---
Wukong's palm burned as the black mark etched itself into his skin.
It felt like his soul was being branded, like chains were wrapping around his very existence. His instincts screamed that something was wrong—
And yet…
For the first time since being reincarnated, he felt something awaken inside him.
A power not of the heavens… but something else.
Something hungry.
---
"Wukong! Are you okay?"
Lily's voice barely reached him.
Tian waved a hand in front of his face. "Dude? You're kinda… shaking."
Wukong exhaled sharply. His hand still sizzled with dark energy, the veins on his arm turning inky black for a second before fading.
He clenched his fist. The power was settling.
He smirked. "Heh. That wasn't so bad."
The mage chuckled. "Oh, really? Then try using it."
Wukong frowned. "Using it how?"
The mage pointed at a pile of wooden dummies in the corner. "Focus. Call on the magic. See what happens."
Wukong rolled his shoulders. "Alright. Watch and learn."
He extended his hand—
And willed the power forward.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then—
A black mist slithered out from his palm, crawling across the floor like living smoke.
The moment it touched one of the dummies—
CRACK!
The wood rotted instantly, crumbling into dust.
Lily gasped. "What the—?!"
Tian paled. "That's… not normal magic, is it?"
The mage's grin widened. "No, it isn't."
Wukong stared at his own hand. The black mist still clung to his fingers, pulsing faintly. It felt… wild. Unstable.
And worse—
His body ached.
It was faint, but there. Like something inside him was being drained.
The mage crossed their arms. "This magic is parasitic. It's powerful, but it feeds off you. If you overuse it…"
They trailed off, smirking.
"You might not like what happens next."
---
A Risky Weapon
Wukong clicked his tongue. "Tch. Figures it wouldn't be free."
Lily looked at him, worried. "Are you sure about this? What if this magic makes your curse worse?"
Tian nodded. "Yeah, man. This stuff feels wrong."
Wukong smirked. "And?"
Tian blinked. "And… that's bad!"
Lily crossed her arms. "Tian's right. This isn't like your old powers. You don't know what this will do to you long-term."
Wukong rolled his shoulders. "Yeah? Well, I do know one thing—"
His golden eyes flashed as he grinned.
"—I don't plan on staying weak forever."
The mage chuckled. "Good answer, Monkey King."
---
To Be Continued…
---