Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 13

As the clock struck half past one, the semi-final group assignments for the afternoon events were displayed on the 3D electronic screens. Beom-seok was ranked 7th in Group 2 for the 200M semi-finals and 6th in Group 1 for the 400M, suggesting a decent payout was likely. Because his ranking was relatively low, fewer gamblers would bet on him, which would naturally increase the expected revenue if he won.

When the betting window opened, Beom-seok wagered 300,000 Krang [currency in this world] on each event and waited for the races to begin. As 2 PM approached, just before the 200-meter semi-final, he confirmed his betting odds were 29 to 1 and headed to the track. With the starting gun, he ran, once again securing first place and earning 7.97 million Krang.

Despite his success, an unexpected issue arose during the 400M semi-final. Although he won first place and earned 3.6 million Krang, he didn’t qualify for the finals. The athlete ranked first had injured himself stretching before the race and couldn’t compete, leaving Beom-seok to compete against weaker opponents. As a result, he barely managed to secure first place, leading to a final record ranking outside the top 8, preventing him from reaching the finals. Track and field was a record-based sport, not a head-to-head competition where the top finishers automatically advance.

“Remy, what are the betting odds for the 200M final?”

“W-Well, they’re a whopping 53 to 1. And they’re still climbing.”

Beom-seok and Remy, relaxing on the grass, were discussing betting strategies before the 200M final. The betting odds displayed on the screen were incredibly high, likely due to it being the final and the presence of famous sprinters like Agelia.

This was a golden opportunity to make serious money, and Beom-seok found himself at a crossroads.

‘What should I do? Should I call it quits here?’

Beom-seok’s current strength was only slightly better than Agelia’s, who had qualified for the final in first place. Furthermore, his weak starting technique and stamina made it difficult to guarantee a win against her in the 100M or 400M. The 100M was too short, relying heavily on the start, and the 400M was too long, demanding significant stamina.

Therefore, the 200M final, which was about to begin, was the most suitable race for Beom-seok to beat her.

One might wonder why he couldn’t run the 200M final today and then the 100M tomorrow. Of course, he could, but the potential betting amounts made it unappealing. If he beat Agelia today and won the 200M, the betting odds for tomorrow would plummet. No one would bet on anyone other than him, the rising star who defeated Agelia, the track and field sensation. He might only earn a few thousand Krang in the preliminaries and semi-finals, and making 200,000 to 300,000 Krang in the final would be considered a success.

So, his options were to fail miserably today and aim for the 100M tomorrow, or to win the 200M today and end his run here.

Beom-seok explained this to Remy and asked for her advice.

“Remy, what do you think?”

“I think it’s best to win the 200M today and be done with it.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You’ve already been eliminated from the 400M, and you said you might be at a disadvantage against Agelia in the 100M because of the start, right?”

“Hmm, right.”

“Since you’re already in the 200M final, the income from the 100M preliminaries and semi-finals tomorrow will be low. But if you pass up this golden opportunity today to chase that money and then lose in the 100M final tomorrow, the betting on the final, which is the biggest source of income, will be wasted. In other words, the potential gains are small, but the potential losses are significant.”

Her reasoning made sense, and Beom-seok nodded.

“So, you’re saying we shouldn’t risk it for small gains?”

“Yes. Plus, the organizing committee already suspects us of illegal betting. If you lose badly today and then miraculously win tomorrow, they’ll immediately suspect us again.”

That was true. If he won the 200M today, he could claim he ran casually in the preliminaries and semi-finals to conserve energy. But if he messed up the final today and then won the 100M race tomorrow, it would look suspicious. Winning either the 100M or 200M was the same, and with only one day of rest, the excuse of conserving energy wouldn’t hold up.

“Okay, good. Let’s end it here.”

“Yes, you’ve made a good decision.”

Whirr. Whirr.

Suddenly, a metal bird-like object flew overhead. It had a large lens on its body and snout, resembling a broadcasting camera. The object hovered, changing direction to film Beom-seok. It seemed to be filming the athletes who had reached the 200M final.

Beom-seok smiled slightly and waved. The bird camera circled a few more times before flying to another athlete.

“Let’s go. Since the broadcast camera filmed me, the final must be starting soon.”

As soon as he said that, the broadcast announced the athletes participating in the 200M final. Beom-seok repeatedly did jumping jacks and knee bends to warm up, then slowly walked towards the starting line.

The eight finalists slowly gathered. Pride was evident in their movements. Beom-seok looked at Agelia, who was standing in the center of the starting line.

‘She’s definitely a celebrity.’

She was under the spotlight of bird cameras from various local broadcasting stations. In just five years since birth and two years since starting track and field, she was a top runner competing for first and second place in local government competitions. As a result, numerous track and field association officials and local media were constantly focused on her growth, expecting her to conquer the world someday. It was natural for her to receive so much attention.

‘It’s gotten a bit quiet.’

Beom-seok slowly walked towards Agelia, wanting to say hello, even if it was a brief encounter.

“Agelia, hello.”

As her gaze turned to Beom-seok, all the remaining cameras followed him. His face appeared on the 3D relay videos of each broadcasting company that decorated the sky. Beom-seok, who had only wanted to say hello, was taken aback by the sudden attention.

“Ah, hello. But who are you?”

Agelia perked up her big, pointed ears. She didn’t seem to recognize Beom-seok. Even though it was the final, she wouldn’t necessarily remember him, ranked 6th, among the many races she participated in.

“W-Well, just someone you don’t know.”

Even though it sounded like a joke, Agelia answered seriously.

“Ah, yes. But what’s the matter?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. Just keep working hard and become a great track and field athlete.”

Agelia bowed politely.

“Yes, thank you for your support.”

“And just in case, I’m telling you, you might lose to me today, but don’t be too disappointed. It’s just for today.”

It was just a casual remark, but the reaction was significant. The scene was being filmed, and Beom-seok’s face and the conversation were repeatedly shown on the 3D electronic displays, with the caption ‘A human man challenges Agelia’ constantly flashing.

The spectators cheered, praising his courage, or jeered, saying he was no match for Agelia. Both reactions were unwelcome. Beom-seok scratched his head, regretting saying anything, and walked towards his lane.

However, his statement seemed to have attracted more than just the audience’s attention. Agelia’s big, bright, and clear eyes were constantly directed at Beom-seok. As someone with a strong competitive spirit, she couldn’t help but be bothered by his challenge in front of everyone.

“Everyone to the starting line.”

A moment later, the announcer came forward, and the surroundings quieted. Leaving behind the silent cheers, the eight 200M runners stood at the starting line, stretching their ankles. Soon, at the announcer’s signal of ‘On your marks,’ they placed their feet on the starting blocks.

Beom-seok immediately activated his trait as if casting a spell.

“Great Will.”

– The trait ‘Great Will’ has been activated. All stats increase by +10 for 150 minutes.

Along with the system message, an electronic sound loud enough to fill the stadium was heard. In response, the runners took a deep breath and held it.

Beep, beep, beep. Ding!

At the starting signal, the runners sprang forward simultaneously. Several bird cameras followed, capturing the dynamic movements of the athletes.

‘Good! The start is almost simultaneous!’

Beom-seok was encouraged that he hadn’t lost ground at the start, which he had been worried about. If that was the case, his chances of winning were high. He appeared to be behind Agelia and the other runners, but that was because he had been assigned the inside lane, and he would make up the distance once he rounded the corner.

Soon, he entered the corner lane. The distance to the runners ahead rapidly decreased, and one by one, they began to fall behind. By the time he entered the straightaway, no one was in front of him. Even Agelia was only two steps behind.

“Ah! What is that!”

“No way! This is a scam!”

The spectators were shocked. The fact that Agelia was running behind some unknown guy was unimaginable. Some even suspected they were colluding to commit gambling fraud. But the runners behind Beom-seok and Agelia were far behind, and the distance was growing, proving she wasn’t deliberately running slowly.

‘How can this be!’

Agelia was just as surprised. She had never imagined looking at someone’s back while running, not even in a local government competition, let alone a city competition. Unable to accept defeat, she pushed her legs with all her might.

Agelia was slowly closing the distance, but this hope didn’t last. As the final stretch approached, Beom-seok sprinted, pulling further ahead.

‘Almost there.’

With each step, a strong vibration of the earth occurred, pushing Beom-seok forward, and the wind resistance was easily overcome, allowing him to advance.

With nothing to stop him, he crossed the finish line, ending the 200M final race.

Beom-seok, who had grabbed the tape around his chest, looked at the 3D electronic images decorating the sky. Most of them showed his name, the 200M victory, and the record of 10.592 seconds, but the betting announcement of a 55 to 1 jackpot caught his attention.

He had earned a whopping 15.38 million Krang from this race, excluding fees. The total amount he earned today was 41.07 million Krang. Combining this with his existing funds, he had 45.46 million Krang.

With this money, he could buy Remy and still have over 20 million Krang left.

“Hehehe. That’s enough.”

As he said that, Beom-seok, who had been walking fine, began to limp, reversing the scene where Keyser Söze walks in ‘The Usual Suspects.’ He walked like that for a while, then fell forward as if collapsing, grabbing his leg with a painful expression.

Remy, who had been running excitedly, was surprised and hurried to him.

“B-Beom-seok, what’s wrong?”

“M-My ankle……”

“What’s wrong with your ankle?”

“M-My ankle doesn’t hurt at all.”

Remy looked confused. He was pretending to be in pain, but saying he was fine.

“Beom-seok, does it hurt or not?”

The broadcasting bird cameras all turned to Beom-seok. He was the winner of the 200M and was suddenly complaining of pain, making it a perfect story.

He winked at Remy and whispered in her ear.

“Shh, be quiet. Someone will hear.”

Remy, thinking it meant something, didn’t ask further questions. Instead, she brought a medical kit and bandaged his ankle without any real purpose.

Agelia, approaching them, had a blank expression, as if she had mixed feelings.

“Are you badly hurt?”

Beom-seok looked at Agelia with a frown.

“No. The place I hurt before is hurting. I didn’t get hurt while running.”

“Still, you should go to the hospital.”

“It’s okay. It’s not that painful.”

Medical staff arrived with a stretcher, but Beom-seok waved them away. As he was about to stand up with Remy’s support, Agelia asked another question.

“Are you running the 100M tomorrow?”

“Well, I’ve applied, but I don’t think I’ll be able to.”

“I see. Then are you going to participate in the 200M local government competition?”

The athletes who could participate in the 200M local government competition were those who placed 1st to 3rd in this city competition. If Beom-seok participated, Agelia, who placed 2nd, could compete with him again. But Beom-seok had no intention of participating. With over 40 million Krang, there was no reason to participate in more track and field competitions. His record would be known to all the gamblers, and the expected income would be minimal.

“I told you before, today is the last day you’ll lose to me. I won’t be running anymore, so there’s no chance we’ll meet.”

“Why not? You’re so talented.”

“What does talent have to do with it? You do what you want to do.”

“What you want to do?”

“Yeah. I’m going to be a gladiator. So, if you want to beat me, come that way or mind your own business.”

Then, Agelia smiled brightly. She thought they might meet again.

Darwin Pharmaceuticals, which Agelia belonged to, was in financial trouble due to the failure of new drug development. They needed money and were selling assets. A gladiator team from the Sentrol League wanted Agelia’s talent and offered 50 million Krang. It was a huge sum that other track and field teams couldn’t offer, and it could alleviate the financial difficulties.

Naturally, the management chose to sell. They valued the company’s survival more than Agelia’s passion for track and field and the support of fans.

She was participating in her last track and field competition. The guy who ran with her and beat her was going to the same stage. She was happy and looked forward to the next meeting.

“Yes, I understand. Then see you later.”

Agelia left behind ambiguous words and turned around. Beom-seok didn’t know what she meant, but he stopped caring and walked towards the event hall with Remy and Venus. He was going to attend the awards ceremony after the 400M final. The prize money was 300,000 Krang. It was a small amount, but he thought it was better than nothing.

——————

See you next time.