"So that's how it is. Alright, let's head out!" Goku nodded in realization, then turned to Future Trunks. "Oh right, Trunks-kun, you stay here and practice with Piccolo for now, okay?"
"A-Alright," Piccolo muttered, the corner of his eye twitching.
Levos placed a hand on Goku's shoulder.
Goku lowered his head slightly, sensing for a familiar ki signature.
Whoosh
In the blink of an eye, Levos felt his entire body being compressed by an invisible force, as though every muscle were being flattened. His breath caught in his throat.
"This... this is ten times gravity?" he muttered. "An ordinary human body probably couldn't even stay standing here."
He took a few deep breaths before his body slowly adjusted. Looking up, he scanned the surroundings.
As the two arrived, a few people immediately approached.
"Yo! I'm back again," Goku greeted casually, then quickly introduced the group. "This is Krillin, Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, Puar, Mr. Bubbles, and Gregory..."
He paused before solemnly gesturing to another figure.
"And this is the one you're looking for, King Kai."
Levos straightened up and respectfully bowed. "Honored King Kai, my name is Levos Lorrin."
King Kai gently twirled the whiskers on his cheek, observing Levos with a thoughtful expression.
Finally, he spoke with a serious tone. "I already know why you're here. But if you wish to learn the Kaioken, you'll need to become my student first. And becoming my student comes with conditions."
Levos immediately sensed trouble.
He had completely overlooked this part before coming here.
If he remembered right, becoming King Kai's student required making him laugh and getting his approval afterward.
The problem? Levos wasn't remotely funny. He had absolutely zero comedic talent.
This was a serious oversight.
Goku, smiling awkwardly, tried to help. "Aw, c'mon, King Kai, don't be so strict! Earth is in big trouble right now!"
"Rules are rules," King Kai replied sternly. "No exceptions. Not even for a crisis."
Levos asked directly, "So what are the requirements to become your student?"
"Just tell me a joke. If you can make me laugh, I'll take you in," King Kai replied with a completely straight face, but his eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Levos fell silent.
His brain was already working overtime.
Fortunately, King Kai was known for having an absurdly low bar for humor.
And, from what Goku had once mentioned, the old deity had a particular weakness for bad puns.
Levos ventured a try. "What do you call a boy who eats his classmate?"
King Kai pondered deeply. "What?"
"'Chew-classmate boy!'" (T/N: A pun on the Chinese idiom "Cherish youthful friendship," phonetically twisted into "Chew classmate, youth.")
Levos anxiously stared at King Kai's face, not missing a single muscle twitch.
King Kai stood still, seemingly chewing on the pun, then suddenly covered his mouth.
"Kuh kuh kuh..."
That weird duck-like laugh slipped out.
The others were still trying to figure out the joke.
But a moment later, King Kai straightened up, his face now completely composed.
"I didn't laugh," he said. "Doesn't count."
To prove his point, he gestured at the others. "Look, none of them laughed either! That joke clearly wasn't funny."
The group exchanged awkward glances.
A few of them made eye contact as if silently agreeing to something.
Yeah... that joke might've been a little too cold.
Levos looked slightly deflated. But suddenly, an idea sparked in his mind.
"One time, I had a competition with a friend to see who was more elegant. And then…"
"And then?" King Kai leaned in curiously.
"We... turned into Sai-'elegants'."
This time, before Levos even finished the punchline, the others around him burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Someone even rolled on the ground, pounding the dirt with their fists.
Levos's expression was complicated as he glanced around.
Clearly, they were helping him, overacting the laughter to push him through.
He was touched, though part of him couldn't help roasting their exaggerated performance.
King Kai paused for a beat. Then his lips slowly curled upward.
Just as Levos thought he had succeeded, King Kai covered his mouth tightly with both hands and wheezed, "I I kuh kuh kuh didn't laugh! Kuh kuh kuh…"
More weird duck noises followed.
Seriously?! He was clearly laughing!
This old god was messing with him!
Levos realized immediately, he was being toyed with.
Now was the time to strike hard. If he let King Kai suppress the laugh, the chance would be gone.
"Why does Vegeta always lose first in a fight?"
Goku perked up. "Huh? Why?"
"Because he's trying to become a 'Super-Fall-Yan'!" (T/N: Another pun. "Super Saiyan" is twisted into "Super Fall-yen," playing on the word "fall" as in failing first.)
"Gah gah gah... hhk !"
Levos glanced sideways at King Kai. The deity was trembling all over, barely able to hold back his laughter. His hands couldn't even fully cover his grinning mouth anymore.
He was literally gasping for air at this point and still wouldn't give in?
Screw it! If King Kai didn't want to teach him Kaioken, then fine!
Levos stood still, face darkening.
"King Kai, you're great at everything, but there's one flaw in your character."
"Oh?" Goku scratched his head. "What flaw?"
Levos folded his arms and coldly replied, "You have... performance issues."
Dead silence.
Yamcha sensed something was off and quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Levos, I really can't think of any flaws King Kai might have. Could you give us an example?"
Levos snorted. "I refuse to."
The word he used "refuse" was a pun that also means "impotent" in Chinese slang.
The moment that line dropped, several jaws dropped with it.
Poor Yamcha looked like he'd just been sucker-punched by context.
The others watched, wide-eyed.
King Kai's face turned beet red. His whole body began to shake violently.
And then
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
King Kai collapsed to the ground, laughing so hard he started rolling in the dirt.
"I give up, I give up! You're in! I officially accept you as my student... hah… you're a joke-telling genius! Hahahaha…"
Everyone froze in place, stunned.
Puar blinked. "Yamcha, why is King Kai laughing so hard?"
Yamcha stiffly replied, "You... don't need to know, Puar. All that matters is, Levos passed."
The others finally caught on and quickly covered their mouths, trying to suppress their laughter.
That guy is savage.
He actually dared to make King Kai the butt of the joke, and the deity wasn't even mad about it!
In fact, King Kai seemed completely satisfied.
"That last one... even let me redeem myself in front of my eternal rival," he muttered with a smug grin.
At some point, he had gotten back on his feet and adjusted his glasses.
"Very well," he said solemnly. "Levos, you've passed the trial. I'll teach you the Kaioken."
Levos couldn't help feeling a little guilty inside.
He hadn't expected King Kai to be this magnanimous, even after being the butt of multiple jokes.
"But..." King Kai paused. "Back then, it took Goku three months to master the technique. And Earth... doesn't have that kind of time."
"You're right, King Kai. Which is why I've made a decision," Levos said seriously. "I'd like you to train me inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."
King Kai hesitated, then slowly nodded.
As they prepared to leave, the others came over to send Levos off.
"We hate to admit it, but our strength isn't enough to help right now. We're counting on you, Levos."
"Earth's future rests on your shoulders. Go all out!"
"We believe in you. Come back victorious!"
Levos gently patted Puar on the head and nodded firmly. "Don't worry. I'll give it everything I've got."
With that, he and King Kai each placed a hand on Goku's shoulder.
In the next instant, all three of them vanished into thin air.
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