Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 490

October. Aron, carrying Beomseok and the Godz Knights gladiators, landed at the staff entrance of the Lima City Colosseum. The area was already packed with fans eager to greet them, and security struggled to hold them back.

Beomseok emerged first, bowing respectfully before waving and greeting the fans, acknowledging their support.

“Thank you for coming out to support us today!”

The fans erupted in cheers.

“Godz Knights! You have to win!”

“Win today!”

The fans were especially hopeful for a Godz Knights victory against Chaplin Whisper.

Currently, after eleven matches, Ancient Warriors held 4th place with a record of 9 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. Real Heroes were in 3rd with 10 wins and 1 draw. Chaplin Whisper and Godz Knights were tied for 1st, each with 11 wins. A Godz Knights victory at home today would break the tie and secure them sole possession of 1st place.

Beomseok waved again and shouted, “Yes, we will definitely win! See you at the stadium later!”

He entered the staff entrance, but the fans’ cheers continued. Godz Knights wasn’t just Beomseok. When other gladiators, including Prisika and Tiela, appeared, the fans screamed as if they would faint.

“Prisika! Do your best! We believe in you!”

“Tiela! You’re the best today! Make Amelie eat dirt!”

Prisika put her hand on Tiela’s shoulder, a pleased expression on her face. “Tiela, you’re popular, aren’t you? You have more fans than me.”

“Hehe. Can’t be helped. My performance is better than yours at our home colosseum.”

“Well, that’s true. It’s reassuring to have you.”

“Yes. Just trust me. We’ll definitely win today.”

Tiela’s face radiated confidence. She vividly remembered thoroughly defeating Chaplin Whisper on their home turf last season.

No matter how strong they were, Godz Knights had the advantage in the forest terrain. This was because the main gladiators of Chaplin Whisper, including Amelie, primarily used whips as their weapons.

Whips were largely ineffective in terrain dense with branches.

Prisika, understanding this, nodded. “Well, at worst, we’ll tie today.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Beomseok, waiting for them just inside the entrance, shook his head. “However, if we focus too much on winning, we might lose. If they hold out in the entrance tunnel, we’ll have to go out. Then, the outcome will depend on our individual skills and luck, making it hard to predict.”

Prisika sighed deeply. “That’s true. Our strengths are so evenly matched, it will be difficult to win.”

Tiela jumped into the conversation. “But our win rate is still higher. Anyway, securing the first win will be key to victory.”

“That’s right. As Tiela said, this match hinges on who gets those early round wins. So, we’ll only commit to an all-out battle when we have a significant advantage.”

The gladiators gathered around Beomseok nodded. After all, it was a 5-round match. With five opportunities, it was best to engage in an all-out battle in the most advantageous situation.

Diana stepped forward, agreeing with Beomseok. “Yes, Master is right. With the league championship at stake, Chaplin Whisper will likely prioritize defense, regardless of their pride. Attacking will be very difficult, so we need to be extremely careful.”

He decided to end the conversation and clapped his hands. There was no need to discuss strategy in the hallway when they had a gladiator waiting room. If their plans leaked, it could create problems.

It would be a major setback if Chaplin Whisper overheard their conversation. It would reduce their chances of winning today and could lead to tricky situations in future matches.

“Alright, everyone, let’s go in! We’ll finalize everything in the waiting room.”

Inside the gladiator waiting room, they dedicated the next two hours to strategy meetings. This was a must-win game for the league championship, so they had to give it their all.

A draw today, followed by a loss in the away game against Chaplin Whisper, could put the championship out of reach. One loss could be the end. That’s how intense the competition between Godz Knights and Chaplin Whisper was.

Woooo! Wooooo!

Listening to the fans’ cheers echoing through the stadium, the Godz Knights gladiators entered the dugout. Influenced by Beomseok’s serious demeanor, they sat down in their seats without a word. The Godz Knights gladiators couldn’t afford to laugh and joke right now.

Those who had placed their luggage on the bench went outside again to stretch.

‘Amelie… If only I could figure out how to deal with that kid…’

Beomseok, sitting with his legs apart, leaned forward and glanced at Amelie on the electronic display screen. She was a real problem. He could beat her in a one-on-one fight, but her power in team battles was immense.

If he couldn’t counter Amelie’s twin flail [a weapon consisting of a spiked ball attached to a handle by a chain] technique today, they could suffer significant damage during the initial charge, likely leading to a round loss due to being outnumbered.

‘Besides, she’s an elf with an owner, so taunts won’t work, just like Mr. Zakid…’

There was almost no chance to eliminate her before the charge. She prioritized Chaplin Whisper’s victory for her owner, setting aside her pride as the strongest. Of course, she was angry at losing the title of strongest to Beomseok, but she wouldn’t disobey her owner’s wishes.

That left only one option: reduce the number of other Chaplin gladiators as much as possible. It was difficult, but still better than trying to target Amelie.

‘Well, can’t be helped. You can’t make the impossible possible.’

Beomseok, finished with his thoughts, stopped stretching and headed to the entrance tunnel. He gently called Prisika, who was doing her final warm-up. Since today’s match depended on their teamwork, it was best to communicate as much as possible.

– Attention! Both teams’ participating gladiators, please enter.

With the announcement, the gladiators from both teams entered the arena. They briefly acknowledged the fans’ support and entered the forest.

Beomseok gestured to Prisika. “Prisika, stay close to me.”

“Yes, I know, don’t worry.”

They went to the center, where the downtown area was visible, and looked at Amelie on the other side. She was holding a pair of swords. If she used them throughout the match, it would be great for Beomseok, but his expression didn’t improve.

Once they left the forest, she would switch to a whip held by another gladiator, making it meaningless.

– Peeep! The match begins!

Amelie retreated as soon as the match started. Beomseok didn’t chase her rashly. Catching her at this distance was nearly impossible. Rather than rushing across the river and giving Amelie an attack opportunity, it was better to wait.

He gave the order when all the Chaplin Whisper gladiators disappeared near the downtown area. “Okay, everyone, cross the river!”

The Godz Knights gladiators carefully crossed the river, found their positions, and took out the bows they had been practicing with. It was the first time they were showing off their archery skills, and they proudly notched arrows.

Currently, the only four people in Godz Knights who didn’t use bows were Beomseok and the rearguards. The rearguards needed shields for defense, and he couldn’t hit anything but passing pigeons even if he shot.

“Prisika, let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Unexpectedly, Beomseok took Prisika out of the forest, intending to play a free role. It was a bit of a feint since the formation was set, but he and Prisika were enough to draw the enemy’s attention. If they were lucky, some of the Chaplin Whisper gladiators might leave an opening, allowing Tiela to snipe.

He moved to the side of Chaplin Whisper, close to the entrance tunnel. “Hey! What are you all doing! If you came to the arena, you should fight!”

Despite Beomseok’s taunts, Chaplin Whisper didn’t move. They were tempted by him and Prisika, the enemy’s main forces, but they knew that leaving the formation would invite a snipe attack.

‘As expected, they don’t intend to move. Then I’ll have to make them move.’

He winked at Prisika. She took out her bow and aimed at the Chaplin Whisper formation. Prisika was known for her swordsmanship, but her archery was also formidable.

“Defend the flanks thoroughly!”

Beomseok, watching the sword-and-shield gladiators on the flanks moving nimbly, quietly grabbed his long spear. If they weren’t going to move, he would force them. Beomseok pushed off the ground and ran forward.

“Okay, then I’ll go!”

As Beomseok closed the distance, a whip lashed out. Judging by its subtle movements, it was Amelie’s. He immediately grabbed the center of the spear shaft and deflected it. But her whip wasn’t the only one. Another whip, close to the ground, soared upwards.

‘Good. Amelie. Let’s see who wins!’

He carefully knocked away the tip of the spear to avoid entanglement and continued to run. Then, two whips flew at him simultaneously – Ionis and Landra’s. And Amelie’s whips, having recovered, attacked again.

He swung his spear with all his might to block three whips, then allowed the spear shaft to get caught on the last whip. Landra was the owner of that whip. She desperately grabbed the handle to take the spear from Beomseok.

But this was Beomseok’s plan. He immediately grabbed Landra’s whip with one hand and pulled her forward sharply.

“Prisika, now’s the time!”

As Beomseok shouted, Prisika released the bowstring. The arrow flew accurately into Landra’s torso. A barrage of arrows poured towards her from the forest. Landra, without a shield, couldn’t avoid or block them.

But Beomseok’s expression twisted as he saw the final result. All the arrows had been deflected by Amelie’s whips. She had clearly prepared for arrow attacks after being targeted in the last game of last season.

‘Damn it! That Amelie is always the problem!’

Without dwelling on his disappointment, Beomseok ran straight ahead. The first operation had failed, but reaching the enemy formation and creating cracks was still a valid goal. The powerful swing of the long spear, using centrifugal force, could still deal significant damage.

“Here I go!”

Beomseok, almost at the Chaplin Whisper formation, grabbed the end of the spear shaft and swung it. However, the impact against the shield wasn’t as strong as he’d hoped, likely because Amelie had briefly touched the tip of the spear with her whip, reducing its power.

Beomseok didn’t have time to glare at her. He swung his spear wildly, unable to focus with four whips constantly flying at him.

In the end, he had to retreat. Attacking in this state was pointless.

Every plan he tried was thwarted by Amelie. Rather than taking unnecessary risks, it was better to look for opportunities with a more stable approach.

Beomseok, far enough away from the whips, swallowed hard and returned to Prisika.

“Prisika, it seems our strategy isn’t working.”

Prisika, taking out an arrow, nodded as she placed it on the bowstring. She had seen Beomseok’s failure.

“Yes, it seems so. So, are we going with the standard strategy?”

“Yes. You’ll have to do some work.”

Prisika notched the bowstring, slowly aimed, and fired an arrow at the gap between the side shields. It seemed pointless with Amelie’s flail technique, but it was better than doing nothing. She had to empty her quiver before returning to the main camp in the forest.

When all the arrows were blocked by the Chaplin Whisper gladiators’ shields and Amelie’s whips, she headed into the forest with her companions, following Beomseok.

Woooo! Wooooo!

When the first round ended in a draw, boos echoed from the stands. They were directed at Chaplin Whisper, who had only focused on defense. Godz Knights, the home team, had taken risks and attacked, while the away team had done nothing.

“Chaplin Whisper! The championship cup from last year is a waste! Are you kidding me right now!”

“Yeah! If you’re going to play like that, just pack your bags and go home now! What’s with acting like girls!”

Beomseok, hearing a home fan’s boo in the dugout, smiled wryly. It was true that Chaplin Whisper was made up of women. But he quickly composed himself, glancing sideways at Diana, who was approaching with a serious expression. Now wasn’t the time to laugh.

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

Everyone, have a nice day. I’ll see you again tomorrow.