Pain.
A dull, throbbing ache spread across his body. His mouth tasted like blood and dirt, and his head pounded like a war drum.
Then came the voices.
"Still playin' dumb, huh?"
A heavy boot slammed into his ribs, knocking the air out of his lungs.
Sun Wukong's eyes snapped open. The world was blurry at first—twisting, shifting—but then it settled. Three large men loomed over him, their faces twisted in smug amusement. His arms were tied behind his back, his body slumped against a cold alley wall.
A wave of dizziness hit him. What… What's going on?
"You stole from Lord Vance, didn't you?" One of the men sneered. "Where's the money?"
Stole? From who? Wukong scowled, his head still spinning. He struggled to move, but his body felt sluggish—weak. That was when he realized something was terribly wrong.
His limbs were thin. His muscles were gone. His body…
This isn't my body.
Panic shot through him as fragmented memories surfaced. The last thing he remembered was standing before Buddha, his smug grin filling the heavens.
"You are too arrogant, Wukong," the old monk had said. "Let's see how you fare without your power."
Then—nothing.
Now, he was here.
In a frail body.
Getting beaten by nobodies.
Rage flared inside him. He clenched his fists. Fine. If I'm stuck in this pathetic shell, I'll just summon my power.
He took a deep breath and called upon his divine artifacts.
"Come forth, Nimbus Cloud!"
Nothing.
"Come forth, Ruyi Jingu Bang!"
Still nothing.
A chill ran down his spine. No… no, no, no.
The largest thug cracked his knuckles. "He's gone quiet. Maybe he's ready to talk."
Wukong grit his teeth. I don't need my staff to crush ants like you.
He willed his body to move, but as soon as he tried to stand, his legs gave out. The thug chuckled.
"Pathetic."
A fist came down toward his face.
At that moment, something deep within him stirred.
A pulse of energy surged through his veins—wild, unfamiliar, but powerful. A faint golden glow flickered around his body.
The thug's punch never landed. Instead, a shockwave erupted from Wukong, blasting all three men backward.
His bindings snapped apart.
He gasped for breath. His skin tingled with a strange sensation—not divine power, but something new.
Magic.
The thugs scrambled to their feet, eyes wide with shock.
"The brat's a mage?!"
"That's impossible! He's a commoner!"
Wukong smirked. He didn't understand what just happened, but it didn't matter. Power was power.
As the thugs turned and fled, he rolled his shoulders and surveyed his surroundings. The alley opened into a bustling city—towering stone buildings, floating lanterns, and robed figures channeling mana into glowing artifacts.
This wasn't Heaven.
This was somewhere new.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Alright, Buddha. You wanna play games?" He cracked his knuckles.
"Fine. Let's play."
---
To Be Continued…