Assigning Gladiator Roles

Assigning Gladiator Roles

Carrying logs was only the beginning. After that, they went through sprint drills, weightlifting, movement training, and some basic one-on-one exercises. By the time the sun was about to set, everyone was exhausted. Gabi finally announced the end of the first day's training.

Some of the trainee gladiators who had already reached their limits swayed at his words, then collapsed headfirst onto the ground, unwilling to move even a finger. Valo was among them. When he looked at Zhang Heng, he discovered that although the latter was also drenched in sweat and steaming with heat, his breathing remained steady.

Sweat ran down his chest, and in the glow of the setting sun, it seemed to coat him in gold. Zhang Heng's muscles looked somewhat unusual. He was not as brawny as those hulking men, which was why most people easily overlooked him at first glance. But every muscle beneath his clothes was evenly proportioned, fitting together like a precision instrument.

He held out a hand to Valo. "You'd better get up quickly, or you'll go hungry. Don't expect those guys to kindly leave us any food."

Valo looked around and only then realized that most of the people on the training ground had already left. Even those too exhausted to move had been carried away by their companions.

"Thanks." Valo took another deep breath, grabbed Zhang Heng's hand, and rose from the ground. "The good news is... if all goes well, I won't have to take part in this damned training tomorrow. Oh, right. What did you mean when you said I'd never doubted what happened to me?"

"Before I answer your question, how about you answer one of mine first?" Zhang Heng said. "Would your slave trader friend ever make a losing deal?"

"Of course not.