Inside the H.A.N.D HQ, a significant meeting was underway, prompted by Wukong's request to share an important story with Victor and Sanzang. This gathering included the saints along with Gilgamesh standing quietly to the side, all eager to hear what Wukong had to say.
Victor, casually enjoying a stick of chocolate, broke the silence, asking, “So, what is it that you needed to tell us, Wukong?” The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as the saints remained still, aware that they were not formally invited and should maintain their composure.
Wukong took a deep breath before revealing:
“Twenty-four years ago, at the end of the first war, I died. More precisely, my soul was destroyed. I think it’s important to share the details of how that came to be…”
Shortly after their return from the spirit realm, Sanzang, Pigsy, Sandy, and Wukong found themselves back in the northern region of the Kingdom of Bushin, only to discover it had been reduced to a desolate wasteland. Initially, confusion washed over him as he desperately sought answers about the devastation. Soon after, Wukong's fury ignited at the thought of his homeland, the place where he had spent most of his years, now nothing but ashes. The thought of his entire kind being wiped out filled him with a rage that was almost palpable. Though he was not one to shed tears, the anguish he felt manifested in a haunting way, as blood seemed to drain from his eyes at the mere thought of the gods' indifference.
And then, during his most troubled hour, a booming voice echoed from the heavens, cutting through his cries like a knife. It belonged to a boy, no older than fourteen, who casually declared:
“Hello trash. In a week's time, if the Greeks do not submit to the Trojan Empire, then I will destroy another region.” The nonchalance in his tone made it clear that this was merely a game to him.
Sanzang, sensing the storm brewing within Wukong, urged caution, warning him of the perils that awaited in the realm of the gods. Meanwhile, Pigsy and Sandy offered their silent support, resting their hands on Sanzang's shoulders as Wukong summoned his immense power. Once hailed as the Monkey King, he now stood alone, stripped of his title and pride, with nothing left but the burning desire for revenge.
With a singular focus on retribution, Wukong soared into the heavens, where he was met by the entire divine army, seemingly prepared for his arrival. Undeterred, he charged forward, challenging every god in sight, including Zeus himself, and astonishingly, he emerged victorious. Yet, this triumph did little to quell his thirst for vengeance. He yearned to confront the one responsible for the devastation he had witnessed, the architect of such horrors. Yes, Zues had been the one to destroy them, but who was it that pulled his strings from the shadows. Who could it have been that created such a being? Oh, that’s right… Only one man could’ve done all that.
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In a fit of rage, he called out to God, cursing him and demanding a confrontation. When God finally descended, it was accompanied by a radiant golden light, as if the very heavens were parting to reveal his presence.
Yet, what Wukong beheld was not a divine figure but a familiar face -his first human friend, the one who had shown him the joys of life. This man was his sworn brother… Buddha.
Despite Wukong's immense strength, capable of toppling the heavens with ease, the figure standing before him, blocking his path to God, was his closest ally. In disbelief, he cursed Buddha, questioning how he could align himself with those who had brought chaos to their world. But Buddha remained silent, offering no answers. Consumed by rage, Wukong unleashed his Devour technique against Buddha, but time was not on his side. With no past lives left to draw upon, he was ultimately consumed by his own power, shattering into oblivion and losing the chance to return to the Library of Yggdrasil.
Though he was ultimately shattered into nothingness, the trauma of his victory haunted Zues, leaving him unable to bear even the mention of the word "Monkey." In his panic, he chose to abandon Gaia, leading to Troy’s defeat in the war.
“…And that’s basically how it went down.”
The events unfolded in a way that left everyone astonished. For reasons unknown, Buddha had chosen to align himself with the deities, which meant that instead of six lesser gods, there were now seven. This revelation sent a shiver down Sanzang's spine, and as she clutched her shoulders, the words “how could you… brother” escaped her lips in disbelief.
“Tell me… if Buddha were to suddenly appear here, do you think you could take him?” Victor asked.
“Upon my return, I discovered that much of my power had been sealed away, likely due to this headband placed on me by the librarian.”
“That’s unfortunate…” She acknowledged, “…which makes it all the more crucial for me to hold onto this string tightly.”
“If I could just find a place filled with starlites to meditate, I could certainly regain some of my strength.”
“Hmm… the only place that comes to mind is the underworld, but you’d likely end up fighting more than meditating.” she mused.
Just then, Xia, the Nensect, interjected with a suggestion:
“Why not meditate at the core of Gaia? It’s brimming with starlite, and you could harness the World Essence to stabilize Gaia’s soul. It’s a win-win situation, though the downside is that you won’t awaken until Gaia regains her sun.”
Wukong contemplated this, weighing various outcomes in his mind. If the Lesser Gods showed up while he was in slumber, it would spell disaster. “And I could also engage in some image training… Alright, I’ll do it.”
With that decision made, Victor guided him to a room containing a single incubator that led to the heart of the planet, where Gaia’s soul resided. It resembled a vast cave with a luminous orb at its center, and it was into this orb that he plunged, entering a meditative state. Meanwhile, a serpent-like figure in human form spoke to a hologram attached to his wrist, declaring, “Yes, the Monkey King is no longer a threat… He’s within Gaia’s core and should be unable to disrupt our plans… Don’t fret so much, Poseidon. I assure you; they trust me. In their eyes I’m a valuable member of the Four Saints of Qishi Lu. They don’t have a clue of my real identity as an Olympian… Lol.”