World's Last Hope-Chapter 109: The Chosen Path

Master Talon clapped with his hands and sighed in disappointment as he glanced at the Awakened lying on the ground.

"Sadly, it seems that none of you managed to scratch me," he spoke as he studied the expression of the Awakened carefully.

Seeing that a lot of them were grimacing, he couldn’t help but scoff, "What did you expect to be able to scratch a Master from the get-go?" His voice carried a sense of amusement.

Letting them have a moment of rest, he commanded, "Okay, get up, the training will start now."

Kyle’s eyes widened as he cursed inwardly, ’Fucking what? Wasn’t this that we did up until now, training?’

He couldn’t help but ask.

"Um, wasn’t this the training, Master Talon?"

Hearing the silly question Kyle asked, the Master couldn’t help but grin.

"What are you talking about, this was just a warm-up—a way for me to see where you lack."

There were a few grunts among the Awakened, but left with no choice, they got up.

"Now, after the training, I have come to a conclusion," the Master spoke as he began to walk in circular motions around the Awakened.

"Stamina, coordination, quick thinking, proficiency with weapons, flexibility, strength—these are all vital things that all of you must possess if you want to have even the slightest chance against the Corruption, and sadly, you lack all of these elements. As such, don’t expect the training to be easy."

A woman raised her hand, waiting to ask a question. After Talon permitted her to speak, she did. "How long would this training last?"

He scratched his chin before answering, "It depends solely on the individual and how much effort they put in. Your training is set to last a month, but of course, you might take significantly less time to reach the required skill level, or you might still be having a hard time mastering the basics after a month. Again, it all depends on you."

Seeing that it was okay to ask questions, Kyle asked the next one.

"Sir, I know that there are miracles that allow us to reach incredible power, right? How does one acquire them?"

The man took a second or two to register the question and then burst into laughter.

"What is your name?"

Raising an eyebrow at the unexpected reaction, he answered, "It is Kyle, sir."

"I see, well Kyle, you don’t have to worry about that, you are still only an Awakened, so it is too early for you to be granted miracles of any kind. But to answer your question, most people get their first miracle when they become a Master. It is very rare for an Awakened to possess one. And about the matter of how to actually acquire them, you have to make some kind of grand achievement to be granted one by the gods."

"Is there no other way?" Kyle asked.

Master Talon sighed, "There is for instance, those that we call the chosen ones that are sent to this world by the gods have unique abilities, some even supposedly have the ability to purchase miracles from their systems."

A few gasps were heard around the general area as most of the Awakened probably had the same thought.

If they were able to purchase miracles, then why do all of the chosen ones failed?

Not missing that reaction, the Master made some things clear, "Something that you shouldn’t forget is that everything has a price, as such, if you are given the option to purchase a miracle straight from the gods, expect the cost to be great. Most of the chosen ones that failed were unable to bear the price for their power, so as a result, sooner or later, they all perished."

"But that is not right, isn’t there one left?" a woman asked.

Talon grimaced for a moment, "Oh, you mean that one that went to the death zone for a two months and returned as a Master and brought two Grandmasters with him? Yes, he is indeed still here, but always keep your expression low. Just because a person has managed to achieve a grand feat once doesn’t mean that he will be able to do it a second time."

Deciding that they had wasted enough time, Talon clapped with his hands. "Okay, enough rest, it is time you begin your proper training!"

*****

Eric wasn’t able to breathe as he was lying on the ground, he was bleeding profusely from every hole in his body. He wanted to run but couldn’t move, he wanted to scream but couldn’t open his mouth.

Something dark and ominous was staring behind him, less than an arm’s length away.

His entire body knew that he was going to die at this very moment.

Then he was awakened by a knock on the door. Opening his eyes, he observed his surroundings—he was in a small room and was lying on an old but comfortable bed.

"Master Eric, I am sorry to interrupt your break, but it is time for the meeting," a man’s voice came from the other side of the door.

"Give me a moment, and I will be there," Eric responded as he sat on the bed and put a trembling hand on his head.

"Another fucking nightmare," he cursed under his breath. After he came back from the mission, he and his commanders all went to bed too exhausted to do anything else.

The threat might have passed for now, but that didn’t mean that Eric was in a good mood. A lot of Masters had died, and that thing that was slowly following him had surely gotten closer, not close enough to be a threat for now, but it was soon going to become a problem.

Truthfully, Eric just wanted to sleep now, he didn’t want to face the remaining Masters and tell them that so many of their comrades had perished.

But he was pretty much the leader at this point, so he had to do his duty without showing any kind of hesitation.

With a grunt, he stood up and exited his room.

"I am not going to enjoy this."