In the basement of a skyscraper, inside a high-security room, a teenager was sitting on a chair surrounded by a lot of machinery around him. He was in a deplorable state, tears and snot running down his face while panting hard. His torso was attached to the chair with a metallic rope and his left arm was inside a terrible-looking machine full of blades. As for his right arm, it didn't look like a human limb anymore. It was mostly shredded and crushed, with muscles, flesh, and bones protruding on several spots, and blood smearing the ground under it.
His blurred gaze was fixated on the men and women in front of him, full of despair and hatred.
"P-please stop it. I can't take it anymore. P-please, I beg you."
Completely unmoved, one of the women responded to his plea.
"What do you mean stop? We've only just started."
Horror appeared on the boy's visage.
"N-no… Why are you doing this? It doesn't make any sense!"
"It's all for your own good."
"Load of shit!"
Ignoring him, the woman turned to her colleagues.
"He's still doing fine. Do his left arm now."
One man nodded and switched the machinery on. With a terrible sound, the blades started to rotate while approaching the intact left arm.
"Nooo! Stop! I beg you! Stop it! Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!"
The observers looked impassively as the gory scene happened in front of their eyes, the boy's arms getting shredded as he released a long howl of pure agony. Soon enough, his left arm was left in the same state as his right one. The teenager's tears and snot ran profusely as he panted hard, looking at what previously was his limb with pure dread.
"I hate you! I hate you all! I swear I'll kill all of you! I swear it! I'll kill all of you and torture you like you did to me!"
The woman nodded approvingly.
"Amazing."
The other people in the room agreed with her as they seemed just as impressed. At this moment, a door in the back of the room opened and a man entered. The woman turned his way.
"You're here. We started already."
Contrary to the others in the room, he looked at the scene in front of him uncomfortably.
"What in Ryl are you doing here?"
"Don't ask any stupid questions. Just do your job."
The man had no answer to that and stayed silent, although his expression was far from happy.
"Tila, dear, say hi to your new instructor."
"Go to hell!"
"Hehe, incredible, just incredible. Hey, do his right leg next."
"N-no! I was just joking! I was kidding! Don't do it! Don't! Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!"
A few minutes later, the boy was in an even worse state, with three of his limbs being unrecognizable. However, no matter what, he wasn't losing too much blood and his life didn't seem to be in danger.
"I hate you… I hate you all so much. I'll never forgive you."
The woman turned toward the newcomer man once more.
"Isn't he amazing? I've never seen someone like him. His willpower is in a completely different dimension."
The man looked at her with disgust.
"What are you going to do with him?"
"We're going make him the most brilliant member of the Trading Union, of course."
"What?"
He paused for a moment before adding.
"Aren't you afraid of his revenge when he gets stronger?"
"Everyone here has been selected with care. We'll all be dead of old age by the time he gets to that point."
She then laughed a little bit.
"Well, except for you."
The boy's crazed gaze immediately locked onto the man, who couldn't help taking a step back, which was ridiculous considering their difference in age and rank.
"You. I'll remember your face. I'll never forget. I'll come back to you without fault in the future. When you expect it the less, sleeping peacefully with your family. You'll wake up one day and your family will be all gone. You'll never find them again. I might leave a leg or an arm here and there as a hint, maybe? Hahaha!"
"He's crazy!"
The woman shook her head.
"Not at all. He knows exactly what he's doing, even in that situation. He can spout stuff like this even with three limbs shredded. That's why he's special."
The teenager continued his speech.
"There's a way to avoid it, you know? Just free me from here and I'll forgive you. That's your only chance to live a long and peaceful life. Think of your family. Do it for them."
While the man looked horrified, the woman only laughed in a good mood.
"You don't need to listen to anything he says. The boy's oddly convincing. He'll be a killer as a trader later on."
The man's gaze subtly changed and the woman added as if reading his mind.
"Ah, don't try to do anything to him. All ten Elders have put dibs on him."
"What? All of them? Those geezers who don't care even if a country burns in flames?"
"The very ones."
"…Who's that kid?"
"You've been briefed already. But, if I were to describe him in one sentence, I'd say he's the future of the Trading Union?"
The man looked at her, dumbfounded, and she moved back to the boy.
"All right, Tila, dear. Let's continue?"
"You think you're safe? I'll rank up so fast that I'll become strong enough to kill you before you die of old age! I'll destroy anything you hold dear in front of your eyes!"
The woman caressed his face drenched in sweat, tears, and snot with adoration.
"I'd gladly die from your hands a hundred times if you could do that, dear. But for now, it's time for more training?"
"N-no! I said I can't take it anymore! Stop it already! I'm at my limit!"
"You have no limits, dear. Do it."
"No, no, no! I curse you! You'll burn in Ryl's flames forever! Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!"
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