Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 130

132

The second round was a fierce battle. Unlike the Avand team, which conserved stamina with a relaxed approach in the first round and then sent out its main force again, the Muroba team predictably fielded its second-string players. Clark ordered his gladiators to form a defensive line and retreat, while the Muroba gladiators, having crossed the river with ease, launched an all-out offensive.

Clang. Clash. Clang. Clang.

The sound of weapons clashing echoed, holding the fans in suspense. Although they were second-string, the Muroba gladiators in this round were stronger than Avand’s main force. They consisted of four World League-level and eight Central League-level main gladiators. Frankly, a team formed solely from these players could have easily reached the top of their group in this league.

However, Avand’s defensive line proved difficult to breach despite the offensive. Furthermore, they advanced, pushing the Muroba gladiators back towards the city. The Muroba seconds, under their coach’s orders to conserve energy, were overwhelmed by the momentum.

When two Muroba gladiators fell to Avand’s agile combined attack, Clark seized the opportunity and ordered an all-out offensive. It was a risky move, but with a win necessary, he couldn’t afford to miss such a chance. He believed that they could overcome the difference in individual power with numerical superiority and momentum, securing a victory. His gamble paid off, and the Muroba seconds quickly collapsed, granting Avand a valuable round win.

Roar. Roar.

Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the audience, the Avand main force returned to the dugout, buoyed by the victory. A record of one win and one draw after the second round meant that just three more draws would guarantee their advancement to the final qualifiers. The game wasn’t over, but hope had been rekindled.

However, their optimism was short-lived. News arrived from the Rima City Colosseum that the Ionic team had easily defeated the Landnik team in the second round, mirroring Avand’s record of one win and one draw. This meant that, barring an upset, Avand needed to win their next game to advance. A wave of nervousness washed over the Avand team.

Next came the third round.

The Avand team, having used its main force in the first two rounds, sent out its second-string players, who were brutally defeated by Muroba’s main force. Lapine was sent out to try and inflict injuries, but the power difference was too significant, allowing Muroba to cross the river with ease. What followed was predictable: Avand’s second-string players fell like leaves before the organized and powerful assault, resulting in a loss for Avand in the third round. Meanwhile, Ionic secured another round win, bringing their record to two wins and one draw.

Then came the fourth round. Avand sent out its main force to face Muroba’s second-string players, but their previous luck didn’t hold. The round ended in a dull stalemate. Consequently, the Avand team faced a do-or-die situation: they had to win the final fifth round against Muroba’s main force, with a record of one win, two draws, and one loss. This predicament was thanks to Ionic’s victory over Landnik in the fourth round, which added three points to their score. Now, the only path to the final qualifiers for Avand was a win in the fifth round.

“Oh Beom-seok, get ready.”

Beom-seok, who had worn a sullen expression throughout the match, stood up with renewed energy. He had resigned himself to being a spectator, just as in the previous game, having not been fielded until the fourth round. But now, he was finally being called upon.

“Am I going to play?”

Clark nodded. The main force had played a total of three rounds so far, effectively four rounds considering they had to play into the fifth. They must be exhausted, and it was difficult for the coach to ignore Beom-seok, who possessed both skill and stamina, especially at this crucial juncture. By not fielding him in previous games, he had minimized the risk of injury, and now felt it was a good time to give him a chance.

“That’s right. But you remember Operation Plan 3, right?”

Beom-seok nodded. He knew it well, having practiced it so much during the last training session that he felt sick of it.

“Yes, I know it.”

“Then execute it as planned. You must win this time.”

Beom-seok tilted his head.

“As far as I know, Operation Plan 3 is designed for a draw.”

“I know. You need to figure out how to push beyond that and win. Adapt to the situation. Do you understand?”

Beom-seok nodded slightly. After all, no game ever perfectly followed the planned strategy. It was up to the gladiator to adapt and overcome the countless unexpected events.

“Well, I’ll do my best.”

Upon hearing this, Clark shouted so loudly that the dugout echoed.

“Alright! This is the final fifth round! You’ve done well to come this far against Muroba, and you deserve praise. But if you want the glory of advancing to the final qualifiers, not just praise, you need to give it your all here. Ionic has defeated Landnik and is standing right in front of the final qualifiers. To overtake them and advance, we must win this round! Do you understand?!”

“Yes!”

“Okay! I’ll announce the lineup for the fifth round. Listen carefully. First, Oh Beom-seok, you’ll be the captain gladiator.”

Beom-seok raised his hand and nodded.

“Yes, I understand.”

Clark then looked at Mercy, who had been the captain until the fourth round. With Beom-seok taking over, a change in position was necessary.

“Mercy, this time, you’ll be at the rear.”

“Yes.”

He nodded and continued to announce the lineup. Oscar and Eirene were also included in Clark’s selections. The main players were greatly exhausted after playing three rounds, so some had to be excluded. While there were other capable candidates, their skills were merely average. Rather than fielding mediocre players, it was better to choose gladiators with strengths in strength and speed that fit the tactics. Thus, Oscar was included, and all three gladiators from Godsknights [a team or faction within the story’s world] would participate in the fifth round.

Soon, the starting lineups of both teams appeared on the electronic display, signaling the start of the final fifth round. The Avand gladiators showed somewhat brighter expressions after seeing the names of the Muroba gladiators. Only six World League main-level gladiators were present; the rest were candidates, making it a near second-string lineup.

“Ahem. That’s fortunate. It seems the Muroba coach is trying to play it safe.”

Beom-seok, who was packing a pair of short, sword-shaped twin blades, retorted to Clark’s mutterings.

“You seem very pleased. I can tell because you’re even talking to yourself.”

Clark coughed roughly and replied.

“Ahem. Frankly, it’s better than facing their full main force. If it’s that level, we can call them second-string, so if we play well, we can win.”

“But some of our tired main players are missing too, aren’t they?”

“That’s true. But…”

Clark stopped and looked at the distant sky. He almost praised Beom-seok.

In fact, the gladiators who were changed this time included Oscar, who possessed great strength, and Beom-seok, who had both skill and speed, so it couldn’t be said that their power had decreased significantly. No, considering the tactics they needed to execute, he was confident that the current members were the best formation. But he couldn’t tell him that. Initially, he had mistreated him out of concern for Avand’s best gladiator, but now his desire to curb Beom-seok’s arrogance was stronger. While a gladiator should have confidence, his experiences had made him annoyingly boastful.

“Well, since we have Oscar, who has great strength, and Eirene, who has both speed and power, there’s no better gladiator composition for executing these tactics. Of course, the problem is whether you can properly run away with your tail between your legs…”

“Hehe. That won’t happen. If we only run away, the best we can achieve is a draw. Then Avand will have to say goodbye to the World Cup here. Surely you don’t want that, do you, coach?”

Clark groaned and left his seat, feeling that Beom-seok had hit too close to home. As Beom-seok said, this round could not end in a draw. In the end, he shouted at an innocent gladiator.

“Alright! Everyone, head to the entrance tunnel!”

At Clark’s shout, the 12 participating gladiators packed their equipment and left the dugout. Beom-seok, the last to leave, walked out with an indifferent expression and stood at the end of the line. Soon after, the signal to participate was given, and they left the stadium to the cheers of the audience.

“If you lose, you’re out! You must win!”

“Just do what you did before! Then you can win!”

Finally, Beom-seok, having taken his place in the city stadium, pouted. The audience’s cheers, so casually proclaiming victory, seemed too carefree.

Fortunately, Muroba had excluded many of their main players in this fifth round, but six World League main-level gladiators were still included. Defeating them all and achieving victory would be truly difficult.

He quickly gathered everyone and gave simple tactical instructions. It was a well-rehearsed tactic, but a slight modification was necessary to secure a win.

“Okay, you all know our operation has up to Plan 3, right?”

“Yes, I remember it clearly.”

“But Operation Plan 3 is a draw strategy. We can’t just push forward as is in this situation where we must win. We’ll shift the power dynamically depending on the conditions, so when that happens, don’t panic and follow my instructions exactly.”

“Yes.”

Beom-seok nodded and looked at a blue-haired elf next to him. It was Maca, the current vanguard of Avand’s main force.

“Maca, you know you’re the core of Plan 1-1, right? You absolutely must self-destruct [sacrifice yourself to create an opening].”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

Beom-seok then looked at the two elves standing in the mid-tier and exchanged meaningful glances. They were elves named Libe and Therapy, and they were the key players in Plans 1-2 and 3. Beom-seok had a detailed conversation with them and continued to remind the other Avand gladiators about the operation.

“Good. Everyone understands, right? The game will start soon, so everyone form a formation and stand ready.”

Beom-seok, having finished giving all the tactical instructions, lined up with his teammates. However, he made the unusual decision to stand directly behind the vanguards, despite being the captain with the hologram flag on his back. Although the team would lose if the captain was captured, he, as captain, needed to be in the thick of the battle for the operation to succeed. By fighting alongside the other attack lines up to the rear, he could overcome their current power disadvantage and fight on equal terms. Of course, it would be different if Muroba’s rear joined in, but they seemed intent on playing a stable game. It was unlikely they would force their rear to advance, and even if they did, it wouldn’t be a bad situation for Beom-seok. He could simply charge and defeat their captain.

“What? Are they crazy? They put the captain right behind the vanguard!”

“I know! They’re doing things that even rookies don’t do. They must be throwing the game. Let’s finish them off quickly!”

Beom-seok didn’t lose his smile despite the Muroba gladiators’ taunts. Complacency breeds carelessness. He felt a little bad, but it wouldn’t hurt him at all. Soon, the 3D electronic display screen floated above his head, and the countdown began. It was a short time, but the tense gladiators from both teams felt that time stretched on forever. This was especially true for Beom-seok, participating in his first World Cup game.

To lighten the mood, he forced himself to shout loudly.

“Alright! It’s about to start! Prepare yourselves! Fulfill your assigned duties! Everyone got it?!”

“Yes! Don’t worry!”

Soon after, the counter reached 0, and an electronic sound that seemed to tear apart the stadium echoed throughout the arena. As if they had been waiting, the Muroba gladiators moved quickly to the left and right, seeking an opportunity to cross the river. The Avand team followed with a slightly delayed tempo, seemingly opening the way for them to cross easily. For Operation Plan 3 to succeed, the opponent’s vanguard needed to cross the river and attack.

However, the memory of the first round was still fresh, and Muroba hesitated to cross over. They had shown an opening and crossed, but their vanguard had been almost crippled. Furthermore, they had lost their captain, Gladiator No. 7, to injury in the battle, significantly weakening their force.

Sensing this hesitation, Beom-seok deliberately slowed the formation’s movement to create a clear opportunity for them to cross the river.

“Everyone, cross over!”

The Muroba gladiators, seizing the opportunity, jumped with all their might and crossed the stream. But this was also an opportunity for the Avand team.

“Now’s the time!”

At his command, the team members moved to the left in an orderly fashion. Oscar ran forward first and swung the great sword she was holding in a wide arc. She put a lot of strength into it, but since it was just an intimidation tactic, no one was actually hit by the sword.

However, the intention was fully effective. The Muroba gladiators who landed on the ground flinched and momentarily stopped moving. They had seen it in videos and knew it well, but they still couldn’t believe that such a threatening sword strike was coming from the supposedly weak Avand team. Oscar’s powerful sword strike was at a top level, even within the World League.

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

Today, I will explain how to advance from the World Cup group stage.

There are a total of 4 teams in one group that determines the winner and loser. They compete for the upper qualifying round or the World Cup finals through a total of 6 games, including home and away games.

First, 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw, the team with the most points becomes 1st place, and the next team becomes 2nd place and advances to the upper qualifying round or the World Cup finals. The remaining 3rd and 4th places suffer the bitterness of elimination. But there are times when the game cannot be decided by points alone.

The method used at this time is round points. In gladiator matches, there are many cases where the victory conditions are met first and the game is decided in the 3rd or 4th round. Here, the team that wins with a small number of round wins means that they are a strong team, so if the points are tied, the team with fewer round points goes up.

If the ranking cannot be determined here, the next method used is to add up the kill and death points and the team with the higher points goes up.

If the ranking cannot be determined here, then the team with the higher win rate is evaluated based on the record between the teams.

If it still cannot be determined here, the team that won with fewer rounds away goes up. If it is still impossible to determine the superiority here, the kill and death points between the two teams are calculated, and then a random draw is held. Hahaha.

Then everyone have a good day, and I will see you again tomorrow.