Fortunately, Night didn't have only one path to a good life.
He also had the simulated universe—!!
As long as he stayed cautious and his individual strength eventually grew to ignore national and global threats, even if he was alone, no one in this era could restrict his freedom.
Think of the world-famous 'Demon King,' a god-slayer who could form an army and a nation on his own, no country in the world would dare speak loudly to him, and when he descended, everyone would bow and welcome him.
If he wanted power, numerous powerful forces would immediately approach him, seeking the strong's protection and more resources.
True power lies in one's own strength.
Of course—this doesn't mean that power and armies are weak.
For ordinary people, if Night didn't have the simulated universe, and wanted to live well and better than anyone else in this era, he would inevitably have to take the military route.
Even young Caesar initially started in literature, but after witnessing the might of another Roman giant, Pompey, he understood the decisive difference of having military power and grasped the allure of the army!
Holding military power means truly mastering Rome!
This also guided the future Caesar to abandon literature for the military path.
Although the simulated universe could make him stronger, Nigh didn't mind training a powerful army to serve him along the way.
Using all available resources to become stronger, never being proud and complacent, and never stopping his progress.
Focus on individual training for strength, supplemented by cultivating power, clearly distinguishing the primary from the secondary, and advancing on both fronts.
He believed that in the Roman era, he could soon blend in and live the 'ordinary' happy life he wanted.
Yes—simple and unadorned happiness!
Especially for someone like him, who has experienced Near-Death situations more than once, he cherished the Freedom to live even more geedily
Life, life—it's still about living!
All existences that block his path to living freely are obstacles on his journey forward.
Even if the king of gods, Zeus, stood in his way, he would kill him to prove his resolve!
The god of light, Apollo, might never have imagined that the hero he favored, the warrior he blessed, would be a rebellious individual filled with blasphemous thoughts.
He neither intentionally defied the gods nor revered them, or rather, he lacked the innate reverence for gods that ancient Greeks and Romans possessed.
If Apollo knew that Night was such a madman, he might regret it and wish to take back his blessing.
Unfortunately, he had no idea.
.
.
.
At this moment, Night had arrived at the slave market.
Perhaps due to the years of continuous military defeats, the Romans had lost their appetite for entertainment.
Unlike the carefree atmosphere of the Sahara Desert, even the nobles in the capital had become more restrained.
Worrying about defeats every day left no room for leisure… Now, no one wanted to lead troops into battle, but they had no choice.
Families pushed the responsibility onto each other, everyone passing the burden around...
Not only were commoners weary of the prolonged wars, but the nobles were also...
In such a tense environment, the slave market was deserted, with few people wandering around.
When Night arrived here, he was dressed in high-quality attire styled after this era, reducing the exotic charm of his appearance.
Moreover, his well-defined features, combined with his new look, made him blend seamlessly into both Eastern and Western crowds.
In ancient Rome, where black hair and black eyes were common, he did not stand out much among the Romans.
Only a few keen observers might notice his foreign origins at a glance.
The gatekeeper at the slave market merely assumed he was a noble scion.
Although they couldn't help but take a few more glances at Night, it wasn't because he was particularly special.
Well, perhaps he was quite special.
Even though he had tried to blend in with his attire, his god-like handsome face and the muscular chest and long collarbone peeking out from his clothes did not appear bulky but rather perfectly proportioned, like the statues of the twelve Olympian gods in the Roman Forum.
All these features made Night stand out in any crowd, making him one of the most outstanding individuals.
It is well known that Roman attire and culture were heavily borrowed from Greece.
Given how loose and casual Greek clothing is, one can easily imagine what he looked like now.
He had a physique that would stop noblewomen in their tracks.
Partially revealed muscles were more enticing than fully exposed ones.
Such perfection might even attract the same sex… like right now—
"This must be a prince from some foreign land," the gatekeeper thought in amazement upon seeing Night
The gods were truly unfair to have created such a perfect human.
How were other ordinary humans supposed to live?
Just seeing such a face would make one feel inferior.
Even the legendary lover of the goddess of love and beauty, Venus (Aphrodite), and the beautiful man Anchises (the father of the hero Aeneas) could not compare to this!
Night's presence seemed out of place in this filthy slave market.
His arrival brightened the place.
As he walked into the slave market, the gatekeeper hurriedly made way.
At first glance inside the market, Nigh saw groups of slaves wearing small white hats, indicating they were war captives, with white powder on their legs showing they were still for sale.
Wooden plaques around their necks displayed their age, birthplace, and skills, along with the nicknames given by their slave masters.
Luck was on his side—
Originally, he thought there would be no good slaves at this time, after all, he had learned some details about the slave trade from Harriman on his way.
Every morning, slave owners would drive newly trained slaves to the market, and the strong ones were usually bought early.
The remaining slaves were either problematic in character or too expensive.
Seeing the deserted appearance in front of the market, he had mentally prepared himself to leave empty-handed.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered, he saw the war captives.
These captives were originally soldiers and could be trained into competent warriors with a bit of effort.
Although the identity of a war captive inherently added some risk,
compared to buying robust men with clean backgrounds and training them from scratch, he had his own plans.
These were minor issues.
More importantly, he was focused on the physical strength of these warriors.
Whether for guarding his estate or potentially participating in future wars, Night needed young, strong warriors.
For him, efficiency was paramount.
He needed soldiers who could start working immediately, not just farmers who could only do heavy labor.