Chapter 7
The night was dark and cold as Baek Jin Hwan made his way through the desolate industrial district. Crumbling buildings, rusted machinery, and shattered windows lined the area like ghosts of a forgotten era.
His only weapon? A small axe.
It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
The bounty had been claimed. There was no turning back now.
The old factory doors creaked loudly as he pushed them open.
Inside, the air was thick with the stench of rust, oil, and something rotten. The only light came from the flickering streetlamp outside, casting long shadows across the factory floor.
Jin Hwan tightened his grip on the axe.
His eyes swept across the room, searching for movement. Nothing.
Just a few rusted barrels, stacks of broken wooden pallets, and an eerie silence that made his skin crawl.
But something was off.
His instincts screamed at him.
He took a step forward—
A sudden blur of movement.
Claws slashed through the air.
Jin Hwan barely ducked in time as a grotesque, thin-limbed demon lunged at him from the shadows. Its red eyes gleamed with hunger, and its mouth stretched open into an unnatural grin.
A second one came from the left.
A third from behind.
"Shit—!"
Jin Hwan spun on his heels, raising his axe just as the first demon lunged.
He swung wildly, the blade carving into the demon's shoulder.
The creature screeched, its black blood spraying onto his hands.
But it wasn't dead.
It lunged again.
Jin Hwan threw himself to the side, but the second demon was faster. Its claws tore across his ribs.
Pain flared through his body.
"Damn it!"
He staggered back, gripping his axe tighter. The demons were fast—faster than the first one he killed.
He forced himself to focus. Observe.
The first demon limped slightly, its right arm useless after his attack.
Weak points.
Jin Hwan launched forward, aiming low.
The axe buried itself into the demon's knee.
It collapsed with a shriek.
Before it could recover, he raised the axe high—
SLASH!
Its head rolled onto the floor.
[Rank Up +1]
Progress: 2/100 (F → E Rank)
Jin Hwan panted, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
One down.
But he had no time to rest.
The second demon pounced.
Jin Hwan barely blocked with the axe, but the impact sent him stumbling backward.
The demon was stronger than the first.
It snarled, black saliva dripping from its fangs.
Jin Hwan tightened his grip and charged.
The demon swiped—
He ducked, rolling under its attack.
An opening.
He swung at its side, cutting deep.
The demon howled in pain.
But it wasn't dead.
Jin Hwan knew he didn't have the strength for another clean hit.
He needed to finish this fast.
He spotted a broken metal rod nearby.
Thinking fast, he kicked it up with his foot and caught it in his free hand.
The demon lunged again—
Jin Hwan drove the rod straight through its throat.
It choked, convulsing.
He yanked his axe free and brought it down on its skull.
CRACK!
[Rank Up +1]
Progress: 3/100 (F → E Rank)
Jin Hwan staggered back, panting heavily.
His hands trembled from exhaustion.
His side throbbed from the wound.
But he was still alive.
And there was one more left.
Jin Hwan turned—
The last demon was watching.
Unlike the others, it didn't attack immediately.
Instead, it tilted its head, as if studying him.
Smart.
Jin Hwan exhaled sharply, adjusting his stance.
"Come on, then," he muttered. "Let's finish this."
The demon's mouth curled into a twisted grin.
Then—
It charged.
Jin Hwan braced himself, every muscle in his body tensed.
The final demon was different.
Its movements were calculated, more precise than the first two. It wasn't just attacking blindly—it was waiting for him to make a mistake.
And in his exhausted state, Jin Hwan knew that wouldn't take long.
The demon lunged.
Jin Hwan swung his axe, aiming for its neck—
Too slow.
The demon sidestepped effortlessly, its claws striking out.
SHLKK—!
Pain exploded in Jin Hwan's left arm.
The force of the blow sent him stumbling backward, crashing into a stack of old metal crates.
He groaned, struggling to push himself up. His vision blurred, and warm blood dripped from his arm.
"Damn it…"
The demon didn't give him a chance to recover.
It pounced again—
Jin Hwan rolled to the side just in time.
The demon's claws ripped through the crates behind him, metal screeching as they were torn apart.
Too fast. Too strong.
Jin Hwan knew he was in trouble.
If he took another direct hit like that, he was dead.
But he wasn't about to die here. Not yet.
He forced himself up, gripping the axe tighter despite the pain in his left arm.
The demon circled him, its blood-red eyes glowing in the dark.
Jin Hwan's heart pounded in his chest.
He needed a plan.
His axe was too slow.
He needed to force the demon into a position where it couldn't dodge.
His eyes darted around the factory—looking for anything he could use.
And then he saw it.
A hanging chain, rusted but still intact, swayed slightly from a metal beam above.
If he could lure the demon toward it…
Jin Hwan took a shaky breath.
Then—
He rushed forward.
The demon snarled in surprise, not expecting him to charge.
It lunged to intercept.
Jin Hwan ducked low at the last second, sliding across the dusty floor.
As he passed beneath the demon—
He swung his axe upwards, slashing at its leg.
The blade bit deep.
The demon screeched, stumbling forward.
That was his chance.
Jin Hwan leaped toward the hanging chain, grabbing hold and swinging himself around.
The demon turned—but it was too late.
Jin Hwan used the momentum from the swing to bring his axe crashing down onto the demon's skull.
CRACK!
The blade didn't go all the way through—but it was enough.
The demon staggered, shrieking in agony.
Jin Hwan landed on his feet, panting.
Not yet.
Not dead yet.
The demon swayed, its head gushing dark blood.
Jin Hwan gritted his teeth, ignoring his pain.
He took a step forward—
Then another.
And with everything he had left, he raised his axe one last time—
And swung.
THUD.
The demon's head hit the ground.
Its body collapsed a moment later, twitching before finally going still.
[Rank Up +1]
Progress: 4/100
Jin Hwan stood over the corpse, his entire body shaking.
His lungs burned.
His arms ached.
Blood dripped from his wounds.
But he was alive.
Barely.
Jin Hwan sat against the rusted barrel, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His entire body ached, his muscles screaming in protest after the brutal fight. His left arm throbbed from where the demon had slashed him, and dried blood stuck uncomfortably to his skin.
The factory was silent now.
Only the sound of his own breathing and the distant drip of water from a leaking pipe filled the air.
The stench of demon blood hung heavy around him, thick and metallic.
Jin Hwan let his head fall back against the cold metal.
"Damn…" he muttered, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over him.
His grip on the axe loosened. His fingers were still trembling, both from adrenaline and the sheer insanity of what he had just done.
I actually did it…
Three demons.
Alone.
With nothing but a small axe and sheer desperation.
He had barely survived.
A few inches to the left, and the last demon would have gutted him.
A second slower, and he would have been dead.
He wasn't some seasoned Hunter.
He wasn't even a Hunter at all.
He was just a Disappointment of the Baek Family.
And yet—
Progress: 4/100 (F → E Rank)
The system's notification flickered in his vision.
The proof that he was changing.
That he wasn't the same powerless Jin Hwan from before.
"…Ha."
A weak, breathless chuckle escaped him.
Was it from relief? Exhaustion? The sheer absurdity of it all?
Maybe all of the above.
He reached into his pocket, fingers fumbling for his phone.
His screen lit up, illuminating his sweat-covered face in the dim factory.
The bounty listing was still open.
Three demons. Confirmed kills.
Jin Hwan stared at the screen for a moment, then pressed [Clear].
A loading icon appeared.
Then—
[Bounty Status: Cleared]
A ding echoed from his phone.
A message.
Unknown Number:
Once confirmed, you'll receive your payment. Thanks for your hard work.
Jin Hwan frowned.
The number wasn't saved in his contacts.
And there was no name.
Just a plain message.
Something about it felt… off.
He stared at the text for a long moment before sighing.
Right now, he was too tired to care.
Too tired to question who was really behind these bounties.
For now, he just wanted to get home.
Before his body gave out completely.