Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 469

471

Perched in a tree, Beom-seok clicked his tongue, observing the Irat formation. The Irat team’s gladiators stood in a tight defensive posture, making a direct attack difficult. Eight gladiators with shields formed an impenetrable wall on all sides, while the four inside showed no sign of relaxing their guard.

‘As expected, they’re not budging. At this rate, there’s no way to break through.’

Beom-seok shook his head and glanced at Tiela, who occupied a nearby tree.

“How is it, Tiela? Can you snipe them?”

“Well, it’s difficult because there’s no opening at all. Shooting an arrow now would be a waste of ammunition.”

“Do you have any bright ideas?”

“Not in this situation. We need to disrupt their formation before we can do anything.”

Beom-seok’s eyes flicked back to the Irat formation, singling out a gladiator in the center with a conspicuously large head. He was too big to hide.

“Could that be a weak point? He’s got his whole head exposed.”

“Pfft. That’s Zakid. Do you think he’d get hit by my arrow while he’s on guard?”

“Really? What if Zakid was distracted?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know until I tried. It might work on another gladiator, but Zakid…”

Indeed, if it weren’t for Beom-seok, Zakid would likely be the strongest gladiator in the world. Even with his attention diverted, there was no guarantee that an arrow would find its mark.

“True enough. But I think it’s worth a shot. I’ll try to get Zakid’s attention; prepare to snipe.”

“Yes, Master.”

Beom-seok dropped from the tree and moved through the forest. He was going to attempt to bait Zakid. A failed shot would be a waste, but he doubted he’d even get a proper shot in this first round anyway. So, a gamble wasn’t a bad idea.

He moved away from the center, heading towards the open ground on the flank.

“Hey, Zakid! What are you doing in there!”

Instantly, Zakid’s head snapped to the left. Beom-seok was the only gladiator visible above the treeline. He couldn’t help but be interested.

“Can’t you see! I’m waiting! Why are you out here when you should be hiding in the forest!”

“Hahaha. I saw a turtle poking its head out, so I came to take a look! It’s so big, it caught my eye!”

“Turtle? Where’s a turtle here! Does your coliseum raise turtles, too?”

“Hehe. Of course not! I just mistook the Irat formation for a turtle. Zakid’s head looks just like a turtle’s head!”

Laughter rippled through the stands. Beom-seok’s taunt had hit its mark. If Zakid lost his cool and gave chase, Avendon would have a golden opportunity.

Zakid’s face flushed red, and he roared at the top of his lungs.

“What! You little punk! Do you want to die right now!”

“Why are you getting so worked up over a simple mistake? But if you really want to come out here, I won’t stop you. Hahaha!”

As Zakid surged to his feet, an arrow whistled through the air. Tiela had taken her shot. But before the arrow could reach its target, Wang deflected it with a swift, circular sword motion. He then clenched his fist and punched Zakid hard on the head.

“You idiot! What are you going to do if you fall for such obvious bait!”

Zakid, still red-faced, glared at Wang.

“Wang, you’re going too far. Do you think I’d actually get hit by that arrow!”

“That’s not the point! I’m scolding you for your quick temper! When are you going to learn to control it!”

“Then what am I supposed to do? That guy keeps teasing me!”

“You still have to endure it! I’m telling you this because I don’t know what will happen if you chase after him now! When are you going to grow up!”

Zakid pouted. He’d been constantly annoyed recently. His former mentor, Remnant, had become the coach, and Wang and Hamilton, prominent figures in the sword world, had joined the team and were constantly nagging him. Every day was a trial.

“Are you saying I’d get hit by that guy?”

“Of course. It looks like he’s trying to lure you into the forest. Do you think you’ll win if you go in there? Don’t even think about it. Just shut up and maintain the formation.”

“Oh, right. I just have to stay put, right?”

Wang’s fist connected with Zakid’s head again.

“Like you wouldn’t go in! I know your personality. Do you think I’d believe that! Shut up, get behind the shield, and sit down!”

Zakid reluctantly sat down, grumbling loud enough to be heard even through his helmet. He was frustrated that he had a chance to get revenge on Beom-seok right in front of him, but he had to stay put. No matter how strong he was, he couldn’t argue with Wang, a respected senior in the sword world.

‘Sigh~ I guess not? This is a big deal. Zakid’s only weakness is his quick temper, but he’s being controlled by that Wang guy. The Dark Hyenas are going to become scarily strong.’

When Zakid didn’t take the bait, Beom-seok immediately retreated into the forest. He could have pushed harder, but he gave up when he saw Zakid being so thoroughly controlled by Wang. Meanwhile, Lelli and Dilia in the center were drawing their bows and nocking arrows. He could stop them, but there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

He returned to his spot and waited for the first round to end.

Woo-oo-oo~ Woo-oo-oo~

Amidst the audience’s boos, the gladiators from both teams returned to their dugouts. The boos were a mixture of ridicule and contempt for both teams, who hadn’t engaged in any meaningful action for the entire 20 minutes of the first round.

The commentators shared the audience’s frustration. They couldn’t provide any real commentary during the match. If matches like this became the norm, they might have to look for new jobs.

– As expected, neither team showed any initiative. They pulled this stunt during the semi-finals, and now this ridiculous match is happening in the finals. The fans have every right to boo.

The commentator responded with a troubled expression.

– I agree. While defensive strategies are common in the World Cup due to the high stakes, this is excessive. How can you end a round without any swords even clashing?

– Exactly. The only attack was Tiela’s arrow, wasn’t it? But even in the semi-finals, there was at least an exchange of arrows between the two teams. What is this…

– That’s why I think the gladiator match rules need to be re-evaluated.

– What do you mean?

– Like other combat sports, if the teams avoid fighting for a certain amount of time or show no intent to engage, they should receive a warning.

The commentator immediately shook his head. That was going too far.

Gladiator matches, being team events, involved complex strategic elements unlike individual combat sports. It wasn’t just about brute force; it was a more intricate battle where victory was achieved through clever strategies that exploited the terrain and targeted the opponent’s weaknesses. That’s why the rules were simple, allowing freedom as long as the stadium was a circular arena with a diameter of 100 meters, regardless of the terrain. Imposing regulations like the announcer suggested would severely limit each team’s freedom in terrain and strategy selection, potentially undermining the unique appeal of gladiator matches.

– That would be difficult. Unlike simple combat sports, gladiator matches heavily emphasize strategic depth. There would be many unforeseen consequences if you introduced such restrictions.

– But if matches like this continue, won’t the fans lose interest?

– Hmm. That’s true, but this is the World Cup, where everything is decided in a single match, so there’s not much we can do. And let’s be honest, this isn’t the first time this has happened, is it? Remember the World Cup match held in the Jidu region?

The Jidu region was the home of the Forest Elves, whose Papiranshi City Coliseum was renowned for its dense forests, putting immense pressure on visiting teams.

Consequently, similar situations had occurred repeatedly when the World Cup match was held there, prompting serious discussions within the Federation Professional Gladiator Association.

– Yes, that’s right. It was quite a controversy back then.

– But even after that World Cup, the number of fans attending the coliseum didn’t decline. This suggests that fans don’t want restrictions that could compromise the freedom of terrain and strategy.

– Hmm. I suppose you’re right. Okay, I understand.

While the commentators voiced their dissatisfaction, Beom-seok entered the dugout with a grim expression. He was equally frustrated. He really didn’t want to play matches like this anymore.

Beom-seok yanked off his helmet and slumped onto the bench as if it would break.

“Damn it, this is driving me crazy. I don’t know if I can keep doing this just to win. Should I just attack?”

Clark, sitting in the coach’s seat, fixed him with a worried stare. Even if he wasn’t desperate to win the World Cup, there was no need to throw the match on purpose. If Beom-seok lost his temper and charged in, Avendon would certainly lose.

“Don’t. With our current strength, we can’t beat the Irat team in a straight fight. As much as they want that, our only chance to win is in the showdown.”

“I know that too. I’m just saying this because I’m annoyed.”

“Well, what can we do? If we engage on terrain that favors them, defeat is certain, so how can a fight break out? Just think of it as a relaxing break.”

Beom-seok gestured towards the audience filling the stands.

“But today’s audience paid a lot of money to be here. If we show them this disappointing performance, they might lose faith in our team for the new season. Then we’ll have problems with revenue.”

“Hehe. As if that would happen? You know it well, don’t you? The team the fans are booing today isn’t us, it’s the opposing team. Don’t make lame excuses about launching a full-scale war; just stay put. I’ll create an interesting situation later.”

“An interesting situation?”

Clark swiveled his chair and stared intently. He hesitated about revealing his plan so soon, but decided that advance knowledge would give Beom-seok time to prepare, making it more advantageous.

“I’m putting you in as the vanguard in the showdown.”

Beom-seok’s eyes widened. The vanguard was the first position to fight in the showdown.

“No, that doesn’t make sense. Even if I’m the captain, I don’t know if I’ll have the stamina, and you’re telling me to be the vanguard?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“If you’re the captain, you might only fight three or four people. Then, even if you win, it won’t be a decisive victory.”

Beom-seok’s lips curled into a slight smile. It seemed Clark was taking a risk to boost his reputation.

“Hehe. Are you sure it’s okay? If I lose, you’ll face a lot of criticism for coming up with such a ridiculous showdown strategy.”

“It doesn’t matter. If we can’t win, you and I will look like fools, but no one can openly criticize us. Our Avendon team has achieved good results in this tournament.”

Beom-seok sat back calmly. It was a challenge, but he was satisfied because it was an interesting mission.

“Okay. I’ll accept it.”

“Good. Then stay put in the remaining rounds. Don’t do useless things like you did at the beginning of the first round. If you run out of stamina, it will be a big problem in the showdown.”

“Yes. I understand. I’ll just lie down.”

Clark, still looking troubled, nodded. If Beom-seok was lying down during the match, there would be criticism that he wasn’t being sincere, but he could brush it off as provocation. And even without a battle, the stamina consumption couldn’t be the same between climbing a tree and squatting down versus lying down comfortably.

It would definitely help in the showdown to some extent.

“That’s up to you. Then I look forward to the second round.”

“Yes. I understand.”

After that, Beom-seok participated in the second round. He played all 20 minutes of the first round, but because there was no battle, his stamina wasn’t depleted. In the end, he rested comfortably near a stream in the forest throughout the second round.

– Match over! Entering the showdown!

When the 5th round ended, Beom-seok got up and dusted off the dirt. The away fans booed at this sight, but he didn’t care. Their jeers couldn’t drown out the cheers of the home fans chanting Beom-seok’s name. Beom-seok soon emerged from the forest with his teammates and waited on the open ground.

After a while, Zakid, crossing the iron bridge, shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Oh, Beom-seok! You! Are you going to act like that! It’s ridiculous to lie down during the game!”

“Hahaha. Isn’t that because you didn’t come out! But you didn’t fall for such a simple taunt, Zakid. You’ve built up quite a bit of mental fortitude, unlike what you look like! I’m impressed!”

At those words, Zakid, nostrils flaring, charged forward. But he was quickly stopped by Wang, who held him back.

Wang cuffed him on the back of the head.

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

Have a good day. Then I’ll see you again tomorrow.