that it left a lasting impression? But now…’
She hesitated, scrutinizing his features.
‘He actually looks... a little better? No way. Have I been working too many shifts? Am I losing my mind?’
Shaking her head, Yuhana slapped her cheeks lightly, trying to dispel her absurd thoughts.
‘Still… Something’s definitely changed. Could he actually have improved?’
Despite her denial, she couldn’t shake the nagging thought.
‘Is it possible I’m seeing him in a different light? No, no, that’s crazy!’
Yuhana pressed her fingers against her temples, grappling with the possibility that her perception—or even her sense of aesthetics—might be flawed.
And just as she was caught up in this internal debate—
“Excuse me.”
A voice behind her snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Ahhh! You’ve become handsome!”
Startled, Yuhana spun around and accidentally blurted out what had been swirling in her mind.