Sparta: Many childrens, Many Blessings, Starting from the Gladiator Chapter 20 20

When Lynx returned to the dical room, Amir was still guarding the door.

"Big Brother, Crixus he…"

"Temporary ally."

"You continue to guard the door. Don't let idle people in. I'll go see how Mira is doing."

He left the dical room, walked to near the main building, and found a hidden corner to wait.

About half an hour later, Mira finally returned, carrying a small cloth bag in her hand, her expression hurried.

Lynx stopped her: "How did it go?"

Mira was startled. Seeing it was him, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Lady Lucretia agreed. She sent a slave to go with to the pharmacy and bought the needed herbs. But…"

She hesitated for a mont. "Madam asked if you asked to find her."

"What did you say?"

"I said yes. After hearing that, Madam's expression was a bit strange, but she didn't ask anything more."

Lynx nodded: "You go save Marcus first. We'll talk about other things later."

Mira looked at him, wanting to speak but stopping. In the end she nodded and quickly walked toward the dical room.

Lynx looked at her back, calculating in his heart.

On Lucretia's side… he needed to find a ti to go over.

This woman has too many thoughts and knows too much. He must stabilize her.

In the evening, Mira finally ca out of the dical room. Her face was tired but carried a trace of relief.

"How is he?"

"He woke up."

"The toxin has been cleared a bit, but his body is still very weak. I told him to continue lying down, not to make noise, and pretend he hasn't woken up yet."

"Can he speak?"

"Yes, but his voice is very small."

"Enough."

"Take to see him."

In the dical room, Marcus had already woken up. He was leaning against the head of the bed, his face still pale.

But his eyes had recovered clarity.

Seeing Lynx co in, his lips moved. He wanted to say sothing, but couldn't make a sound.

Lynx sat down by the bedside.

"Don't speak. Listen to ."

He lowered his voice. "Do you know why you beca like this?"

Marcus nodded. His eyes were full of anger.

"The bowl of stewed at the kitchen gave you had a problem."

Lynx continued. "It's not just you. Many people in the training ground have unknowingly eaten the sa thing. Batiatus wants to weaken us to ensure the performance match is 'spectacular'."

Marcus clenched his fists.

"Do you want revenge?"

Marcus nodded hard.

"Good."

Lynx continued. "Then you cooperate with . Starting tomorrow, continue pretending to be unconscious or play dumb. When the ti cos, I will let you stand out and tell everyone the truth."

Marcus nodded again. A hoarse sound ca from his throat: "I… listen to you."

Lynx patted his shoulder and stood up to leave.

At the door, he turned back and looked at Marcus.

This man who had provoked him before now had flas of revenge burning in his eyes.

Very good.

Hatred is sotis more powerful than loyalty.

That night, Lynx went to the bathhouse.

Lucretia was indeed waiting.

She sat by the hot water pool, only draped in a thin gauze. Seeing Lynx co in, she looked up at him, her eyes complex.

"You finally ca."

"Madam was looking for ?"

Lynx sat down opposite her.

"Marcus's matter, you asked Mira to find ?"

Lucretia stirred the water, her tone unreadable.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he cannot die."

"The performance match is imminent. If a gladiator dies in the training camp, it will cause unnecessary trouble. Moreover, I need him alive to stand up and speak at the necessary ti."

Lucretia suddenly raised her head and stared at him: "Stand up and say what?"

"The truth."

Lynx t her gaze. "Say that Batiatus is drugging the food, wanting to weaken or even kill his own gladiators."

Lucretia's face changed: "Are you crazy? Do you know what you are saying?"

"I am very sober."

"Madam, you also know, don't you? You know Batiatus's thods better than anyone."

Lucretia was silent for a while, then suddenly smiled. There was bitterness in her smile: "Yes, I know. I know so well that… sotis I wake up in the middle of the night and feel like I am sleeping in a nest of vipers."

She stood up, walked in front of Lynx, leaned over and looked at him: "Lynx, do you know why I help you?"

"Because I am useful."

"Not entirely."

Lucretia shook her head. "Because you are the only one who, in front of this viper, still wants to bite back. I have seen enough of him scheming against others, seen enough of those people either dying or becoming his dogs. I want to see how big a wound you, this wild dog, can bite."

Lynx smiled: "Then will Madam help ?"

"Help you?"

Lucretia sneered. "What can I help you with? I can't even save myself."

"You can give information."

"Batiatus's plans, movents from the Nodis side, even… who is specifically operating the kitchen matter."

Lucretia stared at him for a long ti. Finally she sighed: "The kitchen steward is Batiatus's distant relative, called Lucius. The drugging matter is handled by him, but the drug was personally given to him by Batiatus, stored in a small clay bottle, locked in the bottom drawer of the study."

"What drug?"

"I don't know. Batiatus only said it was called 'Calming Powder'. In small amounts it can make people relax. In large amounts… it will make people slowly lose strength, eventually even unable to hold a sword."

Lynx rembered it.

"Also,"

Lucretia continued. "The Nodis training camp has been secretly training a new formation these days. It's not the four-person encirclent we talked about before, but… six people."

"Six people?"

Lynx frowned. "Isn't the performance match two against four?"

"On the surface it is two against four."

Lucretia paused, then said, "But in reality, Nodis will bribe the referees and guards. After the match starts, they will secretly let the other two enter the field. At that ti, what you face will not be four, but six."

Lynx's eyes turned cold.

"Is the information reliable?"

"Reliable."

Lucretia nodded. "It was said by Nodis boss's mistress. That woman has so friendship with . She drank too much and accidentally let it slip."

Six people.

Plus Crixus possibly tripping him up, and the accumulated toxin in the body…

This performance match is really a dragon's pond and tiger's den.

"Thank you for telling these things."

Lynx said sincerely.

Lucretia looked at him, suddenly reached out and gently stroked his face: "Lynx, promise one thing."

"What?"

"If you win, if you really can bite that viper to death…"

She paused, her voice lowering. "Take away."

Lynx was stunned.

"I know I am not worthy of you."

Lucretia smiled bitterly. "I am old and not clean, but I don't want to die here. I don't want to be thrown away by Batiatus as a discarded piece one day. Take away. Anywhere is fine. Even if I beco a laundry slave for you, it's fine."

There were tears in her eyes.

Lynx was silent for a while and nodded.

"Okay. If I win, I will take you away."

Lucretia smiled. Tears fell and dripped into the hot water pool.

"Thank you."

That night, Lynx didn't stay long in the bathhouse.

He returned to his cell, lay on the bed, and梳理 all the information he got today in his mind.

Kitchen steward Lucius.

The "Calming Powder" in the study drawer.

Nodis's six-person formation.

Crixus's temporary cooperation.

Marcus's awakening.

And… Lucretia's request.

And Mira's clear eyes.

He turned over and looked at the moonlight outside the window.

The system panel floated in his consciousness.

[Task: Establish Prestige]

[Progress: 5/10]

[Remaining ti: …]

He needed to pull in five more people.

Then gather enough points to exchange for toxin resistance.

Then face the encirclent of six people.

Then guard against Crixus's betrayal.

Then… survive.

Lynx closed his eyes.

A sentence floated in his mind, one he had read in so book in his previous life:

"When you stare into the abyss, the abyss also stares back at you."

He was now standing at the edge of the abyss.

Behind him was a viper, in front were hungry wolves.

The only path to survival was to jump down and then kill a bloody path from the bottom of the abyss.

"Then co."

He muttered to himself. The corner of his mouth curled into a cold arc.

Moonlight spilled on his face, half bright, half shadow.

Like his current situation.

And like the path he was about to take.

Performance match countdown: two days.

And the storm had already taken shape in the darkness.

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