However, right then, a guard came forward, and whipped both Wang Jun and the other kid thrice, across their chest with a long whip glazed with sharp thorn like metal protruding. They were both shocked beyond belief. Never they thought they would even have to endure a pain of such caliber. They almost thought they were going to die.

But alas, this was only a form of torture. That whip will not be able to kill them. But the scars were blood red, and their shirts were soiled in their blood as they fell to the ground and writhed in pain.

Hanzo spoke, “Don’t talk unless I permit you to. There will not be a second chance.”

That night, neither of the two were really able to sleep. Both were thrown into a separate cage.

“Fuck him…!!” The boy next to Wang Jun shouted, although in great pain.

“My name is Wang Jun,” Wang Jun said, managing to sit up straight.

“Yu Han…” The boy smiled. In terms of perseverance and willpower, this boy was even more so than Wang Jun.

Back in the village, both of them had been the quiet ones, rarely engaging in any arguments with other kids. But this event had turned them, polished them into sharp swords.

“We can only bow down, and use this opportunity to get stronger if we want revenge!” Wang Jun said.

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Yu Han nodded. Indeed, as they were, they could only be trampled on. They needed to get strong. Strong enough to fight the bandits. Until then, endure!

The following morning, everyone was gathered yet again in the pit. This time, there were 10 cauldrons with red hot fire boiling inside them. Each of them had a metal rod sticking out of it. The confused children looked on In confusion.

“Today, you officially become bandits of Jerome Legion!” Hanzo’s malicious voice caused the startled children to look up. Sure enough, he was there, looking down on them.

10 kids from the front row were dragged up to the cauldrons, where a guard pulled out the metal rod from the cauldron. All the children’s gazes fell on the circular pattern at the end which was glowing red. It had the letter “J” on it. Suddenly, they realized what was going to happen.

In but a moment, cries of anguish were heard as the guards imprinted this mark on the children’s necks. However, no matter what, this was not a fate any of them could avoid.

Over the course of next week, they were left to themselves in the cage. During this time, Wang Jun noticed that some of the kids were acting strange. They had blank eyes, without any life in them. By the end of the week, more than half of the children were reduced to this vegetative state. They obeyed whatever commands the bandits gave them.

“What is going on …” Wang Jun was baffled.

“We have some strong willed individuals here I see!” Hanzo made a sudden appearance on the 7th day since the kids underwent the branding. He stood outside the cage and observed. “30 of you seem to have overcome this tribulation. Good.”

Just that night, all the kids who had been turned to slaves had been driven out of the cage. It was not known what was done with them.