Everything felt bizarre and absurd.
When Zhang Wutian came back to his senses, he discovered that he was already standing in the middle of a deep mountain forest.
The classic Chinese-style green mountains, along with a winding stream, made Zhang Wutian almost suspect that he was still dreaming.
Walking to the nearby stream, Zhang Wutian splashed some water onto his face. The cold flow gradually calmed his mind.
"How I got here isn't important. What matters is that I'm already here. The real problem right now is figuring out how to survive."
As someone raised in the city, Zhang Wutian felt that although his name sounded wild and heroic, he was actually completely powerless. If he really had to fight something, he probably couldn't even beat a goose.
In fact, he estimated that his combat power was roughly about 45 geese.
"I'll probably die in this forest… if this really is a deep wilderness."
When he said the first sentence, he sounded pessimistic.
But halfway through the second sentence, Zhang Wutian suddenly became excited.
Because he saw a column of smoke.
Of course, having grown up in a city, Zhang Wutian couldn't be certain that the thin line of smoke rising into the sky was actually cooking smoke. Still, that didn't stop his imagination.
Even if it wasn't cooking smoke but a natural wildfire, it would still be better than the current situation. At least there would be fire. With fire, many things could be done.
Zhang Wutian had already forgotten that even if he had fire, he didn't actually know how to cook. He had also forgotten that his combat power was weaker than a goose, meaning he had almost no chance of catching prey in a mountain forest like this.
People say moths fly into flames. But when humans fall into despair, they too long for the flame that represents civilization.
So Zhang Wutian stumbled forward step by step toward the smoke.
When he arrived at the source of the smoke, Zhang Wutian saw a grilled fish skewered on a wooden stick.
"This scene… feels strangely familiar."
A distant memory faintly surfaced.
But Zhang Wutian wasn't particularly hungry. He also didn't like fish very much, let alone this extremely "organic" looking grilled fish.
So he simply walked closer and didn't touch it.
If there was grilled fish here, then there must be someone who grilled it.
If he asked that person for help, even if they were a rather cold individual who didn't want to help him—which wasn't unusual in the city Zhang Wutian came from—at least he might be able to ask about this place and learn how to leave.
Zhang Wutian waited for the person who owned the grilled fish to appear.
Not long after, that person actually showed up.
The moment he appeared, Zhang Wutian recognized him immediately.
"Sun—Sun—Sun… Sun Wukong!!!"
Not the Monkey King from Flower-Fruit Mountain, the great Great Sage Equal to Heaven.
But the little monkey boy from the manga—the one with the blood of a warrior race, yet raised on Earth, with a pure and gentle heart.
"You know my name? Who are you?" the other person asked curiously.
Zhang Wutian began thinking.
The one in front of him was clearly young Son Goku.
At this time, Goku was innocent and simple. With just a little deception, someone could easily manipulate him. As someone who grew up in the city and had survived countless telecom scams, Zhang Wutian could probably say a few words and easily trick this little monkey into doing everything for him willingly.
But Zhang Wutian strongly resisted the idea of deceiving him.
The reason was simple.
The first time Zhang Wutian encountered the manga Dragon Ball was in the first grade of elementary school.
This little monkey had grown up alongside him. From Zhang Wutian's childhood to his youth, Goku had always been there like an old friend.
Even after the series ended, Zhang Wutian would often reread Goku's adventures. Each reunion felt like meeting an old childhood friend again, always bringing him joy.
Zhang Wutian knew everything about this little monkey.
He knew what kind of hardships Goku would face in the future, and what kind of person he would become.
For this friend—even if it was only a one-sided friendship—Zhang Wutian didn't want to lie to him.
So he suppressed his excitement and honestly said:
"I think I got lost. Can you help me?"
"Sure! Grandpa said we should help people who are lost. Are you a human?"
"Of course I'm human. You mentioned your grandpa—where is he?"
"He died," little Goku said cheerfully with a smile.
Ah… so it's this period, Zhang Wutian thought.
The little Goku in front of him looked slightly younger than in the manga. That meant the timeline was probably somewhere between when Goku accidentally transformed into a Great Ape and killed his grandfather Son Gohan, and when Bulma arrived here with the Dragon Radar.
Thinking of that, Zhang Wutian suddenly had a small shock.
Wait a second… I transmigrated into the Dragon Ball world and I'm not even surprised? I didn't know my nerves were this tough. They're practically as thick as a Saiyan's tail after transforming into a Great Ape.
Perhaps it was because the person in front of him was Goku. Seeing such a familiar "old friend" brought joy that suppressed the fear.
Only now did Zhang Wutian fully realize his situation.
Soon after, Goku invited Zhang Wutian to his home.
Along the way, with Goku helping him climb mountains—and sometimes simply carrying him on his back—Zhang Wutian asked:
"Goku, aren't you afraid that I might be a bad person?"
"I think you're a good person," Goku said with a smile, carrying Zhang Wutian with his small body."Because you didn't steal my fish. Grandpa said people who don't steal are good people."
Zhang Wutian thought: That's because I wasn't hungry and your fish didn't look appealing.
But of course he would never say that out loud.
After jumping over hills and rocks for a while, Goku brought Zhang Wutian to his home.
"Grandpa, I'm back."
Goku clasped his hands together in front of a crystal ball.
Of course, Zhang Wutian knew exactly what it was—the biggest cheat item in Dragon Ball:
the Four-Star Dragon Ball.
"Hello, Grandpa. My name is Zhang Wutian. I'm a traveler who got lost and wandered into another world."
Zhang Wutian also bowed toward the dragon ball.
After all, if that deceased old man hadn't raised Goku to be such a kind little monkey, Zhang Wutian probably wouldn't have been saved today.
"You can stay here tonight. Tomorrow I'll take you out of the forest," Goku said.
Zhang Wutian looked around the simple little house and then asked:
"Goku… do you know martial arts?"
"Martial arts? You mean fighting? Grandpa taught me some."
"Can you teach me? I think you're really strong. I want to become strong like you."
If he were speaking to anyone else, Zhang Wutian would definitely not be so direct. He would circle around his intentions carefully.
But this was Son Goku.
With this simple little monkey, there was no need for complicated words. Just say it directly.
"Sure! I can teach you!" Goku replied cheerfully.
Just as Zhang Wutian expected.
Then the two of them went outside.
Goku stood across from Zhang Wutian.
"I think your body is really weak, Zhang Wutian. Let me test how strong you are first."
As he said that, Goku raised his fist.
"Wait, Goku. Be careful. Compared to you, I'm really weak."
"I understand. I'll punch you very lightly."
Even though the little guy was less than half his height, Zhang Wutian cautiously crossed his arms in front of his chest, preparing to block what Goku called a "light punch."
But just before Goku's punch touched him, a scene suddenly flashed through Zhang Wutian's mind like a slideshow.
He remembered a scene from the Dragon Ball manga.
It was much later—when Trunks fought Mr. Satan at the World Martial Arts Tournament.
Back then, Trunks also threw a so-called "light punch."
"Wait, wait—hold on! Goku, stop for a second!"
Then—
BANG!
With a loud crash, Zhang Wutian was sent flying.
He didn't even manage to scream.
At that moment, Zhang Wutian lost consciousness completely.
Of course, he didn't see little Goku panic, pick him up, and try to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on him.
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