Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 502

The 23rd match between Godz Knights and Ancient Warriors unfolded as expected, with Godz Knights claiming victory. The final score was 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss. Though a close contest that stretched to the 5th round, the outcome felt somewhat inevitable.

The draw in the final round, in particular, seemed to signal the Ancient Warriors’ decline, much to the disappointment of their home fans. Despite numerous charges, they were repeatedly thwarted by Bumseok’s sword and shield—and his surprising dual-wielding of shields—failing to land a single significant blow.

Adding to their woes, the Ancient Warriors’ vanguards, Irolita and Levia, were successively defeated by Bumseok’s martial prowess in the mid-game, suffering the ignominy of a near-total vanguard annihilation. Consequently, the Ancient Warriors were branded a “toothless old tiger” and began their downward spiral.

However, Godz Knights didn’t always have an easy path. Bumseok sustained a minor knee injury, forcing him to sit out the 26th match against the Dark Hyenas, which led to a noticeable dip in their performance.

Fortunately, they managed to scrape a draw, earning a single point, but this left them trailing Chaplin Whisper by 3 points. Another loss for Godz Knights would see them drop to 2nd place in the league standings.

“Hoo~ This is cutting it close…”

Seated in his office, Bumseok sighed deeply, his gaze fixed on the March sky. Chaplin Whisper’s recent surge in the rankings was the cause of his concern. Their winning streak in the second half had them hot on the heels of Godz Knights, and Bumseok couldn’t deny his worry.

‘But we’re still 3 points ahead. If we can maintain this lead, the championship is within our grasp.’

The league was at the 30th match, with only 8 remaining. Securing 7 wins and 1 draw in those matches would guarantee them the championship. A challenging mission, certainly, but given the team’s current morale, it felt entirely achievable. Over the course of the 30 matches, Godz Knights had amassed an impressive record of 29 wins and 1 draw.

Bumseok stretched and rose from his chair, intending to take a nap. The frustrating draw in the 26th match was a direct result of his injury, brought on by accumulated fatigue. Prioritizing rest to manage his condition was the most direct path to the championship for Godz Knights.

He promptly left his office.

“Oh! Who do we have here? If it isn’t Mr. Bumseok?”

As he headed toward the dorm, Bumseok turned at the sound of a familiar voice. The man, clad in a brown suit, was none other than Jade, the trade manager from Ancient Warriors, someone Bumseok knew well.

“Oh, Mr. Jade! What brings you to our neck of the woods? It’s not transfer season, is it…”

“Hahaha. I’m here for a couple of reasons. I have some important business to discuss with Director Esther, and something else to confirm.”

Sensing the underlying motive, Bumseok frowned. It was clear Jade was here to scout Godz Knights’ promising players. The recent fielding of gladiators from the Elf School in the GA Cup [Gladiator Association Cup] and League Cup had attracted unwanted attention to the training camp.

“What kind of discussion are you planning?”

“It concerns the Godz Knights gladiators who participated in the GA Cup recently. Specifically, the kids from the Elf School.”

As expected, Bumseok clicked his tongue.

“Then Erpina would be a better person to talk to than Esther. She’s the chief in charge.”

“Ah, that elf who used to scout for Godz Knights?”

“Yes, that’s her.”

“But my interest lies more in establishing an Elf School than recruiting gladiators. Does she happen to know much about that as well?”

Bumseok shook his head. He had overseen most of the work related to the school’s establishment.

“She might know a bit about management, but not about the establishment itself. Why do you ask?”

“Actually, Chairman Ibrahim is keenly observing Bumseok’s venture. From all appearances, it seems like a promising business. So, I’m just asking in case—who has the most knowledge about the establishment side of things?”

Bumseok’s frown deepened. A competitor was emerging even before full-scale operations had begun, which was hardly welcome news.

“Seriously, Mr. Jade, you’re quite the smooth talker. Did you think we’d readily hand over that information if you asked?”

“Hahaha. Well, you never know. It wouldn’t hurt to help, would it?”

“Why would we?”

“The market for the business Mr. Bumseok is planning is virtually limitless. In the gladiator world alone, there are hundreds of thousands of elf gladiators, and if you consider all sports, it’s easily millions, if not tens of millions. Surely you don’t think Mr. Bumseok can monopolize all of that alone, do you?”

That wasn’t the case. Bumseok also had his limitations. He couldn’t possibly handle everything himself. He had anticipated competitors emerging sooner or later.

“I suppose that’s true.”

“And it’s not like we lack management expertise. In fact, I can confidently say that we have superior administrative capabilities compared to Godz Knights. Even if Mr. Bumseok doesn’t share his secrets, it doesn’t mean we can’t enter this business. I’m confident we can create an even better management system.”

Bumseok slowly nodded. He expected those working under Chairman Ibrahim to be capable of developing a superior system. Jade, standing before him, possessed considerable management and administrative skills.

“Yes, that makes sense. So?”

“Let’s coexist.”

“Hmm. Is that really going to be easy?”

“Why? Are we not to your liking as a partner or a friendly competitor?”

“No. It’s more that I’m worried about whether Chairman Ibrahim has the ability to lead this business.”

“I just mentioned it, didn’t I? We have more than enough ability to do so.”

Bumseok waved his hand dismissively.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m talking about whether you have the justification and power.”

“Justification? Power?”

“Yes. To do my business, I have to fight against a vested interest group. We’re too small and insignificant for them to bother with, but if a big shot like Chairman Ibrahim enters this market in earnest, it’s a different story.”

“Really? Who are they?”

“The Elf School Confederation. You know them well, right? You know how much revenue the sale of promising elf athletes generates for the Elf Schools. Do you think Chairman Ibrahim can touch them?”

Indeed, the Elf School Confederation was a significant obstacle. In fact, compared to their scale, the gladiator world was relatively insignificant. As a powerful entity controlling the intermediate stage of elf sales worldwide, their influence was immense.

If they pressured the elf factories to halt elf sales, this new business would collapse entirely. The companies that produce elves had to be mindful of the Elf School Confederation’s power.

“Hmm. I see. They’re a factor.”

“So, cool your head. Unless you’re aiming for a small niche like me, you’ll face considerable pressure. Don’t needlessly step up and splash mud on me. Stay quiet.”

Jade scratched his head and offered an awkward smile.

“Hahaha. That’s exactly the kind of know-how we need.”

Bumseok cast a sharp gaze at him.

“Are you still going to try?”

“If Mr. Bumseok can do it, why can’t we? Frankly, if we start small, they won’t make a fuss, will they?”

That wasn’t wrong. The reason Bumseok could pursue this business was precisely because of its small scale. The number of elves he recruited each year was only a few dozen, not enough to threaten the Elf School Confederation.

“Well, that’s true, but things will change if there are more people like us.”

“Hehe. We’ll have to implement a localization policy before that.”

“What does that mean?”

“We’ll operate as members of the Elf School Confederation. If we don’t specialize solely in sports athletes, Mr. Bumseok’s Elf School will be no different from any other Elf School. Existing Elf Schools also sell promising prospects who can become professional sports athletes at high prices.”

Bumseok stroked his chin thoughtfully. If they adopted existing methods, the Elf School Confederation would have no reason to discriminate against them. The problem was that they would have to unnecessarily increase the scale of the business, but that was something they could tolerate as long as it didn’t result in losses.

“Hmm. That’s a good idea.”

“And there’s another thing. We’ll gain the power to control the competitors that will emerge in the future.”

“How is that possible?”

“It’s very simple. We can join forces and take over the core of the Elf School Confederation.”

“Hmm. Is that really going to be easy?”

“It might be a bit difficult, but it’s not impossible. The reason the Elf School Confederation has such great power is due to the sheer number of its members, not because there are many powerful figures in charge. Naturally, if Mr. Bumseok and Chairman Ibrahim join forces, I think we can form a force strong enough to make a loud noise within the organization… what do you think…?”

That point was somewhat agreeable. Both Chairman Ibrahim and he had considerable connections and financial resources, setting them apart from small-time Elf School directors. If they utilized this well, they could build a considerable force.

“That makes a lot of sense.”

“What do you say? Shall we join forces then?”

“Well, if you insist so much, I’ll consider it… but I still don’t understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just that I don’t understand why Chairman Ibrahim is trying to jump into this business. Isn’t he someone who already has a voice in this gladiator world without doing this kind of business?”

“It’s all because of a sense of crisis.”

“A sense of crisis?”

“Yes. Because of Mr. Bumseok, Chairman Ibrahim’s family’s income has decreased significantly. So, he needs another business to recover that shortfall.”

“What did I do?”

“Didn’t you bring a new wave to the gladiator world? Chairman Ibrahim was stimulated by this and is planning to liquidate all of his corporation-type teams and only operate personal company-type teams.”

Now understanding, Bumseok nodded. Chairman Ibrahim had at least hundreds of professional gladiator teams under his control. If he was planning to manage only personal company-type teams, he would have to dispose of a significant number of them.

No matter how many family members he had, he couldn’t possibly handle all the elf gladiators involved. Then, naturally, his income would plummet, so it was right for him to look for other sources of income.

“I see. I wonder if the Ibrahim faction is collapsing.”

“That’s not going to happen. The majority of the faction members have already agreed with our intentions and are thinking of transforming their teams into personal company-type teams or creating new ones. A prime example is the Hyena Group.”

“Still, you won’t be able to prevent the size of the force from shrinking. The Ibrahim faction includes not only small-time professional gladiator teams but also a significant number of sports tycoons who own many professional gladiator teams, right?”

“Yes, of course. But it’s unavoidable to become stronger. It has already been statistically proven that professional team gladiators of the personal company type achieve much better results compared to those with the same abilities. Then the future situation is too obvious, so it’s better to improve the constitution now and survive. Hehehe.”

Bumseok wore a bitter smile. He had expected the existing gladiator world to transform due to the emergence of Godz Knights, but he didn’t know they would respond so quickly.

“I don’t know why we’re running in first place in the World League. The repercussions are too great.”

“Hehe. That’s why I’m a little resentful of Mr. Bumseok. Originally, I was going to give the changes a little more time, but Godz Knights came so close to winning the World League that everyone got impatient, didn’t they? That’s why people like me at the bottom are suffering.”

Bumseok gave an embarrassed laugh.

“Hahaha. I’m sorry about that.”

“Well, if you’re really sorry, share this business with us. People like us at the bottom just do what we’re told, so it doesn’t matter if it’s hard, but we want to avoid getting kicked out of the company. We have families to feed.”

“Why? Is Chairman Ibrahim going to cut you off?”

“That’s the natural course of things. If the size of the organization shrinks, there will inevitably be people who have to leave the company. That’s why Chairman Ibrahim is looking for other businesses. Fortunately, the Elf School requires a lot of personnel.”

Bumseok nodded. Schools were a typical labor-intensive industry. Not only teachers but also many personnel were needed. Moreover, sports-specialized schools were even more so. In the case of Godz Knights, nearly 10 coaches were involved.

‘What should I do? Should I help? It wasn’t my intention, but several people are going to get cut off because of me, so I can’t just ignore it. Besides, it’s not a market I can eat alone.’

Bumseok immediately extended his hand to Jade. Either way, he couldn’t continue the business forever while only being mindful of the Elf School Confederation. It seemed better to join hands with Chairman Ibrahim and seek comprehensive business expansion. As a fairly powerful figure, he would definitely be a great help.

He soon took Jade back to his office to share his business know-how.