Perfect World [EN]: Chapter 67

– The match will begin soon. The Gods Knights team and the South Devils gladiators, please prepare to enter.

As soon as the announcement finished, the first-round contestants, including Emma in her silver suit, headed towards the entrance tunnel. Shortly after the entrance declaration, the team members, led by their captain Erfina, marched into the arena.

Wow! Wow!

The cheers of over ten thousand spectators filled the Colosseum. Most of them were fans based in Lima City, and their support was directed towards the Gods Knights.

“Gods Knights! Show them your skills!”

“We believe in you! Gods Knights!”

The faces of some fans flashed on the electronic display, followed by an enlarged view of the South Devils gladiators. Soon, a chorus of boos erupted from the fans. Beom-seok, witnessing this from the dugout, smiled faintly. The jeers echoing from all directions seemed to intimidate them. Indeed, home games had their advantages.

“Um, Master. We have a problem.”

Beom-seok turned his head at Diana’s urgent voice.

“What’s wrong? What’s the big deal?”

“Look at the South Devils team gladiators’ numbers.”

Beom-seok stared at the electronic display. Their numbers were mostly single digits or in the teens, indicating they were long-time members of the South Devils. Only five gladiators from the newly acquired Hyena Group were present. Like them, they had filled this important first round with substitutes.

Beom-seok was taken aback by the unexpected match strategy. Most gladiator teams usually deployed their main players in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th rounds to increase their chances of winning.

“What? What’s going on? Are they using a trick strategy too?”

“Yes, I think so. They probably intend to draw this round and then deploy their main force in the next round to win.”

“Then we’ll fall behind in round wins later, won’t we?”

“Not necessarily. Like us, their main players could compete in the 4th and 5th rounds. They’re definitely aiming to win the 2nd, 4th, and 5th rounds. Then they only need to beat our main players once to win.”

Beom-seok’s eyes darkened. He had tried to conserve stamina by being clever, but it seemed he was about to get a taste of his own medicine.

His team members in the first round were capable of defeating them, but because he had anticipated a draw, all those who could use shields were assigned to sword and shield roles. Naturally, their offensive power was significantly weakened, and they lacked the ability to overwhelm the opponent.

“Sigh~ What do we do now?”

“There’s no choice. Since we sent them out specialized in defense, we have to aim for a draw this round as planned. And we need to revise the list of participants. We can’t keep matching up against the opposing team’s main force, so we need to change the order of appearance.”

“Hmm. So, our main players will compete in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th rounds?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“But even if the opposing substitutes are less skilled, wouldn’t it be physically demanding to face them immediately after fighting professional gladiators?”

Diana’s face clouded over.

“But we have no choice. It’s better than facing the South Devils team’s main force more than twice.”

“Tch. I guess so… Sigh~ Alright, let’s do that.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Diana immediately returned to the coach’s seat and began to revise the list of participants.

Meanwhile, the referee’s whistle blew, and the first-round match began. Both teams aimed only for a draw, so the match was incredibly dull. Except for occasionally strengthening their formation and charging in, they didn’t show much fierce engagement. Thus, 20 minutes passed meaninglessly, and the first round ended in a draw.

“Alright, next is the 2nd round. The South Devils guys are all professional gladiators, so be careful. Got it!”

“Yes!”

Beom-seok headed towards the entrance tunnel, followed by the team members for the 2nd round.

He looked at the sunlit entrance and firmly gripped the katana in his hand. They still needed to win one more match besides today’s to reach the quarter-finals against the Great Hyenas, but the battle had already begun. He had to defeat the professional gladiators sent by that bastard and light the way to promotion.

– Both teams of gladiators, please enter!

“Alright, let’s go! Let’s go!”

Beom-seok shouted, igniting fighting spirit as if to shake the Colosseum. Like other sports, gladiatorial combat was greatly influenced by the team’s morale. If they were overwhelmed by the opponent’s momentum, they would struggle even with superior skills. Fortunately, the team members seemed to harbor resentment towards the Hyena Group from the previous incident, their eyes blazing with anger. They seemed to place the South Devils team, supported by them, along the same lines. Soon, the Gods Knights’ gladiators faced the opposing team, standing in the middle of the arena.

Beom-seok frowned as he saw most of the South Devils team gladiators carrying swords and shields.

‘Hmm. It seems the South Devils are aiming for a draw again this time. Since we’re the opponents, they’re naturally taking that strategy.’

Even though the opponents were Area League professional gladiators, they were far from being a match for them.

Not only did they have Beom-seok, who was considered a core-level gladiator in the Central League, but they also had Erfina, Oscar, and Erica, who were Wide League main players. And the remaining forces, excluding Venus, Polia, and Matilda, were also outstanding gladiators with Area League professional-level skills.

Considering this, their draw strategy was a correct decision.

– Well. It’s a tense moment. For some reason, both teams have deployed their main players in the 2nd round. The match is progressing very interestingly.

– Yes. That’s right. The strategic battle is too intense. But in the current situation, the Gods Knights seem to have the advantage. The South Devils tried to avoid their main force and target the substitutes, but isn’t this the situation that has unfolded? The South Devils bench must be quite worried.

Beom-seok smiled bitterly at the commentator’s words coming from the arena broadcast. It was hard not to feel resentful when they spoke so casually without knowing the circumstances of others. To that extent, the Gods Knights’ strategy was completely off.

Pee-eep!

– The match begins!

Along with the arena broadcast, Beom-seok followed Oscar and Andrea, dashing forward quickly. And when they reached the stream flowing through the center of the arena, they jumped with all their might and swung their swords.

Clang. Clash. Kwang.

With fierce collision sounds, the South Devils’ formation wavered greatly. The impact of Oscar’s greatsword was beyond imagination. However, because they were extremely densely packed and had shields in front, there was only a slight disruption, and the line did not collapse.

“Everyone, charge and help the vanguard [those in the front line]!”

At the same time as Raemi’s shout, the Gods Knights’ midfielders rushed forward. They supported the vanguard, paired in twos, as they were assigned. The tips of swords and spears, raining down, flew towards the South Devils team gladiators.

Crack. Thud. Kwang.

The Gods Knights team’s unilateral attack continued. For some reason, the South Devils team was focused solely on defense, with their formation tightly knit. They held swords in their hands, but only used them to block the opponent’s attacks, never extending them towards themselves. Sensing something unusual, Beom-seok frowned. Even if they were aiming for a draw, this was a bit too much.

‘These guys aren’t aiming for a draw.’

Usually, to stall for time, they would occasionally attack to give the opponent a sense of threat. That would make them more cautious in their movements, naturally slowing down the offensive. But now, the South Devils’ gladiators weren’t showing even minimal feinting motions, as if telling them to attack as they pleased. If this continued, a hole would eventually open in the formation, and they would collapse helplessly.

Then there was only one reason. They were definitely trying to exhaust their stamina by letting them unleash their full offensive.

‘Their strategy changed to exhausting our stamina when our strategy went wrong. Tch. This is really messed up.’

The only action Beom-seok could take now was to fall for the South Devils’ intentions. If they aimed for a draw in this round to conserve stamina, it would be 2 draws, and there was a risk of facing the opponent’s main players twice more. They had to win this round to avoid the worst-case scenario.

He focused his attack on South Devils gladiator number 19, along with Matilda and Raemi, who were behind him. The best way to win in a group battle was to reduce the opponent’s numbers first and then push with numerical superiority.

Kwang. Clang. Clang.

“We must maintain the formation! The Gods Knights are a team with strong offensive power! If we’re breached, it’s over! Fulfill your assigned duties!”

Sword and shield users, with shields in front, gathered closely to block Beom-seok’s attack. Even for him, it was impossible to defeat an opponent gladiator at once in this kind of defensive formation. No, it was hard to even extend his arms properly in the forest of overlapping shields and one-handed swords.

But the Gods Knights didn’t just have Beom-seok. As the sword and shield users focused on him, Oscar broke through the gap in the loosened defensive formation and drew a beautiful semicircular arc with his greatsword in the center of the formation.

“Kyaaak!”

The South Devils’ gladiators, who had been wielding their swords and shields with all their might, screamed and scattered in all directions. Some seemed to have taken a direct hit, convulsing on the floor.

Beom-seok moved into the open space and, together with Oscar, prevented the formation from reforming.

“Good job, Oscar!”

Oscar, back-to-back with him, smiled brightly.

“Hehe. It’s nothing. It’s easy. I’ve broken through even tougher formations than this in the Wide League. Hehe.”

Beom-seok chuckled at her words, unsure if they were humble or boastful. Her performance had greatly reduced the worry about the main players’ stamina consumption, so her performance deserved praise.

A defensive formation was an effective way to block a strong opponent’s breakthrough, but once it was breached, it collapsed uncontrollably. The power of the formation came not from the shields, but from the coordination between the members.

As if to prove this, the midfielders led by Erica were encircling and mercilessly defeating one divided formation of the South Devils.

“Everyone, gather!”

The South Devils’ gladiators, scattered by the sharp-toned captain’s shout, struggled to reform their formation. But it was difficult to break through Beom-seok and Oscar’s defense. Their efforts were in vain, and they fell into an even more difficult situation. The effort to gather created another gap, and the Gods Knights’ midfielders did not miss this opportunity, mercilessly striking from behind.

“Aaaagh!!”

Erica and Matilda ran to Beom-seok, leaving the incapacitated gladiator number 21 aside. They believed that their other colleagues could defeat the remaining one sufficiently.

“Master. This side is mostly taken care of.”

Beom-seok, who glanced back, nodded. The remaining one was also on the verge of being unable to move his limbs due to the unilateral attack of Raemi and Chiria, along with the other midfielders. Then the remaining number of South Devils was five, including the captain gladiator. Now, victory was as good as decided.

He smiled bitterly and approached the gladiator with the number 32. Judging by the hologram flag on his back, he was definitely the captain gladiator. If he defeated her, the 1st round would end. He could go back and rest comfortably.

“Hehehe. It’s over now.”

Seeing him approach, the gladiator number 32 exchanged glances with the remaining four colleagues. There seemed to be some trick, but what could the opponent do in a 12-to-5 situation? Beom-seok smiled leisurely and straightened his sword.

“Everyone. Execute Operation 11. Everyone, start!”

At that moment, the remaining five South Devils gladiators threw their weapons to the ground all at once. And immediately, without looking back, they began to run. They had given up the fight and chosen to flee.

‘What, what is this.’

Beom-seok made a bewildered expression and watched them running towards the wall of the circular arena. In gladiator matches, fleeing was also an excellent time-stalling strategy. In any case, if the captain gladiator was not incapacitated after 20 minutes, the round would be a draw, so it was a strategy that could be used sufficiently. Of course, they would be heavily criticized by the fans, but in matches where promotion and relegation were at stake, or in tournaments like now where one loss meant the end, most weak teams fell for that temptation.

But now it was only about 7 minutes since the start of the 2nd round, and the Gods Knights currently had 12 members remaining. No matter how much they ran around the 100-meter diameter arena, there was no way they couldn’t catch the captain gladiator in the remaining time. Besides, they didn’t seem to be fast runners, and their running form wasn’t professional. Considering this, it was clear that they were definitely trying to deplete the Gods Knights’ stamina until the end.

‘This is too blatant.’

He was annoyed, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn’t make a draw of a game he had already won to save a little stamina.

He looked at Chiria, who was standing behind him. She also had the qualities of an archer, so she was quite useful in this situation.

“Chiria! Prepare the bow. The rest, surround the captain gladiator and pressure her.”

Chiria sheathed the two-handed sword she was holding and took out the bow she was carrying on her back, nocking an arrow. And slowly, she began to move towards the captain gladiator. Beom-seok stood beside her as if to protect her. When she held the bow, she became very vulnerable to direct attacks, so someone needed to be by her side at all times.

Soon, the Gods Knights’ gladiators surrounded the gladiator number 32, who was pressed against the wall of the circular arena.

“Catch her!”

At his command, the Gods Knights’ team members rushed in all at once. The gladiator number 32 tried to dodge, but it wasn’t easy. When she turned right along the wall, Oscar quickly blocked her path. She was the fastest in the team after Beom-seok.

In response, the other South Devils’ gladiators rushed to rescue her, but it was useless. In a situation where they had thrown away all their weapons to run faster, it was very difficult to face the Gods Knights’ main gladiators. Soon, they were unilaterally pushed back and fell into an incapacitated state one by one.

Soon after, the gladiator number 32 was shot in the thigh by Chiria’s arrow and knelt on the floor. And with the subsequent brutal sword strike from Oscar, the 2nd round ended.

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

A new day begins. Have a great weekend, everyone. As for me tomorrow… ;;;; I’m not sure. ㅠㅠ. It seems like it will be a bit late.