Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 513

515

Godz Knights’ victory in the World League brought them intense global media attention. Consequently, the gladiators, including Beomseok, found themselves spending busy days accepting invitations from numerous broadcasting stations.

Was this the inevitable fate of the winning team? Having reached the pinnacle, they were now expected to contribute to the growth of the gladiator world. Since sports thrive on fan engagement, frequent media appearances helped to revitalize the gladiator scene.

Moreover, this exposure benefited Godz Knights as well. Being presented to the media as the World League champions significantly boosted their fan base.

In addition to media engagements, Godz Knights also organized several celebratory events. These included fan gatherings and banquets for prominent figures in the gladiator world. They wanted to express their gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support and hold a victory celebration for the influential individuals in the gladiator community.

In front of a luxury hotel in Senosaid, a sleek flying car landed, and Beomseok and Esther emerged. They were there to attend the year-end ceremony commemorating the conclusion of the previous season, which was being held at the hotel.

“Oh, it’s so hot. A year-end ceremony in this summer weather… After eight years, I still can’t get used to it.”

“Hehe. Tell me about it.”

In general society, year-end ceremonies typically occur around the end of December. A year-end ceremony held in the summer felt strange to them. However, it was unavoidable due to the unique schedule of the gladiator world. Like most sports, gladiator matches concluded their seasons in late spring.

“Welcome, Mr. Beomseok. May I escort you to the venue?”

A blonde elf hotelier approached him, bowing respectfully. One of the perks of fame was this: people recognized you instantly and anticipated your needs without you having to voice them.

“I’d appreciate that.”

“Please, follow me.”

The hotelier politely led him to the banquet hall on the 5th floor.

The hall was quite spacious. Perhaps because he was the guest of honor, he had arrived early, and the room was relatively empty. Waiters were arranging napkins and cutlery, while workers were putting the finishing touches on the stage decorations, indicating they hadn’t quite finished yet.

Beomseok took out his wallet, tipped the hotelier, and entered the hall with Esther.

“It’s quiet.”

“Yes. But it will fill up soon. The year-end ceremony is one of the most important official events in the gladiator world.”

“Hmm. I suppose so.”

Just then, a man standing near the stage waved at him. It was Jade.

“Mr. Beomseok! Over here.”

Delighted to see him, Beomseok quickly walked over and shook Jade’s hand.

“Hahaha. Mr. Jade. You’re here early.”

“Yes. I had some last-minute preparations to take care of.”

Beomseok glanced at the stage under construction. Jade was the trade manager for Ancient Warriors. This kind of event preparation seemed out of character for him.

“Really? You’re doing this kind of work too, Mr. Jade?”

“No, not exactly. I’m just in charge of directing the prominent figures from the gladiator world to their tables. I’m here to check on the stage’s completion. It would be impolite for guests like yourself to see this.”

Jade’s trade work had allowed him to meet many key figures from other teams. He knew many faces, making him well-suited for the task of guiding guests.

“Ah, I see. You’re doing a lot of work.”

“Hahaha. Not at all. By the way, did only the two of you come? This is a gathering for all the leading figures in the gladiator world.”

“Ah, the gladiators are arriving on Aaron [a type of transport]. I didn’t think it was necessary to come in separate cars.”

“I see.”

Beomseok looked around, tilting his head. The banquet hall was large, but it seemed too small to accommodate all the World League gladiator world figures. Even if only the main gladiators attended, there would be about 30 to 40 people per team. With just a few teams, the place would be packed.

“This place is a bit small. I don’t think everyone can fit.”

“No. This floor is for the main administrative figures of the gladiator world. The gladiators will gather in the grand banquet hall on the 6th floor. It can seat about 1,000 people, so there’s no need to worry.”

Beomseok nodded.

“Ah. Then I should head up to the 6th floor. I’m a gladiator, after all.”

“Hmm. I see. Go ahead, but be sure to come back down before the event starts. Mr. Beomseok is the guest of honor, so the event can’t proceed without you.”

“Yes. Of course, I know that. Don’t worry. Goodbye for now.”

After saying their goodbyes, Beomseok and Esther went up to the 6th floor. Unlike the 5th floor, this hall was bustling with people enjoying lunch. The first person to catch his eye was Zakid. His large size made him easy to spot.

“Yo. Mr. Zakid?”

Zakid, holding a plate piled high with buffet food, waved his fork enthusiastically.

“Beomseok, you’re here!”

Beomseok approached him, smiling warmly.

“Hehe. Zakid, you haven’t changed a bit.”

“Well, that’s me. Anyway, congratulations on winning the World League.”

“Hahaha. Oh, come on. Didn’t Mr. Zakid win the GA Cup [Gladiator Association Cup]?”

“Tch. What’s so great about the GA Cup? Don’t even mention it. I got a brief moment in the media spotlight, and now I’m yesterday’s news. It’s so frustrating. The World League trophy is the ultimate prize.”

Although he had never won the GA Cup, Beomseok agreed with him. The World League trophy was undeniably more prestigious. Otherwise, so many championship-contending teams wouldn’t have sacrificed the GA Cup to focus on winning the World League.

“Hahaha. Well, you must be upset. And this year’s GA Cup final was held just three days before League Match 38, making it even worse.”

“Exactly! It was only a three-day reign. After you guys won, I didn’t even see the media’s shadow. I really felt the cruelty of the sports world.”

“Hahaha. Yes, I understand. By the way, Mr. Zakid, where did that bastard Julian go? If Zakid came, he would have come too, right?”

Zakid waved his hand and chuckled.

“Isn’t it obvious? Why are you asking when you already know?”

“Don’t tell me?”

“Yeah. Dalma [likely a pet or companion] seemed a bit down lately, so I brought him along, and he completely went wild. Hahaha. He’s probably running around the whole hotel looking for Dalma right now.”

“Really? Wasn’t Dalma feeling unwell?”

“Unwell, my foot. Last year? Or the year before? After that incident where he ran off with the Gladiator Association mascot, he’s been acting up ever since we didn’t bring him to Senosaid. Anyway, that Dalma is amazing… He’s very clever. Hahaha.”

Beomseok shook his head. He had to give up on meeting Julian today. Dalma wasn’t a dog stupid enough to be caught by Julian.

“Sigh~ I see. Well, that guy’s going to have a hard time.”

Just then, a group of gladiators entered the banquet hall. It was the Chaplin Whisper team, led by Amelie.

They glanced at Beomseok and passed by with slight smiles. Considering League Match 38, it was unexpected, but perhaps understandable.

Chairman Chaplin had recently announced that he would find owners for all Chaplin Whisper gladiators. Although the offer was limited to Chaplin family members, it was not something they could easily dismiss.

Amelie approached him as a representative.

“Hello, Mr. Beomseok.”

“Hmm. Yes, have you all been well?”

“Hehe. We’ve been well, except for me, of course.”

Although she was smiling, Amelie’s lips trembled slightly. She still harbored some resentment over losing the championship to Godz Knights. Unlike other elves, she had already secured an owner, making the outcome of League Match 38 weigh heavily on her mind, even more so than Chairman Chaplin’s unexpected announcement.

Beomseok chuckled.

“Heh. Are you still upset about not winning?”

“It’s not just that. We lost because we weren’t strong enough. It’s the reality of the gladiator world: the strong win, and the weak lose.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“It’s because I’m weak. If I had been able to stop you, Mr. Beomseok, Chaplin Whisper would have won. Our team was the strongest it had ever been at the time.”

Indeed, if Amelie had successfully blocked him, the outcome might have been different. Chaplin Whisper was incredibly strong and tenacious at that time.

“I guess so. So, what have you decided to do?”

“I’ve decided to hone my skills again. I’m going to become a gladiator who can surpass you, Mr. Beomseok.”

“Hehe. Is that possible?”

“There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be. When I first entered the gladiator world, I was stronger than I was 30 years ago, and now I’m stronger than I was then. I’m confident that I can become even stronger in the future.”

Beomseok nodded. Another advantage of Amelie was her seemingly limitless potential. Of course, he had recently seen her at her peak, but he couldn’t predict what she would be capable of next year.

“Hehe. Okay. Then I’ll look forward to it.”

Zakid, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, slyly joined in.

“Hey. Isn’t this a bit much to discuss in front of me? You can’t talk about the strongest without including me.”

Beomseok turned to him. Zakid was undoubtedly a formidable gladiator. In terms of individual skill, he could be considered the second-best in this place.

But that was all. The Dark Hyenas, his team, lacked the overall strength to win championships.

“Hehe. But isn’t it difficult to win?”

“Is that so? I’m here, and our veterans have improved a lot this year. The situation will be different next year.”

He was likely referring to Wang and Hamilton. They were gladiators who had been active for a long time and had honed excellent swordsmanship. Moreover, they had already developed mentally, so they only needed to train their bodies, leading to rapid improvement. Each year brought changes, so caution was necessary.

“Oh? That’s a lot of confidence? Then I’ll look forward to it.”

“Hmph. Look forward to it? I’ll make you sweat bullets. Hahaha.”

While they were exchanging banter, another gladiator approached. It was Eurine, currently ranked 5th among gladiators.

Although her skills were lower compared to those gathered here, she excelled in endurance. She was the world’s strongest sword and shield gladiator.

Moreover, her team, Real Heroes, possessed immense power. All of their main players were W0-class gladiators, posing a significant threat to Godz Knights and Chaplin Whisper.

Beomseok looked at her.

“Real Heroes is not easy either. What about it, Eurine? Are you confident for next year?”

“Well? I really don’t know about next year. I’m worried about whether I can even maintain 3rd place.”

Beomseok looked puzzled. Her words were unexpectedly pessimistic.

“Why not?”

“All of our gladiators, including me, are deeply shaken right now because of Godz Knights’ League Match 38.”

He nodded, understanding now. Dark Hyenas had been steadily increasing salaried gladiators from the beginning, so the shock was less pronounced. However, the situation was different for other World League gladiator teams.

The changes that Godz Knights’ victory would bring, Chairman Chaplin’s promise, and the rapid changes within Chairman Ibrahim’s faction’s gladiator teams were all significant shocks, unsettling not only the World League but also the lower league gladiators.

Real Heroes’ performance next year might be severely affected.

“I see. It’s understandable that you’re shaken.”

“Yes. Everyone is keeping quiet, but they seem willing to stage an implicit boycott unless the team takes special measures. With this, we can’t achieve proper results. We might even be relegated.”

“Hey, really? Would it go that far?”

“Yes. The lower teams are already moving quickly and adapting to the current situation. They are promoting their gladiators to the wealthy, and the older elf gladiators are all considering putting themselves on the World Walker Auction Market [a market for gladiators].”

“Really?”

“Yes. That’s more profitable for the lower teams. Mr. Beomseok, you run a team, so you understand. How much do they lose when they are relegated?”

Beomseok nodded. Her words were accurate. It was more profitable for the lower teams to transform their teams.

Falling from the World League to the Central League reduces the team’s value to one-third or less. Admission revenue, sponsorship contracts, TV viewership revenue, and team emblem product sales all plummet. Stock prices often drop to half or even less.

But what if the lower teams succeed in transforming their teams this time? The situation would change dramatically. They could win against teams with boycotting elf gladiators, earn points, and avoid relegation.

Teams in the definite relegation zone were likely to persuade shareholders to avoid this, and the chances of success were high. It was a matter of significant profit. If this phenomenon triggered a chain reaction, moving to the higher teams, Real Heroes might be relegated next year in a ridiculous way.

“Hmm. I see. That’s definitely a valid point.”

“So, I’m asking you to persuade our Vice Chairman Lewis. Please ask him to do the same as Chaplin Whisper. You have a close relationship with Mr. Beomseok, so the vice chairman will listen to you.”

Beomseok nodded. There was no reason not to say a word.

“Hmm. It’s not difficult to say a word, so I’ll do it. And Vice Chairman Lewis will have his own thoughts. If the situation is like this, he won’t sit idly by. Even if I don’t say anything, he’ll have some ideas.”

“Re, really?”

“Of course. Otherwise, how could he have risen to that position? So don’t worry.”

“Yes. I understand.”

After hearing her enthusiastic response, Beomseok looked at his watch and said goodbye to everyone. It was time to go down to the 5th-floor venue. He wanted to share a meal and have more conversations, but he also had to fulfill his duties as the chairman of Godz Knights.

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

Everyone have a nice weekend. I’ll see you again tomorrow.