Max Ranker

The early morning light crept through the broken windows of the abandoned subway station, casting long shadows over the grotesque scene. Blood—thick, dark, and congealing—was splattered across the cracked tiles and broken pillars.

The air reeked of death.

Dismembered bodies of dozens of F-Rank demons lay strewn across the floor, their lifeless eyes still glowing faintly, their grotesque mouths twisted in snarls frozen by death. Some had deep, gaping wounds running through their torsos. Others had their heads severed cleanly from their bodies.

The site of a massacre.

Five men in black-and-white Hunter Association suits stood in the middle of the carnage. Their expressions were hard.

One of them, a sharp-eyed man with neatly combed black hair, knelt beside one of the demon corpses. He touched the dried blood with his gloved fingers, inspecting the wounds.

"This was recent," he muttered. His voice was calm, but there was an edge of unease in it. "Not more than a few hours ago."

Another investigator, taller, leaner, and wearing glasses, adjusted his tie and surveyed the destruction. His face remained expressionless.

"…This wasn't done by a high-ranking Hunter."

One of the younger agents, a rookie with a nervous stance, turned his head sharply.

"What do you mean? If this was a mass demon extermination, then it should've been a team of Hunters, right? Maybe an A or B-Rank squad?"

The man with glasses shook his head.

"Look at the precision of the kills," he said, gesturing at the corpses. "None of these demons were taken down in a single, overwhelming attack. No wide-range abilities. No explosions. No elemental burns." He adjusted his glasses slightly. "Whoever did this killed them one by one."

The rookie swallowed.

"…One by one?"

Another investigator, an older man with gray streaks in his hair, let out a deep sigh. He pulled out a cigarette, but didn't light it—just rolled it between his fingers.

"Not just that. Look at the way these bodies are positioned," he added. "There are drag marks, signs of struggle. The demons moved during the fight. Whoever killed them… had to dodge, reposition, adapt."

The sharp-eyed man stood up, brushing the dust off his knees.

"This was a battle," he said. "A brutal one."

The rookie's face paled. He looked around again, seeing the scene in a new light.

Now it wasn't just a slaughter—it was a battlefield.

"…Are you saying a single person did all this?" he asked, his voice slightly shaky.

The investigator with glasses sighed. "It's unlikely, but the evidence suggests that possibility."

The older man finally lit his cigarette.

"If it was a high-rank Hunter, they wouldn't have struggled this much," he said, taking a slow drag. "A B-Rank or even a strong C-Rank would've wiped these things out in minutes. But from the way these bodies are placed… it looks like whoever did this had to fight for their damn life."

The rookie shivered.

The thought was insane.

Even if F-Rank demons were the weakest of their kind, seventy demons was an army.

Even the most battle-hardened C-Rank Hunters wouldn't take on a horde like this alone.

And yet—someone did.

"…So we're looking for a reckless Hunter?" the rookie asked. "Maybe an E-Rank who got lucky?"

The sharp-eyed investigator didn't answer immediately. He turned his gaze to the ground, scanning the floor.

Then, his eyes narrowed.

"There are no signs of a Hunter license being used."

Everyone went silent.

The rookie stiffened.

"…What?"

The investigator with glasses nodded in agreement. "If this was done by a licensed Hunter, they would've registered the kills. The Association's system would've detected a Hunter's mana signature during combat." He adjusted his glasses again. "But there's nothing."

The older man exhaled a slow puff of smoke.

"That means…"

The five of them shared a glance.

"…Whoever did this wasn't a registered Hunter," the sharp-eyed man finished.

Silence.

The rookie felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Not a Hunter?

Then… who?

"…A rogue?" the rookie muttered, almost to himself. "Some crazy bastard just… went into a demon nest alone and started killing?"

The investigator with glasses frowned. "That's the strange part. Normally, unregistered fighters don't stand a chance against demons. The creatures are much faster, stronger, and deadlier than a regular human."

The older investigator took another drag of his cigarette.

"…Unless they weren't regular."

Another chill went through the rookie.

The sharp-eyed man turned his attention to the walls, scanning the area again. His eyes flicked across the scene, absorbing every detail—every scratch mark, every blood splatter, every sign of battle.

Then—he spotted something.

A trail of faint, bloody footprints.

It led away from the massacre… toward the subway's exit.

The sharp-eyed man followed the trail with his gaze, his expression unreadable.

Whoever did this escaped before sunrise.

And they were alive.

He turned back to the group.

"We need to report this immediately," he said. "Tell HQ that we might have an unregistered combatant who just killed over seventy demons alone."

The rookie swallowed hard.

"…Do you think they're dangerous?"

The older investigator crushed his cigarette against the ground.

"…Kid," he muttered.

"Anyone who can do this… is always dangerous."

The morning sun had fully risen by the time the Hunter Association agents finished examining the site. The bloodied floor, the grotesque pile of demon corpses—everything painted a picture of an impossible battle.

The sharp-eyed investigator, Kang Jisoo, walked a few steps away from the others, his gaze following the faint bloody footprints leading toward the exit. His mind was racing.

'Who the hell are you?'

This wasn't the work of some reckless idiot or a desperate survivor. No—whoever did this had intent. A goal.

It wasn't random.

And they won.

"Sir," one of the other agents called out, snapping him from his thoughts. "HQ responded. They want a full report within the hour."

Jisoo took a deep breath, his fingers itching to piece the mystery together.

"…Tell them we're looking at a possible rogue combatant," he said. "Someone powerful enough to kill this many demons without being detected."

The rookie flinched. "A rogue? You really think someone like that exists?"

Jisoo didn't answer immediately. His eyes traced the faint signs of combat—the gouges in the ground, the blood splatters.

Then he spotted something.

Just a few feet away from where most of the battle happened, half-hidden beneath a demon's corpse, was a single, deep axe wound embedded into the concrete floor.

Jisoo knelt down and touched the cut, feeling the sharpness of the groove. It wasn't just any attack.

'Whoever swung this… had monstrous strength.'

The thought sent a chill through him.

He slowly stood up and turned back toward the other agents.

"…Whoever did this isn't just strong," Jisoo said quietly. "They're getting stronger."

The older investigator flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground, stepping on it. "That's what bothers me."

Jisoo glanced at him.

"We've seen rogue fighters before," the older man continued. "Most of them are either washed-up ex-Hunters, illegal mercenaries, or idiots who think they can hunt without a license."

He gestured at the blood-soaked battlefield.

"But this? This isn't normal."

The rookie swallowed. "…You think it's something else?"

Jisoo remained silent for a moment.

Then, he turned his gaze to the sky.

"If someone like this keeps growing," he muttered, "then sooner or later… the entire Hunter Association is going to notice."

Meanwhile Baek Jin Hwan sat on the floor of his dimly lit bedroom, staring at the ceiling.

His entire body ached. His muscles screamed, his wounds burned, and exhaustion weighed down on him like a mountain.

But none of that mattered.

Because in front of him—glowing faintly in the darkness—was the system screen.

[ RANK UP ACHIEVED. ]

[ CURRENT RANK: E-RANK. ]

He let out a slow breath, his chest rising and falling heavily. He did it.

100 kills.

It took everything he had. His body had nearly given out multiple times. His axe was barely holding together. He should have died.

But he didn't.

Because now—he was stronger.

His eyes flickered to the next notification.

[ Congratulations. You have reached E-Rank. ]

[ New Rewards Unlocked: ]

• Weapon Acquired: D-Rank Dagger (Void Fang)

(Effective against E-Rank demons. Capable of damaging D-Rank demons.)

• Passive Skill Unlocked: Stealth (E-Rank)

(Allows for reduced presence and sound when activated. Limited duration.)

Jin Hwan's fingers tightened.

A dagger? That's good.

But the stealth skill…

He clenched his jaw. That could change everything.

Fighting demons wasn't just about strength—it was about survival. If he could avoid detection, get close, and strike first…

His chances of survival would skyrocket.

His breathing steadied, his mind already moving past the pain.

He wasn't going to stop.

Not until he reached the top.

The system had given him a way to climb—a way to grow beyond what anyone ever thought possible.

And now…

He was going to use it.

Jin Hwan slowly pushed himself up, his body trembling slightly. His room was silent except for his heavy breaths.

Outside, the city was waking up.

But he wasn't resting.

Because tonight… the hunt would continue.