Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 444

446

The wind was fierce that afternoon. Beom-seok and the Godz Knights team members entered the Lima City Colosseum with tense expressions.

Today was the day of the 5th home game, a match that would significantly impact their chances in the League Cup. Although it was the least prestigious of the three major tournaments, simply reaching this stage was an honor.

Out of hundreds of thousands of professional gladiators, only a select few could compete in the World League Cup final.

“Alright, everyone, relax and prepare for the match!” Beom-seok shouted as he entered the dugout. Today’s opponent was Real Heroes, ranked second in the World League. Despite the Godz Knights’ recent surge in strength and their home advantage, they couldn’t afford to be complacent.

Seeing everyone seated, he nodded and took his place on the bench.

‘Hmm, things are progressing well. If we perform well, we might actually lift the League Cup this time.’

Real Heroes were a formidable force. They boasted eleven W0-class gladiators [the highest tier of gladiators], including Eurine, ranked 6th globally, and a considerable number of W1-class gladiators. This was largely due to Vice Chairman Louis’s level-up strategy, making it difficult for opponents to find weaknesses and compete.

However, Beom-seok assessed that their chances of winning the League Cup final against Real Heroes weren’t low. While Real Heroes were undoubtedly strong, the Godz Knights had several advantages.

‘First, we have a stamina advantage.’

Real Heroes, determined to win the League Cup, had fielded their main players, leaving them fatigued from their championship battle with Chaplin Whisper. Conversely, Godz Knights had prioritized the cup competition, sacrificing league games, giving them a stamina edge.

This would significantly contribute to the Godz Knights’ chances of victory.

‘Second, the nature of the League Cup tournament itself favors us.’

The League Cup’s home and away format differed from standard victory conditions. In other matches, securing three wins or two wins and two draws guaranteed victory, regardless of remaining rounds. However, the League Cup required playing all ten rounds, including five home games and five away games. Winning all five home games would allow Beom-seok to lift the League Cup with just a single draw in the subsequent away game.

Furthermore, playing five consecutive rounds was physically demanding, adding pressure on Real Heroes.

‘Third, the World League championship race is a distraction for them.’

Real Heroes were closely trailing Chaplin Whisper, who led the league with a record of 30 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, by a mere four points. While this might seem like a difficult gap to close with only four games remaining, anything was possible.

Chaplin Whisper’s remaining schedule included away games against Real Heroes and Godz Knights. Although Godz Knights held the fourth-highest power ranking in the league, experts believed Chaplin Whisper was vulnerable, given Beom-seok and Tiela’s strength at home.

If Godz Knights won their game and Real Heroes defeated Chaplin Whisper in the final game, the league championship standings would be reversed.

Considering this, consecutive wins at the start of today’s game would significantly diminish Real Heroes’ fighting spirit. They might even sacrifice the League Cup to focus on the World League championship.

Wasting stamina on a League Cup with little chance of winning could jeopardize their chances of winning the World League.

“Master, if we win the first three matches, the League Cup is ours. You know that, right?” Diana said, emphasizing the point. Beom-seok nodded. Every gladiator expert understood this.

“That’s right. If they lose the first three games, Real Heroes will have no choice but to concede. They’re already physically exhausted, so there’s no point in depleting their stamina further for a League Cup they’re unlikely to win. That would make their remaining league games even more challenging.”

“But the problem is breaking through their defense at the start.”

Diana was certain that Real Heroes would adopt a phalanx formation [a close-ranked, dense formation of soldiers]. It was their most efficient defensive strategy.

Knowing the disadvantage of the forest terrain, reckless attacks were unwise, and a phalanx was ideal for conserving stamina. While it might bruise their pride as contenders for the top spot, saving stamina was crucial.

“It’ll be fine. Your plan is solid. If it works, the first round is ours.”

“But I’m worried. If they anticipate our move and block the entrance, the game could become much harder.”

Beom-seok smiled at her concern.

“Huhu, there’s very little chance of that, so don’t worry. Our home colosseum’s forest zone covers the city center, preventing teams from seeing each other’s movements. It’ll be difficult for Real Heroes to discern our intentions and block us at the start of the first round.”

“I hope so…”

“Ah, geez, don’t worry. What we really need to worry about is Tiela’s performance.”

Diana glanced at Tiela, who was meticulously adjusting her bow, and smiled slightly. There was no need to worry.

As a coach, Diana rated Tiela’s forest combat ability higher than Beom-seok’s. Despite his impressive forest adaptability, it was useless if opponents were too afraid to enter the forest.

He could snipe with throwing knives from a distance, but their slow speed allowed sword and shield users to easily block them. Tiela, on the other hand, possessed the world’s best archery skills, compensating for her slightly lower forest combat ability.

Arrows were faster and more precise than throwing knives, making them deadly. This allowed Tiela to outperform Beom-seok at home, achieving a ranking of 9th in the current gladiator standings.

“Don’t worry about Tiela. She’s performing better than anyone else on the team. There isn’t a more reliable gladiator than her at home.”

“Huhu, that’s true.”

Beom-seok stood up and stretched. The gladiators’ names were appearing on the scoreboard, signaling the imminent start of the game. The League Cup final was highly anticipated, promising fame and fortune.

“Okay, Diana, I have to go.”

As he spoke, an announcement echoed through the stadium, signaling the start of the waiting period. Diana wished him victory.

“Then please win the first round.”

“Okay, I definitely will.”

Beom-seok put on his helmet and stood at the front of the dugout. He looked up at the bright colosseum lights and took a deep breath. Despite his long experience as a gladiator, he couldn’t help but feel nervous before such an important game.

He began walking towards the arena as the signal to enter sounded.

“Beom-seok! Do your best!” As soon as he entered the arena, Beom-seok frowned at the woman’s shout. It was definitely Teresa, judging by her voice. She had been frequently attending his games recently, offering enthusiastic support.

Beom-seok sighed and glanced in her direction. While it was nice to have a beautiful woman like Teresa cheering him on, he suspected her sincerity. He hoped she wasn’t secretly cursing him.

Beom-seok gave Teresa an awkward smile and a wave before heading to the center of the arena.

– Today, Desert Scorpions’ Teresa is visiting the Lima City Colosseum again. She’s so enthusiastic!

– That’s right. The pink romance between gladiator Oh Beom-seok and Teresa is a hot topic. Hahaha.

As the commentators continued, Beom-seok quickly entered the forest in the center of the arena. The dense trees muffled Teresa’s voice. Her cheering before the game had drained his energy.

He positioned his team members among the trees and spoke quietly.

“Everyone knows the plan for today, right?”

“Yes!”

“Everyone must execute it flawlessly.”

“Yes!”

Beom-seok’s gaze shifted to Tiela. The success of this first-round operation depended on her.

“Tiela, you have to be sure this time.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I’ve always delivered, so there won’t be any mistakes.”

“Huhu, okay, I trust you.”

Relieved by her assurance, Beom-seok focused on the opponent’s formation. The dense forest obscured his view, but he could occasionally glimpse figures through the gaps.

Suddenly, a long whistle echoed throughout the stadium.

– Peeep! Game start!

As Tiela climbed a tree, Beom-seok and the Godz Knights gladiators rapidly retreated from the forest, heading towards the iron bridge to form a formation. Their movement was somewhat disorganized, but speed was more important than perfect formation at this stage. Reaching the enemy’s area quickly was paramount.

“Everyone, move as fast as possible!” Beom-seok, reaching the iron bridge, scanned the opponent’s entrance in the distance. Seeing no one, he concluded that Real Heroes would prioritize defense. If they intended to attack, they would have already appeared.

‘Huhu, then victory is ours!’

Beom-seok, crossing the iron bridge and emerging from the forest path, spotted the Real Heroes gladiators forming a phalanx far away and slowly retreating. He grinned. The operation was a success. He issued the next order.

“Okay! Everyone! Flank Real Heroes!”

The Godz Knights gladiators, energized, followed Beom-seok closely. Diana’s strategy was unfolding perfectly.

Victory was within reach. If they successfully flanked Real Heroes, they would force them to face the attack with Tiela sniping from behind.

This was a situation Real Heroes understood well. Their leader, Celia, urgently shouted to her team.

“No! We need to reach the outer wall quickly!”

But it was too late. The Godz Knights had already flanked them.

Celia ordered the gladiator at the front to watch the forest, then turned around. It was risky to defend against the opponent’s main force with the rear gladiators, but she couldn’t rotate the entire formation or switch gladiators now.

If the Godz Knights attacked during the formation disruption, it would inevitably lead to a melee, resulting in heavy casualties from Tiela’s sniping. Despite her unease, she had to trust her teammates.

‘Hmm, the stage is set, but how should I play this?’

Despite securing a favorable position, Beom-seok remained cautious. Real Heroes’ gladiator composition was impressive. Moreover, they were now one gladiator short, with Tiela acting as a free agent. Reckless attacks could backfire. It was crucial to observe the situation and coordinate the game carefully.

“Okay, everyone, stay focused and prepare to charge on my command.”

Meanwhile, Real Heroes attempted to disrupt the Godz Knights’ main camp with various maneuvers, hoping to reach the fence area and escape the encirclement.

However, it wasn’t easy.

The phalanx’s slow movement made it difficult to shake off the Godz Knights, who were moving quickly in a column.

‘Okay, keep moving. The more you move, the more likely loopholes will appear.’

The biggest risk during movement was formation disruption. Real Heroes’ attempt to regain a favorable position could inadvertently create opportunities for the Godz Knights to attack.

Celia raised her hand, stopping her team. She realized that escaping the encirclement was difficult, as the Godz Knights were effectively blocking their path, and the rear gladiators were becoming increasingly anxious.

They were facing backwards to defend against Tiela’s sniping, limiting their ability to monitor the team’s movements. The pressure was mounting, increasing the likelihood of mistakes.

‘This won’t work. I have no other choice.’

Celia, frowning, decided it was time to take a risk. Continuing like this would likely lead to defeat. She needed to strike at the opponent’s weak point to break free from the current situation.

‘Our biggest threat is Tiela. Her sniping makes reckless movement dangerous. Moreover, our rear colleagues are facing backwards, hindering our movement and preventing the Godz Knights’ main force from charging effectively. Eliminating Tiela is our top priority.’

Having reached a decision, she quietly called two colleagues through her microphone.

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

I’m watching Swansea City and Sunderland’s soccer game right now, and Swansea City is amazing. Although they unfortunately conceded a goal, their passing play is no joke. Anyway, Ki Sung-yong chose a good team.

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