"Karnel, the Great Elder has passed away," Daner said gently, noticing his guest's contemplative silence. "Now our New Namek is temporarily
"Karnel, the Great Elder has passed away," Daner said gently, noticing his guest's contemplative silence. "Now our New Namek is temporarily represented by little Dende as the Great Elder. I'll take you to meet him."
'Dende? Karnel's eyebrows rose slightly. Didn't that young Namekian go to Earth to serve as their Guardian?'
Shaking himself from his philosophical musings, Karnel followed Daner's measured steps through the village. The traditional Namekian architecture remained unchanged, simple, semi-circular buildings that blended harmoniously with the planet's natural curves. They approached a structure slightly larger than the others and paused at its entrance.
"Come, follow me inside," Daner said with quiet excitement. "Elder Dende should be making new Dragon Balls in there."
"Making Dragon Balls?" Karnel's interest sparked immediately, his earlier melancholy forgotten. "I'd love to observe the process carefully!"
The prospect of witnessing Dragon Ball creation firsthand quickened his pace as they entered the rounded dwelling. Though spacious, the interior was modest compared to the grand chamber where the Great Elder had once resided. The sparse furnishings drew attention to the small Namekian child sitting cross-legged on the floor, carefully manipulating what appeared to be a sphere of dark, clay-like material. Five similar black orbs lay scattered around him in various stages of completion.
'Could these dark spheres actually be Dragon Balls? Karnel studied the unremarkable objects with growing skepticism. They look more like muddy toys than mystical artifacts capable of granting any wish.'
Young Dende appeared completely absorbed in his work, his concentration so intense that he hadn't noticed their cat-like approach. The delicate process seemed to require his absolute attention.
Daner pressed a finger to his lips and winked at Karnel, gesturing for silence as Dende reached a critical stage in his crafting. They watched in fascination as the young Guardian's hands moved with surprising precision for someone so small.
'So these black things really are Dragon Balls, Karnel realized, positioning himself about two meters away for a better view. I need to understand exactly how this works.'
Dende had certainly noticed their arrival, but the Dragon Ball in his hands demanded his immediate focus. He couldn't afford to break his concentration now, not when he was so close to completing another one.
After several more minutes of careful manipulation, Dende finally exhaled deeply and placed the finished sphere alongside its five companions on the floor.
'Is that really all there is to it? Karnel frowned thoughtfully. Something seems incomplete. Is it because I only witnessed the final stages, or perhaps because all seven haven't been completed yet?'
"Daner, sorry to have kept you waiting!" Dende called out cheerfully, turning his attention to his guests. His curious gaze settled on the stranger his elder had brought.
Daner raised his hand in formal greeting. "Young Elder, this is Karnel, the warrior who visited our original homeworld twice many years ago—before you were born. He's the one who helped save our people during those dark times."
"A savior of our people..." Karnel felt heat rise to his cheeks at the grandiose title. He waved his hands modestly. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time!"
Dende studied Karnel intently, placing a small hand to his forehead as if trying to recall something just beyond his memory's reach.
Sensing the young Guardian's confusion, Daner explained gently, "Little Elder, you wouldn't have any memory of him. You weren't born during those events."
"Ah, I see! That explains it." Dende's face brightened with understanding, and he bowed with childlike sincerity. "Mr. Karnel, thank you for protecting our people all those years ago!"
"Think nothing of it," Karnel replied warmly. "I did use your Dragon Balls during my visits, so helping with dangerous threats was only fair. Speaking of which, Dende—" He gestured toward the six dark spheres on the floor. "Are these the Dragon Balls you've been creating? They don't look anything like traditional Dragon Balls. They're completely black."
Dende glanced at his incomplete set with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. "Yes, but they're not true Dragon Balls yet. Only when all seven are finished and properly activated can they summon the Eternal Dragon for wishes. I'm still quite young for this kind of work, so the process is challenging. It's taken me many days just to complete these six."
"So they only become functional when all seven are gathered together," Karnel mused aloud. "No wonder they appear so lifeless, even the stars inside are invisible until the set is complete."
"Exactly!" Dende nodded enthusiastically. "Just give me a few more days to craft the seventh one, and New Namek will have a complete set of Dragon Balls again!"
Karnel felt a surge of genuine excitement. 'The black spheres in their current state are essentially dormant. I'll only witness the true miracle of Dragon Ball creation when the seventh is completed and the entire set awakens.'
"Would it be possible for me to stay here for those few days?" he asked, settling cross-legged on the floor and carefully examining one of the inactive orbs. "I've never had the opportunity to observe the complete Dragon Ball creation process."
"Dragon Ball crafting isn't a secret among our people," Dende replied readily. "Many Namekians possess this ability. Since you're a friend who's helped our race, you're welcome to watch!"
Indeed, Dragon Ball creation was considered a basic skill on Namek, most adult Namekians could manage it if necessary. It was only because the Great Elder's infinitely more powerful set had existed that others rarely bothered with the effort.
Karnel's smile broadened with anticipation. "Then I'll gladly wait here until you complete the set. I wouldn't miss this for anything!"