In the Previous Chapter
The figure didn't react, remaining perfectly silent in the dark shadows. Adam got on his nerves first. He threw himself forward, swinging his wooden sword with all the force he could muster. But before the blow could hit, the intruder reached out with astonishing speed and caught the tip of the wooden blade between two fingers.
"Calm down, Adam," the figure said in a familiar and steady voice.
He stood there, unmoving, mouth agape in shock. "Sir Knight?"
The intruder stepped into the light to reveal the visitor. It was Sreet.
He dropped his restraint on the wooden sword, and let it dangle at his side in shock. "What. What are you doing here?" he stuttered, his mind racing. Sreet looked squarely at Adam, with a piercing stare. "You said you wanted to get stronger," he declared. "Let's see if you mean it."
____________
Adam tried his best and attacked him constantly after being deflected by his wrist again and again after a while, as he was almost passed out due to exhaustion Sreet said"Stop Adam" and he instantly stopped
"Do you want to join me, to help this won become better, do you want to join me in overthrowing the lord and the wretched council"
"Yes", said the boy with no hesitation
"Then welcome to Iron Revenants"
[New Member added to the faction]
[NAME]: Adam
[FACTION]: The Iron Revenants
[RANK]: Recruit
[ROLE]: Swordsman-in-Training
[ATTRIBUTES]
- Strength: 6/10
- Agility: 5/10
- Endurance: 5/10
- Intelligence: 6/10
- Charisma: 4/10
[SKILLS]
- Weapon Proficiency: Sword (Intermediate)
[MISSIONS ASSIGNED]
- Current Mission: None
[LOYALTY LEVEL]
- Trust with Leader: 4/10 (Recruit, eager to prove himself)
[ALIGNMENT]- Good Natured
[NOTES]
- Adam is determined to excel with his swordsmanship and seeks mentorship.
- His focus is mastering offensive strikes, though his defence needs work.
- He wants to help his instructor remove the lord from his position.
Sreet after making Adam join his faction, also used the same method of recruiting capable members.
He eliminated the ones with a loyalty level of less than 3 and an evil alignment. After all of that, he called his faction stats which looked something like this.s
Name: [Iron Revenants]
Leader: [Sreet Shresth]
Purpose: [Take control over the town of Gwalior]
Members:[11]
Territory: [None]
Allies: [None]
Enemies: [Town Lord and his council]
Resources: [None]
Reputation: [None (Newly made faction)]
Laws/Creed: [Loyalty to Sreet]
Notable Members: [None]
Current Status: [Active]
Function(s):
Magic Mail: [Leader can send letters and messages in writing anywhere toItst members without them knowing where it came from and after reading, the letter burns into smoke without any trace.]
Mini System:[Locked]
Street sat back in his chair, his smile growing sly. It was dark inside, and all the light could only seem to have penetrated through one lantern in this dark room. His hand dangled above the mail interface within the faction system.
"Okay," he said to himself. "Time to take this thing for a spin."
______________
Adam swung his wooden sword hard, the small shack creaking with every move. The dull thunk of the blade hitting the wooden post filled the air. He stopped to catch his breath, wiping sweat off his face. That's when he saw a folded letter lying on the table.
He frowned, stepping over to pick it up. Seal had the mark of the Iron Revenants. He opened it inquisitively.
______
The letter read:
Adam,
You are summoned to a crucial meeting. Go to the ravaged building where Axion and Raze met their demise. Come alone, and do not tell anyone about this.
Be there at midnight. Your discretion and punctuality are expected.
Sreet
Leader of the Iron Revenants
___________
Having read the letter, the edges begin to smoke. Soon it erupts in flames and disappears in a puff of smoke. Looking into the hole left by the paper, Adam felt the shock of that moment yield to awe.
"The leader is full of surprises," Adam said to himself in a voice that combined nervousness and excitement.
It was midnight. Adam walked towards the agreed-upon meeting place: a ruined building abandoned ages ago, where the moonlight cast shadows dancing around the walls. He cautiously stepped inside, only to find a few other young trainees already assembled there, whispering among themselves in hushed tones.
A familiar voice called out to him.
"Adam, you here too?"
He glanced over to see Lysa, another trainee he was seeing.
"You're in the Iron Revenants as well?" Adam asked, surprised. In the stillness of her silence, the room grew dark. Street had come in and called their attention immediately. He strode forward, his bright eyes moving swiftly over them to the middle of the room.
"You are my chosen," Street started, his voice level and confident. "Each of you holds potential. That is why you are here, members of the Iron Revenants. Together we'll change this town. We will thrive. Be it for power or gold or even to live with the privilege to give aid to those who deserve it—I will deliver that to you, so long as you do not betray me or this faction of mine."
The recruits glanced at each other, sceptical before curiosity and hope kept them optimistic.
"I will train you personally," Street said, "using official Knight cultivation techniques. Techniques others wouldn't dare teach you."
At that, whispers of excitement shot through the air. Several of their eyes sparked with newfound determination, others with ambition.
"You will receive stars," Street said. "Awards for your accomplishments on missions, signs of your strength and your loyalty. Rank and someday you might be a legend. A hero people look up to," And then silence fell in the room at his words. For some, it was just the beginning of something extraordinarily wonderful start of something perfect for people whose destinies had perhaps just been rewritten. For an instant, the recruits feel Street's stare hover over them as if to read them through the skin. "Now prove yourselves," he said. "Show me what you could do, and I will show you the world." Silent but fervent determination exploded in the room. Each recruit stood up a little straighter - including Adam - not just recruits anymore. Not just recruits. They were Iron Revenants.
Street faced the gathered recruits, his face stern and authoritative. "Now I am going to teach you a knight technique once used by the gang's leaders when they were here.".
One hesitated and asked the sir, "Do you kill them, the leaders?"
He turned his eyes to him and nodded.
He stepped forward, two manuals in hand; one for Adam, the other for Lysa. "These are your guides. Read them carefully and train each day. All that lies within these books you keep to yourselves. Should you ever betray my trust and reveal those secrets, I will seek you out and I will kill you.".
He kept them all mum with words so heavy. He spoke on, sharp-edged, "For one week you will be visiting here for training and lessons. Practice is not to take place in the grounds or areas where the lord's men would hear. It is our secret now.".
And then Street just lets it hang there for a while before finishing the sentence "The five recruits who make the most progress will receive a superior training method, one that I will personally teach. Prove yourselves worthy." For a week he worked them single-mindedly. Then he saw clearly at the end of it that Adam and Lysa and a few others far outran the pack. As promised, these were elected to move along to the next phase under his immediate leadership.
_______
The END
Next Chapter - Preparations