Early in the morning, Todd found a secluded corner and began intensive training for the four people who were about to perform on stage.
The barbarian sisters Parri and Parni each held onto Ackerman's arms, and the expression of the man and the two women was like that of a newlywed couple.
With a wry smile, Todd shook his head and gestured for the four men to pick up their weapons and stand on either side.
“First, let me see the real effect of your actual combat.” Todd held his palms together and waved them towards the center: “Let’s treat this place as an arena and begin a formal fight.”
Kasper used a tower shield and a short sword, Ackerman used a short bow and a dagger, and the barbarian sisters all used two scimitars.
After a brief preparation, the four split into two groups and quickly began their battle.
Hearing the constant clanging of weapons around him, Todd had only watched for half a minute when he pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation and shouted, "Stop, stop!"
The fight between these four people—Kasper versus Parrie, Ackerman versus Parnie—lacked any tactical planning or teamwork. They fought individually, making it look like simple brawls with absolutely no entertainment value.
Casper and Parly were slightly better; although their movements were stiff and their steps were rigid, at least they looked like they were fighting. As for Ackerman and Parly, those two weren't fighting at all; they were flirting, and the kind of flirting that made people furious.
Exchanging glances, touching hands, hugging and cuddling...
Todd stomped on the stone slab beside him, smashing it to pieces, and roared at the four men, "Do you really understand the seriousness of this situation? You're going to the arena tomorrow at noon! If you don't handle this well, you'll all be executed!"
Looking at the pile of broken stones at Todd's feet, Ackerman swallowed hard and said respectfully, "Lord Boyle, we will obey your orders."
Recalling the movie clips he had seen in the spirit world, Todd first had Casper stand in front and Ackerman behind him: "The two of you, one in front and one behind, the archer is the main attacker and the shield bearer is the main defender. In gladiatorial combat, you must form a team."
Then he said to Parly and Parney, "Both of you use dual swords. Your main tactic is to find the enemy's weaknesses and attack them."
After explaining the team tactics, Todd went onto the field himself and analyzed the order of attacks and the shifts in positioning based on action clips from the movie.
"After entering the fray, Casper walked directly opposite his opponent, raised his shield to protect the archers behind him. Ackerman, how is your archery skill?"
"My ancestors for seven generations were hunters; the arrows I shoot can travel a hundred paces..."
"Stop talking nonsense, tell me the truth! Although what follows is a performance, the slightest mistake could result in someone's death!"
After listening to Todd's advice, Ackerman scratched the back of his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Within ten paces, you can hit an object the size of a silver coin; within thirty paces, you can hit an object the size of a face; but beyond fifty paces, it's hard to say..."
Todd nodded. "This aim is more than enough. Hide behind Casper, go over his shoulder, and shoot an arrow at Parly's right shoulder. But beforehand, you need to change the arrowheads of all the arrows."
Ackerman asked doubtfully, "Change the arrowhead?"
“That’s right, replace the original metal arrows with these.” Todd said, pulling a bunch of dark stones from his pocket.
Parly walked over, looked at the strange stones, and asked, "What are these?"
"Flint, you often see these things in blacksmith shops. They're heavy, have low lethality, and most importantly, they produce this effect when they strike metal..."
Todd picked up a piece of flint and lightly slashed it across Parly's scimitar, creating a dazzling and brilliant spark that illuminated the surrounding air.
Hearing the exclamations of the four people around him, Todd tossed the flint in his hand, thinking of how flint and magnesium powder were often used in movies to create the effect of sparks from weapons.
He then said to Parly, "When Ackerman's arrow comes at you, raise your twin swords, cross them over your right shoulder, and block the arrow."
Todd turned to Parney at the back: "You go around Casper and attack Ackerman who is hiding behind his shield."
He then took out another item from his pocket—a pig's bladder. Under everyone's astonished gaze, Todd placed this bulging animal organ on Parney's right leg, and then pierced the bladder (of course, it was a pig's) with his sword.
Bright red "blood" splattered out, splashing onto the ground a meter away, startling everyone.
Kasper's eyes widened as he looked at Todd: "What is this?"
Todd thought to himself, "This contains ferric hydroxide and sodium chloride, and its color and appearance are almost identical to fresh blood."
But he could only answer verbally: "You don't need to know what these things are. Just know that once this thing is broken, it can simulate the effect of an injury. Before using it, you can tie it to a hidden and safe place such as your shoulders, legs, or back."
Ackerman picked up the shriveled pig bladder and exclaimed, "This is truly amazing!"
After explaining the instructions for using the spark prop and artificial blood again, Todd continued to explain the details of the gladiator fight. As he explained, he also demonstrated by personally accompanying the four fighters, practicing their moves and positioning.
Before he knew it, twelve hours had passed. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the earth. Todd sat in the shade of the open space, watching the four gladiators rehearse tomorrow's battle again and again.
From stiff movements to fluid ones, from expressionless faces to lifelike expressions, from tangled legs to skillful footwork, these four people, after experiencing countless setbacks and failures, have finally developed a certain level of tacit understanding and cooperation.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com