Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 253

Car Window.

The window of beads, spinning like a windmill, suddenly shot up from below. He admired the ever-changing attack, but Beomseok couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. He didn’t have the luxury to praise his opponent right now.

Clenching his teeth, he twisted Katar, deflected the tip of the spear, and stepped towards Sika. He couldn’t overcome the current difficulty without first eliminating one of them.

However, he had to flinch and stop as a sharp long sword grazed his face. Salisa had predicted his direction and extended her sword. Beomseok quickly bent his upper body to the side, deflecting Sika’s vertically slashing sword.

‘Tch. Is this what it means to be a World League player? She doesn’t give me any openings.’

He couldn’t afford even the slightest mistake right now. Even a slight slip would surely be met with a merciless sword strike. The swordsmanship of the Red Foxes team’s main trio was that complete.

– Amazing. Gladiator Oh Beomseok is not disappointing at all. To withstand the combined attack of those three, it feels like watching an iron wall.

The announcer was genuinely impressed, not just putting on a show. That’s how amazing Beomseok’s performance was. Of course, he had faced the three of them before, but today was completely different. Salisa, Sika, and Biz, who were attacking him now, were gladiators of outstanding skill, renowned for being able to perform well even in the World League. There were only a few gladiators in the world who could fight against them for a long time.

However, there was one thing the announcer didn’t know. Beomseok had not activated ‘Great Will’ for a counterattack.

Spear Car Window

Beomseok’s sword swirled like a whirlwind and flew towards Salisa. It was a subtle change in swordsmanship, and she had to step back to avoid it. In that instant, one axis was left empty. Beomseok quickly changed his course to the right and rushed towards spearman Biz. Sika was chasing behind, but he didn’t care. It was only a fleeting moment, but if he didn’t seize this opportunity, he would never be able to subdue them. Now was the time to take a risk.

‘He’s coming!’

Biz sprayed the tip of his spear at him without backing down at all. It was difficult to grasp the direction of the attack due to the recoil, but it seemed clear that it was aimed at his chest. However, Beomseok did not show any signs of deflecting the attack with his sword or dodging it until the very last moment. He knew very well that if he took a defensive stance now, the timing for the next attack would disappear.

Just as the tip of the spear was about to reach him, Beomseok abruptly twisted his upper body as if he had been waiting for this moment and swung his sword.

“Great Will!”

The tip of the spear grazed his chest, leaving a deep scratch on his suit, but he didn’t care at all and struck Biz’s face hard with his sword, passing by with his changed movements. Biz crumbled slowly with a look of astonishment. Beomseok deflected the tip of Sika’s sword without even having time to shout for joy. He had launched a counterattack in an extreme situation.

“W-What the heck?”

Sika was flustered by Beomseok’s fierce attack and stepped back. The swordsmanship was so dazzling and powerful that she couldn’t easily block it. The improved physical abilities and the leeway from eliminating Biz had further enhanced his play.

Sika’s face turned pale as she looked for her teammate at the drastically different offensive.

“Salisa! Help me!”

Salisa, who had rushed in, quickly attacked Beomseok’s flank. It was such a fierce and overbearing sword strike that Beomseok retreated for the time being. He was in the middle of pushing Sika, so if he responded to her attack here, a threatening counterattack could come from Sika.

‘Tch. It ends with just one.’

Beomseok, who had created a wide distance, glanced at his base and frowned. Most of them had collapsed, and only the rearguard, led by Erpina, Agelia, and Venus, were left standing. Moreover, they were constantly being pushed while surrounded, so it was only a matter of time before they were annihilated. If he supported them, it would get better, but it would be useless if he dragged Salisa and Sika along.

He gripped his sword tightly and glared at Salisa.

“Come on. Hurry up. I don’t have time.”

She nodded slightly, her eyes full of tension, glancing at Sika. It was a signal to attack at the same time. Beomseok was not an easy gladiator to face alone.

“Sika! Let’s go!”

In an instant, Salisa and Sika rushed out as if they were sprinting. They were fast, but unlike before, they were maintaining a very timid posture. Their swords were fixed in the middle, not at the top.

Beomseok frowned at this. He expected a difficult fight in the future. He had to go and rescue the base quickly, but at this rate, the fight would drag on. Although the number had been reduced to two, they would be more concerned with defense than offense, so it would be difficult to defeat them. When he defeated Biz, he was on an all-out attack, so it was very easy to counter.

‘Damn it. How can two people be so timid against one person? Tch.’

Beomseok’s sword, wildly stirring the air, flew towards Salisa. He deliberately took a stance that revealed an opening, but neither she nor Sika dared to attack recklessly. They had seen Biz being defeated so easily, so they were trying to save their bodies as much as possible. Since there was no guarantee that they could beat him with two people, they were trying to buy as much time as possible. Then all the subsequent events would be resolved by other colleagues. Gladiator matches were won by defeating the leader.

Car window. Spear.

Beomseok’s sword embroidered a sword shape in the air. Salisa and Sika could only barely endure by stepping back at the fast sword strikes that left afterimages. Before long, a look of admiration appeared on Salisa’s face. Had they ever been pushed this far against one person? He was indeed a gladiator that Amelie had failed to settle. The only regret was that Biz had been defeated a little while ago. If only she had been there, they might have had the glory of defeating Beomseok.

“Sika! Hold on as much as you can! The game will be over soon!”

“Okay. Don’t worry!”

Beomseok, who was in a hurry at those words, swung his sword even more fiercely. But they held on firmly and bought time. And after a while, a long whistle echoed through the arena.

He sheathed his sword, guessing that he had lost the first round, and frowned as he looked at his base. Only eight Red Foxes gladiators were standing, and all the Gods Knights gladiators were lying on the cold ground. It was definitely a defeat.

‘Is there really nothing I can do in this situation?’

In fact, it was commendable that they had endured this much in his absence. He briefly wondered what it would have been like if Imori and Iphis had been there, but it was useless to talk about it since they couldn’t participate in today’s game due to injuries. And even if they had been there, it would have been difficult to win against the Red Foxes.

He put the sword he was holding into its scabbard and walked weakly to the dugout. He was exhausted from facing three World League-level gladiators. Also, the regret of losing was weighing down on his shoulders.

Diana was standing at the entrance, greeting Beomseok as he returned.

“Master. You’ve worked hard.”

Beomseok, who had taken off his helmet, sighed deeply and said.

“Hoo~ What do you mean I worked hard? I came back with my tail between my legs like a defeated dog.”

“Still, you were there, so we didn’t suffer any disgrace. You defeated Biz, so we avoided a perfect game.”

Beomseok, who had returned to his seat, sat on the bench and looked at Diana, who had followed him.

“But the fact that we were thoroughly defeated can’t be changed. I never imagined we would suffer such a defeat.”

“That’s because you were unlucky. Oscar was defeated early, so we were outnumbered.”

Oscar, who was coming in, lowered his head and returned to his seat. He didn’t have the face to see Beomseok. His defeat had put the team in a crisis.

Beomseok waved his hand, telling him not to worry, and looked at Diana.

“But how was it? What are your thoughts on watching this round?”

“Well, we were pushed harder than I thought, but I don’t think it was bad.”

“Really? Why?”

“First of all, our three key gladiators were not in good condition, so our strength was greatly reduced. And even in the midst of the formation collapsing rapidly due to an early mistake, we bought quite a bit of time, and eventually, we defeated one of the opponent’s main players. That means we have potential.”

Beomseok licked his lips and replied.

“Well, that’s because our rearguard has two dual shielders.”

“Yes. That’s right. And you’re there too, Master.”

“But we can’t win with just that. Maybe our Gods Knights will go up to the Central League next year. If we’re like this then, we’ll be relegated right away the following year.”

“That’s right. But it’s not a completely hopeless level.”

Beomseok stared at her intently.

“Why?”

“Because there’s still time left. What our team needs now is the minimum strength to maintain the formation until you defeat one of the opposing team’s gladiators. Then everything will be solved.”

It was such an obvious statement. The most important factor in determining victory or defeat in a gladiator match is how the first button is fastened [how the match starts]. No matter how weak the opponent is, if a teammate is defeated by mistake, the situation will inevitably flow unfavorably. Someone has to face two of the opposing team’s gladiators. If they are gradually defeated one by one in this way, even a strong team will lose to a weak team. That’s why experienced managers prefer stable team management rather than taking risky moves that make many mistakes in the beginning.

But Gods Knights showed a great strength here. Beomseok, who has outstanding skills, is likely to defeat the opposing team’s gladiator first. If Oscar had endured well without making a mistake, Gods Knights might not have been defeated so easily.

“Hmm. That’s true. But the question is how can we build such a force? There’s a limit to the growth of promising players.”

“Yes. That’s right. But there is also a way to compensate for the shortcomings by recruiting suitable gladiators.”

That method wasn’t bad either. Since gladiators have to be recruited anyway, it was better to buy the necessary strength.

“A gladiator to compensate for the shortcomings? Is there a gladiator you’re interested in?”

Diana nodded calmly.

“Yes. There is one person.”

“Who is it?”

Diana scratched her head and replied.

“It’s an elf named Nikita, who plays a rather unique role, but she’s a very beneficial gladiator for our team.”

“Really? What’s her position?”

“She’s a multi-player, so she can handle various positions, especially the vanguard.”

“What’s her main weapon?”

“Spear and shield.”

Beomseok blinked, looking dazed. He couldn’t understand why the vanguard, who had to break through the enemy formation and charge in, was using a spear and shield. Of course, there were cases where Venus, who was in the rearguard in Gods Knights, stood at the front and charged in, but it was only used occasionally in very special cases.

“What are you going to do if the vanguard wears a spear and shield?”

“Yes. So it’s mainly used before defense. In addition, she can handle the mid-tier and rearguard positions, and she’s good at it, so she’s used as the first priority for replacement resources.”

When he thought about it, it wasn’t bad. The current shortcomings of Gods Knights were that there were few gladiators who could handle shields and that it was difficult to form a squad due to the weak squad. If Nikita came in, she could solve these difficulties to some extent.

Beomseok suddenly raised his head and stared at Diana.

“Hmm. Is she a promising player?”

“No. I think there’s some room for growth, but I can’t call her a promising player. She’s been around for a while.”

Then Beomseok couldn’t help but be reluctant. The elf gladiators on his recruitment list were promising players who could one day be successful in the World League. If he recruited a gladiator because he needed them right now, there was a chance that they would become useless in the future and switch to a food server [become irrelevant].

“Then it’s difficult. Won’t her utilization be low if our team grows later?”

“No. Not at all. Because the league Nikita is playing in right now is the World League.”

Beomseok crossed his arms and quietly recalled Nikita’s name. He couldn’t possibly not know a World League gladiator. After that, he recalled a young black-haired elf from Menex Odin’s and stared at Diana intently.

“Could it be that one from Menex Odin’s team?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Beomseok said in an annoyed tone. There was no way that the price of a child who had established his own territory to some extent in the World League would be a penny or two [cheap].

“Diana. She’s expensive.”

“No, not at all. Nikita often participates in games, but her tendency is ambiguous and she has no other outstanding qualities. In addition, she is defense-oriented, so her kill-death rate is very low even though she is a vanguard. Thanks to that, her price is very low.”

In an instant, Beomseok’s eyes lit up. No matter how plump the fish is, if it’s a miscellaneous fish, it won’t be treated at the fish market [valued]. If it doesn’t have clear characteristics or performance, its preference will be low. That means the price is cheap.

“How much is it?”

“520 million Krang.”

It was very cheap for a World League gladiator, but it was still a burdensome price. In order for Gods Knights to recruit her, they would have to borrow nearly 300 million Krang. Then the debt would increase to a total of 400 million, and the pressure from the loan interest would increase.

Of course, Beomseok couldn’t help but shake his head for the time being.

“Let’s think about it first. I can’t decide right now because the price is too high.”

“Yes. I understand. Then please tell me if you need any materials [information].”

Diana, looking disappointed, returned to her seat. Although it was expensive, Nikita was really a resource that Gods Knights needed. If she was there, they wouldn’t have lost so easily even in today’s game.

In the end, Gods Knights said goodbye to the GA Cup that day, losing to Red Foxes with a round score of 3-0.

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

Have a nice day everyone. I’ll see you again tomorrow.