Terraforming: A Handsome Face Erases the Ugly Past
A hideously ugly person suddenly turns handsome. What would the reactions of those around them be? The answer: in front of a handsome face, they completely forget about the ugly past.
Glance. Glance...
Multiple gazes followed me as I passed through the training grounds. Most of them from female trainees.
Just a few days ago, these were the same people who wouldn't have cared if I'd died in the night or stayed alive. Now all their attention was focused on me.
They seemed aware of it themselves, since none approached me directly. But the real problem was the female combatants stationed in District 11.
"Hey, hey, no matter how many times I look, that guy's seriously hot..."
"Gasp! You don't know? He's Instructor Chris's lover!"
"I know, but... sigh... if only he wasn't so visible... Ugh... this lingering temptation..."
"Can't hold back? Just smile and let it slide...?"
The combatants whispering about me like that were actually the tame ones. Some had even straight-up asked me to chat for a bit—basically date invitations.
Thanks to that, Chris had been a bit on edge lately.
Phew... If Lee Kangin hadn't drawn some of the aggro, this would've been exhausting.
As described during our first meeting, Lee Kangin was incredibly handsome. He embodied the tough, solid masculinity of an Eastern man.
But I had a slightly different image. Big eyes on a fist-sized face. Far more charming when smiling than with a blank expression—an upper-face type.
In other words, the large friendly dog breed.
Of course, this face was one I'd intentionally crafted.
If I went with Lee Kangin's sharp image, too many women would feel intimidated and not approach. He looked like he had tons of experience with women; it took real courage just to get close.
But I was different. My big eyes and soft gaze gave an impression of innocence. I looked like someone who could never deceive others or stir up personality controversies.
It was my biggest weapon.
Combining that junior-like, approachable vibe with my tall stature and solid muscles created an irresistible masculine charm. No woman could resist it.
This pure look didn't scream "player" like Lee Kangin's did—perfect for drawing in crowds. I could stake all my dating experience on it.
"Oh? Chanyoung?"
"Ah, Instructor Chris."
"Tha— Ahem. Ahem...! Right. Um. Chanyoung."
She must find it awkward hearing polite speech from me. She kept starting over, fumbling her words.
She still couldn't act well around me.
We'd agreed to do this in front of trainees and combatants—me using formal speech. I'd pushed her into it, considering her position.
She'd hesitated at first, feeling bad and trying to refuse, but I'd insisted until she relented.
No matter how much lovers they were, a trainee and instructor bantering casually would undermine the authority she'd built through hard work.
But it was oddly amusing that Chris felt awkward hearing me use formal speech.
If I said that to her face, she'd pout and pinch my side mercilessly. But right now, she was clearly my senior—by four or five years, not just one or two.
Even if aging slowdown makes her look my age, she's still twenty-seven.
Chris was pulling off some real "thief" moves here.
"The Handler called for me... Apparently, more questions about the temple artifacts."
"Again?"
"Yeah. Should take two or three hours."
"...But your Handler's a woman, right?"
"Y-Yeah?"
I was caught off guard by the unexpected question. Looking into Chris's eyes, it wasn't a joke—she was seriously wary of my Handler.
Was Chris always this jealous?
Seven years ago, plenty of female trainees had their eyes on me, but she hadn't checked them much. Maybe she couldn't back then, but now she could—and would.
It was natural for a lover, really. I'd lose it too if some guy seriously went after Chris.
Or maybe... after seven years of forced separation, she's scared of losing me again.
From her perspective, we'd only reunited days ago. Spending time together slowly might ease her jealousy.
Smooth...
"Ah?"
Flinch!
I reached out and took Chris's hand. Even with all the eyes on us.
Her reaction? Startled, glancing around wildly. Probably remembering our agreement—or just embarrassed to show PDA in public.
"...W-Wait...! Everyone's watching..."
"This much should be fine, right?"
No one would complain about two adult lovers holding hands.
Then Chris's face flushed a bit. If I kept going, it'd spread until her whole face was beet red.
Smooth.
"...Fine. I'll let go."
"Huh?... Uh, yeah..."
Regretfully, I released her hand. I wanted that shy Chris all to myself. Sharing her cute side with a crowd felt wrong.
Was this possessiveness? Like how she'd just eyed my Handler?
I understood her feelings a little.
*
Step step.
Chris and I walked behind the building, just the two of us. A casual stroll-date.
No one around, so we chatted freely.
"Brack's gonna freak when he sees you. Wonder what he'll say. Heh heh!"
"Oh, Brack coming soon?"
"Yeah. About time."
Brack was currently putting failed teams through hellish training. Counting days, he was due any moment.
Hm... How would the stoic guy react to me? I was a bit curious too.
Our relationship seven years ago had been pretty good.
"...You were the strongest of us back then. Now you'll be the weakest."
"Dunno... No one'd call you weak after hunting Victor or proving yourself for full combatant status."
"Really?"
"Your battle sense is killer. You could beat Kaya or Mahal easy."
Mahal, maybe not—didn't know his sense. But Kaya? Definitely. Not "easy," but one-on-one, I wouldn't lose. Cold analysis, not arrogance.
Mahal's strength was stats only; no feel for his instincts. Kaya's, though? I'd seen her moves in team training. Her skills weren't great for PvP—no big variables.
"Come to think of it, haven't seen Kaya's face since I got back."
"Kaya?"
"Yeah."
She'd shielded me from Victor Baekwonhu and passed out. Hadn't thanked her yet. She'd been swamped—leading trainees for Chris, handling extra work from visiting scholars at the barracks, plus her assistant duties.
Of course, right when I was busy with the Handler about the temple, no combat practice with her either.
Bothering her when swamped would be rude. Once things calmed, I'd visit. She'd gotten hurt for me, owed or not.
"You and Kaya aren't that close?"
"Kaya... Close? It's iffy. Honestly, she rubs me the wrong way a bit."
"Rubs you wrong? What do you mean?"
"Sounds like gossip, but... She seems normal at a glance, but thinking back to training her..."
Chris trailed off. Her expression said a few incidents came to mind. She opened her mouth like to share, then sighed and clammed up.
"...Too gossipy to detail. Anyway, my take: she's a bit selfish."
"Selfish, huh..."
"Yeah... Just a feeling, but she might cause big trouble someday."
"Ah, that explains why you keep a wall up with her. Forcing her to call you 'Instructor' too."
"Well... We're not total strangers. That fireball from our first meeting? Kaya's ability."
So it was Kaya's skill. Made sense otherwise.
Chris made a hard-to-describe face. I took her advice to heart. In a magic world, superhuman intuition was reliable.
"Huh? Someone coming this way?"
"Who?"
"...Think it's Kaya?"
Speak of the devil. I sensed Kaya's presence too, like Chris said.
...She'd been busy lately, and we were on a date. Dodge her?
We'd just started dating.
"There! Found you!! Instructor Bennett!!"
Pat pat pat pat!!
Kaya spotted us and rushed over. Looked like she was searching for us.
No idea why, but... might as well thank her now.
"Kaya. Sorry for not finding you sooner. You okay? Thanks for saving me back then..."
"Instructor Beeeenett!! And Chanyoung!!!"
"Yes?"
"You two... dating for real...? Wait, Ch-Chanyoung...? Your face..."
"...Park Chanyoung, trainee. Had a weird experience."
How busy was she to just now hear the hot topic of my makeover?
Kaya's face was pure shock as she stared. ...Her cheeks were a little flushed, oddly.
Slap!
"Ahem!! Yup! Chanyoung's my boyfriend now."
A woman blocked between me and Kaya. Chris, sensing her shady gaze.
Kaya snapped back seeing Chris's face.
So why was she looking for us?
"Ah, right! Congrats!! Wow... Y-You got so handsome?"
"Thanks."
"How'd you two get together?! Who confessed?! Gah...! Been dying to ask, couldn't focus on work!"
"...You ran here just to ask that?"
"Yes!!"
True to her love of romance gossip, Kaya eyed us excitedly.
Chris looked flustered at the sudden question. She always failed at acting on our relationship stuff.
"I confessed to the instructor. She said let's try a few days, then accepted."
"Kyaaah!! So bold!! Then, then...!! ...How far have you gone...?"
"Hey!! Kaya! No work? Time to go!"
"Eek! R-Right... Next time then..."
"What next time! Get back to work!"
Kaya got chased off by Chris. She trudged away, looking dejected.
Maybe because she'd helped me once? I felt a bit sorry for her lonely back.
"Your leg's better now anyway."
"That's why she's working. This is just a break."
"...True. On second thought, Kaya's in the wrong."
"Right?"
Crab favors crab legs. I sided with Chris over Kaya.
*
"Hmm... Wonder how it'll go?"
I'd opened the appearance editor in the system window to boost my height with karma. Then a random thought hit.
Couldn't the system edit height or weight? What if I tried maxing to 5m+? Giant or dwarf?
If possible, handy trump card later. Not seriously—just test and cancel.
Like an RPG character creator, I dragged up the 3D model of myself: 190cm, 200cm, 205cm...
Ding!
Appearance editing is only possible in human form!
Max height 210cm? Like the Deceiving skill from the hard mode quest, limited to human form.
Probably why height potions don't make giants too.
Regretfully, I went back to my original plan and bumped my height modestly.
Ding!
150cm and 155cm are both short; 180cm and 185cm both tall. Only the picky would notice.
Chris, always watching me, might spot it—but she trusted me easy, so deflection was simple. Plus, guys can grow into early twenties.
And so, my height became 185cm.