Chapter 750: Varo’s Story
After seven days, Zhang Heng had gained a better understanding of the gladiator’s basic training. In general, all the training they had to do was strengthen their strength, agility, and endurance. He was also taught some basic ways to move as a gladiator during a battle.
So far, Zhang Heng was not too satisfied with the skills that he learned.
Considering that he was now in the second century, he did not expect the school’s training to be scientific. Other than the goal of regaining his freedom, Zhang Heng hoped that he could learn something useful in this dungeon. After all, he was now in the Roman Empire, the most prosperous period of gladiator performance.
This vital form of entertainment for the Roman people had disappeared in later generations because of its brutality and cruelty. However, it was undeniable that it did create a group of heroes and legends at that time.
Since Zhang Heng’s swordsmanship had reached Lv4, coupled with the combat experience that he accumulated from a dozen of quests, there was a high chance he would defeat Spartacus even if he were reborn. However, this did not mean that there was no room for improvement in his swordsmanship.
For example, he learned a thing or two when he watched the battle between Habitus and Bach. Although Habitus was at a disadvantage in terms of strength, he used his dexterous set of movements to go against Bach’s brute force and manipulated him in between his palm. And it caused Bach to lose in his anger. It made Zhang Heng want to learn those dance-like movements from them.
Zhang Heng considered himself quite agile. During the Black Sail quest, he worked hard to get to where he was today. He was confident that he could defeat Habitus within three moves. It was because the two of them had gone through different training, and they had different combat experiences as well. It was not all about physical strength. If Zhang Heng could learn Habitus’s moves, it would be a good addition to his skills.
But Zhang Heng soon discovered that this matter was not as simple as he thought.
After they were assigned to a different group, everyone was also assigned to their corresponding trainers. They were still required to carry out their basic training. Simultaneously, the trainers would formulate different sets of training based on the gladiator candidates’ forte. Whether it was basic training or individual training, Zhang Heng did not learn Habitus’s movements.
He consulted his trainer regarding this issue. The trainer told Zhang Heng that per the employment contract, the trainer needed to help the school train gladiators and complete the required training courses. Some trainers would keep their trump cards to themselves, and they would not teach them to others.
If Zhang Heng wished to learn Habitus’s unique skill, he had to resort to other means. The most common and simple way was to give gifts. Gladiator candidates like Zhang Heng had no way to purchase a gift to please their trainer. However, if he were chosen to become an official gladiator, he would receive rewards every time he won a match, even if he still held a slave status. Usually, those gifts and rewards were given by the audiences. The gladiator school would take a part of the reward and give them to the gladiators to encourage the gladiator to fight braver.
After that, the gladiators were allowed to use the money for entertainment. Of course, they could also improve themselves by knowing that the trainer liked and using it to bring the two parties closer. Some of them would opt to sign a long-term contract to allocate a portion of their reward to a certain trainer. By doing that, the trainer would become his personal trainer. He would be responsible for formulating a training plan for his gladiator, watching his every battle, looking for his weaknesses, and constantly helping him to improve his combat skills.
However, this kind of treatment was generally only available to star gladiators.
After listening to the trainer’s explanation, Zhang Heng figured he did not need to worry for the time being. That was because the gladiator candidates and the official gladiators did not live together. It was usually difficult for him to meet Habitus. Besides, he did not possess any incentives to make Habitus teach him his trump card.
Fortunately, Habitus would stay in this school for some time. Hence, Zhang Heng was not in a hurry to learn from him. Now that he knew what he wanted to do, he would have to pass the assessment and become an official gladiator first.
Varo, on the other hand, still looked worried.
Since Gaby told him his worth, he was devastated and desperate. No matter how optimistic he was, he could not deceive himself anymore. He was forced to accept Zhang Heng’s deduction about him in pain.
The reason why he got to where he was today was not just because of his bad luck and failure in investment. Someone had deliberately done this to him. Not only did the person empty his wealth, but he also had no intention to let him live as a free man.
After the training, Varo did not go to eat his meal. Instead, he went back to where he lived, lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, as if he was a corpse waiting to be buried.
Zhang Heng finished his dinner alone, and he brought Varo a piece of bread when he headed back to where he stayed. He then threw it on his chest, “Eat something. You need to replenish your energy. Otherwise, you can’t possibly cope with tomorrow’s training.”
However, Varo remained motionless as if he had not heard Zhang Heng.
Zhang Heng frowned. “Even if you are not doing it for yourself, at least think about your wife. Didn’t you say that she loves you very much and she is willing to wait for you to redeem yourself? From another angle, being a gladiator is not exactly a bad thing. When the audience likes you enough, even Mark Reuss has to give you back your freedom.”
Varo smiled sorrowfully when he heard the words, “Didn’t you ask me before, who made me invest in the linen business in Egypt? It’s not a stranger. It’s my wife.”
“…”
“If you are right, it was my wife and my best friend who joined forces to put me in here.”
“Oh, this is quite unexpected. I can only say that I am sorry to hear that.”
“I’m really the stupidest idiot in this world, right?” Varo cried in a frustrated tone. “I should have found out about it a long time ago. The signs were there as early as a year ago. The two of them always spent time together, and I chose to ignore many tiny details. When the slave in the shop reminded me about it, I ended up whipping him because he spouted nonsense. I was… foolish.”
“Usually, you’ll be the last to find out these things,” Zhang Heng comforted.
“Why… How did it turn out like this? I am obviously the one who loves her more. I ask myself, and I’m confident that I didn’t wrong her a single time after we got married. I gave her everything she wanted, whether it was jewelry or silk. No matter how expensive they were, I would buy them for her. And I would even die for her,” Varo said, crying bitterly.