Max Ranker

Jin Hwan stood at the edge of the arena, his eyes locked on the Lesser Imp inside the cage.

The creature crouched over its last opponent's corpse, its clawed fingers tearing into flesh as it devoured the remains. The floodlights above flickered, casting its deformed, scrawny figure in a twisted shadow.

This was the weakest kind of demon.

But even this could kill him if he wasn't careful.

Jin Hwan clenched his fists.

"I need to kill it."

His system had given him a goal:

[F Rank > E Rank]

And the only way to rank up was to kill.

But there was one problem—he couldn't just walk into the ring and challenge a demon. He needed a way in.

And for that, he needed money.

His eyes drifted toward the betting booth at the side of the arena. Hunters, gangsters, and criminals placed stacks of cash, shouting out odds as the fights continued.

A thought formed in his mind.

He took a deep breath and walked toward the booth.

The bookie, a burly man with a scar down his cheek, barely looked at him. "Minimum buy-in is fifty thousand won. You betting or wasting my time?"

Jin Hwan pulled out his last bit of cash and placed it on the counter. "I want to fight."

The bookie snorted. "Yeah? And who the hell are you?"

Jin Hwan pulled back his hood.

The moment his face was visible, the people nearby paused.

A whisper spread through the crowd.

"Wait… isn't that—?"

"No way. That's Baek Jin Hwan."

"Hah! The failed Baek heir?"

"What's he doing here? Trying to get himself killed?"

The bookie raised an eyebrow. "Baek Jin Hwan, huh? The one who never awakened?"

Jin Hwan stayed silent.

The bookie grinned. "You must be really desperate." He glanced at the pit, where the Lesser Imp was snarling at the next challenger. "Alright, kid. I'll let you fight. But no refunds. If you die, your body's getting dumped in the sewers."

Jin Hwan's throat was dry, but he nodded. "Fine."

The bookie leaned in. "You get one shot. If you win, you walk out with cash. If you lose…" He smirked. "Well, you won't have to worry about anything after that."

Jin Hwan didn't respond. He turned and made his way to the caged arena's entrance.

The steel door creaked as it opened.

He stepped inside.

The crowd roared.

Jin Hwan exhaled slowly.

His first real fight had begun.

The steel door slammed shut behind Jin Hwan.

A cold chill ran down his spine.

The cage smelled of blood, sweat, and death. The dirt floor beneath him was damp, stained a deep rust-red from countless battles. A single overhead light flickered, casting eerie shadows across the battered walls.

And at the other end of the arena—it stood.

The Lesser Imp was hunched over, its gangly limbs twitching as it sniffed the air. Its leathery skin was a sickly shade of gray, covered in patches of dried blood. Two curved horns jutted out from its skull, framing its grotesquely sharp grin. Beady, yellow eyes locked onto him, gleaming with predatory hunger.

A deep, guttural hiss escaped its throat.

Jin Hwan felt his hands tremble.

This was real.

This wasn't a training dummy. This wasn't a sparring match.

This was a monster. And it wanted to kill him.

The crowd beyond the cage howled with laughter and jeers.

"Hey, look at him! He's shaking already!"

"Five seconds! That thing will rip his throat out in five seconds!"

"This is what happens when weaklings get desperate!"

Jin Hwan ignored them.

His breathing was sharp. His muscles were tense. Every instinct screamed at him to run.

But there was nowhere to run.

The system's notification burned in his vision.

[Tip: The more enemies you kill, the more you rank up. The more you rank up, the stronger you get.]

Jin Hwan clenched his fists. I have to kill it.

Because if I don't… I die here.

The imp snarled. Its muscles coiled—then it lunged.

Jin Hwan barely reacted in time. He threw himself to the side, rolling on the ground as the imp's claws ripped through the air where he had been standing just a moment ago.

Too fast.

His heart pounded in his chest. He scrambled to his feet just as the imp twisted its body unnaturally, turning mid-air.

Jin Hwan's eyes widened.

It was already attacking again.

A blur of motion—then pain exploded across his chest.

"AGH—!"

Jin Hwan staggered back, his vision flashing red. Three deep gashes tore through his hoodie, warm blood seeping through the fabric.

The imp clicked its tongue, tilting its head. Its grin widened—mocking him.

Jin Hwan's breaths came out in ragged gasps. His arms burned, his legs felt weak. His body was screaming at him to stop.

The imp darted forward again.

Jin Hwan gritted his teeth. Move. MOVE!

At the last second, he ducked low, the creature's claws missing his face by mere inches. He threw out his arm in desperation, trying to push it away—

—but the imp grabbed his wrist.

A sudden jolt of terror shot through him.

Then—BAM!

The imp yanked him forward and slammed its knee into his stomach.

Jin Hwan choked. The air was ripped from his lungs. His vision blurred, his body doubling over as agony tore through him.

The crowd erupted in laughter.

"Hah! That's it! He's done!"

"This is embarrassing!"

"Hey, someone get a shovel! We'll need to clean up the mess soon!"

Jin Hwan's body swayed.

His legs nearly gave out beneath him.

His mind screamed. Get up. Fight back. Do something.

The imp wasn't stopping.

It lunged again, claws raised for the kill.

Jin Hwan's body moved on instinct.

He threw himself backwards, barely avoiding the downward slash. The imp's claws raked through his shoulder, but this time he didn't fall.

He caught himself.

He was still standing.

His breath came in short, painful gasps. His wounds throbbed. His vision was darkening at the edges.

He was losing too much blood.

I can't win.

The realization slammed into him like a hammer.

The imp was too fast, too strong.

He wasn't a hunter. He had no skills, no system abilities, no training.

The only thing keeping him alive was pure survival instinct.

But instincts wouldn't be enough.

Jin Hwan swallowed hard.

He needed a way to kill it.

His eyes darted to the ground—scanning. Searching.

Then—he saw it.

A jagged piece of metal—a broken blade, likely left from a previous fight—half-buried in the dirt.

His fingers twitched.

A plan formed in his mind.

It was reckless. It was desperate.

But it was all he had.

Jin Hwan sprinted towards the blade.

The imp let out a shriek of glee, chasing after him, closing the distance in seconds.

Jin Hwan's hand shot out—

His fingers wrapped around the cold, sharp edge.

Pain lanced through his palm as the metal bit into his flesh.

But he didn't care.

The imp pounced.

NOW!

Jin Hwan spun, twisting his body at the last possible second—

—and drove the broken blade straight into the imp's throat.

SCHLK!

A wet, sickening sound echoed in the cage.

The imp's body jerked.

Its yellow eyes bulged, a garbled sound escaping its mouth.

Jin Hwan didn't stop. He twisted the blade deeper, pushing all his weight onto it.

The imp thrashed, claws raking at his arms, his chest, his face—

But Jin Hwan held on.

The imp's struggles grew weaker.

Then, finally—it went still.

Jin Hwan let out a shuddering breath.

The weight of the demon's corpse collapsed against him, its blood soaking into his clothes.

The arena fell into a stunned silence.

Then—

DING!

A new notification flashed before his eyes.

[You have slain your first enemy.]

[Ranking Up System Activated.]

[F Rank → E Rank Progress: 1/100]

[Rank Up +1]

Jin Hwan's body shook.

Not from fear.

Not from pain.

But from something entirely different.

This feeling—it was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

His vision cleared. The exhaustion faded slightly.

And deep within his chest…

Something stirred.

For the first time in his life—

Jin Hwan felt power.