Chapter 13: The Wong Factor
Location: Kamar-Taj Training Hall
Date: March 7, 2007
Time: 6:45 AM
Adam stepped into the sand-floored sparring hall wearing his simple monk garb. He looked around at the columns of candlelight dancing in the still air, and at the figure already waiting for him in the center of the room.
Wong.
Calm. Stoic. Reading from a thick tome, as if the entire concept of a "duel" was an academic inconvenience.
"Good morning," Adam said, cracking his knuckles.
Wong didn't look up. "You're late."
"I'm early by Western standards."
"That explains your people's downfall," Wong muttered, closing the book with a soft thud.
[Minor Disrespect Detected – Master Wong]Reward: +$100Talent Fragment: Mystic Defense (2%)
Adam smirked. "I'm starting to see why you and Strange got along so well."
This time, Wong looked up.
There was a pause—a brief tension in the air—before he raised his hands and summoned a set of golden rings.
"Let's see what you've learned," Wong said.
The First Clash
The duel began with a blast of kinetic energy from Wong. Adam ducked, rolled, and summoned a low-efficiency shield—barely a shimmer—but it held for a second.
[Attempted Spell – Incomplete Shield Construct]
Skill Fragment Gained: Arcane Weaving (3%)
Wong teleported behind him—clean, fast, precise.
Adam ducked and swept his leg around.
Wong sidestepped without effort and tapped Adam's chest with a palm strike.
Adam flew ten feet and landed flat on his back.
[System Notification: Blunt Trauma (Minor)]
Stamina -1 (Temporary for 10 mins)
He coughed. "Is this… the part where you tell me the lesson was humility?"
Wong stood over him. "No. The lesson was preparation."
Emotional Insight Activated
Adam focused his attention. The emotional spectrum around Wong was tightly sealed, but not invulnerable. He looked deeper.
[System Alert: Deep Emotional Anchor Triggered]Emotional Spike – Wong: respect:
+2 Intelligence
Trait Gained: "Tactician's Tongue" – Gain bonus emotional impact when verbally exploiting strategic truths.
Skill Fragment Gained: Combat Prediction (6%)
Item Unlocked: Cloaked Training Ring – Temporarily increases reflex speed in training duels (+5% Agility)
Wong's gaze turned sharp. "You know too much."
Adam nodded, grinning slightly. "And yet, not enough."
After the Duel
Wong dismissed the ring of fire encircling them and turned away.
"You may be arrogant," he said, "but you understand weight."
Adam raised an eyebrow. "So that means I passed?"
"No," Wong said, walking toward the hall's exit. "But it means you get another round tomorrow."
[System Notification: Relationship Update – Master Wong: Respect Level +1]New Interaction Unlocked: Access to Intermediate-Level Mystic Scrolls (non-combat)
Adam exhaled. He didn't win the fight.
But he won something.
Later – Meditation Garden
Adam sat under a tree, studying a floating sigil in front of him. He focused on channeling energy—not through brute will, but through intuitive structure.
[Active Training – Arcane Weaving + Enchantment Basics]Combined Skill Progression: +2% Each
Then the system pinged.
[End of Chapter System Summary]
Stats:
Strength: 14
Intelligence: 21 (Progress: 0/2)
Stamina: 12
Charisma: 12
Luck: 1 (Progress: 0/10)
New Skills:
Traits & Perks:
Fractured Sight – May glimpse hidden truths in rare magical events
Basic Emotional Insight – Detects minor emotional fluctuations
Clarity of Desire – +2 INT & CHA for 1 minute daily
Tactician's Tongue – Verbal strikes gain emotional weight when using truths
Skill Fragments:
Arcane Weaving – 5%
Enchantment Basics – 6%
Mystic Defense – 2%
Focused Meditation – 4%
Combat Prediction – 6%
Dimensional Awareness – 4%
Eastern Philosophy – 2%
Reflex Engineering – 6%
Bioengineering – 6%
Biochemical Weaponry – 6%
Strategic Thinking – 8%
Miniaturized Tech Design – 8%
Prototype Design – 5%
Lie Detection Resistance – 6%
Urban Combat – 4%
Advanced Engineering – 3%
Cooking – 1%
Astrophysics – 12%
Negotiation – 7%
Intimidation – 4%
Internal Flow – 2%
Items Acquired:
Pathstone of the Hidden Gate
Scroll of Sigil Binding (Incomplete)
Cloaked Training Ring – Increases reflex speed during sparring sessions