Hunter. It is the most dangerous profession in my country. Across the land, countless Dungeons have appeared, gaping holes that connect our world to realms inhabited by monsters, elves, and orcs. Our duty as Hunters is simple: enter those gates and eradicate whatever lies within.

I am one of the elite. An S-rank Hunter and a core member of the Hunter Guild.

My combat abilities and heightened senses should be an advantage, yet they often make me uncomfortable. My sense of smell, in particular, is far sharper than most. The stench of monsters is unbearable, rotting flesh mixed with blood and mana. Worse still, some Hunters carry that same scent after slaughtering them. Because of that, I always cover my nose with a handkerchief whenever I go on a raid.

This time, I was deployed alongside other S-rank Hunters. We served as the assault unit, the first team to enter the Dungeon and eliminate the monsters. Only after we secured the area would the mining and collection teams move in to retrieve mana stones and monster corpses, all of which were incredibly valuable.

Like Hunters, Dungeons are classified by rank.

After nearly an hour of relentless combat, my team and I finally exited the gate. I immediately raised my handkerchief to my nose. As I stepped outside, a strange sensation washed over me.

A powerful energy.

It came from among the members of the mining team strong, sharp, and unmistakably similar to that of an elite combat Hunter. But the moment I focused my gaze on them, the presence vanished as if it had never existed.

Perhaps it was just my imagination.

During breaks, I always conduct a secondary patrol. With senses as sensitive as mine, I can never fully relax until I am certain the Dungeon boss is dead. I walked deeper inside again, my nose still covered, the stench of monsters lingering heavily in the air.

Then I saw her.

A woman stood alone near the boss’s lair. She was staring at the remains, a weapon firmly gripped in her hand. I immediately approached her.

“What are you doing over there?” I said sharply. “That’s where the boss resides. Please stay back.”

As I closed the distance, I instinctively scanned her from head to toe.

Then, In the blink of an eye, the weapon was gone. I stopped. Had I imagined it? She had definitely been holding a weapon just moments ago. Her aura, too, felt… strange. Dark, faintly unsettling. Yet as I stood closer, something felt off.

There was no stench. No sweat. No blood. No lingering odor of monsters. Instead, she smelled… pleasant. Clean. Almost soothing unlike any Hunter I had ever encountered. My eyes drifted to the license hanging around her neck.

Name: Ihan Rank: E

…E-rank? I frowned. Something about this woman didn’t make sense at all.