---
In the middle of a quiet wilderness, Rayden and Son Goku stood facing each other, both poised and alert.
Rayden crossed his arms thoughtfully, then said, "Goku, this time I want you to fight me using your full power."
Goku raised an eyebrow.
Rayden continued seriously, "When you face a strong enemy, don't hold back or test them first. That habit can be dangerous. Give it your all from the beginning."
"I get it," Goku nodded. "I'll try to change that from now on."
(From now on, Goku will use full power from the start, without going step-by-step.)
"Alright then—bring it on!"
Both fighters clenched their fists and flared up with energy, the air around them rumbling.
"Kaio-ken!" Goku roared, engulfed in a red aura.
He charged forward, delivering a barrage of punches and kicks. Rayden met his strikes head-on, countering and defending with precise movements.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fists clashed with booming impacts. The force of their blows shook the ground.
"Afterimage Fist!"
Goku used the technique to create copies of himself, confusing Rayden. Before he could react, Goku landed a clean hit, knocking Rayden back.
Rayden steadied himself mid-air, then formed a hand sign.
"Solar Flare!"
The flash of blinding light illuminated the field.
Goku, recognizing the move, quickly shut his eyes. By the time the light faded, Rayden had already closed the distance.
Bang!
Their fists collided again, sending a shockwave through the air. Both took a step back, grinning at each other in silent understanding.
In sync, they cupped their hands at their sides, forming the signature ki blast stance.
"Kamehameha!"
Twin waves of energy launched at each other, clashing in the center and sending sparks in every direction.
"Ahhh—!" Goku shouted, pushing harder.
"Triple Kaio-ken!"
The blast surged toward Rayden, who gritted his teeth and shouted, "Goku! If you can push further, now's the time!"
Goku heard him and roared again.
"Five times Kaio-ken!"
The red aura flared like wildfire. His energy overwhelmed Rayden's wave, and the blast engulfed him.
Boom!
Goku collapsed, exhausted, just as Rayden disappeared inside the blast.
"Ahh—!"
Rayden screamed as the energy swallowed him.
---
Ding!
System Notification:
"Congratulations, host has died. Issuing death rewards—"
Skill acquired: Afterimage Fist!
Skill acquired: Destructo Disc!
Combat power increased: +150,000!
Reward: Senzu Beans ×20!
Status Check:
Name: Rayden
Race: Earthling
Age: 23
Skills: Ki Sense, Flight, Ki Blast, Kamehameha, Dragon Fist, Afterimage Fist, Solar Flare, Destructo Disc, Afterburner, God-level Martial Arts
Combat Power: 376,986
Items: Senzu Beans ×29
Rayden slowly opened his eyes, then pulled out a Senzu Bean and fed it to Goku.
Goku, badly injured, immediately sprang back to life, glowing with energy.
Ding!
Goku's combat power: 168,945
Race: Saiyan
Rayden blinked in surprise. "Wow… You really are a Saiyan. Near-death recovery boosts your power like crazy. With Kaio-ken x2, you're already stronger than me. At x5, your combat power shoots up to over 800,000!"
"Thanks, Rayden!" Goku grinned.
Rayden smiled. "Goku, do you feel stronger than before?"
"Yeah, but I'm not sure why. Last time I fought Vegeta, I ate a Senzu Bean and felt a huge power-up. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have beaten him."
Rayden explained, "It's because you're a Saiyan. Every time you recover from the brink of death, your strength increases significantly."
"Ohhh, I had no idea!" Goku looked amazed.
Rayden checked the time. "It's getting late. Let's head back."
"Right!"
Both shot into the sky, flying back to Bulma's house.
---
One week later.
Everyone had now adapted to high gravity:
Rayden and Goku: 100x gravity
Gohan: 96x gravity
Krillin and Yamcha: 81x gravity
Meanwhile, Bulma had finished repairing the Universe spaceship.
The team—Rayden, Goku, Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha, and Bulma—packed their supplies and boarded the ship.
Whoosh!
The spacecraft took off, soaring through Earth's atmosphere and into the endless void of space.
The ship sliced through the stars, leaving the solar system behind.
However, since this ship didn't have a gravity chamber, the team had to rely on meditation and mental training.
Bulma, surrounded by training maniacs, retreated to her room to read and rest in peace.
---
A month passed.
The ship's display showed they were nearing Planet Namek.
After a brief rest, everyone prepared for landing.
Boom!
The ship touched down on Namek's surface.
As they stepped outside, they were greeted by warm sunshine, vibrant green grass, and fresh air.
"Wow! This place is beautiful!" Bulma exclaimed.
"Is this Uncle Piccolo's home planet?" Gohan asked, amazed.
Krillin looked at the sky. "Three suns… This planet's huge."
Rayden stepped forward. "Alright, let's pack up the ship." (Bulma quickly returned it into capsule form.)
Suddenly, Rayden narrowed his eyes. "Someone's coming. Stay alert."
Krillin frowned. "Think it's a Namekian?"
Bulma answered nervously, "No… I don't think so!"
Two ugly aliens approached, each holding a blaster.
Rayden turned to Krillin. "Krillin, take care of them."
Goku stepped in. "No, let me. I haven't had a good fight in a while."
The aliens sneered, "You're not Namekians. Doesn't matter. Lord Frieza ordered us to destroy everything on this planet!"
Beep! Beep!
Their scouters activated. "What?! Their power levels are rising… Is this a malfunction?!"
Before they could act, Rayden raised his hand and unleashed two beams of energy.
Boom!
The aliens exploded instantly, vaporized by the blast.
"They had scouters. They'll give away our location. We need to move—now!" Rayden urged.
"Got it!" Goku nodded, slightly disappointed he didn't get to fight.
"Rayden," Goku added, "next enemy's mine, okay?"
Rayden shook his head with a smile. "There'll be plenty of enemies here. But first, we need to find the Dragon Balls."
Bulma handed out three Dragon Radar devices she had brought.
"What?!" Krillin said, startled. "The radar shows four Dragon Balls all gathered in one place already."
"They must be with those aliens," Yamcha said. "If we let them collect all seven, we're in trouble."
Rayden nodded. "Our opponents this time are far stronger than anyone we've faced. Be cautious."
He passed out 28 Senzu Beans he'd received from the system.
Goku: 10
Krillin, Yamcha, Gohan: 6 each
Everyone took flight toward the nearest Dragon Ball signal, while Bulma found a cave to stay hidden.
Current Combat Power:
Rayden: 567,954
Son Goku: 339,566
Son Gohan: 129,653
Krillin: 86,789
Yamcha: 79,358
(Note: Gohan is slightly weaker due to not undergoing a near-death power boost.)
---
Moments later…
Rayden and the others arrived at a Namekian village and began approaching peacefully.
Suddenly, a new energy signature flared in the sky.
Frieza's henchman, Dodoria, descended with a squad of soldiers.
"These guys don't look like Namekians," Dodoria muttered.
Beep! Beep!
"Their power levels… barely over 3,000?" He frowned. "No need to waste my time."
Dodoria waved his hand, ordering his troops to attack.
Before Rayden could react, Goku stepped forward eagerly.
"Haaah!" Goku shouted, flaring with a white aura.
Ding! Bang!
The moment Goku struck, Dodoria's scouter exploded.
"What the—?!" Dodoria's eyes widened in shock.
He hadn't expected any of these Earthlings to have such terrifying power.
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)