Max Talent Player
Chapter 85: Enlightenment

“I tolerated you because you’re a non-combat class, but there’s no second chance for you, you piece of shit.”

So what was he gonna do about it? PVP with a non-combat class Player?

‘Though by future standards, that’s completely out of the question.’

Before I regressed, there were many cases where non-combat classes played a more active role than combat classes. Be it detoxification, heals, or buffs, there were fewer non-combat class Players than combat Players, and they were rare.

In addition, the worth of a Player had massive differences depending on their proficiency and type of ability. With that in mind, each of the guilds made tacit rules to prevent combat class Players from persecuting non-combat class Players.

‘A combat Player sending a non-combat Player a PVP request?’

That was ridiculous. If guilds were a little more well-established, Kim Taechun would’ve probably gotten dragged away and beaten by his guildmaster.

Especially… because I was a Player with a class called “Observer” and played a role close to a ‘sovereign’.

‘Well, it’s not like he knows.’

Among the non-combat classes, the classes that received the best treatment were the ones in the sovereign category. It was a little embarrassing to say it myself, but there was a reason why Yeonseo constantly praised me, saying that the perceived difficulty was worlds apart when I was there versus when I wasn’t. Sovereign classes were literally noble classes. They were hard to raise, hard to pull off, and even harder to become a high-level Ranker with. But once they made it there, they were nobles who stood above all others.

Notices came in.

[You have received a PVP request.]

[If you accept, a PVP Zone will be declared.]

From this, I inferred one more thing.

‘A beginner Player under level 30 sent the PVP request on his own accord.’

In order to send a PVP request, you had to receive the permission of a high-level ‘sovereign Player’, or receive the help of an Intermediate Administrator, like what Percy did earlier. Or… a Guardian would have to intervene.

‘The courage-lover stepped in again.’

It seemed our little courage-lover bestowed Taechun the right to make a PVP request. That was how much he wanted to see this fight between us.

“I’m certain I’ve already told you many times that I’m a non-combat class.”

“So what? Gonna run away like a coward?”

He openly sneered at me. His eyes were full of scorn, as well as the confidence of a predator. The current Kim Taechun was convinced that ‘combat Players are the true Players’.

“No, that’s not what I mean. I’m just a little worried.”

“Don’t worry. You won’t die,” Taechun said, guffawing. This dumb brick was completely missing my point.

“How will you have the face to walk around after getting beaten up by a non-combat class?”

I’m not worried for myself, but for you.

* * *

“Senia. Notarize the fact that I’m a non-combat class.”

Senia showed herself, which drew a round of astonished murmurs.

“So… beautiful.”

“Playing must be so amazing if you do it with that kind of Intermediate Administrator…”

Both Senia and Hyukjin ignored the trivial mutterings of the crowd. The stage was set, a stage where even an Intermediate Administrator had stepped in.

Hyukjin continued, “This is definitely a proposal made by a Player to another Player, yes?”

An Intermediate Administrator hadn’t mediated it. Percy, the Streamer who had spat a ball of highly acidic green saliva, was likely streaming the scene in invisible mode. The fact that Percy hadn’t appeared yet despite the situation having developed to this extent meant that an existence ranked higher than Percy was involved. Hyukjin was sure that existence was the Courageous Lion King.

That was why it was necessary to make things very clear here.

“Yes, that is correct. The results of my check show that Player Kim Taechun personally made a PVP request to Player Kim Hyukjin.”

“Then that means this is a matter between humans unrelated to System-made scenarios.”

Only then did Senia realize Hyukjin’s intent.

‘A matter between humans.’

Hyukjin’s sentence precisely defined this fight as a matter unrelated to the System.

[The ‘Lady of the Scales’ nods.]

[The ‘Whispering Devil’ is having fun.]

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ observes.]

They were now, to a certain degree, exempt from the System’s rules.

‘Player Kim Hyukjin has made a nominal pretext… to not act as an observer.’

It was decided with one sentence. Hyukjin would no longer move like an observer, but like a combat class Player taking on a PVP. He made it seem like he was talking to her, Senia, but his actual intent was clear and defined.

‘The Nameless Observer said that they would observe.’

With that, all of Hyukjin’s bases were covered. There wasn’t a single hole in this tightly weaved scenario. Now, Hyukjin had the freedom to play out his own role in the scenario he himself crafted.

[Accepting the PVP request.]

[A PVP Zone has been declared.]

A space free of death, the PVP zone, was established. Kim Taechun smiled broadly.

“Good.”

He was certain he could wreck Hyukjin. He was humiliated twice earlier, but thankfully, an opportunity to recover his face landed in his lap. He had finally grasped a good opportunity for him to prove his courage.

“Here I come.”

The match began. Taechun took out his massive axe, the weapon that had made him stand out in the ‘Hill of Blowing Wind’.

Hyukjin wasn’t all that intimidated by that imposing weapon. He read Taechun’s entire body with ‘Observer’s Eye’, seeing everything with his eyes.

‘His balance is passable.’

From the looks of it, Taechun would step with his right foot before approaching.

‘He’s underestimating me, so he’ll make a direct approach.’

He would come close enough to put Hyukjin inside his range. Observer’s Eye read every single one of Taechun’s movements. It felt distinctly different from when he was observing Yeonseo or Yoohyun.

‘It’s like… watching a video in 0.5 speed.’

When he was reading Yeonseo or Yoohyun, a constant stream of information came in at real time, and he had to quickly derive new analyses. But it was different with Kim Taechun. It looked to Hyukjin that the hulking man was moving slowly to fulfill an already predetermined action.

‘This is a new feeling.’

It was true that Taechun was lower level, but reading an average Player’s movements felt so much easier after reading only top Players all this time. It felt enlightening, somehow.

‘I can see it.’

He could see it precisely—Taechun’s fight pattern.

Yeonseo watched the PVP closely.

‘Let’s focus. Simply watching Hyukjin move will be a big lesson for me.’

She had the feeling that something about Hyukjin’s movements was odd. While Taechun was moving in, Hyukjin moved one small step to the right, far more slowly than normal.

‘He should be able to instantly subdue the opponent if he used Flash Step.’

He wasn’t using it on purpose, and she understood why.

‘It would be idiotic to show off your skills in front of this many people.’

This was different from when he killed the ‘Bigmouth Lizard’ earlier. There was no need to expose all his abilities. Yeonseo had instinctively realized that showing 70% of one’s abilities and hiding the remaining 30% was favorable for a Player.

Whumpf–!

The large axe grazed past Hyukjin’s forehead. Taechun swung his axe in quick succession.

Whumpf–!

Whumpf–!

He attacked Hyukjin, his axe creating loud noises as it swung by, looking extremely threatening.

“Kuhahahaha!”

Taechun felt a rush of exhilaration and triumph. His opponent was busy scrambling to dodge. He knew as well as anyone that his attack speed wasn’t very fast. But the fact that he could attack to his heart’s content like this meant that his opponent was just that slow.

“Just how long are you gonna keep running away?”

Whumpf–!

He kept swinging his axe. After making an opening, he would crush Hyukjin’s head with a single downward swing. He was sure of his victory.

‘This guy has a big mouth, but it looks like he’ll be one hit KO’d?’

Confidence bubbled up within him. Many of the Players watching the match were also unable to discern Hyukjin’s movements.

“As I thought… a non-combat class is different from a combat class, after all.”

“He was super confident, so I thought there would be something special about him, but nope.”

“Yeah, he’s gonna get wrecked.”

But among all the Players gathered here, some were outstandingly skilled. These Players, the top 10%, felt that something was weird.

Jo Sunghyun was the same.

‘There’s something more to those movements.’

It was hard to explain in concrete terms, but something was strange. He could feel it through the wind. The wind that Hyukjin’s movements created, the movement of the air, was extremely peaceful.

‘Ah—!’

When he focused, he realized it. His class was ‘Child of Wind’. He analyzed the information he got through the wind, the movement of the air.

‘I get it.’

He understood why it felt so odd.

‘Does this… make any sense?’

It shouldn’t make any sense, but it was happening in front of his very eyes.

‘Hyukjin hyung is dodging before Kim Taechun’s attack?’

Hyukjin wasn’t seeing the attack and then dodging. He was moving in advance to a position where he wouldn’t get hit even before the attack started. He didn’t move while Taechun was actually moving his axe.

‘Almost like he already knows where the axe will go.’

He was like a speedrunner who had the game memorized, someone who knew exactly where and what kind of attack would occur. That was why he was able to dodge even without seeing the attack. There was no doubt about it. There was hardly any time delay—unless you looked closely, you wouldn’t notice it at all. But Jo Sunghyun could feel it keenly.

“Hah, hah…!”

After a furious flurry of attacks, Taechun gasped for breath, showing his failure to regulate his stamina. He looked like someone who had never once considered what it meant to pace himself.

On the other side, Hyukjin briefly forgot he was fighting Taechun. His thoughts were focused wholly on the strange sensation he was experiencing. When fighting an opponent far weaker than himself, a function of ‘Observer’s Eye’ seemed to be kicking in. It felt like something was being sketched out in his head and fading away, over and over again.

‘Like I can almost grasp it, but it’s gone the next moment.’

He intentionally provoked Kim Taechun.

“Try attacking some more, why don’t you?”

“You slimy little rat!”

Hyukjin purposefully kept dodging Taechun’s attacks. He read Taechun’s fight pattern and the trajectory of his axe. Instead of doing it fully consciously, he partly entrusted that mysterious sense to his instincts. He entrusted his body to the flow.

Almost like a person born with a god-given gift for battle.

‘Ah—!’

He had a flash of understanding.

‘This.’

The hazy feeling that had been bothering him became a little more concrete.

‘This is it.’

It was like a dam bursting and overflowing. At the same time, the notices came in.

[You have become cognizant of a new enlightenment.]

[The grade of ‘Eye of Perception’ has increased.]

[You have reached a new stage.]

The PVP match with Kim Taechun gave Hyukjin a completely unexpected ‘new stage’.

‘A new stage—!’

Hyukjin realized instinctively what that was.