6

"Now I will name those who will represent our agel. This is a great honor, so take it seriously. When I had my first Games, we gave it our all, but it wasn't enough. It was a disgraceful defeat. Only victory in the next Games was able to wash away that shame. I expect you to prove yourselves worthy and not make me ashamed in front of the elders," said Aretid.

"Yes, sir!" we answered in unison.

"Excellent. The first on the list are Damocles and Damipp. Lochagos Creon himself said you must participate do not disappoint him or me," Aretid added.

That made us think. It seemed our food theft hadn't gone unnoticed. They knew it was us. Damn, we had to be much more careful.

"Next Androcles, Hipparch…," Aretid continued, listing ten more names.

**"Now, let's move on to the rules. They're quite simple. The first trial tests your endurance and speed. It's an obstacle race with two participants. One runs for speed, trying to cover the distance as quickly as possible, while the other focuses on endurance. First place in any competition earns five points, second place gets three, and last place gets one.

Next are the strength trials. Five participants compete, which will allow us to assess teamwork. You'll have to pull a rope against each other this will test both your endurance and your ability to work together. Since this is a team competition, first place earns ten points, second place five, and third place two.

There is also a stone-throwing contest. Each participant throws a stone as far as possible. For this strength trial, the point distribution is as follows: four points for first place, two for second, and one for third.

And the final trial, which will test your combat skills, is a one-on-one battle. Four participants will fight each against each. You will battle until only one remains standing.

The last one standing earns ten points. The rest get nothing.

Remember: only the overall team result matters. Victory depends on everyone,"** Aretid concluded.

We were given only two weeks to prepare. Those competing in the Games were not excused from training, but our drills became noticeably easier, and we were given time to focus on competition preparation.

In the end, I had to participate as well along with Damipp. I wanted to at least test my strength in the power trial there, I had a chance not to disgrace myself.

But combat… that was an entirely different matter.

We had no energy left to work at night. So the remaining four took over the digging, while Damipp, Androcles, and I simply rested we were too exhausted to help. They understood and didn't complain, especially since our victory depended on it.

Days flew by, and only five remained before the competition. We had finally finished the tunnel.

I decided to check it personally and crawled in first, moving through the narrow passage we had dug. A few times, the earth crumbled around me, but by some miracle, everything held. We were lucky fortune was clearly on our side.

Emerging at the surface, I peeked out and realized I was right in the kitchen. Outside, a fire burned, and the guards continued patrolling the perimeter. I quickly examined the passage, retrieved all necessary tools, camouflaged the entrance, and signaled to the others that it was safe.

We hurriedly gathered as much food as we could carry and disappeared back into the tunnel, carefully sealing the entrance behind us.

Back in our shelter, we sat in a circle and devoured the stolen food.

This was a victory.

Before sleep, I checked my stats once more.

Name: Damocles

Age: 7 years

Strength (Physical Power): 5

Agility (Speed, Reflexes, Evasion): 5

Endurance (Resistance to Illness, Fatigue, Vitality): 4

Intelligence (Comprehension, Learning, Languages): 4

Charisma (Leadership, Inspiration, Eloquence): 5

Talents:

Son of Sparta – +1 to base attributes.

Evasion (5%) – You have a small chance to avoid a fatal strike. Your body has already endured numerous injuries that could have been deadly. It has learned to react to danger in time.

Resilience – If the opponent's strength is higher than yours, blocking their attacks becomes easier. You have faced many blows, and your body has begun adapting to them.

Fleeting Shadow – Stealth level increased by 20%. You are harder to detect, and your movements are as fluid as a shadow.

Cunning of Hellas – Deceiving others comes easier to you. Having survived many adventures, you have learned to adapt to situations, subtly manipulate people, and find a way out of difficult circumstances.

Abilities:

Disease Immunity (Passive) – When affected by a virus or illness, your endurance temporarily increases by +2.

Combat Proficiency, Level 2 (Passive) – Increases agility and endurance by 6% during battle. Enhances attacks, helps identify enemy weak points, defend, and counterattack.

Swordsmanship, Level 2 – You are just beginning your journey as a warrior, but you already know how to wield a sword decently.

After accepting five boys into my group, my charisma immediately increased by two points. It seemed that leadership and giving orders made this attribute grow abnormally fast. Additionally, I noticed another effect after two weeks of proper nutrition, my stats had also improved.

What surprised me the most were the talents that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They weren't there before.

I didn't want to be a thief, but it looked like I would have to keep doing this for a long time at least until I found another way to survive. Spartan upbringing didn't leave much choice, but for now, it was necessary. I only hoped I wouldn't have to rely on it forever.

I even began to wonder who I really wanted to become. All this time, I had just been going with the flow. Living as a Spartan was hard, but the most important thing was that I could always stand up for myself.

To gain citizenship and freedom, I had to become a Spartan, but leaving Sparta immediately was impossible it could only be done after turning thirty.

The only way to gain relative freedom earlier was to fail the final trial in the training camp and become a free Perioikoi citizen. That would exempt me from military service but not from conscription into the army. Until the age of twenty, children didn't participate in battles unless absolutely necessary for example, in the case of a large-scale war. In all other cases, only Spartans older than twenty fought.

Yet, despite everything, I couldn't shake the desire to reach the end to become a Spartan. Gods and mythical creatures roamed this world, posing serious threats. Right now, I was just a child, weak and powerless. If someone wanted me dead, I wouldn't be able to fight back properly.

However, it was always better to hold a shield and spear and die fighting.

It seemed that Spartan doctrines had sunk too deeply into me.