10:30am - Junkie’s Training Hall.
Junkie sat in the stadium as he watched Seohwa and Jiho warm up.
“Are ya ready? Go!”
Jiho’s naturally yellow hair turned a bright golden colour as golden lightning wrapped around his forehead and formed a golden fillet.
Seohwa, on the other hand, was more subtle as her lavender eyes changed colour into green on the left and yellow on the right.
Soon, Jiho came in front of her as Seohwa twirled to the left but saw Jiho attacking her with his right foot.
She got hit as she grunted, blocking the blow with her earth armour she instantly made.
She held his foot in place and began to spin him around before throwing him.
Jiho used his lightning and spun as he began to speedily run around the hall.
Seohwa couldn’t keep up with him at all as her eyes turned pink and she commanded, “Slow down!”
Jiho started to slow down as she hit him with a Tornado Spire.
Jiho groaned being hit by her as he bit his lips to get rid of her charm ability.
He destroyed her wind with a vast amount of lightning as he cloned himself with incredible speed.
There seemed to be 20 of him. But Seohwa knew some of them were feints. She closed her eyes as she used her wind to only detect which ones were the real him.
She stayed still when it was the feints but when it was really him, she either blocked, dodged or parried with her arms.
She countered with an Earth Clasp as two earth hands held Jiho down before her eyes turned red. She closed one eye lid only, petrifying his bottom half.
“I won!” Seohwa chuckled.
“Damn it!” Jiho struggled but he couldn’t move from her petrification.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
“I’m impressed!” Junkie cackled as he urged her to undo her petrification. Seohwa glanced at Jiho’s eyes as her red eyes with snake-like slits for pupils turned round and Jiho’s petrification came undone.
Jiho was muttering his frustrations under his breath as Seohwa smiled, “It’s weird but I don’t feel tired at all.”
“Now that you mention it, me too.” Jiho sighed as he looked at his hands and clenched and unclenched his fist.
“Well yeah, because the Hidden Stage allows awakeners to conserve stamina at double if not triple the efficiency for more power.” Junkie smirked, “In other words, less input, more output.”
“…Then, aren’t we invincible then?” Jiho’s lips twitched in excitement.
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“Of course not.” Junkie shook his head, “If before, ya could only use your power for 5 hours, with the Hidden Stage, ya can go to 10 hours if not 15 hours. Which isn’t bad but I wouldn’t define that as invincible.”
Junkie paused as he remembered his former comrades.
If the brat back then was, why would he die?
Seohwa and Jiho noticed he looked down as Seohwa then asked, “Surely, there should be a physical limit we need to take note of?”
“Right…” Junkie coughed to reset, “What do you know of the Hidden Stage?”
Jiho raised his hand, “Isn’t it just the increased power of our current abilities?”
“That’s right but if that’s all, then explain Viper’s case. How can she petrify and charm ya during the battle? That’s assuming that isn’t part of her original abilities since she used it quite wastefully during the spar.” Junkie chuckled.
“That’s…” Seohwa frowned at how he viewed her application of her petrify and charm as wasteful, “It’s true it isn’t part of my original abilities. But it was a spar. So? Where are you going with this?”
“This is what I know of the Hidden Stage. Ya take after a certain myth or legend. I do not know why for whatever reason. What I do know is that yar abilities are enhanced the more ya understand or at least interpret the mythic being of your Hidden Stage.”
Seohwa and Jiho pondered before Jiho asked, “We didn’t learn much about mythic beings.”
“… Ya don’t know anything ‘bout history?”
They both nodded.
“What are they teaching these kids…?” Junkie rubbed his head.
He pointed at Seohwa, “Ya remind me of Medusa. Learn her story. There isn’t much but if ya know her story and interpret it, ya’ll know why ya got two extra eyes.”
He then glanced at Jiho, “As for ya, lad… I’m not 100% certain but I believe ya got an Ancient Chinese Monkey King. The only reason I think that is because there are lots of movies ‘bout it.”
“Another Monkey?!! Why do I keep getting monkeys?” Jiho grumbled as he crossed his arms.
Seohwa softly giggled but didn’t reply.
After the spar, Junkie left them alone to research more about it.
Seohwa read through a book about Greek myths.
Medusa.
Once a mortal woman who was famed for her beauty. She worshipped diligently in Athena’s temple. But ironically violated in said temple. She was punished. Transformed into a gorgon with serpents for hair and a gaze that petrifies men to stone. She was cast out and feared, becoming both monster and tragic victim.
Seohwa went to the computer and searched up ‘gorgon’.
Gorgon.
Physical traits:
Living snakes for hair, terrifying gaze that turns onlookers to stone, sharp fangs or tusks, often have grotesque or fearsome faces, sometimes with wings, clawed hands, and a scaled or serpentine lower body in ancient art.
Jiho, who sat next to her, nudged her and said, “The Monkey King, named Sun Wukong is said to be a trickster god born from stone—wildly clever, fiercely independent and absurdly powerful! I like him already!”
“I find it hard to believe you two are the same.”
“That’s not all!” Jiho sulked, “He wields a staff called Ruyi Jingu Bang, can shapeshift, can clone himself and outrun the heavens, yet his greatest strength is his unbreakable will. I also hold a pole or spear for a weapon, I’m super fast and I never give up!”
“…” Seohwa glanced at his page, “He is also arrogant and playful but capable of loyalty and growth… he embodies chaos tamed by wisdom… It does suit you. You’re practically tamed whenever it gets into topics that require intellect.”
“HEY!”
Seohwa chuckled as she looked further down Sun Wukong’s page, “Who’s Xuanzang?”
Jiho flipped a page, “Xuanzang. His full name is Tang Xuanzang who is a monk. It is said he is Sun Wukong’s master, moral compass and spiritual anchor. He guides Wukong away from chaos through compassion, and disciplines him using the golden headband, or the Golden Fillet…”
Jiho pouted when he read that Sun Wukong was restrained as Seohwa continued to read, “… To Wukong, Xuanzang is both a source of frustration and deep respect. And ultimately, the one he chooses to protect and follow.”
“He reminds me of you.” Jiho chuckled softly, “You even have the same surname!” He felt proud at that discovery.
“… But that would mean I would be holding you back, though? I don’t like that.” Seohwa shook her head.
“Didn’t you read it? Xuanzang was Wukong’s guide and mentor. If it wasn’t for him, I’m sure Wukong wouldn’t even have a companion. I’m guessing they were best friends besides their status!” Jiho leaned back on his chair as he placed his hands behind his head.
“…” Seohwa smiled at his cheerful simplicity, “If that’s how you think of it… but Sun Wukong is definitely a hundred thousand times better than you are. He fought the heavens. You hardly fought any.”
“HEY!”
The two joked around for a bit as Junkie came in, “What ya doin’, brats? Ain’t ya supposed to be studying?”
“We were.” Seohwa replied, “Why are you here, Junkie?”
“I forgot to tell ya something important. Most important thing about the Hidden Stage is to be able to keep yar composure. Ya can’t let emotions get the best of ya or else, more emotions mean more input, more input, more power and it burns through yar stamina twice if not thrice as quick than normal. I call it the Berserker Phase.”
!!!
“Is that why…” Seohwa pondered.
Jiho nodded, “It must be why you were so weak after your rampage and I wasn’t.”
“I… felt so much sorrow and anger at the time that it blinded me.” Seohwa sighed, “Thank you for letting us know, Junkie.”
“No problem, kiddos. Take care of yaselves. Also Tigress made lunch if ya two hungry.”
“Thanks, Junkie.” Seohwa smiled.
