"Wait... that's not right," Karnel muttered, suddenly stopping mid-conversation. He looked down at the Potara earrings still glowing softly on his ears. "It's been well over an hour now. Why haven't I separated back into my original form?"
Kibito and Leila exchanged concerned glances as Karnel became lost in thought, completely ignoring their previous discussion about the Super Dragon Balls.
"Karnel, what's wrong?" Leila asked, worry creeping into her voice.
Karnel frowned, confusion evident on his face. "The fusion effect of Potara earrings should only last one hour for mortals. That time passed long ago, yet there's no sign of the fusion dissolving."
Kibito hesitated, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "That's... unusual. Normally, only gods using Potara earrings achieve permanent fusion. For mortals, it should definitely wear off after—"
"Gods?" Karnel interrupted, his eyes widening with sudden understanding. He looked inward, sensing the divine energy flowing through him. After the fusion, his latent divinity had grown exponentially, what was once a mere spark now pulsed like a radiant orb within his core. "If that's the case, it explains everything."
He attempted to use his clone technique, concentrating hard, but nothing happened. The ability that had served him so well was completely gone.
"The Grand Supreme Kai once mentioned that you possessed divine essence," Leila said, her mind working quickly. "Now that you've awakened as a god, could that be why you can't undo the Potara fusion?"
Karnel nodded slowly, a wry smile crossing his face. "Exactly. I'm at least a demigod now, which means the fusion rules have changed for me."
"This is actually wonderful news!" Kibito exclaimed. "When you fully ascend to godhood, your strength will be beyond imagination. I can't even guess who could stand against you!"
"There's still a long way to go," Karnel replied, shaking his head modestly. "There are opponents out there far stronger than me, like Beerus, the God of Destruction. With my current power, I'd probably be defeated in a single blow."
Meanwhile, Kibito had turned his attention to young Jebit, who was still hiding shyly behind him. "Jebit, this is the traditional robe of the Supreme Kais," he said gently, holding out a smaller version of his orange-yellow garment. "While you're not technically a Supreme Kai, you'll be living with us in the Sacred World of the Kais. You should have proper clothing."
"Mr. Kibito, I..." Jebit stammered, accepting the robes with trembling hands.
Leila's face lit up with excitement at having a new addition to their small family. She rushed forward, holding out her most treasured possession. "Jebit, don't be so shy! This is my precious radio, I want you to have it!"
Karnel stared at the ancient, crackling device in disbelief. That broken thing is supposed to be a gift?
Both Kibito and Leila turned to look at Karnel expectantly, their eyes practically boring holes into him.
"Your hints aren't exactly subtle," Karnel complained with a laugh. "Fine, fine. I can't let you two show me up in the gift-giving department."
He opened his dimensional storage and began rummaging through his belongings. What can I give to a child? Seeds from the Tree of Might seemed too dangerous, and some of his other... reading materials were definitely inappropriate for a ten-year-old.
After a moment of consideration, he pulled out a small pouch. "Here, Jebit. These are Senzu Beans, they can heal any injury and restore your strength completely. They've saved Kibito and Leila's lives before."
Little Jebit accepted the bag with wide eyes, pulling out one of the small green beans to examine it curiously.
"Actually," Karnel said, his expression brightening, "I'll teach you something even more valuable, a technique that will let you instantly teleport anywhere in the universe."
Kibito's jaw dropped. "Hurry and thank Karnel! Even Leila and I have been hoping to learn that technique!"
"Thank you, Mr. Karnel," Jebit whispered, bowing his head shyly.
Karnel ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. Teaching Instant Transmission to someone in the Sacred World of the Kais felt right, after all, the technique had originally been inspired by the Yardratians' connection to divine energy.
Later that evening, Karnel sat alone in the temple gardens, gazing up at the cosmic vista above. The peaceful silence was suddenly shattered by a voice that seemed to echo from across time and space itself.
"Brother Karnel, where are you? I summoned Shenron like we planned, but he said he couldn't find you, he could only pass along this message. When will you come home? Are you in danger?"
The voice was older now, more mature, but unmistakably familiar. Karnel's heart clenched as tears sprang to his eyes.
Am I hallucinating? Is missing home making me hear things?
But no, this was real. Somehow, Shenron had managed to carry Bulma's voice across dimensional barriers, reaching him even in this alternate timeline.
"Bulma kept her promise," he whispered, emotion thick in his voice. "She summoned Shenron, but I wasn't there to appear before her as I promised. She must be heartbroken."
The thought of Bulma's disappointment cut through him like a blade. Wiping his eyes, Karnel stood with newfound determination and strode quickly toward the temple.
"Kibito!" he called out urgently as he burst through the doors. "I can't wait any longer. Jebit has learned Instant Transmission, my work here is done. I have to find the Super Dragon Balls immediately."
Kibito looked up from where he'd been helping Jebit practice his new technique, startled by Karnel's sudden intensity. "Why the rush? Did something happen in your home universe?"
"There's no time to explain everything," Karnel replied. "I'll gather the five Super Dragon Balls in this universe first, then return so we can search for the remaining two in other universes together."