Two months is a tight time. Even if these slaves are trained all day, they are just more accustomed to fighting than ordinary people, not to mention that they have to start from scratch, and if they practice for less than half a year, they will be sent to death when they are sent to the gladiatorial arena, and to put it bluntly, they are "cannon fodder".

These cannon fodder are an important part of the match, used to add bloodiness and foil the gladiators who have the power to win the championship. Cambe didn't like this kind of pointless fight, he didn't like many of Larvega's rules, but he was still a coach after all, and he had to fulfill his own targets to some extent.

He will train everyone strictly, but if someone wants to quit, he will not stop him.

"Let's go! Moving! Slash! Return! Again! ”

In the courtyard of Cambe's house, there are several policemen standing by the courtyard wall. In front of them, more than forty cadets stood in four rows, holding a wooden sword in both hands, repeating one basic action after another as Cambay commanded. After an hour of intermittent practice, many people were physically exhausted and could not lift their arms as if they were filled with lead.

"That's it, okay, all stop!"

As soon as the command to rest was given, the slaves staggered and sat down on the ground. Although the wooden sword is lighter than a shovel, it can be extremely tiring to swing for an hour. However, it can be seen that everyone's mood is much more relaxed than working on the construction site. An afternoon of training is equivalent to half a day's work. Anyway, you can quit at any time, just enough to be reasonably absent from work.

"Take a break, and I'll see how you master."

Cambay watched as the slaves relaxed their arms and hands. A few minutes passed, and he told everyone to stand up and point to the front.

"You, out of the ranks."

The ordered slave shuddered and reluctantly walked out of the group. His arms drooped, and he shook as he took a step. As a result, as soon as the hand was released, the wooden sword fell to the ground.

He was about to bend down to pick it up. Cambé stretched out his foot, and the wooden sword flew into the air, and was grasped, the tip of the sword pressed against the slave's jaw.

"Waste ...... that can't even hold a weapon"

The people standing at the front of the line only felt a "whew", and a gust of wind hit their faces. Cambe's wooden sword slashed through a semicircle, slashed at the slave's temple, and with a thud, the slave fell straight and straight without a snort.

In the stunned eyes of everyone, the two policemen who were smoking cigarettes shook their heads. They had taken refuge in the shade of the courtyard wall, but now they had to go out into the sunlight and drag aside the slave who did not know whether he was dead or not. Cambé swung his sword, and another gust of wind sent the slaves back in fright.

"Remember, you're not holding a plank, it's a weapon! Even if you are beaten down, you can't let go of the hand holding the weapon! Do you understand? ”

The crowd made "uh-huh" sounds one after another, and some people nodded frequently.

"Okay, next! Here you go! ”

Another slave came out trembling, and he clenched his hands with all his might, fearing that his sword would fall to the ground. Cambé gave him a signal, and he swung it twice with all the strength he had left. Before he could make a third swing, Cambe, who couldn't stand it, raised his sword and struck the slave down with a blow to the head.

As Cambé continued to look for a third man, many simply turned their heads away, not daring to look at his face.

"Next, here you go!"

*****

The training lasted more than a month, and the number of participants was reduced to 22. Some people quit because they felt that it was more bearable to work on the construction site than to train in Cambe.

There are also a small number of people, like the slaves who were knocked unconscious on the first day, who are "forced to quit". As long as they don't meet Cambe's requirements, they will be stabbed. With just one sword, you can be unconscious for an hour or two. Cambé controlled his strength well, and he would not kill indiscriminately, but would inflict unforgettable pain on unqualified students.

The only one who has never passed all training without injury is Kane. He tirelessly repeated every movement of Professor Cambay, completing every training session without discount. When he held the sword in his hand, it was as if a hole in his heart had been filled, his thirst for knowledge was unprecedentedly strong, and his whole body continued to pour out strength.

But can you win the final match in the deathmatch arena with these alone?

"Stop!"

Just after three o'clock in the afternoon, Cambe shouted to stop and told the slaves to wipe their sweat, drink some water, and then come back to assemble. He finished training two hours early today, so he had other arrangements.

"The tournament will start in about ten days," he told the crowd, "and you have mastered the necessary skills, and all that remains is the courage to fight." Now, I'm going to put your abilities to the test, is there anyone who thinks they're good? Stand out! ”

No one moved. Everyone guesses that the so-called test is probably to practice with Cambe. What if you get up to fight and die? So they all stood still, except for one person.

"I'll come."

Pushing away the people in front, Kane stepped out of the line in two steps. Cambé couldn't help but be overjoyed, this kid had courage and a thirst for a challenge. Of course, this test is not a fight with him.

"Good, Kane. Now that you're so confident, you're going to have to fight everyone else until you fall to the ground. ”

As he spoke, he walked up to Kane and narrowed his eyes.

"How many people do you think you can last?"

Kane ignored Cambe's provocation and asked rhetorically.

"What do I get if I take everyone down?"

Cambé smiled and paced back and forth slowly.

"If that's the case, I'll teach you what I'm really capable of."

Kane's eyes lit up with these words: "A word is a certainty." ”

*****

The wheel war began. Twenty-one slaves stood in a circle and surrounded Kane in the middle. Kane took a deep breath with a wooden sword in his hand, and looked ahead. He had always had no expression, but the fighting spirit that emanated from his whole body could be felt even by these slaves. They looked at each other, not knowing who should go first.

Cambay casually pointed to a slave: "It starts with you." Clockwise to the next round, the previous one loses, the next one follows, no matter what the style of play, if you fall to the ground, you lose! If Kane is defeated, I'll tell Hasta to give you all a month off! ”

There are brave men under the heavy reward, and in a month, the rest of the project is almost over. The slaves were eager to try, gearing up for victory. 21 people beat a person, and when they are tired, they can make that kid tired and lie down.

The slave named by Cambe rushed forward in a hurry, and before he could even stand still, he pretended to shout, raised his sword above his head, and slashed at Kane.

Kane didn't even dodge, facing his opponent's sword, he swung his sword diagonally from the right down, and when the two sides touched, there was a muffled sound of "bang", and the slave's sword was knocked away. He lost his upper balance, and the door was wide open. Kane slammed the hilt of his sword into the slave's chest with his backhand, knocking him to the ground, clutching his chest and coughing.

A series of movements did not drag the mud and water, and Cambe raised his eyebrows and nodded slightly.

"Next, get on!"

The second slave learned the lesson of the previous one. Before he could get out of the crowd, he stabbed Kane in the right rib with his sword. Kane was on one side, the wooden sword brushing past his back, and its owner hadn't braked the car yet.

Kane, who was sideways, then turned around, raised his sword and slashed at the back of the slave's head. The blow was a bit powerful and knocked the opponent unconscious.

Before the slave could lie down, the third challenger was killed. He chose to sneak up from behind, and before Kane even noticed him, he slammed a shoulder into Kane's back, knocking him to the ground. Cambay turned a blind eye to this kind of irregular and malicious sneak attack - in the gladiatorial arena, how can there be four words above board? If Kane loses because of this, it will only mean that he has lost his eyes.

Kane, who was knocked off, threw himself forward, and stood up on the ground with a bone. The slave had wanted to take advantage of Kane's loss of balance to mend the sword, but now that the two sides had distanced themselves and the advantage of the sneak attack was gone, he hesitated to take the step, and he didn't know whether to swing the sword in his hand or not.

Kane quickly returned to normal, stepping forward with two steps, slicing his opponent in the abdomen and kicking him down.

After the three battles, the rest of the people looked stupid, and no one dared to step forward for a while. No one expected that the sullen man who had no expression and usually didn't say a word was actually a high-achieving student who was deeply hidden.

"What's wrong? Why didn't you move? Waiting for me to do it? ”

Under the threat of Cambay, the wheel war resumed. The fourth man continued to fight, and he held on for 10 seconds before being stabbed in the center by Kane and fell. The fifth man was close behind, fighting for less than five rounds before being slashed by Kane. In this way, the slaves were defeated one by one, and one by one. There are fewer and fewer opponents left, but Kane's fatigue is also piling up, and it takes him longer and longer to finish his opponents. When he was out of breath, there were six people left around him.

His arms were a little weak, but he still remembered Cambe's teachings, and his hand holding the sword did not relax in the slightest. The next enemy arrived, and Kane barely held off his opponent's attack. The two men behind him glanced at each other, stepped forward together, and slashed Kane in both shoulders at the same time before Kane could fight back. An electric shock pain in his arm made Kane grit his teeth.

This kind of pain, nothing at all. It is nothing compared to the pain of being abandoned, despised, and trampled under the feet of others.

"Don't, don't underestimate me!"

The roar sent Kane's power out, his arms completely ignoring the pain, and at the same time, he exerted force, knocking the three of them apart together. Immediately after, Kane rushed over, slashing the three of them with a sword. Later, even he forgot the rules. Unable to wait to continue the fight, he pounced on the last three slaves in a daze, and with one blow, knocked the last three unsuspecting opponents to the ground.

Seeing Kane knock out the last opponent, Cambe, who was watching the fight, couldn't help but applaud. He told the slaves to get up and get back to the construction site in a truck, leaving Kane alone.

"It's good, it's a bit unexpected."

Sweating profusely, Kane immediately straightened up, wiped a handful of sweat, and tried to control his breathing to prove that he still had the strength to spare.

"So, can you show me what you're really capable of?"

"Hehe, of course. After resting, go to the dojo and look for me. ”

"Dojo?"

"The house next to the villa."

*****

The first time he entered Cambay's house, Kane had seen that the two-story villa was connected to a house larger than the two-story villa, and he had always thought it was a warehouse. Dojo? What is it? He wanted to ask, but Cambay had left him behind and gone back to the villa alone.

After sitting in the courtyard for a while, Kane slapped his face vigorously and walked towards the dojo. He found that the house actually had a sliding door, and the door was wooden. When he opened the sliding door, he was even more convinced that this place was different.

The spacious and empty room, the wooden floor, and the sunlight that came in through the windows reflected on the floor, making the dojo appear brighter. It's only a door, but it's surprisingly quiet and spotless, like a paradise. Kane couldn't help but look at it for a moment, then he lifted his foot and lowered it again. Take off your dusty and dirty cloth shoes before walking into the dojo.

Facing the sliding door, there were two small doors, and in the middle was a dark brown wooden table with something lying horizontally on it, and a painting hanging on the wall.

Kane walked towards the wooden table, and could see the furnishings on the wooden table a little bit—it was a slender weapon, more than a meter long, in a silver-white sheath. The sheath was also carved in relief, as if it were an animal, with a long body and claws, which Kane could not read.

Is this a sword? Not like, because it's somewhat arcangular. That's the knife? If so, he had never seen such a slender knife. The silver-white scabbard had a faint red glow looming.

Seeing those reds, Kane's heart raced, and he stared straight at them, and suddenly possessiveness rose, making him stretch out his hand.

"That's too early for you, boy."

Kane's hand flicked back to Cambe's voice, and he scratched it twice in confusion. Cambé looked at him with a smile.

"You don't have to be so restrictive."

"Is that a knife?"

"yes, it doesn't hurt to show you."

Cambé smiled as he removed the knife, grasped the scabbard and hilt, and slowly pulled it apart. With the sound of metal grinding, the blade hidden in the sheath revealed its true form. Even if it was only a small part, it was bright and cold, and the cold air was pressing, making Kane's scalp tighten.

"Do you like it?" Cambe noticed Kane's expression.

"And this slender knife?"

"This is a famous product of my hometown, the Great River area of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, called Knife. It is generally this length, with a slight arc in the middle. ”

"I thought knives were wide and straight."

"A normal machete is like that, but this one is different. Don't look at the thin blade, if you master the skill, it is extremely lethal. ”

"Will you give it to me?"

"Hehe, what a greedy apprentice."

Cambé laughed, clicked, and retracted the knife from its scabbard and placed it on the wooden table.

"This knife is my treasure, if you want, show me your talent."

"No problem, let's get started now!"

"Don't worry, everything has to be done gradually." Cambe said unhurriedly, "I understand your enthusiasm for learning, and the fighting spirit you showed in the battle just now. May I ask, how did you get here? ”

These words somewhat dampened some of Kane's enthusiasm. "Don't ask if it's superfluous, right?"

"Okay, let's get started."

Cambé opened a small door, and behind him was his collection room, which contained all sorts of blades, their previous owners, all killed by Cambay. Cambé picked it up for a while, and when he came out, he had the same weapon in his hand as the knife on the wooden table, but it was shorter, and the scabbard was not decorated.

"Although I have a lot of things I want to teach you, before that, you have to do one thing first. After this level, you are considered to be the beginning. ”

"What's the matter?"

"Kane, why are you participating in the gladiatorial tournament?"

Kane didn't even think about it, and blurted out, "For freedom." ”

"You know the rules of deathmatch, right?"

"You know, only when you die will you win."

"In order to win to the end, do you have the consciousness to kill your opponents one by one mercilessly?"

"Yes!"

At the same time as Kane finished speaking, Cambe's knife flashed out of its scabbard and rested on Kane's neck. The blade is just against the skin, and if it is a little deeper, there will definitely be blood.

"Do you have the consciousness to be killed in battle?"

This time, Kane lost his energy, after all, he almost got his throat cut. If it was in the arena, I would have been in a different place a long time ago. Although he has escaped death countless times in the past, he has never been so close to death. The cold blade lowered his body temperature, and he restrained himself from shivering, his eyes looking down.

Cambé smiled and put the knife down. "That's what you're missing and that's what you need to overcome next. Your experience may be bumpy, but it's far from being truly life or death. ”

With that, he clapped his hands and shouted at the sliding door.

"Bring it in!!"

The door was pulled open, and three policemen entered, each carrying a life-size burlap bag, which they threw on the floor as soon as they entered the house.

"Open it."

Kane walked over and watched as the officers untied the pouch, his mouth opening as the bag opened. His eyes widened when the contents were fully revealed.

It was three men with their hands tied behind their backs, dressed in sackcloth and covered with sackcloth hoods. One is physically strong, and he is a man. One had a bulging chest and a lot of scars on her arms, and she was a woman. The one on the far right is twice as thin as the first two, and eighty percent is a child.

The sight left Kane for a long time before he noticed something more important—the men were not heaving in their chests, that is, they were not breathing.

"It's ...... Corpse? ”

"That's right," said Cambe, too, "these are the corpses I asked for from Larvega, all of them slaves who had been put to death. All you need to do is let them die again. ”

"Die again?"

Seeing that Kane didn't understand, Cambé simply grabbed his hand, stuffed the knife in his hand, and carefully helped Kane hold it.

"Now, stab these corpses with a knife and make them think they're enemies."