Chapter 811: Exciting Performance
Zhang Heng took a relatively long rest after he eliminated the archer gladiator. After the rest of the gladiators watched him performed the magical move against the gladiator archer, all their hopes were shattered. And none of them wanted to become his opponent.
In the end, the Giant, Terufelos, decided to stand up.
He was a heavy-armored gladiator. Unlike the ordinary heavy-armored gladiator, his immense strength allowed him to move freely even though he carried a ton of extra weight on his body. His entire body was almost entirely covered in heavy armor. Besides, he was also holding a tower shield.
He looked exactly like a moving fortress.
Other than Zhang Heng, he was also one of the best performers in the arena. He had already killed two opponents, and he was unstoppable. However, in the next battle, he knew that he was about to face the biggest challenge of his gladiator career.
Terufelos’s expressions turned solemn. Though he took the looks of a lumbering giant, he was certainly not dumb, and he knew exactly how powerful his opponent was. That being said, he did not think that there was no chance to defeat his next opponent. The audience in the stands also began to get excited at this time. Since Sartonilos and others were not performing well, Terufelos was probably the first heavyweight opponent Zhang Heng encountered. All the spectators looked forward to their battle, expecting some dramatic fight to take place.
Terufelos did not rush to attack his opponent as usual. He put on a defensive posture and said at the same time, “What have you done to Sartonilos and other gladiators? Why do they look so lifeless?”
“I did nothing to them,” Zhang Heng said truthfully. “I had always thought that the truly terrifying thing is never the thing that brings fear, but the person’s expectation of fear. This expectation will magnify the fear by hundreds or even thousands of times.”
Terufelos might have actually understood what Zhang Heng was talking about, but he did not bother to dwell on this question. He squatted down and hid his body completely behind the shield, leaving only half of his head with helmet exposed. “Come on! Whether I win or lose in this battle, my trip to Rome will not be in vain as long as I get to fight with you.”
Zhang Heng had always been very polite to whoever was polite to him. So, he replied, “The observation hole on your helmet is too big. My sword can pierce it, but rest assured that I won’t be attacking your eyes. That’s it. Other than that, your turning speed is too slow. So, I will focus on your back, especially the gap between your helmet and armor. You’d better be prepared.”
Terufelos was left in shock when he heard what Zhang Heng said. He had participated in many battles and had never encountered anyone who told his opponents about their battle plan. It made Terufelos wonder if Zhang Heng was playing psychological games.
Before he had time to think about it, Zhang Heng had already rushed towards him.
Immediately, Tefufelos put up his defense. He found out that Zhang Heng did not use his speed and agility to go behind him, as he had said but instead, charged towards his front.
Was this going to be a head-on fight?
Terufelos could not figure out what Zhang Heng was trying to do. His combat skills, agility, speed, and balance were all better than his. The only attribute that he had the advantage of was his strength. He could not understand why Zhang Heng would use his weakness to go against his forte. Could it be that the easterner in front of him was purely arrogant?
Although his heart was full of doubts, Terufelos was readied to take on Zhang Heng’s attack. With his other hand gripping his weapon tightly, he leaned his shoulders forward and braced himself for the impact. He was going to attack Zhang Heng once Zhang Heng lost his balance.
Terufelos knew that he had a very short window to attack Zhang Heng. As long as he could seize this opportunity, however, he might take the initiative in the next round. The next second, he felt that the weight of his shield increased. Instead of attacking him, Zhang Heng jumped up from the ground, stepped on the edge of his shield, leaped over his head, and swung his Persian swords at Terufelos.
Zhang Heng’s bold change caught Terufelos completely off-guard. By the time Terufelos realized what was going on, Zhang Heng was already behind him. Immediately, Terufelos’s heart sank. But at this critical moment, he remembered what Zhang Heng had told him. At such a critical juncture, he wasn’t bothered to figure out whether or not Zhang Heng was telling him the truth. Without any hesitation, he used his short sword to protect his neck.
After that, the spectators witnessed something that ultimately left them stunned. They saw Zhang Heng jump over the squatting Terufelos, and before they could cheer at the outrageous move, Terufelos blocked Zhang Heng’s attack with his sword as if a pair of eyes grew behind his back.
The first round of the match between the two was a very delicate affair. When Zhang Heng realized that he had missed the hit, he took the initiative to step away from Terufelos. After that, the Giant, now drenched in cold sweat, quickly turned his body with his large shield. And now, both sides had entered the standoff stage.
Although it was only a brief moment, the audience in the stands applauded for this epic scene. The emperor and the other powerful people did not hesitate to express their appreciation for the smooth battle that they witnessed. This appreciation was not only meant for Zhang Heng, but it was also dedicated to his opponent, Terufelos.
The applauding turned Terufelos’s face red like a little girl getting complimented. On the other hand, Terfufelos knew very well the move that he just performed was not something he thought of. Without Zhang Heng’s reminder, he would have never kept up with his movements. In other words, he would have lost the battle just now if he failed to block the attack.
At this moment, Terufelos finally understood why Sartonilos and others were so afraid of Zhang Heng. Earlier, it was already very stressful for him to watch Zhang Heng fought from a distance. When Terufelos fought him personally, he knew how powerful Zhang Heng was. Both of them were on a completely different level.
He felt ridiculous for thinking that he could defeat Zhang Heng. He felt that as long as he went all out and with a little luck, there was still a chance for him to win. However, the cruel reality told him that this was just his dream. Terufelos no longer wanted to fight Zhang Heng anymore. All he wanted to do was toss his weapon aside and surrender.
However, Zhang Heng suddenly said, “You want to surrender? You wouldn’t be so weak, right?”
“Of course not,” Terufelos replied angrily, “but it doesn’t make sense for the fight to continue. I admit that I can’t beat you, but I don’t need your mercy to make my defeat look good.”
“Do you think I gave you the advice to make your defeat look good?” Zhang Heng asked rhetorically.
“If not, are you trying to make fun of me?” Terufelos asked angrily.
Zhang Heng shook his head, “Look at your surroundings and the audience in the stands. They waited for so many days to watch a wonderful show. If we can’t satisfy them, they won’t let us go. Initially, I expected Sartonilos to be a little more courageous, but now it seems hopeless to rely on them. So, I can only rely on you now. Come on, let us join forces and give the audience a wonderful performance.”