Shadow Slave: Divergence of Hereos

Chapter 3: The Monkey King

(Klaus)

The figure standing before him resembled Mori Jin from 'The God of High School'. The realisation hit with a jolt, and he quickly checked his runes from the spell. 

Just as the runes were about to appear, the man gave a slight smirk.

"Ahh, the damned weaver. We can't have that now, can we?" the man said with a wave of his hand, making the spell vanish.

He stared in shock. The man indeed took the appearance of Mori Jin, and although he hadn't finished reading 'The God of High School', Klaus knew the feats Sun Wukong could accomplish. 

Banning a Status page from manifesting should be trivial for someone who could control reality itself.

A golden flash crossed the man's eyes before he scoffed and looked upward in a general direction. 

"You think I'm going to go easy just because I'm desperate?" he asked aloud, seemingly addressing someone unseen. 

Although unsure who Mori was speaking to, an inkling of understanding crept into Klaus's mind. Why would Mori Jin be in a cave? It didn't add up—unless he was training or something.

"Well then, young man, are you going to introduce yourself?" Mori Jin asked, casually sitting on a rock, one leg bent while the other dangled.

 His martial arts gi was open, revealing a black shirt underneath. He leaned back with an air of relaxed confidence, exuding a mischievous energy with his slight grin.

There was a moment of hesitation. Klaus still didn't fully grasp what was happening. 

One minute he had been in his world, and now he was once again in a different one—the 'waking world,' or the realm of war from the Shadow Slave world. 

After the spell claimed him, here he was, face-to-face with a man who appeared to be Mori Jin.

Just as Klaus was about to speak, the man shook his head and stood up slightly. "I didn't mean through words."

The atmosphere seemed to sharpen, as if resonating with Mori Jin's presence. Sweat formed on Klaus's back, a creeping fear building at what might come next.

"You're not even a warrior, are you?" Mori murmured, digging a finger into his ear. But when he pulled his finger out, it wasn't earwax—it was a toothpick.

"Expand, Ruyi Jingu," Mori commanded. 

His calm voice echoed through the cave as the toothpick-sized staff responded to his will, expanding to match Mori's height. 

The staff pulsed, and it felt as though it had a sentient presence. Mori Jin touched the staff with a soft expression.

"You're right, my friend. It's been far too long."

He pricked the staff, causing a small piece to break off, though it immediately repaired itself. 

"Expand again," Mori said, tossing the fragment toward him. 

The tiny piece of debris transformed into a full-sized staff, which Klaus caught in a state of shock. It felt perfect in his hands, as if it were made for him.

"Now," Mori continued, resting his staff on his neck, "when I said introduce yourself, I meant through a fight."

Klaus, hearing his words, gripped the staff tightly, feeling its weight shift in his hands. 

Despite never holding a weapon like this before, it felt strangely natural, pulsing with energy as if it recognized him. But even that strange comfort couldn't calm the rising panic inside him.

Mori Jin—or whatever this version of him was—watched with sharp, playful eyes. 

His grin widened, clearly enjoying the turmoil brewing within him. The cave was eerily quiet, save for the distant drip of water echoing in the chamber.

"Well?" Mori said, tapping Ruyi Jingu lazily against his neck. "Are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to make a move?"

Klaus hesitated. What was he supposed to do? This wasn't some video game or fantasy novel. 

He was standing in front of a literal god, and Mori wanted him to fight.

"Uh… I—" Klaus barely got the words out before Mori was suddenly in front of him. He hadn't even registered the movement. 

One second, Mori was lounging on the rock, and the next, his staff was swinging down with such force that the air howled. Panicking, he raised his staff to block.

*CLANG!*

The impact reverberated up his arms, and he nearly dropped the staff. He stumbled back, struggling to maintain his balance as his heart pounded and blood rushed in his ears. This was much worse than he could've imagined.

"You've got to be kidding me," Mori sighed, spinning his staff effortlessly in one hand. "That's all you've got? At least pretend like you're trying."

"Hey!" Klaus barked, legs trembling. "This is my first time!"

For a split second, Mori seemed slightly weirded out by the comment, but he didn't respond. 

Instead, he lunged again, even faster this time. His movements were a blur. 

Trying to swing the staff felt sluggish, as if moving through water. 

Mori's staff clashed with his, and once again, he was sent reeling back.

Klaus skidded across the cave floor, gasping for breath. His palms were slick with sweat, and his muscles already ached. Mori hadn't even used a fraction of his power, and yet he was falling apart.

Mori straightened, looking bored as he scratched the back of his head. "Look, kid," he said with a hint of sympathy, "I get that you're new to this, but you're not even fighting. You're flailing. If you're going to waste my time, just sit down now."

The words stung. Clenching his jaw, he gripped the staff tighter. Flailing? He was doing his best just to survive.

"I-I'll try again," he panted, forcing himself to stand. 

Klaus's limbs felt like lead, and his mind raced with the reality of how outclassed he was. But he couldn't just give up.

Mori tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Sure. Go ahead."

This time, Mori didn't even bother getting into a stance. He just stood there, relaxed, waiting for him to make another fool of himself. Gathering what courage he had left, he charged, holding the staff like a baseball bat. 

But the moment he swung, Mori wasn't there.

A blur of motion, and suddenly Mori was behind him. "Too slow," he said casually, tapping him lightly on the back of the head with his staff. 

It wasn't enough to hurt but enough to make him stumble forward.

He spun around, swinging wildly, but Mori dodged easily, sidestepping the attack like it was nothing.

"You're not even thinking," Mori's voice echoed from his left. He turned just in time to see Mori raise his staff, but the blow never came. Instead, Mori sighed, rubbing his temple.

...

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