But the Monkey King stopped suddenly, causing Jack to nearly bump into him. Wukong turned back to face him, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Before we go any further, there’s one more thing I’d like to see,” he said, a sly smile curling on his lips.

Jack’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Without answering, Wukong raised his staff and twirled it effortlessly in his hand. The air around them seemed to shimmer and warp, and in an instant, the Monkey King was gone. In his place stood a perfect replica of Jack—same height, same build, even wearing the same clothes. The only difference was the expression on the doppelgänger's face: a knowing grin that made Jack’s skin crawl.

“What—” Jack began, but his words were cut short as his double lunged at him, moving with a speed and grace that mirrored his own. Jack barely had time to react, instinctively raising his arms to block a flurry of punches and kicks that came at him with relentless precision.

Jack squared off against his double, his muscles coiled with tension, his mind racing. The doppelgänger moved with an eerie fluidity, mirroring Jack’s every move but with a speed and precision that caught him off guard. Each punch and kick came faster than he could react, landing with a force that sent him reeling backward.

The double was relentless, its attacks unyielding. Jack could barely keep up, blocking and dodging as best as he could, but he could feel himself getting pushed further and further back toward the edge of the narrow ledge. His feet slipped on loose rocks, and he stumbled, barely managing to regain his footing in time to deflect another strike aimed at his head.

“How…?” Jack muttered under his breath, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and frustration. How is it so much stronger? He knew his own strength, his own speed—he’d felt it, seen the numbers increase, felt the surge of power within him as he leveled up. But his double—this version of himself—was faster, stronger, and more agile. It was like fighting a shadow that was always one step ahead, always anticipating his next move.

The doppelgänger feinted to the left, then darted to the right, catching Jack off guard. A powerful kick slammed into his side, sending him sprawling onto the rocky ground. He gasped, the wind knocked out of him, his ribs aching with pain. He tried to scramble to his feet, but his double was already on him, pressing the attack with a series of rapid strikes that forced Jack back into a defensive stance.

Jack blocked a punch aimed at his face, barely managing to deflect it, but the impact sent a shockwave through his arm, numbing his hand. He grit his teeth, frustration boiling within him. He wasn’t this weak. He knew he wasn’t. So why was he losing?

He tried to counterattack, throwing a punch with all his strength, but his double dodged effortlessly, its movements fluid and precise. Jack stumbled forward, off-balance, and the doppelgänger took advantage, delivering a swift uppercut to his chin that snapped his head back. Jack saw stars, his vision blurring as he staggered backward, his feet dangerously close to the edge of the precipice.

“You’re too slow,” his double taunted, its voice a twisted mockery of his own. “Too weak. You haven’t earned this power. You’re just a shadow of what you could be.”

Jack’s frustration turned to anger, a burning rage that flared in his chest. He growled, charging at his double with reckless abandon. He threw a wild punch, but his double sidestepped easily, spinning around him and delivering a powerful kick to his back. Jack stumbled forward, barely managing to catch himself before he fell off the ledge.

He turned, panting heavily, his eyes narrowed with determination. Think, Jack. Think. He needed to outsmart his double and find a way to turn the tide. He couldn’t rely on brute force alone—that much was clear. But his double was faster, stronger, and more skilled. Every time he tried to gain an advantage, it was already a step ahead, countering his moves with ease.

Jack clenched his fists, feeling the cold sting of the mountain air on his skin. He couldn’t lose here. Not like this. He had to find a way to win and prove himself to Sun Wukong. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts, to focus. He needed to find a weakness, an opening.

But the double didn’t give him a chance to think. It was on him again, its attacks coming in a blur of motion. Jack tried to dodge and block, but his reflexes were too slow, and his body did not respond as quickly as he wanted. A punch landed squarely on his jaw, sending him reeling backward. He stumbled, his back hitting a jagged rock, pain shooting through his shoulder.

His double pressed the attack, not giving him a moment to recover. Jack could feel his strength waning, his movements becoming sluggish. His muscles screamed in protest, exhaustion setting in. Why? He had trained so hard, and pushed himself to the limit. He had grown stronger—he knew that. So why was he still so weak?

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The double’s next strike came at his midsection, a powerful blow that knocked the wind out of him. Jack gasped, doubling over, his vision swimming. He tried to fight back, to muster the strength to counter, but his body wouldn’t listen. His limbs felt heavy, his mind foggy. He was losing. He was going to lose.

“No… no…” he muttered, desperation clawing at his chest. He couldn’t lose. He couldn’t fail. Not after everything he’d been through. He tried to stand, to push himself up, but his double’s foot came down on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

“Pathetic,” it sneered, looking down at him with cold, disdainful eyes. “You don’t deserve this power. You haven’t earned it.”

Jack struggled beneath the weight, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He tried to push the foot off, but his strength was gone, and his body was spent. He looked up at his double, anger and frustration burning in his eyes. He had come so far, fought so hard. How could he lose now?

“Enough!” Sun Wukong’s voice boomed through the mist, a command that reverberated across the mountain. The double vanished, once again the Monkey King. Slowly, he stepped back, releasing Jack from his grip.

Jack lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his body aching all over. He struggled to sit up, wincing as pain shot through his ribs. He looked up at Wukong, his eyes filled with confusion and frustration. “Why… why did I lose?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I’m stronger than this. I know I am.”

Sun Wukong descended from his perch, his expression a mix of sternness and sympathy. “Stronger, yes,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “But strength isn’t just about power or speed. It’s about control, about understanding your own limits and how to push past them without losing yourself.”

Jack’s brow furrowed, his mind struggling to process Wukong’s words. “But… I’ve trained. I’ve worked so hard to get stronger. Why couldn’t I keep up?”

Wukong knelt beside him, his eyes softening. “You have gained too much, too quickly,” he explained. “Your body has become stronger, faster, but your mind has not yet caught up. You are still thinking like the man you were, not the warrior you are becoming.”

Jack blinked, trying to understand. “What do you mean?”

The Monkey King sighed, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “Your mind is holding you back, Jack. You have not yet acclimated to your new abilities. Your subconscious is still operating with the limitations of your old self, afraid to fully unleash the power you now possess. You’re not using your full potential because a part of you still fears it.”

Jack’s eyes widened as realization began to dawn on him. “I… I’ve been holding back?”

“Yes,” Wukong said simply. “You have not yet learned to trust in your own strength, to let go of the fear that has been ingrained in you for so long. Your body has changed, but your mind is still catching up. You’re fighting as if you’re still that weaker version of yourself, not the one who has grown, who has adapted.”

Jack’s shoulders slumped, a wave of frustration and disappointment washing over him. “So… what do I do?” he asked quietly, looking up at the Monkey King.

Wukong smiled a hint of warmth in his eyes. “You must learn to trust yourself, to trust in your strength. You need to let go of the fear, the doubt that holds you back. You have the power, Jack, but power without control is meaningless. You must learn to wield it properly, to master it.”

Jack nodded slowly, absorbing Wukong’s words. He could feel the truth in them, the wisdom. He had been holding back, afraid of his own strength, afraid of losing control. He had been so focused on gaining power that he hadn’t taken the time to truly understand it, to adapt to it.

“You must also learn patience,” Wukong continued. “Growth is not just about gaining strength or speed. It’s about understanding yourself, knowing your limits and how to push them. You can’t rush that process. It takes time, practice, and a lot of self-reflection.”

Jack looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching his fists. He could feel the power in them, the potential. But he could also feel the hesitation, the uncertainty. He needed to learn to trust himself, to embrace his new strength fully.

He looked back at the Monkey King “Do I even have time to learn that? How long can I spend in here?”

Wukong chuckled “Time does not pass the same way in here. The Crystal you used to access this memory of me was made with powerful Psychic magic. Here, you exist as disembodied thought your mind processing information thousands of times faster than it normally does. You could spend months here and return to find that only seconds had passed in the physical realm.”

Jack’s eyes widened at Wukong's explanation. "Months? But... how is that possible?"

Wukong’s lips curled into a small smile. “In the realm of the mind, time is malleable. It bends to the will of your consciousness. Here, you are free from the constraints of your physical form. Your body remains untouched by fatigue, your mind unburdened by the limitations of reality. This is a place of learning, Jack, a place where you can grow without the world outside interfering.”

Jack absorbed the Monkey King's words, feeling a mix of relief and trepidation. The idea of having all the time he needed to master his newfound strength was reassuring, but he couldn’t shake the fear of losing himself to this place, of forgetting the urgency of his mission outside this strange mental landscape.

“How do I know when I’m ready?” Jack asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “How will I know when I’ve mastered my strength, when I’ve overcome my fear?”

Sun Wukong regarded him with a thoughtful expression. “You will know,” he said simply. “When you can face your double and not see it as an enemy, but as a reflection of your own potential—when you no longer fear it but understand it—that is when you will know. Strength comes not from the body but from the heart and the mind. You must trust in yourself, Jack. You must trust in your journey.”

The Monkey King raised his staff and settled into a combat stance. “Now let me show you how to actually use that pointy stick you’ve been waving around”.