CHAPTER 66: TIERS/ RANKINGS OF BEASTS!

Chapter 65

Without a second thought, bristles and spikes immediately erupted from Zach’s body, tearing through his clothes without care as his eyes locked fiercely on Max.

"I will kill you!" he roared, his voice dripping with murderous intent.

Without wasting a single breath, Zach clapped his hands together, and in that instant, a dozen sharp bristles shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, slicing through the air at frightening speed. But the young dragon, calm as ever, simply chewed on his steak, not even sparing the incoming attack a glance.

The moment Max finished his steak...

BOOM!

A mini shockwave burst out as the bristles collided, stirring up a thick cloud of dust that blanketed the room.

Visibility dimmed, the tension pressing on everyone’s chest, until seconds later the haze cleared. Standing firm in front of Max was a tall blonde-haired figure, his hand casually lowered as if brushing dust off his sleeve.

In that single moment, all the bristles trembled midair before clattering to the ground like insects struck down by poison, lifeless and pitiful.

"Enough of all this." Jake’s calm voice cut through the silence. His sharp eyes pinned Zach in place, the weight of his presence pressing down.

Zach bit his lip so hard it nearly drew blood, his fists trembling with rage, yet all he could do was scowl at Max before storming away with a harsh huff.

"And you all, thanks for the food. We’ll manage our own eating arrangements." Jake added, turning with a warm, charming smile that immediately sent the female assistants blushing scarlet. They hurriedly pushed the empty food carts out of the room, their hearts pounding as though they had just met a celebrity.

’Tch! What’s dude feeling like? Some main character or something? He acts like he’s Grey from a webnovel I once read... what was it called again?’ Max frowned as he scratched his head, trying to remember. Suddenly, it clicked.

’Right! Magus Supremacy. Tch. If I was describing his energy and how he carries himself, this Jake dude is the perfect fit for that kind of role. Though it’s a shame that book never got the recognition it deserved.’ Max scoffed inwardly. He had already cleaned his plate and was leisurely sipping on his drink.

Jake wasn’t done. He turned back to the group, his tone suddenly sharp. "And the rest of you—listen up. This isn’t your father’s house. Most of you may be hybrids, heirs of gangs or powerful corporations, but this isn’t your town or your city.

This is the Hunter’s Association. Whatever we’re given, whatever conditions we receive, we deal with them. No one dragged us here, we came by choice. This place isn’t some palace or fancy banquet hall. We’re here to grow stronger, to protect the world and the families we claim to cherish.

So if you can’t sit your ass on the ground to eat, then bring your damn food over here and I’ll happily finish it for you. I’m still hungry." His scoff lingered as he stormed off, the atmosphere he left behind heavy with his authority.

"What a long speech," Max muttered under his breath, clicking his tongue softly before retreating to a corner of the room. He slouched back against the wall, content to mind his own business again.

"You know, that wasn’t cool—what you said to Zach." Jasmine’s voice piped up as she came to sit beside him.

"Yeah? And what Zach said to people just doing their jobs was perfectly fine, right? Got it." Max shot back with a scoff, turning his face away.

"I’m not saying he was right. His words were rude and disrespectful. But you shouldn’t have taken an eye for an eye." Jasmine’s tone was calm but firm, and Max turned to study her, scanning from head to toe with narrowed eyes.

"What are you looking at?" Jasmine asked, her face scrunching in confusion as she noticed the intensity of his gaze.

"Was just checking if you had any resemblance to my mum. Since you don’t, you can keep your advice to yourself and let me be." Max replied bluntly, waving his hand dismissively as if brushing away an insect.

"Huh? How rude." Jasmine scoffed, crossing her arms as she turned away, clearly irritated.

’Now... I need to find someone who actually knows what I want. I have to understand the beast rankings of this world. If I don’t, I’ll just be walking blind into whatever dangers lie ahead.’ Max thought, his sharp eyes scanning the room carefully.

"You want to know the beast rankings?" Jasmine’s voice suddenly broke into his thoughts, causing him to freeze. "That’s pretty simple. Honestly, I wonder why you don’t already know them."

Max turned to her slowly, his eyes narrowing with disbelief. "What... Did you just say?"

"I can inform and lecture you on the types of beast rankings we have—for free." Jasmine said with a bright smile that lit up her features.

"How did you know what I was thinking about?" Max asked immediately, shuffling back slightly, his body language cautious as he studied the female in front of him. There was a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.

"I don’t," Jasmine replied smoothly. "Like I said, I’m very observant. Earlier, when someone mentioned Hunter Ben being a B-ranked hunter capable of handling a King tier beast with ease, you looked confused. That gave you away."

Even though her tone was calm, Max’s eyes narrowed. His instincts were screaming otherwise.

’Nah! That’s cap and pure bullshit. Something’s up with her. I don’t trust her one bit. I need to be wary... no, I need to be extra cautious around her.’ Max thought as his gaze trailed over her from head to toe, searching for any cracks in her façade.

"Anyway," Jasmine continued without pause, "there are eight beast rankings that are widely known across the world."

That instantly hooked Max’s attention. He leaned forward ever so slightly, the earlier tension still bubbling under his calm exterior.

"They are: Basic tier beasts. These ones are the lowest of the low, weak, pitiful, and usually move in packs." Jasmine explained clearly, her voice steady and instructive.

"Next on the ladder are the Intermediate tier beasts. These guys are stronger and also prefer group hunts. Then comes the Advanced tier—and honestly, judging by your strength, you could probably deal with those types without much of a problem."

Max’s lips curved into a tiny smile at the recognition, though he didn’t interrupt her.

"Next up," Jasmine said with a faint pause, "are the King tier beasts. These ones are extremely strong. I’m not sure if you could handle them, but Hunter Ben? He could clear them easily without breaking much of a sweat."

’Hmm. King tier beasts, huh? Interesting. If I can’t deal with them myself, I’m sure Jake can. That guy’s practically a beast in human skin.’ Max thought as he nodded lightly, hiding his curiosity behind a mask of calm.

"The tier after the King tier is the Legendary tier. Hunters at A-rank are required to bring these ones down. That should give you an idea of how terrifying they are." Jasmine’s tone dipped into something heavier.

"Then, above them, we have the Emperor tier beasts. To deal with those, two or more A-ranked hunters would be required. In other words, double A-ranks working together should be enough." She gave a small shrug.

"Though, to be honest, I don’t think the Association has officially recorded encounters with Emperor tier beasts. Or maybe they have, and it’s just classified knowledge we aren’t allowed to know."

’I’m sure they’ve dealt with them already. The Association is way too secretive not to.’ Max thought, narrowing his eyes.

"The seventh rank," Jasmine continued, "is the Demi-god tier beasts. These guys... any hunter below triple A or S-rank who dares to face them is signing their death warrant.

Demi-god tier beasts can level entire towns to the ground without effort. A level three town would be wiped out instantly. Even a level two town would fall under their destruction."

Max’s eyes widened slightly at that. "Is that how strong they are? You’re saying only S-ranks can deal with them?"

"According to what I’ve heard, yes," Jasmine nodded. "They’re immensely powerful but also rare. However, the ones rarer still, the pinnacle of nightmares, are the Demon tier beasts."

Her expression darkened as she said this, and even the way she lowered her voice sent a faint chill crawling down Max’s spine.

"You see, only three Demon tier beasts have ever been recorded in human history. Just three. And every time one appeared, it brought only destruction.

Their strength was catastrophic, strong enough to pulverize level one cities like they were made of sandcastles. When they appeared, not just the master of the Hunter Association, but even rulers and kings were summoned to face them. Only united could they stand against that kind of might."

Max’s eyes widened, his head spinning from the sheer magnitude of information being dumped into his brain. It was too much, too fast, yet he was absorbing it all. His heart pounded at the thought of such monsters existing out there.

"And that’s it," Jasmine finally said, straightening as though dusting her hands off. "Those are all the beast tiers. Do whatever you want with that information."

She stood up abruptly, her ponytail swaying behind her, and began walking away. Max didn’t stop her—he couldn’t. His mind was still replaying her words like an echo, unable to settle.

The timing was almost eerie. Just as Jasmine left, the heavy doors to the room creaked open, and Hunter Ben strode in with a commanding presence. His eyes scanned the recruits sharply as he held a stack of papers in his hand.

It was time.

Ben was here to distribute their ranks.

Max, however, was still too distracted by Jasmine’s lecture to fully notice. His fists clenched against his knees.

Because deep down, he had a strange, gnawing feeling.

The Demon tier wasn’t the end of the ladder. There was something else—something beyond it, stronger, darker, and feared by all races alike.

And sooner or later, he would come face to face with it.