[95] "I want to be stronger"

[A few hours earlier]

[In Jiwoo's house]

Jiwoo lies on the basement floor, his body covered in sweat as he struggles to catch his breath. Staring blankly, his eyes are riveted to the ceiling, as if searching for answers in the shadows.

At that instant, Kayden in his cat form and steps in front of Jiwoo's face, blocking the light from the dim bulb that illuminates the room. A short-distance away, Ares is lying down, enjoying a piece of chocolate.

Kayden watches Jiwoo earnestly and speaks with determination. "You've been asking to increase your training these days, and you've been carrying it out with greater enthusiasm and intensity. Although, lately, it was us who were demanding more of you in your training."

Jiwoo sits on the ground, immersed in his thoughts for a moment, and finally speaks in a muffled voice. "I want to be strong. I realized how weak I am."

"It's not surprising, you've always longed to be strong, but it seems this latest incident has affected you deeply," Kayden comments.

With a sad countenance, Jiwoo looks at Kayden and speaks with a palpable melancholy in his voice. "I was amazed by the strength of that criminal and his fire powers.... I used the most powerful techniques you taught me, but I couldn't defeat him. He was too strong compared to me."

Kayden sketches a small smile and continues. "True, he was much stronger than you, and it's not wrong for you to be aware of your skill level, but..."

"But in our world, results are important. You were victorious and have inflicted serious damage to an opponent who was out of your league, you managed to execute and channel the energy of that technique in less time and with greater power than last time, against that guy," Kayden interrupts, expressing his point seriously while keeping his gaze fixed on Jiwoo.

"But does that really bother you? Isn't that something you already knew that you were weak?" added Kayden earnestly, as his eyes were riveted on Jiwoo.

At that moment, Jiwoo's eyes filled with tears, and he spoke in a halting voice. "When I used that technique, I was drained of energy and injured. I couldn't be useful, and in the end, Jisuk and Subin protected me from taking further damage. They took the full brunt of the attack."

Jiwoo clenched his fist in anger and said angrily. "If I had been stronger, that wouldn't have happened. I would have been able to defend myself, and I wouldn't have let others get hurt for me."

From a distance, Ares watched Jiwoo intently as he listened to his words.

Kayden sighed and replied. "You are strong, Jiwoo..."

Jiwoo looked at Kayden, not quite understanding what he meant.

"Compared to other Awakened of your age, you are strong, but within the world of Awakened in general, you are considered weak," Kayden explained, causing Jiwoo's body to shudder.

Jiwoo clenched his fist even tighter and lowered his gaze.

"But look at your situation. You've only been training seriously for a few months, and you're already a match for youngsters who have been training intensely since they were very young. All you need is consistency and time. You can't rush. You must go little by little, polishing and strengthening your skills, gaining experience in fighting against other awakened ones. Furthermore, you will see your strength increase," Kayden said with a smile, conveying assurance, confidence and sincerity in his voice.

"Mr. Kayden," said Jiwoo, as he wiped tears from his eyes.

Kayden smiled and replied. "We will always be here for you, and we will help you with anything you need."

"So... do you want to be strong? Get ready to suffer like never in your life," Kayden said with a devilish tone.

At that moment, a voice interrupted their conversation, and they both turned their heads in that direction. "Then, I will bring my intelligence to develop a well-structured and organized plan," the voice said.

Jiwoo, with a tearful tone, expressed his gratitude. "Thank you..."

Kayden and Ares exchanged glances, laughed and said in unison. "Get ready, your training will begin immediately."

Jiwoo raised his head and saw the warm smile of his teacher and brother, and spoke seriously, regaining his determination. "I am ready."

After an intense hour of training in which Kayden devoted himself to improving Jiwoo's fighting technique, Ares returned and had in mind to plan the rest of the training.

The training plan would be divided into four parts, to be carried out throughout the day.

In the first part, Jiwoo will have to adapt to gravity x1.5 with intense physical training to strengthen his physique, speed, endurance and adapt to more challenging conditions for a human body.

He will start with a gentle warm-up to prepare his body and then perform short sprints while practicing his strength control.

In the second part, the main focus will be to improve Jiwoo's endurance. He will perform longer, continuous interval runs, with short breaks for recovery.

The goal is to challenge his body and work at high speed and under higher gravity for longer periods of time.

In the third part, you will focus on improving your control and agility at high speed under the influence of increased gravity. You will perform quick direction change exercises and explosive movements to perfect your maneuvering ability.

And finally, the most important part where Kayden focused entirely is on improving Jiwoo's combat experience.

Kayden and Ares will participate in training as opponents, challenging Jiwoo to apply his skills in realistic combat situations. They will perform sparring drills and work on correcting mistakes.

The increased gravity adds another level of difficulty, which will require Jiwoo to work even harder to maintain his speed and agility.

This training blended into Jiwoo's daily life, and so the days went by.

....

[A few days later]

Jiwoo runs around his neighborhood together with Kayden and Ares. After a while, Jiwoo stops at a place where there are many cats and gently pets them.

"Sorry for being so late, it was a tiring day today," Jiwoo says as he takes food and milk out of his backpack to feed the cats.

In the midst of the quiet, a voice interrupts his moment of relaxation. "Wow, you love to relax," Sucheon comments as he walks over to Jiwoo.

Jiwoo turns his head and looks at him seriously. "Sucheon," he utters his name.

"I have something to tell you. I've come a long way to find you and tell you," Sucheon sighs.

Jiwoo raises an eyebrow and asks. "What is it?"

"Let's have another fight, ten days from now," Sucheon declares. "We'll fight until one of us can't continue."

Jiwoo glares at him and replies, "Why should I accept your challenge? I already defeated you once."

Ares smiles at these words, knowing that for the former Jiwoo, that would have been impossible to imagine.

Sucheon shudders and scorns Jiwoo's statement. "In the last fight, you only won because I wasn't paying attention. It was an oversight. But this time, I'll fight with all my might and..."

"You can't refuse," Sucheon interrupts earnestly. "It is an order from my father, the leader of Baekdu. My defeat against you was a stain and a disgrace to Baekdu. I need to solve this problem."

Jiwoo is surprised and his face shows concern and astonishment. "That's what you say."

"What?" asks Sucheon angrily.

"Nothing," Jiwoo replies weakly. "I accept."

Sucheon smiles and slowly walks away. "Well done. See you in ten days. This will be an official match as you are sponsored by Shinhwa, there will be certain formalities to perform."

Sucheon disappears from Jiwoo's sight, who sighs and then turns his gaze towards Ares and Kayden.

"I didn't think this could happen," Jiwoo comments worriedly.

"Don't be nervous, it's more common than you think," Ares says to calm him down.

"It is especially common when the organization the opponent belongs to is stronger and known to others awakened. Also, it depends on how important the awakened in question is," Kayden adds.

"Really, why?" mutters Jiwoo, lost in thought.

"Basically, like that guy said, your previous victory was an embarrassment to his organization," Kayden explains, unsurprised by what happened.

"You'll beat him," Ares says in a serious voice, conveying confidence.

Jiwoo scratches his head and replies, "I don't know.... Last time it was just a practice match and he most likely didn't take me seriously. But this time will be different."

"Don't think like that," Ares comments, trying to instill confidence in Jiwoo.

"Exactly... You know what you accomplished in that match, and that you won fair and square. You don't need to be influenced by what others say. Remember to never lose confidence in yourself, even in the most difficult moments," Kayden adds, demonstrating his experience.

Jiwoo is glad to hear these words, but he still harbors doubts inside.

Kayden and Ares watch him as he walks around lost in thought.

"If you're not sure, there's only one thing you can do, Jiwoo," says Kayden with a smile.

"What one thing?" asks Jiwoo.

"Train until you can't anymore," replies Ares with a big smile.

Jiwoo looks at Ares and Kayden's smiles, and a full smile comes across his face. "Yeah, I'm going to train."

The three of them run away from the place, continuing their training.

....

Jiwoo was jogging, sweating heavily, feeling the fatigue take over his body. He decided to stop on a street near his home and began to walk, trying to catch his breath and circulate his strength in control.

When he reached his home, he was met with a surprise at the door: Jiyoung was standing there, dazzling in all her beauty.

"Jiyoung," Jiwoo exclaimed, startled. "What are you doing here?"

As Ares and Kayden entered the house, Jiwoo cheerfully walked over to Jiyoung.

"I got a call from Baekdu for a showdown against Sucheon," Jiyoung announced.

Jiyoung looked at Jiwoo seriously as he spoke. "I was told that you had already accepted the challenge." Then, he added kindly. "But you should take your time to think it over calmly. Don't feel pressured to accept it if you don't want to."

Jiwoo replied with determination, "Yes, that's what I did."

Jiyoung remained calm as he spoke, his eyes meeting Jiwoo's in a serious look. "This won't be a friendly challenge like last time, and besides, you're still injured," Jiyoung said calmly. "They will most likely recruit awakened ones with powers similar to yours for Sucheon to practice on."

Jiwoo responded weakly, acknowledging the reality of the situation. "I know... I understand the situation," he admitted, knowing the state of his injuries.

Jiyoung and Jiwoo continued to talk for a few more minutes, carefully assessing the circumstances. Then, Jiyoung made a proposal to Jiwoo.

"I think it would be beneficial for me to train you," Jiyoung suggested, in a determined but gentle tone. "Given the circumstances and the challenges you will face, you will need to be at your best. I can help you improve your skills."

....

In Baekdu, Sucheon trained alongside his father with a ruthless and aggressive intensity. In great pain, he faced numerous blows and wounds inflicted on his body.

The days passed slowly, and Sucheon continued to face his father's relentless harshness during training. Despite the blows and obstacles that came his way, he remained steadfast and determined to overcome them.

....

Jiwoo decided to reduce the intensity of daily physical training and focus more on combat experience during training sessions with Jiyoung, who used her powers to replicate Baekdu's awakened abilities.

Also, at home, Jiwoo trained alongside Ares and Kayden, focusing his efforts on improving his most powerful technique, the one that would play a crucial role in future confrontations. Together, they analyzed every move, seeking to perfect their precision, speed and efficiency in every strike and defense.

Before they knew it, ten full days had passed since Jiwoo immersed himself in his arduous training.

....

[10 days later]

[In Shinhwa]

Jiyoung was sitting, with a serene look, watching Supil Kang. Beside him were Sucheon and Suman.

"They should arrive soon. Please wait. We had no idea you would arrive so early," Jiyoung commented, crossing her legs and showing a cold look.

"Don't worry. We went ahead, so we could talk to you, so we don't mind waiting a bit," Supil said politely.

Meanwhile, inwardly, he thought. 'How dare that old man Seongik publicly bestow this girl with the title of Korea's No. 1 awakened one?'

'He should have kept silent when she retreated and not interjected when she decided to step aside. Saying such words won't help the growth of our country's strength.'

The door suddenly opened, and Jiwoo walked in, followed by Inhyuk.

....

When we reach 50, 100 and 200 power stones, I will upload another chapter.

....

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