Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 499

501.

– Pee-eep! The match begins!

With the whistle echoing throughout the arena, Round 1 began. Both teams, positioned around the center, appeared to be testing each other, refraining from any aggressive engagements.

Since victory was crucial for both teams aiming for the championship, caution was paramount. A premature or poorly executed attack could be devastating, potentially handing the win to the opponent, hence the extreme caution.

“The Ancient Warriors team is using a defensive formation on their home ground… Aren’t they ashamed of themselves?” Beom-seok taunted.

Despite Beom-seok’s sarcastic remark, the Ancient Warriors’ formation remained steadfast. They were indeed somewhat ashamed, but they recognized they had little choice. God’s Knights were simply that formidable.

“Hmph! We won’t fall for such provocations! If you truly desire victory, try breaking through our defensive line! We will not budge!” Rakami retorted.

Rakami’s response caused Beom-seok to frown. It seemed he would have to take a calculated risk. Considering the power disparity between the two teams, their chances of winning remained high, but he couldn’t dismiss the possibility of unforeseen complications.

He chuckled and mockingly addressed Rakami. It was still early in the match, allowing for some psychological maneuvering.

“Rakami! Your trash talk is as sharp as ever! If your skills matched your words, you wouldn’t need to resort to a defensive formation today!”

“What do you mean by that!”

“Your recent performance speaks volumes. Are you truly unaware of my meaning?”

Rakami bit her lip. Of course, she was aware. She had been ranked 5th overall among gladiators the previous year, but her skills had been waning recently due to age. Consequently, Rakami had fallen outside the top 50, and local fans were criticizing her as a ‘money-grabber’.

However, she possessed a wealth of experience. She wasn’t a novice gladiator who would abandon formation due to the opponent’s blatant psychological tactics.

“Hehehe. Beom-seok. If you’re attempting to lure us out, save your breath. I have no intention of leaving this position, so unless you come to us, there will be no battle. So, what will you do?”

As expected, Beom-seok wore a wry smile. It seemed impossible to shatter the Ancient Warriors’ unwavering defensive resolve.

‘Looks like we’ll have to engage them directly. It’s unfortunate, but anticipated, so it’s not a major setback. Tsk.’

Beom-seok winked at Prisika in the mid-line, signaling his intention to entrust the main camp’s defense to her.

He intended to act as a free-roaming attacker, disrupting the Ancient Warriors’ formation from the flanks. Naturally, a marker could emerge to intercept him, but that was acceptable.

To effectively stop him, at least two opponents would have to detach from the formation. This would create a numerical advantage, increasing the likelihood of a successful breakthrough at the main camp.

“Who will face me! Surely you’re not too afraid to step forward!”

Beom-seok’s booming challenge prompted the Ancient Warriors’ gladiators to turn their attention to Rakami. While she remained technically proficient, her physical strength had diminished with age. She was less effective in maintaining the defensive formation, making her the logical choice to act as a marker.

Rakami glanced at Irolita and gestured.

“Let’s go. We’ll intercept Beom-seok.”

Irolita followed her with a somewhat apprehensive expression. It had been agreed upon during the strategy session that she would participate as a marker, but she harbored doubts about her ability to stop Beom-seok.

She trailed closely behind Rakami and said in a trembling voice.

“Sister, can we really do this? I’ve faced Beom-seok as a marker before, and we lost after a hard-fought battle.”

“That’s true, but we have no choice but to give it our all. So, brace yourself.”

‘Do your best?’ ‘Brace yourself?’ These words offered little comfort to Irolita. They had lost even when Prisika was on their side. Of course, Prisika, eager to impress Beom-seok, had employed some questionable tactics, but Irolita was unaware of that.

“Why don’t we have Levia join us? We lost even when the three of us fought last year.”

“Don’t speak such nonsense. The situation is different from last year. If Levia leaves to face Beom-seok, the main camp will be vulnerable. God’s Knights has Prisika now.”

Irolita had no response. With the addition of Prisika and several other skilled gladiators, God’s Knights was a vastly different team compared to the previous year. Regardless of the Ancient Warriors’ defensive formation, if Levia were to leave, the collapse of the main camp would be inevitable.

“Y-yes, but……”

“So, we must mark Beom-seok. Understood?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Rakami nodded and stood resolutely before Beom-seok, tapping her shield. It was a clear signal that she was ready for him to attack at any moment. In response, Irolita raised her shield in her left hand and adopted a battle stance.

“Come on, Beom-seok! Come!”

“Hehe. You want to test me? Good.”

Beom-seok smiled and stomped his foot once, then charged forward. He swung his spear fiercely in the air and then thrust it forcefully towards Rakami’s shield.

With a resounding thud, Rakami was pushed back. Due to her recent physical decline, she couldn’t effectively block Beom-seok’s full-force strike. But she wasn’t facing Beom-seok alone.

His next strike, imbued with powerful rotational force, was intercepted by Irolita.

‘Tsk. It’s Beom-seok after all. One mistake and I’ll be defeated instantly. I need to stay focused and be extra cautious.’

Irolita, who had taken a few steps back from the impact, bit her lip and rushed towards Beom-seok. If she remained passive, his attacks would be concentrated on Rakami, and she wanted to prevent that. She wasn’t in peak physical condition to withstand Beom-seok’s immense power alone.

“Hyah!”

Irolita, who was thrusting her one-handed sword at him, abruptly halted her attack in surprise and lowered her shield. He was aiming his spear at her lower body without even looking at her.

She barely managed to block it, but her failure to stop his advance was critical. Before she realized it, the spear that had struck her shield was swiftly reaching Rakami’s face, using the impact as a recoil.

“Tch! I won’t go down easily!”

The spear tip, blocked by Rakami’s sword, rotated in the air and then descended with tremendous force. She hastily raised her shield to block it, but she couldn’t withstand the impact and staggered. In that moment of vulnerability, Beom-seok’s next attack was blocked by Irolita’s shield, which had quickly intervened.

He clicked his tongue in disappointment and slowly retreated.

“Too bad… If Irolita had been just a fraction slower, the match would have been over already……”

Rakami, catching her breath, quietly said to Irolita.

“Th-thank you. I would have been in serious trouble if it weren’t for you.”

“It’s nothing. I simply did what I had to do. But Beom-seok’s strength is something we really need to be wary of. It’s even difficult for me.”

“Yes. He’s definitely not ordinary. We’ll be defeated in an instant if we lose focus.”

Rakami stared intently at Beom-seok, who was circling around her, and her eyes flickered slightly. Her heart was filled with regret in the face of such a formidable opponent. She desperately wanted to win against him, but she lacked the stamina to fight to her full potential. She had never resented her aging body as much as she did today.

‘Sigh~ I suppose I’ll have to retire this season, as the master suggested. It’s painful to step down at this peak of the gladiator era, but my time here is over. It’s necessary to protect my past glory. Before that…….’

She couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief upon deciding to retire. Rakami’s eyes flashed momentarily. She wanted to burn brightly during her remaining time as an active gladiator. As a sign of her determination, Rakami took a deep breath and shouted with all her might.

“I am Rakami!”

Her voice reverberated loudly, and the arena fell silent for a moment. Everyone knew she was Rakami, but her shout conveyed her unwavering resolve. It was a declaration that she would not be defeated. In response, the fans, with expectant expressions, cheered her name enthusiastically.

“Yes! Rakami! That’s it! You were the strongest gladiator in the past!”

“Rakami! You must win! Please bring victory to the Ancient Warriors!”

The cheers for Rakami filled the stands. Emboldened by the fans’ support, she clenched her weapons tightly. She recalled her past self, who had risen to the top as the strongest gladiator. Although her ranking had declined due to Prisika, Beom-seok, Zakid, and Amelie, she had once been hailed as the strongest.

‘This is making me feel weak……. Tsk.’

Beom-seok scratched the back of his neck slightly. Seeing Rakami burning with fighting spirit before her retirement made him feel conflicted. If he coldly defeated her here, he would feel a pang of bitterness even in victory. But matches were unforgiving, and he had to win today to increase his chances of lifting the championship trophy.

He positioned the spear near his waist and glared at Rakami. He was preparing to unleash the Bongseon Spear Technique [a powerful and stamina-intensive spear technique]. Since the situation had escalated, he needed to defeat her decisively to show his respect. Until now, he had been conserving his stamina, but the circumstances left him no choice.

“Alright, here I come!”

The spear tip, charged with momentum, hurtled towards Rakami. Irolita, realizing that she couldn’t completely block the attack, immediately stepped forward and raised her shield. With a deafening crash, Rakami grabbed Irolita’s shoulder, who was being pushed back, and swiftly extended her sword towards Beom-seok.

“It won’t be easy!”

“What won’t be!”

Her sword, blocked while following a subtle trajectory, was deflected upwards. Beom-seok’s spear shaft attack followed. Irolita quickly approached and blocked it, then used her shield to deflect the crescent blade that was being struck down again.

Rakami smiled faintly at her. She was grateful to Irolita for understanding her intentions and supporting her.

Spear. Clang. Clang. Spear!

While Beom-seok, Rakami, and Irolita were locked in a fierce battle, Prisika, who was observing, let out a long sigh. She was now with God’s Knights, but she had once been a key member of the Ancient Warriors.

She felt a twinge of regret at Beom-seok’s relentless efforts, who was giving his all while his former colleague was displaying her final burst of fighting spirit. It wouldn’t have been a problem to let her save some face.

‘Sigh~ It can’t be helped. I can’t allow Rakami to shoulder the blame for the defeat.’

Prisika cast a sharp gaze towards the Ancient Warriors’ main camp. They were being pushed back due to the numerical disadvantage, but they were defending well. But that shouldn’t be the case. The disgrace of defeat should fall on them, not Rakami.

“Everyone! Now is the time! Charge! We must destroy the Ancient Warriors’ main camp!”

A fierce offensive commenced, spearheaded by the vanguard, Ricola, Shaila, and Rapine. In response, the Ancient Warriors’ gladiators looked at the God’s Knights gladiators with surprised eyes.

According to their data, when Beom-seok, acting as a free-roamer, was in a favorable position, their main camp focused on maintaining a stable defense. They were waiting for Beom-seok, after defeating the marker, to rejoin the main camp.

Especially in the early stages of the match like now. Of course, there were occasional exceptions, but most of the time, they shifted the end of the formation to defeat the flanks of the opposing team.

In response, Terly, with a bewildered expression, shouted to everyone.

“It might be a trick! Watch out for the flanks!”

But this was clearly a misjudgment. Prisika genuinely intended to break through the center, and reinforcing the flanks meant weakening the center. Consequently, the Ancient Warriors’ main camp was easily breached, allowing God’s Knights to advance.

“Good! We broke through! Defeat the opponents in a melee!”

Amidst the intense battle, Prisika remained at the front of the rear, observing the situation. She could afford to be relaxed because there was one person left over.

‘Hehe. Agis would be a good target.’

Levia would have been the ideal opponent, but she yielded to Tiela and targeted Agis. He was currently engaged in a fight with Renka and had his back exposed, making him a perfect target for a surprise attack. Prisika clenched her sword and charged forward, slashing Agis’s back.

“Kkyaaaaak!”

As Agis, kneeling powerlessly, fell forward, gasps of shock rippled through the crowd. They sensed that their team was about to lose.

In a melee situation, facing two additional opponents made the collapse of the main camp inevitable. It was exceedingly difficult for ordinary gladiators to simultaneously defeat two gladiators of comparable skill.

As expected, the main camp soon crumbled completely, and Round 1 went to God’s Knights.

– Round 1 ends! God’s Knights wins!

‘What? Is it over already?’

Beom-seok, who had been relentlessly pressuring Rakami and Irolita, looked at the God’s Knights main camp with a dumbfounded expression. Even with a numerical advantage, he hadn’t anticipated their main camp winning so easily. But victory was victory. He smiled pleasantly and sheathed his spear.

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

Thank you for the congratulatory messages on the 500th chapter. I am grateful to everyone. I will repay you with good work in the future.

Have a nice weekend. I’ll see you again tomorrow.