Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 472

474

“Hehe. Let’s see the skills of a young pup who’s all talk!”

The King’s sword flew towards Beomseok. With a sharp trajectory, the sword pressure compressed the surroundings, and he swung his spear with a tense look.

Right now, the King was displaying a very orthodox and seasoned, high-level swordsmanship. He prioritized strategy over technique and emphasized a natural, flowing swordsmanship rather than speed.

It felt like watching a sword that had been honed for a long time. Mistakes were absolutely forbidden against such an opponent. In the worst-case scenario, he could be defeated in an instant, or at the very least, he would be overwhelmed in terms of moves.

In the end, Beomseok had no choice but to pour his heart and soul into each move when facing the King.

“Tyahat!”

Beomseok thrust the tip of his spear deep, aiming for the King’s abdomen. He bent his sword backward to deflect it, then immediately dashed forward, sending the tip of his sword flying.

Soon, with an impact strong enough to create intense sparks, the two different weapons collided in mid-air. As the tug-of-war between the spear and sword continued, the King frowned and stepped back. He had been pushed back by force without a doubt.

“That, that guy! He’s incredibly strong!”

The King quickly pulled back his sword and stepped to the side to escape. He judged that a battle of strength was too much. Beomseok gave up chasing after him and caught his breath on the spot. He intended to conserve his energy because the King was not someone who could be easily defeated. He had to consider the stamina he had used up fighting Eurine, who had come in second place.

Grasping the center of the spear shaft with both hands, he looked at the King with a strange gaze.

‘But this is strange. Even though it’s the beginning, he’s too aggressive. I thought the King would focus on defense….’

After exchanging a few blows, it was the King who had used more aggressive moves. Beomseok, who had expected him to focus on defense to wear down his stamina in this match, couldn’t help but tilt his head. But it wasn’t bad at all.

No, it was fortunate. If the King focused on attacking, there was nothing bad for him.

He soon took a defensive stance and waited for the King.

“As expected of an orthodox swordsman, he’s not easy. If I’m not careful, I might be the one who gets hurt.”

“Hehehe. Of course. I’ve been practicing swordsmanship my whole life. No matter how talented you are, you won’t be able to defeat me easily.”

At those words, Beomseok shook his head and said.

“What kind of humble words are those? The King may be a little lacking in physical aspects, but in terms of swordsmanship, he’s far ahead of me. His experience and insight are truly admirable. In reality, I’m the one who needs to be careful.”

“Hehe. The young one has a good eye.”

“Of course. I am currently the world’s strongest gladiator, for what it’s worth. At the very least, I know how skilled my opponent is. I think I’ll be able to learn a lot from fighting the King today.”

The King wore a satisfied smile. He couldn’t help but feel good when Beomseok showed him respect.

“Hehe. Is that so? Alright, I’ll show you what true swordsmanship is today.”

With those words, the King swung his sword with a triumphant expression. And when it was blocked by the spear shaft, he immediately swung it continuously, pressuring him.

Zackeed, who was watching Beomseok retreating and barely blocking the attacks, had a faint smile on his lips. It wasn’t because Beomseok was being pushed back by the King.

In fact, he had a deep desire in his heart for the King to be miserably defeated. It was because he had been backstabbed countless times.

Moreover, he was constantly nagged and scolded, and always treated like a fool and ignored.

“Wow~ Beomseok, that guy is always amazing. Anyway, he’s got a knack for playing with people.”

Hamilton, who overheard his mumbling from the side, stared blankly.

“Zackeed, what are you talking about?”

“Simply put, it means the King is about to lose.”

Hamilton, who stared at the King pouring out attacks for a moment, said.

“It seems like the King is unilaterally pushing him right now, but he’ll lose? Why are you so sure?”

“Hehe. Beomseok is being pushed by the King? Even a dog passing by would laugh. If he was that skilled, I wouldn’t have lost to him.”

Hamilton pondered for a moment and nodded. Currently, the world regarded Beomseok’s skills as superior to Zackeed’s. And the King had never won against Zackeed in a sparring match. In terms of the power dynamic, it seemed strange that Beomseok was being pushed back like that.

“Hmm. That’s a valid point. But why is this happening?”

“It’s simple. There’s nothing scarier than the recklessness of a young punk in this world, but what’s even scarier is the *kkondae* [a Korean slang term for an older person who is condescending or preachy] spirit of an old man.”

“*Kkondae* spirit?”

“Yes. But this *kkondae* spirit is quite subtle. They explode in anger at reasonable accusations, but they melt away like snow under the spring sun at sweet talk laced with poison. The King’s case right now is the latter.”

Hamilton frowned, having roughly caught on. He was an old man himself, so he couldn’t have liked hearing that.

“Zackeed. It seems you have a lot of complaints about us. I think I’ll have to take some time later to see you separately.”

Zackeed immediately burst into laughter and pointed at Hamilton with his index finger.

“Hahaha. That’s the *kkondae* spirit. They never listen to sincere advice. Kekeke.”

“You little rascal!”

As Hamilton stood up abruptly, the King, who had been struck in the abdomen by Beomseok’s spear tip, flew into the air. And as he fell to the ground, the referee’s decision followed simultaneously.

“Match over! Oh, Beomseok wins!”

Hamilton stared at the King with a dazed expression. Zackeed was rolling around, clutching his stomach. In the middle of them, Beomseok, with an embarrassed expression, approached the fallen King and extended his hand.

“I can’t believe the King would make such a mistake… Anyway, I was lucky today.”

The King, who took his hand, looked at his legs with a resentful gaze. Because he focused on attacking, his steps were slightly twisted, providing Beomseok with an opportunity to attack. It was truly regrettable, and it seemed like he would regret it for a long time.

“It can’t be helped. I can only say it’s all my fault for making a mistake.”

“Absolutely not. I’m always watching the King’s plays through videos, so I know that you almost never make these kinds of mistakes. It’s just that you were unlucky.”

“Well, that’s true, but it can’t be helped. In a match between skilled people like us, victory and defeat are determined by the heavens. It’s all something I have to endure.”

Beomseok shook his head and looked at the King, who was getting up from his seat with a long sigh.

“Hoo~ If you think so, I have nothing to say. I’m just impressed by the King who confidently admits defeat.”

“Hehe. That’s only natural. For a true swordsman, defeat is nourishment for victory. Of course, I have to admit it.”

Beomseok wore a very impressed expression at those words.

“Ah. I see. It seems like I’m not only learning about swordsmanship today, but also about the duty of a swordsman. I will truly engrave the King’s teachings in my heart today.”

“Hehe. I’m glad you understand.”

The King’s shoulders were drooping as he turned around, seemingly disappointed. Zackeed, who was greeting him, was struggling to hold back his laughter with a subtle expression, and Hamilton was glaring at him with a seething gaze.

“King. You did very well. Very excellent.”

“No. Brother. I’m extremely ashamed.”

“Ashamed? No, it’s a relief. Even I would be too embarrassed to show my face if I fell for such a foolish trick. How can you be even worse than Zackeed over there?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Hamilton pointed his finger at Beomseok, who was clutching his stomach and shaking his shoulders as he returned to his seat.

“You stupid fool! You’ve been played by that young one and came back! What? Defeat is nourishment for victory for a true swordsman? You might as well just drown yourself in a bowl of water. You won’t be able to live with the shame if you find out the truth. Tsk tsk.”

Still unable to understand, the King widened his eyes.

“Brother. What are you talking about right now? What have I been played with?”

“If you’re really curious, ask Zackeed. He knows better than I do. Ugh, what a pathetic thing… Tsk tsk tsk.”

Seeing the King tilting his head, Zackeed finally couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter, rolling around. Seeing this, Hamilton bit his lip tightly, seemingly displeased, and walked out into the arena. He intended to firmly teach Beomseok, who had played with a respected elder, what manners were.

He pointed at Beomseok with his finger even before the referee’s signal to start the match.

“You! How dare you make fun of an elder! I’m going to fix your bad habits, so come out quickly!”

Beomseok, who was sitting down and taking a break, stared blankly at Hamilton. His expression, visible through his face shield, was distorted to a considerable degree, indicating that he was very angry. And right now, the King was beating Zackeed and glaring at him as if he wanted to kill him.

‘Damn it. He caught on. It would have been easier to deal with Zackeed if I had tricked Hamilton as well. Anyway, you have to acknowledge that these old men are quick-witted.’

Beomseok, grumbling inwardly, ignored Hamilton’s provocation and focused on the referee. There was no need to go out in advance and shorten his break time. He was exhausted from fighting three people, so rest was very precious to him.

Angered by his disregard, Hamilton roared.

“You! What are you doing not coming out quickly!”

“Geez. It’s not much of a break time, so please let me rest.”

“This guy really!”

As Hamilton’s voice grew louder, the referee’s eyes narrowed. It was natural for an old man to scold a young man for his mistakes, but this was a professional arena where everything was judged by skill.

He should never act in a way that would give the opponent a sense of intimidation that was too obvious. Moreover, in the referee’s eyes, Beomseok had not done anything wrong.

No, he was even considered an excellent young man because he had shown respect when facing the King earlier.

In the end, a warning came from the referee’s mouth.

“Mr. Hamilton. Please refrain from such remarks. There are many spectators watching us right now.”

“No. That guy won’t come out even though I told him to!”

“It’s break time right now. Of course, Gladiator Oh Beomseok has the right to rest. So don’t say such nonsense. If you continue to do this, I will disqualify you.”

Then Hamilton shut his mouth tightly. If he was disqualified, there would be no way to avenge the King. And Zackeed would have to face Beomseok, who had only fought three people, and if Beomseok won at this time, all the blame for today’s defeat would be placed on him.

‘It can’t be helped. It’s just a matter of waiting for a while, so I have to be patient.’

After a while, as the match start time approached, the referee called Beomseok. He calmly got up from his seat, put his spear on both shoulders, and came forward. And he responded to Hamilton, who was glaring at him, with polite courtesy.

“It’s truly an honor to compete against such a distinguished Hamilton.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Shut your mouth! Do you think I don’t know your tricks!”

“Ah. What kind of disappointing words are those? I’m just saying that because I respect Mr. Hamilton, a great elder in the world of swordsmanship.”

Hamilton immediately drew the sword he was wearing on his waist with a rough movement. It was an indirect expression of his intention to show that his tricks would not work.

“I’m different from that King guy. I will never fall for your tricks, so you better be prepared.”

“Ah. Is that so? That’s too bad.”

It was Beomseok who finally revealed his true feelings. Since flattery didn’t work, he was trying to switch to provocation. Fortunately, Hamilton was emitting anger to an obvious degree.

“So you’re confessing now. So the King was tricked after all.”

“Well. Isn’t it inevitable? Psychological warfare is also part of the fight.”

“I guess so. The guy who falls for psychological warfare is an idiot.”

Hamilton, with a serious expression, took a deep breath and readily admitted it. It was true, but it was also because he had noticed that Beomseok was trying to provoke him. There was no point in getting angry for no reason, so he needed to focus on the upcoming match now.

“Hehe. That’s right. But I hope it’s not Mr. Hamilton. The King was too boring.”

“I know. That’s why I’m going to give him a good scolding when I get back.”

“Really? But it doesn’t seem like Mr. Hamilton is in a position to scold anyone?”

“What do you mean?”

“Mr. Hamilton’s mind is greatly shaken right now. I can tell just by looking at your sword and posture.”

Hamilton checked his mindset and posture, then glared at him. There was nothing wrong.

“You! Your tongue is like that of a snake! How dare you try to deceive someone!”

“Ah. Is that so? If you don’t know, there’s nothing I can do. Anyway, it’s a relief. I can’t believe Mr. Hamilton didn’t notice this mental turmoil. It seems like I’ll win easily this time too.”

At those words, Hamilton closed his eyes tightly. He knew that every word he said was a trick to break his composure. If he fell for his words and ruined his current posture, defeat was too obvious.

Soon after, as the referee announced the start of the match, Hamilton immediately opened his eyes and deflected the flying spear strike.

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

Happy Chuseok. There isn’t a single cloud in the sky, so the full moon is very visible.

Then everyone be careful of the relative rush; I’ll see you again tomorrow.