Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 332

334

“That won’t work!”

Beomseok immediately intensified his spear movements, preventing their advance. However, his intention wasn’t to avoid close combat. He was planning to eliminate Emma, the most formidable opponent, first.

If Beomseok were to lose today, it would likely be due to her unpredictable attacks. Emma possessed a remarkable talent for identifying and exploiting openings, meaning even a momentary lapse in attention could result in a swift, decisive strike.

He initially blocked Rebecca’s approach, then used the staff portion of his spear to parry Emma’s sword strikes as she lunged forward.

Clang.

Beomseok gripped the spear tightly and pushed her back. Emma, forced to retreat, attempted to regain her balance and charge again, but she halted her advance.

She realized that Beomseok’s gaze, while directing the spearhead at Rebecca, was even more intently focused on her. Sensing danger, Emma moved to protect Gelsomina, blocking her path and shifting towards Rebecca.

The plan was to regroup and attack again.

‘Tch. Emma is too perceptive; that’s the problem.’

Once they re-established their formation, their strength would stabilize. But it was only a matter of time before he broke it again. Beomseok moved the spearhead in a figure-eight motion and advanced rapidly.

“Beomseok is coming again!”

The spear, penetrating the gaps in their formation, rotated powerfully from side to side, widening the breaches. It was a subtle, stirring motion, yet it disrupted their tight formation, scattering them. Each time the spear pulled back, the crescent blades on its sides scraped, making it impossible to maintain their coordinated assault.

‘What to do? If this continues, we’ll all be defeated by Beomseok. We have no choice but to launch a simultaneous attack.’

Rebecca watched the subtle movements of the spearhead, her bewilderment evident. Even when she attempted to strike the spear shaft with her sword, it wriggled as if alive, raising the spearhead sharply, leaving her defenseless.

Gelsomina had already lost one arm. If they prolonged this and someone made a mistake, it would be over. The only option now was to take a risk and quickly decide the outcome.

“Everyone, charge!”

At Rebecca’s command, they all rushed towards Beomseok. He lowered the spearhead, welcoming their attack. It was a risky maneuver, but he also wanted to end this pointless sparring match quickly.

“Come on!”

Emma darted past, delivering a powerful blow. He blocked the attack with the spearhead and raised the hand holding the staff’s end to block Rebecca’s downward strike. Evading Gelsomina’s straight-line sword attack, he swung the spear and struck Emma’s calf.

With a thud, Emma fell backward, trying to rise quickly, but Beomseok didn’t miss the opportunity. He jumped back and thrust the spearhead into her abdomen.

“Emma is incapacitated!”

Rebecca frowned at Diana’s announcement and rushed forward with Gelsomina, chasing after Beomseok. At that moment, a flurry of spear strikes erupted, blocking Rebecca’s path.

This allowed Gelsomina, now with more freedom, to approach Beomseok and swing her sword vertically and fiercely. But she had already lost her right arm. The weakened sword strike was easily blocked by the rotating staff, giving Beomseok an opportunity to attack.

“Gelsomina, you shouldn’t be reckless with your injuries!”

Gelsomina barely deflected the spear strikes, which created dazzling patterns in the air, with her sword. Rebecca, freed from the center of the offensive, glared and attacked Beomseok.

Clang.

The transformed sword [referring to a sword that can change shape or function], blocked by the diagonally held spear, trembled. He then used the staff to sweep Rebecca’s leg out from under her. Gelsomina rushed to protect her as she stumbled, but as if Beomseok had anticipated it, he forcefully pushed her shoulder with the staff and jumped back, slashing her chest with the spearhead.

“Gelsomina is incapacitated!”

Now alone, Rebecca tried to get up quickly, but she could only retreat backward in a sitting position due to Beomseok’s continuous thrusting attacks. Soon, she couldn’t avoid the crescent blade flying in a smooth arc and yielded, exposing her neck.

“Rebecca is incapacitated! Sparring over!”

Beomseok, hearing Diana’s final judgment, slung the staff over his shoulder and walked towards Rebecca.

“See? You can’t beat me.”

She was too embarrassed to look up. Beomseok was skilled enough to take on three World League gladiators, so the defeat was inevitable. But he was wielding a spear, not a sword. It was unbelievable that he had shattered their combined attack in an instant with a weapon considered vulnerable in close combat.

Rebecca hesitantly raised her head and asked a question.

“Why did we lose? So decisively?”

Beomseok waved the spear in his hand and held it out in front of her.

“First, a lack of information. You underestimated the power of this spear. It’s called a Fangtian Ji [a Chinese polearm with a spearhead and crescent blades]. It combines the functions of a ‘mao’ [a type of spear] and a ‘ji’ [a halberd], so it can thrust, but it also has the ability to pull and cut. Unlike ordinary spears, it can attempt to cut even during the pullback motion before another thrust, making the attacks relentless.”

“I… is that so?”

Beomseok turned the spear over and presented the rounded, blunt end of the staff to her.

“And although it’s not attached right now, this part can have a ‘za’ [a small spear tip] in the shape of a ‘mao,’ allowing for a striking attack. When used in conjunction with the crescent blade area at the front, it can generate significant power.

You can feint a large sweeping cut and strike the opponent’s front with the ‘za,’ or conversely, feint a strike and create distance to cut them, making deceptive attacks possible.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened. She had ordered a small spear tip. It didn’t fit in the box, so she brought it separately, but he was fighting without attaching that part.

“Then you didn’t fully utilize the weapon’s power in this sparring match?”

“Hmm. That’s right. But it’s not much of a problem even without it. Using the ‘za’ is only one aspect of my spear technique. The main reason you lost to me was that you underestimated the close combat ability of polearms. Depending on how you use it, a spear can be an excellent close combat weapon.”

“How?”

“Just hold it short.”

Rebecca looked at him with disbelief. That wasn’t an easy task.

“Then the shaft will be long and trailing behind, making movement sluggish due to the weight. It will be difficult to respond to the quick attacks of a sword.”

“Hmm. That’s right. But polearms have a great advantage that swords don’t. If you utilize this, you can overcome that disadvantage.”

“What advantage?”

Beomseok grabbed the center of the spear and swung it up and down alternately.

“The diversity of the center of gravity. The center of gravity of a normal sword is mostly placed on the thumb of the right hand.

You can think of it as being around the handguard. But the spear’s center of gravity changes depending on where you grab it. If you grab the center like now, the ends of both hands become the center, creating two axes of rotation.

A sword requires a motion of returning the sword to strike the opponent, but a spear can attempt two attacks and defenses in between. The most representative example is blocking a sword strike from above while tripping the opponent’s feet with the lower part. You were caught in that trick, so it will be easy to understand.”

She nodded as if she fully understood. A moment ago, she had attacked Beomseok and was kicked by the staff, falling to the ground. There was no way to react to Beomseok blocking her attack and simultaneously striking her feet.

“I… I see. There is definitely that aspect.”

“So don’t underestimate the spear too much. The reason why swords are emphasized in modern times and proper spear techniques are not passed down is not because the spear is weak, but because it’s not highlighted. The spear was the strongest weapon in ancient times.”

“Really?”

Beomseok nodded slowly.

Although it varies greatly depending on the terrain and situation, if he were to generally state the superiority of the spear and sword, he would choose the spear. The advantage of having a long length brings a great strategic advantage. Some say that if a swordsman penetrates and attacks, they can easily defeat a spearman, but that’s because they don’t know well.

A swordsman with the spearhead in front of them found it difficult to move forward properly due to the pressure. So much so that in the Japanese historical record ‘Heihouyouhin’ [likely a historical text on military strategy], it was evaluated that the spear was a more advantageous weapon, stating that in a duel between a spear and a sword, the spear winning 7 times and the sword winning 3 times out of 10 matches was an equal match.

“That’s right. The reason why spears were given to ordinary soldiers in ancient armies was not only because they were cheap and easy to handle. It was because they were so powerful. In a war where the Han Dynasty [a major Chinese dynasty] would be destroyed if they lost, would they have given soldiers insignificant weapons just because they were cheap?”

“That’s true, but if the spear is stronger, why is the sword more recognized in modern times?”

“I don’t know well, but I think it’s because of authoritarianism and romance.”

The Japanese ‘Heihouyouhin’ that Beomseok referred to described the advantages of the spear in detail, but then added a contradictory phrase.

‘The spear has many advantages, but it cannot be brought into the room. The first thing for a warrior is swordsmanship. You must regard the sword as the best and learn the remaining techniques.’

For him, it was a truly incomprehensible phrase, and he was really curious as to why the sword was considered the best simply because the spear could not be brought into the house. Of course, he didn’t know if they added that because the sword was advantageous in combat in the room, but that was also absurd.

If you are fighting in your room, that war is already as good as lost.

Perhaps the atmosphere of emphasizing the sword was highlighted by the authoritarianism and romance that warriors have for the sword, as ancient warfare disappeared and became sports.

Rebecca, who had heard all the stories, stood up and said.

“Could it be because they were worried about assassins infiltrating the house? There were many assassins in ancient Japan.”

“Huhu. Is that so? Even a warrior must live first.”

Rebecca gave an awkward smile and looked at the distant sky. She didn’t know how to resolve this situation.

At this point in time, the landscape of the gladiator world was about to change greatly. If the ancient world, where real spears and swords were wielded in war, placed the spear above the sword, it was certain that the gladiator matches would show almost the same pattern.

This is because the gladiator competition is a sport that directly brings ancient warfare. Until now, there were no spearmen who used proper spear techniques, so they were only used in terms of strategic operation, but now Beomseok, a great spearman, has come into the world.

If spearmen who have perfectly inherited his spear techniques overflow in God’s Knights, Chaplin Whisper’s ambition will be greatly disrupted. Their goal and their grandfather’s earnest wish was to be the strongest gladiator team in the world.

‘Somehow, we need to learn Beomseok’s spear techniques and have Chaplin Whisper also have excellent spearmen. Otherwise, we will be pushed to second place in the future.’

Rebecca, with a gleam in her eyes, turned her head and looked at Beomseok. She was going to try to ask him for a favor.

“Excuse me, Beomseok. Could you possibly accept me as a disciple?”

“Disciple? Why?”

“To learn spear techniques.”

Beomseok immediately waved his hand. He was already annoyed to teach his own team members, so there was no need to add another burden. He was so busy with gladiator matches and battles with the Black Society that he needed several bodies.

“No way!”

“Why?”

Beomseok hesitated. If he said he didn’t want to take her as a disciple because it was annoying, it could negatively impact his favorability. He had to make another excuse.

“The world of professionals is cutthroat. Do you think I would do something stupid that would help another team? You should know that much if you’re a professional…”

Rebecca pouted, but she couldn’t refute his words. In the professional world, not only in the arena but also outside, intangible battles were taking place to gain an advantage.

It was common to analyze game footage to somehow latch onto the opponent’s weaknesses, and when selling their own gladiators to prevent the growth of competing teams, they charged much higher prices than to other teams. There was no way Beomseok would teach spear techniques to her, a gladiator from a competing team, unless he was an idiot.

“Then what do I have to do to get you to teach me?”

“There’s nothing to do. I have no intention of teaching spear techniques to anyone other than my team members.”

“Then if I’m a gladiator of God’s Knights, will you teach me spear techniques?”

Beomseok hesitated and nodded readily. Rebecca was the leader of Chaplin Whisper. There was no way she would come to God’s Knights unless she was crazy.

“In that case, I might accept you as a disciple.”

At those words, Rebecca began to worry. As the leader of a team, it was not without its difficulties to go to another team.

Not only the eyes of the outside world, but also the company’s management would definitely be displeased. But she wanted to go to God’s Knights. There was a mission to learn his spear techniques, but the main reason was that she didn’t want to retire as a gladiator as she was now.

She had been learning swordsmanship since she was young and had dreamed of becoming a gladiator, so she couldn’t help but feel sad about the current situation. She had been pushed out of the starting lineup and fell to the bench, and recently she had fallen to the second team, making it impossible to participate in the season’s games.

She could threaten the coach with her authority as the leader and force her way into the game, but she had to be prepared to receive coach Vincent’s resignation. He usually appeared as a gentle old man, but he was thorough when it came to gladiator matches.

He was not such an easy-going coach that he would consider the leader and put another person in the game.

However, if she went to God’s Knights, she could participate in the game. Although there were many excellent gladiators on this team, the squad was so weak that there were many opportunities to participate. Even Erica and Chiria, who belonged to the Wide Riger class [likely a lower-ranking class of gladiators], participated in the game.

‘I’m a C0-class gladiator [a mid-ranking class of gladiators]. I can definitely play an active role in God’s Knights. Of course, my grandfather will be furious, but if I explain the situation well, he will understand. If I don’t learn Beomseok’s spear techniques, Chaplin Whisper’s future is not very bright.’

Rebecca, who had made up her mind, came to Beomseok and acted cute.

“Then, I’ll transfer to God’s Knights. Then you’ll teach me spear techniques, right?”

At those words, Beomseok gave a blank look and twirled his index finger in his ear.

“Are you crazy? Why is the leader coming to our team!”

“Well, I can just quit being the leader.”

“Still no! You’re also a director of Chaplin Sports! I don’t bring gladiators who hold concurrent positions into the team.”

“I’ll quit that too. Actually, I was a little burdened to take on an important position in the company at a young age. People will obviously sneer at me, saying that I succeeded because I met my father well.”

“Still no! I don’t have the money to recruit you.”

“You don’t have to worry about the recruitment fee. I’m only going to receive 1 krang [likely a unit of currency]. Of course, I won’t receive a salary either. Is that okay?”

Beomseok let out a long sigh with a bewildered expression. Since she was saying it so shamelessly, there was no justification for refusing. He just threw out the words that he would think about it and left the place. Since it was a matter of increasing one more valuable team resource without spending a penny, it was necessary to think about it.

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

Ah, I’m a little late. I was really worried about whether I should post this article today. I hesitated to write about comparing the spear and the sword and putting the spear in a superior position. Today’s content is an act that completely reverses my previous ideas.

In fact, recently, I set up the appearance of the spear in this chapter and searched for data while worrying about how the spear could beat the sword. But… I came across an unexpected result. It is that the spear is a more powerful weapon than the sword.

It wasn’t bad because I didn’t have to find a special way for the spear to beat the sword, but I got angry. That’s because I was a swordsman who had learned kendo [a Japanese martial art of swordsmanship] for a while. But no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find any objective data or historical records that the sword was a better weapon than the spear. At best, only comforting words came out that the sword might be superior depending on the terrain, and most of them concluded that the spear was a more effective weapon than the sword.

It’s driving me crazy. Hmmm. So, for the past two episodes, I’ve been wavering back and forth, and finally today I’ve concluded that the spear is a more useful weapon. Since I decided to follow reality as much as possible unless it was a setting, I decided to take a step back.

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