"As long as we clear the negative energy from his body, he can be cured," Ken suggested.
"You make it sound easy…" the old Namekian said gravely. "This kind of negative energy has already merged with the body. Only a rare few Namekians with exceptionally strong resistance have survived it—most perish under its invasion."
"Let me try. Maybe I can clear it out," Ken stepped forward.
"You? You can remove the negative energy from his body?" the elder was stunned. "Don't joke around. Even the Grand Elder was powerless against it."
"Young man, we appreciate the sentiment," Moori added, his expression growing heavier, "but this negative energy isn't something that can be eliminated so easily. Right now, we're cultivating a certain plant here on Namek. It's currently the best method for cleansing negative energy, but even so, to fully rid the planet of it… will take at least twenty more years. That span will be a harsh trial for our people."
Ken didn't respond. Instead, he calmly raised his right hand, and in his palm appeared a radiant flame, glowing like a star.
Flash!
With a simple flick of his wrist, the brilliant flame swept across Delta's body.
The moment it made contact, the black lines on Delta's body began to vanish rapidly.
Within three seconds…
The dark streaks were completely purged.
Snap!
Delta's eyes shot open.
Moori and the other elder stared in bewilderment.
Thump!
Delta suddenly leapt up from the ground in a perfect kip-up.
Startled, Moori and the other elder nearly grabbed onto each other.
"Ahem—don't throw your back out," Ken said quickly.
"What… what's going on?" Delta looked down at himself in amazement. "Why does it feel like I've been reborn?"
Moori: "…"
The elder: "…"
The two exchanged confused glances, then looked back at Ken in shock.
"Well, at least it's not a final burst of energy before death," Ken said with a smile.
"You little brat… what are you implying? Are you cursing me?" Delta snapped. "I feel like I've gotten at least ten years younger!"
"Only ten years, huh… Looks like my training still needs work," Ken said, shaking his head in disappointment.
Earlier, when Ken used his Divine ki to purge the negative energy, he also happened to infuse some of that power to rejuvenate Delta's aging body.
Restoring youth with Divine ki was actually quite simple.
All he had to do was repair the aged cells with divine energy.
But to Ken's disappointment, it only made the elder ten years younger.
Namekians tend to live long—three to five hundred years is normal. So ten years wasn't really a big deal.
"Elder Moori, what is this kid saying?" Delta gave Ken a strange look and turned to ask.
"Ahem…" Moori quietly wiped sweat from his brow.
The other elder could only laugh awkwardly.
"Oh right, I remember now! I had Negative Energy Syndrome!" Delta suddenly recalled, checking his body in surprise. "Strange… I feel completely fine now. The negative energy is gone. What happened?"
"Delta, you should thank this young man properly. He's the one who removed the negative energy from you," Moori said with admiration.
"He… he did?" Delta froze.
Moori and the other elder both nodded.
After a brief hesitation, Delta stepped forward and gave a respectful bow. "Young man, I'm truly sorry. Thank you for saving me."
"It's nothing. Just a simple matter," Ken smiled, brushing it off.
Then, Ken looked up at the sky, his expression growing serious.
"There really is a lot of negative energy here. No wonder people are getting sick," he muttered. "Let me see if I can cleanse all of it."
"You… you can purge all of the negative energy?" Moori was stunned.
Delta's jaw dropped.
The other elder's eyes widened even more.
"I'll just give it a try," Ken smiled. "The higher your hopes, the harder you fall."
The three elders fell silent.
This boy had a good heart, but his words were a bit… blunt.
Ken took a deep breath and raised his hands, slowly forming another radiant flame, brilliant like a star.
It was about the same size as a Namekian Dragon Ball.
"This size… should be good, right?" Ken asked the three elders.
Moori: "???"
Delta and the other elder wore the same puzzled look.
What do you mean 'should be good'? How would we know?
"Transform!"
Ken spoke firmly.
The starlike sphere instantly shifted into a golden ball.
"Transform again!"
Ken then altered the golden orb once more, and at its center, a red five-pointed star formed.
Moori's eyes went wide.
Delta and the other elder were dumbfounded.
Isn't that a Dragon Ball?
Why does this kid's energy creation look exactly like a Dragon Ball?
"Go!" Ken flicked his wrist, sending the glowing "Dragon Ball" into the sky.
Whoosh!
The divine power orb shot upward, shining golden light across the heavens.
Moments later, it burst into streams of red light that rained down over the planet like a meteor shower.
The red meteors struck the pockets of negative energy, consuming and erasing them instantly.
About an hour passed.
All of the negative energy across Namek had been completely wiped out by Ken's Divine ki.
The glowing orb in the sky slowly turned transparent.
Pop!
Having fulfilled its purpose, the orb vanished without a trace.
"There. That should take care of everything," Ken looked up at the sky and waved to Moori.
Moori stood in stunned silence.
Delta and the other elder were equally speechless.
"Oh, and I also cured all the other cases of Negative Energy Syndrome while I was at it," Ken added cheerfully. "I think that should prevent any further problems."
(End of Chapter)