Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 506

Thwack! Thwack!

With two sharp blows, Jaxson was sent hurtling towards the cliff’s edge. As an ordinary man, he couldn’t withstand the full force of the rocks Bumseok hurled. He hung in the air for a moment, his face a mask of horror, before gravity claimed him, sending him plummeting into the abyss.

“Kuaaaack!”

However, Chairman Lucas remained unscathed. Thanks to his modified body, he managed to grab onto a small tree trunk clinging to the cliffside. He glared at Bumseok, who had attempted to kill him, his eyes burning with murderous rage.

“You! How dare you!”

“Hehe. Farewell, Chairman!”

Bumseok, wearing a satisfied smile, hurled two more stones. One was aimed at the tree trunk, the other at Chairman Lucas’s abdomen. Simultaneously, a strange humming sound filled the air as Lucas’s body began to float upwards.

Lucas frantically flailed his arms, his face contorted with terror, but it was all in vain. There was nothing to hold onto, and he was being pulled down the cliff as if by an invisible hand.

“Kuaaaack!”

Bumseok, savoring the rough, final scream as if it were sustenance, gazed at the distant sky with a carefree expression. He seemed to feel no remorse for taking a life. But then again, Chairman Lucas was merely a character within the game, so perhaps it couldn’t be helped.

‘Whew~ The Black Society is finished for good. Now I can focus solely on the Gladiator Competition…’

He reattached the restraints to his wrists, a crucial step in his plan for a perfect crime. At that moment, the kidnappers were engaged in a battle with an unidentified armed force, their attention diverted. They hadn’t witnessed Lucas and Jaxson falling off the cliff, and if Bumseok kept his mouth shut, this murder would remain an unsolved mystery forever.

Shortly after, the armed force hastily retreated, bringing the meaningless fight to an end. Neither the kidnappers nor their unidentified enemy had suffered any significant damage – not even a scratch. Both sides had remained safely behind cover, the distance between them too great for effective engagement.

The kidnappers found this sudden retreat strange, but they didn’t dwell on it. Overwhelmed with relief at having survived the attack, they lacked the presence of mind to analyze the situation carefully.

“Alright! The enemies have retreated! We won!”

“Whew~ That was close. Is everyone alright?”

“Ah. Seems like everyone’s fine.”

As they checked on each other, a black-haired kidnapper addressed the group.

“Are you sure everyone’s alright? I thought I heard two screams earlier?”

“Yeah, I think I heard something too. But it came from behind us, so I ignored it.”

“No, could it be that these bastards!”

The black-haired kidnapper turned and hurried towards the cliff edge, a look of dawning horror on his face. He wondered if the clients had killed Bumseok and Theresa Yang. But they were still restrained and unharmed, while Chairman Lucas and his associate were nowhere to be seen.

The black-haired kidnapper, his expression bewildered, approached Bumseok and grabbed him by the collar. He must have seen where the clients who tried to kill them had gone.

“You! Did you see where Chairman Lucas went!”

“Ah. Yes, I did.”

“Where did he go!”

“Just as they were trying to sneak away, they lost their footing and fell off the cliff. It seems they were startled by the gunfire from over there.”

“Are you sure? You’ll die if you’re lying!”

“Ah. I’m really telling the truth.”

At that moment, Fork grabbed the black-haired man’s shoulder. It was time to wrap things up.

“Hey. You can find out for sure by contacting your colleagues down below. Don’t be rude to this gentleman over such a trivial matter.”

“This gentleman? What’s wrong with you? They are our hostages.”

“Heh. What’s wrong? We’re doing this for everyone’s benefit.”

The blonde kidnapper approached Fork, intrigued. Although they had survived the attack, everyone gathered there was in a precarious situation.

The client had betrayed them, and the advance payment was a paltry 500,000 krang [currency] each. Furthermore, they would be hunted by the police for kidnapping, attempted murder, and potentially even the murder of the clients.

Naturally, they couldn’t help but be interested in Fork’s suggestion of working together for mutual gain.

“Hey. What do you mean? Do you have a plan?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“What is it?”

“We’re all going to turn ourselves in.”

The blonde kidnapper stared at him as if he were insane. He was shocked to hear the word surrender in this situation. If they turned themselves in, they might receive some leniency, but a lengthy prison sentence was inevitable. Everyone gathered there had a criminal record, so they would likely face aggravated punishment.

“You. Are you kidding me? Turning ourselves in won’t make things any better!”

“Of course, it will get better. That’s why I’m suggesting it.”

“How?”

Fork glanced at Bumseok and then addressed his colleagues again.

“What was our purpose in carrying out this job?”

The blonde kidnapper replied as if it were obvious.

“Money. We were supposed to receive 5 million krang per person.”

“That’s right. Our purpose in gathering was money. But now we can’t get it because the client is dead, right?”

“That’s why I’m going crazy, right? The thought of being chased by the police without any money makes the future look bleak.”

“But what if we could get that money? Or what if we could get even more money?”

Everyone stared at Fork, their interest piqued.

“How?”

“Actually, when I kidnapped Bumseok, he made me an offer. If I saved him, he would provide 10 million krang to everyone involved in this matter.”

All the kidnappers’ eyes widened. That was twice the original commission.

“Really?”

“Yes. I refused it out of loyalty to the client, but it’s a genuine offer.”

“Hmm. But things have changed now, haven’t they?”

At those words, Fork turned to Bumseok and said.

“Mr. Bumseok. Is that promise still valid?”

“Yes, it is. I assure you on my honor.”

Instantly, the kidnappers’ expressions brightened considerably. They had feared becoming penniless, but it seemed they could earn even more money if they played their cards right.

“Hmm. It’s definitely not a bad deal. But the problem of turning ourselves in is still a concern… If we’re charged with kidnapping for murder, the crime is serious, so we’ll be in prison for a long time even if we cooperate.”

“Don’t worry about that at all. We can change the charges to simple kidnapping. No, if we play it right, we can get a suspended sentence and avoid jail altogether.”

“No, how?”

“It’s very simple. We only participated in simple kidnapping for blackmail, and then we realized that we were deceived by the client and fought to save Mr. Bumseok. Because we acted to save lives, we can definitely receive leniency.”

“That’s not bad? But is it possible? The police won’t believe it, will they?”

“It’s possible. The clients are all dead, and we just fought an unidentified enemy here. If Mr. Bumseok and Theresa Yang corroborate our story, it’s definitely plausible. The police will trust the victims’ accounts first.”

“Hmm. It makes sense when I hear it.”

“In addition, Mr. Bumseok has connections with high-ranking officials in the Federal Police Agency. If he intervenes, he can definitely help cover things up.”

Bumseok, overhearing their conversation, immediately spoke up loudly.

“Of course, I will intervene. I will also testify that the clients lost their footing and fell off the cliff while trying to escape.”

The kidnappers exchanged glances. 10 million krang. A light sentence. Everyone was undeniably interested.

Since the situation had already taken a turn for the worse, it wasn’t a bad idea to accept Bumseok’s offer.

The only remaining issue was trust. They weren’t so quick to believe the words of a stranger.

“But if you betray us, we’re finished, aren’t we?”

Bumseok smiled at the black-haired kidnapper’s more polite tone. The fact that he had stopped using informal speech indicated that they were already halfway convinced. If he could offer something to solidify their trust, he could easily persuade them.

“Then I’ll give you 10 million krang right away. I have the funds available, so if you give me a contact, I’ll bring it immediately. Can you trust me with that?”

At those words, the kidnappers were completely 넘어왔다 [ 넘어왔다 (neomeowatda) – 넘어오다 (neomeo-oda) means to come over, to cross over, to give in, to yield, to be 넘어오다 (neomeo-oda) ]. Money was their primary motivation anyway. There was nothing they wouldn’t do if they were paid.

“Okay. Then I’ll trust you.”

After that, everything proceeded smoothly. They maintained the restrained state until the money arrived, but the situation changed dramatically afterward. When they saw the bag filled with cash, the kidnappers’ eyes lit up, and they treated him as a valued client. They trusted Bumseok, turned themselves in to the police, and the entire ordeal came to an end.

However, Bumseok’s hardship was just beginning. The media’s attention was relentless. Bumseok’s kidnapping, occurring just before the crucial game against Real Heroes that would determine the championship’s direction, cast a shadow over the Gladiator world’s biggest event, and the media couldn’t help but focus intensely on the story. In the end, he had to endure an untimely media frenzy.

“Haaam. Why isn’t this guy here yet?”

Inside the training camp, bathed in the warm spring sunshine, Bumseok sat in the office, stretching languidly. He was expecting a guest, but boredom was setting in as the appointment time had passed. He had lived a busy life for the past eight years, so this leisure felt unfamiliar.

Shortly after, a man entered the office, and Bumseok exclaimed.

“Why are you so late!”

“Hahaha. Sorry. I had to rush to the hospital.”

“Why the hospital? Are you sick?”

“What? What could be wrong with me?”

“Then?”

“Ah. My Darma is sick. He’s getting quite old now.”

Darma was the dog Julian was raising. The average lifespan of a dog is about 10 to 15 years. Especially since it was a Dalmatian, a large breed, aging was accelerated.

“Really? Is he okay?”

“It’s just old age. His physical abilities seem to be declining significantly because of his age.”

“Hmm. If it’s that dog, you’ve been raising him for a little over four years, right?”

“Yeah. That’s right. You know it very well?”

That was natural. Julian had been Bumseok’s primary target of vigilance in the past. He had thoroughly examined and understood even the most trivial details about him. But now that they had a good relationship, there was no need to reveal that fact.

“Oh. I think I saw him around that time. That Dalmatian is quite noisy.”

“Kkk. Well, people who have seen our Darma can’t easily forget him. He’s been a joy to have.”

“Hehe. That’s right. Especially at the hotel near Senoside.”

Bumseok got up from his seat and walked towards the sofa. Julian, sitting across from him, smiled knowingly.

“Well, that’s right. That’s where I first met him. Originally, that’s Darma’s home. Hahaha.”

“Really? Was he more comfortable because it was his hometown?”

Julian nodded silently and looked at Bumseok.

“I think so. By the way, are you alright? You must have been very shaken by the recent incident?”

“Well. There’s nothing to be shaken about… I’ve already put it behind me.”

“Hoo? That’s great… To forget such an ordeal.”

“What else can I do? I don’t have time to dwell on things like that right now.”

That made sense. God’s Knights were at a crucial juncture, facing the challenge of winning this year’s World League trophy.

Even though 37 games had been played, the fight for the championship remained uncertain. Both God’s Knights and Chaplin Whisper had the same record: 35 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss.

This was largely due to God’s Knights’ loss against Real Heroes, and now the outcome of the final 38th game would determine who claimed the championship trophy.

“Hmm. That’s right. But you must have a lot of pressure too.”

“No, why?”

“You have to win that day’s game.”

Bumseok nodded. Although the two teams currently had the same score, God’s Knights were behind in terms of rounds won. In other words, even a draw would mean the championship trophy would slip away. For God’s Knights to win the championship, they had to win the 38th league game.

“Well. We just need to win. Our main team is stronger than Chaplin Whisper.”

“But the second team is significantly weaker.”

“Hehe. That’s true. But not as much as it used to be. It’s enough to aim for a draw in the second team’s game. And key players like Nana and Prishika will participate in one of the 2nd and 4th rounds, which changes the dynamic again.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. Hehe.”

Julian, with his arms crossed, licked his lips and said.

“And the burden of playing away games is significant for them, right?”

Bumseok nodded. No matter that this 38th game was Chaplin Whisper’s home turf, Zeon City, there was little to worry about. Because it wasn’t far from Lima City, there would be no issues with jet lag, and there wouldn’t be overwhelming support from home fans. It was definitely more comfortable than other away games.

“Hehe. You could say there’s almost none. Besides, our team members aren’t kids who are bothered by jeers.”

“That’s right. Then you could say you have a good chance.”

“It’s not a matter of chance. We must win.”

“Yes. I hope you win. For the Gladiator world, God’s Knights must win. Yes, yes.”

Bumseok stared at him blankly. Even though they had become slightly closer recently, Julian wasn’t the type to offer such sincere encouragement. Usually, he would say it jokingly and subtly wish for their defeat. He was quite envious of God’s Knights’ success.

“You won’t get a discount if you say that.”

Julian looked at him intently and said.

“Are you going to be so stingy?”

“Of course. How much effort have I put into developing these kids? Of course, I expect to be compensated accordingly.”

Julian, taking a deep breath, began negotiations. He had recently created a team under his personal company and needed some promising players. No matter how much he searched the world, he couldn’t find players as talented as Bumseok’s Elf School gladiators.

Their growth potential was exceptional, and their gladiator skills were approaching the upper echelons of the league. His cooperation was essential for the team’s rapid growth.

On this day, they had an in-depth conversation and finalized the transfer of several gladiators.

============================ Author’s Note ============================

It will be over in about a week. ^^;;; I will start uploading the new work from the last day.

Then everyone have a nice day. I’ll see you again tomorrow.