Colate Jungle
"I mean no offense but… are you sure you wish to continue on, sir?" the guide asked while the porters helped the rest of the tour group get their camp packed away. "People do not go much farther normally… this is as much of a taste of the wild as they like."
Krillin smirked at that, grabbing his pith helmet, giving it a flip so that it spun in the air before he caught it with his free hand and pressed it on top of his head. He had his gi tucked away in his pack, having decided to dress in typical explorer gear: light tan shirt and matching shorts, hiking boots, and long white socks. It honestly made him feel like an adventurer for one of the old pulp movies that Roshi swore up and down were far better than 'those dang new fangled films'.
"I'll be fine!" he assured the guide.
The man in question frowned before leaning in closer, whispering in Krillin's ear. "Sir, I must insist you not do this. I know we claim that there are thrills and dangers when you travel with us but it is all fake. The lions we stumbled upon yesterday were my pets Pawpaw and Mira. Pussycats, both of them. None of us were in danger. Same with those falling trees… they weren't even real. Made of papier-mâché.
"The people we bring out here… they want to be able to say they went on an adventure. We give them that. But it isn't real." He gestured at the other members of the group, who were standing about gawking at the trees and pointing at brightly colored birds but otherwise doing nothing to get the camp closed up. Krillin had to admit that if any of them had been left in a city park they would have had trouble surviving, let alone the jungle. The guide gently reached out and squeezed Krillin's hand. "Please sir… the moment you leave the path you will be heading into the real jungle. We will be unable to protect you."
Krillin though merely nodded, taking out 500 Zeni and passing it over to the man for his trouble. He'd brought much of his life savings with him, just in case he needed to pay for supplies, and it physically hurt to pass along even the 500. "I understand… and thank you for getting this far."
"For another 50000 we'll notify your next of kin!" the man called as Krillin adjusted his pack one last time before heading out. "Dumb bastard," the man muttered under his breath before calling out, "Alright everyone, let's get going! Remember to stay on the trail… we already lost one person because they decided to wander off!" That got the rest of the tourists murmuring and talking and the guide shook his head; at the very least the little bald fool wandering off to his death would allow him to milk some more coin out of the rubes.
For Krillin he waited until he was about 20 minutes away from the camp before he allowed himself to lift off the ground, hovering for a moment before zipping straight up above the trees, causing several of the small chittering monkeys that had been in the branches to scatter, screeching and protesting his intrusion.
"Sorry!" he called out, the monkeys just shaking their little fists at him in response. "Rude…" he muttered to himself as he broke through the canopy, looking about. "Alright, so I'm looking for the Temple of the Repentant Miser…" He began to slowly spin in a circle. "So, there has to be something that will let me know where it is. Maybe some clues carved into a rock or some trees that have different flowers the point to-"
He had spun 180 degrees when he saw the large stone temple bursting out of the jungle.
"…huh." He tilted his head as he considered what he was seeing before giving a shrug and moving to land. "Won't look a gift horse in the mouth!"
Krillin walked through the jungle for about 20 minutes, taking in the sights and making sure there weren't any signs that he should head a particular way… underground passage, hidden tunnel, side entrance, that sort of thing. But there was nothing and soon he could see the temple as he drew near.
But… that wasn't the first thing he spotted.
No, what he came upon first was an old one story hut, barely managing to hold itself together, leaning against a massive banana tree. The windows were open but he couldn't see much of the inside due to how dark it was in there. The porch had once been covered but part of the roof had caved in though the damage had been cleaned up and swept away. That was the odd thing… for how run down everything was there was a sense of cleanliness to it. It wasn't dirty. There weren't debris piles lying about. At once someone had put very little care into it and a ton of care.
'And I think I know who that someone is,' Krillin thought to himself as he spotted a wiry man wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts, a crooked straw hat plunked on his head as he lay in a hammock with a few frays spots. "Hello?" he called out.
"Hello," the man said, his voice a raspy thing, like he hadn't had a chance to use it in a while. The man lifted his hat up and looked at him for a moment. "Names Barley."
"I'm Krillin-"
"Don't care unless you have some common sense in your head."
That made Krillin blink. "Uh… and if I do?"
"Then you'll stop here, chat with me for a bit, and not bother heading up the trail to that giant eyesore in the distance."
Krillin frowned at that. "I'm seeking the Temple of the Repentant Miser."
Barley laughed at that. "Everyone who comes by is. Let me let you in on a secret, sonny: all you'll find if you keep heading along that path is a tourist trap."
"Well, I still need to go," Krillin said forcefully.
"Suit yourself!" Barley said with a laugh. "By the time you leave we'll see which of us is richer!"
Krillin scoffed at that and continued along is way, finding that past the old man's shack there was a path that had been well cared for, making the walk far easier. The trees began to thin out and soon he found himself standing not on the hard packed earth but rather smooth tile, looking at the temple in awe. It was ancient, made from great tan stone blocks that had paint applied to the etchings within them so that there was a wild mass of different swirls and arcs. It was at least 10 stories tall, with several great towers and a massive pyramid-like structure that made up the main building. White fountains that depicted whales and fish leaping from the waves and shooting off streams of water were all over.