The Hunter’s Nose

“-Please choose freely.”

Various abilities appeared all at once before my eyes.

Hunters, treasure hunters, and more.

Before entering the dungeon, I had already asked Monas to organize a list specialized for dungeon exploration and navigation.

[Iason – Captain of the Argonaut Expedition]

[Dane Arden – Guild Master of the Eastern Adventurer Guild, Treasure Hunter]

……

As expected of Monas.

He had perfectly arranged all relevant figures as requested.

From heroes of Greek mythology to figures from what seemed like the fantasy continent of Arantia.

And below that, countless explorers were listed.

All of them clearly had excellent abilities.

But—

“Change the sorting. From the bottom. Like last time.”

-Why not take a look first? These are all the finest dimensional stones I possess!

“They’re obviously expensive. How much is the top one?”

-Only 300,000 points. …For a full three minutes.

“Hey. Just change the sorting.”

-If you try it once, you’ll change your mind! For example, ‘Dane Arden’—

“Even if it helps with navigation, what am I supposed to do with just 3 minutes?”

-Hmm… I see.

While arguing with Monas, I glanced ahead.

Yang Jihwan was diligently scouting the surroundings.

Even without a proper explanation, he seemed to trust me—at least a little.

I needed to choose a dimensional stone before he came back.

-As requested, I’ve changed the sorting. They may not compare to the previous ones, but these are still excellent stones.

“Alright. Let’s pick properly this time.”

‘This is really going to be okay… right?’

Yang Jihwan turned his head and looked at Woohyuk, who was still standing at the dungeon entrance.

Jung Woohyuk.

A once-suspected student whose dimensional magic talent hadn’t awakened.

He didn’t particularly hate him, but as the leader of his group, he hadn’t stopped his subordinates from bullying him either.

Who knew things would turn out like this.

‘Damn it.’

His mind was in complete chaos.

His pride wouldn’t allow him to bow again now that he had grown stronger.

But he also clearly recognized the gap in their abilities.

And this was the middle of a practical exam.

At least for now, he had no choice but to follow Woohyuk.

Because this exam mattered more than anything.

That’s why he had followed the vague instruction to scout the area without complaint.

“Hey, Jung Woohyuk. Preparing is fine, but shouldn’t we get moving?”

But even that had its limits.

Other teams were already searching the labyrinth.

They couldn’t just waste time here forever.

The longer they stayed, the more impatient he became.

And finally—

Flash!

“Alright.”

Woohyuk began to move.

‘Was I imagining it?’

Yang Jihwan shook his head slightly.

For a brief moment—

just before Woohyuk answered, he thought he saw something unusual in his eyes.

“So, are you done ‘preparing’? What’s the plan now?”

Honestly, he didn’t expect much.

Even if Woohyuk had gotten stronger, he was still just a physical-type awakener.

Searching a dungeon required a completely different skill set.

Instead of answering, Woohyuk lowered his posture.

“……What are you doing?”

“Sniff, sniff!”

Woohyuk suddenly flared his nostrils.

He didn’t say it out loud, but he looked exactly like a dog.

“Good.”

“……?”

“What else? We’re heading straight to the boss room.”

Still not understanding, Yang Jihwan tilted his head.

Meanwhile, Woohyuk had already chosen the left path without hesitation.

As Jihwan stared blankly, Woohyuk tapped his nose lightly and smirked.

“Fasten your seatbelt.”

“Everyone is doing their best.”

“The practical exam carries more weight than the written one. And the results will be shared with major guilds, so of course they’re desperate.”

Dozens of professors watched the monitors, busily taking notes.

Combat ability, judgment, teamwork—

they evaluated everything and converted it into scores.

Most of the academy’s faculty had gathered for this exam.

“The fastest team is… Won Jonghyo’s, as expected.”

“Indeed. Excellent leadership, and no hesitation in decision-making.”

“In contrast, Cha Seoyeon is struggling quite a bit.”

“Her weakest point, communication, is being highlighted.”

Even a top student like Cha Seoyeon couldn’t escape their scrutiny.

“Still, even Won Jonghyo’s team is getting lost.”

“There’s only so much you can do with a map and compass.”

“And the teams good at navigation are struggling with monsters and traps.”

“As expected of Professor Han Taesoo. The team balance is excellent.”

Being strong didn’t guarantee the fastest clear.

Being good at navigation didn’t either.

Dungeon conquest wasn’t that simple.

Even with differences in ability, most teams progressed at similar speeds.

Then one team caught Professor Han Taesoo’s attention.

“That is…”

“What is it?”

It was Jung Woohyuk.

Unlike other teams that hesitated at every fork, he chose directions without pause.

And without even using a map.

“Reckless. I thought a top written-test student would follow the basics.”

“Without navigation skills, that’s suicide in a labyrinth.”

“He’ll get lost before reaching the boss room.”

The professors clicked their tongues.

They were about to deduct points.

Then—

“Wait.”

Professor Han Taesoo stopped them.

“Professor Han, why?”

“Look at his progress.”

“Progress…? Huh?!”

Progress.

The indicator showing distance to the boss room.

Most teams were around 20%.

Woohyuk—

“30%?!”

A full 30%.

And it was increasing rapidly.

Even though he started later than others.

“H-how is this possible?!”

“He’s choosing the correct path without hesitation. Avoiding traps and monsters as well.”

“But he’s a physical-type awakener, isn’t he?!”

The professors quickly checked his records.

But nothing changed.

There was no mention of anything beyond physical abilities.

Then one professor spoke.

“Wasn’t his original talent not physical?”

“Th-then… could it be?!”

“Dimensional magic.”

All eyes turned to Woohyuk’s monitor.

They shouldn’t have, but everyone’s attention shifted to him.

“It’s not certain yet, but one thing is clear—he’s not just a physical-type.”

[The power of the dimensional stone flows into your body.]

[Arden Junior – Hunting dog of Dane Arden, Guild Master of the Eastern Adventurer Guild]

-A capable hunting dog that always accompanied the legendary treasure hunter Dane Arden during his prime.

After much thought, this was the ability I chose.

Not a human, but the power of a dog.

There were several reasons.

First, it was cheap.

100,000 points for nearly half a day of usage.

Perfect for an uncertain dungeon duration.

Second, the hunting dog’s ability.

A dog’s sense of smell was extremely useful.

And the fact that it accompanied a famous treasure hunter made it even better.

“Monas, always sort like this from now on.”

-Aren’t you being too frugal?

“I have to be. I don’t know what kind of boss we’ll face, so I need to save points as insurance.”

As I spoke with Monas, the power spread through my body, and countless smells filled my senses.

The scent of earth forming the dungeon.

The scent of unknown weeds.

And most importantly, the pungent smell of beasts.

‘Monsters.’

The dungeon’s monster type was beast-type.

No doubt about it.

“Jung Woohyuk, are you sure this is the right direction?”

“Sniff, sniff!”

I lowered my body further, inhaling deeply.

Then a faint human scent reached me.

Since this was an artificial dungeon, staff must have entered to construct and place monsters.

Combining that with the monster scents, a map began forming in my mind.

Not perfect, but enough.

“Trust me.”

At the second fork, the choice was simple.

Both paths looked identical.

But one only carried the scent of dirt and stone.

A dead end.

The other reeked faintly of metal.

Whether from traps or blood, and there was even a subtle airflow.

Not blocked.

“Coming or not?”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

“But how?! You’re a physical-type, at least draw a map—”

“Who said that?”

“……What?”

“Who said I’m a physical-type?”

“Then how do you explain your combat ability?!”

“That’s your assumption.”

“Don’t tell me… you really awakened dimensional magic?”

“You don’t need to know.”

My movements were completely decisive.

At first, distinguishing smells was difficult, but now I had adapted to Arden Junior’s senses.

“Oh, be careful there. There’s a trap.”

“A trap? I don’t see anything.”

“Do you have to step in it to believe me?”

To prove it, I picked up a stone and threw it.

Clang!!

“Gasp!”

From the ceiling, dozens of spears fired down.

Not dropped, launched.

Anyone below would’ve been skewered instantly.

Though as a test dungeon, it wouldn’t cause real harm.

“Believe me now?”

“……Sorry for doubting you.”

“Just hold the torch and follow. I’m avoiding traps and monsters.”

After witnessing it a few times, Yang Jihwan followed silently.

Trust had formed.

At another fork—

“Sniff!”

I lowered myself again, focusing.

‘We can’t avoid it this time.’

Until now, I avoided fights.

The goal was clearing the dungeon, not fighting.

But now it was unavoidable.

“What is it?”

“We go this way.”

“Across this? Maybe we should go around.”

A pitch-black abyss lay ahead.

A bottomless pit.

Even throwing a stone yielded no sound.

“No. We cross.”

“Why?”

“It’s a huge detour otherwise. I told you—

we’re going straight to the boss room.”