I’ll occasionally post about Episode 19. We have time since Season 2 won’t begin till next month.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Naksu: I saw an illusion when I first received the energy of the ice stone. She told me that no one can truly own the ice stone and that you can only use its power.

It’s very interesting that Naksu had no awareness even then that this “illusion” was sharing that same body of hers.

Uk: Because it’s the power of the sky. We need to train ourselves to even be able to control the energy within us. The energy of the sky is surely way beyond our reach.
Naksu: I guess it means we are unable to use it freely because it is not ours.
Uk: If one cannot own it, what if I give it all away?

Remember what I said when I explained the first stanza of the poem “Words from the Heart”? I pointed out the paradox in the natural elements of water, fire, and wind: though they’re everywhere, they’re impossible to grasp, wield, control. So why bother cling to them? Just let them go. I also said that it doesn’t make sense to hold on to something that surrounds and envelops us because we are the one within its grasp.

Similarly, in this scene, Uk and Naksu are becoming aware of the power of the ice stone. They are literally within the ice stone; the ice stone envelops them in its mist. Then, when they look up to the skies, they become keenly aware of the power of the skies. Their human power/mage power is ineffectual against the heavenly power. In my opinion, Uk begins to understand the significance of “Words from the Heart” in a cosmic way.

Cinematographically, they look puny and the sky so vast.

Naksu: Give it all away?
Uk: What if I give all my energy to the energy of the sky? Then my energy will become the energy of the sky.

Lol. He’s applying the wisdom of Master Seo, and the sneakiness that’s entirely his personality.

I guess in a way he’s saying that if he gives his energy to the sky, then he can claim “partnership” with the sky. It’s comparable to buying stocks. If he buys a single share of Apple or Disney stock, he can say that he owns and invests in Apple or Disney. And he won’t be lying.

Uk: (continuing) I read records about the ice stone inside the secret library in Jeongjingak. It said the ice stone has no shape or form. Thus, it can be water, fire, or wind. It’s impossible to know its size. Thus, it can be both miniscule or enormous. That means the fog surrounding Jeongjingak like a barrier is not the actual form of the ice stone.
Naksu: So it can turn into water or fire, and it can also become bigger or smaller than this?
Uk: That is right. Then do you think we can turn the fog into rain?
Naksu: Rain?
Uk: You told me that I was incapable of beating the ice stone because I can only gather a single water drop at most. But what if that water drop turns into thousands of raindrops?

He was speculating that if he transferred all his energy into a water droplet which he’d forcibly swing at the sky in a Tansu move, then the sky would accept the droplet, mimic his action, and convert the fog into droplets.

(Snort) I honestly don’t get that logic of the skies reciprocating his water droplet with millions of water droplets, but okay…

Naksu: Then, it will turn into rain. It might work. But to do that, you need to use Tansu. Then…
Uk: Then, I will lose all my energy. That is why I said I must give it all away.
Naksu: No. Let’s think of another way.
Uk: If we wait and the Queen gathers the power of the ice stone, we will all die.
Naksu: She will not be able to do anything rash with the Unanimous Assembly there. Uk, I do not want you to do this. As your master, that is an order.

Lol. She was pulling her Master Card (I don’t mean the credit card).

Naksu: I may have given up on acquiring this power, but I cannot let you lose it all too. It took us so much effort to get this far. I had to push you again and again, and you risked your life many times to come this far.
Uk: (silent)
Naksu: How could you be willing to lose it all for a single drop of water?
Uk: Yul is severely injured. If we don’t do anything, he will die.

Naksu remained silent.

Uk: MuDeok. You gave up what you wanted because you wanted to protect me. I am trying to protect as well. And Yul has also been protecting you all along.
Naksu: (comprehending)

My Comments:

1. I suspect that if Naksu had a choice, she would prefer that Yul died rather than sacrifice Uk’s power. This is what loyalty to Uk meant for her: she would forsake all others for him.

2. Uk was reminding her that she was obliged to help out Yul. I thought this was interesting because Naksu – like the trained assassin that she was — only felt loyalty towards him. Uk had to remind (or guilt-trip?) her that she owned Yul loyalty too.

3. To me, there’s room for growth in Naksu’s character. I think in Season 2, she’ll begin to think and take responsibility not just for one person, but for many.

4. Ultimately, Uk’s plan to give up his energy to the skies so his energy would become part of the energy of the skies (I’ll call it his “buy-in” plan) worked. In my opinion, he achieved Hwansu at this moment. He reached god-like power.

He mastered Jipsu, Ryusu, Chisu, and now has achieved Hwansu. Humans cannot reach that level, and only two mages, Master Seo and Master Lee, were known to have accomplished it. Now, Uk had, too.

That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he lived despite being killed by Naksu’s sword and being burned in a funeral pyre. Remember, Uk has the ice stone, and the ice stone can bring back a dead person to life.

Also, there’s been only one King’s Star before Uk, and that was Master Seo. But although Uk equals Master Seo in god-like powers, it waits to be seen whether he’ll use his power for good or evil.

5. It’s noteworthy that Master Lee didn’t tell Uk anything about his new power when he asked about the whereabouts of the ice stone.

From Episode 20.

Lee: What happened to the ice stone that day? Is it perhaps inside you? (looks at him)
Uk: (remembering and staring at his hand) Even if it is, it is completely useless. I can no longer catch a waterdrop, let alone a Golden Fish. (sighing)

Ha. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Lee: If you train again, you will be able to use that power.
Uk: I witnessed how the desire to win that power made people violent and evil. It is only right not to awaken the ice stone’s power.
Lee: You are greedy with catching fish but not with the ice stone? Ha! You are better than me.
Uk: In any case, since I have the ice stone, I can protect one individual. If MuDeok runs wild, please help me use this power to stop it.

This has been his goal from the beginning. He wanted the ice stone for Naksu, and Naksu alone.

Lee: She will be fine as long as she does not try to bring out her power. That small, weak body is housing the powerful soul of an assassin. If anything, she would have already run wild. The reason why she has not is that her body is in control of the soul’s power.

It’s possible that Master Lee wasn’t forthcoming because he was unsure whether Uk would use his new powers for the good or evil.

6. Season 2 will most likely show us how Uk’s been using his Hwansu power.

Gotta run. More later (or sometime soon).