Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

“HOLY…”

Even a lady like Lydia couldn't help but start swearing and exclaim in surprise.

She began to suspect that the "Emperor" who truly controlled Oak City might have a morbid obsession with spectacular architecture.

In such a small city, there's a huge bathhouse, an opera house, a library, a palace, a square, and an arena, and each one is so enormous! How much money must have been poured into that? At this rate, will they build a hanging garden next?

“Mr. Zeta said you are a rare warrior material. Coincidentally, the great ‘Arena Day’ is about to open, so how about this?”

Norton pointed at Zhang Renfeng, "You will represent Mr. Henderson in the battle. If you can win the team championship in the end..."

"This debt is now settled."

Chapter 779: There's a murderous aura!

"Ha~~~"

Lydia deliberately dragged out her words, narrowed her eyes, and looked Zhang Renfeng up and down. In a strange tone she had never heard before, she said sarcastically, "I should congratulate you. You've only taken one bath, yet you've already won the favor of so many young ladies. You truly are something else."

At this point, Lydia suddenly swung her leg and kicked, "However, with your strength, I'm afraid I have to worry about those four young ladies. Can their still-inexperienced bodies really withstand your impact?"

"Don't overthink it," Zhang Renfeng said irritably. "I have so many things weighing on me, my head is about to explode, how can I have the mind to think about these things?"

"I was just kidding." Hearing him say that, Lydia's tone seemed to relax a bit, and her voice was no longer so tense.

But then she remembered that the Finance Department had instructed her to set up a special customs investigation team to investigate Wendigo's mission, but there was still no progress.

Not only that, the original investigation team had scattered and fled, leaving her alone. Her only subordinate, Sam, was not granted permission to enter the city and stood outside the mountains with more than four thousand refugees. Her expression suddenly turned sour.

"Anyway, the food and supplies for those four thousand people are secured, which is somewhat good news," Lydia sighed and muttered. "It's just... hard work for you, having to do the work for the others as well."

“It’s not tiring at all,” Zhang Renfeng said with a grin. “You might not believe it, but when I’m fighting in the ring, I feel young again.”

"..." Lydia smiled with some complexity. Of course, she couldn't possibly know that Zhang Renfeng had been a super champion who had defended his title for five years. She could only think that he was saying this to comfort her.

She instinctively looked away.

“Look at them,” Zhang Renfeng said softly.

----

After leaving the mayor's office, the two did not immediately separate, but instead discussed what to do next.

They entered the garden favored by poets and found a place to sit amidst the blooming flowers.

A short distance from the very center of the garden, you can see young poets, completely drunk, lying on the soft lawn, muttering incoherent verses. In the center of the garden is a fountain, its gentle flow carried by a warm breeze, seemingly softening even the most delicate sentences and words.

On the central stone pillars, as if flowers were blooming and fruiting, they were covered with paper, all of which were poems they had created, praising love and life.

"They can spend the whole day here, holding salons, having afternoon tea, and discussing literature together. It's like living in paradise."

Zhang Renfeng murmured, "But this kind of life incurs enormous costs every day. The poems they write have no commercial value and can't be exchanged for money."

"Who exactly is supporting this city, living such a decadent, aristocratic life?"

"I don't know, but he's definitely a huge fan of Roman history."

"Luo...what?" Zhang Renfeng asked, puzzled.

"The Roman Empire, an ancient empire that once existed and was once very powerful. Now, it has completely disappeared from history. But the culture, art, poetry, and magnificent architecture it left behind still inspire people's imaginations."

Lydia counted on her fingers, “The baths, the arena, and the square are all in the style of ancient Rome. But other places, such as the library, the opera house, and this garden, are in a different, more refined Victorian style, ornate and upper-class, the kind of luxury filled with money.”

"In that palace, two different art styles were blended together perfectly. The person who designed it must have had extraordinary artistic talent in this area."

……

Lydia already had some guesses in her mind, but she didn't say them aloud. Ultimately, the information they had was still far too limited.

More importantly...

“I’m not so sure… The Wendigo situation is still unresolved. At a time like this, is it a good idea to rashly get involved in the undercurrents of this city?” Lydia reminded her. “There are also more than four thousand refugees camped on the other side of the mountain road, and their supplies all depend on Norton.”

"Although the method is strange, at least Mayor Norton is willing to maintain peace with us in this way."

"Whatever this city is hiding, it's best not to expose it yet, don't you think?"

"..."

Zhang Renfeng remained silent for a while.

Rationally speaking, he knew Lydia was right. Given the current situation, he was leading over four thousand refugees. Although he didn't want to use the word "burden," it wasn't really that much of a problem. Most of them were refugees who had escaped from the shantytowns, already starving and barely clinging to life, and couldn't be converted into fighting force. Meanwhile, his main force was still on its way.

Since Norton is willing to make overtures, he should try to keep a low profile and avoid causing trouble.

but……

Along the way, I've seen all sorts of demons and monsters, and I should have accumulated some experience by now.

His intuition told him that something else was lurking behind the cold glint of those glasses, like a venomous snake lying in the shadows. It wasn't that it didn't bite, but rather that it was waiting for the perfect moment to unleash its fangs and strike deadly.

“After all, we’re on their turf, so I’ll be careful,” Zhang Renfeng said in a deep voice.

"However, don't let your guard down. I have a feeling..."

"Just now in the office, there was a lingering murderous aura."

----

"call……"

Norton exhaled a puff of smoke, brushed the ash off his shoulder, picked up a cutter, cut open the seal of a letter, and unfolded the paper. "What do you think?"

“That man was quite calm, and he didn’t seem shocked or in awe by the size of the palace. He’s a formidable figure,” Jacques, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “Perhaps he will have a place in the arena.”

“That would be best.” Norton said as he quickly scanned the contents of the letter, “The real Roman gladiatorial arenas were where prisoners of war were captured from all over the world and made to fight each other. This allowed people to see different tactics and different weapons.”

"The matches with unpredictable outcomes are what everyone looks forward to."

"..."

Jacques remained silent once again, but this time, he took a half-step forward.

For a politically astute player as Norton, this half-step reveals enough information.

"What's wrong, Jacques?"

“That…woman…” Jacques suppressed his voice, but his unconscious swallowing betrayed his emotions. “I heard her surname is Olympus? Is she the daughter of that famous ‘Captain’?”

"Yes."

“If I have the chance,” Jacques said, his eyes still gleaming with the remnants of hatred, “please let me cut her in two with my own hands.”

Chapter 780: I know a little bit about everything.

Led by Henderson, Zhang Renfeng finally entered the huge and magnificent circular arena.

This place is like a huge forest, and the largest areas are all territories marked by large carnivores.

As he had said before, in Oakwood, it seemed to be a glorious tradition for those in high positions to sponsor gladiators. The mayor, treasurer, and municipal administrator all sponsored those with influence, and Henderson was no exception.

They entered through the western archway of the arena, and along the way, the sounds of weapons clanging and banging filled the air. Such a large investment of manpower and resources in this kind of entertainment facility was quite unusual in Zhang Renfeng's hometown.

He became even more curious and craned his neck to look around. Every brick and stone in the arena was a new experience for him.

“Generally speaking, this place can be divided into three parts—the audience seating area, the dueling arena, and the underground world,” Henderson explained as he led the way. “Once the competition begins, the gladiators will primarily live underground. Each area will have its own blacksmith and medic. The weapons, food, and medicine they need can all be obtained underground.”

"Once the competition officially begins, as a gladiator, you cannot leave the arena. The space there is large enough that all training before the battle can take place underground. However, I suggest that at that point, you should avoid any high-intensity training and get plenty of rest."

"I must warn you, don't go too deep. The underground corridors of the arena connect many rooms. Some are storage rooms, and some rooms... may contain some dangerous items. The further you go in, the more complicated the paths become, like a maze. If you go too deep, you may not be able to find your way back."

"Don't worry, I'm not a mole, I have no interest in running around underground." Zhang Renfeng waved his hand and assured him righteously.

"..." Henderson glanced at it, his brows furrowed, and he didn't look particularly happy.

"Did Mayor Norton tell you to participate in the 'team competition'?"

“Yes,” Zhang Renfeng nodded. “It’s a team competition. He even said that if I win, he’ll waive all the food and lodging expenses for these four thousand people.”

Henderson sighed, his unease growing.

In ancient Rome, training a true gladiator from scratch would take at least two to three years. The shields, helmets, and wooden swords used in training had to be twice as heavy as their actual combat equipment in order to train their strength and endurance.

Of course, it's impossible to start from scratch in this city; after all, this isn't the real Rome.

However, other gladiators with combat experience arrive at least a month in advance to familiarize themselves with the terrain and undergo appropriate training before taking to the ring. In this bloody competitive game, without sufficient preparation, one could easily be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the scene once inside.

The dangers and uncertainties involved in sending someone over at the last minute... needless to say.

“There’s another rule here,” Henderson cautioned. “Because it’s a team competition, you’re not fighting alone anymore. Your victory is the team’s victory. This means that other people will team up with you. Besides you, I’ve also invested in two gladiators.”

"You have teammates too?" Upon hearing that he wasn't fighting alone, Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

In his eyes, there's not much difference between fighting one, ten, or a hundred, so there's no need for the "teammate" configuration at all.

"The people who come here are just like you, each with their own inside stories... and desires. Remember, you are only teammates in battle. At other times, it's best not to ask a single question about things you shouldn't ask."

----

"when!"

"when!"

"when!"

"when!"

……

After winding through the corridors, Zhang Renfeng finally entered this mysterious "underground world." His first reaction was one of chilliness. The torchlight cast long, narrow shadows on the walls made of large stone bricks.

The sound of rapid hammering could be heard.

Judging from the rhythm, it shouldn't be a real fight, but rather one person giving another combat training, commonly known as "feeding moves".

The two longswords collided and separated from different angles, producing a rhythmic clanging sound.

Henderson clapped his hands. "Gentlemen, please stop for a moment."

……

Just as Henderson was explaining the whole story to them, Zhang Renfeng was also observing the two men.

They were all dressed in soft armor, carrying longswords, and their outer garments were predominantly yellow with a castle-shaped pattern printed on the back. Judging from their appearance, they came from the same place.

The man with the small mustache looked older, with a well-proportioned build and jet-black eyes; the other, with a crew cut, was younger and kept glancing at Henderson as he explained the situation. When he heard that he would be fighting alongside him, a slight smirk crept onto his lips, seemingly revealing a hint of disdain.

"That's roughly the situation. Due to the mayor's arrangement, Mr. Zhang will be your teammate in the team battle a few days from now. Take advantage of these few days to practice together and discuss tactics."

"Zhang, let me introduce you. This is Nicholas Kreshcher, known to the world as Master Lynx."

The older man with a mustache nodded slightly to Zhang Renfeng, and he quickly accepted the matter.

“This younger one is Alden Craven, he…”

“Mr. Henderson, this doesn’t seem to be the same as what we agreed on.” Alden, on the other hand, was less composed and spoke up directly. “Indeed, the team competition requires three people, but you can’t just find any random person to fool us.”

"Shut up." Master Lynx glared at the young man and scolded him, then put on a smile, completely changing his style. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Henderson, please don't take it to heart."

“I fully understand Mr. Alden’s concerns,” Henderson explained. “However, the current personnel changes are arranged directly by the mayor. I am merely an ‘advisor’ to the city and hold no official position, so I cannot challenge the mayor’s personnel arrangements.”

"Isn't this a joke?" Alden said angrily. "We're facing that damned German and his men. And they just dumped this guy on us... he can't even use a sword!"

"Before we even understand what's going on, we might die on the spot."

……

"Well..." Zhang Renfeng's tone was somewhat complicated, "Thank you for your concern, but..."

"Actually, I've also done a little research on how to fight."

"is it?"

Seeing his defiance, Alden slowly stepped forward, almost touching his forehead, looked into his eyes, and said, word by word, with utmost seriousness, "Perhaps you think that fighting in the arena under the spotlight is a very cool thing."

"But let me tell you, that's not the case at all. Blood and flesh flying everywhere, bones breaking, teeth being knocked out... that's the norm."

"The point of team matches is that if you get knocked down in one hit, it will be very difficult for me and Master Nicholas."

“We’re not here to play around. We have a very clear goal: to win this game! So… no matter who the mayor is or what, I won’t let someone who can’t fight join our team, understand?”

"Understood." Zhang Renfeng nodded. "Just tell me what you want to do."

"You just said you know how to fight, right?" Alden tilted his head, looking at the unused weapon rack. "What weapons are you good with?"