The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 54: The Opponent's Counterattack (Part 2)
Back at their quarters, Henwell's somber expression puzzles his teammates. Michelle is the first to ask, "The Flash, what's up with you today? Are you feeling unwell? Are you sick?"
The newly appointed Tarantula, a straightforward young boy, has always admired Henwell. Ever since their time at the Forge Furnace base, he has seen Henwell as impressive.
After Michelle's question, Tarantula also expresses concern, "Yeah! You seemed off today! You usually handle those beasts with ease, so why did it look so tough? And you got hurt!"
Scorpion Tail, a white-haired boy with a cool demeanor, isn't much of a talker, but that's just because he's not familiar with people. After nearly two years together, the boys have formed a pretty good bond.
Scorpion Tail ponders, "Did the higher-ups set you up for this? For better performance impact? Judging by the audience's reaction, it worked wonders!"
Flying Ant, knitting a sweater nearby, interjects coldly, "No way! It was decided by drawing lots, so it couldn't have been pre-arranged! Besides, The Flash wasn't faking it; those beasts seemed off!"
With that, the other three turn their attention to Henwell. Henwell finishes bandaging the bite on his arm, silently hoping the creature wasn't rabid.
Seeing his friends looking at him so intently, Henwell finally speaks up, "Something was definitely off! You guys know that the arena beasts are usually drugged to lower their physical capabilities. This is to ensure the gladiators' safety and keep the casualty rate low."
"But today, the wolves I faced were starved for a whole day and were extremely aggressive. They seemed to be under the influence of something that made them fearless of pain!"
Scorpion Tail furrows his brow, "I've heard from the veterans that sometimes, to make the fights more thrilling, they do feed the beasts special substances. It makes them more ferocious and aggressive, turning them into a real threat capable of injuring the gladiators. But this..."
Flying Ant picks up the thread, "But that's usually for those gladiators who are about to be discarded by the arena, squeezing out their last bit of value. They use their lives as the final payment, and even if they survive by some miracle, they're left crippled."
Michelle exclaims, "How can that be? The Flash is our squad leader, the best among all the young gladiators. Why would the arena choose to give up on him?"
Tarantula, resting his chin on his hand, speculates, "It can't be the arena's doing. It must be outsiders! Clearly, someone has set their sights on the arena and is trying to make a move through us!"
Michelle still doesn’t get it, "But those beasts couldn't kill The Flash! At most, they could injure him. It just adds more drama to the show. If it were an enemy, wouldn't that be a pretty low-level tactic?"
Having bandaged his arm, Henwell moves it around a bit and says, "But what if their goal is just to injure me?"
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Looking around at his four friends, Henwell continues with a somber tone, "Don’t forget, we still have a closing performance to do! I suspect that's when they'll show their true, deadly intentions."
The realization sends a chill through the group, and Flying Ant puts down his knitting. Michelle, worried, suggests, "Then we should quickly inform Lord Bloodhorn about this!"
Henwell shakes his head, "It won't help! No matter what, we have to participate in the closing performance. Even Lord Bloodhorn can't change that, so ultimately, we have to face the danger ourselves."
"But at least Lord Bloodhorn could identify who's behind this, so we can be prepared and not face an unknown threat," Michelle insists.
Henwell isn't convinced this will be useful. If the opponent has already made a move, they likely have a series of plans in place. Their lethal strike won't be easily thwarted. After several probes, it seems the decisive confrontation is imminent.
After the Insect Squad's warning, Bloodhorn is indeed surprised and conducts some investigations, confirming that Henwell's match had irregularities. However, he can't confront the esteemed guest who drew lots, so he focuses on tightening security to protect the young gladiators.
Soon, the final gladiatorial match of the Summer Festival arrives, and after crowning this year's champion, it's Henwell and his team’s turn to perform. This is precisely when their opponents choose to strike.
Under the request of a marquis and several nobles, Bloodhorn is forced to change the Insect Squad's performance into a bloody gladiatorial match. Five other arenas jump in, offering to fund a bloody wager to entertain the two attending dukes with a more thrilling show.
By the time Bloodhorn realizes something is amiss, it's too late. A whopping two hundred thousand gold coins are put forth by the five arenas, yet they don't provide their own fighters. Anyone under sixteen can participate in the challenge, and if victorious, the challenger takes all the money.
Bloodhorn's face pales; this is an attempt to cut off his source of income! Such a hefty reward is bound to attract skilled fighters. Some prominent families have carefully trained youths as companions, bodyguards, and stand-ins for their heirs. These youths are no less capable than Bloodhorn's young gladiators.
Moreover, there's an even more sinister motive at play. Bloodhorn had once promised that these youths could earn their freedom by accumulating enough ransom money.
The ransom was set high, ranging from seven thousand to twenty thousand gold coins—an amount many gladiators could never earn in a lifetime. At the time, Bloodhorn simply saw the young gladiators as profitable. But he hadn’t anticipated such lucrative returns, and by the time he realized, the contracts were already signed.
Due to certain reasons, Bloodhorn cannot violate these contracts nor break the rules of the gladiatorial trade. So when the youths began generating substantial wealth for him, he tightly sealed the details of their contracts. Outsiders had no clue about the ransom costs for these young gladiators, making it impossible to poach them.
Bloodhorn also kept the youths from interacting with anyone outside. But now, the opponent's actions prove they know the ransom prices for the youths. Moreover, offering the wager money to the winners on Bloodhorn's side is the most ruthless tactic.
If he continues giving only twenty percent to the youths, it would adhere to the arena’s rules. But this would tarnish his reputation in front of so many spectators and nobles, branding him as a miser.
However, if he follows the opponents' lead and gives the Insect Squad even half of the wager money, it would be enough for them to buy their freedom.
As for protection, just look at the influential nobles present now! Should these youths win and declare themselves free, they’d be swiftly recruited by these aristocrats. No matter how well the arena treats them, it's still just an arena where death is a monthly risk.
Even a dog in a noble’s household, no matter how lowly, has access to more resources—certainly a better life than in the arena.
So this is the opponent’s ultimate blow to Bloodhorn.
If the youths fail, they die, and that's the end of it.
If they succeed, they buy their freedom, and Bloodhorn loses his money-making assets either way!
Chapter 54: The Opponent's Counterattack (Part 2)
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