Chapter 3 – Martial Roots and Mortal Lessons (Part 2)
The sun had climbed higher over the canopy, burning away the dew and silence of morning. Birds scattered as Raiku dashed through the forest clearing, one leg strapped with a boulder nearly twice his size. His teeth were grit, his brow furrowed, sweat dripping into his eyes. Behind him, Roshi walked calmly, sipping tea.
"Pick up the pace, Prince!" the old master called, chuckling. "That boulder's gettin' rusty from all the draggin'!"
Raiku snarled under his breath and pushed harder.
"This is not training—this is punishment."
"It's discipline," Roshi called back. "Try running ten laps around the island with it, then we'll talk punishment."
Raiku stumbled slightly on a root, but caught himself mid-sprint.
> [System Update – Physical Conditioning Routine: ACTIVE]
Daily Objectives:
– Weighted Sprint (25 mins) – In Progress
– Controlled Pushups (100 reps) – Locked
– Slow Strike Practice – Locked
Status: Exhaustion (Moderate)
Buff: Physical Growth Rate ↑
Ki Output: 87 (Stable Suppression)
His body ached in ways it hadn't during stasis—or even on Planet Vegeta. Back then, the training was brutal, yes. But it was predictable. You fought, bled, rose, and conquered.
This? This was… tedium. Controlled pain. No battle. No blood. Just grit and endless tasks.
Yet, despite himself, Raiku noticed his form stabilizing. His breath remained more even. His footfalls lighter. And that boulder? It no longer felt like it was crushing his spine.
He dropped it at the finish mark and fell to his knees.
"Done," he growled.
"Not yet," Roshi said, dropping a thick wooden staff next to him. "Strike this. Slow. With no energy. Just your body."
Raiku glanced up. "You're mocking me."
"I'm teaching you. Power comes later. Control comes first."
> [Quest Objective Unlocked – 1000 Controlled Strikes]
Progress: 0/1000
Reward: +5 Strength, Skill – Impact Discipline
Raiku wiped his face and stood.
With a deep breath, he stepped back, clenched his fist, and drove it forward into the staff.
The strike barely nudged it.
"Too fast," Roshi noted. "Slower. Like you're moving through syrup."
Raiku narrowed his eyes. "This is beneath me."
"It was beneath everyone who ever got good," Roshi said. "But they did it anyway."
The prince grumbled under his breath and struck again. Slower. Then again. Again. Each hit was clean but lacked momentum. His body trembled, not from power—but from restraint.
He wasn't used to holding back.
> [Progress: 28/1000]
He worked through the day. Roshi said little. Occasionally, he corrected a shoulder, adjusted a foot, or muttered something about "tense ankles" and "over-prideful postures."
By nightfall, Raiku's arms were sore, his knuckles red, his mind foggy. But there was something else underneath.
A shift.
A calm. A thread of peace stitched between every movement.
He looked at his hands and didn't just see strength anymore. He saw refinement.
> [Progress: 514/1000]
Buff Gained: +0.5 Strength
Fatigue Status: High
Later that night, after rice and water and a long silence under the stars, Raiku sat beside the fire, tail curled around his leg.
He looked at Roshi, who was gently feeding more wood to the flames.
"You could have just let me train by instinct," Raiku said.
"I could've," Roshi replied. "And you'd've grown fast. Real fast. But you'd have cracked the first time someone slower outsmarted you."
Raiku's brow lifted.
"Strength without direction is just… flailing harder," Roshi continued. "Ever try to fight the ocean?"
"No."
"It wins. Every time. Unless you learn how to move with it."
Raiku looked into the fire, saying nothing.
> [System Update – New Challenge Unlocked]
Title: The First Trial
Description: Face a controlled projection of your younger self (Battle Spirit) in a solo mental space.
Enemy Power Level: 5000
Objective: Defeat the Projection Using Only Suppressed Ki (Max: 100)
Reward: +Skill – Internal Anchor
Bonus: Unlock 2nd System Slot if No Ki Bursts Are Used
His eyes widened slightly.
The System wasn't just keeping him accountable—it was pushing him.
He stood suddenly.
"I'm taking the trial."
Roshi blinked. "...What trial?"
Raiku didn't respond. He stepped back from the fire, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes.
Inside, the cavern of his mind opened. A space shaped by instinct and memory. The air warped.
And standing across from him was a version of himself—shorter, eyes gleaming with raw aggression, a feral grin stretched across his younger face.
"You've gotten soft," the younger Raiku sneered.
The older one smiled faintly. "No. I've grown."
They lunged at the same time.
The clash was brutal. Bone met bone, fists whipped through air, feet struck the ground like thunder. Each blow tested Raiku's restraint. Every fiber in his body begged to go beyond 100 Ki.
But he held the line.
He redirected, deflected, and outpaced. His younger self fought like a brawler—wild, powerful, unthinking. Raiku moved like a shadow, conserving energy, anticipating every wild lunge, and exploiting every blind spot.
Then, in a single breath of stillness, he twisted, redirected his opponent's weight, and pinned him with a clean, decisive sweep.
The projection faded into light.
> [Challenge Complete]
– Internal Anchor Skill Unlocked: Boosts Ki Control and mental clarity under pressure
– 2nd System Slot: Unlocked
[New Slot Available – Choose Perk Category]
– [Combat Techniques]
– [Elemental Ki Pathways]
– [Passive Enhancements]
Raiku opened his eyes slowly. The stars above seemed brighter.
"...So?" Roshi asked, sipping tea again.
"I won," Raiku said, quietly.
"Course you did." Roshi smiled. "But tell me… did you blast your way through it?"
"No," Raiku admitted. "I adapted."
"Good. That's harder."
Raiku looked at his own hands again.
He still felt the pride of a warrior, but it no longer roared inside him. It hummed, like a fire beneath control.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Roshi raised a brow. "Huh?"
"For this."
"Well," Roshi said, standing with a grunt, "I'll be honest—didn't think a space prince could be taught anything without throwing a tantrum."
"I'm exceptional," Raiku said with a grin.
"There's that pride again."
"And you're welcome."
Roshi laughed as he walked toward his tent.
Raiku remained seated for a moment longer, watching fireflies drift through the trees. Then he looked up at the moon, far too large and full for comfort.
He felt the stir of something in his blood—something primal. Untamed.
> [System Warning – Lunar Shift Approaching]
Status: Great Ape Gene Present
Next Full Moon Event: 9 Days
Suppression Required: Ki Output ≤ 20 OR External Blocker
New Quest Unlocked: Moonbound Trial (Locked)
Raiku frowned.
"...This planet keeps throwing surprises."
And for the first time in his new life, he wasn't sure if the next transformation would be his to control.