Inside the training chamber.
Gran stood motionless, eyes closed, his right hand resting lightly on the inscription tablet before him.
For some reason, whenever he entered a state of training, his mind naturally slipped into a state of pure clarity.
In that state, his mind emptied completely, and his body relaxed as though entering a deep meditative sleep.
If one were to borrow a term from a fantasy novel, what Gran experienced would best be described as "enlightenment."
Hummmm!
A mysterious energy began to stir. The glowing runes on the ancient tablet seemed to awaken, flowing like liquid light as they poured directly into Gran's consciousness.
Basic meditation. Long-range sensing. Spatial positioning...
The essence of Instant Transmission lay not in speed, but in jumping across space itself, achieving near-zero-time movement.
"So that's all there is to it?"
Gran's small eyes snapped open in sudden realization.
To master Instant Transmission, the two most crucial factors were ki perception and mental state.
During his time in the Realm of Destruction, he had already achieved absolute control over his ki. As for his state of mind, he had long refined it to a level approaching "semi selflessness."
"Alright then… let's give it a try."
He pressed two fingers to his forehead, calming his spirit until his emotions became as still as a mirror.
What he needed to do now was sense another being's ki, then tune his own ki's frequency—not its strength—until it resonated perfectly with theirs.
With that resonance as the medium, his consciousness would bridge the gap—two points forming a line, three a plane, four a solid form...
Between those two ki signatures, a spatial tunnel would form!
"Go!"
Gran's body flickered, his outline dissolving into shimmering light—then vanished completely.
A heartbeat later, space rippled
and he reappeared outside the chamber door.
"Th-This… this is impossible!!"
Dif, the Yardratian guard, nearly jumped out of his skin as Gran appeared beside him.
Even the Supreme Kai, Shin, and his attendant Kibito, who had been watching in secret, swallowed hard in shock.
According to Dif's own words, the fastest anyone on Yardrat had ever mastered Instant Transmission was two years.
And Gran… had done it in less than a day.
Could a being's talent truly be that terrifying?
"K-Kibito… how long did it take you to learn Instant Transmission?" Shin stammered, unable to believe his eyes.
"If I remember correctly… about s-six hundred years…" Kibito answered in despair.
"Useless!"
Shin cursed instinctively.
"?"
"Then how long did you take, my lord?" Kibito asked timidly.
"I didn't have to learn it. Supreme Kais are born knowing."
"..."
Kibito's heart sank. So I really am useless, huh…
Meanwhile, Gran's success had already reached the ears of the Grand Elder, who appeared beside them in a flash of light—using Instant Transmission himself.
"Candidate God of Destruction, you've already mastered it?!"
"Seems that way," Gran replied, glancing around. He had indeed moved from inside the chamber to outside in an instant.
He recalled that in the anime, Goku took nearly a year to learn this, while Vegeta in the Moro arc needed half a day.
By comparison, his own speed wasn't bad at all.
"Incredible! Even the fastest of our kind needs two years to grasp this art. Your talent is… beyond belief!"
The Grand Elder's expression was pure awe.
With such monstrous aptitude, it was no wonder this child had been chosen as a Candidate for God of Destruction.
"Talent, huh?" Gran mused, touching his forehead thoughtfully. "I suppose mine is a bit unusual."
He glanced down at his small hands.
In truth, he had long suspected something was off about his abilities.
It had only been a little over two years since he arrived in the Dragon Ball world, yet his base power, mind, and instincts had all advanced to astonishing levels.
Yes, part of it was thanks to Whis and Beerus's training—but Goku and Vegeta had received the same tutelage in the original timeline, and their progress had never been this fast.
"As expected of a Candidate God of Destruction!" the Grand Elder praised again, before asking, "Now that you've mastered Instant Transmission, would you like to learn any of our other secret arts?"
"No need."
Gran shook his head.
The Yardratians were a fascinating race. Aside from Instant Transmission, they had developed many other mystical techniques—like Forced Spirit Fission, the one Vegeta learned during the Moro arc.
But Gran had no interest in any of them.
As a Candidate for God of Destruction, when the time was right, Beerus and Whis would teach him the true essence of their realm—Destruction.
All things in existence—anything weaker than "Destruction"—is fated to be reduced to dust.
Compared to that, every other Yardratian art seemed trivial.
"Grand Elder, I came here only to learn Instant Transmission. Now that I've mastered it, it's time I take my leave."
The Grand Elder and Dif both bowed deeply.
"We humbly see the Candidate God of Destruction off!"
Gran waved a small hand dismissively and began to walk away—then suddenly stopped and turned back.
"You allowed me to study your art freely. Consider that a favor I owe you. Should Planet Yardrat ever face trouble, you may call upon me."
"Ah! Thank you, Candidate God of Destruction!"
The Grand Elder's face lit up in excitement. A promise from a God of Destruction's heir—such a blessing was unimaginable!
Though, come to think of it…
"But, how would we reach you, my lord?" he asked cautiously.
"Just call for Whis. I'll make sure he keeps an ear out for your voices."
With that, Gran turned and disappeared into the horizon.
In the corner, Shin and Kibito immediately followed.
"Grand Elder, did you hear that? We just received the Candidate's promise!" Dif exclaimed, clutching the old man in delight.
"Calm down, you fool!" the Grand Elder scolded—but the smile tugging at his lips was impossible to hide.
Elsewhere.
Gran didn't hurry to leave Planet Yardrat. He could sense Shin and Kibito still trailing him from behind.
"Hey, Shin, why are you still following me?" Gran asked over his shoulder.
"Obviously to make sure you don't destroy any more planets," Shin huffed.
"Destroying useless planets is part of my duty. It's also the most efficient way to raise the universe's overall civilization index."
"I… have no idea what that means."
Shin sighed, then continued,
"You spared us before, so I know you're not hostile. Since you seem to know so much, could you… tell me what you know?"
Gran paused, studying him quietly.
Honestly, he felt a bit sorry for the guy.
At such a young age, Shin had lost the Grand Supreme Kai, his mentor and father figure, to Majin Buu.
The Old Kai had been sealed away by Beerus, leaving Shin to shoulder the burden of the Seventh Universe alone—completely unguided.
For over five million years, he'd had to figure out his duties through trial and error, haunted by the fear of Majin Buu's return.
"Alright," Gran said at last. "I can tell you a few things I know."
He gave a faint smile.
"But first… I'm heading to Planet Namek."