Max Ranker

Abandoned Warehouse, Early Morning.

The sun had barely risen, but the crime scene was already crawling with Hunter Association agents.

Five men in black and white suits stood amidst the carnage—twisted demon corpses scattered across the concrete floor, their bodies still fresh, black blood not yet dried. The stench of death clung to the air.

Agent Kang Seok-Jin, the leader of the investigation unit, lit a cigarette, his sharp eyes sweeping over the grotesque scene. His clean, well-pressed suit looked out of place in this wasteland of slaughter.

"Again," he muttered. "Same as the last time."

The second site.

Less than 24 hours after the first one.

Another pile of dead demons.

"Looks like the same work," said Detective Im Tae-Gon, crouching near a severed demon skull. "Whoever did this is thorough. These aren't sloppy kills. Each strike was precise—straight to the vital points."

Agent Kang exhaled a thin stream of smoke. "Any evidence? Footprints? Fibers? Anything?"

"Nothing," Tae-Gon replied. "No traces of a weapon left behind, no signs of another person being here—aside from the demons."

"You're saying a ghost did this?" Another investigator, Jung Min-Soo, scoffed.

Tae-Gon shot him a look. "I'm saying whoever did this is skilled enough to leave no traces. And judging by the level of these demons… our 'ghost' is probably an E-Rank Hunter."

Min-Soo frowned. "You sure? An E-Rank Hunter taking out this many demons alone?"

Tae-Gon pointed at the bodies. "Look at the wounds. These aren't made by a gun or long-range abilities. These are blade kills. Which means close combat."

"Then how the hell is he or her still alive?"

Agent Kang flicked his cigarette to the ground, crushing it under his heel. "That's what we need to find out."

They moved through the warehouse carefully, studying every detail.

Jung Min-Soo ran a gloved hand over the concrete floor. "This much demon blood… but no human blood. If our guy got hit, he didn't bleed much. Either he's ridiculously fast, or he's got healing abilities."

Tae-Gon nodded. "Or he's just that good at dodging."

Agent Kang stood in the center of the room, looking up at the metal beams above. "Tell me, how do demons get here in the first place? The gates are supposed to be controlled. So why are there so many nests popping up in the abandoned districts?"

Tae-Gon sighed. "Same old story. Gates close too late, some demons slip through. The big guilds don't bother with the cleanup unless there's money in it. Most people just pretend they don't exist and go about their lives."

"But someone's hunting them," Min-Soo muttered.

A low-rank hunter—moving in the shadows, taking out demons one by one.

No recognition.

No backup.

No official registration.

A lone wolf.

Kang's eyes narrowed. "If this keeps up, sooner or later, we'll run into this guy. The question is…"

Tae-Gon finished the thought. "Is he on our side?"

One of the junior agents jogged over. "Sir, we found something."

The team turned as the agent pulled out a tablet and projected a city map on a holographic screen. Several red markers blinked across different zones.

"These are the reported demon nests in abandoned areas over the past month."

He tapped the screen again. Five of the markers turned black.

"These are the ones that have been wiped out."

Tae-Gon raised an eyebrow. "So it's not just two locations."

The agent nodded. "This has been happening for a while. We only caught wind of it now because the kill count spiked overnight."

Agent Kang studied the map carefully. "These locations…" His fingers traced the black markers. They weren't random.

They formed a pattern.

"He's moving systematically," Kang murmured. "This isn't just some rogue hunter killing for fun. He has a goal."

The others exchanged looks.

"Should we report this to the higher-ups?" Min-Soo asked.

Kang exhaled. "Not yet."

"Why not?" Tae-Gon frowned.

"If the guilds catch wind of this, they'll want to control him. Either recruit him or eliminate him. I want to know who we're dealing with before that happens."

He turned to the team. "Find him. Quietly."

Saturday Morning – Baek Household

The television screen flickered with the morning news, the steady voice of the news anchor filling the cozy living room.

"…And in other reports, an unknown individual has been taking out multiple demon nests in abandoned zones across the Underpass District. Authorities have yet to identify this rogue hunter, but experts believe it is the work of an unofficial low-rank hunter operating outside the system. Officials from the Hunter Association are currently investigating…"

Baek Jin Hwan sat on the couch, staring at the TV, trying his best to look unfazed. He casually took a sip of his juice.

Across from him, Baek Yun Hee was sprawled out on the floor, flipping through her phone, not paying much attention. But when she heard the report, she blinked, sat up, and turned to look at her brother.

"…That's kinda crazy," she muttered, glancing back at the screen. "Who the hell would go around killing demons for free? You'd have to be an idiot."

Jin Hwan coughed mid-sip, almost choking. "Pft—what?" He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Who said it's for free? Maybe they're getting paid."

Yun Hee tilted her head. "Who the hell would pay a low-rank hunter to clear out demon nests when guilds exist?"

Jin Hwan opened his mouth, then closed it. Good question.

His sister narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait a minute… where do you keep disappearing to at night?"

Jin Hwan immediately put on the most casual face he could manage. "Huh? Nowhere. I just— I just got a job, that's all."

Yun Hee raised an eyebrow. "A job? Since when?"

Jin Hwan waved a hand dismissively. "Since recently."

Her stare intensified. "What job?"

He hesitated for a split second before blurting out the first thing that came to his head.

"…I'm a cleaner."

Silence.

Yun Hee blinked. Then burst into laughter.

"PFFT—A CLEANER?!" She clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably. "You?! The guy who used to complain about washing dishes?! You expect me to believe you're willingly cleaning up after people?!"

Jin Hwan scowled. "Shut up. It's good money."

Yun Hee wiped a tear from her eye. "Okay, okay—so where exactly are you working, Mr. Cleaner?"

Jin Hwan crossed his arms. "Private company. Small, nothing big. They don't even have a proper office yet."

Yun Hee's smile turned devious. "So what do you clean? Bathrooms? Offices? Oh my god, do you scrub toilets?"

"NO, I DON'T SCRUB TOILETS."

"That's exactly what someone who scrubs toilets would say."

Jin Hwan sighed heavily. "I clean…places. Big places. Like—factories and warehouses."

Yun Hee snorted. "Mmm-hmm, so you're telling me that your 'cleaning job' just happens to be in abandoned places where demons die mysteriously?"

Jin Hwan almost flinched. He kept his expression as neutral as possible.

"Coincidence," he said.

"Right," she deadpanned. "And I'm a dragon."

Jin Hwan rolled his eyes. "Believe what you want. I'm making money. That's all that matters."

Yun Hee sighed, shaking her head. "Whatever, liar. Just don't end up in the news, or I'll tell Mom and Dad's portraits that you're a dumbass."

He smirked. "They'd probably agree with you."

She laughed, then flopped back onto the floor, scrolling through her phone again. "Fine, Mr. Cleaner. Just don't die while 'mopping floors,' alright?"

Jin Hwan chuckled. "No promises."

Later that night. 

Jin Hwan sat on his bed, staring at his phone screen.

His crypto wallet displayed a growing balance—a number that had been steadily increasing with every demon he killed. He had been so focused on ranking up that he hadn't even paid much attention to the money he was earning.

"Damn."

450,000 won.

680,000 won.

1,200,000 won.

It kept climbing.

For the first time, he let himself actually think about it.

Before, money had always been a problem. Rent, food, bills—he and Yun Hee had to scrape by every month. But now?

Now he could actually breathe.

He sighed and leaned back against the headboard.

It should've felt good. The money. The progress. But instead, a different thought nagged at him.

The Hunter Association is looking for me.

It was only a matter of time before they started putting pieces together. If they found out he was an unofficial hunter…

Jin Hwan exhaled, rubbing his face. "Shit."

If they caught him, best case? They'd force him to register. Worst case? They'd arrest him for illegal hunting.

Neither sounded great.

Still… he couldn't stop now. He wouldn't.

Jin Hwan glanced at the notification from his system.

[Rank Up System: E Rank – Progress 10/200]

He just had to be careful. Smarter.

He closed his phone, took a deep breath, and prepared for his next hunt.

Tomorrow night, he'd be back in the shadows again.