Chapter 35: The Second Gladiatorial Fight
Life Steal I, through close contact, could absorb the target’s life force.
It could interfere with the flow of life force within the target’s body, such as preventing the target’s life force from flowing into a wound after it was created, causing the wound to heal slowly. Or it could lock the flow of life force at the shoulder, causing the arm to necrotize and atrophy due to lack of life force.
It could also form a drop of flesh essence from the stolen life force, which, when diluted, would become a healing elixir. Applying it externally could quickly heal injuries.
The absorbed life force could be used to satisfy the daily need of Flesh I to consume 2ml of blood.
Asker looked at the text message Nuo sent on his phone and roughly understood the characteristics of Peggy’s ability.
Good, then there was one level 2 in the team. Asker thought to himself, one and a half, if Medea was included.
Life Steal I had some use in early battles, but it became completely useless in the later stages of the game. Because it had to be in contact to absorb life force, and the enemy obviously wouldn’t just stand there and let you touch them.
So it became a wretched playstyle of rubbing against the enemy in battle, and the amount of blood that could be absorbed was really limited. If this Sequence was upgraded to Life Steal II, then it would become long-range blood sucking, which would be much more practical in battle.
“In the next gladiatorial fight, our opponent is the yellow team.” The big guy “Barbarian” sharpened his battle axe next to him and said lightly. “The leader is a Varangian, a descendant of our Viking compatriots in the Siberian wilderness.”
“He is equipped with a two-handed greatsword, even longer and heavier than the greatsword you used in the last battle. I was also defeated by him once, and only saved my life by throwing away my weapon in time.”
“If possible.” He picked up his battle axe and blew on the polished blade. “Let’s kill him this time.”
“Are you so bloodthirsty?” Asker frowned. If this guy was a murderous maniac, wouldn’t recruiting him into the team simply disrupt their unity?
“Huh, don’t you become a gladiator to kill people?” Barbarian asked strangely.
“No.” Asker replied confidently. I became a gladiator for the “Sharp Weapon I” potion, and to see if I could recruit potential teammates. “Are you here to kill people?”
“Of course not.” Barbarian said, “I originally went to apply for the Emperor’s Varangian Guard, but I was rejected in the interview. And I spent all the money I brought with me on the road, so I had no choice but to come here and be a gladiator to make a living.”
“Then what is your dream?” Asker asked casually. “For example, after you have money.”
“I want to be a lord.” Barbarian said, “First find a noble to serve, then be knighted, get my own territory, and then kill bandits, escaped criminals, and so on every day.”
“And you say you’re not bloodthirsty?” Asker said, both amused and annoyed. “Who would dream of killing criminals?”
“What I pursue is not killing, but enjoying the process of fighting, understand? For us northerners, only by dying gloriously like a warrior can we be taken to Valhalla after death and enjoy feasting, singing, and wrestling all day long.” Barbarian sighed.
Asker heard the noise outside getting louder again: “3 hours are up, it’s time for us to fight.”
“It’s the two of us.” Barbarian corrected him. “These red-clad cowards don’t intend to fight alongside us.”
“Yes, the two of us.” Asker picked up the Caucasian straight sword. “Let’s go.”
“Wait, you’re not using the two-handed greatsword from last time?” Barbarian asked incredulously.
“Just trying out a different weapon.” Asker said.
“How can you change weapons casually?” Barbarian said incomprehensibly. “Haven’t you heard the saying: A weapon is a warrior’s bride.”
“Then it doesn’t matter.” Asker joked, “I have many wives.”
“If you’re a philanderer, be careful of being betrayed by your wife on the battlefield one day.” Barbarian said.
“Are you two done?!” Theotis, who was leading the red team in front, was furious and turned around to shout angrily, “If you want to chat, go chat in the gutter outside the arena!”
The entire red team walked out of the passage, came to the arena, and met the yellow team gladiators who were walking towards them.
These yellow team gladiators were generally armored, with a higher armor rate than the previous blue team, and the personnel were mainly stronger Franks.
Leading the yellow team was a northern Varangian, with messy hair and bear-like blue eyes. After putting on his helmet, his whole body was wrapped in steel armor, without revealing a single gap.
“The red team has also entered the arena! Led by the familiar Thracian ‘Brown Bear’!” The announcer howled like a drunkard. “And! Our hero from the last battle, who single-handedly killed three blue gladiators, ‘Viking’!!!”
The audience immediately cheered enthusiastically, obviously many of them had watched the last match.
“Do me a favor.” Theotis shook hands with the yellow team leader and whispered in his ear, “Later, kill the two people on the far right of my team, the reward is 3 pounds.”
“5 pounds.” The Varangian’s cold voice came from behind the helmet. “All their bones will be broken into pieces.”
“Deal.” Theotis nodded slightly.
After the two sides finished saluting, they led their teammates five steps away, drew their weapons, and stood ready.
“Who will be the MVP of this bloody gladiatorial fight?” The announcer was still shouting vigorously. “Is it the yellow team’s leader ‘Bone Splitter,’ or the red team’s leader ‘Brown Bear’? Can ‘Viking,’ who brought us a feast of carnage in the last match, continue his glory in this match…”
“Wait, am I seeing this right? ‘Viking’ is using a one-handed straight sword, not his signature two-handed greatsword?”
The arena referee also walked in and asked Asker:
“Did you choose the wrong weapon? If it’s because there are no two-handed greatswords in the training ground, I can go to the warehouse and get one for you.”
“No, thank you.” Asker said, “I plan to use this straight sword for this match.”
The referee nodded and made a “continue” gesture to the surrounding audience. The announcer’s incredulous voice came from the loudspeaker:
“Oh my God! ‘Viking’ actually refused the referee’s permission to change weapons and decided to use a one-handed straight sword in this gladiatorial fight? Please reconsider, ‘Viking’! What the audience wants to see is your heroic figure wielding a greatsword and smashing the enemy’s bones, not your miserable appearance when you are killed because your weapon is too weak!”
“How can a ‘Viking’ who doesn’t use heavy weapons be called a ‘Viking’? Do you want to change your nickname? Sicilian? Illyrian? Siris?”
“This commentary is so annoying.” Asker complained. “Is there any way to shut him up?”
“You think so too?” Barbarian echoed. “I’ve been putting up with him for half a year. If I could kill him, I’d rather not be the Daily Champion.”
In the box above the arena audience stands, the Imperial Kingsguard officers and Captain Michael were staring coldly at the arena below.
To be precise, they were staring at Asker, who was wearing a red gladiatorial cloak.
“The announcer is too noisy.” Michael frowned and said, “Shut him up.”
“Yes.” Two officers got up and went out.
The announcer’s roaring voice continued from the loudspeaker:
“…Listen, our audience is booing too. ‘Viking,’ let me teach you a lesson, a man’s weapon doesn’t have to be sharp, but it must be big! Thick! Hard! How can a one-handed straight sword, a weapon like a toothpick, be considered a weapon? Let me tell you… Huh? Who are you? You can’t come in here… Ah!”
The sound of microphone grabbing and fighting came from the loudspeaker, followed by a scream, and then silence.
Asker and Barbarian looked at each other speechlessly.
“It wasn’t me.” Barbarian shrugged. “I take back what I said before. Even if the announcer is killed, I still want to be the Daily Champion.”
“It has nothing to do with the announcer.” Asker said, “The reason you can’t be the Daily Champion is because I’m here.”
“Okay.” Barbarian said excitedly, “Then let’s see who kills more people this time.”
The starting pistol fired, and the battle began immediately. The red gladiators quickly contracted their formation, isolating Asker and Barbarian on the right wing. The yellow team also seemed to have coordinated in advance, sending out two yellow gladiators. One of them was the leader, the Varangian “Bone Splitter.”
“I’ll hold him off.” Staring at the 2-meter-tall, fully armored Bone Splitter, the 1.9-meter-tall Barbarian showed a wary expression. “You go and deal with his deputy, ‘Bloodthirsty.’”
“How about we switch?” Asker objected.
He stepped forward and thrust his sword straight at the opponent. Bone Splitter, behind his helmet, sneered coldly, his greatsword swinging up like a storm – it was a greatsword over two meters long, and because the center of gravity was too far away, it took a lot of strength to use it well. However, once it was used, it was extremely powerful, with a super large attack range.
Asker, as if he had expected it, rolled under the greatsword the moment it slashed down. Bone Splitter exerted force on his arm again, the greatsword turning a slight arc, and once again slashing down heavily like a mountain.
With a loud bang, the stone slab floor of the arena was almost split by the greatsword. Bone Splitter looked up in disbelief, only to see Asker standing unharmed on his greatsword, his straight sword casually slung over his shoulder.
“Not bad, you actually used such a ferocious weapon with skill.” He said with a chuckle. “I just happen to be short of a companion, are you interested?”
Compared to Barbarian, this Bone Splitter was obviously more suitable for the “violent output” role, so Asker didn’t bother to continue observing and directly tried to recruit him.
“Me?” Bone Splitter was stunned for a moment, then misunderstood what he meant. I’m going to abandon the leadership of the yellow team and become your companion, a red team gladiator? Damn, even the leader of the red team, ‘Brown Bear,’ wouldn’t dare to taunt me like this!
He bared his teeth, laughing angrily:
“Okay, I’m still missing a skull in my collection of trophies, are you interested in being their companion?”
“No? What a pity.” Asker said regretfully. Bone Splitter gripped the greatsword with both hands and abruptly lifted it upwards. Asker was thrown into the air by his great strength, his straight sword thrusting straight out in the air, aiming right between Bone Splitter’s eyes.
“Caucasian assassination swordsmanship, Shadow Hawk’s Prey.” In the box, Michael looked down and suddenly said.
Bone Splitter released his left hand from the weapon and grabbed at the tip of the sword. His palm was covered with steel gauntlets. As long as he grabbed that one-handed straight sword, he could easily twist it into a pretzel. Asker’s sword touched the nose guard of his helmet and was quickly retracted like the wind, a backhand slash landing on his shoulder.
“Far Eastern swordsmanship, Falling Phoenix Slash.” Another Imperial officer said.
Leave a Reply