The morning air was crisp.
Yet, Jin felt nothing.
Sleep had abandoned him long ago. Every night was haunted by screams, by the echo of gunshots, and by the sight of two lifeless bodies lying on the floor of his home.
But something else lingered.
The sensation from last night—the power that had spilled from his hands when he slaughtered the monsters.
It wasn't normal.
It wasn't human.
Jin clenched his fist, watching as faint wisps of black flame curled between his fingers before vanishing into the air.
"…It's time," he muttered.
"Time to see what I've truly become."
The city's Ranking Center stood tall in the heart of downtown. A massive building of glass and steel, crawling with hunters of every level. Some were rookies, wide-eyed and hopeful. Others were veterans, boasting of their achievements and flashing expensive equipment.
Jin walked through the gates in silence.
Almost immediately, whispers began to spread.
"Who is that…?"
"Do you feel it? That pressure—like something's crushing my chest."
"Is he already an S-rank?"
The air grew heavier with every step he took. It wasn't just intimidation. His very presence eroded the atmosphere, pulling warmth and light from the hall.
Yet, Jin's expression remained lifeless. His eyes did not acknowledge the crowd. He walked like a shadow moving among the living.
Inside the testing chamber, a massive crystalline sphere pulsed faintly. This artifact had been crafted to measure mana flow, to determine the potential and limits of any awakened.
"Name?" the examiner asked, though his voice cracked slightly under the suffocating aura pressing down on him.
"Jin Hwan."
The examiner gestured nervously.
"Place your hand on the sphere. Relax your mana and let it flow freely."
Jin nodded once and stepped forward.
The moment his palm touched the cold surface, the crystal trembled violently. Cracks spread across it as a wave of oppressive darkness surged through the room.
The crowd gasped.
"What the—?!"
"I can't breathe!"
"Is this really mana? It feels like… death itself!"
The sphere shone with an ominous black light, unlike anything recorded before.
The examiner stumbled backward, eyes wide in terror.
"This… this can't be right…"
On the crystal's surface, glowing letters formed:
[Class: Shadow]
[Rank: …]
The final line flickered, glitching as if the system itself struggled to define him. Then the word appeared:
[Undetermined]
The hall fell silent. Not a whisper remained.
Jin withdrew his hand calmly, ignoring the fear plastered on every face. His gaze lingered on the flickering text for a brief moment before he turned toward the exit.
He had his answer.
He wasn't bound by their ranks. He wasn't part of their world.
He was something else.
A shadow outside their system.
And that made him far more dangerous than any hunter alive.
From the corner of the hall, a group of cloaked figures watched silently. One of them smirked.
"So… he finally showed himself."
Another whispered:
"Jin Hwan… The Fire Dragons won't sleep easy knowing he still walks this world."
But Jin paid no attention. His hunt had only just begun.
End of Chapter 4