Gaby's roll call continued, and most of the gladiators had already been assigned to their jobs.
As a result, some were happy, and some were sad.
After all, the purpose of the gladiator school was to present a wonderful performance to the audience. They also needed to take into account the gap in each profession and the number of gladiators they already had. Therefore, some gladiators were assigned to professions that they did not want to join.
Gaby told them that if they eventually passed the assessment and became a gladiator and survived five performances, they could come to him to change their profession again if they still did not like it. However, Gaby also warned some of them that they needed to do their best before that and not slack off. Otherwise, they might not live long enough to change their profession.
"Zhang Heng." Gaby finally called Zhang Heng's name. "Dual swordsmen."
Zhang Heng nodded to show that he heard it.
As the name suggested, a dual swordsmen was a gladiator who fought with two swords. The only piece of defensive equipment on their body was a helmet. In other words, this was a pure offensive profession. Although gladiators did not wear heavy armor, most gladiators would still carry a shield in their hands.
In contrast, a dual swordsmen was a pure offensive profession. Just like a net gladiator, their winning rate in the arena was not high. On the contrary, their death rate was not low. However, this was the most suitable profession for Zhang Heng to use his full combat power.
However, Zhang Heng's first choice was not a dual swordsmen but a pursuer. The reason was simple. Most of the pursuers' opponents were net gladiators, and the net gladiators were recognized as the easiest to bully in the arena. Besides, the pursuers were equipped with shields, making it easier for them to slack off.
Yes, although Zhang Heng planned to become a free man in the arena, he did not intend to go all out and fight seriously.
No matter what era it was, there was a price to pay to become a star.
Take Sethnets as an example. He was the ace of the gladiator school and the champion of the Victor Arena for three consecutive years. Although Mark Reuss could not bear the pressure from the audience in the stands and gave him the freedom he promised, he had been desperately trying to squeeze every last bit of value out of Sethnets.
Mark Reuss knew very well that he didn't know when the next Sethnets would appear.
As a result, some gladiators who were in the same batch as Sethnets had already regained their freedom. Sethnets, on the other hand, was still fighting in the arena with his deteriorating body. Of course, Mark Reuss had promised Sethnets a lot of things later, including increasing his remuneration for each performance, finding more beautiful female slaves to serve him, and so on. Hence, Mark Reuss could not say that he forced Sethnets to fight.
However, one had to admit that Sethnets was indeed a little tired of his reputation. Otherwise, he would have left the arena long ago.
He was not interested in becoming the next Sethnets and Mark Reuss's new cash cow. He did not have to rely on being a gladiator to make money. All he wanted was to become a free man. That was why he did not stand out during the seven days of basic training.
But everything has its pros and cons.
Since Zhang Heng had been keeping a low profile, Gaby did not pay much attention to him except for the whip incident on the first day. As a result, Gaby put him in the group that he was not optimistic about.
Since the profession of the pursuer was overcrowded, Gaby assigned Zhang Heng to the group of the two swordsmen.
In fact, Gaby did not have a bad impression of this oriental man who worked hard during his training. It seemed that he was worried that Zhang Heng would overthink it, so he added, "This is only temporary. When I find a suitable candidate, we will let you become a pursuer."
There was no doubt that this sentence was an empty promise.
Gaby's gaze finally fell on Varro, and he announced the fate of the former antique dealer.
"Varro, Net Gladiator."
Compared to a few days ago, Varo looked very haggard. Ever since he had recommended himself to the owner of this place, what he had expected did not happen. An entire week had passed, and he had opened his eyes every morning with anticipation. However, what greeted him was only arduous training.
It was as if he had been completely forgotten. Mark Reuss never came to the training ground again, nor did he send anyone to pick him up.
Gradually, Varro could not help but wonder if he could leave this place.
Especially after a long time, he would always recall Zhang Heng's words that day. He wanted to convince himself that it was just a wild guess without any evidence, but he really could not answer that question directly.
Today, he finally could not help it anymore. After listening to his group, he did not care too much about whether it was suitable for him or not. Instead, he begged Gaby in an almost pleading tone, "You are the person that the master trusts the most. Can you help me ask about my matters? I have been waiting for seven days. Could it be that the master is too busy and forgot about it? You just need to mention it a little."
Gaby frowned when he heard this. He had long noticed that Varro had been absent-minded during the training these days. Basically, he had been slacking off wherever he could. Although his body was still here, his heart had long flown elsewhere. Varro even began to think about where to buy antiques and how to find his old customers to make money.
In Gaby's opinion, choosing a profession for Varro was a waste of time because it seemed that the latter would not pass the assessment forty-three days later. He would end up being sold to the countryside and forced to work until he died. For a person who had given up on himself, Gaby was too lazy to worry about him.
However, looking at Varro's pitiful look, Gaby felt a little sympathetic. He warned Varro for the last time, "As I told you on the first day, since you are standing here, do what you have to do. You have told the master about your situation as you wished. If you do not receive a reply, then there is no reply. Don't make trouble for yourself, and don't make trouble for me. Otherwise, the whip in my hand is not just for show."
"But …" Varro still wanted to say something, but Gaby interrupted him impatiently.
"No buts. You know that I have the right to decide whether a gladiator is qualified or not. I can send you to the mines now," Gaby said coldly with a sullen face.
Varro seemed to be taken aback by Gaby's last threat. With a sad face, although he looked very unwilling, he had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Since he had said that, Gaby decided to speak his mind. "I only spent three hundred Sestertius on you. Even if I sell you to the countryside, I won't lose anything. You should be glad that you still have the opportunity to participate in the assessment forty-three days later. Yes, becoming a gladiator means that you may die, but at least you can die like a man in the arena instead of dying like an animal in the field or in a dark mine."
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