Max Ranker

The night air was thick with the stench of blood and decay.

Baek Jin Hwan stood in the shadows of an abandoned warehouse, his breath steady, his grip firm on the dagger in his hand. The Void Fang felt almost weightless compared to his old axe—fast, sharp, and deadly.

His body still ached from the last hunt, but he couldn't stop.

He wouldn't stop.

The system hadn't given him a specific goal to reach D-Rank, but after 100 kills had pushed him to E, it was clear:

The more he killed, the stronger he'd become.

And strength was the only thing that mattered.

His eyes flickered toward the warehouse interior. Faint red glows pulsed in the darkness—demon eyes.

Five of them.

They were moving through the ruins, their distorted low growls bouncing off the walls. E-Rank Lesser Demons.

Jin Hwan gripped his dagger tighter.

"Alright…" he muttered under his breath, rolling his shoulders. "Let's see how much stronger I've gotten."

His body tensed, then—vanished.

[ Stealth (E-Rank) Activated. ]

A strange, muted sensation washed over him as his presence blurred into the shadows. The demons continued pacing, unaware that a predator was already among them.

Jin Hwan moved.

Silent. Precise. Deadly.

He slipped behind the first demon, his movements nearly invisible in the dim lighting. The Void Fang whispered as it cut through the air—

And sank deep into the demon's skull.

The monster jerked violently, claws spasming mid-motion, before crumpling into a lifeless heap.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 1/200 ]

Jin Hwan exhaled, pulling his dagger free.

"…200 now, huh?" he whispered.

It was double the last requirement. Twice as many kills to reach the next level.

He wasn't surprised.

The path to power was never going to be easy.

Another demon snarled, sensing the disturbance. It turned, its glowing red eyes locking onto the corpse of its fallen kin.

Jin Hwan didn't hesitate.

He darted forward—his speed sharper than before, his muscles stronger than he remembered. The demon barely had time to react before the Void Fang plunged into its throat.

A strangled gurgle escaped its mouth, black blood gushing as it staggered.

Jin Hwan twisted the blade and ripped it free.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 2/200 ]

The demon collapsed, and the remaining three finally realized they were under attack.

A bone-chilling roar filled the warehouse as they lunged toward him.

Jin Hwan smirked.

"Now we're talking."

He sidestepped the first attack, his body lighter than it had ever felt before. The stealth skill didn't just make him quieter—it made his movements smoother, harder to track.

One of the demons swiped at his chest—

He ducked.

Another one leaped from behind—

He rolled away.

Then he struck.

His dagger flashed in the darkness, slicing deep into a demon's ribs. It shrieked, trying to claw at him, but Jin Hwan was already moving.

A quick pivot—a second strike to the neck—

And another body hit the ground.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 3/200 ]

The remaining two hesitated for a fraction of a second, their instincts screaming at them.

Jin Hwan wiped demon blood from his face and gave them a cold stare.

"What's wrong?" he taunted. "Didn't expect a human to fight back?"

One of the demons snapped, lunging at him in a blind rage.

Jin Hwan's body reacted faster than his mind.

He twisted to the side, lifted his knee—and slammed it straight into the demon's gut.

The force of the impact sent it crashing through a rusted metal shelf, debris flying everywhere.

For a split second, Jin Hwan froze.

That—

That wasn't normal.

He had never been that strong before.

His eyes flickered to the system. The constant fighting, the constant ranking up…

It wasn't just his skill improving—his raw strength was increasing, too.

A slow grin crept across his lips.

The final demon charged him, shrieking.

Jin Hwan spun, his dagger slashing in an arc—

One clean cut.

The demon's head rolled onto the floor.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 4/200 ]

He exhaled, standing among the bodies of his fallen prey.

Five kills. Quick, efficient, brutal.

And yet…

His heart was still pounding.

Not from fear.

Not from exhaustion.

But from excitement.

He clenched his fists.

"I can do more."

There were still demons out there.

Still prey waiting to be hunted.

And he wasn't going to stop.

Not now.

Not ever.

Baek Jin Hwan didn't leave.

The five demons lay in a pool of their own black blood, their bodies still twitching in death. The scent of decay filled the abandoned warehouse, but Jin Hwan barely noticed.

His breath was steady. His heartbeat calm.

I need to keep going.

Even though the system hadn't given him a clear goal to reach D-Rank, he already understood the rules. The more he killed, the stronger he became.

He checked the E-Rank Progress bar.

[ E-Rank Progress: 4/200 ]

It felt like an endless grind. But what else was he going to do? Give up?

Not a chance.

Jin Hwan stepped over the demon corpses and headed toward the warehouse exit. The night air was cool and sharp, cutting against his sweat-soaked clothes.

The city beyond was quiet.

Somewhere, in the depths of dark alleys and abandoned districts, more demons lurked.

Waiting.

He was going to find them.

It didn't take long.

Jin Hwan had learned where to look.

Abandoned buildings. Isolated underpasses. Forgotten streets where the light of civilization didn't reach.

And that's where he found them.

Another nest.

Seven demons this time.

Their red eyes flickered in the shadows as he approached. A couple of them crawled along the walls like spiders, their twisted limbs twitching unnaturally. Others stood on the ground, their grotesque forms shifting as they sensed him.

Jin Hwan exhaled.

No stealth this time.

He walked straight into their den, dagger in hand.

The demons let out low, guttural growls as they surrounded him, moving like a pack of hungry wolves.

Jin Hwan tightened his grip.

"Come on, then."

The first demon lunged.

He dodged, moving with fluid precision.

Slashed upward— the Void Fang cut through the demon's jaw, splitting it open.

Before it even hit the ground, Jin Hwan spun, avoiding another clawed swipe.

The second demon rushed in, shrieking.

He ducked, his dagger slicing clean through its throat.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 5/200 ]

A third demon pounced from above, its claws flashing.

Jin Hwan barely managed to roll aside, but a sharp sting flared across his back.

Too slow.

His teeth clenched as he forced himself up.

The demon snarled and charged again, but this time—

Jin Hwan was ready.

A sidestep. A reverse grip. A single precise stab.

The Void Fang sank deep into its chest.

He ripped the blade free, and the demon collapsed.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 6/200 ]

Jin Hwan panted, wiping blood from his face.

Four more left.

They circled him now, more cautious than before. They had realized something.

He wasn't prey.

He was a predator.

A slow smile crept onto his lips.

"Yeah… you should be afraid."

The demons roared and attacked at once.

Jin Hwan dove into the chaos.

A knife to the ribs.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 7/200 ]

A quick slash through the skull.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 8/200 ]

A stab through the heart.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 9/200 ]

Blood splattered across the concrete floor.

The final demon staggered back, trembling.

Jin Hwan was covered in cuts and bruises, his breathing ragged. But his eyes…

His eyes burned with a ruthless fire.

The last demon turned to run.

Jin Hwan moved faster.

His dagger sank into the back of its skull.

It collapsed.

[ Rank Up +1 ]

[ E-Rank Progress: 10/200 ]

Jin Hwan stood in the middle of the blood-soaked battlefield, his chest rising and falling.

His hands were shaking.

But not from fear.

From exhilaration.

"…I'm getting stronger."