The Korean Union had established a ranking system. It received considerable attention overseas as well, to the point that unions from other countries began adopting similar systems almost daily.
Among these, the most striking was the existence of the "Platinum Rank." According to the data released by the Korean Union, only a single person had achieved this rank, which sparked a lot of debate.
Rumors circulated: "It's just for publicity or symbolic meaning,""It's a gimmick to make it look impressive." Overall, the consensus leaned toward the idea that the Platinum Rank was largely symbolic, more or less meaningless in practical terms.
Then, the Korean Union made another announcement. The media went into a frenzy.
"Korean Union Dispatches Platinum Slayer to Japan.""Platinum Rank, wasn't it just an illusory title?""Challenging the Cyclops Solo, which was barely handled by an 80-member task force!"
The Platinum Rank Slayer requested that their identity not be revealed. After all, in a situation where the world's eyes were fixed on him, the mere exposure of his face could lead to surveillance of every single action.
Unless someone genuinely enjoyed attention, that would be exhausting.
It's no wonder that one of the wishes celebrities often mention is to simply go on an ordinary street date with their partner.
For some, ordinary and humble experiences can become a profound desire.
"Platinum Rank Slayer Secretly Meets with the Japanese Union!""Ichigo, already familiar with the Platinum Slayer?"
Speculation ran rampant.
The Japanese Union officially requested that all journalists be held back. They weren't expecting much impact anyway. The Platinum Slayer didn't want his identity revealed, and the Union simply accommodated that preference.
The Korean Union took charge of negotiations with the Japanese Union and the Japanese government and secured an agreement to deploy a mild EMP blast at the location where Hyunseok would be slaying.
They also obtained a clause stating that neither the Korean Union nor the Platinum Slayer would be held responsible for any damage to electronic equipment caused by the EMP.
This was a result achieved by the Korean Union, not the Korean government.
Beyond this, the method chosen by the Slayer himself was remarkably basic and straightforward.
"Challenging a Cyclops, a monster impossible to slay, solo."
The online community buzzed with heated comments:
"That's pure show-off. Crazy.""It's a monster that's impossible to slay… This guy must be insane. Don't they know what an impossible achievement is?""Those Koreans must be cheating somehow. Slaying it solo is impossible. This needs to be investigated.""They promised an enormous reward. Something smells fishy here."
Amid all the chatter and conspiracy theories, all attention focused on the Platinum Slayer.
Sunghyung said:
"Announced the date later to avoid public attention."
"Yes."
"Media access is fully blocked. We've secured that promise. And they'll take responsibility for the reward, so you only need to focus on slaying."
"Yes."
"We might also deploy a light EMP blast. Just enough to prevent anyone nearby from recording. Nothing major, just simple signal interference, so don't worry about it."
"You really don't need to go that far…"
Hyunseok smiled awkwardly. It wasn't like his identity was an ultimate secret, after all.
Sunghyung, however, meticulously covered even the details Hyunseok might not have noticed, ensuring everything was in order.
The Korean Union deliberately announced the date later:
"The Only Platinum Slayer in Korea to Arrive in Japan in Three Days!""Platinum Slayer to Visit Japan in Three Days!"
All eyes were on him.
Yet Hyunseok had already entered Japan secretly. He met with the Japanese Union in private and moved toward the Cyclops.
❋ ❋ ❋
Following guidance from the Japanese Union Slayers, he arrived in Fukushima.
The Cyclops was visible in the distance. Its eyes opened when it spotted the Slayer. Even Hyunseok felt tension; even catching a large cockroach can make people nervous.
Some scream at cockroaches less than 3 cm long, even though they pose no lethal threat.
The Cyclops, however, was over 5 meters tall. One cannot avoid tension when facing a creature of that size. Unlike cockroaches, the Cyclops has the strength to kill a human.
The Cyclops crouched and charged on two legs. Hyunseok opened his Battle Field in response.
Though media and cameras were controlled, not all human eyes could be restricted. Some onlookers were Slayers, who could perceive the Battle Field not visually but mentally.
The Slayers guiding Hyunseok were astonished.
"Th… a Battle Field…?"
As Slayers level up, support Slayers become essential. To become a strong combat Slayer, one must invest in combat stats: Strength, Agility, Stamina.
If a point were invested in Intelligence, it was usually better used to improve combat stats. Raising Intelligence enough to fully utilize a Battle Field is inefficient. Support Slayers exist for this reason.
Yet the Platinum Slayer opened a full Battle Field effortlessly.
"I expected some of this when I heard about solo slaying…"
"How much M/P has he raised…?"
"No, there must be some trick. Maybe a new device, a skill, or an item. Solo slaying isn't supposed to be possible."
Typically, to fully deploy a Battle Field, high Intelligence is required, useless for combat. Raising Intelligence that high means being vulnerable in combat, a basic principle. Hyunseok ignored the whispers and focused ahead.
'Definitely weaker than the last Cyclops.'
Its speed, strength, and momentum were all lower than the Cyclops he faced in Korea. He had explained how monsters in Easy Mode feel: 2+2 or 2×2, same difficulty level. Complex numbers make perceived difficulty higher.
Whhoooom—! Thud!
A shockwave erupted as Hyunseok blocked the Cyclops' club. Silence fell.
Blocking a Cyclops' club solo is generally impossible. Not without extreme skill. The 70 advanced Slayers who died previously had been strong, and the club had ruthlessly slaughtered them.
"The Cyclops isn't attacking…?"
"Same phenomenon as before…!"
The same phenomenon as the Korean slaying appeared. People offered explanations:
"It must have a special skill!"
Indeed, there was a unique skill. Observing the Cyclops, it seemed stunned. The consensus: the Slayer possessed a special skill that induced stun.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Each strike of Hyunseok's fists and feet against the Cyclops' legs resonated loudly. Fortunately, the Cyclops' shield had negligible rebound effect.
'Solo slaying is much easier than group slaying!'
The gap between Hyunseok and regular Slayers was so vast that group slaying offered almost no advantage. He didn't need to protect anyone now.
'Better to stun first, then strike rather than dodge.'
Judgment complete. Dodging was inefficient; there was no need to evade. Hyunseok was an All Stat Slayer.
Slayers perceiving the Battle Field gaped in awe. The Platinum Slayer's strikes reverberated, slicing through the Cyclops' shield meter chunk by chunk.
"Unbelievable…"
"How is this even possible…?"
Few were present. Civilians and journalists were strictly controlled; a light EMP was deployed. Even then, some people remained. The highest-tier Japanese Union Slayers guiding him gaped.
'No way. A Recovery Field?'
The Slayer opened a Recovery Field alongside the Battle Field.
'A combat Slayer who knows Recovery Field…?'
Whether due to high defense or large H/P, Hyunseok's total health was far above ordinary Slayers.
Reported Cyclops attack power: ~20,000–30,000, estimated from six vanguard Slayers blocking it previously in Korea. The actual numbers were vastly higher. Hyunseok's H/P exceeded 100,000, defense over 50,000. One-third of his health still lost indicated Cyclops attack power >80,000.
Slayers unaware of these figures couldn't close their mouths.
"At least 20,000 defense…"
"To have that, how high must Strength and Stamina be?"
"How does he use both Recovery and Battle Field simultaneously…?"
High Strength and Stamina means massive H/P. Enough to face a Cyclops solo.
Hyunseok cast Heal. Restored H/P: ~10,000 per cast. For ordinary Slayers, this would fill to full health, but for Hyunseok, only 1/10th filled. Still immense.
Heal isn't a high-tier skill; unlike Ratio Heal or Advanced Heal, it has minimal delay. With sufficient M/P, it can be used repeatedly. Hyunseok continued his combat seamlessly.
He fought, maintaining both Battle and Recovery Fields, restoring his own H/P while countering the Cyclops.
Time passed.
Hyunseok ultimately defeated the Cyclops. An impossible feat, but he earned points and rewards for an "impossible achievement."
Korea and the world went into a frenzy.
"Platinum Slayer Capable of Solo Cyclops Slaying, Who Is He?""Combat, Recovery, and Support Skills All in One. How is This Possible?"
The news was too shocking to believe. But the Japanese Union's Ichigo certified the solo slaying.
"Certified by Japanese Union. Tribute to the Platinum Slayer Who Soloed the Cyclops!""Korea's Platinum Slayer, He Really Is a Solo Cyclops Slayer!"
(End of Chapter 31)
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