Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 270

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The injured Beomseok was transferred to Jeon Sports Medical Hospital in Jeon City, not Aldagan City where the game was held. Since his injury wasn’t life-threatening, it was more efficient to receive treatment at a specialized hospital. Besides, it only took less than 5 minutes by high-speed emergency fly car. He underwent urgent muscle and epidermis [skin] suture surgery in the hospital operating room and then went to the clinic.

Inside a room with a medical bed and a doctor’s desk, a doctor in his 40s was looking at an MRI photo displayed as a hologram, and Beomseok was sitting in a wheelchair.

“The suture surgery went very well. And looking at the photo, I don’t think you need to worry about any aftereffects.”

Beomseok knew that already. When he opened the information window and checked, his potential was still maintained at 1,000. In other words, there were no lasting negative consequences, as the doctor said.

What he really wanted to know was the result of today’s game and how long he would be out of commission due to this injury.

“Excuse me, how long will I have to stay like this?”

“Hmm. We’ll have to see how it goes, but I think you’ll need to be in a cast for about 3 weeks. Even after that, you should refrain from strenuous exercise for a while.”

Beomseok bit his lip. In three weeks, the promotion tournament would be over. The promotion tournament is held twice a week. He had suffered an injury while attacking the LHN [League Headquarters Network] headquarters building in the promotion tournament two years ago, and now he was facing a similar situation again. He really felt like he had no luck with tournament games.

“Is there any way I can still participate?”

“No. You absolutely must not participate unless you plan to fight on one leg.”

Even if Beomseok was excellent, he couldn’t fight an opponent gladiator while hopping on one foot. Last time, the injury wasn’t deep, and the injured area was his arm, so he could barely participate, but now it would be a significant disadvantage. No professional gladiator in the world would be effective hopping on one foot, and the injury would significantly impact his swordsmanship, preventing him from performing his best. Like in other sports, legs are very important to gladiators.

Knowing that there was no other way, Beomseok gave up easily.

“I guess not. By the way, what was the result of today’s game between Gods Knights and Silver Big Dogs? I was carried off during the game, so I didn’t have time to check my electronic notepad.”

Since it was an easy request to grant, the doctor took out his electronic notepad and checked the game details. He smiled brightly and looked at him.

“The game just ended, and Gods Knights won with 3 wins. Congratulations.”

It was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. He was worried about what would happen due to his and Herse’s injuries, but he was relieved that they had won. But on the other hand, he was very worried about the journey to win 3 more games.

“Sigh~ It’s a relief, but I don’t know if I should be congratulated, considering my condition.”

“Well, I guess so. It’s very unfortunate.”

The doctor expressed his sympathy with a concerned face. Most gladiator fans knew how much Beomseok’s presence meant to Gods Knights. His name was well known.

Beomseok touched the control panel of the wheelchair and said.

“But what should I do now? Should I be hospitalized? Or should I be discharged and receive outpatient treatment?”

“Hmm. It’s better to be hospitalized for a few days. We need to monitor the progress and administer stimulants for a quick recovery.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll do as you say.”

Beomseok nodded. Injury treatment during the promotion tournament was provided free of charge by the tournament organizers. Since it didn’t cost any money anyway, he thought it would be better to be hospitalized for a quick recovery.

The doctor turned off the MRI image and said.

“Well, the hospital room is prepared as a two-person room, so you can stay with Herse, who arrived earlier. A nurse will guide you.”

“Yes, I will.”

After a while, Beomseok, having finished his treatment, moved to a ward on the 3rd floor with the guidance of a nurse. Herse, who had arrived earlier, was lying there and stood up to greet him when he saw him. He had heard the news that Beomseok was injured through the TV in the hospital room, so he was very worried.

An hour or two later, Diana and the Gods Knights team members stormed into the hospital room. They came to visit because they were worried about their owner. But Beomseok immediately kicked them out. They had to rest in preparation for the quarter-final match that would take place in four days. The schedule was already tight, and he couldn’t afford to let them interfere with their physical recovery because of his injury.

‘But I’m worried. Two spots are empty, so what should I do?’

Around evening, Beomseok was passing through the hospital hallway in a wheelchair. He was on his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth after dinner. But he forgot his purpose and stopped in the middle, staring blankly at the ceiling. He was worried about the upcoming promotion tournament. Currently, Gods Knights has a total of 17 usable personnel. Since these people cannot fill all 19 entry slots, Gods Knights had to play the remaining games in a disadvantageous situation.

‘I guess I have no choice but to involve Jeremia and Siya in the game.’

Jeremia and Siya’s injuries were simple bruises and stiff shoulders, so they could be put into the second game. These two could fill the missing spots, so Beomseok was somewhat relieved. However, the concern was if another injury occurred. In that case, they would have no choice but to put a second-tier gladiator into the game, so the team’s strength would be greatly reduced.

‘I’ll have to recruit at least two more gladiators this vacation season. The team squad is too weak, so when injuries occur like this time, there’s really no solution.’

The total number of forces that can be evaluated as usable in Gods Knights is 21. If a large number of injuries occur like this time, the team would be in great trouble, so it was necessary to greatly strengthen the squad somehow. However, the problem was still money. Currently, Gods Knights’ financial situation was 355 million krang in holdings and 100 million krang in debt. With this money, it was not enough to pay for Cazella’s price, who was to be recruited. Of course, money would come in from season tickets and team emblem product sales, but it would be difficult to buy another gladiator that would satisfy Beomseok.

‘But there’s still a way to do it……’

There were three ways for Beomseok to raise funds.

The first was to sell the Rainbow Group and LKS Broadcasting stocks he owned. However, selling these stocks was unsettling because it could be the beginning of an attack by the Black Society or economic organizations in the future.

The second was to borrow money from the banking sector. He had a lot of assets and had built a strong friendship with the banking sector, so there was no big problem, but the interest was the problem. Even now, 5.6 million krang disappears into the air every year due to the 100 million krang debt, so he was reluctant to increase the debt here.

The third was to advance to the Central League, which Beomseok thought was the most desirable option. Then, along with the huge prize money, the admission fee would increase by about two times, so the season ticket sales revenue would increase significantly. In other words, he could add one more gladiator without any burden. However, he was disappointed that the possibility of promotion was greatly reduced due to his and Herse’s injuries. Fortunately, Hestia and Venus had grown to C3 level recently, but still, the current Gods Knights’ power at Central League level or higher was only 8 people.

Beomseok sighed deeply and opened the bathroom door. He looked in the mirror, putting toothpaste on the toothbrush he had brought.

‘Well, I have no choice but to trust Nikita. It was a stretch, but I really did a good job recruiting her before. Thanks to her, there’s still a glimmer of hope left.’

If you were to pick the best gladiator in Gods Knights excluding Beomseok, it would be Nikita. If she launches a surprise long spear attack from the rear, it’s a great burden for the opposing team. Perhaps, thanks to her existence, he could expect to pass the second game.

‘The problem is East Winds and Fly Wolves. Why are we meeting these guys in the semi-finals and finals?’

The teams that Beomseok considered the most dangerous in this tournament were East Winds and Fly Wolves. Since they each had 13 and 14 Central League-level gladiators, it was very difficult to deal with them with the current Gods Knights’ power. If they only had to face one team, they could somehow manage with Lafine and Nikita’s characteristics, but it was difficult because they had to beat two teams in a row.

“Sigh~ Well, it’ll work out somehow.”

Beomseok finished brushing his teeth and washing his face and came out of the bathroom. As he was walking back to the hospital room along the hallway, he collided with a wheelchair coming out of the women’s bathroom. He barely managed to keep his balance and avoid falling, but he was angry that it almost led to an accident. He was in a sensitive state due to his injuries and worries about the promotion tournament.

“What! What if you suddenly pop out!”

A blonde elf, half-wheeled in a wheelchair at the entrance of the women’s bathroom, quickly lowered her head.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was another wheelchair passing by outside.”

Beomseok looked at her with annoyed eyes, then tilted his head for a moment. It was an elf he seemed to have seen somewhere. There was information about her in the gladiator recruitment document that Erpina had brought before.

‘What? It’s Lenka. Did she get injured in this tournament too?’

Lenka was the ace gladiator of Fire Hawks, who participated in this promotion tournament, and a promising player with a growth potential in the early 900s. She is currently 15 years old and has excellent swordsmanship skills, but she has not yet developed all her abilities thanks to her activities in the Area League, where training facilities have not been good for many years. In addition, according to the activity data, she did not seem to have any stat increase characteristics, and her price was high compared to her ability, so Beomseok gave up on recruiting her after much deliberation.

He changed his expression and put a welcome look on his face. Anyway, she was a gladiator who might have become his elf if they had a relationship.

“Isn’t that Lenka? Did you get injured too?”

Lenka cheered inwardly. In fact, this accident was not a coincidence but a carefully planned event. She had heard that he was hospitalized in this hospital and was looking for an opportunity to talk to him, and she created this coincidence. But Beomseok was unexpectedly recognizing her, whom he was seeing for the first time. In other words, it meant that he was interested in her, so she thought that she might be lucky enough to go to Gods Knights.

But she couldn’t show it. Lenka pretended not to know and pretended to be surprised.

“Are you, are you Beomseok?”

Beomseok reached out his hand and said.

“Hehe. Yes. I’m glad to meet you like this.”

After shaking hands, Lenka slyly pushed her wheelchair and came out into the hallway. She wanted to see Beomseok up close. He was the most admired person for an elf gladiator without an owner.

“Yes. I’m honored to meet you too.”

“What honor in this state…… Anyway, since we met like this, why don’t we go to the lounge and have a drink and talk?”

At that, Lenka nodded her head, saying that it was right. This was the purpose, so there was no way she would refuse.

“Of course. I like it.”

Looking at Lenka, who was excited and heading to the lounge first, he cast a strange look. He didn’t know when he saw it in photos and videos, but she had a pretty good appearance.

‘She’s quite huggable.’

Her figure was not well revealed in her baggy patient clothes, but she seemed to be on the thin side when looking at her thin neckline. Her face shape was an oval with a slender chin, and her large eyes were clear and clean. Her features, including her sharp nose, were extremely beautiful, and her exposed skin looked so white and soft. She was an elf he wanted to recruit if her price was low.

Beomseok, who belatedly entered the lounge, took out two 10 krang bills and put them in the drink vending machine.

“Lenka, what do you want to drink?”

Lenka stared at the vending machine menu and pointed to the cheapest drink. One of the qualities of an elf was not to put a financial burden on the owner.

“Cola.”

Beomseok pressed the cola button and slyly opened Lenka’s character window. He had given up on her in the first place, but he was going to check the information since he had met her like this. Information browsing never cost money.

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Name: Lenka.

Classification: Elf (15 years).

Affiliation: Fire Hawks GC.

Fame: 3659.

Notoriety: 0.

H status: None.

Stamina: 8600/8600.

Sociability: 86, Strength: 88, Stamina: 86.

Agility: 88, Balance: 90, Intelligence: 85.

Mental strength: 84, Judgment: 90, Skill: 82.

Luck: 84.

Current skill/Potential: 863/927.

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Characteristic: Destruction and Re-creation.

Special notes: Recruited to Fire Hawks from Blue Nakaz 5 years ago. Specialized in mid-level positions, but handles various tools such as bows, swords, shields, and spears at a high level. The team is reluctant to sell it, so the price is set somewhat high.

————————————————

‘There’s not much difference from the information Erpina brought.’

Lenka’s stats are very high, but there were plenty of gladiators like this in the Central League or World League. Of course, if she develops all the remaining 50 growth potential, she can barely reach W2~3 level, but there was no need to recruit her at a high price. The price Fire Hawks wanted for her was a whopping 400 million krang.

‘But the characteristic is destruction and re-creation…… But what’s with this name?’

However, the moment he opened the characteristic window, Beomseok’s jaw dropped. This option was no joke.

The characteristic of destruction and re-creation had only two options attached. One is that the moment purity is destroyed, it erases all the characteristics of the owner and herself. If you only look at this, it can be said to be close to a curse, but the second option changed 180 degrees. It shares the characteristics of the closest being and makes it the characteristics of the owner and herself. In this regard, destruction and re-creation could be evaluated as more fraudulent than Nikita’s ‘Queen of Doppelgangers’ characteristic.

============================ Work Afterword ============================

Then everyone have a nice weekend. I’ll see you again tomorrow.