Act: 56
"You don't have to be this serious about it, heh. I did say that I would keep my eyes open and not allow myself to be killed while my guard was down. Plus, I doubt you would kill me anyway."
"Please, Big Brother, allow me to tell you. Let me atone for my actions..."
"Augh. Alright."
"I might not be the only one on a mission to kill you... I'm sorry... I will make sure to protect you! As the reason why I was assigned to kill you... My dad saw this strange beam of light in the sky on the 11th. It intreguied him, after locating that it was in Japan, it so happens that he has a spy from Tokyo, who currently is working for us. He was briefed that our spy encountered you by accident. He believes that this source of light was your doing and that you may have brought something dangerous into this world or perhaps that the light gave you some weapon or power that could kill us all. He decided to either have you dead or alive. Wanting to be the first to confisagte you. Not only will that look good for him, but he will have access to whatever power you possess and become a new threat to other nations, placing them in fear and order. Throughout it all, Knowing him, he'll find ways to be significantly paid for his doing. "
Chul-Moo leaned against the fence.
'Ach. He's not wrong about it being my fault, yet all I did was break a rock...? Nothing bad happened, nor was I given anything powerful.'
"I can say I did cause the light, although I only broke a rock in the forest, that was it, and believe me, I wasn't rewarded at all. The only thing I got was a sore hand and bloody knuckles. Yet why would he want me alive?"
"I believe you don't worry big bro. But he wants you alive to question you or take anything from you before killing you off. My dad is a special asshole, but I can't stand up to him. He's way out of my league and probably the strongest in Korea. After all, he is the leader of the number one clan there."
'Big bro, I believe something has happened to you... And you might not be aware of it at the moment.'
"That is my side of the story. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner..."
"It's fine. Chul-Moo, no matter the story, it won't change my thoughts about you. I trust you and respect you for everything you have done so far. I will stay by your side, don't worry."
Chul-Moo's eyes became watery. His expression was that of a lost puppy again, and even his words became shaky.
"Big bro, you're too nice to me. "sniffle. Honestly, how can you still accept me after knowing all of this?"
"Chul-Moo, don't worry, ok. Cheer up. Is that all you wanted me to know then?"
*sniffle*
"Well, no. I do have one last thing I would like to discuss: controlling your star energy. I noticed that you don't do it. You've got some crazy endurance and guts to be taking in pure star energy-based attacks."
"What do you mean? Control of my star it's literally just resurrection. What more is there to control?"
"Not the ability of your star but the energy conversion you can manipulate. People who don't have this mastered or even activated can struggle heavily in fights. Let me put it into perspective: If you have a weaker star than someone who has a greater star, the output you produce will vary from lower to higher. You can sense this energy nearby or visually see it surrounding their body. You are capable of training it so that it'll automatically happen. However you could always have constant star energy surrounding you. Take note that the more star energy you insert into what surrounds your body can begin to drain your star energy, meaning everyone has their baseline of defensive star energy that coats them. And everyone can increase that output to make their defense greater, some people even have mastered it so well that it's a natural thing for them."
"You're telling me I can do this myself, then? But my star is weaker, so it won't be much help then?"
"Yes and no. Star energy can still be useful for nullifying powerful attacks, which is necessary. Plus, many other users can use star energy to manipulate how it affects them. It's when it comes to fighting anything, really. When you put more star energy into it, you can sometimes become invincible, and your opponent may be unable to tell. But that would depend on how well you can manage and hide it. I know it's a complicated understanding, but the more in tune you are with star energy, the easier you can manage in fights."
"Now, before I show you how it's done. When you practice using more base energy you will start to see the star outline around other people who have it already active. Most rankers have some amount already in use to announce to people how strong they are or to stay safe from someone who could be out to kill them. Why do you think these rankers are alive, it's because of it, without that energy anytime they hit a wall, building, or slammed to the ground. They most likely would pop, burst, and blow up into blood and guts, although if their star number is high enough, the pure strength they've built up over time, their body can handle that damage without the use of their star. Simple answer: they die without it. Now that you understand the basics, I can show you the basics. You ready?"
"That was quite the information. Learning this can help me in winning this tournament, then?"
"Correct. You're ready now?"
Shizu shook his head, and with a serious look, he listened to what Chul-Moo had to say about getting the flow down by mastering his star energy. They spaced themselves apart from one another. Chul-Moo started to explain in a way that made some sense. Star energy conversion is complicated to explain, but not at the same time; understanding star energy conversion is like a feeling you get, and within, you have to find the proper flow that works for you.
*Channel it in and out to become one with the star itself. Figure out the disconnection you have and reconnect it all to one pathway. Open the path to your star and feel it flow throughout your body. Accessing that feeling again will become much more manageable when that consistency is laid out. You can channel precise amounts to specific body parts, but the goal is to channel it all around your body and expel it. *
Shizu remained focused and calm, feeling the flow of his star. A faint, clear glow surrounded his body.
"Big bro, don't worry if you can't master it immediately. You may be unable to rely on it for the tournament's first round. To be real, it takes a long time to get-"
"Chul-Moo like this?"
He stepped back in amazement and confusion. Genuinely, he had been shocked.
"You- you actually got it down right away. That's rarely heard of; your potential is supreme. Big bro, you may not understand, but this is amazing, downright jaw-dropping. Try putting more star energy into it, and see how far you can go?"
"Ok, ok, watch this."
*Argh*
Shizu focused harder than before, channeling out more of his Star.
*Budump-Budump*
*Bing*
Chul-Moo's body froze, and his mind turned blank, falling back into his mind.
"Shizu!"
He quickly called out his name which interrupted him in producing more of his star energy. Something within that energy, he felt, almost caused him to collapse.
"Chul-Moo? What's wrong? You looked drained, are you ok?"
"You're all good. You ended up producing more than I anticipated—highly impressive. I think you'll be good for the tournament. Keep practicing, and you will be breezing through the fights. How about we call it a day for now? That star of yours caught me off guard, is all."
"Oh? Ok then. I will see you at school tomorrow?"
"Yeah, that works. It's approaching the end of school. I can't wait I will be watching from the crowd tomorrow and cheering you on. Come on, big bro, let's go!"
"Ok."
'Shizu, whatever you produced was intense, for sure. That could be what my dad was talking about, and you releasing it may have drawn the attention of others. Now, we have to be more vigilant. I may have to take an ulterior action.'
They said their goodbyes and left to head home, ready for the big day tomorrow. Shizu has quite the handle. When he arrived back at his run-down house, he continued to practice his star energy for almost all night before crashing from exhaustion, half of his body resting on his bed and the other half dangling on the floor.