"Huh? You're Krillin?"
Bulma reached out and poked Krillin's chest. The muscle beneath her finger was firm as iron.
She stood on her tiptoes and tried to touch his smooth forehead.
"Stop lying! That little shorty Krillin only reaches my chest!"
She gestured dramatically for emphasis.
"And he looks… like a braised egg!"
Krillin's mouth twitched.
"Even though you're bald too, this physique… these features…"
Bulma's cheeks flushed for some reason.
He still had no hair, which was strange, but the man standing before her had sharp brows and deep, steady eyes. The tight muscle lines under his uniform radiated raw masculine energy.
If this was Krillin, what did that make Yamcha?
Krillin could see the System interface flickering in the corner of his vision, but he ignored it for now.
"I really am Krillin," he said helplessly. "I don't know what happened. I just suddenly grew taller."
A lazy yawn drifted down from upstairs.
"What's all the noise this early in the morning…"
Master Roshi descended slowly, wearing sunglasses, a floral shirt, and his massive turtle shell. In one hand, he held a photobook titled Cool Beach.
"Master Roshi!" Bulma exclaimed. "Quick, look at him. He keeps saying he's Krillin. Is he really Krillin?"
Master Roshi adjusted his sunglasses and stared at Krillin.
His expression froze.
An invisible pressure filled the room.
As the God of Martial Arts, Master Roshi judged people by their Qi, not their appearance.
"This Qi…"
He stroked his beard.
"It's sharper than before, but that scent of lecherousness mixed with integrity, and integrity mixed with lust… it's definitely Krillin."
Krillin: "…"
Master, was that really necessary?
"You really are Krillin?" Bulma asked again.
[Ding! Detected strong emotional fluctuations from key character Bulma.]
[Temporary Quest triggered: Prove Identity.]
[Quest Description: Use a method known only to Krillin to dispel Bulma's doubts.]
[Reward: charm +5, unlock Character Attribute Panel.]
Krillin cursed inwardly.
A method only Krillin would know…
Memories flashed through his mind until one scene locked into place.
He smiled with classic Krillin sincerity.
"Bulma, do you remember when we were collecting the Dragon Balls and needed to reveal the Invisible Man, so you had to—"
"STOP!"
Bulma lunged forward and covered his mouth.
Her face turned bright red.
"Don't you dare finish that sentence!"
That was her dark history.
"Fine! I believe you! You're Krillin! That pervert Krillin!"
Her grip loosened.
[Quest completed.]
[Reward issued: charm +5.]
[Character Attribute Panel unlocked.]
A warm current flowed through Krillin's body.
He sensed Bulma's gaze shift slightly. She seemed… more receptive?
He opened the attribute panel in his mind.
A translucent blue interface appeared.
Host: Lin Fei (Krillin)
Current Template: Saitama (Fusion 5%)
Combat Power: ??? (Unavailable before Raditz's arrival)
Basic Attributes
Strength: 50 (1:1 conversion to Combat Power)
Speed: 48
Physique: 50
Intelligence: 15
Charm: 85
Skills
Kame School Martial Arts (Proficient): Afterimage Technique, Kamehameha (Basic)
Flight (Skilled)
Solar Flare (Entry)
Serious Punch (Growth Version · Passive): Can activate Serious state once per day, increasing power by 50%. Currently available.
Status
Healthy, energetic, slightly hungry.
Strength 50 meant his combat power was roughly 500.
During the Saiyan Saga, Goku and Piccolo were around 300–400 without weighted clothing.
But Raditz was 1500.
Nappa was 4000.
Vegeta was 18000.
The pressure was real.
He would not remain background support this time.
"System, can I start Saitama-style training now?"
[Training available.]
[Today's tasks: 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, 10 km run.]
[Completion Reward: All Attributes +10.]
"Krillin, why are you spacing out?" Bulma asked.
"You didn't suffer any side effects from growing taller, right? Let me test you."
She pulled out a capsule device shaped like a wrist scanner.
"It measures bodily functions."
"Perfect," Krillin said, dropping to the floor. "Let's test it."
He began push-ups.
His speed blurred into afterimages.
"1, 2, 3… 98, 99, 100."
Only seconds passed.
Then sit-ups.
The floor creaked under the pressure.
Bulma stared at the scanner.
"Heart rate stable… breathing unchanged…"
"Are you even human?"
Krillin moved on to squats. His thighs tightened like steel cables with each motion.
Bulma's expression gradually shifted.
Before, when Krillin trained, he looked like a determined but comical monk.
Now… sweat traced along his jawline, and the muscle definition beneath the orange uniform was striking.
She swallowed.
"Yamcha hasn't been training much lately… he just plays baseball and flirts…"
[Ding! Bulma's favorability increased.]
[Current Favorability: 60 → 65 (Ambiguous).]
Krillin finished his squats and stood.
"Still have the ten-kilometer run."
He looked at the ocean.
"I'll run fast."
With a loud burst of air, he vanished.
A white trail carved across the sea's surface.
He wasn't using Qi.
This was pure physical strength.
Master Roshi's photobook fell from his hand.
"This kid…"
Ten minutes later, Krillin returned, steam rising from his body. Over his shoulder was a massive deep-sea tuna.
"Breakfast."
He dropped the several-hundred-pound fish with a dull thud.
[Training completed.]
[Rewards: Strength +10, Speed +10, Physique +10, Intelligence +10.]
Strength: 60
Speed: 58
Physique: 60
Intelligence: 25
Charm: 85
Krillin nodded in satisfaction.
Bulma stepped closer, holding out a towel.
"Wipe your sweat."
He accepted it.
Before he could speak, Master Roshi put on his turtle shell and approached with rare seriousness.
"Krillin, sudden growth can destabilize the mind. Attack me."
A spar.
Krillin grinned.
"Understood, Master."
He took the Kame School stance.
In the next instant, he launched a straight punch.
No flourish. Pure speed.
Master Roshi's body expanded slightly, drawing out his true strength without fully entering Max Power.
Their fists collided.
A shockwave shattered the windows.
Bulma screamed and crouched.
Krillin slid back two steps.
Master Roshi slid back nearly six meters, carving grooves into the floor.
His sunglasses shattered.
He stared at Krillin in shock, then smiled proudly.
"Excellent… even Goku would need caution against that punch."
[Ding! Repelled Master Roshi (Normal State).]
[Stage Victory confirmed.]
[Devour activated…]
[Error: Lustful Heart (Struck Through) invalid. Correcting…]
[Devoured Skill acquired: Muscle Control (Elementary).]
[Description: Enables fine control of muscle contraction, increasing instantaneous explosive power by 2%.]
Krillin nearly laughed.
What was that almost-devoured "Lustful Heart"?
Still, Muscle Control paired perfectly with Saitama's template.
He clenched his fist, feeling the refined surge of power.
"This bald path is going to be more interesting than I imagined."