Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 219

The Bumseok party was drinking coffee at a tea house in Dabada City. The mansion, a secluded retreat prepared by the Chaplin family for their members, was where the upcoming fight would take place. Its location was a closely guarded secret, requiring them to await the Chaplin family’s private flying car for transport.

Bumseok, gazing at Margaret’s image in the holographic video floating above his electronic notebook, offered a faint smile.

“Really? So, it seems like that guy is up to something behind the scenes, huh?”

– “Yes, that’s right. Hacking into the Hyena Group’s secret ledger reveals a considerable sum used to bribe the judges. Also, a micro-satellite owned by an economic organization is moving towards the Amara region. And there was a large transaction involving animals resembling wolves near that area, and I found records of high-performance acoustic detectors being transported through Dabada City.”

A faint smile played on Bumseok’s lips. As with all schemes, exposure and counteraction amplify the damage.

“Huhu. Looks like a good opportunity to stab them in the back. But they’re doing something quite cute. To think of using wolves and acoustic detectors. This is going to be quite tricky.”

Margaret, intrigued, inquired,

– “Bumseok, do you know why they’re using wolves and acoustic detectors?”

“Yeah. Wolves are territorial and will howl loudly if an intruder enters their territory. They probably intend to analyze that sound with acoustic detectors to anticipate our surprise attack.”

– “Really? But how do you know that?”

Bumseok gave her an awkward smile. In online games, wolves were common prey. They significantly impacted early leveling, making their habits well-known. However, he couldn’t admit that.

“Um… I read it online. In pre-industrial wars, they roughly guessed enemy surprise attacks by the howling of wild wolves.”

– “Ah, I see. Then, do you have a way to stop the howling?”

“Well, I’d have to chase after the wolves one by one and get rid of them, but that’s not easy.”

– “Then what are you going to do?”

“Of course, I’ll leave them alone. The howling of wolves can’t pinpoint the exact direction of the surprise attack. It just means you can prepare thoroughly, but you can’t figure out the invasion route and launch a proper counterattack. If we play it right, we might keep them up all night during this fight.”

Margaret formed a small ‘o’ with her mouth. The game’s duration was one week. Even for an elf, stamina would plummet without sleep.

– “That sounds like fun. Then, I should hack into that satellite and gain control, right?”

“Huhu. Pluck out the enemy’s eyes and use them as my own? That’s good. Do that.”

– “Yes, I understand. Then, contact me if you need anything else.”

“Okay. Good work.”

As Margaret’s screen went dark, Cassie, sitting across from him, looked at Bumseok with curiosity.

“Master, how did you know they were going to try something?”

Bumseok, sipping his coffee, replied casually,

“I’m not an idiot.”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“Julian is definitely behind this fight. He’s the only link between LHN and Chairman Ibrahim. I’ve faced him a few times, and he’s always up to these kinds of tricks. If I fall for it again, I’ll be a fool and a loser.”

Rapine, seated beside him, chuckled and lifted her teacup. Unlike Cassie, she had served him longer and understood Bumseok’s words.

“I guess so. He orchestrated the Rainbow Group incident, after all.”

“That’s right. But this is a secret to everyone. Especially Emma, you shouldn’t tell her.”

Cassie pressed,

“Why Emma?”

“She’s a member of the Black Society. There’s no point in letting them know about Margaret’s information-gathering abilities.”

“What’s the Black Society?”

Bumseok sighed deeply. Cassie hadn’t been under his command long, leaving much to explain.

“I’ll explain later, so just do as I say for now. Got it?”

“Yes, I understand.”

As Cassie nodded, he changed the subject. The cafe was public, and sensitive topics were best avoided. There was no need for others to recognize them.

Soon, Emma, who had gone to wait for the Chaplin family’s flying car, returned.

“Bumseok, the flying car has arrived in the nearby square.”

“Really? I got it.”

Bumseok rose and led his party to the square, where they boarded the flying car.

The Chaplin family’s mansion, nestled within a forest, was quite luxurious. The four-story rectangular building, built in a medieval style with alternating red bricks, featured a small fountain and sprawling lawns in the front yard, with marble roads extending in all directions.

Bumseok, walking towards the building along the central path, looked around and sighed. The low fence (less than 2 meters) and vast land area seemed inefficient for defense.

“Hoo~ To use this kind of mansion as a base, do they even have a brain? How are 56 people going to cover this?”

Emma nodded in agreement.

“I know, right? If we have to guard all the passages, the forces will be scattered, and we could be annihilated individually.”

“It’s not ‘could be,’ it’s the obvious outcome. What is this really? Tsk tsk.”

Bumseok, reaching the mansion’s entrance, rang the doorbell. Rebecca, her long hair neatly tied, greeted him cheerfully. She was slated to play the ace role in the upcoming fight, warranting his attention.

“Bumseok, welcome. I was waiting for you.”

In response, Bumseok immediately began to scold her.

“Hey, are you guys out of your minds? How can you use this kind of mansion as a base?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? How are 56 people going to protect this vast mansion!”

Rebecca, understanding his point, smiled.

“It doesn’t matter. It may seem geographically disadvantageous, but the internal situation transforms it into an advantage.”

“An advantage?”

“We only need to protect Grandpa and his friends. They’re always on the 4th floor, so we only need to block access to the 4th floor.”

This vast land became an open space where enemy intrusion could be easily detected. The team concentrated on the 4th floor could monitor the surroundings through the windows and prepare a defense. However, a fierce battle inside the building meant significant property damage. The mansion contained many expensive statues, paintings, and ceramics.

“Hey, aren’t you even thinking about the damage to the building?”

“Of course, I am. But if it breaks, we can fix it or buy a new one.”

Bumseok’s anger flared at the continued spending spree, but he held his tongue. Their economic perspectives differed vastly.

“Hey! Still, you should move the interior decorations, right? If you hire workers, you can move them to another place in no time.”

“That’s not possible. This is the Chaplin family’s secret retreat, so we can’t bring in outsiders carelessly. If it gets out, paparazzi will be camping in front of it.”

“Still, there must be a manager!”

“Yes, there is. But we can’t move all these things quickly, and these things have other uses.”

“What are you going to use them for?”

“We have to use them to block the enemy’s entry. If we pile them up around the stairs, we can delay the enemy’s intrusion even a little.”

Bumseok grabbed his forehead, his head throbbing. He was the idiot for even suggesting it. If he cared so much about the decorations, he wouldn’t have planned this fight with such huge funds.

“Okay. Okay. Do whatever you want. I don’t want to worry about it, so hurry up and guide me to Director Vincent.”

“Yes, I understand. Please follow me.”

While leading him to Director Vincent’s command room, Rebecca tilted her head. She couldn’t understand Bumseok’s anger. Even adding up all the things in the mansion wouldn’t equal 30% of the price of the gladiator they planned to recruit this winter. If it delays the enemy, it’s worth more than enough.

“Bumseok, welcome.”

Bumseok, entering the strategy room, responded curtly to Director Vincent’s greeting.

“Director, you’re so laid back. How can you be here leisurely when the league match is in full swing?”

“Well, we have a lot of savings.”

He sat on the nearby sofa without invitation. Some teams were prepared to fall into the relegation zone for a useful gladiator, while others were relaxed due to accumulated wins. He couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“Humph. Well, what worries would a team with 13 consecutive wins have? And Chaplin Whisper isn’t a team that would lose just because the director is missing.”

“Huhu. You know very well. But your God’s Knights don’t have to worry too much, do they? It seems that Vice Chairman Louis has been quite attentive.”

He seemed to be referring to Cassie’s transfer and the loan of two Central League-level gladiators in the winter season. With these additions, they could avoid relegation in the first half and accumulate wins in the second half, achieving a stable ranking.

But that was it. They couldn’t close the gap with Chaplin Whisper.

“Tsk, that’s true, but I can’t be happy about barely avoiding relegation, can I? Chaplin Whisper will definitely move up to the Central League next season.”

“Hmm, that’s probably true. But, as I said before, God’s Knights and Chaplin Whisper are qualitatively different. I know what you’re thinking, but don’t even think about chasing us out of mere competitiveness. You’ll probably end up tearing your crotch.”

His pride was hurt, but it was undeniable, so Bumseok agreed.

“That’s probably true. But it’s only a 1-2 year difference at best. I’ll be chasing you up to the Central League soon. Please wait.”

This was also true. The promising players of God’s Knights were quickly gaining skills through the Wide League games. Viola had already grown into a lower-level Wide Leaguer, and Matilda and Venus were closely following.

By the end of this league, all of Bumseok’s elves, except for Agelia, seemed poised to become Wide Leaguer-level skilled players.

Then, the burden on Bumseok, Rapine, Jermia, and other key forces would lessen. God’s Knights would become a strong team recognized in the league.

“Indeed. That’s right. The scary thing about a promising team is that its power increases dramatically in just one year. If you do well, you may be able to climb up in a short time as you boasted. Especially Zelsomina, that child will be a great help. Her physical abilities seem to be growing very rapidly lately.”

“Of course. That’s right. Zelsomina has excellent swordsmanship skills, so if her physical abilities are supplemented, she will be reborn as a very outstanding gladiator. If I grow her like this for only two years, she will probably rise to the World Leaguer level. Huhu.”

“But I’ll be taking good care of her in three years, so don’t try too hard. It’s too bad to keep that child in God’s Knights.”

Bumseok glared at Director Vincent. He couldn’t tolerate him daring to aim for Zelsomina. But he relaxed his gaze and smiled. The allotted time was three years. He was constantly working on her, so by that time, she would be loyal to him and wouldn’t even think of leaving.

“Is it really that easy? I don’t know if you know, but Zelsomina is not a greedy gladiator swayed by money.”

“We’ll see about that. You can’t judge people only by their appearance. It’s only been half a year since she joined God’s Knights, so even you wouldn’t have had time to look into Zelsomina’s heart. Huhu.”

“Huhu. By the time I look into her heart, it will already be too late. Huhu.”

As Bumseok and Vincent exchanged meaningful words and a sharp confrontation, Rebecca, thinking it wouldn’t work, quickly opened the electronic document and stepped in to stop them. Now was not the time for allies to bicker. They had to quickly inform Bumseok of the strategic mission he was in charge of and begin intensive training.

“Okay, everyone. Let’s have a strategy meeting. We only have a week of training time, so we have to hurry.”

Bumseok slyly pushed her electronic document aside and said.

“Strategy meeting? I don’t need that kind of thing.”

“What are you talking about? This game is a 56 vs 56 team battle. No matter how great Bumseok is, you can’t show organic movement without understanding the strategy.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to take Rapine and Emma and go into the lush forest here and carry out a mountain surprise attack. In other words, I mean to attack the LHN side’s main camp based on the forest.”

At these words, Vincent quickly stepped forward to dissuade him. He knew the effectiveness of the strategy Bumseok mentioned, but it could never be implemented without long experience. If he went into the forest with an arrogant mind and got lost, they would lose one of the main forces to stop Prisca.

“That’s ridiculous! Mountain surprise attacks are not a strategy that anyone can do! Besides, there’s Tiela, an W0-level gladiator on the LHN side. Her team is Forest Elves, and her home colosseum is a lush forest. No matter how good you are, you can never face her in the forest.”

Bumseok, who had been holding back his laughter, looked at Vincent with a sneer.

“Hahaha. Is a forest with a diameter of 100 meters a forest? It’s a garden. Don’t worry. She is no match for me in terms of swordsmanship or the use of geography.”

Director Vincent’s eyes widened, showing interest at his confident words. If Bumseok was a master of mountain surprise attacks, their chances of winning this fight would be greater.

“Are you really confident?”

Bumseok nodded without hesitation. He had lived in the game for at least hundreds of years. For nearly half of that time, he lived only in the forest to catch monsters.

“Of course. In a mountainous area with a lush forest, even if the entire Chaplin Whisper team, including Amelie, attacked me, they couldn’t beat me.”

Vincent, staring into his eyes to gauge his sincerity, clapped the table. He trusted him because of his relaxed demeanor. And Bumseok was never thought to be a liar.

“Good. Then I’ll trust you and leave it to you.”

After saying that, Vincent began to revise the strategy. Since Bumseok, a key force, was out of the squad, a new strategy was needed.

============================ Author’s Afterword ============================

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