Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 152

Clatter. Window. Window. Clang.

Observing the battle scenes of both teams from afar, Beomseok pushed off the ground and sprinted. Judging by the movements of the Outhill Ghosts gladiators, there seemed to be no activity to the west. If so, he reasoned, it would be more effective to play a free-roaming role and strike the opponent’s rear than to guard the hill road.

“Oh, Beomseok is coming!”

The Outhill Ghosts gladiators tensed. The fact that Beomseok, whom they expected to block the west road, was now attacking their flank filled them with apprehension. He was, after all, recognized as one of the world’s top 5 promising players and a key gladiator who played a significant role in the last game of the third qualifying round of the World Cup, securing the Avand team’s spot in the final qualifying round. Facing the major threat of an attack from behind, they had to stop him at all costs before he reached the lakeside.

Gladiator Number 7 pointed to two talented colleagues. These were gladiators the team had scouted from the Wide League [a lower-tier professional league] with high hopes over the past two years, and they were currently considered the team’s aces.

“You two, stop that guy quickly.”

Instantly, Gladiators Number 3 and 11 broke away from the formation and charged towards Beomseok, who was rapidly approaching from behind. As they closed in, they unleashed their full strength, launching a flurry of attacks with their swords.

“Heep?!”

The tip of a sword, making a strange tearing sound, grazed past Beomseok’s helmet. He felt a shiver crawl across his skin at the sharp and powerful force behind the strike. If they were this skilled, they were far above the Area League gladiator level, he realized, and a slight smile touched his lips. The thought of taking down two opponents of this caliber simultaneously was appealing.

‘Heh heh. They’re throwing me proper bait.’

The imposing blade of Gladiator Number 3, closing the distance quickly, flashed right in front of Beomseok’s chest. It was a powerful attack that could have incapacitated him, but something about it felt awkward, allowing him to avoid it relatively easily. However, the surprise attack of Gladiator Number 11, aimed at his waist, was truly dangerous. He immediately understood that the previous sword strike from Gladiator Number 3 was merely a feint, intended to push him back, and that this was the real attack. Beomseok hurriedly threw himself to the ground and rolled, narrowly escaping the blow.

Barely surviving thanks to Naryeotagon’s trick [likely a reference to a specific technique or skill], he retreated momentarily and let out a hollow laugh. He had almost suffered a humiliating defeat.

‘They’re launching a proper combined attack. It seems that being 5th in the league isn’t just luck.’

In fact, until a few years ago, the Outhill Ghosts were not a particularly strong team. At best, they occupied the middle to lower ranks of the league, often barely avoiding relegation. With five professional sports teams concentrated in a city of 1.2 million, their growth had been limited.

However, things changed three years ago when Ghost Company, their parent company, made a substantial profit in the food processing business. The company president, a fan of gladiator matches, invested heavily in recruiting gladiators with exceptional skills. As their performance improved, they gained significant local support and their fan base grew exponentially. Consequently, the team’s income naturally increased, and this money was continuously reinvested in recruiting gladiators. Before they knew it, they had transformed into a strong team, even contending for 2nd place this year.

‘Not only the terrain, but also the level of the gladiators is high. Well, they won 12 games this year, so it won’t be easy. I really need to be careful.’

Beomseok, shaking off any remaining arrogance, gripped the sword handle tightly. The opponent’s coordinated attack was formidable, requiring him to focus intently.

Clatter. Window. Window.

Beomseok sprinted across the plain, swinging his sword at Gladiators Number 3 and 11. He aimed to pressure them, using his superior speed as an advantage. Soon, the clash of swords created a dazzling display, with metal fragments flying and countless afterimages blurring the vision.

“As expected. He’s the ace of the God Knights. Be careful!”

Gladiator Number 3 swallowed hard, tensing as the eerie tip of the katana brushed past his shoulder. Beomseok’s offensive was indeed overwhelming. Fortunately, he was able to withstand it by teaming up with Gladiator Number 11, but he knew that alone, he would have been defeated quickly. He stuck even closer to his colleague, struggling to fend off the relentless attacks.

‘This won’t do. We’re going to get beaten at this rate.’

The captain gladiator of the Outhill Ghosts, observing the battle, showed clear concern. Although none of his teammates had been defeated yet, the overall situation indicated a high probability of losing the first round if things continued this way. To win, they would need to attack in the next round, which would be dominated by the flatland battle that the opponent favored. Given their declining strength, that scenario would likely lead to their defeat.

‘I have no choice. We’re going to get beaten anyway, so I have no choice but to take a risk….’

Gladiator Number 7 bit his lip tightly, put his mouth to the microphone, and spoke quietly to everyone. His message was short, concise, but meaningful, ensuring all his colleagues understood its intent.

And the countdown continued.

“Three… Two… One… Everyone scatter and jump into the lake!”

Instantly, the Outhill Ghosts gladiators scattered like grains of sand, spreading out widely and running towards the lake. The God Knights gladiators were taken by surprise by these movements, which seemed solely focused on escape, ignoring formation and position. To chase after them individually would require breaking their formation, a fundamental violation of their established tactics. In gladiator matches, a collapsed formation often led to individual defeats.

“What are you doing! Chase after them and catch them!”

Erphina shouted sharply and gave chase, but it was already too late. Most of the Outhill Ghosts gladiators had entered the lake and were forming a new formation. Fortunately, Violet and Matilda, reacting quickly, had instinctively broken away from the formation and managed to capture Gladiator Number 13, preventing a complete escape.

Erphina had no choice but to focus her team’s efforts on eliminating Gladiator Number 13.

‘Damn it….’

Beomseok also stared blankly, having missed Gladiators Number 3 and 11. His carelessness during the intense battle was partly to blame, but the bigger reason was his hesitation, suspecting it might be another feint in their series of attacks. And because the area was so close to the lake, it was impossible to react once he realized their true intention.

He walked towards Erphina with a dumbfounded expression.

“What. What’s going on?”

“I, I’m sorry. I didn’t know the opponent would break the formation, scatter, and run to the lake.”

Beomseok was equally surprised by the unexpected maneuver. Still, his team had managed to capture one gladiator, while he had achieved nothing. He wasn’t in a position to blame her.

“What’s done is done. Let’s just think about how to deal with the Outhill guys now.”

Erphina stared blankly at the lake. The Outhill Ghosts gladiators were forming a battle line in the center, standing with their bodies deeply submerged, barely showing the tips of their noses. They held sword shields in front of them, preparing for any arrow attacks.

“We’ll have to shoot arrows to lure them out.”

Beomseok shook his head. Hitting a target that barely showed half its head with an arrow was extremely difficult, especially with the entire front blocked by a shield. While hitting the submerged lower body might seem simple, water had surface tension. An arrow shot from that angle would likely bounce off and soar into the sky, like skipping stones in a stream. Moreover, even if an arrow managed to penetrate, the shield was submerged deep enough to question whether it would cause any damage.

“I don’t think it’ll work?”

Erphina could see the situation clearly and understood Beomseok’s point. However, they had no other options at the moment. The only tactic they could employ with their current equipment was a long-range attack using arrows. The God Knights gladiators were notoriously weak in underwater combat, making entering the lake a guaranteed defeat.

“There’s no other way. We can’t go into the lake.”

Beomseok sighed deeply, took out his bow, and handed it to Erphina. She had come equipped with a sword and shield, preventing her from carrying any other weapons due to regulations.

“Erphina, you know how to shoot a bow, right?”

“Yes. A little. But why?”

“I want you to use my bow. I don’t know how to shoot a bow well.”

Erphina looked at Beomseok with surprise. She couldn’t understand how someone who had mastered swordsmanship, martial arts, and various skills necessary for gladiator matches could be inept at archery.

“Master, you really don’t know how to shoot a bow?”

Beomseok coughed awkwardly. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to shoot, but he simply couldn’t hit anything. Despite mastering numerous games, archery remained his unlearnable skill. After accidentally killing a different enemy than the intended target in a previous game, he had never attempted it again.

“I know. It’s just that the arrow doesn’t fly to the place I want it to.”

Erphina, still incredulous, accepted the bow. Well, no one could be perfect.

She quickly arranged eight fellow gladiator archers in a crane wing formation [a specific tactical arrangement] and notched an arrow on the bowstring.

“Everyone, aim!”

Soon, nine God Knights gladiators, including Erphina, aimed their arrows at the Outhill Ghosts gladiators, who were barely showing their faces above the rippling water. Their faces, with only their noses visible, looked ridiculously comical, but everyone maintained a serious expression. They all knew that if this arrow attack failed, the round would end in a draw.

“Fire!”

Simultaneously, the bowstrings snapped and nine arrows flew quickly in a straight line.

Thud. Thud. Thwack.

The arrows bounced off the shields with dull sounds, failing to inflict any damage on the Outhill Ghosts team. Their solid underwater formation contributed to this outcome, but the inexperience and lack of skilled archers among the God Knights gladiators played a significant role. This was evident in the fact that only two arrows flew accurately towards the faces.

Seeing this, Beomseok frowned and shook his head.

‘I’m going crazy. It looks like we’re going to end up in a draw. I need to give them intense underwater combat training for a week starting tomorrow.’

Beomseok couldn’t help but regret not properly training his team members in underwater combat.

The God Knights training camp had a similar structure to the Lima City Colosseum stadium, featuring a wide stream running through the center. They had ample opportunity to practice underwater combat, but it had been postponed repeatedly in favor of physical training and training in the use of major weapons. However, today’s game highlighted the urgent need for underwater combat training. Other competing teams would likely recognize the God Knights’ weakness in the water and exploit it by entering the water and forcing a draw rather than crossing the stream. This could lead to a draw at home, pushing the God Knights further away from the battle for 2nd place.

Swoosh. Swish swish.

Seeing that the quiver was almost empty, Beomseok tapped Erphina on the shoulder and signaled her to step back. He believed a draw was inevitable and prepared to accept it.

In the end, the God Knights had to waste the remaining time, enduring the boos and jeers of their home fans. Had they reduced the opponent’s numbers further, they might have attempted an attack, but facing 11 opponents, they believed an attack would likely result in defeat.

After the end of the first round, an emergency meeting was held in the God Knights’ dugout. The draw in the first round was more than just a single drawn round. By avoiding underwater combat despite having a numerical advantage, the God Knights had revealed their weakness to the enemy. If the Outhill Ghosts continued to exploit this weakness, today’s game could become very difficult.

Beomseok spoke with a bitter expression.

“I think it’s better to give up the west and focus on blocking the east route. The hill is much easier to defend than the lake.”

Diana immediately agreed.

“Yes. That’s right. The cliff is a bit of a concern on the hill, but at least arrow attacks are effective there.”

“However, we will be at a disadvantage in long-range combat due to the height difference and our lack of archery skill. We need to prepare for this thoroughly.”

She couldn’t address that point. Since they had decided to concede the west route, the Outhill Ghosts gladiators would easily climb the hill, and mastering archery was not a skill that could be acquired quickly.

At the moment, the only way to mitigate this disadvantage was with equipment.

“Then let’s have the captain and the rearguards all equip dual shields.”

Beomseok nodded, recognizing the merit of the idea. The God Knights had recognized the value of dual shields early on and had trained all the rearguards and the captain in their use as a supplementary skill. Now that most of them could use dual shields effectively, applying them in actual combat was feasible.

If both the rearguards and the captain went out wearing dual shields, they could create a barrier with six shields, effectively blocking the enemy’s arrow attacks.

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

Hahaha. My PC went out today. I’m very happy. I had prepared thoroughly. The data was stored on the D drive, and I had a hard copy, so I recovered it in 10 minutes. Hahaha.

Then everyone have a nice day and I’ll see you again tomorrow.