- Next Day - Outside in the Courtyard -
The courtyard was alive with the synchronized movements of the Ten Rings members.
All clad in identical uniforms their forms sharp and unified as they practiced martial art in unison.
Erik was on the side, sitting cross-legged and bare-chested on the ground, his expression calm and focused.
A servant in ragged yellow robes knelt beside him, holding a handcrafted bamboo tool with a metal needle at the tip.
With deliberate precision, the servant used a traditional tattooing method to inscribe the Ten Rings symbol onto Erik's right shoulder blade.
The rhythmic tapping of the bamboo tool marking the solemnity of the moment.
When someone joined the Ten Rings. Their journey began as a humble recruit, untested, unseen and unproven.
Status within the organization was not given lightly.
To rise from the ranks, one had to pass a trial that marked them as more than a simple recruit.
Only after completing their first mission-More precisely, their first assassination. Did they earn the title of Standard Operative.
This was no ordinary promotion. It was a rite of passage, a transformation.
With the blood of their first kill on their hands, they were granted a permanent mark. The Ten Rings symbol, inked into their skin through the painstaking method of traditional tattooing.
It was not just a badge, but a bond branding them as part of the organization for life.
Twelve years old Erik, had never once been sent on an outside mission. Yet the duel he had won against an active operative marked a different kind of trial by fire. It was a grim milestone, one that stamped his name into the ranks of the Ten Rings.
From that moment forward, no one could dismiss him as merely another recruit. He had proven himself in blood—and in the eyes of Xu Wenwu, that was more than enough.
"What is my mission ?" Erik whispered to himself as the needle pierced his skin repeatedly, each tap marking his body with the Ten Rings emblem.
My mission has always been about bringin' justice through vengeance.. He thought wincing slightly as the needle dug deeper. His mind staying focused.
He recalled the hesitation he'd felt the day before, when he was forced to kill Gao Lei—and it terrified him. He was afraid that he might falter again. Afraid he might fail his mission and end up in the ground with his wife and child.
Xu Wenwu's words suddenly echoed in his mind: 'In combat, you face your enemy. Without doubt, without pity, without remorse. To survive, you must learn to fear nothing at all.'
His thoughts were meant to be steel, without distraction. Yet a single truth gnawed at him.
I have fear.. He admitted to himself internally. Fear to end up just like the monsters I am chasing.. The steady tapping of the bamboo tool punctuating his thoughts.
Should I ask Xu Wenwu for a way ? To make my mind ready ? To make me, COLD AND TERRIFYING. Erik pondered with a sigh.
"Finished!" Said the servant, pulling away the bamboo tool after tapping the last stroke into his skin.
The boy glanced back at him, his expression still unreadable. "Is it good?" He asked, stretching as he stood up.
"Yes, very good!" The servant replied enthusiastically, clearly proud of his work.
"Great" Erik said, barely acknowledging the compliment as he rolled his shoulders, testing the stiffness in his muscles.
"I'm out." He added with a shrug, already focused on whatever was coming next.
- 3 Months Later 1995 - Training room -
During the last four months, Erik continued his training rigorously.
His mastery over martial arts increased with every session, deepening as he practiced and expanded his knowledge.
Xu Wenwu seemed to favor him more since the fight with Gao Lei.
The ancient leader often summoned him to discuss various topics, most notably The art of war.
The man was a vast reservoir of wisdom.
Erik recognizing the rarity of such an opportunity, absorbed the information like a sponge, eager to learn from someone with over a millennium of experience.
Right now, the boy found himself in one of the Ten Rings expansive training rooms with Xu Wenwu and the advisor Ling, who stood silently a bit farther back.
The room was spacious, with old wooden floors that reflected the dim light filtering in through high, narrow windows.
Various weapons, meticulously arranged, lined the walls. Swords, spears and staffs. All within easy reach for training.
The atmosphere was one of discipline and tradition. A place where countless warriors had honed their skills over the years.
The wooden ground beneath Erik's feet felt rigid and easy to make noise. A foundation for the practice that was about to unfold.
"I can teach you how to disappear." Said Xu Wenwu convincingly. "You know how to disappear? I can teach you how to become truly invisible." He emphasized the word 'truly' his gaze piercing through Erik as if to underscore the weight of his words.
If only you knew… Erik thought, his mind turning to his own innate ability to camouflage. But outwardly, he remained silent.
"An assassin understands that invisibility is a matter of patience and agility." Xu Wenwu continued. "He also understands that Theatricality and deception are powerful agents. You must become more than just a man in the mind of your opponent."
More than a man… Erik's thoughts burned as he stared in front of him. I have to become something greater. Something that strikes fear the moment they hear my name. I can't be human in their eyes. I have to be more..
"For that, he uses various means." Xu Wenwu said calmly. "Tools, techniques and tactics. All designed to control perception and manipulate reality. It's not just about brute force.. It's about using every advantage, every shadow and every distraction to strike with precision."
At that, Xu Wenwu made a subtle hand gesture to Master Ling, who stepped forward and handed him a small bowl retrieved from within his robe.
"Assassins often make use of explosive powders for exemple. As weapons Or Distractions.."
"Interesting" Erik muttered, his curiosity piqued.
Xu Wenwu reached for a pinch of the powder from the bowl before tossing it to the ground.
There was a loud 'PAAH' as it hit the floor, creating a brief cloud of smoke that curled upward and then quickly dissipated.
The experience was simple yet effective. Demonstrating how easily one could use such techniques to distract people.
"The mind" Xu Wenwu added "Is the most potent weapon. Make your enemies see what you want them to see and strike when they are lost in the illusion."
Xu Wenwu continued to instruct Erik, his voice calm yet commanding.
After several minutes, he reached for a special wooden stick with a blade-like edge at the tip.
Wenwu then sat down cross-legged on the floor, watching the boy intently.
Erik stood in front of him, his upper body bare, revealing some scars that traced across his skin.
His feet were bare as well, ready to take on the challenge. The test was simple in theory but difficult in execution.
He was to walk from one end of the room to the other without making a sound. A creak from the wooden planks would automatically result in punishment.
The boy took a deep breath, centering himself. He began to move, placing his foot down with the utmost care.
His toes touched the floor first, gently followed by the ball of his foot and finally, the heel.
Each step was deliberate, slow, and controlled. Patience was key, as Xu Wenwu had emphasized earlier.
The room remained silent, save for the almost imperceptible sound of Erik's breath.
His eyes were focused, his movements calculated. One step at a time, he moved forward, intent on mastering the task at hand.
Pearls of sweat dripped from his forehead as he focused intently on his steps.
Each movement was calculated, his concentration absolute. But then, suddenly..
CREAAAAK!
A floorboard groaned under the pressure of his foot.
Erik's mind screamed, FUCK! His frustration flared, but he remained silent.
Without uttering a word, Xu Wenwu rose from his seated position, his expression unreadable.
He approached Erik with the wooden stick in hand.
With a deliberate motion he pushed Erik's foot, the one responsible for the noise, into position.
Only the ball of the foot was resting on the floor. The rest suspended in the air, vulnerable.
SLASH!
The sharp edge of the stick sliced through the air, striking the exposed interior of Erik's foot.
A cut and a line of blood appeared instantly.
SLASH!
Another swift strike followed, cutting into the same foot.
Then, Xu Wenwu moved to the other one, repeating the process with cold precision.
Two more cuts, four in total.
Erik clenched his teeth, forcing himself to endure the pain in silence. The stinging in his feet burned, but he refused to let any sound escape.
Xu Wenwu calmly returned to his seated position, the stick resting in his hands.
"Again." He commanded, his voice steady and unwavering.
Erik, without hesitation, repositioned himself and prepared to begin once more determined to succeed this time.
He took a deep breath, refocused, and began to move, each step more careful than the last.
The relentless sounds of slashes and Xu Wenwu's cold command of "Again" echoed through the room repeatedly over the next few hours.
Erik was in agony, his blood dripping steadily from the numerous cuts on his feet.
The section of the training room dedicated to this brutal exercise was now stained with dark patches of his blood.
He had lost track of how many times the stick had sliced into his flesh, each cut leaving him more debilitated.
Every time Erik set his foot down, it felt like a knife was being driven into him.
Noticing the boy's contorted face, Xu Wenwu spoke in his usual detached tone. "Pain breeds weakness. Remember, suffering exists only because weakness exists." He said, his voice calm and instructive. "You must hate all weakness! Hate it in others, but most of all, hate it in yourself!"
Gritting his teeth and pushing through the searing pain, Erik continued the grueling exercise.
After countless attempts, his perseverance finally paid off. He successfully reached the other side of the room without making a sound.
Watching the boy, leaning heavily on the ground. Xu Wenwu approached him with an impassive expression.
Erik's teeth were clenched tight and his breathing came in rapid, pained gasps.
Xu Wenwu stood before him, a cold gaze fixed on the boy.
"Did the blade hurt you?" Xu Wenwu asked, his tone measured and calm.
After a brief pause, he continued. "You think that this is pain…" His voice was icy, carrying an unsettling edge. "You are mistaken!"
With a sudden forceful movement. Xu Wenwu grabbed Erik by the arms and yanked him to his feet.
The rings on his arms began to glow lightly with an eerie blue light. Mystical energy pulsing visibly through his veins.
Without warning, Xu Wenwu executed a secret Dim-Mak technique, his fingers hitting into Erik's abdomen with a precise and brutal strike.
The boy's eyes widened in shock. He gritted his teeth in pain, not from the strike, but from the internal results.. It was as if his chi had exploded inside of him.
A guttural sound erupted from him, reverberating through the room. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced until now. A sensation of a hundred knives stabbing simultaneously throughout his body.
All he could do was agonize silently on the floor, his entire body convulsing with the intensity of the torment.
"That.." Xu Wenwu said, his voice remaining calm and detached. "Is true pain!" He gazed down at Erik with an emotionless expression. "Here is your test, Killmonger. Survive the night!"
With those final chilling words, the man turned on his heel and walked away. Leaving him to endure the relentless, punishing agony alone in the dimly lit training room.
Advisor Ling cast one final glance at the suffering boy before following Xu Wenwu out of the room. The dim light cast long shadows on the walls as he walked away, his thoughts troubled.
He knew all too well the brutal reputation of this Dim-Mak technique which was said to induce such excruciating pain that many had lost their sanity and chosen to end their lives rather than endure the torment.
The boy suffering was palpable and Ling couldn't help but wonder if Erik would have the fortitude to survive this trial.
He didn't know exactly how the technique worked, but he understood the principle.
The pain mostly came from within. The technique relied on striking and flooding vital pressure points with chi, forcing energy violently into places it was never meant to flow. It wasn't designed to kill. It was meant to unravel.
A method to sow disorder inside the body—to scramble a man's chi until his own system turned against him. It didn't sever life, but it tore at the body's wiring, sending waves of agony through every nerve: spasms, nausea, vertigo, a storm of suffering contained entirely within. A private chaos.
Ling moved further from the training room, the echo of Erik screams still resonating in his ears.