Chapter 4 — Punches, Kicks, and the First Ki Blast
The Giant Toad lunged.
Its enormous mouth opened wide as it charged straight toward Zach.
Zach's eyes widened.
"Whoa!"
He jumped backward just as the toad's tongue shot past him.
SLAP!
The tongue struck the ground where his head had been a second earlier.
Zach landed awkwardly.
"Okay."
He raised his fists.
"That's faster than I expected."
The Giant Toad turned toward him.
Kazuma's voice came from somewhere behind.
"ZACH! MOVE!"
Zach looked over.
Kazuma was already running away.
"HEY!"
"What?!"
"You can't just leave me!"
"I'm not leaving you!"
Kazuma drew his sword.
"I'm getting my own!"
Zach blinked.
"…Oh."
A second Giant Toad suddenly jumped out of the grass.
Kazuma's face went pale.
"Why are there two?!"
Aqua screamed.
"THERE'S THREE!"
Zach looked around.
Sure enough, another enormous toad emerged from the grass.
Three Giant Toads.
Three adventurers.
Zach slowly smiled.
"Looks like we're each getting one."
Kazuma pointed at him.
"That's not how teamwork works!"
But before anyone could argue, the three Giant Toads charged.
Kazuma vs. Giant Toad
Kazuma tightened his grip on his sword.
The Giant Toad rushed toward him.
"Come on!"
He swung.
SLASH!
The blade cut into the creature's side.
The toad recoiled.
Kazuma stared.
"It worked!"
The Giant Toad roared and charged again.
Kazuma stepped aside.
"Too slow!"
He swung again.
SLASH!
The sword struck its head.
The creature collapsed.
Kazuma stood there, breathing heavily.
He looked at the defeated monster.
"…That wasn't too bad."
Aqua shouted from across the field.
"KAZUMA!"
"What?!"
"HELP ME!"
Kazuma turned.
Aqua was running in circles.
A Giant Toad was chasing her.
"Why are you running?!"
"I DON'T WANT TO GET EATEN!"
"You're a goddess!"
"I KNOW!"
"Then do something!"
"I'M TRYING!"
Kazuma sighed.
"Unbelievable."
Aqua vs. Giant Toad
Aqua stopped running.
She turned around.
The Giant Toad was almost on top of her.
"Fine!"
She raised her hands.
"Turn Undead!"
Nothing happened.
Aqua froze.
"…Wrong spell."
The toad lunged.
Aqua screamed and jumped aside.
"Get away from me!"
She swung her staff.
BONK!
The staff hit the Giant Toad directly on the head.
The creature barely reacted.
Aqua stared at her staff.
"…That didn't work."
The toad's tongue shot toward her.
Aqua jumped.
"AH!"
She rolled across the grass.
Kazuma watched from a distance.
"She's actually terrible at fighting."
"I HEARD THAT!"
Aqua scrambled to her feet.
"I'm a goddess! I shouldn't need technique!"
The Giant Toad charged.
Aqua raised her staff again.
This time, she poured magical power into it.
The staff glowed.
She swung.
BOOM!
The impact knocked the Giant Toad backward.
Aqua stared.
"I did it!"
The Giant Toad got back up.
Aqua's smile disappeared.
"…Oh."
It charged again.
"WHY IS IT STILL ALIVE?!"
Zach vs. Giant Toad
Meanwhile, Zach stood several meters away from his own opponent.
The Giant Toad stared at him.
Zach stared back.
He raised his fists.
"Okay."
He took a fighting stance.
"Let's try this."
The Giant Toad charged.
Zach rushed forward.
He threw a straight punch.
BOOM!
His fist hit the creature's face.
The Giant Toad barely moved.
Zach landed and immediately stepped back.
"Ouch."
He shook his hand.
"That hurt me more than it hurt you."
The Giant Toad opened its mouth.
Its tongue shot forward.
Zach ducked.
The tongue passed over his head.
He rolled away.
"Punches aren't working."
The system appeared.
[COMBAT ANALYSIS]
Host physical power: Insufficient
Punch effectiveness: Low
Recommendation: Change attack method.
Zach stared at the message.
"Really?"
He looked down at his legs.
"Maybe…"
He raised one leg.
"I should try kicking."
The Giant Toad charged again.
Zach stepped forward.
He twisted his body.
Then—
WHAM!
His foot slammed into the Giant Toad's side.
The creature stumbled backward.
Zach's eyes widened.
"That worked better."
The Giant Toad roared.
Zach smiled.
"Okay."
He moved again.
A roundhouse kick struck its jaw.
CRACK!
The Giant Toad stumbled.
Zach landed.
"Kicks are definitely better."
The system appeared again.
[MARTIAL ARTIST CLASS]
Combat adaptation detected.
Kicking proficiency increased.
Current skill: Basic Kicks — Level 1
Zach smiled.
"Nice."
The Giant Toad suddenly lunged.
Zach jumped over it.
He twisted in the air.
Then drove his heel downward.
BOOM!
The Giant Toad crashed into the ground.
Zach landed.
But the creature began standing again.
Zach frowned.
"Still not enough."
He took a breath.
Then remembered his training.
Ki.
He had only recently learned to feel it.
He had barely managed to control it.
But perhaps…
He could use it here.
Zach closed his eyes.
He felt the energy inside his body.
That small warmth.
He gathered it.
Moved it toward his legs.
The sensation was strange.
Like electricity flowing beneath his skin.
The system appeared.
[KI CONTROL DETECTED]
Current Ki Control: 0.1%
Warning: Insufficient mastery for advanced techniques.
Zach opened his eyes.
"Doesn't matter."
The Giant Toad charged.
Zach rushed toward it.
At the last second, he pivoted.
His leg swung forward.
This time, Ki surrounded his foot.
WHOOSH!
A sharp aura formed around his leg.
Zach's eyes widened.
"What the—?"
His kick struck the Giant Toad.
SLASH!
The creature froze.
A deep cut appeared across its body.
Zach landed several feet away.
He stared at his leg.
"…My kick cut it."
The system appeared.
[KI ENHANCEMENT SUCCESSFUL]
Ki has been successfully applied to physical attack.
Physical attack efficiency increased.
Cutting effect detected.
The Giant Toad roared and charged one final time.
Zach raised his leg.
"One more."
He concentrated.
Ki flowed through his body.
Then into his leg.
The aura became sharper.
Zach stepped forward.
"HA!"
SLASH!
His kick struck the Giant Toad.
The monster was thrown backward.
It hit the ground.
And didn't move.
Silence.
Zach stood there, breathing heavily.
Then—
DING!
[GIANT TOAD DEFEATED]
Combat Experience gained.
Class Quest Progress: 1/1
Opponent defeated despite higher Power Level.
Bonus condition complete.
Zach smiled.
"I did it."
Then another notification appeared.
[CLASS QUEST COMPLETE]
Path of the Martial Artist
Reward Unlocked:
KI BLAST
New Skill: Ki Blast — Level 1
Description:
A basic ranged attack created by concentrating Ki and releasing it as a projectile.
Ki Cost: Low
Power: Low
Current Control Requirement: Beginner
Warning:
Improper Ki control may cause recoil.
Zach stared at the notification.
"A Ki Blast…"
He slowly raised his hand.
A small sphere of energy appeared in his palm.
It flickered.
Zach's eyes widened.
"No way."
Kazuma's voice came from behind him.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
Zach turned.
Kazuma was staring at the glowing ball in his hand.
Aqua was standing beside him.
She looked equally shocked.
"Zach…"
Aqua pointed at the energy.
"What is that?"
Zach smiled.
"Ki."
Kazuma stared.
"You can shoot energy now?"
"Apparently."
"That's cheating!"
Zach laughed.
"You literally have a goddess as your cheat ability."
Kazuma looked at Aqua.
Then back at Zach.
"…Fair point."
Aqua puffed out her cheeks.
"Why does his cheat ability look cooler than mine?"
Kazuma immediately answered.
"Because yours is you."
Aqua's face fell.
"That's so mean!"
The three looked at the defeated Giant Toads.
Kazuma had defeated his using his sword.
Aqua had struggled but eventually overwhelmed hers with raw magical power.
And Zach had discovered something completely different.
His fists weren't enough.
His kicks were better.
But when he combined his martial arts with Ki…
His attacks became something else entirely.
Zach looked at his hands.
He still couldn't become a Saiyan.
He still couldn't transform.
But maybe he didn't need to.
He had Ki.
And now…
He had his first Ki Blast.
Zach smiled.
"This is just the beginning."
The system appeared one final time.
[NEW OBJECTIVE]
Master Your Ki
Goals:
Increase Ki Control.Master Ki Blast.Develop new martial arts techniques.Discover advanced Ki applications.Unlock Kaio-Ken potential.
Progress: 0%
Long-Term Objective:
Create Your Own Legend
Progress: 0%
Zach closed the system.
He looked toward Axel.
There was still a long way to go.
And judging by the screaming coming from the field…
Aqua was already causing another problem.
"ZACH!"
He turned.
Aqua was pointing at the ground.
"The toads are melting!"
Kazuma sighed.
"Of course they are."
Zach looked at the monsters.
Then at Aqua.
Then at Kazuma.
"…Do we get paid for this?"
Kazuma's eyes lit up.
"Now you're thinking like an adventurer."
The three began dragging the Giant Toads back toward Axel.
None of them noticed the faint glow still surrounding Zach's foot.
His first battle was over.
But his journey toward mastering Ki had only just begun.
End of Chapter 4