Huh? Are they all real?...

"You lowly beast, I haven't even said 'start' yet!"

Only then did the slaves realize the problem.

He hurriedly kowtowed repeatedly to the powerful and wealthy, begging for forgiveness.

But it was no use. No matter how much a slave begs, he will not receive forgiveness from the powerful.

Meanwhile, the slaves beside the powerful and wealthy were filled with fear, having vaguely guessed the answer.

The gladiatorial combat is still a long way off, and it's clear that things won't stop here anytime soon.

So, will they be sent up again?

Just as they had guessed, a powerful figure immediately addressed the governor, as if seeking credit:

"Your Excellency, I wish to have my slave fight you in a gladiatorial contest. What do you say?"

The governor, of course, welcomed it:

"Of course, who is it?"

After bowing his head and smiling, the powerful man turned around to point out his favorite slave, but what surprised him was...

Before he could specify who it was.

One of the slaves stepped forward on his own:

"Master, let me do it."

The powerful man disapproved of the slave's independent decision and wanted to reprimand him for his lack of manners, but the governor was quite interested in the tall, burly man.

"Just him."

The powerful and wealthy man's expression immediately changed as he smiled and said:

"Very well, go forth, Gannicol. Deliver a splendid battle for the Governor and all the distinguished guests!"

The burly man stepped forward silently, and a guard beside him casually drew a short sword from his waist and handed it to him.

After waving the weapon around a few times, the burly man took a deep breath and looked at the terrified slave.

He was not a fighter, but he had fought with many slaves because their slave owners enjoyed it.

Therefore, he knew how to win.

As the governor called out with great interest, "Begin!"

He roared and charged forward.

Its tall, strong body, deafening roar, and unstoppable charge almost instantly terrified its opponent.

With just a quick parry, he deflected the short sword that the opponent swung at him, then grabbed the opponent by the neck and held the short sword to his face.

This caused the powerful and wealthy to burst into laughter and applause.

Compared to the gladiators, it wasn't a particularly good performance, but considering they were just ordinary slaves, they were quite content.

Looking into the other person's terrified eyes.

The burly man hesitated for a moment before raising his sword.

But he quickly inserted it anyway.

"sorry!"

The short sword, engraved with ancient runes, pierced through the solid skull as easily as cutting tofu.

The governor's two slaves were now both dead.

But the governor was in a great mood and turned to the other dignitaries, saying:

"Does anyone else want to continue?"

Just as the slaves had guessed, the powerful and wealthy would not stop there.

But it was precisely for this reason that the strong man took the initiative to step forward.

Because he wanted more slaves to live.

The powerful and influential, already feeling a surge of interest, readily agreed to the governor's proposal, but when it came to deciding on a new candidate...

Another slave stepped forward.

They weren't the people initially agreed upon.

But as the other person entered the arena, with just a glance, the burly man knew that the other person had the same idea.

The two slaves, wielding short swords, roared and charged at each other to bolster their courage.

After a series of slashes, the two short swords were knocked away one after the other.

All they could do was pounce on each other and throw punches at each other's chests and other areas.

It wasn't fatal, but the fight was very intense.

This is the solution the slaves came up with.

Delay as much time as possible, and let as many people live as possible.

Without saying a word, they simply exchanged a few glances and reached an understanding.

This was a tacit understanding forced upon the slaves in order to survive.

This fighting style, completely different from that of gladiators, instantly drew cheers from the powerful and wealthy.

They enjoyed watching their lowly slaves fight like wild beasts.

"Bite his ears off, tear his mouth apart!"

"Bite him! Bite him like a dog!"

However, as this struggle continued, the powerful and wealthy noticed something amiss.

Their cheers gradually cooled, and their eyes began to grow cold.

The burly man, realizing he was in dire straits, became extremely anxious.

He knew it was unlikely to work, but he had to try, otherwise too many innocent people would die.

But the slave he was pinning down nodded at him.

The meaning was clear: kill him!

The burly man froze again, but the other person took the initiative to press the burly man's arm down towards his neck.

And he managed to squeeze out a whisper:

"Please have mercy!"

He was both making way and seeking death.

Realizing this, the burly man's eyes instantly turned red. He wanted to release his companion and pounce on the governor.

But at the very end, he slightly turned his head and pressed down forcefully.

All the powerful and wealthy heard the heavenly sound of necks snapping.

One slave died, and then another man died.

The indifference of the powerful and wealthy vanished instantly.

What followed was nothing but applause of utter satisfaction.

The governor then began to pound his fist on the armrest of his seat.

The burly man rose, panting, and looked at the governor and the dignitaries with red eyes.

This prompted the guards to step forward slightly, and it also made the governor look somewhat amused.

However, after a moment, the burly man loosened his clenched fist and knelt on one knee before the governor, saying:

"My lord, I can still fight, but please let me rest. There aren't many slaves here who know how to fight better than me!"

The burly man's answer disappointed the governor somewhat.

But he did respond to the burly man:

"One glass of wine, and you have to continue after I finish this one."

"Thank you, sir."

The governor calmly drank the new wine in his hand.

Another slave was chosen.

But the soldiers did not hand the slave a sword; instead, the governor, seated in the main seat, said:

"Pick up your sword and kill him!"

The burly man was taken aback and said:

“But, sir, he has no weapon. This is not a fight.”

The governor laughed and said:

"I like."

The powerful and wealthy also laughed:

"We like it too."

They clearly understood what the slaves wanted to do, so they used the simplest and most suitable method to dismantle everything.

You have a sword, he doesn't. If you do it again, it will just mean we'll kill you both.

But if you kill him directly, then your tacit understanding will end.

The burly man lowered his head and then strode forward.

Amidst the slave's dodging and biting, I used my utmost strength to finish him off with a single sword strike.

If there's no way to resist, then the only option is to make the other person's departure less painful.

Looking at the almost desperate slave, the burly man opened his mouth with a trembling voice:

"My lord, I beg to be allowed to continue resting."

The governor laughed and said:

"Why would you need to rest after killing someone who doesn't even have a sword?"

At the governor's signal, new slaves continued to be sent in.

But this time, the other side got the sword.

Both looked at each other in despair.

Their efforts were laughably fragile in the face of the slave owners' cruelty and bloodlust.

Moments later, the real battle that the powerful and wealthy had been waiting for began.

During these numerous battles, the burly man had lost track of how much time had passed.

It felt like an eternity, yet also like only a few minutes had passed.

The blades of the swords in their hands were all curled up.

There were already many corpses lying at my feet.

The loud laughter of the powerful and wealthy resonated in my ears.

He felt he couldn't go on anymore, and he wanted to be killed like that person, to be sent away from this hell.

Before exhaustion completely overwhelmed him, he shakily propped himself up.

Fortunately, the gods and kings finally showed him some mercy.

In a hazy, indistinct state, he heard the powerful and wealthy say:

"Looks like it's going to start earlier than planned? The gladiators are here!"

These words almost brought the slaves to tears of joy.

And from that moment on, the strong man felt a renewed desire to live.

He didn't want to die, so he had no choice but to kill one of his companions after another.

Now, he can finally live.