My Cultivation Journey: II

That night, as I lay in bed, my mind raced with thoughts of my conversation with Jeong Su. Her words echoed in my head: "You're a natural." I couldn't believe it - me, a natural at fighting? It seemed absurd, but it sparked a fire within me. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.

The next day, I headed to the training center with newfound determination. I was going to defeat those holo-monsters, all of them, no matter what it took. I started with the level three monster, the one I had been struggling with for weeks. But this time, I approached it differently. I focused on my movements, breathing, and thoughts, trying to clear my mind and let my body take over.

At first, it was tough. The monster was fast, and its attacks were relentless. But I refused to give up. I kept fighting, pushing myself to be better. And slowly but surely, I started to see progress. My movements became more fluid, my strikes more precise. I was getting the hang of it!

The next day, I defeated all the level one monsters at once, using more of my wits than grit and skill. "Whoo, this is easier than I thought, level one cleared in one night!" I exclaimed, feeling like a champion.

Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks. I fought against holo-monsters of all types, honing my skills and perfecting my technique. I read books on martial arts and strategy, devouring knowledge like a hungry beast. And with each victory, my confidence grew. I was no longer the same person who had struggled to defeat a level two monster. I was stronger, faster, and more agile. I was a force to be reckoned with.

But despite my progress, I knew I still had a long way to go. There were always more monsters to defeat, more skills to master. My cultivation journey was far from over.

The door opened and the rest of the guys entered, munching on one thing or another.

"Are you seriously training again?" Bok Kyu asked, concern etched on his face. "Aiyo, my man, take your time and chill. You'd break down if you continue at this rate," Dave added.

My lips were dry, and my body was sweaty. I hadn't drunk a drop of water during my four-hour training session. "Stop holding your thirst. We know you're good at it, don't be a show-off," Daesang said, tossing a bottle of water to me.

I drank the water like a horse that had been running for miles with a dry throat.

"We didn't know that, Mandu. Why sound so intimidated?" Johanna asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Everyone had a hearty laugh, and Na Na chimed in, "But you're a cute Mandu!"

Days passed, and I was still struggling with level six type C. "Gosh, this is harder than I thought," I muttered to myself after losing a training session to a level six type D holo-monster.

Our handler walked in, a smirk on his face. "Ya, Su Jin, oda (hey Su Jin come here)." Reluctantly, I walked towards him, my voice battered and body worn out. "What is it?" I asked, my eyes fixed on him.

"Neo mwohanya (what the heck are you doing) ?" Our Handler asked, his tone weird, but I decided not to answer his question. "Did you really listen to what I said? You're trying to defeat each holo-monster in every level and every type? That's impossible. You can't defeat them all."

He chuckled, and I felt a surge of anger. "I actually thought you were serious, though. You should have gone into acting instead of being a mad scientist who seals away people's humanity. Trust me, you'd have made a killing in the movie industry."

His face changed, and he started to gloom. "Yes, I was hitting the spot. Now he'd know what pain feels like." I thought to myself.

I continued, "Regardless of what you say, I would still finish defeating all the holo-monsters you take so much pride in. I started it, and I wouldn't leave it mid-way."

He sniffled and adjusted his glasses. "You'd join them if you can defeat anyone of them outside there."

We both walked to the Gathering Centre, and I chose Jeong Su, thinking she'd allow me to win.

"Im Jeong Su..." Our handler called out. She looked in our direction. "You're calling me by my full name, what's the occasion?" she said, looking at me. "Oh, Su Jin, annyeong (hi)." She waved and smiled at me. Immediately, I knew I had made the right choice. I waved back at her and smiled. Our handler looked at me, then shifted his gaze to Jeong Su, and then back at me, chuckling.

The three of us went to the Training Center. Our handler was talking with Jeong Su, but I didn't bother trying to listen to their conversation. Frequently, Jeong Su smiled and nodded her head switching her gaze between our Handler and I. We stepped into the sparring circle in the Physical Contact Centre. "I won't go easy on you," Jeong Su said. I thought it was all bluff until she jabbed me in the nose.

The pain from the punch sent rushing waves to my brain, and my eyes lit up and became red. I felt blood hovering around my nose and was immediately discombobulated. I held my nose and looked at our handler, who was laughing. "What's so funny?" I thought to myself. I rose my head, and Jeong Su's blade was already pointed at my neck. "I win!" she said in a strong voice and dropped her blade.

Our handler relaxed the boundaries and walked towards the circle. "Can you see now, you're not mentally ready?" I looked at him with disdain and removed my hand from my nose. I looked at my hand and saw blood.

"P--pi (blood)! Su Jin, gwaechanha (are you alright)?" Jeong Su immediately ran towards me and held my shoulders. "Mihane (I'm sorry)." Our handler continued laughing.

We all came out of the Training Centre, and I had two tissues stuck in my nostrils to stop the bleeding. As soon as everyone saw me, they came towards me, asking what happened in the Training Centre.

"I punched him in the nose while we were sparring," Jeong Su said, her countenance showing remorse. "Why would you spar with Jeong Su? She's the most ravenous of us all!" Dong Man said.

I looked at her, unable to be pissed off that she didn't let me win. She always looked so innocent and harmless, with her hair covering the right part of her face, making it hard to believe she could hurt anyone. I removed the tissues from my nostrils; the bleeding had stopped, and the wound had already healed.

Our Handler dragged me to the side and started talking to me about what he meant by me not being ready mentally. "I understand that you're pissed, but you're still not wanting to accept the fact that what has happened has happened, and we can't change it. You're a mutant, something out of the ordinary, an inhuman, but you still act like you're human. Don't give up because of the pain; don't run away from it. Let the pain make and reshape you..."

I looked at him and sighed heavily, knowing he was right. I still thought I was human or that there would be a way for me to regain my humanity, so I tried not to cause too much harm to my body. "...Try fighting with and against those stronger than you are. I assessed all of your skill sets, and sincerely, Su Jin, in skill and technique, you are topping the list. You lost to Jeong Su because of two factors: you set a barrier for yourself, thinking she might use her powers against you, and you thought she'd let you win." He chuckled.

"Don't run away; join them, train in team battles with them, learn teamwork. You should first learn how to work as a team person before going solo."

He was totally right; I preferred training alone, staying alone, and doing things alone. These misfits were now the only people who could really understand and relate to my situation.

I looked at the rest of them, already fond of each other, while I spent most days in my room, watching the sunset and/or the sun rise on days I couldn't sleep. Our Handler took hold of my hand and placed a pager on it. "This is yours now." He whispered. I had a phone already; what do I need a pager for again? I thought to myself.

I was about to return it when I saw him sharing it with everyone else. My eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes!!" I said in my mind. "It's finally happening." He was about to leave when I held him by his arms. He looked at me, trying to figure out what was wrong. "Thanks for the insight, and also, change that costume. They looked like people going for space exploration. I wouldn't be seen in that, jeoldae (never)." He smiled and adjusted his glasses.

"Ne, ne, ne (yeah, yeah, whatever). I've been working on a new design myself," he said and left.

"Welcome to the pack, Su Jin. Things just got really ugly for you, trust me. This is a very good evening, one that calls for celebration. Mandu, go get cups and chops from the fridge real quick, man!" Dave said.

"What's there to celebrate, Dong Hwa? It's not like it's his birthday," Chae Yeong said.

"Alright, then. Let's ask him. Han Su Jin-nim (Mr. Han Su Jin), how do you want us to celebrate this perfect evening?" Daesang said.

I laughed slightly. "Well... what I want actually is... for... us... to..."

"What's with the suspense? Would you just get on with it, you blistering bullock?" Dave lamented.

I knew what I was about to say wouldn't go down well with Dave or anyone else, but they all seemed eager to hear.

"Alright, alright. I want us to have a team training."

Everybody's countenance changed immediately, and they all went into an uproar.

Na Na rolled her eyes, "if this is a joke Su Jin, geumanhae, juseyo (stop it, please).

"Aigoo, aigoo (gosh, oh gosh)... this boy is no fun!" Daesang said, hitting his head against the fridge continually.

"Now you shut up, dumpling! If you hadn't asked him what he wanted, we'd be having an evening snack and smacking drinks happily, but you... you silly sicko..." Dave said, pursing his lips angrily, then started pursuing Daesang around the place.

"Sibal (sh!t)! Had I known, I'd have concluded with Dong Hwa's idea. Hu..hunyeol (training)?" Chae Yeong said in dismay. Min ji, Bok Kyu, and Johanna laughed, enjoying the scenery, while Dong Man and Jeong Su lamented. Dave was still pursuing Daesang around the place.

Eventually, we all headed to the Training Centre, and for the first time, I fought alongside my nine teammates against three giant level 7 type A holo-monsters.