As the door swung open, Mia and I stepped into the house, and there on the couch sat Celeste and Julia, waiting, their expressions unreadable. But as their eyes met mine, I noticed a faint blush on each of their faces. It was gone in an instant, but it threw me off balance. They had never looked at me like that before.
I tried to shrug off my confusion, and cleared my throat. "Why are you two sitting here so quietly?"
They hummed in unison, exchanging a glance. Then, their faces shifted to something I'd never seen—annoyance mixed with something deeper.
Celeste fixed me with a fierce stare. "Where were you both last night? We waited for you two the entire night!"
Her words hit me like a slap, and I felt a wave of guilt. I coughed nervously, my tone awkward.
"You two… you were waiting? All night?" I paused, scrambling for an excuse. "Well, sorry about that. I didn't think to call, but when I got to the office, Mia was working late, and I… I had to take over and work hard to help her out."
It wasn't entirely a lie. But the second the words left my mouth, I felt the tension in the room shift from confusion to irritation.
Celeste and Julia shared a look and, in perfect unison, they declared, "Enough! From now on, we've decided we're going with you. Wherever you go, whatever practice you do, we're going to be there. Got it?"
My mouth dropped open as I tried to wrap my head around their sudden decision.
At that moment, Mia slipped in beside me, locking her arm around mine as she settled in close. I felt her chest press against my arm—a subtle, but unmistakable gesture. Mia's gaze flicked toward Celeste and Julia, and a smug smile played across her lips. It was as if she were saying I was here first without uttering a word.
Julia and Celeste clenched their fists, their eyes narrowing as they shot me looks of pure challenge. It dawned on me just what was happening here, and in that moment, I felt like some kind of protagonist caught in the middle of a rivalry for my attention. A bizarre sense of pride welled up in me. But I knew I had to defuse things—before competition fractured the bond they shared.
Turning to Mia, I decided to change the subject. "By the way, have you collected the 30 billion Zeni?"
Mia's eyes sparkled, and she lifted her chin proudly. "Actually, I've got 78 billion Zeni saved up," she said, her chest puffing out just a bit as she spoke. The confidence radiated off her, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
Without missing a beat, I reached into my coat, pulling out the list I'd carefully written a year ago, in preparation for this moment. I handed it to her. "Here's the list of materials. This is everything we need to build the Gravity Chamber."
With Mia taking charge, it didn't take long for the supplies to roll in. Within a month, we had every last item, and construction began. For four grueling months, I poured myself into the project, enlisting advanced robotics to bring the blueprint to life. I oversaw every phase, from the foundational wiring to the final installations. At last, the Gravity Chamber stood finished—a towering symbol of everything we'd worked for.
But now came the true test. I stepped inside, feeling the hum of power as the chamber roared to life around me. Setting the gravity to 10G, I felt the immediate weight pressing down, a force I hadn't experienced in years. Slowly, I dialed it up, pushing my body's limits—20G, then 30G. My muscles strained, my breath shallow, but I pushed on. Reaching 35G, I felt every fiber in my body screaming, but I stood firm. For that moment, I was pure willpower, defying my own limitations.
After recovering, I inspected the chamber, concluding that it could generate up to 500G. But the material was delicate, able to withstand only around 250G safely. I set my personal limit at 200G. With that decided, I activated my training panel, a reminder of my progress and all the skills I'd fought to gain:
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No Pain No Gain
Name: Kairos
Year: 745
Power: 8,900
Life Stage: 0.01
Endurance: 3,367
Abilities: Floating Technique (Level 3), Ki Control (Level 6), Afterimage Fist (Level 4), Kamehameha (Level 2)
Talents: Mechanical Engineering (Level 7), Biological Research (Level 8), Cellular Biology (Level 9), Genetic Engineering (Level 6)
---
Despite five months without training, my power hadn't faded. Saiyan cells were resilient, allowing potential to build during rest periods, only to explode with even greater strength once training resumed. Master Roshi's words echoed in my mind—"Rest is as important as hard work."
I dove into a rigorous training routine, testing the Gravity Chamber's intensity day after day. Weeks turned to months, and my body adapted to the demands of 35G, then 50G, then more. It wasn't just physical strength that grew—my cells themselves seemed to evolve, my power climbing with each session.
Three months passed. My life had become a cycle of punishing sessions in the Gravity Chamber and stolen, heated moments with Mia, who'd somehow become my most loyal supporter. With each session, I felt myself transcending the limits of my body. I was on the edge of something new, something legendary.
Then, the day came. I felt the rush of power build within me like never before, until at last, I let it explode.
BOOooM ~
A roar echoed through the chamber, shaking the very walls. It was a primal, undeniable burst of everything I'd worked for, and I laughed, exhilarated at the sheer force I'd achieved. Little did I know that my outburst had sent shockwaves far beyond Earth.
High above, Kami-sama, the Guardian of Earth, and King Piccolo felt the disturbance. The sheer strength of my release startled them both, their divine senses honed to detect even the faintest threat. For a moment, they were silent, fear gripping their hearts—until Kami-sama recognized the source.
"Kairos," he murmured, realization spreading over his face. Relief filled him, along with excitement. For years, Kami-sama had waited for someone who could safeguard Earth, and now, he believed he'd found that champion. Without hesitation, he called upon King Kai, mentor to the gods, to train me.
King Kai's response was as dry as ever. "Sure," he said nonchalantly. "If he can pass my test, he'll earn the right to be trained."
With Kami-sama's support and King Kai's challenge ahead, I knew my journey had only just begun. The promise of new heights awaited, and I was ready.
-------
No Pain No Gain
Name - Kairos
Year - 746
Power- 22009
Life Stage - 0.3
Intelligence - 330
Endurance - 12099
Ability - None
Techniques - Floating Technique(level 3), Ki(level 6) , Afterimage fist(level 4) , Kamehameha(level 2)
Bloodline - Half -Human Saiyan
Physique - Half -Human Saiyan
Evolution Stage - 0.09
Talent: Mechanical Engineer ( level 7) , Biological Researcher(Level 8) , Mathematician (level 8), Cellular Biologist (Level 9), Researcher( level 7) , Accounting ( level 4 ), Programming (level 4 ), Coding(level 7 ), Genetic engineering (level 6), Gene Expression Data Analyst(level 5)]
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