All Stat Slayer

Jong-won obtained the Lightning Warrior as a special class. It was definitely superior to ordinary classes. Not only did it add additional damage with lightning effects to normal damage, but it also had the potential for stun effects. However, it couldn’t be considered extremely powerful, just relatively better compared to other classes.

Whether it was because his skill level was low, he didn’t have proper weapons, or because he was still in normal mode, it wasn’t certain. But compared to top-tier slayers, Jong-won could only be described as “slightly stronger” rather than “extremely powerful.” He couldn’t boast overwhelming strength like Hyun-seok. (Now that he had surpassed a strength stat of 100, he had much stronger damage than other slayers. However, when he first obtained the special class, he wasn’t significantly stronger than other classes.)

In other words, special or hidden classes didn’t have any significant advantages compared to ordinary classes.

Jong-won spoke, “That guy is claiming to be put in the Platinum rank.”

“Platinum rank?”

“Yeah.”

“Who is he?”

“I don’t know either. He claims he can solo slay a Twin-headed Orc…”

Soloing Twin-headed Orc meant being an exceptional player. Although Twin-headed Orc was an easy-mode monster, it was still considered an achievement-worthy monster within the easy mode. It was even a challenging achievement and awarded +10 points when it appeared as a boss monster. It was a formidable monster that could be stronger than trolls when adjusted for boss monster settings.

“But there are no specific criteria for the Platinum rank, right? It was created for you, to be honest.”

“That’s true.”

“So, he wants to have a PvP match with you?”

“PvP?”

“Yeah. Actually, I was the first one to fight him and got completely crushed. It must have been reported in the media by now. Shall we watch the news?”

Jong-won chuckled.

Lately, one of the popular trends among slayers was PvP (Player versus Player) battles. It came about when the H/P (Health/Power) system was activated, eliminating the pain and physical effects based on damage within the battle arena. It became an unofficial rule that whoever’s H/P dropped below 30% first would be the loser. The movement to formalize it as a sport was gaining momentum. (As a side note, the demand for support slayers increased.)

Hyun-seok smirked. “You’re talking nonsense.”

But it wasn’t entirely a joking matter. In fact, Hyun-seok is a symbolic slayer within the Korean Union. He was somewhat different from being the second or third in command. The current second in command of the Korean Union was Jong-won himself. He was the slayer with the highest strength stat, surpassing 100 officially. Jong-won could also solo slay the Twin-headed Orc.

“I got completely crushed. Didn’t even land a single hit.”

Jong-won was completely defeated in the PvP battle against the newcomer.

As the second-in-command of the Korean Union, being defeated by the newcomer, speculations arose that the newcomer could potentially become a Platinum Slayer.

Jong-won grumbled, “Damn, our match-up didn’t go well.”

“Why did you fight? You’re asking for trouble.”

“It was fun, you know. PvP can be quite entertaining. You can learn things and develop new skills for battles between individuals.”

“People start thinking about other things once their survival is ensured.”

When the requirements for survival weren’t met, people focused solely on survival and didn’t have other desires. However, when the requirements for survival were met, other desires emerged. They wanted to eat more delicious food and engage in more exciting activities. That’s what being human meant. In the beginning, slayers focused solely on hunting monsters, but now that things were improving, a PvP culture among people was gradually taking shape.

As they entered the normal mode, various conditions emerged that allowed the opening of the battle arena for support slayers only when there were monsters nearby. As a result, a PvP culture emerged, and the value of support slayers increased.

Hyun-seok said, “But what if a murder happens?”

“As long as it stays limited to 30%, it’s not too dangerous. Unless someone like you sends them flying with a single blow, it rarely happens. Well, you’re exceptional with your cheat-like powers. Moreover, to participate in PvP, you have to publicly disclose your typical impact value through a sandbag. It’s a fight using skills and know-how while the impact value can’t instantly take someone’s life. In fact, other than you, there’s hardly any combat slayer who can annihilate H/P with a single blow. I think it’s much less dangerous than something like mixed martial arts or UFC. H/P is visible.”

Concerns and worries were growing, but if things continued in this direction, there was a high chance that PvP would become a culture.

“But why did you lose?”

“He was too fast. Honestly, I felt like I could take him down with just one hit… But I couldn’t land that hit. It seemed like he awakened as a slayer with professional athletic skills. And he focuses on agility… He has a hidden class… I roughly understand his general abilities, but I couldn’t confirm his special abilities.”

“So, you got thoroughly beaten to the point of not being able to grasp his abilities?”

“well…That’s right.”

Jong-won chuckled. It seemed like losing in PvP didn’t affect his self-esteem much.

“Aren’t you frustrated?”

“Why should I be frustrated? It’s an opportunity to learn. Besides, you think about different things when people are deemed worthy. It has become clear now. I’m not suited for one-on-one battles. I should just focus on hunting monsters. My damage became significantly stronger after surpassing a strength stat of 100, but the penalties are outrageous. The system is so damn messed up. It penalizes you for simply increasing your strength. Damn it.”

Jong-won could be considered a “dealer,” one of the jobs that had become more specialized and diversified lately. Apart from the initial stages, he was heavily investing in strength stats and struggling to quickly reach a strength stat of 100.

Although he had a suitable pattern for targeting large and bulky monsters, it seemed difficult for him to deal with fast, agile, and small creatures. According to Jong-won, if he increased only his strength stat, he faced significant penalties once it exceeded 100. One noticeable effect was that his movements became extremely slow.

Hyun-seok spoke with a somewhat arrogant expression, “Balance is the most important thing for a person, after all.”

“Shut up, you damn cheater. That’s possible for you. You’re like a master of stats.”

“Is that a compliment or an insult?”

“It’s half-insult and half-compliment!”

And a few days later, news came that if the slayer who defeated Jong-won didn’t receive the Platinum rank, he would transfer to the American Union under drastic conditions. The American Union was currently providing generous support and investment to attract talents, and the slayer who defeated Jong-won seemed to fall into that category.

Public opinion in Korea started to rise.

Even if Jong-won is a slow slayer focused on strength stats, it’s foolish to let go of a slayer who defeated him.

It would be better to grant him the Platinum rank. After defeating Jong-won, doesn’t he have the qualifications?

If they let go of such talent, it proves the incompetence of the Korean Union’s abilities.

Jong-won scratched his head.

“Why is it causing such a big commotion that I lost?”

“It’s natural. Regardless, you are one of the top in Korea.”

“No, I’m not meant for one-on-one battles. Think about it. PvP is a disadvantage for me.”

“That’s not how the world works. The reasons aren’t important. What matters is that you lost to him.”

Hyun-seok immersed himself in his thoughts.

‘Even if I learned boxing… honestly, I’m not that good at it.’

It was possible for someone like Jong-won to occur. Of course, Jong-won would never end up like that, and Hyun-seok never thought he would lose either. But in any case, there was always a chance for something unexpected to happen.

‘However, will my abilities work in one-on-one battles…?’

Of course, Hyun-seok was an all-stat slayer. His agility stats were also remarkably high. However, he had never fought against humans. Although the trend was currently focused on large monsters, there might be fast and agile monsters in the future.

‘But if I make a mistake, I could end up getting killed.’

Listening to his words, it seemed like that newcomer was a speed-oriented disruptor-type slayer. In that case, his HP pool would be low, and a wrong move could unintentionally lead to murder.

‘I need some practice.’

Coincidentally, Jong-won had experience fighting against the slayer in PvP, so he might have a rough idea of the slayer’s abilities. By comparing their stats and estimating the approximate impact values, he could determine the suitable impact value.

Hyun-seok said, “Hey, Jong-won. Let’s have a PvP match as a test.”

Jong-won’s face, which used to be all smiles even after being utterly defeated, visibly turned pale.

“S-Seriously… Why are you… tormenting me…? Don’t… don’t torture me.”