5/12/2024

Wu Shi Academy/Remote region in China

"Wow." Dean said in amazement while he had a large suitcase on the ground next to him as he and Raiden had appeared in front of the Wu Shi Academy stairs that led up to the actual academy with large, closed gates as the stairs has draconic statues lining either side.

However, what surprised Dean the most was the fact that he wasn't the only arrival on this day. Because in front of him were several shocked people from his and Raiden's sudden appearance thanks to Raiden's lightning-based travel.

Sonya Blade, Level: 39

Special Forces Member/Elite Officer

Johnny Cage, Level: 30

Karate Master/Premier Actor

Kenshi Takahashi, Level: 32

Yakuza Enforcer/Taira Clan Descendant

Kurtis Stryker, Level: 25

Law Enforcer/Special Forces Rookie

Cole Young, Level: 28

Shirai Ryu Descendant/MMA Fighter

Sonya was dressed in a green and white exercise top and pants with white boots and a black headband around her head while having a large military backpack on her back along with a duffle bag.

Johnny Cage was dressed in a flashy blue and white suit with black sunglasses over his eyes and black designer shoes on his feet while having several bags around his body.

Kenshi sports a red and black uniform of some kind with white flower pedals on the shoulders and a katana sheathed to his waist in its black scabbard.

Kurtis is sporting a basic blue exercise shirt and black pants with sneakers on and a blue hat on his head while carrying his own duffle bag.

Cole is wearing a black hoodie and jeans with his own suitcase at his side as well.

"It is good to see all of you have come." Raiden said to the group.

"So, what exactly are we here training for?" Cole asked bluntly before Raiden responded.

"You have all been gathered here to prepare yourselves for Mortal Kombat. Every five-hundred-years fighters from Earthrealm must defend their realm from invasion from the forces of Outworld and Shao Khan. He is a being that seeks to conquer all the realms so he can rule everything in existence." Raiden explained and Dean suddenly felt a heavy weight being placed on his shoulders.

"Sounds like the typical big bad in a cheap movie. This will be perfect for my cinematic universe." Johnny said with a smile while Raiden chose to ignore the crude joke along with the rest of the group.

However, Dean was trying hard not to be overly excited about his favorite celebrity being here to train along with him and the others.

"We aren't here for some BS movie. Were here to learn about our enemy." Sonya replied to the actor who gave her a wink, making her roll her eyes.

"Your all here to learn about what is coming, as well as learning how to master your various skills and become the best fighters possible for Earthrealm's defense." Raiden said before he turned towards the gates of the academy. "Come. Your training has already begun."

"Being here makes everything feel so real now." Dean said to himself as the group started walking up the stairs with Johnny being dead last due to his unnecessary amount of luggage.

The moment the group 'minus Johnny' made it to the gates. They opened and revealed several monks training all over the grounds as well as meditating while a few monks seemed to have been waiting for the group and standing in front of the monks were two of their most seasoned warriors.

Liu Kang, Level: 50

Shaolin Dragon/The Chosen One

Kung Lao, Level: 45

Descendant of the Great Kung Lao/Spiritual Warrior

"Greetings lord Raiden. The rooms have been prepared as you've asked, and the monks are ready to start the training." Liu said with a bow as al the other monks bowed as well.

"Wow. Talk about respect." Kurtis said as he adjusted his hat for a moment with wide eyes at what he saw.

"Hey…What did I miss?" Johnny said with exhaustion as several of his bags fell behind him down the stairs as he managed to join the group.

"Are these all of the new warriors?" Kung asked while Raiden let out a sign.

"I'm afraid so. Many Outworld assassins have been busy targeting possible defenders of Earthrealm before the tournament has even begun. These are the warriors that survived their encounters." Raiden explained as the monks all raised their heads.

"Barely." Cole said to himself with a bit of frustration.

"Well, all of you are welcome here. We'll train all of you to the bone and rebuild you with fire and wine." A joyful voice said as a large man walked up to the group from the right.

Bo' Rai Cho, Level: 110

Drunken Master

"Bo' Rai Cho, it has been too long." Raiden said with a smile as he walked up to the man and shook his hand.

"It has my friend. I'm afraid it's been busy around here with so many saplings for me to look after. Luckily, I've got students like Liu and Kung to pick up the slack." Bo' Rai Cho said with a hearty laugh before he looked over at the monks. "All of you show the new blood to their rooms. They've got to know the place they'll be resting their heads after all."

"Of course, master." Liu replied. "All of you follow me. I will show you all around to your rooms as well as the rest of the Academy."

"Damn it. How much more walking are we going to do?" Johnny asked in annoyance before the group once again moved on without him. But unlike before, Dean offered to help the actor who responded by handing Dean some extremely having bags to lighten his own load as he quickly caught up with the others while Dean was a bit slower to reunite with the other rookies.

5/14/2024

The group of rookies have each been placed in training courses among the other monks. Right now, Dean is working on his katas of Shaolin Kung Fu among the monks learning the martial art. The teacher wasn't Bo' Rai Cho actually and instead was Master Kai.

Kai was strict but far in terms of teachings and made sure to drill in the basics of every punch, kick, hold and technique so that the monks would feel as if the martial art was second nature to them.

Honestly, Dean knew about the rumors of monks like this training 24/7 but he didn't know how true those rumors were until he started his training. He wasn't upset; however, he needed this tough training since he was arguably the weakest member of Raiden's chosen warriors.

"Dean, straighten your form!" Kai shouted as Dean fixed and tried to maintain proper form while going through the various strikes.

Dean was wondering how so many people had gotten so good at fighting before he remembered what titles they all had. Each 'rookie' was a seasoned combatant in their own fields. Each one was strong, yet they still needed more training, and that means that Dean had to train harder than the rest of them just to keep up.

Soon after the katas were done, Dean made his way to the Wu Shi Academy's library and picked up a book on Outworld and started studying the subject while he sat in an old chair and focused on his book.

"Penny for your thoughts?" A voice asked, making Dean look up and see Kenshi walk up to the chair near him as he grabbed his own book.

"Just want to figure some things out about the people were supposed to be fighting."

"Smart. But I've got to ask. Why did Raiden bring you here? No offense or anything but your extremely new to kombat in all forms." Kenshi said honestly while Dean decided to ignore the feeling of being inadequate compared to the others.

"It's a fair statement all things considered. I don't know why I was chosen; I've always been walking through life with no real goal but being given a chance to save the world is something that gives me a purpose and I don't want to let Raiden down. He thinks he can see something within me, and I want to find out what it is." Dean explained and Kenshi looked at him with respect and a smile.

"I can respect your drive. It can help you get through the training. But remember that kombat is more than what you're being taught. Training and real experience are two totally different things." Kenshi said before he started reading his own book much like Dean.

INT has gained 2 Points!

Dean glanced at the screen before he continued his book about a race called the Tarkatans. A race of dangerous flesh eaters who can fight with their own bones. Dean couldn't help but compare them to a weaker and less awesome version of Wolverine from Marvel comics.

Dean was given some time to rest after studying and rested in the bed in his room at the Academy and decided that it was time to start using some more of his Attribute and Perk points.

[Stats

Name: Dean Domino, Age: 25, Race: Human

Title: The Gamer, Alignment: Good, Level: 11 [345/3300]

DT: 15.5

HP: 280/310, MP: 200/200

Strength: 23, Constitution: 20, Vitality: 25

Dexterity: 18, Intelligence: 23, Wisdom: 17

Charisma: 19, Luck: 30(?)

Attribute Points: 10, Perk Points: 2]

"Time to get to work." Dean said before he started to allocate his stat points.

[Stats

Name: Dean Domino, Age: 25, Race: Human

Title: The Gamer, Alignment: Good, Level: 11 [345/3300]

DT: 15.5

HP: 280/355, MP: 200/200

Strength: 23, Constitution: 25, Vitality: 25

Dexterity: 23, Intelligence: 23, Wisdom: 17

Charisma: 19, Luck: 30(?)

Attribute Points: 0, Perk Points: 2]

"Now I've used my perk points on minor perks to enhance myself slightly, so now I should just keep enhancing what I've already got."

[Life Giver] Perk has reached Rank 2!

[Toughness] Perk has reached Rank 3!

"That's a small boost, but it's something. Now I need to use this loot orb I got." Dean said to himself before he summoned his Inventory and took out the small black baseball sized and shaped item that was covered in magical runes.

Would you like to activate this loot orb? Y/N?

Dean hit yes and saw a roll of cards appear in front of him that were glowing with a bright gold color before he saw the rolls stop and saw alerts about items deposited in his inventory.

1x Blade of Tonasha!

1x Edenian book of spells!

10x Outworld Scrap Metal!

"Whoa." Dean said before he summoned his inventory again and saw the items as well as the descriptions they had.

[Item

Name: Blade of Tonasha

Rank: Rare

Type: Great Sword

Description: This great sword is from the great warrior Tonasha and retains her hatred of Netherrealm wraiths as it deals 50% more damage to all undead and grants its user plus 10 attribute points to all stats while it is being used.

Durability: 120/120

Requires: 25 STR and 25 DEX]

[Item

Name: Edenian book of spells

Rank: Mythic

Type: Spell Book

Description: This is a book on magical theory and practices to create spells based on the Edenian magical guilds of mages and court wizards.

Requires 25 INT]

[Item

Name: Outworld Scarp Metal

Rank: Common

Type: Crafting Item

Description: This is a pile of metal scrap that has gone unused in the forges of Outworld blacksmiths. It is similar but stronger than Earthrealm metal, making it good for crafting weapons and armor.]

"I don't have the stats for either item, but I've got a feeling that it won't be a problem for too long…Still, how can I explain to everyone that I magically got a great sword and a spell book from a gacha roll?" Dean asked himself with a sigh before he decided to worry about it later and went back to taking some time to relax and recover before his next training session with the monks.

1

Being able to get quests from training is a good thing, since it means that Dean can level up at a fast rate, however it also means that he can miss out on good experience points when he fails the quest.

The quest now is that while the sun is setting, he has to hop onto various logs of wood planted on the ground while holding a rod over his shoulders that contained full buckets of water.

It came as no surprise when Dean failed the first jump and was dosed in the water, making him fail as he had to leave the Academy with both buckets in hand before going to the nearby spring with the buckets full of water. He had to walk the buckets up the many stairs and retry the exercise for roughly two hours.

Dean managed to impress a few monks with his stamina before he had to quit. Now his stamina let him try a few more times than a normal person could, but eventually the work caught up with him to the point that he couldn't even raise his arms without pain.

"Your training is something to be proud of." Liu said as he took Dean to the infirmary and placed therapeutic needles in his arms that he warmed with his power of flames.

Liu said that it helped the muscles relax at a fast rate, as well as helping rejuvenate them. Dean didn't complain since it felt rather nice.

"You can't really say that after a few days." Dean said back as he saw on the wooden bed while Liu stopped igniting his hands so the needles could do their work on his arms.

"I can actually. You have impressive stamina for a civilian. That means that you'll advance as a fighter in no time. Soon enough you'll be able to stand toe to toe with your fellow warriors." Liu said kindly making Dean smile.

"Thanks. I just don't want to hold the others back is all." Dean replied before Liu turned away to leave.

"Just focus on your training and the rest will fall into place my friend." Liu said before leaving while Dean simply rested to help restore his sore muscles.

5/17/2024

"Lord Raiden, may I speak with you?" Dean asked as he walked to the center of the courtyard and saw Raiden observing the monks who were training.

"Of course, Dean. What troubles you?"

"I've been thinking about my Arcana for days now and I have to admit that I've known what it is for a while now. But the problem is that it isn't something that is easy to explain, and I wanted to bring it up with you before I speak about it to the others." Dean said to the god of lightning, making a slightly confused expression appear on his face.

"Your Arcana is something personal and unique to you Dean, however I will offer any aid I can. So, what do you believe your Arcana is?"

"Actually, can we do this in a private setting? I don't want anyone to see it." Dean said a bit nervously and Raiden sensed no negative emotions within Dean, so Raiden saw no reason to decline and with a bolt of lightning the duo was transported to a secluded area of the wilderness a fair distance from the Wu Shi Academy where Dean explained his powers in detail as well as proving it by taking out his great sword and spell book from his inventory.

To say that Raiden was shocked and confused would be an understatement to say the least. Hell, Raiden was speechless for a while as he held the mighty sword in one hand as he looked it over.

"This sword is enchanted, and that book is indeed a book from the realm of Edenia…Your Arcana has great power Dean. However, it is also concerning. Your life has been changed in ways that I haven't seen before." Raiden said before he planted the blade in the ground with the grip and hilt up in the air while the blade was unmoving in the earth.

"I take it that this sort of power has never been seen before." Dean replied as he tightly gripped the spell book in his hands.

"I think it would be best if you didn't share all the aspects of your Arcana to the others yet. I fear it may hinder your progress along with theirs if they start treating you differently. Also, minimize the number of 'Items' you gain. I'll inform the monks that you'll be given special weapons to train with, but it is important that you don't share this information with people. Vile beings like Shao Khan would try to take your power for themselves through any form of dark magic." Raiden explained in a serious tone of voice to Dean.

"I understand lord Raiden." Dean replied.

"I must consult the elder gods about this power of yours. They have more insight than I do and will show us the best way forward with growing your power. For now, you should focus on your training but if you feel that it is important. You can learn magic from that Edenian tome during your spare time." Raiden said before he teleported away in a bolt of lightning once again, leaving Dean alone as he placed his great sword in his inventory while taking this time to start reading the book of spells and learned that it wasn't a simple spell book. It was a book on spell theory and practices to create and master Edenian magic.

"There are different types of magic it seems." Dean said to himself before he sat on the ground and kept reading his book.

2

6/2/2024

Dean was in the courtyard and was surrounded by his fellow monks who attacked him from all sides. Dean, however, was tasked with deflecting attacks and escaping holds.

Honestly, Dean did well with the exercise to the point that he had gained some more respect from his instructor and his fellow monks. Once the exercise was done, the group all bowed to each other as a sign of respect.

"Dean your speed of improvement is a sight to behold. If Liu Kang wasn't already here, I'd almost mistake you for the Chosen One of Earthrealm." Instructor Kai said with an actual smile as he walked up to Dean who was stretching his arms.

"I aim to please."

"Even so. It's time to enhance your training a bit to keep up with your rate of improvement. Meaning we are going to move onto the next phase of your training." Kai said and Dean couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved by Kai's words.

"What's the next phase?"

"Right now, it is conditioning." Kai said before Dean was soon in the center of the courtyard flanked by two monks wielding kendo sticks of hardened and blessed wood while Dean was on his knees with a bar resting on his shoulders holding two buckets of water that was filled too about halfway.

The goal of this exercise was to practice Dean's level of control and restraint under pressure. The monks soon began the exercise by taking turns hitting Dean with the kendo sticks rather hard as he had to focus on not falling over or dropping one of the buckets.

Dean flinched with each hit he received, and it didn't take long before he dropped to the ground after a well-placed hit to the kidneys. Sadly, that didn't mean the exercise was over and he simply had to pick himself up and not only refill the buckets, but he also had to assume the position again and repeat the exercise until the instructor told him that time was up.

"Don't you think Instructor Kai is going a bit hard on the rookie?" Kung asked as he and Liu Kang stopped their sparring and looked on at the scene. "We didn't have to do condition training this early when we started training."

"True, but time is short for us, and we need to be as strong as possible for the tournament Kung Lao. Lord Raiden himself approved of this training for Dean and the others, as well as informing the monks that Dean will also be participating in weapons training as well." Liu explained calmly while they flinched a bit at seeing Dean fall once again.

"He can take a beating at least. When we started that training, we could hardly breath, let alone walk." Kung Lao said with slight petty for his fellow fighter before he resumed his sparring match with Liu Kang.

Sadly, Liu Kang bested him in kombat yet again.

After the conditioning training was done, Dean was allowed to meditate near the koi pond where he was actually recovering energy and health thanks to not only getting a good meal before hand but also because his meditation skill offered him an increased regeneration speed for his HP and MP.

So, food buffs plus meditation meant that Dean was able to recover at a slow but consistent speed.

"You look like hell." A familiar voice said as Dean opened his eyes and looked to the right to see Johnny Cage himself standing over him in martial arts trousers and sports tapped wrapped around his hands and forearms showing off the tattoo of his own name written across his chest.

"There must have been a million better ways for you to start a conversation." Dean said as he quickly got over being starstruck by the actor after a few days being in a localized space with him.

"Don't get all bent out of shape buttercup. I'm just saying you must be one tough S.O.B to not walk away and quit yet."

"This isn't the best pep talk." Dean said bluntly to the actor who crossed his arms and chuckled.

"I know. But I'm telling you to keep your head up. Besides your getting off easy. The monks got me breaking shit like stone and wooden logs that feel like fucking steel bars. If it wasn't for Raiden's healing lighting juice, I wouldn't even have a hand right now." Johnny explained and Dean didn't even want to imagine that kind of training.

"Sounds like we're all getting the rough treatment. What about the others?"

"Well. Cole and Kenshi get to fight a lot and train with weapons mostly. Barbie girl fights but focuses on a mix of martial arts training and basic body strengthening courses kinda like you. The beat cop focuses on body strengthening and the more educational classes." Johnny replied in a bored tone of voice. "Damn it this place is dull. It's just constant training. This place doesn't even have Wi-Fi."

"Okay, now you're just complaining." Dean said with a chuckle while Johnny rolled his eyes.

"Oh, shut it monk in training. You know I'm right." Johnny said before he walked away in annoyance while Dean thought about what the actor had told him.

"Monk in training." Dean repeated as he was dressed in the monk's orange and yellow robes and flat martial arts shoes. He didn't have any prayer beads on him, but he had to admit that he did seem like he was taking the most out of this monk training. Everyone else has proper exercise clothes while Liu and Kung fight in their normal clothes easily enough.

"I might need to attend more educational classes. I would like to learn more about the true god's and supernatural beings of our realm and the other realms as well." Dean said with a smile before he took a bit more time to meditate and recover before he made his way to his room where he took more time to study his magical tome of information.

He was going to create his own spells but wanted to make sure that he knew what he was doing before he tried anything.

Magic is by nature dangerous and unpredictable. To master it and learn its secrets means that you must practice with caution and safety in mind.

Dean remembered words like that from his favorite magic user in Skyrim. Tolfdir the nice old wizard who is one of the few people in Skyrim with manners.

"I'll make spells soon enough. I just need a bit more time, besides now that I think about it. I haven't even practiced with my ward spell at all since I've been focusing on my physical and mental training." Dean said to himself realizing that he has a lot of room to grow in a short amount of time.

END

Character outfits: Raiden-(Injustice 2 design), Liu Kang-(Mortal Kombat 11 standard/cinematic design), Kung Lao-(Mortal Kombat 2 design), Sonya Blade-(Mortal Kombat X classic design), Kenshi Takahashi-(Mortal Kombat 1 standard/cinematic design), Kurtis Stryker-(Mortal Kombat 9 design), Johnny Cage-(Mortal Kombat Legends movies design), Cole Young-(Mortal Kombat 2021 live action move design), Fujin-(Mortal Kombat 11 standard/cinematic design)

A/N: That's all folks. Remember to fav, follow and review.