Meanwhile, on Planet Kai…
Although Shen is confident in himself, in actuality, the process of learning Kaioken turns out to be anything but easy.
It is a technique that essentially multiplies the user's power for a period of time, letting one fight opponents who are a lot stronger than them. Kaioken is extremely taxing to pull off— energy drains rapidly, and it is hard to control the violent surge of ki. His organs have to be sturdy enough to handle the sudden burst of energy; if not, the recoil may cause organ failure.
Harmony is essential to prevent his ki from clashing with his own body. Even a small mishap can be extremely costly.
Everything isn't all problems, however. On the bright side, when he had further asked King Kai about the properties of his otherworldly soul-body, he surprisingly got some positive answers: apparently, his soul-body won't easily die or sustain any long-term damage. It will take a lot of effort to truly die in this body, and he can easily recover from any life-threatening injury if he doesn't instantly die.
At last, after four months in Earth's time since Shen came to King Kai's planet, he succeeds in mastering Kaio-ken. He is now able to use Kaioken up to 4x, meaning his power can multiply fourfold, if he so wills.
Compared to his past self, his ki control has also improved by leaps and bounds.
Immediately following his mastery of the technique, Shen starts to train another aspect of his strength—an aspect he had neglected, or rather, was forced to neglect for the past decade or so: psychic powers. Previously, he lacked someone to guide him in improving his psychic abilities.
But then, as he finds himself a great teacher in the form of King Kai, everything falls into place, allowing him to take full advantage of his greatest potential.
Take advantage he does. He learns many exciting new skills, but that is a story for another time. By now, an additional two months have passed, and his training with King Kai is complete.
Before Shen leaves, King Kai stops him and.. "Take it. This is my gift to you. Took a lot of effort and sleepless nights for me to design this." he hands his student a hat. it's a black bamboo hat. very sturdy.
A bit surprised. Shen receives the hat while saying, "No night occurs in this place, but whatever... it's a cool gift, I guess. Thank you, Kaio-sama, for the gift."
"Ha ha! Don't mention it. I expect a lot from you!"
Shen tries on the hat, and sure enough, "It's a perfect fit."
"Of course it is," Kaio exclaims.
Wearing the hat and bowing down a complete 90 degrees, Shen wholeheartedly thanks Kaio for all he has done for him.. Then, he starts flying off to the Snake Road ahead.
Unexpectedly, he turns back one last time. "Farewell, Kaio-sama. Goodbye, Gregory. Goodbye, Bubbles."
They think it will be a while until they meet again, but is that really how games of destiny play out?... Who really knows?
. . .
Afterward, on Earth, at a random local bar in East Capital…
It is cold outside, so naturally, everyone here is heavily clothed.
At one corner of the bar, a customer slams his beer glass on the hard wooden table, angrily glaring at the people. that like him are sitting around a round table.
"Haaaaa!!! What do you fools know? I met people who have attempted to climb the tower three times already. Apparently, there's a monster up there that people just avoid, waiting for the transporting jar to appear after a certain period of time."
"Doesn't that make it too easy?" another drunkard asks.
"Are you serious right now? Most of the time, they get found out quickly. Only a few are able to get past without getting noticed. The monsters are just too extraordinary. I heard that even the famous King Chappa was forced to turn back on his second try because a strange monster with cloning powers turned into his exact replica. Can you losers believe that?"
"Man, don't call us losers! We're your buddies. We were just asking if you really succeeded in climbing the first layer. Eh! Let's forget about you right now. Tell us more about the tower, especially the first layer."
This so-called buddy excitedly stands up "I say we hold a party for you succeeding in climbing the first floor. What do you all say?"
"Yaaahhhhh!!!" the rest of the drunkards agree.
"Hell nah, you bastards! You all haven't paid me your dues from yesterday," The manly Bar owner furiously shouts from the counter.
At the table next to the so-called group of buddies.. "Hiccup! I sure hope i succeed next time. I also want to be rich and buy my mother a house with the prize they give for completing each layer…" a sleepy man exclaims, though no one else hears him.
"Hiccup…" He leans his head on the edge of the table. His eyes wander to the floor below.. a paper catches his sight. "Maybe this could help…"
[Buy the latest guide to Ki at your nearest Brief Bookstore - Publisher: Crane School]
.
.
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A lone figure rockets through the sky, piercing the chilly winds.
"Those disciples really did it, huh!" Shen reminisces about what he heard at the bar. Earlier, he was there, drinking some whiskey when the drunkards caused the commotion.
"I just gave the order on a whim, but unexpectedly, they seem to have taken it very seriously." The Crane Hermit feels a tinge of ecstatic emotion in his heart. They must have gotten some external help; otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to accomplish such a thing alone—not to mention those Brief Store booklets.
In his merry mood, Shen, without realizing it, arrives at the tower. He directly goes to the top, where he meets Giran.
After conversing with his disciple for a while, he takes to the sky again, this time headed for the hideout.
At the hideout, the situation repeats itself, except it is more hectic with Launch present at the scene. The girl nearly chews him alive, angry at him for some reason.
Shen somehow sorts things out with her and succeeds in entering his room.
"Phew! I am exhausted." He locks the door from inside and rests on the sofa.
The soft cushion melts his stiff body. The man is compelled to reflect on the past decade, gradually changing into what he is today.
"Leaving aside the stressful situation, everything has gone great till now. Our school's already recognizable name has become even more widespread throughout the globe, reaching the ears of almost everyone on Earth. Even that pervert Roshi seems to have become famous."
Complex emotions play in his mind. "Well, I guess it is about time the Saiyans' planet gets obliterated into space dust somewhere far away… I can't lose sight of reality because of these inconsequential events happening on Earth. The real story has just begun. Still, this feeling... it's not bad…"
His eyes grow heavy. Rest—deservedly, the man needs it…
The next day…
As usual, the sun shows itself from the east. Everyone is up to their daily routines, while Shen has yet again left the hideout for a new endeavor.
At the Lookout.. Residence of Earth's overseer; Kami…
"A spacecraft, you say?" Kami speaks to a rather unexpected guest.
"Yes. I would like to know if you have seen any alien spacecraft arrive on Earth," Shen replies.
"Kami-sama, you see, I am trying to leave Earth for a while and explore the world beyond our tiny planet. What do you think? Do you know of any spaceship that may be present on Earth?"
Kami and his assistant, Mr. Popo, glance at each other, seemingly contemplating whether they should reveal the secret they have hidden all this time.
"It is fine, I guess... Shen, listen closely." Kami takes a deep breath. "You must have noticed that I am different from the regular people of Earth. I have green skin and antennae. I look very different from others. Actually…"
Kami explains himself to Shen, revealing how he is an alien who landed on Earth and how he doesn't remember anything about his past, his parents, or his original home planet. Shen, of course, already knows it all. He knows more about Kami than anyone else in this world.
After his talk with Kami, Shen is brought to the landing site of the spaceship by Mr. Popo.
The two of them take the spaceship to Dr. Brief's Capsule Corporation. After all, currently on Earth, Bulma's dad is the most knowledgeable person in this field.
The scientist is extremely happy to have the opportunity to examine an alien craft. It is the perfect deal for everyone involved.