Japan's situation could only be described as even more severe.
The Cyclops that appeared in Korea had at least emerged in a populated area. Calling that fortunate would be absurd, but compared to one appearing next to a nuclear power plant, it was far better.
If they used weapons recklessly, they might end up blanketing the entire region, no, the whole planet, in radiation just to kill a single Cyclops.
Which meant it had to be brought down by human hands, not powerful weapons. And to even consider deploying such weapons, they'd first need to lure the Cyclops far away from the power plant, into a designated safe zone.
What was truly bizarre, however, was that, just like the first one that appeared in Korea, this Cyclops also refused to stray beyond a certain perimeter, and it wasn't destroying the power plant facilities either.
Could that even be called… gentle?
The Japanese people, like those in Korea, prayed that the Cyclops would vanish suddenly and reappear elsewhere. But their prayers went unanswered.
One day passed. Then two. Then three.
The Cyclops continued to wander around the same area, refusing to leave.
Because of it, the workers stationed inside the nuclear plant were trapped within for more than three days, unable to escape.
As public concern grew across Japan, so too did another sentiment, "If Korea managed it, why can't Japan?"
The Union of Japan, Ichigo, remained cautious, saying they would observe a little longer. But the situation wasn't one that allowed leisure or delay.
As public outrage boiled over, the Japanese government began to pressure Ichigo.
Since Korea had already succeeded in slaying their Cyclops, both government officials and the general populace in Japan believed the same could be done again.
"If Koreans can do it, why can't we?"
"Japanese Slayers are all cowards!"
Ichigo's Union Leader, Yamamoto, sank into deep thought.
He knew the true power of the Korean Union, especially that man who had once cleared a dungeon in an instant.
Name: Hyunseok.
The same man who took command of the First Vanguard Team and made an overwhelming contribution during the Cyclops Slaying.
At that time, the vanguard's Stamina had been evenly distributed, each member's HP decreasing by exactly one-third.
"It's impossible for everyone's HP to drop at the same rate in a normal situation."
No matter what others said, Yamamoto, who understood Hyunseok's ability, stayed cautious.
He wasn't there himself, but he had studied the records carefully and knew that that Cyclops wasn't a normal monster.
But the public and the politicians lacked that kind of insight.
Government pressure continued, and the Japanese people began blaming their own Slayers.
In truth, the Slayers didn't deserve that criticism.
If one thought about it rationally, they were hunters driven by profit, not public safety.
They were a commercial organization, not a charitable one.
But when had the world ever followed logic?
As the Japanese Union kept silent, several independent guilds began forming their own Cyclops Eradication Teams, almost as if to prove themselves against Korea.
Each team limited their members to seventy.
The public cheered for their courage and determination.
Then, news came.
[Seventy Slayers killed in the Cyclops Eradication Operation.]
[Reckless second attempt results in 140 more Slayer deaths!]
[Near Fukushima Nuclear Plant — Airstrikes Impossible!]
[Japanese Government on High Alert — How Will Japan Overcome This Crisis?!]
The entire Japanese archipelago was gripped by mourning and fear.
And then, after that, another ninety Slayers attempted the same operation.
All of them died instantly.
The world was stunned.
❋ ❋ ❋
Meanwhile, Park Sunghyung had established a new system besides the government-issued Slayer License, a ranking system.
It was a metric designed to evaluate and classify Slayers by their ability.
"Hyunseok, you're the only one with a Platinum Rank."
"Platinum?"
"Yeah. Only one in Korea, you.
I won't reveal your personal info, but the fact that a Platinum Slayer exists… that much should be public. It'll be a powerful card to play when needed."
He elaborated.
"There'll be a medal too, but more importantly, your fingerprints can now verify your rank."
"Fingerprints?"
"Right. We're integrating it with Sori's tech. The Smart Compendium will include fingerprint verification, through it, your rank can be displayed anytime. If you ever need to prove your power, just use that."
Fingerprint-based rank verification.
Of course, that raised risks, hacking, data leaks, personal exposure.
But to them, those risks seemed minor.
After all, Hyunseok's identity wasn't completely secret anymore.
The U.S. was probably already analyzing his Cyclops fight via satellite.
Japan's Union also clearly knew about him.
The real difference was this, top-level Slayers and agencies might know who he was, but the general public did not.
Hyunseok nodded, impressed.
"That's actually brilliant."
Just a few days ago, he and Sunghyung had discussed something similar, that Hyunseok's existence should be revealed to a limited degree.
Sunghyung said he had an idea, and only three days later, he made it happen.
Hyunseok looked at him.
"Sori… this could really give them huge influence."
He asked, "Sunghyung, how do you even have that much control over Sori?"
Sunghyung smirked. "You didn't know?"
"Know what?"
"I'm one of their biggest shareholders. Actually, my family's been the majority owner since before Sori got big. It used to be a small electronics company, remember? We just happened to make something that sold well."
Hyunseok gaped.
Sunghyung chuckled lightly, modest, but the fact remained. He was impressive.
Then, a message came from Japan.
"They're asking for help, they want us to slay the Cyclops."
"The Cyclops?"
"Yeah. Over a hundred Slayers have already died."
Sunghyung continued, "My guess is… this one's actually weaker than the one that appeared in Korea."
"Really?"
"What do you say? Want to join the slaying? It's your call.
If not, we can just use this to make the 'Platinum Slayer' title public."
Hyunseok hesitated.
The last Cyclops had been extremely dangerous.
The old, safety-first version of himself would've instantly said "no."
But now? He was thinking.
Judging by the pattern so far, the Japanese Cyclops probably was weaker.
Still, it was a dangerous monster.
The seventy who'd first challenged it hadn't been weaklings.
"If I have Peace's Ratio Heal… and a strong attack team, maybe it's possible."
Then another thought crossed his mind.
"Or maybe… if I did it alone."
Sunghyung said nothing, simply watching quietly, not wanting to disturb his thoughts.
"The main reason for group slaying is to secure safety and balance offense and defense."
High-defense Slayers handled protection. Agile ones disrupted enemies. High-attack Slayers dealt damage.
"There's no strict rule, but every group fight divides roles."
"But if I'm alone… I can defend and attack myself. If it gets dangerous, I can just dodge."
Teamwork existed to make slaying easier, dividing tasks.
Defense specialists defended, attackers attacked.
But what if there was someone who excelled in every stat, Strength, Agility, Stamina, Intelligence, Vitality?
And had no one to protect?
Then everything changed.
"Even better, the Cyclops gets stunned by my recoil."
If he could block one attack and counter while it was stunned, it was over.
Back in Korea, the Cyclops's shield only broke when Hyunseok attacked.
"The only question is whether I can kill it before my HP runs out."
Some time passed before Sunghyung offered a plan.
"I have an idea. Want to hear it? This could also be the perfect time to announce the Platinum Slayer's existence, without showing your face. A 'Solo Cyclops Slayer' is a powerful symbol. You'd stay anonymous but become a living legend. It helps both you and the Korean Union."
A few months ago, Hyunseok would've said no without hesitation.
Now, he was listening intently.
A way to slay safely and perfectly, solo.
It wasn't far-fetched.
❋ ❋ ❋
When the Inventory Window opened, so did the Item Shop, and now, they could read full item descriptions.
That immediately sparked trade between Slayers.
Buying from the shop required experience points, but trading between Slayers could be done with real-world currency.
The market wasn't huge yet, but it was already worth billions worldwide, and growing explosively.
Among all the items, the rarest were Skill Books, items that granted new skills.
The most sought-after one recently was the High Heal Skill Book, for one simple reason: Stat Efficiency.
To evolve from Heal → High Heal normally required investing around 30 stat points into Intelligence.
Even for dedicated healers, that was a steep cost, though with training and level-ups, most could achieve it with about 10 points on average.
But if you just obtained the High Heal Skill Book?
You could skip that entire investment.
Weaker heals still had their use, but as Slayers grew stronger, their HP pools increased, and High Heal became indispensable.
Thus, competition was fierce.
Money wasn't enough.
Connections weren't enough.
You needed both, and a bit of luck, to get your hands on one.
The price: around ₩10 billion (≈$7 million).
Many argued that was absurdly high for a mere "Normal Mode" Skill Book.
But as long as buyers existed, prices wouldn't fall.
Despite the cost, demand never stopped.
Hyunseok could never have obtained it alone.
But thanks to Sunghyung's influence, and help from former I'UET members, he acquired two.
Money wasn't an issue anymore.
Carefully, Hyunseok used the first one.
[Skill: Acquire High Heal? Y/N]
[Skill: High Heal acquired.]
[Intelligence stat exceeds 100.]
[High Heal level increasing.]
[Intelligence surpasses Normal Mode range — High Heal level MAXED.]
"So… High Heal was originally designed for Easy Mode?"
Because of his Intelligence stat, over 100, the skill instantly maxed out.
"My current Intelligence is 208."
Forced entry into Normal Mode had started at 200.
So yes, 200 was beyond Easy Mode limits.
Which meant High Heal, a skill from Easy Mode, had been pushed to its limit, triggering an evolution.
"Then in Normal Mode… there should be something beyond this."
Before his thought even finished, another series of notifications appeared.
[Skill: Ultimate Heal generated.]
[Skill: Ultimate Heal acquired.]
[Intelligence stat exceeds 200.]
[Ultimate Heal level increasing.]
[Intelligence surpasses Normal Mode range — Ultimate Heal level MAXED.]
The Ultimate Heal was clearly the best recovery skill in Normal Mode.
But even that was instantly maxed out.
"Th… this is insane."
Then another prompt appeared.
[Skill: Heal generated.]
[Skill: Heal acquired.]
"If my Intelligence had stayed at 230 or more, it would've evolved again."
He'd spent 30 stat points purchasing "Support the Sea", so that evolution was halted.
From Heal → High Heal → Ultimate Heal → back to Heal again, but this new Heal was different.
On his Skill Window, Iron Fist and Combat Field Activation were written in white text.
But this Heal appeared in green.
Same name, but higher grade.
Hyunseok opened his Skill Window, and felt certainty.
He could defeat the Cyclops.
Alone.
And his whole body trembled.
"So this is what it means… to be an All Stat Slayer."
He no longer needed backup healers.
He could fight, defend, and recover, all by himself.
He was an All Stat Slayer.
(End of Chapter 30)
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