Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 300

302

On the day of the league’s third match, Beom-seok led the Gods Knights team to the Rima City Colosseum. The plaza in front was packed with a massive crowd, all eager to watch the match between Beom-seok and Zakid.

Beom-seok, stepping out in front of the entrance for staff, looked around with a satisfied expression. He had expected a good turnout after Esther’s report on season ticket sales, but he hadn’t anticipated this level of excitement.

‘Well, Amelie and Zakid stirred things up, so it’s no surprise the crowds gathered.’

They had been heavily featured in the media for two weeks after their close match in the opening game. Zakid, who had put up a fight nearly equal to Amelie, who was virtually unchallenged in the World League, had the entire gladiator world buzzing. Moreover, both he and Amelie had mentioned Beom-seok as one of their rivals in interviews.

This Hyrn Central League was a stage to determine the world’s strongest gladiator. Consequently, he received significant attention from the excited media, and anticipation for today’s match was higher than ever. Caught up in the atmosphere, fans snapped up season tickets and day passes to witness the historic moment with their own eyes.

As a result, Beom-seok earned a total of 274.3 million Krang [Hyrn currency] from this match after taxes, bringing the team’s total holdings to 620.61 million Krang.

‘Hehehe. With this money, combined with the day pass income from the first half of the season, I’ll easily surpass 700 million Krang. Then I can recruit a decent gladiator.’

He entered the Colosseum with a pleased expression, thinking about how he could further develop the team. After a brief rest and strategy meeting in the gladiator waiting room, he headed to the dugout.

Roar! Roar!

As the match start time approached, the atmosphere in the stands grew increasingly heated. Supporters from both teams rallied the crowd, cheering for their team’s victory, and the gladiators who would be competing went out onto the field for a light warm-up.

After a light stretch, Beom-seok returned to the dugout, greeted by cheers from fans sitting in the nearby stands.

“Diana, what’s your outlook on today’s match?”

Diana rolled her eyes at his words. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t see a clear path to victory. Currently, the Dark Hyenas’ strength was in the mid-tier of the World League, while the Gods Knights, excluding Beom-seok, were a weak team that couldn’t escape the bottom tier. With such a fundamental disparity, there was no way to devise a proper strategy.

“It’s too bleak. Honestly, I don’t know if Master can properly handle that Zakid guy. There’s a very high chance our main base will collapse rapidly.”

“But there must be some way, right?”

“Well, there isn’t really a way.”

“What about unconventional tactics?”

Diana immediately waved her hand as if it were absurd.

“Unconventional tactics only shine when our second string can exhaust the opponent’s main force enough to prevent them from participating effectively in the second round. But if our second string faces the Dark Hyenas’ main force, how many minutes do you think they’ll last? I don’t think they’ll even make their main force expend enough energy for a warm-up.”

Indeed, there was no way the Gods Knights’ second string could stop the Dark Hyenas’ main force, which included Zakid and Iena and Charlotte, ranked 23rd and 52nd in the world, respectively. As Diana thought, they would be easily defeated, and there was a high probability that the Dark Hyenas’ main force would reappear in the second round.

“Sigh, I guess so.”

“Right now, it’s better to focus on maintaining a defensive stance and stalling for as much time as possible. We may not win, but we can at least extend the battle time between Master and Zakid. And anyway, all the spectators who came today came to see the duel between Master and Zakid. Even if our team loses, we can still consider it a success if Master wins.”

“Hmm, that’s true. But is that really the only way?”

“Yes. So please don’t worry about anything else today and focus on defeating Zakid.”

Beom-seok nodded calmly. If the team’s victory was unlikely, it was better to capitalize on the spectacle of this match. Since he had already earned enough points from the previous two matches, he decided it wouldn’t be bad to put on a show for the fans this time.

“Alright. Then I’ll put all my effort into facing Zakid, so you prepare for the battle between the main bases.”

“Yes, I understand. I’ll prepare thoroughly so as not to cause any trouble for Master.”

Hearing those words, Beom-seok returned to his bench and closed his eyes. He was trying to recall the duel between Amelie and Zakid from two weeks ago. He had replayed the fight scene countless times, so he remembered every moment in detail.

– The first round of the match will begin soon, so all gladiators please prepare to enter.

Hearing the announcement, Beom-seok put on his helmet and headed to the tunnel leading to the arena entrance. Normally, he would have shouted at his gladiators to boost their morale, but today he was quiet. Right now, he was filled with thoughts of facing Zakid.

Soon, the signal announcing the entrance echoed throughout the Colosseum, and Beom-seok slowly walked towards the center of the arena.

“Gladiator Oh Beom-seok! Be sure to win today! We have no doubt that you are the best!”

“Yeah! Crush that traitor, you spotted bastard!”

The cheers from the Rima City fans were louder than ever. Expectations for the match between Beom-seok and Zakid were high, but it also played a part that Dark Hyenas was a team from the same company as the Great Hyenas team that was disbanded in Rima City in the past. In fact, many of the Gods Knights’ fans were those who had supported the Great Hyenas team in the past.

In response, Beom-seok drew his sword from his waist and pointed the tip towards the fans. It was a declaration of his determination to win. It was a bit embarrassing, but the audience was the Gods Knights’ lifeline, so it was necessary to repay their support.

“Beom-seok, you seem so relaxed. You look confident? But I’m not an easy opponent!”

Zakid, who had arrived at the center of the arena first, glared at Beom-seok from across the wide city. He was very nervous, but Beom-seok was acting so relaxed, which annoyed him.

In response, Beom-seok hid the anxiety on his face and smiled. There was no point in letting him know that he was also nervous.

“Ah, that’s why amateurs can’t make it. Gladiators receive their salaries and gain fame through the fans’ support. You must never ignore the fans. No matter how important the match is, we have to respond to their support. That’s our job.”

“Hehe. Money and fame? Those things come naturally when you become the strongest. The public loves the strong.”

That was also true. Most gladiators’ popularity was proportional to their performance. Even today, the Rima City Colosseum was packed because of the event where Zakid and he were fighting for the title of the strongest.

Beom-seok smiled and pointed to the open space on the right with his thumb.

“Hehe. I guess so. Then shall we slowly prepare?”

“Good.”

As the two of them came out of their bases and stood facing each other, the stands surged with excitement. Some fans inadvertently stood up from their seats to get a better view, which spread to the rest of the audience as those in the back stood up to see over those in front.

After a while, as the second hand of the holographic scoreboard clock moved, a horn sounded that seemed to tear through the arena.

– Bweeek! Match start!

The main forces of both teams rushed towards the makeshift iron bridge at the same time. Beom-seok glanced at it once and leaped high to cross the central city. Zakid was close to his landing point, but he didn’t care. He firmly believed that Zakid, who was aiming for the title of the strongest, would not attack him with a cheap trick.

Successfully landing, Beom-seok turned to Zakid. As expected, he was just watching silently without even drawing his sword.

“So you’re not going to attack.”

“Hehe. Do you think I would do something like that?”

“Hehehe. Yes, I would definitely attack. If I can defeat Zakid, I can lead the first round advantageously. Why would I miss that opportunity?”

Zakid glared at him with a dumbfounded look.

“What about the wishes of the fans you cherish?”

“Since it’s a 5-round match anyway, there are plenty of opportunities.”

He slowly drew the sword from his waist.

“Is that so? I’ll keep that in mind. Well, let’s stop the useless talk and get started. Since we have to settle things anyway, it’s better to end it quickly.”

Beom-seok stealthily moved about two steps to the right and held his sword in the middle stance. It was because there were a few stones scattered on the nearby ground.

“Of course, that’s what I want too. I need to defeat Zakid quickly and go support the main base.”

“Hehe. Defeat me and go to the main base? You have big dreams.”

“You never know until you try. Well, come on. Or should I go first?”

“It would be good to go at the same time. It’ll look good, and the fans will like it.”

Beom-seok nodded in agreement.

“Alright. Then I’ll count to three and go. One, two, three!”

At the same time, they raised their drawn swords and rushed forward with fierce momentum. Beom-seok kicked the ground hard in the middle, throwing stones at Zakid’s face. But he twisted his wrist as if he had expected it, knocking the stones away. He had already noticed when Beom-seok had positioned himself near the pile of stones.

“Those cheap tricks won’t work!”

In an instant, Zakid’s sword cut through the air with a bizarre tearing sound. In response, Beom-seok turned his sword upside down and deflected it to the side, then charged into his arms, attempting a shoulder charge.

With a thud, Zakid, who was pushed to the side, jumped back to create distance. He knew how dangerous it was to face Beom-seok in a disrupted stance.

‘This is quite something. He’s trying to disrupt my stance with small attacks. I see. He’s a seasoned fighter. I need to be careful. If I use a big technique with the intention of ending it in one go, I might be blocked by small attacks and struggle greatly. In this case, I need to seize the initiative and lead the fight advantageously.’

Zakid lowered his sword to the middle stance and took a serious posture. He thought it was necessary to be cautious when facing Beom-seok. He was a big deal, completely different from ordinary gladiators.

“Well, here I come again.”

Beom-seok stepped as intricately as possible, moving towards him. He was trying to confuse his vision and induce mistakes. But Zakid was blocking his attacks with a calm swordsmanship. The greatest advantage of an orthodox swordsman was the stability derived from the orthodox stance. He was not one to be swayed by such frivolity.

‘This won’t work. He’s not easy at all. It looks like I’m going to waste quite a bit of time.’

Reluctantly, Beom-seok also stabilized his stance. If he continued to make skillful attacks in this state and made a mistake, he could be hit by an unexpected blow and suffer greatly. In this case, it was better to calmly lead the battle and wait for an opportunity.

Clang. Clang. Clang.

The swords that poured down in succession collided in the air, creating a loud metallic sound. The two, with extreme tension on their faces, put their hearts into each sword strike, trying to attack each other.

For now, Beom-seok, who had inferior physical conditions, was being pushed back. Although he had raised his stats a lot, he was no match for Zakid, who had reached his peak.

Of course, if he activated his trait now, the power advantage would be reversed, but he was afraid of the penalty. Since the trait he had copied was ‘Berserker of Fighting Spirit,’ once he used it, it was no exaggeration to say that he had to sit out all the remaining matches today.

“Hah!”

With a thunderous shout, Zakid’s heavy attack struck down on Beom-seok’s head. It was incredibly powerful because it was based on his great height and strength. In response, Beom-seok chose to evade to the side. If he blocked each of these attacks, his wrists would not be able to withstand it. There was no need to put his heart into a losing battle.

“Are you going to force a battle of strength in such a blatant way?”

“What’s blatant in a gladiator match? You just have to defeat your opponent without violating the rules. If you’re really upset, drink some more breast milk and build up your strength.”

Beom-seok gritted his teeth as he knocked away the flying sword. It wasn’t because the tip of his sword that grazed over his head was threatening.

It was because his teasing annoyed him. But if he could hold out for 5 more minutes, the situation would be reversed. Since there were 10 minutes left, he could activate ‘Berserker of Fighting Spirit’ enough times.

Then, no matter how much Zakid raised his stats, he would not be able to match his strength.

‘What is this?’

Zakid, who had been exchanging swords for a while, looked at Beom-seok with strange eyes. He felt a strange sense of incongruity from his sword.

At first, he thought it was a sense of pressure because Beom-seok’s sword showed age and experience, but as he continued to exchange swords, he realized that the feeling was naturally emanating from the murderous intent and unreasonable movements. But soon he shook his head and dismissed his thoughts. It didn’t make sense that Beom-seok was using a killing technique meant to definitely kill a human.

‘There’s no way that guy has experienced a war that would have been in the Middle Ages. Yeah, I must be mistaken.’

Zakid understood this feeling as a kind of different swordsmanship that came from high experience. He thought that there was no one who could learn killing swordsmanship in the peaceful modern world. Even he, a professional swordsman, had only heard from his teacher Remnant that there was this kind of practical swordsmanship in the past, but he had never actually learned it.

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

Tomorrow is election day. I’m going to wash up and head to the polls as soon as I open my eyes. If I procrastinate, I’ll be too lazy to go. Hahaha.

Then everyone, have a good time voting. I’ll see you all again tomorrow.