At last, Planet Namek stopped shaking.
The mountain ranges that had once stretched endlessly across the planet were now nothing but barren stone foundations. The surface looked like a lump of clay that had been carelessly kneaded by a child, scarred with bottomless ravines and rivers of molten lava that had yet to cool.
The crimson glow of fire reflected against the low-hanging clouds, painting the world in the aftermath of catastrophe.
The suffocating pressure in the air was finally gone.
With Frieza's aura completely erased, the planet itself seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Krillin sat cross-legged atop a relatively flat cliff, the golden-red aura around him long since faded. He casually wiped the dust off his face and glanced toward Goku, who stood nearby in a daze.
The golden glow around Goku had disappeared as well, leaving behind the familiar black-haired Saiyan.
He stared silently at his own hands, as if trying to relive that overwhelming moment of rage, the feeling of his very soul igniting.
"So that was… Super Saiyan?"
Goku muttered softly, clenching and unclenching his fist as though trying to grasp that fleeting power again.
"It was incredible… but also kind of scary."
Krillin smiled faintly and didn't interrupt him.
Even for a martial arts genius like Goku, a leap in power like that would take time to process.
Taking advantage of the quiet moment, Krillin focused inward and opened the system panel he hadn't carefully checked in a long time.
This trip to Namek had been unbelievably dangerous.
He had even needed to put on a dramatic "heroic sacrifice" performance.
But the rewards?
Calling it "striking it rich overnight" still didn't do it justice.
A pale blue interface unfolded across his vision, lines of golden data flashing before his eyes.
Host: Krillin
Race: Human (Limiter Broken, Divine Regeneration Body)
Base Power Level: 15,000,000
Note: Through repeated brushes with death, deep potential excavation, and high-intensity combat against the Emperor of the Universe, the host's physical body has undergone a qualitative evolution.
Super Bald Form (Full Power): 1,500,000,000
Stamina: Infinite
(Saitama Template Trait: Never Exhausted)
Charm: Locked at 199
(Peak Mortal Attractiveness)
Saitama Template Fusion Rate: 50%
Skills:
Serious Punch
Consecutive Normal Punches
Flight Technique (Divine Grade)
Destructo Disc (Incomplete Development)
Divine Healing Art (S Rank)
Kaioken (Modified Version)
Serious Series: Sacred Buddha Form
Ki Resonance
Instant Transmission (Supreme Kai Grade)
Hyper Regeneration (S+ Rank)
Special Talents:
Cosmic Adaptor
Near-Death Growth (Converted Saiyan Factor)
Soul Swap Defense
"1.5 billion…"
Krillin stared at the number, his grin stretching wider and wider.
If he wasn't worried about Goku thinking he'd lost his mind, he probably would've burst out laughing on the spot.
What did that number mean?
It meant that for a very long time to come, even if he ran into the Androids right after their debut, or even Imperfect Cell, he would still be strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with them.
In the original storyline, Krillin's role at this stage had basically been to stand on the sidelines and yell, "Amazing!"
But now?
He was one of the players moving the pieces on the board.
Androids 17 and 18 were only around the 600 to 800 million range.
First Form Cell wasn't much higher either.
Of course, Super Perfect Cell after regeneration was still completely out of the question for now. That monster was sitting somewhere around ten billion.
Still…
"I've got plenty of time. No need to rush."
Krillin happily closed the panel.
Not only had he become drastically stronger, but Goku's base power had far surpassed the original timeline as well. His Super Saiyan transformation was even more absurd than before.
Earth's survival odds had skyrocketed.
For the first time in a long while, Krillin finally felt like he could relax a little and maybe enjoy a peaceful family life someday.
"Krillin, why are you grinning like an idiot?"
A giant face suddenly appeared inches from his own.
Goku had somehow wandered over without him noticing and was now staring curiously at the ridiculous smile on Krillin's face.
"Ahem!"
Krillin quickly straightened up and put on a wise, mysterious expression.
"Nothing. I was reflecting on the battle."
"Goku, you did pretty well this time. Didn't embarrass us Earthlings…"
He paused.
"Even if you are technically a Saiyan."
Goku scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Then, completely ruining the mood, his stomach let out an earth-shaking growl.
"Grrrrrr…"
"Haha… guess I'm hungry."
"I always get starving after a fight."
Then Goku blinked.
"Oh right, Krillin. Shouldn't we head back now?"
"Everyone's still waiting for us on Earth."
Krillin had just opened his mouth to agree when his body suddenly stiffened.
The two looked at each other.
Their pupils trembled at the exact same time.
"Wait…"
"Did we forget something?"
"Uh…"
Goku blinked.
"Feels like we did… what was it again?"
Then both of them shouted at the same time:
"PICCOLO!!!"
…
A few minutes later, the two finally dug Piccolo out from beneath a pile of rubble.
Namek's strongest warrior was sitting cross-legged inside a sheltered cave, arms folded, meditating in silence.
Although Krillin had already healed his injuries, Piccolo's iconic demon gi was still torn to shreds, and his white turban had disappeared somewhere during the battle.
Hearing footsteps, Piccolo slowly opened his eyes.
The glare he gave them was cold enough to freeze lava.
"Hmph. So you finally remembered I existed?"
"Haha, what are you talking about?"
Krillin lied through his teeth without the slightest shame.
"We were just confirming the surrounding area was safe. Frieza was full of tricks. What if he had a backup plan?"
Piccolo snorted and rose to his feet, dusting himself off.
He glanced at Krillin, then at Goku, a complicated emotion flashing through his eyes.
These two…
They had completely left him behind.
Especially Goku.
The Saiyan who once fought him as an equal now possessed a level of power that made even Piccolo's heart tremble.
"If we're done here, let's go."
Piccolo didn't say anything else and turned toward the spaceship.
"Wait."
Krillin suddenly stopped them.
"What now?" Goku asked.
"There's one more thing I need to grab."
Krillin pointed toward the massive crater created by Goku's final blast.
"Goku, Piccolo, give me a minute. I'm gonna go pick up some trash."
"Trash?" Goku looked confused.
Krillin didn't explain.
His figure flickered and vanished instantly.
When he reappeared, he was standing at the bottom of the crater, surrounded by the burnt stench of melted stone.
The rocks here had turned glass-like from the heat, proof of how terrifying the blast had been.
[System Navigation Activated.]
[Target Location: Three meters ahead, twenty centimeters underground.]
Krillin crouched and lightly sliced his finger through the ground. The hardened rock parted like tofu.
Buried within the charred soil was a tiny metallic chip no larger than a fingernail, glowing with a faint blue light.
Item Name: Frieza Force Core Database Fragment
Description:
A miniature data terminal carried personally by Frieza, forged from the universe's highest-grade memory metal. Even after total bodily destruction, the chip remained intact.
Contains:
Detailed star maps of the Cold Empire
Advanced technological blueprints
(Healing Pods, Combat Armor Synthesis Technology)
Early research data regarding "Artificial Warriors"
"Now this is valuable."
Krillin picked up the chip, eyes gleaming.
Frieza might have been a complete psychopath, but there was no denying the insane level of technology his empire possessed.
Especially those healing pods. As long as someone still had a breath left in them, the pod could bring them back.
Absolutely essential survival gear.
And the combat armor materials technology?
If Bulma got her hands on this, Capsule Corporation's tech tree would probably jump ahead by an entire era.
Not to mention the possibility of hidden records about the deeper secrets of the universe.
"I'm keeping this."
With a flick of his wrist, Krillin tossed the chip into his system storage.
Honestly, this made a way better souvenir for Bulma than flowers or jewelry.
After finishing up, Krillin teleported back to the surface.
"All done."
"What was that shiny thing you picked up?" Goku asked curiously, leaning closer.
"Just a kid's toy."
Krillin brushed him off casually before his expression turned serious.
"Goku. Piccolo. There's something I want to discuss."
"What is it?"
"We're not going back to Earth just yet."
"What?! Then what are we staying here for?" Piccolo asked, surprised.
"No, not here."
Krillin shook his finger and looked toward the endless stars.
"There's a planet nearby called Yardrat."
He continued, "The people there aren't especially strong, but they've mastered all kinds of strange techniques. One of them is called Instant Transmission."
"Aren't you two always asking how I keep teleporting around?"
"If you learn that technique, combat will become a lot easier in the future."
"After all, I can't be around to save you every single time."
"Instant Transmission?!"
Goku's eyes lit up instantly.
"You mean that whoosh thing where you disappear? I wanna learn it! I definitely wanna learn it!"
Piccolo didn't say anything, but one of his ears twitched slightly.
During the battle on Namek, he had suffered badly from being slower than everyone else.
If he could learn that technique…
"Then it's settled."
Krillin stepped between them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Next stop: Planet Yardrat!"
"Buckle up. My ride's pretty fast."
The moment he finished speaking, Krillin activated his newly upgraded Supreme Kai-level Instant Transmission.
Whoosh!
Space twisted.
Three powerful energies vanished from Planet Namek completely.
Only the devastated planet remained behind, silently turning in the corner of the universe.
--------------------------------
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