Chapter 10: Birth of the fifteen shadows
The very next evening, Emma managed to gather all 15 rats on the list. None of them dared refusing Arthur's proposal. After all, they knew what happened to those who dared disobey Arthur. Losing a few fingers was a blessing reserved to those who could not meet his expectations. Those who disobeyed him or betrayed him by going to another territory would usually disappear in the following days. Sometimes, there might be stains of blood, but most of the time, the crime was done swiftly and cleanly, not even leaving a corpse behind.
Only months later would other rats find a stinking corpse in the lake or the sewers belonging to said rat.
Arthur was an extraordinary figure that inspired admiration and fear at the same time. Allies would be protected, cherished even, but those who dared disobey him would turn into targets, and his desire to kill was no secret in Black Bear City.
Not a single inhabitant had not heard of the name of [Arthur Thorn].
Furthermore, what Arthur offered them was an opportunity to become stronger, to eat proper food and more importantly, become 'useful'. They knew that their survival in the long term only depended on how useful they could become to Arthur. This is why the fifteen that were gathered here survived for so long. Most of them were young, and picked up the art of pickpocketing travellers and merchants. Some of them even learned how to lockpick and began a career of thievery in the shadows, making tremendous profits for the [Black Serpent Siblings]. As for others, they learned how to spy and gather information in other districts, which could also be seen of use.
Finally, their hard work had paid off, and they were recognized by Arthur, who decided to train them.
All those who talked with Arthur knew that he was not someone who would be satisfied with only one district. Most of the rats were already spreading rumour about his potential as the future underground leader of Black Bear City.
Little did they know, for Arthur aimed at someplace much higher.
However, it was true that the underground master of Black Bear City had a nice ring to it, and would be of tremendous help in the future for his plans, so he never corrected them.
"As the leader of the [Black Serpent Siblings] here in Black Bear City, I stand before you today to welcome you, our newest recruits. You 15 brave individuals have chosen to join our cause and dedicate yourselves to the betterment of our community. You might think that you are too young, too weak, too inexperienced for the role I will give you, but you will be trained by me personally. So worry not, young shadows.
Your role in this organization will be crucial. You will be the eyes and ears on the ground, gathering information and acting as our knives in the streets. Your dedication and loyalty will be tested, but I have no doubt that each and every one of you has what it takes to be a valuable member of our team.
We are fighting for strength, for glory, for wealth and for ourselves. It will not be an easy road, and there will be obstacles and challenges along the way. But I have faith in you and your potential, and I know that together we can make a difference.
So let us stand united and strong, and let our actions speak louder than words. The time for change is now, and it is up to us to bring it about. Let's make our mark on this city and show that we will not be silenced.
TODAY, I NAME YOU SHADOWS"
Nobody expected such eloquence, such charisma from someone in the street.
However, every single heart that heard the words of encouragement, of recognition from Artur was moved. It was no longer respect. It was pure...adoration towards a leader who was worthy of dedicating their lives for. Subconsciously, every single [Shadow] knelt alongside Emma and John in front of Arthur, who had won their heart.
A few moments later, Arthur opened several bags, filled with food. It was mainly hard bread, and salted pieces of meat. However, for rats who were used to eat rats and grass to sustain themselves, these were delicacies they could only dream of tasting one day.
Seeing Arthur's gaze, they realized that this would become their daily life standard.
To win over a group of youth, you needed two things : Ideals and short-term rewards.
After eating, Arthur transmitted the basic [Black Bear City Guard Swordsmanship], which he had recorded in his biochip's database upon spying on Knight Robert.
"The first form consists in a basic slash. Using the weight of the sword to empower your strike, it is the most powerful attack you can use. However, you cannot use it openly, as it leaves many opening on your guard upon using it"
*SWOOSH*
"The second form consists in stabbing...Flicking your wrist..."
Slowly but surely, Arthur started to patiently describe and repeat the various forms of the Black Bear City Guard Swordsmanship. If Knight Robert were to witness this scene, he would be flabbergasted by Arthur's understanding and pedagogy, far exceeding his own.
After all, Arthur was already an advanced swordsman using the Thorn Swordsmanship at a level that Knight Robert could only dream of. This was not the result of talent, but rather, the result of computing. Having scanned the ancestral scroll of the [Thorn Swordsmanship], he possessed textbook knowledge of how it should be used, knowledge that was gathered and accumulated over generations of knights who constantly improved the ancestral sword art.
With the biochip giving him accurate descriptions about skill deviation, Arthur had perfectly engraved the art into his muscles, and earned extreme theorical understanding of swordsmanship at the same time. Even if it was a different swordsmanship, Arthur could easily perform the [Black Bear City Guard Swordsmanship] better than Knight Robert himself, who probably had below 50 points of proficiency in the art, a far cry from the 100 points Arthur had in the Thorn swordsmanship.
However, neither Emma, nor John, nor any of the newly recruited [Shadows] had any experience with a sword instructor before. They all absorbed Arthur's words like sponges. And without any surprise, they all got beaten down a few moments later, as they tried to beat Arthur.
A day passed...
And the most talented shadows managed to make standard slashes and thrusts.
A week passed...
And all shadows managed to reach the standard of an average recruit from Black Bear City Guard Order.
A month passed...
And all shadows managed to surpass the standard of an average recruit from Black Bear City Guard Order.
The progress was incredible.
From starved [Rats], the fifteen shadows were now unrecognizable...
It was an army.
An army of brainwashed soldiers ready to complete any task Arthur would ask of them. Strong, loyal subordinates who would readily sacrifice their lives for the Black Serpent Siblings. More importantly, they were individuals who possessed no moral compass. They had no weakness, no family to take care of, no lover to damage their loyalty and no attachment to gold. They were perfect tools to use.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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