The air grew heavier as the story reached its most crucial point.
Though curiosity burned within him, Whis did not interrupt his father's narration.
"Odys's transformation truly was formidable," the Grand Priest finally said, his earlier smile fading. "In just a few decades, he had grown so powerful that he even dared to challenge me."
A solemn silence filled the space between them.
"If he had learned to control that state consciously," the Grand Priest continued, "his achievements might have been extraordinary. But… Odys possessed one fatal weakness."
Whis tensed.
"He was mortal."
"When he faced Lord Zeno, Odys was already a hundred years old. And the result of that battle…"
The Grand Priest paused mid-sentence, his voice dipping low.
Whis held his breath, his palms slick with sweat.
"The result," the Grand Priest said at last, "was that Odys was instantly defeated by Lord Zeno."
His tone carried an unexpected note of pity.
"I knew it…"
Whis exhaled deeply, his expression a mix of awe and relief.
That outcome was well within his expectations—after all, it was Lord Zeno. In this universe, none could rival the Omni-King.
But then
The Grand Priest spoke again, his voice calm yet curious:
"When I say 'instantly defeated,' I mean that Lord Zeno bested him in an instant… but he did not die."
"What?"
"Lord Zeno found him amusing," the Grand Priest said lightly, gazing out into the starlit void beyond the palace. "So he decided to spare his life."
Whis blinked in disbelief.
"Odys later returned to Universe 7," the Grand Priest went on. "But by then, he was mortally wounded. Within a year, his body could no longer endure… and he passed away."
As his father's tale concluded, Whis's memories stirred. Fragments of what he'd once heard long ago resurfaced—Odys had been a legend among mortals.
"Whis," the Grand Priest said suddenly, "that transformation of Odys's had two fatal flaws. Do you know what they were?"
"I do," Whis replied softly. "One—he lost all rationality. And two—his lifespan."
Even without having seen Odys himself, Whis could clearly imagine the flaws from his father's tone alone.
The loss of reason was only part of it. The greater issue… was the so-called infinite rise in power.
How could anyone infinitely increase their strength?
And even if they could—how could the body possibly sustain it?
It was obvious. Such power could only come at the cost of one's very life force.
"So you've realized it as well."
The Grand Priest nodded in satisfaction.
Whis had always been clever since childhood—a pity he served such a lazy God of Destruction.
With a sigh, the Grand Priest continued:
"Odys was mortal, yes—but his physique was terrifyingly resilient. Each time he suffered a severe wound, he recovered at astonishing speed. In ordinary circumstances, he could have lived for a thousand years."
"But every transformation placed immense strain on his body. Each time he broke his own limits, the surge of power left irreversible damage. His was a path of burning his own lifespan for strength."
The Grand Priest shook his head.
"By the time he fought Lord Zeno, his body was already collapsing. Later, he nearly exploded from the overwhelming power he tried to draw out. If not for Lord Zeno's whim to save him, Odys would have died on the spot."
"But even then, after returning to Universe 7, he didn't last a year."
That was the tragic, dazzling life of Odys — a mortal who had the courage to stand before the Omni-King himself.
The Grand Priest admired his courage, even as he mourned the loss of such a prodigy.
Whis, too, felt a deep respect for Odys.
And then it struck him—Odys was none other than Gran's ancestor.
Wait. Ancestor?
Whis's face stiffened. Then… could Gran possess the same transformation?!
"Whis," said the Grand Priest quietly, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed upon the stars. "About that little one you've taken under your wing… If he too carries the potential to transform, I advise you to steer him away from that path."
His tone left no room for doubt.
"A being without reason," he said coldly, "is nothing more than a beast with power."
Whis relaxed his fists and nodded. "I've never witnessed Odys myself, but from your story alone, I understand—that extreme, berserk state is a mistake."
Without reason, one could not control power.
Without reason, one could not wield it properly.
Without reason, one could never refine their dimension nor extend their lifespan.
Just as his father said—
Without reason, one was nothing but a creature of instinct and slaughter.
Such a being could never become truly strong.
Whis silently vowed that he would never allow Gran to walk that same path.
Gran's current training plan was the correct one.
When Gran returned from beyond the universe, Whis would teach him how to cultivate the divine dimension and the principles of destruction.
By mastering these, Gran could evolve from the pinnacle of the Kaiō dimension to the divine dimension of a true God of Destruction.
In doing so, his mortal essence would fully transform into divine energy — and his lifespan would expand vastly.
And with Gran's extraordinary talent…
Even the divine dimension would not be his limit.
Perhaps one day, he might ascend to the angelic dimension, or even the Priestly realm.
After all
In the Grand Priest's own words, Gran possessed the potential to surpass.
"Of course," the Grand Priest added suddenly, his voice echoing through the hall,
"Everything that exists in this world does so for a reason. Existence itself is meaning."
"If Odys had managed to overcome those two fatal flaws, perhaps his story would have ended differently."
He turned slightly, smiling faintly.
"Cultivate that boy well, Whis. His potential is frightening. Lord Zeno and I both have great expectations for him."
With those words, the Grand Priest turned and walked back into the Omni-King's Palace.
Rumble!
Whis trembled, his heart pounding.
Even Lord Zeno had high hopes for Gran?
But… what did Father mean by "existence is meaning"?
He stared at his father's fading silhouette, brows furrowed in deep thought.
He stood before the great palace for a long while before finally departing in silence.
Inside the palace.
"Grand Priest, what did Whis come to see you for?"
The soft, childlike voice echoed through the grand hall.
"He wanted to ask about Odys," the Grand Priest replied calmly. "And he asked for my thoughts on his new candidate for God of Destruction."
"Oh? Those two Saiyans~ They're so much fun! Especially that little one named Gran~"
The eraser-shaped Lord Zeno grinned, eyes gleaming as he returned to his favorite game—Erasing Planets Deluxe.
The Grand Priest stood beside him once more, the stern father now replaced by the ever-composed attendant of the Omni-King.