Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 401

“Whew~ Should I head out again?”

As the start time for Round 3 approached, Beomseok dusted himself off and stood up. His expression was deeply etched with tension and determination, suggesting that facing Amelie again was somewhat of a burden.

If it were just her alone, it might be manageable, but if the situation from Round 1 were to repeat itself, he would be in serious trouble. Observing this, Diana grabbed his arm as he was about to open the door and leave.

“Master, you remember the strategy for this round, right?”

Beomseok nodded. He had just thoroughly discussed it with the team and etched it into his mind.

“Of course. I’ll do well, so don’t worry. Do you think I can’t even successfully execute such a simple plan?”

“Indeed. Then, I’ll trust only in you, Master.”

“Heh heh. Alright.”

Beomseok patted Diana’s shoulder and stepped out of the dugout, standing in the entrance tunnel. He looked at each of his teammates, who were already lined up and waiting, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Everyone knows the plan for this operation, right!”

“Yes!”

“Good. Then you must follow me without a single error. Understood?”

“Yes!”

Having received his teammates’ pledge, Beomseok moved to the front of the line and looked towards the opposing entrance tunnel. The target of this operation was right inside that shaded tunnel. Soon, an announcement urging them to enter was broadcasted, and he led his teammates onto the arena floor.

‘Hmm. Yoshia was number 7, right.’

Standing face-to-face with the Chaplin Whisper team gladiators in the center of the arena, Beomseok stepped forward. It was to see Yoshia. Since he was considering recruiting him, information verification was essential. He identified an elf gladiator with the mark ‘7’ on his suit’s chest and opened the information window.

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Name: Yoshia.

Classification: Elf (29 years).

Affiliation: Chaplin Whisper GC.

Fame: 39742.

Infamy: 56.

H Status: None.

Stamina: 8872/10000.

Social Skills: 95+10, Strength: 100+10, Constitution: 100+10.

Agility: 98+10, Balance: 98+10, Intelligence: 97+10.

Mental Strength: 98+10. Judgment: 100+10, Skill: 90+10.

Luck: 95+10.

Current Skill/Potential: 971/971.

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Trait: Gaia’s Blessing.

Special Notes: Formerly a key gladiator of the Devil Sprites, he transferred to Chaplin Whisper two and a half years ago. He possesses specialized knowledge of mid-level combat and primarily uses a spear. He is excited about his upcoming retirement this winter but feels regret about ending his long career as a gladiator. Therefore, he is giving his all this season for one last grand finale.

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‘Wow. Impressive. Yoshia. I must recruit him to our team!’

In a word, he was completely satisfied. There was some anxiety about when old age might affect him, but his stats were undeniably impressive. Most stats, except for Skill, exceeded 95, and three stats were maxed out.

And the trait ‘Gaia’s Blessing’ was truly amazing, enough to make his jaw drop. Just by having his feet on the ground, all his stats would increase by +10, and upon activation, it had the bizarre ability to restore +200 stamina to himself and all affiliated team members.

Of course, the stamina recovery function had a penalty of a one-week limit, but even so, Beomseok couldn’t help but covet it greatly. It could replenish the energy of his tired teammates with a lacking squad, greatly reducing the instances of key gladiators being unable to participate due to stamina depletion.

– Gladiator Oh Beomseok. The match will begin soon, please step back.

At the referee’s request, Beomseok hurriedly closed the information window and stepped back. Closing the distance before the match started was against the rules. If he continued to stay there, he could receive a warning, and if he refused to comply, he could even be ejected after the referees’ discussion for obstructing the match.

Beomseok gestured apologetically towards the referee’s stand on the outskirts of the arena and stood at the very front of the God Knights formation. Then, he drew the twin swords from his waist and gripped them in both hands.

“Everyone, prepare! We’ll charge in immediately after the start, so make sure no one lags behind! Understood!”

“Yes!”

The God Knights’ formation, shaped like a sharpened arrowhead, was slowly lowering. It was because they were bending their knees in preparation for the charge.

Before long, the second hand on the scoreboard approached ‘0’, and the arena fell silent.

– Beeeep! Match start!

With the starting signal, Beomseok and the God Knights gladiators simultaneously dashed forward. Following behind, he, Sheila, and Nikita forcefully swung their swords and spear at the four incoming whips.

“Everyone, charge in! The target is one!”

The gazes of all the God Knights gladiators, including Beomseok, were directed towards Amelie. The strategy for this round was to take her down, no matter the cost.

It was a somewhat reckless strategy, but it was the best option the God Knights could choose. If they were lucky enough to defeat Amelie without taking significant damage, they might even win this round.

However, it was not an easy task. Having been breached in Round 1, the Chaplin Whisper team gladiators were paying close attention and blocking their approach.

“If we just prevent their approach, we’ll definitely win! Everyone, focus!”

Amelie seemed to be avoiding a fight with Beomseok, continuously lashing out with her whip. No matter how she thought about it, it was better to avoid a direct confrontation with him.

She was angry at the fans’ reactions after Round 1, which placed him above her, but she still couldn’t fight him. She didn’t think she was worse than Beomseok, but there was no guarantee of a hundred percent victory.

If she were to be defeated by him, the team would be in great danger.

Whiriririk!

The whip, drawing strange curves in the air, descended rapidly towards Beomseok, forming a sharp point. With a sharp metal tip attached to the end, getting hit properly could lead to immediate incapacitation. He hurriedly deflected the whip and continued to sprint forward.

“Amelie! Here I come!”

“Vanguard, what are you doing! Stop Beomseok quickly!”

As Beomseok succeeded in approaching, Amelie shouted towards the vanguard, Salivia, Emires, and Kaneloa. She needed time to draw her twin swords. However, they were blocked by Sheila and Nikita, who arrived next, and couldn’t stop him.

After retreating slightly, Beomseok stepped on Nikita’s back and jumped into the air.

“Amelie! Now you’re finished!”

“Far from it! Do you think I’ll be defeated by you, Beomseok-nim!”

As their twin swords crossed, a clear metallic sound rang out. Amelie had barely managed to draw her sword and block him. Thanks to that, Beomseok’s face, upon landing on the ground, was filled with regret. If he had succeeded in entering faster, he might have been able to defeat her with this attack.

He immediately disengaged the clashing swords and retreated slightly. Ionis and Landra were rapidly approaching.

“Everyone, help Master and advance!”

However, with the God Knights gladiators pushing forward like a tidal wave, overwhelming the vanguard, they couldn’t dare to attack Beomseok. They knew that their target was Amelie. Ionis hurriedly stood in front of his master and shouted.

“Master, evade! It seems they’re targeting you!”

Amelie already knew that well. Having been a gladiator for a long time and experiencing it often, she realized it faster than anyone else on the team. However, she had no intention of retreating at all.

She knew that if she retreated like this, the team’s formation would collapse and fall into an endless abyss. Firstly, they would lose all the vanguard trapped between the opposing formation and Beomseok.

At this point, it was necessary to break through the opponent’s vanguard with force.

“No! If we retreat here, we’ll be defeated! So everyone, charge and save our vanguard!”

As soon as Amelie’s command was issued, the Chaplin Whisper gladiators launched an attack all at once. In response, Salivia, Emires, and Kaneloa, who were isolated in enemy territory, exerted their strength and continued their struggle for survival. If they could just hold out a little longer, they could escape this crisis.

‘Tch. As expected of Amelie. She knows what we’re aiming for, yet she fearlessly charges in. But it’s not bad. Our goal is to defeat her no matter what.’

Still, Beomseok’s expression showed regret. He was glad that Amelie wasn’t avoiding him at all, but he was about to miss an unexpectedly good opportunity. If the God Knights eliminated Chaplin Whisper’s vanguard, even with Amelie present, the victory in this round would go to him.

“Everyone, give it your all! We must defeat Amelie!”

Beomseok shouted to everyone, watching the two formations clashing. Since Amelie was at the forefront, confronting him, it seemed possible to eliminate her if they did well. No matter how skilled a gladiator she was, she couldn’t withstand being targeted by twelve people.

Soon, the God Knights gladiators knocked the opponent’s vanguard aside and rushed towards Amelie.

“No, stop them!”

Hearing Amelie’s scream-like voice, Ionis and Landra blocked the way. But the two of them couldn’t stop the God Knights’ advance, including Beomseok. They were immediately pushed back by Nikita and Sheila, opening the way.

At that moment, Renka, seeing Amelie exposed, threw herself with all her might to make a tackle. One might think that Amelie, a world-class gladiator, wouldn’t be unable to avoid such a physical attack, but right now, the gladiators from both teams were all gathered together.

There was no way to escape, so Amelie had no choice but to swing her sword forcefully at Karen.

If she could incapacitate her, she wouldn’t be able to tackle. But her sword was blocked by Beomseok, and Renka’s suicide attack worked without fail.

“Amelie is in danger! Everyone, push back the opponents!”

“Now’s our chance! No matter the sacrifice, move forward!”

Standing at the point of collision between the extremely concentrated teams, Beomseok couldn’t move an inch and was slowly pushed forward, collapsing. He could see the prey lying on the ground with Renka in front of him, but there was no room to swing his sword at all. In fact, attacking in this situation where he couldn’t even twitch a finger was absurd.

‘Damn it. This isn’t going as planned.’

At the same time, the gladiators from both teams collapsed in a heap. As Chaplin Whisper’s center crumbled, they were forced to fall forward one after another due to the force. A moment where victory or defeat couldn’t be determined. Now, this match could be said to depend on luck. The team that managed to stab the opponent underneath them first would win.

Fortunately, Beomseok’s initial luck wasn’t too bad. The opposing team’s gladiator lying right beneath him was none other than Amelie. He barely managed to move his hand and stabbed his sword into her side.

‘Yes! I won! Hahaha! I defeated Amelie!’

Amelie, whose joints were gradually stiffening, glared at Beomseok, who was wearing a bitter smile, with a look of astonishment. Even though she was compressed and unable to move her body, she couldn’t possibly not know that she was being incapacitated. But she let out a hollow laugh and then drew a long arc on her lips.

Beomseok, unable to do anything in the current situation, was stiffening and collapsing. Landra, who was lying next to him, stabbed his neck with her sword.

This situation was happening everywhere, and the gladiators from both teams collapsed one after another.

“What on earth is going on? Who’s winning?”

“I don’t know. Everyone’s tangled up and collapsed, so how can we tell?”

Amidst the buzzing of the audience, a battle broke out between the rear guards of both teams. They were at the rear, so they were able to survive this absurd melee. And some of the gladiators who had fallen got up and joined the fight.

“Come on. Let’s win no matter what!”

“Everyone, give it your all!”

Beomseok, unable to move while lying on top of Amelie, scanned the battlefield while doing the limbo. Since the aces, as well as most of the gladiators from both teams, were incapacitated in the melee, the God Knights’ chances of victory weren’t small.

Even though they were somewhat behind in terms of overall strength, if even one more person was safe in this unpredictable situation, they could push Chaplin Whisper based on numerical superiority.

‘Please, we have to win this round no matter what…….’

But luck abandoned Beomseok. Despite his wishes, Chaplin Whisper had one more person. In God Knights, Seiya, Bertia, Rezaris, Jeremia, and Kazella were safe, while they had a whopping six remaining.

Thanks to that, the tide soon turned in favor of Chaplin Whisper, and after a while, God Knights suffered a defeat in Round 3 as well.

Uwaaaaaa! Uwaaaaaa!

Listening to the home fans’ fervent cheers, Beomseok, who had recovered from his incapacitated state, got up from his seat with a bitter expression. He couldn’t possibly be happy with the situation of losing all three rounds. Such a score was proof of a thorough defeat.

He glared at Amelie, who was getting up behind him, and said.

“Amelie, the next match will be different from this one.”

She brushed the dust off her suit and retorted.

“I wonder. Will that really be easy? You’ll know if you look at today’s match results. You must know what losing all three rounds means, right?”

“Heh heh. I know very well that it’s an undeniable score. But God Knights is a team that’s improving day by day. So you can look forward to it.”

“Yes. I’ll look forward to it to some extent. But we’re also a team that’s constantly improving. God Knights will never be able to catch up.”

“Heh heh. Is that so? I hope so too.”

Leaving those words behind, Beomseok obediently turned towards the dugout. The words of the loser are always pathetic, so it would only tarnish his image to keep babbling. Right now, it was better to go back and focus on improving the team’s strength.

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

I watched ‘The Wind Mage’ after a long time, and it’s fun. It’s quite enjoyable to take out and read novels that I used to read a long time ago. Although the paper is a bit faded and hurts my eyes. Hahaha.

Then everyone, have a pleasant day. I’ll see you all again tomorrow.