Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 345

347. The Avand National Team

The Avand team concluded their fifth game of the World Cup’s third qualifying round with a string of victories. Boasting a record of 4 wins and 1 draw, they remained tied for first place with Merjan, effectively securing their spot in the final qualifying round. While they had achieved this initial goal, there was no time for celebration, as their ultimate objective of finishing first in the group still loomed.

A total of 64 teams advanced to the final World Cup qualifiers. Within the Highrealm Central Government, these teams would be divided into 2 groups of 8, competing to determine the 4 teams that would advance to the finals. Notably, the team that finished first in the third qualifying round would receive a slight advantage in the final qualifiers.

Specifically, they would be placed in a different group and face two teams that finished second in their respective groups during the final qualifiers.

Currently, the most formidable teams within the Highrealm Central Government included the God Knights, Avand, Forest Oaks (from Merjan), Chaplin Whisper (from Arkan), and Dark Hyenas (from Rendle). However, the fact that Avand and Merjan were placed in the same third qualifying round complicated matters. If teams were assigned according to the regulations, there was a 50% chance that 3 of these 4 powerhouses would be pitted against each other in a single group. The outcome of the sixth game of the final third qualifying round, scheduled for today, would determine this.

The winning team would significantly increase their chances of avoiding the dreaded “group of death,” while the losing team would likely find themselves in precisely that situation. For both teams, with their sights set on advancing to the World Cup finals, the desire to win today’s game was paramount.

“Waaaaah! Waaaaah!”

Amidst the roaring cheers of the crowd that filled the Rima City Colosseum, Beom-seok was engaged in a conversation in the hallway just outside the dugout. He was speaking with Esther, who managed the team’s finances during his time with the national team. Throughout their exchange, she chattered excitedly, her expression bright and cheerful.

“Isn’t it amazing? The team’s funds now exceed 1.7 billion krang!” [Krang is the fictional currency].

The God Knights’ total team funds currently stood at 1.73 billion krang. The primary reason for this windfall was the 1.425 billion krang (after taxes) that had flowed into the team’s coffers following the signing of a major sponsorship deal with Chaplin Electronics the previous day. Furthermore, the Avand Association was set to contribute an additional 50 million krang after the third World Cup qualifying round, further bolstering the team’s financial strength.

Beom-seok smiled faintly, seemingly pleased.

“Hehe. Yeah. By the way, I asked you to look into some solid guardian gladiators, right? Did you find any promising candidates?”

“Yes, I’ve narrowed it down to about three people with Erpina’s help.”

“Who are they?”

“Mona, Libe, and Bertia.”

Beom-seok’s eyes widened in surprise. He was particularly taken aback to see Bertia’s name on the list.

The market value of gladiators generally decreased as you moved from midfielders to vanguards, and from rearguards to midfielders. Guardian gladiators, a subset of rearguards, were typically the least expensive, as their primary focus was on defense, with little emphasis on offensive plays.

Of course, this didn’t diminish the importance of guardian gladiators. They bore the crucial responsibility of protecting the team’s leader, arguably making them the most vital players on the field. However, guardian gladiators often received less attention during matches, and were heavily criticized for any mistakes that jeopardized the team. Consequently, they tended to be less well-known, and their prices were inevitably lower than those of other positions. Bertia, however, was an exception.

She was an exceptional gladiator who had climbed to 13th place in the world rankings for guardian gladiators before even turning 20. Teams rarely parted with gladiators of her caliber.

“No, why did you include Bertia on the list? Is her team actually willing to sell her?”

“Yes, the Devil Spritz seems to be raising capital to bolster their attack. As a result, they’re willing to part with some of their key assets.”

“Even so, selling Bertia? She has the potential to become the strongest guardian gladiator in the world with more experience.”

The most crucial attributes for a guardian gladiator were strong defensive capabilities and a low error rate. These qualities typically improved with experience, meaning that guardian gladiators usually reached their peak performance between the ages of 25 and old age.

At 19, Bertia was still in a developmental stage, honing both her technical skills and her experience. No one could predict the heights she might reach in the future.

“That’s true, but her potential sale has generated a lot of interest. Currently, five teams are vying for her, and her price has already reached 1.9 billion krang.”

Beom-seok frowned deeply. Bertia’s true market value was closer to 1.2 billion krang, meaning her price had nearly doubled. If the God Knights were to acquire her, they would be financially strained once again.

“Should we pursue her?”

“Well, her price is so inflated that I’m not particularly enthusiastic about it. Honestly, with that amount of money, we could acquire about three guardian gladiators of a slightly lower caliber. That would allow us to shore up our rear, which has been a persistent problem.”

“But Bertia is not the kind of gladiator that becomes available often. We can always try to buy other guardian gladiators next year when we have more funds, but we might not find another player of her level.”

“Yes, that’s true… But it’s undeniable that she’s significantly overpriced.”

Beom-seok’s expression reflected his inner turmoil. The God Knights’ biggest weakness was currently their rear defense.

The current members were Agelia, Cassie, Venus, and Siya, but Siya’s skills were noticeably lacking, and Agelia and Venus were relatively inexperienced. Fortunately, Cassie provided a solid presence, and they had alternative options like Nikita and Seiya, allowing them to perform adequately so far. However, the situation would become much more challenging during the promotion tournament next summer.

As a team capable of reaching the World League at any time, relying on an unstable rear defense was a significant risk. The tournament’s single-elimination format made this a potentially fatal flaw, requiring an urgent solution.

‘If we only had Bertia, the weakness in our rear would vanish completely.’

Bertia was a world-renowned guardian gladiator. With Cassie providing support, no one could question the strength of the God Knights’ rear defense. However, the stability offered by acquiring multiple guardian gladiators was undeniably greater.

If they recruited Bertia and she suffered an injury, the God Knights’ rear defense would be back to square one.

Unable to reach a decision, Beom-seok decided to postpone the matter for the time being.

“Esther, for now, continue negotiating with Bertia’s team, but postpone the final decision. And of course, continue exploring other gladiator options as well.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll handle it accordingly.”

“Good. I need to head out for the game now. I’m hanging up.”

“Yes, please win today’s game.”

After ending the call, Beom-seok slapped his cheeks hard to focus and returned to the dugout. The upcoming game was the most crucial match in the third World Cup qualifiers, demanding his full concentration. He couldn’t afford to let worries about recruiting gladiators distract him and jeopardize their chances in the final qualifiers.

Clark, the coach, seemed to share his sentiment, reacting sensitively to Beom-seok’s return to the dugout.

“Oh, Beom-seok, where have you been!”

Beom-seok calmly took his seat on the bench and replied.

“I was consulting about the national team’s reinforcement strategy.”

“National team reinforcement strategy? What’s that?”

“Ah, it’s nothing much. I’m planning to bring a guardian gladiator into our team this season.”

This was welcome news. In reality, all the main players of the Avand national team were supported by the God Knights. Therefore, if the God Knights were concerned about the guardian gladiator position, it meant that the national team was also facing the same issue. Clark couldn’t help but be pleased by this development.

“Who did you bring in?”

“It’s a secret. If it gets out, we’ll be the only ones in trouble.”

Clark glanced around, then quietly rose from his seat and sat next to Beom-seok. He knew that the God Knights were secretly recruiting gladiators due to specific circumstances.

“I’ll keep my mouth shut. Tell me. Who is it?”

“Well, I can’t. It’s absolutely confidential for any reason.”

Clark narrowed his eyes and whispered a name.

“Is it Bertia? The transfer market has been buzzing about her lately.”

Beom-seok, startled, waved his hand dismissively.

“No. Nothing has been decided yet.”

At those words, Clark’s lips curled into a smile. The fact that nothing had been decided meant that it wasn’t a denial. And he had heard from Rebecca that 1.5 billion krang had recently been deposited into the God Knights’ account. Adding a little more to that sum would be enough to buy Bertia.

“Really? Well, then I won’t pry any further. But if I were you, I would definitely recruit Bertia.”

Beom-seok glanced at him and asked.

“Why?”

“The God Knights gladiators are all promising players. They’re young talents who will eventually reach their full potential. Rather than bringing in a large number of them and filling the team with mediocre players later, it’s better to secure a sure-fire force now. And when an outstanding player like Bertia joins, the other promising players will learn from her and compete with her, accelerating their growth.”

Beom-seok was well aware of this. That’s precisely why he was hesitant to buy Bertia, despite her high price.

“Well, that’s true.”

“So, are you recruiting Bertia?”

Beom-seok shook his head. All he could do now was feign ignorance.

“I don’t know. Nothing has been confirmed yet.”

“If that’s the case, I can’t ask any more questions. But you’d better take my advice. A professional gladiator team should prioritize the power to defeat their opponents. Stability comes second.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Okay. If you understand, that’s enough.”

Beom-seok gave him a subtle look. There was something he wanted to ask Clark about, but it was a completely different matter.

“By the way, are you putting Rebecca in the starting lineup today?”

“Well, I did include her, but can she really showcase her full potential today? As you know, this game is extremely important.”

“You’ve observed her training, so you know the changes, right? Rebecca has definitely transformed.”

Clark nodded slightly, agreeing with his assessment. Rebecca had undeniably shown a different side of herself since the day she stayed out with Beom-seok for business reasons. However, he was also concerned about Rebecca’s complaint of an unknown injury resulting from a minor accident that day.

She was much better now, but he still worried about whether she could handle the game.

“That’s true, but I’m a little worried about the injury…”

Beom-seok, startled, responded with an awkward expression. He couldn’t possibly be unaware of the cause of the injury.

“Hahaha. It’s okay. She’ll be able to handle today’s game without much difficulty.”

Clark looked at Rebecca, who was preparing to play, and agreed with his words. She seemed to have overcome the injury, and her determination to regroup was quite promising.

“Okay. Anyway, I’ll get a sense of things after the first round. Just make sure you don’t lose today’s game. Got it?”

“Of course. How could I possibly lose with me here?”

Clark, hearing his confident answer, rose again and returned to his seat without another word. It was an arrogant statement, but Beom-seok was entitled to say it. Beom-seok was already among the strongest gladiators. And he had a prickly personality, so questioning him would only provoke a defensive reaction. There was no need to antagonize him before such an important game.

– The first round of the game will begin shortly, so the participating gladiators from both teams should proceed to the entrance tunnel.

As soon as the announcement was made, Rebecca jumped up from her seat. The time had finally come to avenge the humiliation she had suffered before. She clenched her fist once to test the new power she had gained, and then smiled with satisfaction. She felt stronger than ever.

Rebecca hummed happily and approached Beom-seok. This power would never disappear as long as she stayed with him.

“Beom-seok, let’s go together.”

Beom-seok patted Rebecca’s back as she walked beside him.

“You have to do well.”

“Hehe. Don’t worry. I’m not the same as before. I’m going to show everyone today who this Rebecca truly is.”

“Okay. I’ll be watching you closely.”

While Beom-seok and Rebecca were chatting in the entrance tunnel, an announcement signaled the start of the game. They walked into the arena with their teammates and stood in front of the center of the city.

Rebecca glared at gladiators number 12 and 7, who were visible in the distance. They were the ones who had humiliated her in the previous away game. Today, her sole focus was to get revenge on number 12 and 7. Fortunately, they were all midfielders, making a confrontation highly likely.

Beom-seok noticed her gaze and patted her on the shoulder.

“Are those them?”

“Yes.”

Beom-seok also focused his attention on gladiators number 12 and 7. They were the individuals who had inadvertently forged a connection with Rebecca, but today they would have to be sacrificed to increase her favorability. He quietly said to Rebecca.

“I’ll give you a chance, so get your revenge today.”

“Yes.”

Rebecca, answering concisely, simply waited for the game to begin. As a long whistle echoed throughout the stadium, she, with a determined expression, ran towards the steel bridge with her teammates.

============================ Author’s words ============================

I’m sorry. I was a little late because of work. I thought I would be able to come in early, so I didn’t make a reservation, but it didn’t work out, so I came in now. ;;;;;;; I guess I’ll have to make a reservation first if something happens from now on. ;;;;;;;

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