---
Most people never noticed what they weren't supposed to see.
But Choi Ran was different.
As the vice leader of Iron Fang Raid Guild, she had survived long enough as a C-rank hunter for one reason—
She trusted her instincts.
And right now…
something felt wrong.
---
After the Raid
The D-rank gate collapsed cleanly.
Too cleanly.
The monster waves had stopped abruptly, as if something had cut the flow at its source.
"That was smooth,"
one of the hunters laughed while collecting monster cores.
"Yeah, almost boring."
Choi Ran didn't smile.
She walked toward the center of the dungeon remains and crouched down.
Three spots.
Three faint marks on the ground.
Not from weapons.
Not from magic.
Clean.
Precise.
Her eyes narrowed.
This isn't how D-rank monsters die.
She stood and scanned the team.
Eight hunters.
Two porters.
Her gaze passed over one man—
Han Joon-Woo.
He was quietly stacking supplies, expression neutral.
Too neutral.
---
The Porter with No Presence
Choi Ran activated her mana perception.
Hunters flared like torches.
Porters barely flickered.
Joon-Woo…
Was almost nothing.
Not weak.
Empty.
That unsettled her.
She approached him casually.
"You new?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Joon-Woo replied, bowing slightly.
His tone was respectful.
His posture humble.
Perfect.
"Ever been in a dungeon before?" she continued.
"A few," he said. "I carry boxes better than swords."
She smiled faintly.
But inside, her instincts screamed.
No scars.
No fear.
No curiosity.
People like him didn't survive dungeons.
Unless—
She stepped closer.
For a split second…
She felt it.
A presence so deep, so heavy, that her breath caught.
Then—
Nothing.
Gone.
Her heart skipped.
---
A Test
Later, during the return march, Choi Ran deliberately gave an order.
"Porters, take the rear. There might be stragglers."
The rear of a dungeon path was the most dangerous place.
Joon-Woo nodded without hesitation.
As they moved, a stray Bone Stalker burst from the wall.
A hunter screamed.
Before anyone reacted—
The monster collapsed mid-air.
Its neck twisted at an impossible angle.
Silence followed.
The hunters stared.
"Lucky shot," someone muttered.
But Choi Ran had seen it.
Joon-Woo hadn't drawn a weapon.
He hadn't even looked startled.
He had simply stepped aside—
And the monster died.
---
Decision
Back at the guild hall, Choi Ran watched Joon-Woo sign out quietly.
No arrogance.
No pride.
No curiosity about rewards.
As if this was all beneath him.
She clenched her fist.
If he's hiding…
Then he's hiding something terrifying.
But she made a decision.
Not to expose him.
Not yet.
Instead—
She smiled.
"Han Joon-Woo," she murmured.
"Let's see how long you plan to stay invisible."
---
Meanwhile — Joon-Woo's Thoughts
As he walked home, Joon-Woo exhaled slowly.
So someone noticed.
No surprise.
In Murim, hiding forever was impossible.
But this was fine.
Choi Ran was observant—
Not dangerous.
Yet.
He looked up at the night sky.
"Slowly," he whispered.
"One step at a time."
Because when he finally stepped forward—
Even the S-ranks
would kneel.
---