Chapter 7: A Korean Minister
(A/N: Sorry for the religious overtones that will appear for those who don't believe in God. An as for the title, I am not biased or anything, but I think that in many ways, Korea is the "Italy" of Asia, being a peninsula and all.)
"You are... No. 27?" asked a startled Yugi.
Yugi's cellmate then revealed his face, all worn and in steady decline; either due to being middle-aged or suffering. He was in his late forties to early fifties, but the man was about 5'11'' in height, and in excellent shape despite his seemingly old age. Judging from his worn out clothes, the man seemed to be someone who has dedicated his life to religion.
The voice replied, "Yes, but tell me who you are... you seem very familiar."
"I am but an unhappy prisoner here on this island. Here, they call me No. 34, but I was used to be called Yugi Mutou."
"Ah, so you're that Japanese boy who was the best in that... card game? And judging from your title, I'd say that was your profession then"
"Yes, I guess..."
"So, do you know how long you have been in a place like this, my boy?"
"I was sent here on the 28th of February, 1999, but I believe that I've been here for over a year."
"What crime are you guilty of my son?"
"I did not commit any crime, Father."
"Then what were you accused of, son?"
"Of supposedly planning to overthrow the Japanese government."
"Ah, so your judge somehow believed that you were truly an anarchist?"
Yugi replied, "I doubt that, but the judiciary probably deemed me worthy of being a criminal because of one name... but what were you accused of, Father? I already know that you were here two years before me."
"Ah... there is a strange coincidence here, my child. I too have been accused of trying to undermine my government. For you see, I am a Korean minister... and I have sinned in the House of God... by committing a terrible act: adultery."
"But adultery has nothing to do with politics, Father!"
"Yes, I know. But apparently, the husband of my 'partner' found out about the affair. Instead of trying to kill me, he used his ties with the mafia and discovered some evidence that traced my involvement with the North Korean government. Naturally, he used this to his advantage, and I was sentenced to this prison for life; if they knew, my enemies found this fitting for my 'betrayal'."
"You mean to tell me that you worked for N. Korea?"
"No. I was simply a spy who worked, or rather, tried to plot against them. At any rate, I found myself in this island prison despite the fact that I've committed no crime against my own government. My own government simply dismissed my existence in order to avoid an international conflict, an understandable reason, given my less-than-noble deeds in the past."
"Then, we're kindred spirits, of sorts?" asked Yugi.
"It would seem so, my boy. Like you, I have the desire for revenge... but in a different manner."
"How so?"
"Most people who want revenge usually wants to kill those who made them suffer. However, I plan to become a powerful high-class enigma once I escape."
"But how...? It's impossible to escape here, Father."
"Impossible you say? I was able to force my way through about thirty feet these past 3 or 4 years."
No. 27 points Yugi's direction to a nearby section of the wall, which appears normal. But then the old man comes down on the floor and removes a now loose brick. Its cracks are cleverly hidden.
"And you dug about thirty feet?" exclaimed Yugi.
"Quiet, boy. We don't want anyone to listen of my efforts."
Curious, Yugi asked, "You have made or brought some kind of digging tools?"
The minister answered, "Yes, but first I weakened these bricks by using my fists."
"Your fists? What are you... some kind of..."
The old man added, "Martial Artist, yes... For the chisel and file, I stole them from the wood shop near the recreation center. At first... I needed to count how many bricks were in this cell, in order to use mathematical formulas to properly execute my plan Of course, that's also what I did to pass the time in the beginning of my false incarceration."
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"Because... I believe that if the both of us worked together... we could dig our way out in say... six to eight years?"
Yugi is reluctant to help his cellmate, as he's barely able to carry one of the wall's heavy bricks. This is crazy... I'm not strong enough.
"In return, for your help... I offer you something priceless, Yugi." said the minister.
"Freedom?"
"No, because freedom can be taken away easily. Instead, I shall offer you worldly knowledge; everything I have ever learned."
The young man replied, "Knowledge about religion, Father?"
"That... and Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Mythology, Philosophy, the art of disguise, several foreign languages, complete body control, and if you wish, several forms of combat, which I have become highly proficient, if not mastered completely."
"What are the martial arts that you trained in?" curiously asked Yugi.
"Due to a great personal tragedy, I traveled around the globe in order to prepare myself for my career as a spy, purely for self-defense, mind you." said the aging spy, with the air of someone who's seen too many deaths in a lifetime. "I sought out the deadliest and most real-world effective combat styles known in history. I have trained for over twenty years, and eventually mastered Boxing, Judo, Jujitsu, Aikido, Karate, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Drunken Boxing, Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, Savate, Ninjitsu, and my personal favorite, Krav Maga. I also am well versed in many types of pre-gun and post-gun weaponry. Sorry for my long-winded monologue, my boy."
"Not at all. Please, sir, go on. Where did you learn all this and why?"
"Before I became a devotee of God, I set out to make myself a paragon of the Renaissance Man to pursue my goals. Because of my tragic past, my inheritance left my fabulously wealthy and all I needed was my determination to achieve my goal. I found myself attending some of the world's most prestigious universities such as Cambridge, Harvard, Sorbonne, among other, unorthodox 'institutions of higher learning.'"
Yugi, dumbfounded, let his new friend know that he could continue his awe-inspiring life story.
The minister continued, "After many years of rigorous mental and physical training, I felt that I was ready and planned to use my knowledge and skills for good. For nearly twenty years, I have fought against every possible criminal or terrorist threat against the innocent."
"You mean, like Bat-"
"Not exactly. I was more or less, a James Bond-esque freelance spy meets Sherlock Holmes, but without all the time-consuming paperwork, the romanticized spy connotations, the fancy gadgets, the drug addictions, et cetera. I was working for several countries in order to undermine certain enemies of the world. My last mission was in North Korea."
"However, my arrogance got the best of me. I had underestimated the North's defenses at the 38th Parallel and was quickly captured. This of course, naturally left me subject to several months of brutal torture. I barely escaped with my life. I retired from my life as a spy and began a new life: to God."
Upset, Yugi said, "God doesn't exist anymore. He has forsaken me."
"Ah, but what you don't know... is that one knows true happiness after one suffers true suffering. You may not believe it, but God does see your suffering... and you will be rewarded eventually, my son. Did you ever hear of the story of Job?"
"Yes, but... I've been in here for over nine months..."
"Hardly anything compared to my imprisonment, boy. But shall we begin your training?"
"Yes, at once! And what's your name?" replied Yugi.
"My name is Father Pa Li Ah (A/N: For some reason there's no "F" sound in Korean, but a "P" instead) But first, let me treat your wounds, you seem to have taken quite a beating for some time."
Yugi then remembers the various injuries that his body's received overtime; he almost forgot about them since he met his new friend. Later that night, the teacher and his pupil set up a syllabus that would be carried out for an indefinite length of time. In order to allow Yugi to fully recover from his physical injuries, the retired spy simply taught him academic fields of knowledge. Miraculously, Yugi recovered fairly quickly within the first three months of his training.
For the next several years, Pa Li Ah sees to it that his apprentice undergoes rigorous mental and physical training without any obstructions, particularly the thugs who daily beat (and once or twice, molested) Yugi.
Yugi, with Pa Li Ah's help, undergoes cross physical and mental training to suit his needs. Yugi, though a gifted intellect, possessed poor physical prowess that the other prison inmates (especially that of his new friend). However, Yugi had nothing to lose and with his new friend's guidance, began the physical aspect of his cross training in earnest. The youth had remarkable stamina when it came to cardiovascular training, due to his time being chased after bullies, live duel monsters, and the prison inmates. During his daily jogs (eventually, runs) Pa Li Ah determined that Yugi's cardiovascular ability was close to the collegiate level.
Pa Li Ah had Yugi build up muscular strength and power through a variety of ways, such as push-ups (and its variants), curls, dips, squats, etc. A year later, in the recreation center of the prison, Pa Li Ah helps his 'son' increase his strength even further. During this time, Yugi is also taught various academic subjects by his mentor.
Because of his photographic memory (to which he was able to solve the Millennium Puzzle, and contributed to his being 2nd ranked in his class, the 1st being Seto Kaiba), the youth found virtually all of the concepts easy to understand behind his mentor's teachings. In addition to this, the middle-aged man converses with his 'son' in foreign languages.
During the fourth year of Mutou's imprisonment, Pa Li Ah asks a special question, in Arabic. "Solve this problem: 2500 cubic centimeters of rock & dust... 28th ft... 365 days (A/N: I couldn't understand the 2002 film's Faria's question right after he said 'rock and dust')."
Yugi proudly answered, "Equals 3 ½ meters a year and twelve feet, a foot a month, and three inches a week."
"In Korean," continued Pa Li Ah.
Then, much to the minister's surprise, Yugi is able to quickly finish the solution. He's getting much better than I thought. And I taught him only a few words of Korean too.
Later, Yugi naturally gets taller because of the gradual, intense physical regimen he maintains for several years. By twenty, he's reached the height of about 5'10''. While his face is hardened by the countless beatings he's endured, the physical & mental workouts he's being educated in have all made him a changed man.
As the years passed, Yugi also learned several martial arts and was able to nearly match his mentor's mastery of them. While not sparring with Pa Li Ah, Yugi had done countless knuckle push-ups on the concrete floors, practiced multiple kata each day, meditated, etc. While Pa Li Ah teaches his several techniques to counter the opponent(s), Yugi astounds his teacher by making variations that expands upon said martial art style.
All the while, the two men continue to dig their way out of prison; by Yugi's 5th year, they were able to dig almost fifty feet.
When he turned twenty-one, he noticed that Pa Li Ah's movements seemed to be slower than usual.
Maybe it's because of old age? Or perhaps my blows have greatly hurt him?
Concerned, he asked, "Pa Li Ah, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine, Yugi. I'm fine..."
'But for how long...?' wondered the young man. Little did they know, both father and son would soon find themselves threatened by their final ordeal.