---
Inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber
The moment the door shut behind them, the world shifted.
Silence.
Endless white nothingness stretched in every direction. The floor, the sky, the horizon—it all blended together into a blank, colorless void. The gravity pulled heavier than Earth's, and the air was thick with humidity and pressure.
It was like being swallowed by eternity.
Krillin stood in the middle of it all, breathing slowly, while Yamcha sat against the chamber wall, already panting.
"Feels like we've been dropped into the middle of a boiling planet," Yamcha muttered. "This place sucks."
Krillin didn't respond immediately.
He wasn't thinking about the heat. Or the weight.
He was thinking about the day he woke up in this body.
---
Flashback – Day 1
"What is this...? Where am I?"
The ceiling was wooden. Thatched. Old.
His body felt small, lighter than usual. He sat up groggily in the bed at Kame House, and the headache hit like a hammer. Then the flood came—memories not his own—flying nimbly through the air, yelling "Solar Flare!" in fights, training under Master Roshi, sparring with Goku and Yamcha, dying to Tambourine, being wished back by the Dragon Balls.
He saw himself—Krillin—living a life of courage and constant fear.
Then realization.
"I'm in Dragon Ball Z. And I'm Krillin."
And more importantly...
"Today's Gohan's birthday. Which means Raditz arrives. Which means... I could die."
---
Back to Present – Chamber Interior
Krillin exhaled slowly, fists clenched. "I've been here for weeks now... but mentally, I still feel like an outsider in this body. I have the memories... but not the instincts."
He turned to Yamcha. "We're not going to make it if we train like normal."
Yamcha blinked. "What do you mean?"
"We have one year in here. That's... a lifetime's worth of training. But we can't just throw punches and hope for the best." Krillin paced. "We need to break everything down. Rebuild ourselves from the ground up."
---
Training Plan Begins
Krillin crafted a brutal, tactical routine. Each day followed a strict plan:
Morning: Meditation, breathing control, ki sensing, energy compression
Midday: Combat fundamentals — speed drills, dodging, explosive movement under heavy gravity
Afternoon: Sparring with intent — alternating between offensive and defensive focus
Night: Recovery techniques, body awareness, tactical reviews, and memory drilling
Yamcha was surprised. "You've changed. You sound like a sensei."
Krillin gave a small smile. "I guess dying changes you." But he didn't say that out loud.
Instead, he said, "If we want to stand beside Goku... or even Piccolo... we need to close the gap, fast."
---
Weeks Passed
The physical pain was constant. Bones ached. Muscles tore. Skin split under pressure. The chamber's unnatural gravity weighed down every movement, forcing precision in every strike.
And at night—when Yamcha slept—Krillin stared out into the white void.
His mind would wander.
"I died once in this world already."
He clenched his fists.
"If I don't grow stronger, I'll die again. This time, permanently. And maybe... this world will too."
He wasn't afraid of death, not exactly.
What haunted him was the thought of failing, even with future knowledge.
"What if I still can't change anything?"
But the next morning, he would rise again.
Push harder.
---
Krillin's Body – Adapting
As days turned to weeks, Krillin felt something he hadn't expected—his body responding.
He wasn't just "inhabiting" Krillin's body anymore. He was owning it.
The neural connections strengthened. Reactions became faster. The once-fragmented memory of martial arts moved from thought to instinct.
He could feel power building in his core—his ki flowing smoother, more refined.
---
Sparring Scene
"Let's go!" Yamcha shouted, throwing a wild flurry of punches.
Krillin ducked, weaved, parried—then vanished.
Yamcha blinked—too late.
BAM! A palm strike to the gut sent him flying.
He tumbled, gasping. "Okay... that one felt like a truck."
Krillin lowered his hand, breathing steadily. "Sorry. Ki control's improving."
"No kidding," Yamcha wheezed. "You're not just the old Krillin anymore. You're different. You're... sharper."
Krillin looked down at his palms, curling them into fists.
"I'm becoming who I need to be."
---
A Moment of Solitude
One night, Krillin sat alone on the edge of the chamber, staring into the white abyss.
"This world is unforgiving. And Goku... Goku's always the one who saves it. But if I can stand next to him—really stand there, as his equal in battle..."
He looked up, the endless void reflecting in his dark eyes.
"Then maybe I'll become the kind of hero this world needs, too."
---
Time Passes – Outside World
One day in the real world finally passed.
Kami opened the chamber door.
The light changed—real, natural light. Air filled with life and breeze.
Yamcha stepped out first, face leaner, aura denser.
Then Krillin walked out.
His bald head gleamed in the sun. His muscles were defined, his stance calm yet grounded.
He was no longer afraid.