Dragon Ball: The Strongest Training

The Grand Elder lay on his massive chair, his faint breathing barely perceptible. His towering form was easily twice or thrice the size of an average Namekian. The elder gazed at Kami with kindness, as though lost in memories. After a long pause, he said, "You resemble Katas so much… You must be his child. Welcome home."

Kami, puzzled, replied, "Earth's Guardian greets the Grand Elder, but I have no recollection of anyone named Katas."

"Katas was your father," the Grand Elder explained slowly, his frail voice making it sound as though he could pass away at any moment. "Hundreds of years ago, Namek's climate drastically changed. Your father sent you away to ensure your survival… but he didn't make it himself. I never imagined you'd actually survive."

Kami listened intently as the Grand Elder recounted the events from centuries ago.

Before Kami could respond, the Grand Elder continued, "That calamity destroyed Namek, erasing countless generations of our civilization… In the end, I was the only one left." His eyes grew distant as if reliving the day Namek fell—a day filled with agony and despair.

Kami's memories stirred at the Grand Elder's words. Suddenly, images flashed through his mind: his father hurriedly placing him in a spacecraft, his face filled with love as he said, 'Go first, wait for me. I'll be right behind you.'

Then, the scene shifted. Namek began to collapse, its people screaming in pain as the planet was engulfed by darkness. Kami staggered, snapping back to reality. Clutching his staff tightly, he closed his eyes as sweat dripped from his furrowed brow. His breathing was labored.

After a moment, Kami opened his eyes, his expression pained. "I remember now."

"Child," the Grand Elder said gently, his voice soothing and steady, "the painful times are behind us. What we must do now is rebuild our home."

Turning to Krillin, the Grand Elder said, "Earth warrior, welcome to Namek."

"Thank you, Grand Elder," Krillin replied with a respectful smile.

"I have foreseen that Namek will soon face invasion," the Grand Elder said, his voice carrying a weight of certainty. "In my original vision, a golden-haired warrior would defeat the evil forces and save our people. However, seven months ago, the vision changed. I saw another—a bald young warrior with immense power—turn the tide at a critical moment, ultimately defeating the enemy."

The Grand Elder began coughing violently as he spoke, prompting Nail to look on with concern.

Hearing that Namek would face another invasion, Kami's face turned pale. Why is fate so cruel? Why must the Namekians suffer such hardships again? he thought in despair.

Krillin's heart raced. Seven months ago? That's when I first arrived in the Dragon Ball world. Did my arrival change the Grand Elder's vision of the future? Originally, it was Goku who defeated Frieza. Now, it seems like it's going to be both of us working together. Can the Grand Elder really foresee such a distant future?

The Grand Elder, sensing Krillin's thoughts, spoke again, his words slow and deliberate. "Even I am uncertain of the future. Time is a mysterious force, unpredictable and ever-changing. But now that I've met you, my doubts are gone. The vision was true."

Kami looked at Krillin in shock. A bald young warrior? Could Krillin truly be the one to save Namek? It's hard to believe… Kami knew Krillin was strong but hadn't realized his strength could reach such heights.

"Grand Elder, please rest assured," Krillin said earnestly. "I will do everything I can to protect the kind and peace-loving Namekian people."

Hearing this, the Grand Elder smiled warmly and closed his eyes. If not for his steady breathing, Krillin might have thought the elder had passed away.

Krillin waited silently as the Grand Elder rested. About five minutes later, the elder opened his eyes again, his energy slightly restored. Smiling, he said, "Thank you. The future of Namek is in your hands."

Krillin nodded seriously, determined to honor the elder's trust.

"Child, come closer," the Grand Elder said to Krillin. "I sense great potential within you. Let me help you unlock it."

"Grand Elder, you need rest! Please don't strain yourself," Nail protested, his concern evident.

The Grand Elder reassured him with a faint smile. "It's all right. Unlocking potential is my special ability; it doesn't drain my energy."

Krillin's heart leapt with joy. This is perfect! I was just wondering how to ask for this. It's like getting a pillow when you're ready to sleep. The Grand Elder is too thoughtful!

In the original story, Krillin's power level increased from 1,500 to 13,000 after the Grand Elder unlocked his potential—nearly a tenfold boost. With a current power level of 335,000, could Krillin's power rise to 3.3 million? At that level, he'd have a fighting chance against Frieza. Even if he couldn't win, he'd be able to escape during Frieza's transformations. The thought filled him with excitement.

Krillin stepped forward and stopped beneath the Grand Elder's hand.

The Grand Elder slowly raised his arm and placed his hand on Krillin's head, letting out a soft breath.

Krillin's body became enveloped in an energy field. He could feel a powerful force within him being drawn out.

Ding! "External energy detected. Attempting to unlock the host's power. System intervention in progress…"

Ding! "Intervention successful. Power unlocking failed."

"What the—?!" Krillin couldn't help but curse. "I finally had a chance to skyrocket my power, and you ruined it?! System! Get out here and explain yourself! If you don't give me a good reason, I'll uninstall you right now!"

The system replied nonchalantly, "Let me put it simply: Am I invisible to you? Allowing someone else to mess with my host's potential is a slap in my face. If it were that easy to increase your power, where would I get my energy from? Don't ask me to repeat myself."

"What?!" Krillin fumed. You blocked me for such a lame reason? I could've reached three million power! Go die, System!

"Heh, not quite," the system retorted smugly. "You really think you'd get a tenfold increase? With the Earthling potential limit in place, your maximum power would've been capped at 1.5 million. Now, check your updated stats."

System, show attributes:

Time: Age 756

Name: Krillin

Age: 21

Race: Earthling

Tier: First-level dimension (equivalent to Korin)

Power Level: 350,000 (next limit: 1.5 million)

Potential: 4.65 million

Training Speed: Lightspeed

"Huh? My potential increased to 4.65 million?" Krillin asked, confused.

"Exactly," the system explained. "The Grand Elder didn't directly boost your power but instead expanded your potential. Your previous limit was 1.5 million, but now it's 5 million. Isn't that a good deal?"

Krillin realized the system was right. Reaching his current limit of 1.5 million would've required an immense amount of energy. With his expanded potential, he'd save energy in the long run.

The Grand Elder, meanwhile, was puzzled. "Strange… I'm certain I unlocked your potential, yet your power hasn't changed. How odd…"

"Sorry, Grand Elder," Krillin said with a smile. "It seems my power needs to be unlocked through my own efforts. Thank you for trying, though."

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