A/N:

TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains non-consent or dubious consent content. Writing this story does not mean that I agree with the actions of the characters.

Reader discretion is advised.

In the land of Rulers and Monarchs, in the world of chaos, a war that has no end is taking place. After the death of the Absolute Being, that place ended in havoc, without any other figure to follow, so both the Rulers and the Monarchs began an endless war.

When Ashborn died, the Absolute Being had an ace up his sleeve before he died, so he hid within himself an infinite power that allowed him to become a Monarch. After these events, the Rulers considered it a betrayal, and everyone, both the Rulers and the Monarchs, stood before him, who ended up killing him treacherously.

And yet, the story of the King of the Dead and the Monarch of Shadows did not end there.

Sung Jin-Woo was one of Ashborn's most loyal knights. Even before becoming the Shadow Monarch, he was always there fighting by his side against the Rulers, nearly losing his life on several occasions.

He was a strong young man, tall and athletic. His raven hair and dark gray eyes made him a very attractive creature, but in that place, appearances mattered little; power reigned supreme.

"One day your sacrifice will be rewarded," Ashborn told him after winning one of the thousands of battles they fought together. The affection he had for the young knight was such that he was like a son to him.

"My liege, all of this is for a better future," Jin-Woo felt the Monarch's strong hand on his shoulder, feeling the unconditional support of his King.

"That's right," he replied with a warm smile.

When the King of the Dead died, those words echoed constantly in his mind. He couldn't understand or assimilate that his King had died at the hands of those who had once been his comrades, those who had served the Absolute Being, but greed and power corrupted any creature.

After Ashborn's death, Jin-Woo felt lost. All the Shadow soldiers who had fought alongside him had disappeared along with him, leaving the young soldier vulnerable. He was now an easy target for the Monarchs.

Until the wizard Kandiaru appeared before him.

Jin-Woo knew the dark wizard; he was a being he couldn't trust, because he wasn't loyal to either side and always played his cards to his advantage, regardless of the consequences, as long as he emerged victorious.

"Young Jin-Woo, your King entrusted me with one last feat," he said with a wicked smile. Jin-Woo tensed his entire body, waiting for the words of that being.

"What's it about, Kandiaru ?" he replied, irked. He couldn't trust him. Whatever he was going to tell him, he couldn't trust him.

"Before he died, Ashborn entrusted me with transferring all his power to you," he replied with that devilish smile that made it seem like it was a trap.

"My liege never mentioned that," he replied, skeptical of the mage's words.

"Of course not. If you had known, the Monarchs would have come after you after killing him," he replied with that ugly smile. "But centuries ago, he chose you as his vessel if the plan of the Rulers and Monarchs was fulfilled."

Jin-Woo continued to observe the wizard's reactions. He knew it was a trap. If he accepted his King's powers, he would be in debt to the evil mage, and Jin-Woo couldn't allow that.

"In exchange for what?" He spat maliciously; he was fed up with tricks.

"Oh, young Jin-Woo, there's no such thing as a hidden agenda," he replied, amused. "I'm doing a favor I owed the King of the Dead for centuries, so I'm simply the messenger of the Shadow Monarch's last wishes," he explained. "So his last wish was for you to continue his legacy."

Jin-Woo's eyes widened in astonishment at the mage's words.Could it be true?

"One day your sacrifice will be rewarded."

He remembered the Monarch's words.

Kandiaru approached the young soldier, bringing his hand to his chest. Before he could protest, a strong burst of light engulfed his chest. He felt a warm sensation spread throughout his body, which turned into an unbearable pain.

He knew he shouldn't have trusted the damn wizard.

The young knight's body collapsed to the floor in pain, his desperate screams filling the room where they were. The terror he felt at that moment was such that he thought he was going to lose his mind, knowing his life was hanging by a thread because of that magician.

Jin-Woo didn't know if hours, minutes, or seconds had passed, but that pain slowly began to fade. He felt completely different, as if a dark void had taken hold of him, his chest feeling hollow. Part of his emotions had disappeared; now he felt a lack of empathy and sensitivity he had never felt before. Like a heartless being he was.

At that moment, he could have killed Kandiaru without blinking, and not a trace of regret would have emanated from within him.

And so it was, the Monarch of the Shadows was reborn.

.

.

.

Eons later, a series of events began to occur on Earth. Gates leading to other universes began to open out of nowhere, where creatures so horrific and powerful that no human being could fight them existed.

Little by little, humans began to awaken with certain levels of power so high that they were classified as ranks E, D, C, B, A, and S. These ranks were based on their mana levels, which are associated with levels of power, strength, and fighting skills.

It was as if both events were linked: the awakenings and the gates. Therefore, they began to train and educate the Hunters so they could fight these creatures, and in this way, the gates were closed, maintaining harmony on Earth.

There were few S-rank Hunters in Korea, so those that did exist were well treated and were like celebrities in society. Among the S-rank Hunters, there was only one woman; She was as powerful and strong as she was beautiful, and she was also sensitive to the smell of mana, which she found repulsive.

On each raid she undertook, she had to make a great effort to remain steadfast and alert, as the despicable odor emitted by both hunters and monsters was a distraction to her.

Luckily, over the years, Hae-In grew accustomed to such smells, eventually becoming able to carry out the raids with complete ease.

That day they had a raid, like any other week. Everything was normal; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They were able to easily fight the creatures that were part of that portal, until Hae-In began to notice a striking smell. It was pleasant, enveloping her mind like an aphrodisiac, making her feel good and dizzy, noticing how her body reacted pleasantly to the sensation.

Hae-In slowly began to walk in the direction from which that pleasant scent emanated. She seemed bewitched, searching for that pleasant scent without realizing what was around her. She didn't hear the shouts of her companions calling her, nor the creatures approaching her. She ignored any stimuli other than that intoxicating smell.

She walked for several minutes, perhaps even hours, not realizing until her mind seemed to have returned to reality, realizing where she was now. Her gray eyes gazed at the imposing castle that lay before her. It looked like a castle straight out of medieval times, like a Gothic cathedral, with pointed towers and stone as dark as onyx. Surrounding the castle was a beautiful, green forest, but also dark and gloomy.

A shiver ran down her spine as she looked at the imposing building. She was starting to feel afraid. She looked around; there was no sign of her companions.Where could they be? Had they all died?

Her mind began to race, thousands of thoughts and insecurities invading her, and she felt how fear invaded her body. She felt a sharp pain in her chest, her breathing began to become shallow, gasping for air; anxiety coilining in her stomach.

Suddenly, the armor on her garment bothered her, feeling like everything was stuck to her body, needing to feel how her lungs welcomed the air.

Her uniform was tight, giving her the flexibility and comfort she needed in combat. But at that precise moment, it was impractical, and she felt the need to take it all off.

She'd never felt that way before; raids had always been relatively easy. There was always a risk involved, though, so fighting alongside her comrades made it all more enjoyable, and they could share the successes and failures together. They'd seen many comrades lose their lives, others leave because they couldn't bear the pressure of the horrors that awaited them at each gate.

But this time, it was different.Could it be that the dungeon boss was here?Then she would have to run and warn her companions. But suddenly, the portico of that enormous castle opened, leaving a door wide open, with the clear implication that she should enter.

She looked around, observing that she was alone.Should I go in?She wondered unsure. She knew that for a raid there was always a minimum number of 8 hunters for safety. Entering the lion's den alone wasn't very prudent for her. She sighed heavily as she closed her eyes.

That pleasant smell was there again. This time, she could tell it was coming from inside. Hae-In opened her eyes in surprise and walked deeper into the castle.

As she passed through the gates and took several steps forward, she heard a loud sound behind her, realizing that the giant door that had been open had closed behind her. She swallowed hard, feeling fear invade her once again and take over her body.

And once again, that unknown scent.

That made her move forward, forgetting all rational thought. She had to keep going, she had to find where it was coming from. She had to get there, without really knowing where exactlythereit was.

The castle was immense, the gates just as large, as if it had been built by and for giants. Her gaze scanned every corner of the place, observing the large vaults, with their pointed arches, beautifully constructed.

Until finally, she reached another portico, just as massive as the previous one, but this one had a little more color; it looked like maroon along with golden details, but the dim light in the room made it hard to appreciate the color.

She heard a sound that resonated throughout the castle, making the hunter's small body jump. Her emotions were on edge, expecting creatures to appear at any moment, trying to kill her. But so far, she seemed to be alone.

The portico slowly opened in front of her, revealing a faint light emanating from that room. She timidly took several steps forward, afraid of entering and having the doors close again, trapping her there with no way out.

Her gaze, which had been fixed on her feet, lifted to survey her surroundings, taking in the spacious room she found herself in. This room seemed different from all the others. It had more light, as she observed the chandeliers hanging on the walls. It was large, immense, with several columns towering over the room. All covered in a light material as if it were marble.

In the distance, far away, she could see a staircase leading to what looked like some kind of throne. Hae-In's eyes narrowed to see if what she was seeing was correct, but yes, indeed, a tall throne was prostrated above it. And she could discern three figures; two standing on either side of the throne and one seated. She swallowed again, thinking that this must definitely be the boss's dungeon.

Hae-In quickly drew her sword, which had been at her waist until now. She now held it with both hands in front of her, waiting for any movement from the figures who stood there, seemingly waiting for her.

Her steps were slow, but each one was calculated for any attack from any direction. All her senses were on edge, waiting for any attack as she advanced toward the throne.

As she drew closer, she could see that one of the figures was dressed head to toe in armor, which seemed some kind of knight. On the other side, there was a slightly strange creature, which couldn't be clearly seen from where Hae-In stood.

She felt her heart pounding in her chest, almost as if it were about to burst out of her mouth. The atmosphere in the room was stifling, and small beads of sweat were beginning to form on her temples. She had to remain alert; she knew nothing good could come from these strangers.

Every time she crossed one of the columns, her entire body tensed in anticipation of an attack from behind them, but none of that happened as she moved faster and faster, observing the three figures better and better.

Now she could get a better look at the creature on the other side; it was some kind of winged monster with antennae.Could it be an ant?At this thought, Hae-In frowned, puzzled by it.

In contrast, the figure sitting on the throne looked like a man. He was young, dressed in clothes that looked like they came from Earth. He wore dark pants and a white T-shirt, over which was a long, dark coat. His eyes shone from afar, an imperious gaze that emanated total severity, yet Hae-In found them to be the most beautiful and captivating eyes she had ever seen.

And that smell again. Now she could smell it more intensely, realizing the scent was coming from one of those three strangers.

Hae-In almost let out a moan at the intense sensation. She closed her eyes, almost dropping to her knees, but instead, without thinking, she sheathed her sword again and began to climb the stairs, her gaze fixed on the man sitting there with an indifferent expression.

His gaze scanned her figure from head to toe, and Hae-In could have sworn he smiled for a few seconds.

She stood still halfway up the stairs, one hand on the handle of her sword, one foot on the front step and the other behind, waiting for the stranger to say something.

The tension was so suffocating that Hae-In's chest heaved with air, anxiety beginning to invade her once again. She was beginning to think about fighting these three strangers so that the portal would close completely. Until a sound brought her back to the present.

The door closed.

Hae-In turned her head to see that far away, the giant maroon gate had closed, leaving her trapped there with those three strangers.

Her gaze fell on the man who was sitting, indifferent and relaxed. But his expression changed, and she saw a malicious sneer on his face.

"Welcome, Hunter. I was waiting for you,"

I really hope you all enjoy this story. I will try to post it weekly.

Thanks for reading ^^

Comments are always welcome ❤️