Chapter 3: The ‘Harsh’ Training
After Elder Gwang-Ho’s speech, the warriors moved in to divide us. We were assigned to different guards in black robes, broken down into smaller units. I was grouped with nine other boys. We were assigned to an instructor with a particularly large build. A mere look at him was enough to intimidate me. We followed the massive man to a corner of the stone courtyard. He gave a short wave of his hand, signaling us to sit. Once we were settled on the cold ground, his voice cut through the silence. “Do any of you know why you were chosen for our Great Cult?" “…” “You aren't here because you have talent. You’re here because the world tried to crush you and failed. You’ve been hungry, beaten, and left for dead, yet you’re still breathing. That stubbornness, that refusal to die, is the only reason you were brought into the Great Heavenly Demonic Cult.” His words made me feel a bit less cold. I didn't know how the other boys felt, but I had been a beggar long enough to kno...