TALES OF RUNETERRA: IONIAN
THE WUKONG THE MONKEY KING

Wukong is a Vastaya nation who likes to use tricks as his strength, as well as speed and intelligence to outperform his enemies. After finding a true friend on the figure of the warrior known as Mastery Yi, Wukong becomes the last disciple of the Wuju martial arts. Carrying a sceptre, Wukong was tasked with keeping Ionia from being destroyed.

In Ionia, there is a Vastaya tribe known as Shimon. Their figure resembles ape man who is also known to be wise, very careful, and also passive. They do not like to be close to the culture of humans or other creatures outside their territory. The trees are home to them. The Shimon believe that life is an evolution of wisdom. After they die, they believe that they will become stone, then reunite with the land and start a new life.

Although at a young age, Kong has very little in common with other Shimon tribes. Kong is so smart, cheerful, and very happy to play, so contrasting when compared to others. When the war came to Ionia, Kong was called by the sound and also the color of the war under his residence. They seem to awaken to their true selves, like a calling. Kong then leaves his tribe and prepares to follow what he knows is his destiny.

Equipped with instinct without any martial arts training, Kong explored Ionia, looking for a challenge and of course learning to fight. There have been many wounds and broken teeth that Kong has experienced, but it does not make him retreat from the belief that he is a fighter.

On his way, Kong ran through the forest and found the figure of a person wearing many glasses on his face. He's in the middle of a ascetic. Kong challenged him to a fight. The hermit then stood up and beat Kong with one punch before returning to his asceticism again. Kong had already challenged the enemy a lot, but he had never experienced anything like this.

For weeks, Kong had always come to that place with the intention of defeating him. But unfortunately, the person he challenged was always faster and stronger than any move Kong was able to give.

Until finally, Kong decides to try the thing he has never done in his entire life: humility. He bowed his knees in front of the person and asked to be taught how to fight. Without saying much, the figure of the sword man asked Kong a simple question: What are you fighting for?

Kong realized that he had never thought about it. He had lived in his peaceful hometown, but something inside him wanted otherwise. Kong instead asked the same question to the man, who only replied with the sentence that he was not willing to fight anymore. Kong spent the next few days sitting next to the man, thinking about the meaning of the answer he was looking for.

The man finally saw that Kong was slowly starting to change his heart. He then introduced himself under the name Master Yi, and he agreed to train Kong on discipline, patience, and also how to fight, which was referred to as the Wuju technique. Kong's abilities begin to improve with every teaching he receives, making him produce quick and surprising movements.

They both grew up and respected each other outside of the training they took. Now, Kong realized that Yi was feeling a sadness that even a person as happy as himself could not comfort.

More than that, she could not even answer the question that Yi had given her back then. Perhaps if he knew about the reason for what Yi used to fight, he could also answer that question. Kong finally made a plan. They both fought as friends. If Yi wins, Yi must tell him why he fought. And if Yi wins, Kong promises never to speak again for the rest of his life.

Yi finally accepted the challenge.

Kong managed to lead Yi to a battle arena filled with smoke, and whenever Yi tried to launch his attack, Kong always disappeared into the smoke and outwitted him quickly. The confused Yi could only attack the figure he saw, when it was a wooden puppet that Kong had made to trick his enemy. Kong then finds an opportunity to drop Yi onto the ground.

Yi smiled with the ingenuity that Kong had shown. The smile then disappeared. However, he finally told her why he was unwilling to raise his sword again. Yi used to be one of the important protectors of Ionia when it survived the attack of Noxus. Yi and his comrades fought with the Noxus warriors, until the war turned into a chemical war. Yi blamed himself for the loss of hundreds of lives because of the Zaun-made bomb that exploded there. From then on, Yi no longer knew the reason he was fighting. He just spends his time on the path.

Kong came from a group that did not heed a fight, but he now left them to challenge the threat alone. Kong greatly admired what Yi was going through, no matter what, Yi had already fought to protect the people he loved. Kong realized that he had to do the same.

From Kong's eyes, Yi saw that he had run from reality: the fact that no matter how much you try to resist it, he was a warrior and people needed his help. Yi thanked Kong and gave a staff made by a legendary blacksmith Doran, which was only given to Wuju's greatest disciple. Since that day, Kong has been known as Wukong.

On Yi's journey, he had already had many rumors about an Assassin organization called the Order of Shadow. Yi believed that the action of the Shadow Order would provoke Noxus to attack once more. Wukong is asked to help him stop them, before the dark history repeats itself.

Together, the two of them venture out in wild Ionia fighting to stop the Order of Shadow.

...QUICK BUT STUPID...

"Quick but stupid, or slow but clever?"

That was the thing Yi always asked me. Even though it sounded like a question, it was never something I thought I should answer. Not something I should discuss. You could be everything. Quick, agile, intelligent, and having fun, but that was not what Yi had always emphasized. He has his own right path. Slow down, be patient, and think clearly. Although with a fierce face, like what he always showed, like when stepping on dirt. Because at that moment, he had indeed stepped on the dirt. Because at that time I cleaned up the shit, and I thought he'd find it funny.

But he doesn't think it's funny.

(I really did, until finally he smiled a little at me.)

The thing that upsets me the most is that sometimes he's always right. We've been training for years together, and I've beaten him a lot. About... twelve times? While he beat me a hundred times. And whenever my face was exposed to sand dust, I always realized that I was acting impatiently. I doubt the blow I'm gonna make. Until I finally fell into a trap.

Not that I'm arrogant, but I'm great. Really great. Yi, despite not joking around, was the strongest warrior I had ever met. He is not the slow type. Of course he's fast. Faster than anyone could see. Once he took out his sword, everything suddenly became blurred, and a short while later three enemies were already bleeding on the ground. That was really fast.

So when he asked me to pick fast but stupid or slow but smart, I listened as much as I could.

I always “try.”

And “as possible.”

We once ventured into the forest with a towering mushroom. At that moment we heard a scream.

Other than trying to cut off my not-so-funny jokes, in her opinion, Yi kicked me to the ground so that I might as well not provoke any attention.

There are six people. Five people surrounding one old farmer whose eyes were very pitying with their hands tied behind their backs.

I felt this was the right moment and it was allowed for me to hit someone's head with my stick, but Yi tried to hold me back. He put a finger on his lips, then pointed at his eyes. Watch the. Plan out. Fast but stupid, or slow but clever?

I took a breath and looked at the group of people with sharp eyes.

The clothes they wear look worn. They looked more concerned with their swords than what they were wearing. Their eyes wandered to the right and to the left wary of possible attacks from all directions. One of them punched the farmer in the mouth so he could stop talking.

Thieves.

This old farmer fell to the ground. He fell down after being kicked by one of them.

Their leader stopped and looked at the old man's face. “Huh, he was crying instead,” he said. “You're old, man, but you're not that old. Falling down every few hundred steps to buy time? Just think about what's gonna happen to you. This is an old trick. Longer than your age.”

Then he bowed in line with the farmer.

“So you don't have any valuables in your house?”

He's nodding.

“That's a shame,” said the thief, with a petty smile on his face. That smile usually makes me hit someone.

“I'll save him now,” I whispered to Yi.

Yi shook his head without changing the position of his glasses. I don't have to ask why he did that. He seemed to want one of us to settle in there and ambush them, or some other plan that would take up more time. Slow but clever.

Another problem with Yi, other than that she had no sense of humor and the glasses on her head made her look like an insect, was that she had spent too long in the flower fields alone. His patience is limitless. He could have spent days planning all this.

Yi had never even met this group of thieves.

I've beaten one of them a few times. One of them even almost cut off my ear earlier. They are smart, fast, and look at the fight.

And still, Yi said to remain calm. We will follow his path. I nodded, and slipped behind them. You go to the back. I'll attack after you give me the mark.

Yi then circled around the bushes. He moved quickly, there was no way they could see him. This is an old plan. After Yi provokes their attention, I will come from behind and finish them off.

That was the moment when the leader of the thieves took the sword from its sheath. The sword was small, visible it could only be used to cut fruit. Or maybe cut the throat of the old farmer.

I didn't see Yi in the bushes there, but I knew that Yi didn't see what I saw. He doesn't know what's going to happen.

They would immediately kill the farmer, no matter how mature Yi's plan was. We don't have time to play slow.

Fortunately, I had a secret weapon under my arm: I was very, very, very good at fighting.

The thief leader then pulled the old farmer's collar and put a knife in his throat. I jumped off the bushes with a stick that I held high, and struck the knife from his hand. And come to my favorite moment.

When I try to attack someone, it takes usually two or three seconds before they realize my existence. Most people have never seen the Vastaya, let alone the Shimon. They seemed oblivious to what was happening, and I could finish them off before they felt it.

I slammed my knees towards the chin of the brand leader, and there was the sound of a broken tooth.

“Stay there, Yi!” Shouted towards the bushes we planned. “This is my part.”

That was the moment when a knife stabbed towards my back.

Turns out, one of them had the ability to throw a knife, and I wasn't aware of it. I can't imagine Yi's face seeing me like this.

“Is this still your part?,” Yi replied from inside the bushes. He seems to have planned all this. He wanted to see me act rashly, then be attacked from behind, so he could mock me later.

“Of course!” I shouted after I threw the smoke ball to the ground. (I always carry this thing. They were very useful in combat, and certainly to upset Yi when I was bored.)

Before long, I took them all out. I won't tell you much about this–

–But no, of course I will tell you, because they are quite strong.

I clasped my wand and turned around, trying not to hit the old man. My hand felt what it felt like to have wood smashed into the bone. I moved agilely, dodging every attack, and was only hit a few times in the face. Looks like two.

But after the smoke started to go away, I could only see one of them. Me, and of course that old farmer.

Yi finally came out of the bush, and took a breath.

“Oh, come on,” I said. “What are you breathing like? I saved him old bang–”

“–Hey!” said the old man.

“And it looks like my back will only heal in a few days. Ow,” I said, touching my wound. “What disappointed you this time?”

Yi cut the farmer's ties. “I'm not disappointed,” Yi said. “I'm annoyed.”

“Why?”

“I don't like to admit that I was wrong. You are impatient, careless, but this time you made the right decision.”

I smile.

“Quick but stupid.”

He then hit my wound.

“Quick but stupid,” said.

***