4.1 Arrival and Immediate Danger
The sensation of reality traversal was like being forced through a keyhole made of lightning. One moment, Alex was in the quiet darkness of his bedroom; the next, he was slamming into hard, muddy ground.
He opened his eyes. The air was thick and humid, smelling of pine, ozone, and something metallic, like stale blood. Towering, ancient trees blocked most of the light, casting the forest floor in perpetual shadow. The very atmosphere felt heavy, laden with a foreign, intense energy—Chi.
[HOST ENVIRONMENT: EARTH-9 (THE ANCIENT CULTIVATION REALM)]
[MISSION: IMMERSION AND ADAPTATION. DURATION: 7 DAYS.]
[HOST BODY: 10-YEAR-OLD SAIYAN.]
[POWER LEVEL: 8,000 (SIGNIFICANTLY SUPPRESSED BY LOCAL ENERGETIC LAWS).]
The local "energetic laws" felt like wading through water. His Ki, while potent, felt sluggish, like trying to shout underwater. This was the penalty for entering a realm governed by different physics.
No time to panic, Alex thought, the integrated wisdom of Goku reminding him to stay calm. He instinctively funneled his Ki, forming a subtle, invisible armor around his small body.
His Ki Sense screamed a warning. A powerful, predatory aura was closing in fast.
Before he could move, a figure burst through the undergrowth—a towering, muscular man in rough leather armor, his face scarred and grim. He wasn't radiating traditional Ki, but Cultivation Chi, a swirling, violent energy that focused around a heavy, notched broadsword strapped to his back.
The man's eyes were narrowed with greed. "A child? And a complete nobody at that! No cultivation base, yet surrounded by a chaotic void of energy. A heavenly treasure in disguise!"
The cultivator lunged, his hand reaching for Alex. His speed was easily equivalent to a peak Olympic sprinter, but to Alex's trained mind, it was slow.
Alex didn't rely on brute strength. He relied on Instinct. He dropped low, his body a blur of motion honed by years in the simulation, barely dodging the cultivator's grab.
[ALERT: HOST UNDER ATTACK. INITIATE COMBAT PROTOCOL.]
[HOST KI SUPPRESSION: 40%]
4.2 The Power Pole and the Phantasms
"Hmph! Fast little worm, aren't you?" the cultivator sneered, pulling the broadsword.
Alex knew he couldn't afford a prolonged fight. This world was too dangerous, and he was too weak.
Gate of Babylon! Utility!
He focused his Ki, mentally picturing a quick-draw shield and a distraction.
Two shimmering, golden circles appeared instantly beside him. One circle manifested a simple, sturdy wooden shield, large enough to cover his small frame. The other produced his trusty Power Pole.
"Extend! 12 meters!" Alex commanded, his young voice surprisingly firm.
The Power Pole shot out like a golden spear, its speed fueled by Alex's Ki. It struck the cultivator squarely in the chest before the man could finish drawing his sword.
BOOM!
The cultivator was sent flying backward, slamming through a thick tree trunk with a sickening crack.
"W-what kind of spiritual artifact is that?!" the man gasped, blood trickling from his lips, his initial arrogance replaced by shocked terror.
Alex didn't wait. He knew the Power Pole's limitation: it was a blunt force object, not a killing weapon. He needed a knockout.
Gate of Babylon! Containment!
He summoned a second pair of golden ripples. From them, two Phantasms materialized:
The Conceptual Net of the Hunter (Anti-Movement, Rank C): A simple, heavy mesh net woven with threads that conceptually resisted kinetic motion.
The Sleeping Draught Vial (Toxin, Rank D): A small glass vial containing a refined conceptual toxin designed to induce deep, magical slumber.
The net flew from the Gate, wrapping around the stunned cultivator before he could rise. The man roared, tearing at the metallic mesh, but every time he moved, the threads seemed to multiply and tighten.
Alex snatched the vial and, using a tiny burst of Ki-enhanced speed, closed the distance. He shattered the glass vial against the cultivator's face. The conceptual draught vaporized into a fine, colorless mist that the man inevitably inhaled.
The cultivator's furious roar turned into a soft gurgle. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped, completely unconscious, still trapped in the anti-movement net.
[HOST ACTION: DEFENCE AND CONTAINMENT. SUCCESS.]
[HOST KI CONSUMPTION: HIGH. CURRENT KI: 60%]
4.3 Chi Absorption and the Breakthrough
Alex released his Ki reinforcement, breathing heavily. He quickly recalled the Power Pole and the net back into the Gate. He retrieved the shield, which he used as a sturdy, child-sized stool.
He knew his mission objective: acquire a working knowledge of the native 'Cultivation Energy' (Chi) and a single native Cultivation Art.
He knelt beside the unconscious cultivator, placing a palm on the man's chest. Following the integrated knowledge of energy manipulation, Alex used his Ki Sense to probe the foreign energy inside the man.
It's dense... rougher than Ki. It flows through the meridians, not the internal core. It's like raw, unrefined life force extracted from the world itself.
He focused on the cultivator's meridians, finding the specific cycling pattern of the man's core art. It was a low-tier, aggressive technique called the Iron Mountain Fist Scroll.
[ALERT: CULTIVATION ART DETECTED. INITIATING DATA ABSORPTION.]
[HOST GAINED KNOWLEDGE: IRON MOUNTAIN FIST SCROLL (LOW-TIER CULTIVATION ART).]
With the knowledge secured, Alex proceeded to the next step: Absorption. This was the core of the mission's required skill, and it felt instinctively wrong—like forcibly stealing energy.
He initiated the Chi Absorption & Fusion process, as guided by the System. He drew the dense Chi out of the cultivator, pulling it directly into his own Saiyan core.
The fusion process was agonizing. His pure, vibrant Ki clashed violently with the rough, elemental Chi. Alex grit his teeth, forcing the two energies to coexist, following a subtle, internal harmonic pattern provided by the System.
The conflict was immediate, spiking his Power Level violently.
[POWER LEVEL JUMP: 8,000 -> 9,500]
He felt his strength surging, his tiny muscles bloating with newfound, dual power. The energy war was winning, converting the foreign Chi into raw, useable Ki.
Then, a sudden, blinding flash of golden light.
4.4 The Golden Surge
Alex had been so focused on the energy fusion that he hadn't prepared for the next System alert.
[MISSION CRITICAL ALERT: TEMPORAL RIPPLE COLLISION IMMINENT.]
[THE ACT OF INTER-DIMENSIONAL ENERGY FUSION HAS CAUSED AN UNSTABLE POWER SURGE. HOST MUST ACHIEVE STATE OF MONUMENTAL RAGE TO CONTROL AND LOCK POWER GAIN.]
[RAGE TRIGGER REQUIRED: IMMEDIATE.]
The immense, painful influx of raw Chi, combined with the instability of the dimensional jump, created the perfect catalyst. He was ten years old, alone, terrified of the consequences, and now in immense physical pain as his body fought to contain two different fundamental energies.
The fear, the pain, the sheer injustice of having to fight like this—it all coalesced. Alex thought of the truck, the little girl, the life he gave up, and the crushing pressure of the DC Multiverse waiting for him.
He wasn't strong enough. He would always be playing catch-up!
The rage was pure, unadulterated, and overwhelming.
"RRRRAAAAHHHHHH!"
His scream was no longer a child's cry, but a shockwave of raw power that sent the leaves whipping off the trees.
The golden light that erupted from him wasn't simply a glow; it was an energy hurricane. His black hair spiked up, turning a brilliant, furious yellow, and his gentle, human-looking eyes became sharp, emerald green.
[TRANSFORMATION ACHIEVED: SUPER SAIYAN 1 (SSJ1)]
[POWER LEVEL: 9,500 x 50 = 475,000!]
The raw, suppressed power of his latent Saiyan bloodline had been unlocked by the perfect storm of pain and rage. The oppressive, heavy Chi of the cultivation realm was instantly swept away by the sheer force of the transformation.
He felt the power of a thousand explosions coursing through his veins. He was no longer just a strong kid; he was a literal force of nature.
[MISSION: IMMERSION AND ADAPTATION. COMPLETE.]
[SUCCESS REWARD: NEW SKILL: CHI ABSORPTION & FUSION (RANK E), POWER LEVEL +2,000 (BASE POWER NOW 11,500).]
[NOBLE PHANTASM ACQUIRED: THE DRAGON-SEEKING COMPASS (CULTIVATION REALM, RANK B).]
[CORE MISSION: THE ROAD TO SUPER SAIYAN 1. OBJECTIVE 1/3 (ACHIEVE BASE POWER LEVEL OF 10,000) - COMPLETE!]
Alex, still glowing, let the transformation recede, controlling the massive influx of energy. He was left panting, exhilarated, and terrified. His base Power Level was now 11,500. He had surpassed his Super Saiyan goal.
I did it. I'm a Super Saiyan. Now I just need to survive the next six days.
He looked down at his Prize, the Dragon-Seeking Compass—a simple, elegant artifact that promised to point him toward the densest concentrations of Chi. He knew this would be invaluable for his remaining time in this brutal world.
He stood up, his gaze hardened. The ten-year-old child was gone, replaced by a warrior who had taken his first step on the ultimate path.
—END OF CHAPTER 4—