Minjae decided to shift gears. "Alright, since you all are such big fans, you must know how Battle Arena works at least…right?"
"Of course we do!" Ara replied immediately. "Can't have others call us larpers, can we?"
Phew, good…at least they have a basic knowledge of the game.
"Alright," Minjae nodded, feeling like a ton of weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "Tell me what you know, and I'll supplement."
Ara puffed her chest slightly, like she'd been waiting for this exact moment.
"Okay, so—both teams get dropped into a dungeon, right? And there are monsters scattered around the map. You kill them, you get EXP, and your level goes up."
"Max level is five," Hyunwoo added from the side. "Each level gives you stat boosts and enhances your skills."
Jiwon didn't even look up from her phone as she spoke. "There's also a zone that shrinks over time. It forces engagements so teams can't just hide forever."
Minseok clicked his tongue. "At the end of the day, it's just team deathmatch. Kill the other team, you win."
Minjae nodded slowly.
Not bad. Surface level…but not bad.
"You're all right," he said. "But you're missing the part that actually matters."
That sentence got their attention. Even Jiwon looked up from her phone. Minjae tapped the slip in his hand before continuing.
"Battle Arena isn't about fighting," he said. "It's mostly timing and good decision-making."
"…How so?" Ara tilted her head.
"When to farm. When to fight. When to run," Minjae continued. "If you fight too early, you lose because you're underleveled. If you farm too long, you lose because the other team takes control of the map."
He glanced at Minseok briefly. "And if you just run in like an idiot, you lose because you get wiped."
After a bit of silence, Ara finally spoke up. "…Then what should we do?"
"You can leave that part to me," Minjae nodded. "But first off, let's see what you're all capable of."
Minjae started to move his hand, but realized that it'd be extremely awkward to just point at someone and say "Analyze" right in their face.
He looked at Ara and said the word in his head.
Analyze.
…
Please don't make me do that, please don't be like that.
[Analyze Target — Park Ara— Confirmed.]
Oh, thank god.
[Target: Park Ara]
Strength: 21
Agility: 8
Endurance: 16
Mana: 2
[Skill — Dive Burst: Enhances the user's next attack to deal double damage. The user will be launched in a straight line when this skill is activated.]
Her stats are…abysmal aside from the relatively high strength.
But even from here, Minjae could already figure out what the problem was. Her skill, at least in this low league, would probably be able to one-shot someone.
But…her agility was way too low. Combined with the fact that Dive Burst forces her to go in a straight line, it'd only lead to one outcome…
She'd miss her attack and become a sitting duck for a second, enough time to get eliminated right away.
Though…she'd work well as a farmer and late-game sweeper…
Alright, let's do the others.
[Target: Lee Hyunwoo]
Strength: 12
Agility: 16
Endurance: 8
Mana: 14
[Skill — Focus Shot: Charges a ranged attack to increase its damage by 5. Charge is canceled if interrupted.]
Why the hell does an archer need that much mana?
Well, regardless. Not a bad skill but it seems he'll be pretty reliant on the team creating space.
Next…
[Target: Park Minseok]
Strength: 18
Agility: 10
Endurance: 17
Mana: 4
[Skill — Clash: Raises Strength and Endurance by 10 for 3 minutes]
A slightly generic skill, but combined with high base stats and good mechanics…he's probably the best one here.
Granted…the ego could probably use some work.
Minjae finally turned to the last person.
[Target: Kim Jiwon]
Strength: 10
Agility: 19
Endurance: 7
Mana: 10
[Skill — Mark: Applies a mark on a target that makes them receive 20% extra damage. Can be dispelled.]
Nice, good agility and a decent skill. She definitely fits the assassin playstyle—
"Wait…" Minjae said as he looked at Jiwon. "What role did you say you were?"
"Support."
"...What? Why?"
Jiwon frowned slightly, like she didn't understand the confusion.
"Well, my skill suits supporting," she said simply. "It increases damage on a target, so how else would I use it?"
Minjae tilted his head slightly at the answer before speaking.
"And does that strategy usually work?" he asked. "When you guys play through sim?"
The group exchanged a few glances at each other.
"…Sometimes?" Ara said uncertainly.
Minseok snorted. "Not really."
"It gets dispelled most of the time," Hyunwoo added. "We just use it on mobs instead so we can farm faster."
…
The combination that she had was way too strong. Most Players in this league wouldn't be tracking buffs and debuffs mid-fight.
Hell, half of them probably wouldn't even realize they'd been marked until it was too late.
So why wasn't she…?
"Have you thought about marking someone and finishing them off yourself?" Minjae asked, glancing at Jiwon.
She paused for a moment, hesitating before continuing to tap away at her phone. But it was clear that she was trying to avoid eye contact with him.
"…No," she said quietly. "…I'm not really good at that."
Right…another problem I need to figure out.
Minjae opened his mouth. "Alright, from now on—"
The door suddenly slammed open. "Group 7."
All of them turned at once.
Standing at the doorway was Manager Choi Seongjin, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other holding his clipboard like always.
"It's your turn," he said simply. "Head to the testing area."
That fast?
He took a glance at the kids. Ara looked nervous, Hyunwoo tried to look composed but failed horribly, and Minseok just clicked his tongue.
And Jiwon—was still on her phone.
Shit…other teams probably have strategy and pathing already planned out. Our team just barely got our bearings together!
They filed out one by one, going down the hallway as Manager Choi just stared. Minjae exited last, closing the door as he left.
"Seems like you have your work cut out for you," the manager said. "Kang Minjae…or should I call you 'the Stat Gambler'?"
Right, of course they do a check on all their applicants.
"Guess I do," Minjae turned around, choosing his words carefully. "Will my previous…reputation…affect my chances at being chosen?"
"Not at all," Manager Choi smiled politely. "We only care about results. Anything else does not matter."
"Great," Minjae inclined his head slightly at the man. "I'll be going now…it was nice talking to you."
"Likewise," the man waved. "And good luck."
Minjae turned away, trying to keep up with his teammates, before a small notification popped up in his vision.
What's this…?
He opened it.
[WARNING: AN UNIDENTIFIED TARGET IS TRYING TO ACCESS YOUR STATUS]
What the hell…? Who would—?
Minjae paused for a moment, thinking it over.
To activate a skill, a person needs to be a relative distance between themself and the target they're using it on.
There weren't many people left in the hallway. In fact…The only ones still there were himself, and—
Manager Choi Seongjin.