Sparta: Many childrens, Many Blessings, Starting from the Gladiator Chapter 29 29

The training ground was very quiet.

Most of the gladiators had already gone to sleep, conserving their strength for tomorrow's life-and-death battle.

Lynx returned to his cell, lay on the bed, but had no sleepiness.

He opened the system panel.

He still had 200 points.

The task "Establish Prestige" was still short 5 people.

Before tomorrow's performance match, he must gather enough.

How to gather?

He thought for a mont, got up, walked out of the cell, and ca to Gisco's door.

He knocked gently.

Gisco quickly opened the door. Seeing it was him, he was stunned: "What's wrong?"

"Co in. I have sothing to discuss."

The two entered the room. Lynx closed the door.

"Tomorrow's performance match, we need more people on our side."

Lynx got straight to the point. "Now we only have eleven. It's not enough."

Gisco frowned: "Ti is too tight. Temporary recruitnt, they can't be trusted."

"Don't recruit. As long as they don't oppose us at the critical mont tomorrow, it's fine."

"There are still more than twenty gladiators in the training ground. Most of them are fence-sitters. If we can give them a promise, a hope…"

"What hope?"

"Freedom."

"Tell them that if we win tomorrow, we will strive to get freedom for everyone — at least, the chance to leave this place."

Gisco widened his eyes: "This… how is this possible? Batiatus will not agree!"

"We don't need him to agree."

"After we win and get our freedom, we will have bargaining chips. Moreover…"

He lowered his voice. "Crixus arranged a ship, right? That ship is not small. Bringing a few more people is no problem."

Gisco was silent for a while and nodded: "Fine. I'll go talk to a few people I have decent relationships with. But I can't guarantee how many will believe it."

"Do your best."

Gisco left in the middle of the night.

Lynx returned to his cell, lay on the bed, and looked at the ceiling.

His mind was like a movie, flashing through every possible scenario for tomorrow.

Nodis's six-person formation.

Crixus's strong attack.

Marcus's pinning down.

Octavius's cover.

And the twin "Shadows" with flying knives and rope darts.

And… the ga between Batiatus and Nodis.

There were too many variables.

But no matter what, he must win.

For Mira, for the unborn child, for these people willing to risk their lives with him.

And for… himself.

The night grew deeper.

In the distance ca the sound of bells. It was the Temple of Venus in the center of Capua ringing the hour.

Midnight.

Less than six hours until the start of the performance match.

Lynx closed his eyes and forced himself to rest.

Even if he couldn't sleep, he had to conserve energy.

Outside the window, the moon was covered by clouds. The world was dark.

Before the storm cos, it is always the quietest.

And tomorrow, when the sun rises, the feast of blood and sand will officially begin.

The sky was just beginning to show light when the main gate of the training ground was rudely pushed open.

Batiatus strode in. Behind him was not the usual overseers or slaves, but a woman.

A woman wearing leather armor and carrying a curved blade at her waist.

She was very tall, almost as tall as Lynx. Her skin was wheat-colored. Her muscle lines were clear but not exaggerated, like a vigorous female leopard.

Her deep brown hair was cut very short, revealing an angular face and a pair of amber eyes — those eyes had none of the gentleness or charm common in female slaves, only wildness, sharpness, and undisguised provocation.

She stood beside Batiatus. Her gaze swept over the gladiators gathered in the courtyard and finally stopped on Lynx.

Everyone was stunned.

Female gladiators were rare, but not nonexistent.

But one like this… emitting an aura of "don't ss with " all over her body — there was probably not a second one in all of Capua.

"Everyone listen!"

Batiatus spoke. His voice was louder than usual, as if covering sothing up. "Today's performance match — postponed!"

"Postponed?"

"Why?"

The gladiators instantly beca agitated.

Crixus's face sank: "Master, the list has already been submitted. The audience also…"

"I said postponed, so it's postponed!"

Batiatus interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "There was a little 'situation' at Nodis training camp. The performance match is delayed by three days!"

He paused and his gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on Lynx's face: "Just in ti. During these few days, I will introduce a new mber to everyone — Saxa, a gladiator from Thrace. She will stay in our training ground for a while and train with everyone."

The woman nad Saxa took a step forward. The corner of her mouth curved into a half-smile.

"My na is Saxa."

Her voice was low and a bit hoarse. "Thracian. I heard there is a capable newcor here?"

As she spoke, her gaze stared straight at Lynx.

Batiatus smiled. The smile was a bit fake: "Lynx, co over and get to know her."

Lynx walked over and stopped three steps in front of Saxa.

The two looked at each other.

Saxa was a bit shorter than him, but her presence was not weak at all.

She looked Lynx up and down. Her eyes were like evaluating a weapon.

"You are the Lynx who killed an overseer with one punch and knocked down the champion with one kick?"

"Lucky."

"Lucky?"

Saxa sneered. "I have seen too many people who relied on luck. They all died."

She took a step forward, almost sticking to Lynx: "I heard you are fighting people from Nodis in three days? Two against four?"

"Three against six."

Lynx corrected. "If the performance match still goes as planned."

Saxa raised an eyebrow: "Three against six? Interesting."

She suddenly turned around and looked at Batiatus: "Boss, I want to fight him."

"Now?"

Batiatus frowned tightly.

"Now."

Saxa said excitedly. "I want to see how many pounds this newcor you praised so much really has."

Batiatus didn't agree imdiately.

He looked at Lynx, then at Saxa. His eyes flickered, as if weighing sothing.

Lynx knew clearly in his heart. This was not a simple "get to know each other".

Batiatus suddenly postponed the performance match, suddenly brought a female gladiator, suddenly let her challenge him… this old fox must have noticed sothing.

Noticed his secret alliance with Crixus? Noticed their suspicion about the drugging incident?

Or… sothing else?

No matter what, he had to fight this match.

And he had to win.

"Fine."

Batiatus finally nodded. "Use training weapons. Stop at the right point."

"Stop at the right point?"

Saxa smiled. There was mockery in her smile. "There is no such word in a gladiator's dictionary."

She turned and walked toward the sand pit. As she walked, she untied the curved blade at her waist and threw it to a nearby overseer. She casually picked a training short sword and a small round shield from the weapon rack.

Lynx also walked over, picked up his training short sword and shield.

Everyone in the training ground gathered around.

Crixus stood at the front with his arms crossed, his expression gloomy.

Gisco and Amir squeezed together, full of worry.

Octavius stood a bit farther away, his gaze focused.

Mira also ca out. She stood at the door of the dical room, her fingers tightly twisting her skirt hem.

Saxa stood in the center of the sand pit, loosened her wrists and neck, making soft cracking sounds.

"Ready?"

Lynx nodded.

"Then let's begin."

There was no referee, no command.

Saxa moved directly.

Her speed was extrely fast, like a brown lightning bolt. She instantly rushed in front of Lynx. Her short sword stabbed straight at his throat!

This move ca suddenly and at a tricky angle.

But Lynx's Danger Perception had already warned him before the sword reached him.

He leaned his body back. The blade brushed past his throat. At the sa ti, his left shield pushed forward!

"Bang!"

The shield collided with Saxa's small round shield. Both retreated a step.

"Reaction is not bad."

Saxa licked her lips. Her eyes beca even brighter.

She charged again. This ti it was not a stab, but a slash.

The short sword carried the sound of wind, slashing diagonally from upper left to lower right toward Lynx's shoulder!

Lynx raised his shield to block.

"Clang!"

The wooden sword chopped on the wooden shield, shaking his arm until it went numb.

Saxa's strength was not as good as Crixus's, but her speed and technique were superior.

One strike missed. She imdiately changed moves. The blade turned and swept horizontally toward Lynx's waist and abdon!

Lynx retreated a step. The sword tip brushed past his leather armor.

The two moved quickly in the sand pit. The sounds of sword and shield collisions were dense like raindrops.

The onlookers watched with bated breath.

Crixus's face beca uglier and uglier.

He could see that this woman nad Saxa had even better skills than he imagined.

That smooth attacking rhythm, those tricky attacking angles — they were definitely not sothing an ordinary gladiator could have.

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