Nightmare Mode
Game
Thinking
"Talking"
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gray Tanaki had lived a perfectly average life. He graduated from a decent university, had a couple of girlfriends, played video games with his friends, watched a lot of anime, and did everything you'd expect your average man in his 20s to do. His life was perfectly average, which was why he never expected to see this after his death.
Welcome to [Dragon Ball Z: The Game]
Gray lived a perfectly average life, he wasn't supposed to be given a chance like this. He wasn't a hero. He didn't donate tons of money to charity. He didn't die saving someone's life. He wasn't supposed to get reincarnated.
He lived his life, had fun, and then lost it in an instant when a drunk driver swerved into him while he was walking home from a bar. How cliche.
Of course, he wasn't complaining. The chance to go into the Dragon Ball universe? It'd be scary, that's for sure, when theres beings that could kill him with the snap of their fingers. But the chance to live out every man's power fantasy, to train your ass off and become the strongest, to have epic battles, and to have your own harem of beautiful women? Of course he wasn't complaining, he was excited, more excited then he'd ever been in his entire life.
Maybe getting hit by a truck is the secret key to getting isekai'd. Gray thought, attempting to look around, but unable to. His vision was completely filled by a 90s-esque arcade game start screen. He quickly realized he didn't even have a body anymore, and wasn't sure how he could progress past the starting screen, but luckily for him, the game seemed to read his mind.
Character Customization:
You have: 1000 Credits
You have gained 1000 credits based on your actions in your past life.
Credit breakdown:
+500 for being knowledgeable about the world you're entering.
+250 for being a [Above-Average] individual.
+100 for taking in a stray cat.
+100 for having big ambitions.
+50 for winning your 5th-grade spelling bee.
Damn, who would've thought my hobbies would help me someday?
Warning: Options that cost more credits than you have will not be shown.
Select your starting race:
Free - [Human]
250 - [Namekian]
500 - [Demon]
750 - [Cerealian]
1000 - [Sayian]
Gray instantly ruled out Namekian and Cerealian. As cool as those races were, they were both victims of massacres that nearly made them extinct. Plus, Namekians didn't have dicks. How could he have a harem of sexy babes if he didn't have a dick tot fuck them with? He then ruled out Demon, as while there were some strong demons in the Dragon Ball world, he'd be going in pretty much blind. The demon realm wasn't showcased much in the series, other than being home to some antagonists like Babidi and Dabura. There were a few games that went more in-depth on the realm, but he wasn't sure if non-canon events would be real in this world. If they were, he definitely didn't want to be anywhere near the demon realm.
That left him with Human or Sayian. This was a no-brainer, as while it'd take all his points to become a Sayian, it'd definitely be worth it. The humans in Dragon Ball became pretty much useless after Namek. More importantly, he'd be able to go super sayian, which was both the coolest and most broken transformation in the series. The game seemed to read his mind again, as he saw the Sayian option light up for a second before the game moved on.
Select your starting perks:
You may select one perk from each category. The perks you do not choose can be gained later in the game through quests.
[Sayian Perks]
All these perks will relate to your race.
[Perfect Ozaru] - Sayian's receive a 10x multiplier to their power level upon entering their Ozaru form. You've perfected this form and will gain an 11x multiplier, which can be trained and increased by up to 25x.
[Legendary Super Sayian] - You share the bloodline of Broly, and will be able to unlock the Legendary Super Sayian form.
[Sayian Pride] - As a Sayian, you are a part of a battle-hungry race. Your pride pushes you onwards, allowing you to upgrade combat skills 10% faster.
[Reincarnator Perks]
As someone who reincarnated, you have access to unique perks.
[Above-Average] - Since you lived an above-average life, you will be given an above-average buff. Gain skill exp 5% faster.
[Nerd] - As a fan of the Dragon Ball world, you will be able to learn iconic techniques 10% faster. (Only applies to techniques you can learn.)
[Lucky] - To be chosen for this game, you must be lucky. Start with +10 LUK.
[Double-edged Sword] - Your knowledge of this world may not be as useful as you think. By choosing this perk, you will be able to choose 3 more perks from any category, but the world will be slightly altered from how you remember it.
[Social Perks]
[Smooth Talker] - You are naturally a smooth operator. Sentient creatures are 10% more susceptible to your words.
[Ladies Man] - You have a way with women. Gain 2x Reputation with women.
[A Cute Pawn] - Sometimes your life will depend on how good your ass-kissing skills are. Gain 2x Reputation with beings who have a higher power level than you.
[A Humble Master] - You don't let your power go to your head. Gain 2x Reputation with beings who have a lower power level than you.
[A Natural Leader] - You're a natural leader. People naturally listen to you, and will view you as a leader.
Gray considered each option carefully. His first decision was to accept the [Double-edged Sword] perk. The world being altered was concerning, as his knowledge of the series would be one of his biggest assets, but the description said "slightly," and he felt like a slight deviation was worth the extra perks. He used one of the extra perks to select both [Perfect Ozaru] and [Legendary Super Sayian]. This wouldn't help him much early on, as he wouldn't be able to go super Saiyan or control his Ozaru, but would be a huge help in the future. Plus, how cool would it be to not only be a Super Sayian, but THE legendary Super Sayian!
He skipped over the rest of the reincarnator perks, having already selected [Double-edged Sword] and thinking the rest of them weren't very enticing. Having extra LUK at the start would be nice, but he'd rather have a buff that scaled with him later on. He selected [A Cute Pawn], [A Humble Master], and [Ladies Man]. The first two were easy, as he covered all his bases with that. Everyone he'd meet would either have a higher or lower power level than him, unless they somehow managed to be exactly equal to him, which meant he'd be getting 2x reputation with everyone. Reputation would definitely be important when there were beings like Beerus running around. He could probably wiggle his pinky toe and blow up the Earth. He'd eventually need to be on his good side. [A Humble Master] would help him make powerful friends, which could save his ass in a pinch.
Of course, the last choice was personal. He was in the world of Dragon Ball and had a gamer system. The world was truly his oyster. Of course he'd want all the women he could get. [Ladies Man] would make it that much easier, especially when he'd have to inevitably fight with Vegeta or Yamcha for Bulma. There was no way he was going to pass up on being with one of the original greatest waifus.
The game processed his choices and then moved on to the next section.
Choose your difficulty:
WARNING: This can not be changed later on.
[Easy] - For those who don't want a challenge. You'll never have to fear for your life, but you'll also never be able to live out your wildest fantasies. Portions of the game will be locked, and you will gain 50% less XP, but your enemies will be much weaker. You will have heavy restrictions to ensure your actions are appropriate for the Dragon Ball universe. Follows canon closely.
[Normal] - For those who want the average adventure. The chance of death is low, but not 0%. Portions of the game will be locked, and you will have restrictions to ensure your actions are appropriate for the Dragon Ball universe. Follows canon closely.
[Hard] - For those who want a challenge. The chance of death is high enough for you to be scared, but you'll receive a 2x multiplier added to all XP gained. You will have fewer restrictions, but not complete freedom to do whatever you want, and enemies will be much smarter and more difficult. Follows canon closely.
[Expert] - For those who are too confident. Your odds of dying are higher than your odds of living, but you'll receive a 5x multiplier added to all XP gained. You'll have near freedom to do whatever you want, but enemies will be much smarter and more difficult. Follows canon partially.
[Nightmare] - For those who are suicidal. Do whatever the fuck you want. You don't need to follow the story, canon can go to hell! Rape, steal, kill, make your own skills, take over the universe, become a god, I don't give a fuck what you do. You'll have no restrictions. However, neither will your enemies. Enemies will be much smarter, more difficult, and have modifiers. You will receive a 10x multiplier added to all XP gained. (Recommended for those who want to live their lives to the fullest, or for those who want to die quickly.)
Gray stared at the options but knew there was only really one choice for him. He was reincarnated into Dragon Ball, a series he was a huge fan of. He had the chance to live out his wildest fantasies. To battle strong enemies. To fuck his favorite waifu's. There was no way he was going to go into this half-assed. He'd rather die as a badass than live this newfound life as a bitch. He'd already lived one life, if he died early in this one, then so be it. Fuck it, we ball. Nightmare mode it is.
The game setup is complete!
Good luck, have fun, and try not to die too quickly!
Gray blinked and hastily raised his hand up to his eyes to block the light. Wait… his eyes? He glanced down, and saw that along with eyes, he now had a full body. He looked around and saw that he was in a small room, which looked like some type of dorm room. A small mirror on the wall, a twin bed against the wall, and a small bathroom off to the side. He also had a window on the wall, which he couldn't help but look out. The sight that greeted him was a red rocky canyon, with huge boulders and rock walls surrounding the canyon. Inside the canyon, which was where his room was, there was also a series of buildings, which looked very similar to college buildings from his world.
+10 INT for observing your surroundings! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
He thought he was in a college of some kind, but a more pressing matter surged into his thoughts as he rushed over to the mirror on his wall. He better be hot.
Luckily for him, he was. A chiseled jawline, short blonde hair, and a pair of pretty ocean-blue eyes stared back at him. He was practically a model. Maybe this was a benefit of [Ladies Man]?
+ 10 INT for using your brain! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Thanks game. He also seemed to be pretty tall. He didn't have a real way to measure himself, but from comparing himself to the bed he guessed he was probably a fair bit over 6 feet tall, maybe 6'5 or 6'6. That made sense, as most Sayians were actually pretty tall despite what people online seemed to think. Vegeta being barely over 5 feet really lowered the idea of Sayian's heights, but Nappa was close to 7 feet tall, and Raditz was a few inches over 6'. He was wearing the series's standard black Sayian armor but had a badge to the left of his chest that had the number 1554 on it.
Gray was pulled out of his thoughts by a loud banging on the door, "Hurry up, recruit 1554!" a voice hollered through.
Gray walked towards the door, before deciding whoever was outside could wait a bit longer as an idea came to him. He rushed over to the mirror, and whispered "Observe."
[Observe] skill unlocked!
+10 INT for unlocking [Observe] (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Gray Tanaki:
[Sayian]
Age: 15
Wallet: 0 Coins
Lvl: 1 (0/500 XP)
PL: 825
Available Points: 5
HP: 125/125
TKI: 275/275
STR: 5
AGI: 5
END: 5
INT: 35
CHA: 5
LUK: 5
KI: 5
HREG: 5
EREG: 5
Skills: [Observe LVL 1]
Perks: [Gamer's Mind], [Gamer's Body], [Double-edged Sword], [Legendary Super Sayian], [Perfect Ozaru], [A Cute Pawn], [A Humble Master], [Ladies Man]
Gray Tanaki is a Sayian in training on Planet Vegeta.
Well, at least I know where I am now. Gray thought as he read the final line. He took a moment to click on each of his stats to make sure he knew how they all worked.
PL = Power Level: A numerical description of your strength. (Power Level = STR x AGI x END + base. Your base is 200.)
HP - Health Points: How much health you have. When this reaches 0, you die. Due to [Nightmare Mode], you will feel weaker as your HP decreases despite your [Gamer's Mind] and [Gamer's Body] perks. (HP = STR x END + base. Your base is 100.)
TKI - Total Ki: The amount of Ki you have. Ki is used for energy attacks. Due to [Nightmare Mode], you will feel weaker as your KI decreases despite your [Gamer's Mind] and [Gamer's Body] perks. (Ki = INT x KI + base. Your base is 100.)
KI - Ki: Affects your Total Ki and Energy Regeneration.
STR - Strength: How strong you are. This affects the weight of objects you can pick up or move, as well as the force behind your physical attacks.
AGI - Agility: How quick and agile you are. This affects your ability to hit opponents, as well as dodge opponent's attacks.
END - Endurance: How durable you are. This affects how much damage you take from attacks.
CHA - Charisma: How likable you are. This affects the amount of reputation you gain from interactions, and how persuasive you are.
LUK - Luck: How lucky you are.
HREG - Health Regeneration: How quickly your HP regenerates. (Health Regeneration = HREG/per minute. You will currently regenerate 5 HP per minute.)
EREG - Energy Regeneration: How quickly your KI regenerates. (Energy Regeneration = EREG/per minute. You will currently regenerate 5 KI per minute,)
+10 INT for thinking to observe yourself! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+10 INT for looking through your stats! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+10 INT for checking your stats description! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+1 LVL in [Observe] (10/1 XP) (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Gray didn't have much time to think, as right as he finished reading the descriptions a bang came from the door again, though he made note that he already had a pretty high power level, and it seemed relatively easy to raise.
"Get your ass out here, recruit 1554! If you're not out here in 5 seconds I'll make sure your ass is dead today!" The voice yelled, gruff and slightly nasally.
Gray hurried to the door, opening it up to the sight of a large muscular man. He wore standard Sayian armor and was a good few inches shorter than gray. He had a square face with a purple scouter over one of his eyes, dark black hair, a thick bushy mustache, and muscles that had veins bulging out from them. If this had been back in his world, there would've been no question about if he was on roids. Gray stared at him for a second, thinking Observe.
[Meat Head] Bouleor:
[Sayian F-Class Instructor]
Age: 37
PL: 22,560
Reputation: 10/100 (Positively viewed)
[Meat Head] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will gain INT 50% slower, but STR and END 100% faster.
+1 LVL in [Observe] (20/10 XP) (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Gray's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he saw his power level. Sayians' weren't supposed to be nearly this powerful! Vegeta peaked at 18,000 during his fight with Goku, and he was significantly stronger than any of the other Sayians, having surpassed his father in strength when he was a child. He knew [Nightmare Mode] was going to make this difficult but over 22,000? This instructor, who'd never even appeared in the actual series, was already as strong as Zarbon and Dodoria. Suddenly, his own power level of 825 seemed much less impressive. He didn't even want to imagine what Vegeta's power level was right now.
F-Class? What does that mean? Gray pushed the thought to the back of his mind a second later.
"Fuck you staring at, recruit? Got lost in my eyes? Flattery won't get your rank moved up, I don't swing that way dumb-ass." Bouleor pulled him out of his thoughts as he mocked him, and for the first time, Gray noticed the large group of teenagers gathered behind him as they snickered at his expense.
Gray glanced around and saw that they were in a futuristic-esque tunnel, with large white curved walls curving over their heads. Large purple gemstones admitting light glowed down from the ceiling. He looked over at the teenagers, all of whom wore the same standard armor that he did, and had numbered badges on their front. Bouleor turned away from him and started walking down the tunnel, with the large crowd of teenagers following him. Gray seamlessly joined the crowd to follow him but quickly noticed that the other recruits seemed to make a point of staying away from him, with a few casting glances at him and whispering to one another.
Why were there so many Sayians here? Did he start way before canon, when planet Vegeta hadn't been destroyed yet, or had a combination of [Double-edged Sword] and [Nightmare Mode] fucked up canon to the point where the Sayians had survived somehow?
"Hey, why were you taking so long, dumb-ass? You're just giving him an excuse to kill you!" Gray turned to his right as a girl ran up next to him. He had to look down to make eye contact with her, as she was pretty short compared to him, around 5'8 if he had to take a guess. She had short red hair, and a slim yet muscular physique, looking like the tomboy type. She had a tough yet cute-looking angular face, and her gray eyes narrowed as she scowled at him. She had small breasts that were nearly completely hidden by her Sayian armor.
Observe, Gray thought
[Rough] Tamari:
[Sayian F-Class Recruit #119]
Age: 15
PL: 18,729
Reputation: 110/1000 (Liked)
[Rough] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally talented in "rough" situations, such as training, sports, etc.
An even shorter girl was close behind her, peeking past Tamari to look at him. She looked the opposite of how Gray expected a female Sayian would look. She was probably barely over 5 feet tall and had long blonde hair. Her entire body was very soft looking, as her baby-blue eyes looked at him in concern and her hands pressed together worriedly. Her face was a bit more rounded than Tamari's, and her breasts were too big to be hidden by the Sayian armor, being rather noticeable. Gray quickly used observe on her as well.
[Angel] Asia:
[Sayian F-Class Recruit #1450]
Age: 15
PL: 2,180
Reputation: 200/1000 (Liked)
[Angel] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally kind.
"Ah, I woke up late," Gray said sheepishly to Tamari, making up an excuse on the spot. He didn't know who these two girls were, but considering they were talking to him while everyone else seemed to be avoiding him like the plague, he assumed they were his friends prior to him inhabiting this body.
"You can't do that, idiot!" Tamari said angrily, her hand lightly punching his arm, "You're the lowest ranking in our class. The only reason you've made it this far is because Bouleor enjoys toying with you. If you make him genuinely annoyed, he'll kill you! We both know you're disposable, there's a reason we started with 2000 recruits this year and we're down to under 1600."
"Tam," Asia said softly as she placed her hand on Tamari's arm, "You're being too harsh on him! We all make mistakes."
Tamari groaned and relented, sighing dramatically as she tilted her head upwards and cross her arms behind her head, "Yeah, I'll be nicer when this dumb-ass stops almost getting himself killed."
Gray quickly put the pieces of the conversation together as they walked. He was apparently the lowest-ranked recruit, i.e. the weakest, and had only avoided being killed because the instructor thought he was fun to toy with. Apparently, they'd lost nearly 500 recruits already, whether that was from solely Bouleor being annoyed with them or from training he wasn't sure.
It made a lot more sense now why all the other recruits were avoiding him, as he was ranked the lowest. He wasn't sure why these two girls seemed to be friendly with him, but for whatever reason they seemed concerned about him.
+20 INT for using their conversation to learn more about your situation! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
"I'll try to be more careful in the future, alright?" Gray said, smiling gently at Tamari. The girl blushed lightly and then turned away with a huff.
"By the way, where are we heading?" Gray asked her, as they walked with the large crowd of recruits following Bouleor.
Tamari stared at him incredulously, "You hit your head or something? We're going to the training grounds like we do every day."
"Ah, I was just joking, haha," Gray lamely made an excuse, rubbing the back of his head, embarrassed as he realized how stupid his question was.
The three of them continued with the crowd, making small talk on the way, but Gray's mind was racing as a new alert appeared.
[Quest Alert]
Survive your first day of training!
Rewards:
+20 Attribute points (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+500 Coins
+500 XP
Failure:
Death.
The three continued with small talk as they walked to the training grounds, but Gray was too nervous about the upcoming training to think about any topics to bring up that might get him more information about his situation.
Eventually, they walked past a giant bunker. Gray saw another large crowd of recruits inside of it, all in a circle listening to a big burly man speak. There was a variety of machines in the bunker, along with a track and battle arena. There were healing pods lining the walls and a cafeteria in the corner. Gray assumed this was what Tamari meant by training grounds, but instead, Bouleor walked right past it. Gray glanced back at the top-tier training arena as they walked past and then glanced at Tamari.
Tamari noticed his glance and scowled, "Damn Class-B pricks. They think they're so cool because they get a fancy training area. Can you believe one of them tried picking a fight with me yesterday? Called me a Class-F failure. I don't know why they're so cocky, every class's training ground is shit compared to Class-S."
Gray felt a knot form in his stomach as he listened to her.
That's what Class-F meant. I'm the lowest-ranked recruit… in the weakest class. Are you fucking kidding me game? Fucking nightmare mode.
It was one thing to be the lowest-ranked recruit among the 1,500 recruits around him, but there was a class system? He was the lowest ranked in the worst class?
Wait… Bouleor's the instructor of Class-F. He's probably the weakest instructor and his power level is 22,000? Fucking bullshit nightmare mode. "Fuck it we ball" my ass.
After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at a large open outdoor area in the canyon. Their training ground was definitely a lot less spectacular than the one they walked past earlier. He felt like he was at a middle school track meet.
There were foldable tables set up with tents over them, and water bottles on the tables. That was it. Just a big open canyon, and a couple of tables with tents.
"Alright, maggots. Get to running. Same as always, 50 laps, then meet back here." Bouleor shouted loudly, his voice echoing throughout the canyon.
Gray saw a string of recruits start running out towards the large rock wall on the opposite side of the canyon at speeds he couldn't even hope to match. Tamari and Asia took off past him, and he quickly started running to keep up with them, but that was a lot easier said than done. He could see why he was the lowest-ranked recruit now, as everyone else seemed miles ahead of him physically. Luckily, he had a gamer system and they didn't. Roughly 30 seconds into running he got a notification.
[Running] skill unlocked!
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
[Running] LVL 1 - Your ability to move your legs quickly.
+10 AGI for unlocking an AGI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Gray thanked every god he could think of, even Beerus, that he had the 10x multiplier. The added AGI, along with his new skill, allowed him to barely keep up pace with Tamari and Asia, although they were at the back of the pack, and he was definitely feeling the effects of the running, his breathing heavy and uneven. Another minute passed, and just as he was starting to fall back behind Tamari and Asia, he got another notification.
[Running] level up! (10/10)
+10 AGI for leveling up an AGI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Gray felt his legs start moving faster, and had to slow down slightly as he nearly flew past Tamari and Asia. Keeping pace with them was suddenly a lot easier, and his breathing evened out.
Thank you OP game system. I didn't think I was going to survive even one lap at that pace.
The rock wall they were running towards was very far out, so far he could barely see it. If Gray had to guess, it was likely at least 2 miles away, maybe farther. They had been running for nearly 2 minutes and weren't even halfway there.
We're doing this 50 times? This is going to take hours, is this the only training we do all day?
[Running] level up! (100/100)
+10 AGI for leveling up an AGI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Gray's time concerns were answered as he finally was able to comfortably keep pace with Tamari and Asia, allowing him to look around at the other recruits. Some of them were practically blurs, as his eyes couldn't even keep track of their movements. He realized that while this would take them hours, the higher-ranked recruits would probably be done within 30 minutes, and would move on to the next training stage, or have time to rest. He glanced over at Tamari, remembering that she was nearly in the top 100 of their class. She looked almost bored, not even breaking a sweat as she practically jogged at a pace he had been struggling to keep up with a few minutes ago. Asia at least looked like she was trying, but also only had a few sweat drops on her forehead. They were holding back, running slower so he wouldn't be alone at the back. That pissed him off.
"Go faster," Gray grunted and picked up his pace. By now, there was a large gap formed between the three of them and the rest of the recruits. Even the slowest ones had already reached the wall, and were on their way back, while they were only a bit over halfway.
Tamari glanced at him in surprise, and then nodded and matched his pace. Asia followed her lead and also caught up with them. They continued like that, and not even a minute later they had reached the wall, now gaining on the slowest group of recruits. They turned around and started heading back to the starting site, and Gray felt like his lungs were about to give out already. He glanced to the side and saw Tamari still barely trying.
Dammit, fucking game. I'm supposed to be having badass battles and dicking down hot girls! Not being pitied by a girl a foot shorter than me.
Gray struggled to breathe as he kept up the pace, and felt his legs to start slow down. Asia looked over at him, concerned, then looked at Tamari, "I think we should slow down a bit…"
No, dammit, I'm supposed to be a badass. I'm not going to slow down and look pathetic in front of the only people who give a shit about me here.
Gray forced his legs to keep moving, gritting his teeth, and was greeted by a notification.
[Determination] skill unlocked!
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
[Determination] - Your desire to keep moving forward. When your body wants to stop, make it keep going.
+10 END for acquiring an END-related skill!
Gray kept pushing his legs to move, one after the other, and found it slightly easier than before. However, even with the small boost, he wouldn't be able to keep up for long. Luckily, he was saved by another notification.
[Running] level up! (1000/1000)
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+10 AGI for leveling up an AGI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Level up!
+50 Attribute points (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+500 Coins
This pattern continued for the next hour, Gray slowly upping the pace as his [Determination] and [Running] skills both reached level 4 overall. Eventually, their pace was fast enough that they passed the group of recruits in front of them, a pack of 4 people, 2 boys and 2 girls. Gray felt a smile creep on his face as his body steadily got faster, and soon enough they had passed a few groups. After a little over an hour, they had 10 laps left, and Gray felt a hand grab his shoulder.
"I don't know what's gotten into you today, but we need to slow down," Tamari said, gesturing over to Asia, who was now dripping in sweat and struggling to keep up. Gray nodded, satisfied by the progress he'd made on the run, having started as by far the slowest of the three and now being in the middle. They ran the last 10 laps and arrived back at the starting camp.
"Wow, not last this time 1554! I thought I'd sooner see Lord Freiza lose a fight before I saw you finish ahead of someone!" Bouleor shouted at him, giving him a hard pat on the back that nearly knocked him over as he laughed. Gray didn't respond, tired and dripping in sweat from the run and not having the mental to deal with holding a conversation.
"Damn, not last in something for once? Keep this up and maybe you'll move up a rank! Then you'll only be the second most worthless one here." A pretentious voice said, and Gray looked up to see a small crowd of 4 boys and 1 girl staring at him. He used observe on the one standing at the front. He was uncharacteristically short for a Sayian, looking to be around 5'6, and with a mop of dirty blonde hair on his head. He had a round face, clean of facial hair, and a relatively lean body, not bulging with muscles like many of the other Sayians.
[Arrogant] Dareth:
[Sayian F-Class Recruit #18]
Age: 17
PL: 25,680
Reputation: -150/-1000 (Disliked)
[Arrogant] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally arrogant, believing they are better than others.
A higher power level than the instructor? What the fuck?
"What the hell do you want, Dareth?" Tamari asked, standing slightly in front of him in a defensive way. Gray used the moment to use observe on the others. The first one was a girl he would admit was gorgeous, with long green hair flowing down her back, a cute angular face, that looked almost alien-esque, and a slim body. She stood back behind the others, almost as if she was using them as a shield to hide behind.
[Survivalist] Celia:
[Sayian F-Class Recruit #1550]
Age: 16
PL: 1,020
Reputation: 0/100 (Neutral)
[Survivalist] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will do whatever it takes to survive.
The second looked nothing like a 14 year old boy. He was practically a giant, towering even a few inches over Gray, and looked like a sumo wrestler. He was fat, but clearly had muscles hidden underneath it. He had black hair with a buzz cut that definitely didn't suit him, and a pudgy face. He had an annoying smirk on his face, and was standing a few inches behind Dareth.
[Stupid] Gallow:
[Sayian F-Class Recruit #4]
Age: 14
PL: 32,540
Reputation: -20/-100 (Negatively Viewed)
[Stupid] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally stupid.
The other two couldn't have looked more like side characters if they tried. One was tall and thin, with spikey blonde hair jutting up from his head. He was grinning stupidly, showcasing the two teeth missing from his mouth.
[Follower] Garlet:
[Sayian F-Class Recruit #1209]
Age: 15
PL: 3,460
Reputation: 0/100 (Neutral)
[Follower] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be natural followers. They are terrible leaders but go above and beyond with a good leader.
The final boy looked like the type of plain isekai protagonist who's name you would forget halfway through the second episode. He was short with messy black hair that overshadowed one of his eyes, and very thin. Despite his modifier, he looked like he didn't have a pound of muscle on his body.
[Strong] Kit:
[Sayian F-Class Recruit #860]
Age: 15
PL: 5,975
Reputation: -150/-100 (Disliked)
[Strong] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally inclined to pursue STR-based skills.
"I came to see if you're finally ready to stop hanging out with this loser. You're strong, but there's no way you'll make it through the mid-year exam with him weighing you down," Dareth said, gesturing to Gray, "Join up with me. You can replace one of these two."
Dareth nodded his head in Kit and Garlet's direction.
"Who I hang out with has nothing to do with you. You're an even bigger dumb-ass than you look if you think I'd even consider joining your team for the exam." Tamari said, flipping up her middle finger and holding it in his face.
Dareth glared at her, then smirked maliciously and looked at Asia, "Well, maybe your friend thinks differently."
Dareth took a step forward and reached out to grab Asia's arm. Tamari moved to stop him, but almost faster than Gray's eyes could process, Gallow appeared in between the two. Tamari grit her teeth as he obscured her vision of Asia. Gray's hand snapped up using his newfound agility, and clamped onto Dareth's wrist, stopping him in place.
The face Dareth made would've been comical if Gray wasn't using all the meager strength he had to hold Dareth's arm in place. Dareth looked genuinely shocked, as if the idea of Gray stopping him had never occurred to him.
"You finally grew some balls, last place? Or maybe you've become suicidal?" Dareth said, yanking his wrist from Gray's grasp easily and clenching his fist.
Whatever he was going to do next was interrupted by Bouleor's shout, "What are you idiots doing? Everyone's done with their laps, get over here for the next part!"
Dareth glared at Gray, "I'll make sure you're my partner for the duels today, got it?"
-20 Reputation with Dareth (For standing up to him)
-10 Reputation with Gallow (For standing up to Dareth)
-10 Reputation with Garlet (For standing up to Dareth)
-10 Reputation with Kit (For standing up to Dareth)
+8 Reputation with Celia (For standing up to Dareth) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Humble Master]]
Gray glared back at him and didn't respond, mainly because he didn't even know they were going to be having duels, but he wasn't going to let Dareth know that. Dareth scoffed and walked away, heading towards the forming group of recruits near Bouleor. His posse followed along quickly, not sparing them another look.
Despite being a higher power level than him, he's still listening to Bouleor. I need to learn a lot about this planet, and quickly. Apparently power isn't everything.
+80 Reputation with Asia (For protecting her) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Humble Master]]
+40 Reputation with Tamari (For protecting Asia) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Cute Pawn]]
+10 CHA for being chivalrous (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Gray's eyes widened as he saw the perks that gave him extra reputation were different for each of them. Considering that [A Humble Master] activated for Asia, that meant he was a higher power level than her now.
Stats.
Gray Tanaki:
[Sayian]
Age: 15
Wallet: 500 Coins
Lvl: 2 (300/1000 XP)
PL: 10,325
Available Points: 55
HP: 325/325
TKI: 525/525
STR: 5
AGI: 45
END: 45
INT: 85
CHA: 15
LUK: 5
KI: 5
HREG: 5
EREG: 5
Skills: [Observe LVL 2], [Running LVL 4], [Determination LVL 4]
Perks: [Gamer's Mind], [Gamer's Body], [Double-edged Sword], [Legendary Super Sayian], [Perfect Ozaru], [A Cute Pawn], [A Humble Master], [Ladies Man]
Gray Tanaki is a Sayian in training on Planet Vegeta.
WTF? 10,000 already? I know that running was tough, but damn.
Gray couldn't help the smile coming onto his face as he saw his new power level. 10,000 in one workout gave him hope that maybe raising his power level wouldn't be too difficult. Luckily for him, Asia assumed his smile was directed at her, so he didn't look like a weirdo smiling at nothing.
+20 Reputation with Asia (For smiling kindly at her) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Humble Master]]
Gray calmed himself down before he got ahead of himself.
10,000 is great, I gained over 9,000 from just one workout, but I need to remember the difficulty this world is set to. 10,000 is still only middle of the road in the worst class. The recruits in the S-Class are probably in the hundreds of millions. This is just the first step. My stats are also horrible right now, I'm quick and can take a punch but that won't help me if I'm not strong enough to hurt anybody.
"Thank you for helping me, Gray," Asia said shyly, smiling kindly at him with a blush on her face. Next to her, Tamari nodded and gave him an appreciative look.
"No problem, there's no way I was going to let that dickhead do anything to you." He said, smiling gently at her, eliciting another blush. She really was pretty. He'd been excited to meet and seduce the characters he knew, like Bulma and Android 18, but too many women in his harem could never hurt, right?
"It reminds me of the first time we met," Asia said, blushing heavily as she looked away shyly.
"Hurry the fuck up, last place! You ran a bit quicker today and think you're too cool for ki training now?" Bouleor shouted behind him, interrupting their conversation.
I'll have to find out about our first meeting another time.
Gray and the two girls hurried towards him, and the training started soon after. Everyone else already knew how to use ki, and the training Bouleor gave them was to pretty much just to work on controlling it. It didn't seem like he really had any training plans, but I guess that's what F-Class gets.
Gray wasn't sure how to bring out his ki and thought back to what he knew about the series.
What was it that Gohan told Videl when he was teaching her? Just let it flow out…
Gray frowned as he tried and nothing happened.
Not very specific. You suck at teaching, Gohan.
Gray held his hands a few inches a part, leaving a ball-shaped area cradled in between them. He focused, closing his eyes and imagining the energy flowing in his hands. A moment later, he felt a small pull in his gut, and suddenly a small orb of light was hovering in between his hands.
[Ki Control] skill unlocked!
+10 Ki for acquiring a Ki-related skill!
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Gray grinned and tried moving the ball around. He couldn't control it very well, but he could make the ball move roughly in the direction he wanted to. For the next two hours, Bouleor leaned against a rock and took a nap while the recruits worked on their ki control alone. Gray spent the time talking with Tamari and Asia once he had enough control to keep the ball afloat while talking. Throughout this time, he managed to level up his Ki control to level 5, and could control the ball well enough to move it around fairly quickly, but didn't risk trying to shoot any beams. He wasn't sure he trusted himself to not accidentally hit someone, and he wasn't strong enough yet to confidently fight any of the higher-ranked recruits. He also managed to level up once from the XP he gained by leveling up his [Ki Control] skill.
After 2 hours, Bouleor abruptly stood up from the rock he'd been leaning on, and shouted at the recruits, "Alright, time for the fun stuff! Everyone form a circle, it's time for some duels!"
The recruits around him dismissed their various ki constructions, and started forming a large circle around Bouleor. Gray followed Tamari's lead, and eventually, there was a decently large circle formed around an empty area in the canyon. Bouleor called out various numbers, and those recruits stepped into the circle, resulting in either a round of cheers or boos ringing out around them. Gray hoped he wouldn't be called, but after watching a couple of duels he was feeling more confident. No one was moving faster than he could keep up with, and he felt like he'd be able to hold his own for the most part against some of the higher-ranked recruits.
"Next up, 1554 and 18!" Bouleor shouted out, and a round of cheers rang out. Gray grimaced as he realized what was going on. This was what Dareth meant about being his dueling partner. Gray entered the circle, feeling nervous, as while he'd felt like he could hold his own against most of the recruits he'd been watching duel, the highest ranking of them had only been at the upper end of 300. Dareth was in the top 20.
Tamari grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back as he started to walk into the circle. She leaned close to his ear, "Just dodge, ok? Don't give him a show and he'll get bored. I fucking mean it Gray, if you try to fight back you'll die. You've got no chance against him."
Gray nodded at her words and walked forward. He didn't plan on fighting back anyway. His agility and endurance were high, but his strength was practically non-existent. He wasn't going to throw all his attribute points into strength so early on when he didn't have much of a plan. His win condition was to dodge and endure until the crowd grew bored and they started the next duel. Bouleor was clearly looking for a show, as he'd ended duels while they were still fighting earlier if they weren't exciting.
"Regretting standing up for your little girlfriend now, last place?" Dareth said, smirking as he stood across from him. Gray opened his mouth to speak but didn't get a chance to respond, as Dareth suddenly appeared right in front of him. He launched a fist at Gray's face, and Gray barely managed to stumble out of the way.
"DARETH! DARETH! DARETH! DARETH!" A chant broke out in the crowd around them.
"Beat his ass, Dareth!"
"Show that weakling where he belongs!"
"Kill him!"
Gray gritted his teeth as he heard the shouts around him.
I'll make then regret that when I'm stronger.
"Feeling nervous? Here, give me your best punch," Dareth said, stopping in the middle of the ring and holding his hand in a "come here" motion. Laughter rang out around them from the crowd.
"Don't let him goad you, Gray!" He heard Tamari shout, and Gray had no intention of playing into his game. His power level had grown a lot today, being over 10,000 now, but it was still less than half of Dareth's. He wasn't looking to die young.
Gray stood at the edge of the circle, ready to dodge at a moment's notice. Dareth realized he wasn't going to throw a punch, and surged forward again, swiping a kick up at his face. Gray ducked under it, then barely managed to roll to the side in time as the kick changed direction and came down toward his head.
"Do you plan to run forever? Where did those balls you had earlier go?" Dareth mocked him, chasing him with a flurry of punches. Gray barely managed to dodge, but eventually had to hold up his arms to block one.
-10HP (315/325)
Gray grunted as a punch hit his crossed arms, the force of it causing him to lose some HP even though he blocked it. Dareth smiled as he heard his grunt, and his punches seemed to speed up. His flurry of punches and kicks continued, forcing Gray to guard more.
-10HP (305/325)
-10HP (295/325)
-10HP (285/325)
-10HP (275/325)
-10HP (265/325)
I can't keep going on like this. He's chipping away at my HP, and the crowd doesn't seem bored yet.
"DARETH! DARETH! DARETH!"
"Kill that coward!"
"Beat his ass!"
An idea formed in Gray's head, and he made a point to hold up his arms and block a punch going for his face, leaving his lower body open. Dareth noticed, and a harsh uppercut slammed into Gray's gut. The crowd roared even louder.
-120HP (145/325)
Gray grunted as spit flew out of his mouth, his body slumping onto Dareth's fist.
Damn, that hurt way more than I thought it would.
He felt like his ribs were broken, but continued with his plan. His body slumped on Dareth's fist, and Dareth held his fist there for a second to gloat his connected punch to the crowd, his head turned towards them with a big smirk. Gray's hand stealthily swiped the floor, grabbing a handful of sand and small rocks. He swung his arm upwards, and Dareth's gloating was cut short as a pile of sand found its way into his eyes. He pulled his arms away, his hands now clawing at his eyes.
"You bitch! You fucking coward! I'll-" Dareth roared out, but was cut off as Gray's hand slammed into his gut.
2HP! (1,508/1,510)
Gray launched into a series of punches, slamming his fists into Dareth's midsection as hard as he could while he was blinded. The crowd roared around him, becoming deafening.
2HP! (1,506/1,510)
2HP! (1,504/1,510)
2HP! (1,502/1,510)
2HP! (1,500/1,510)
2HP! (1,498/1,510)
2HP! (1,496/1,510)
2HP! (1,494/1,510)
2HP! (1,492/1,510)
2HP! (1,490/1,510)
2HP! (1,488/1,510)
2HP! (1,486/1,510)
2HP! (1,484/1,510)
Gray barely rolled to the side as Dareth's arm swung out. His other hand was still rubbing his eyes, but he'd managed to get most of the sand out by now.
"I'll fucking kill you! You'll regret that you little weasel!" Dareth roared, swinging his arms out wildly at Gray. He was too angry to think clearly, and his martial arts-esque punches and kicks from earlier had been transformed into a series of wild haymakers. Gray dodged easily, not having to guard any of the wild punches.
If I could do some damage this fight would be over. 2HP a hit? Damn nightmare mode.
"Alright, alright, this isn't going anywhere." Bouleor's hand shot out and grabbed one of Dareth's punches, stopping him in his tracks. Gray stood still and looked at him.
"It's getting dark, and watching you throw these stupid punches while this sissy dodges isn't much fun at all. Training's over for today. Go get your dinner, maggots." He said, letting go of Dareth's arm and walking back towards the tunnel we'd entered the training grounds through.
+20 Reputation with Bouleor (For holding your own) [2x from [A Cute Pawn]]
+8 HREG for surviving a tough battle! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+8 EREG for surviving a tough battle! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+20 INT for fighting smart! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
"I'll make you regret humiliating me, last place," Dareth said as he stalked away, his posse fell in behind him.
-20 Reputation with Dareth (For humiliating him)
-10 Reputation with Gallow (For humiliating Dareth)
-10 Reputation with Garlet (For humiliating Dareth)
-10 Reputation with Kit (For humiliating Dareth)
+20 Reputation with Celia (For humiliating Dareth) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Humble Master]]
Huh?
"That was amazing, Gray!" Asia said while bouncing up and down excitedly, looking like she was torn between whether she should hug him or not.
"Yeah, how the fuck did you do that? That was badass." Tamari said, grinning widely at him as she lightly punched his arm.
+20 Reputation with Asia (For humiliating Dareth) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Humble Master]]
+20 Reputation with Tamari (For humiliating Dareth) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Cute Pawn]]
"Some luck combined with Dareth being a complete dumbass," Gray said cheekily, and they all shared a laugh.
"Hey, 1554!" A shout echoed across the canyon, and Gray saw it was Bouleor shouting as he stood by the entrance to the tunnel, recruits pouring in past him, "Come with me for a few minutes."
A symphony of "oos" rang out from the remaining recruits in the courtyard, and for a moment Gray felt like he was in a high school instead of a military training program to make child Sayians into killing machines so they could sell planets for their super-galactic overlord.
"Be careful," Tamari said nervously, "I doubt he'll do anything too bad, but if he does, make a run for it, ok?"
Gray nodded and said a quick goodbye to the two girls. He walked over to Bouleor, and followed him into the tunnel. They went the opposite way of the stream of recruits, who he assumed were heading to the cafeteria, and walked in silence for a few minutes.
"Where are we going?" Gray finally broke the silence.
"Getting your power level checked, kid. I never thought I'd see the day a useless brat like you held his own against someone like Dareth. It might be time for a rank change." Bouleor answered.
"Can't you just use your scouter?" Gray asked, glancing at the purple scouter sitting on Bouleor's face.
"Protocol, kid. I already know your power level went up. You're a bit over 10,000 now. The guys in the stats department need to measure you with their fancy machine to get your new level in the system, then you can get your rank up. Those S-Class bastards do this pretty much every day, but since I'm stuck with you F-Class brats I need to make a special trip for this." Bouleor responded, and a moment later turned and opened a white door on the wall. The room they entered looked like a laboratory, with various machines and computers within it. There was a rolling chair by a computer in the corner, and a woman sitting in it.
[Clutz] Shizuka:
[Sayian Lab Worker]
Age: 26
PL: ?
HP: ?
TKI: ?
Reputation: 0/100 (Neutral)
[Clutz] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally clumsy.
+1 LVL in [Observe] (100/100 XP) (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Skill [Observe] will now show more information.
Damn, she's strong. I can't even see her power level.
The woman stood up out of her chair and turned towards them, giving Gray a good look at her. She had long blonde hair, and a gorgeous angular face with big round glasses sitting on her eyes. She was decently tall, and had long legs, but there was one feature of her that was by far the most noticeable.
Those… they're huge…
Her breasts seemed to float perfectly on her chest, only sagging down slightly. They were giant. Two huge mountains on the woman's chest. She wore a surprisingly normal outfit, with a buttoned-down white shirt and black skirt. As she walked over to them, her breasts bounced and jiggled, looking like they were going to tear through her shirt. Her ass was covered by the skirt, but he could clearly see the outline as her big ass pressed into the skirt.
On her way over across the lab, which was only 20-30 feet long, Gray watched the woman almost trip twice, and then actually trip. She recovered quickly and reached them.
"Welcome back, Bouley! Who's this cutie you brought?" She said, staring up at him.
+80 Reputation with Shizuka (For being cute) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Cute Pawn]]
+10 CHA for charming an older woman (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
80?!
"Please… don't call me that," Bouleor said, his hand grabbing the bridge of his nose as if he were fighting off a headache, "This is a recruit in my class. I need his power level measured."
"Sure thing, Bouley! Step right over here, cutie." She said, leading him to a large pod-like machine. The door raised upwards to open, and he stepped in. It was rather spacious, with a dome-like interior and a green floor. A moment later, the floor glowed, and then the door raised open again.
"All done!" Shizuka said, and Gray exited the pod. She was leaning over a desk to stare at a computer screen, and Bouleor was making a point to stare out the window as Shizuka's ass pressed into her skirt. Gray stared unashamedly.
Yeah, I'm not leaving this planet without her. I need that ass.
Gray added Shizuka to the list of his eventual harem, now consisting of her, Asia, and a bunch of characters from canon.
"Wow! You grew a lot, cutie. You're power level I mean, not that thing in your pants, though that seems to be growing too," Gray hastily covered his crotch with his hand and blushed, "You're up to 10,325! You were only just over 800 when you were last measured. Good job!"
"Thanks," Gray responded, doing his best to calm his little friend down.
"Gaining that much power overnight is rare. How'd you do it, kid?" Beolour asked, staring at him with a suspicious glint in his eyes.
"Not sure," Gray responded, "Can I go now? I'm starving after that fight with Dareth."
He needed to veer the conversation away from his insane growth. He still didn't know enough about to world to know if he should be worried or not, but it was better to be safe and keep the suspicion to a minimum. He didn't want Freeza randomly blasting him because he was getting strong too quickly.
"Yeah, yeah," Beolour said, waving his hand and opening the door, "You'll get your updated rank in the morning." He stepped out and Gray followed behind him.
"Bye, cutie!" A voice said behind him.
"Ah, bye, Miss." He responded, turning towards the way they came as Beolour walked the opposite direction.
"Call me Shizuka! Or Onee-sama would be fine too~" Shizuka said, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind playfully, and pressing her breasts into his back.
"Sure, Shizuka. I need to go eat now, but I'll hopefully see you again soon." Gray said, fighting to keep his little gray under control.
+20 Reputation with Shizuka (For being kind) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Cute Pawn]]
"Come back soon, cutie!" She shouted after him as he headed towards the way they came.
As he walked, a new notification appeared in front of him.
[Quest Complete]
Survive your first day of training!
Rewards:
+20 Attribute points (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+500 Coins
+500 XP
Failure:
Death.
Nice. When I get back to my room tonight, I'll work on distributing those attribute points once I have a rough plan in mind. Or should I save them for when I'm in a tough spot?
He continued down the long hallway until he passed a door with a large sign over it that read "Eating Zone."
Eating Zone? That's gotta be the cafeteria, right?
Luckily for him, it was. There were long tables stretched out in the middle of the room, with a series of smaller tables off to the sides. There were also a few booths against the wall. He was about to look for Asia and Tamari when a voice spoke up behind him.
"Hey bro! That was pretty badass what you did to Dareth earlier!" Gray turned around as a large hand patted him on the back roughly.
[Macho] Ken:
[Sayian F-Class Recruit #2]
Age: 16
PL: 40,320
HP: 2,490/2,490
TKI: 2,400/2,400
Reputation: 25/100 (Positively viewed)
[Macho] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally manly.
The boy in front of him looked a lot more like a grown man than a 16-year-old boy. He was tall, even taller than Gray by an inch or two, and had muscles bulging muscles, but looked more lean than someone like Bouleor. He had spiked blonde hair and a blonde bushy mustache on his face. He had a huge toothy smile on his face, and his other hand was held up for a fist bump.
Is this guy being serious, or is he making fun of me? He's way stronger than me right now, so I'll hope for the former.
Gray held up his hand and fist-bumped him, "Thanks. I had to do what I could, y'know?"
"I get you, bro! And you looked badass doing it! Very manly!" The boy said, laughing obnoxiously loud and drawing the attention of eating recruits around him, "I'm Ken by the way! Come train with my group tomorrow, man! It'll be great!"
"Sure, I'll try to find you before training tomorrow," Gray said, deciding to believe that the man was being honest.
At least that confirms for me that we have training tomorrow too. Tamari did mention that we go to the training ground every day.
Ken laughed loudly again, and gave Gray a pat on the back again, nearly sending him flying to the floor, before walking away. Gray glanced around, realizing that the cafeteria didn't have any staff handing out food. He watched another recruit who had entered during his conversation with Ken to see what to do. The recruit walked up to a large machine on the wall, said his name, and then said machine opened and tray of food came out.
Gray imitated the boy, walking up to the machine and saying his name, and frowned as he saw his tray of food. It looked terrible. A pile of slop. The recruit before him didn't get anything good either, but his at least looked edible.
This is what I get for being in last place in Class-F. Damn nightmare mode. I'll hopefully get something better tomorrow with my updated rank.
Gray shoved down the food as fast he could, wanting to taste it as little as possible.
+1 HP recovered for eating (Class-F Slop)
How surprising.
Gray finished his food, and looked around the cafeteria to see if Tamari and Asia were still there. He spotted Asia sitting alone at a table and stood up to go join her, but was interrupted before he reached her.
"What you did was cool." A monotone voice said, belonging to the green-haired girl standing in his path. Gray recognized her as Celia, the girl whom he gained reputation with after his fight with Dareth, despite her being a part of his posse.
"Thanks. You're not mad about it? I thought you were his friend." Gray responded, staring down into her amber eyes.
"No. He's rude. It was deserved." She said, her voice monotone and her sentences short, "I'm perceptive. You're confused. Ask me any questions, and I'll answer."
"Not confused," Gray corrected, not wanting to expose that, yes, he was very confused about what was going on, "Just curious. Is there a library, or somewhere I can read books at here?"
I really need some knowledge on this worlds situation. I need to know the year most importantly. If I'm before Freeza destroyed Planet Vegeta, I need to get as strong as possible as quickly as I can so I don't die when he does.
The girl nodded, "Follow." She said, then turned around and exited the cafeteria. They walked in awkward silence for a minute, but the girl didn't seem to care as she led him towards the library.
Gray broke the silence, "You seem pretty cool. What're you doing hanging around an ass like Dareth?"
"Safety. He's strong enough to survive the mid-term exam. By being on his team, I will also survive." She said simply.
"You said you'd answer my questions, right? Can you tell me more about the mid-term?" Gray asked, trying to sound non-chalent.
"Asking me that when the exam is in 2 days is comical," She said, but there was no sense of amusement in her face, "The mid-term exam will be held in 2 days. It changes every year. It was a battle royale last year, but could be a series of duels, a mental challenge, or anything challenging. The only thing that is the same every year is the size of the teams, and the amount of death. You will be in a team of 5. If you don't have a team of 5, you will be placed on a random team that doesn't have 5 members yet. The majority of Class-F will either die or fail and be expelled from the training academy, which is considered worse than death by some. For the rest of the year, Class-F will be abolished. Those who pass will be put into Class-D, where another exam will be held with the current Class-D to decrease the number of recruits."
"Thanks," Gray said, thoughts running through his head as they continued their walk in silence.
2 days. I have 2 days to become strong enough to survive the exam. Should I assume Tamari and Asia will team with me? Tamari's strong, she'll give me a better chance of survival. Asia will weigh us down, but we'll have to work around that. There's no way I'm abandoning a future harem member. I need to become strong enough to protect her. I need to be strong enough to survive even alone. I can't rely on anyone.
"This is the library." Celia said, stopping and gesturing to a small wooden door on the wall, which looked much less future-esque than anything else he'd seen.
"Thanks," Gray said, "You're nice. I hope we can be friends, I'll ignore Dareth's dumb-assery and be friendly during the exam if we run into each other."
She's not very strong, but she's pretty, and I might as well make as many allies as I can while I'm pretty weak.
Celia nodded, "You are also kind, Gray. I would love to be friends, but I have to decline. I would feel guilty. For what it's worth, I am sorry."
What?
"Sorry?" Gray repeated, looking at her confused, "Sorry for what?"
"You'll know soon enough." She answered cryptically, walking back in the direction they came.
Should I be concerned about that? Probably, but not much I can do about it right now.
Gray entered the library and looked around. It was huge, with 2 floors, and towering bookshelves. It looked new, as if it'd just been built that day, and had yet to be used. There were tables spaced throughout, and in the corner there was a section for… computers?
I'm dumb. I'm an idiot. This world is so technologically advanced, of course Planet Vegeta has damn computers! I'll just look up everything I need to know.
"A visitor? That's rare." A voice spoke, and Gray looked over to see a very small girl sitting on a high stool behind a large desk.
[Smart] Miko:
[Sayian Librarian]
Age: 19
PL: ?
HP: ?
TKI: ?
Reputation:
[Smart] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will gain INT 100% faster.
The girl was short, very short, looking to be under 5 foot. She had short brown hair, and large brown eyes. Her petite body was covered in an… kimono?
Is she really a Sayian? A Sayian strong enough that I can't see her power level too.
"Most Sayians are too focused on battle to ever think about gaining knowledge. What are you here for?" Miko asked, her big eyes staring at him curiously.
"Just wanting to use a computer, that's all." Gray said.
"Disappointing. You'll never find true knowledge on there." She answered, her lips curving downward.
True knowledge?
"Where do you suggest I look for 'true knowledge?'" Gray asked, indulging in her.
"Books. I'm a good judge of character. The knowledge you desire is in that row." The girl answered, gesturing to a small row of books separated from the tower bookshelves.
"Thanks." Gray said simply, not sure if he should be suspicious or grateful. The girl nodded, and turned back to the book sitting on her desk as Gray walked toward the bookshelf.
+20 Reputation with Miko (For taking her suggestion) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Cute Pawn]]
It turned out to be a good choice to listen to her, though Gray became even more suspicious as he read through the books. They were exactly what he was looking for.
How the hell did she know that? Is she a mind reader?
Gray sat their reading for nearly 2 hours before he was satisfied. He'd have to return tomorrow to read some more, but it was getting late, and this would do for now.
+100 INT for reading 10 new books! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
The gist of it: He was fucked. The current year was 760, one year before Raditz arrival on Earth, meaning that Planet Vegeta should've been destroyed. Canon was now completely out the window.
The Sayians were still under Freeza's rule, and they were still selling planets, though Freeza seemed to have less control over the universe in this world than he did in canon. The academy he was in was used to train Sayians to join his force of soldiers. It'd been implemented roughly a decade ago, when Freeza's family had a falling out. This explained why Freeza had less control than in canon, as he was vying with Cooler and King Cold for control. This was also likely the reason why he hadn't destroyed Planet Vegeta, as he needed the Sayians to bolster his army.
As for the academy, every 2 years the current S-Class would graduate into the Freeza Force. The current year was one of those years, meaning he'd have to find a way into S-Class within the next half a year if he wanted to go that route.
I can't be sure how fucked canon is, but assuming it's very fucked, overthrowing Freeza and taking control of the universe would be badass. I could fuck alien women from all around the universe. The academy and Freeza force are probably the best way for me to gain levels and stats. I'm getting a lot early-game from the nightmare multiplier, but it'll probably get more difficult later on, and fighting strong opponents will be my best bet.
Gray waved goodbye to Miko and exited the library, using the floor plan of the academy, which had been in one of the books Miko recommended, to find his way back to his room. He entered, and had just sat down on his bed to rest for a moment when a sharp bang came from the door.
"Gray! It's me! Open up, quick!" He heard Tamari shout from outside, and he walked over to the door and opened it. Tamari was outside, panting as if she'd just sprinted there, and her eyes were wide and manic.
"Hurry up! Come with me, quickly!" She said in a panic, grabbing Grays arm and dragging him down the tunnel before he could respond.
"Where are we going?" He asked as he ran to keep up with Tamari.
"The infirmary." She said simply, still breathing heavily and in a panic.
They rushed down the tunnel, which was pretty much empty since it was already past nightfall, and Tamari lead him to a large set of glass doors, which slid open automatically as they approached. She dragged him into a side room, and Gray's eyes widened at the sight before him.
There was a doctor setting up a healing pod, but on a stretcher next to it was an all-too familiar blonde girl. Asia laid on the stretcher, her armor broken in various places, with a flurry of bruises on her face and arms. Her right arm was twisted at an unnatural angle. She was unconscious, and there was some blood stained near her mouth.
"What happened?" Gray asked angrily, using observe to make sure Asia was still alive.
[Angel] Asia:
[Sayian F-Class Recruit #1450]
Age: 15
PL: 2,180
HP: 15/120
TKI: 100/1,450
Reputation: 200/1000 (Liked)
[Angel] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally kind.
She's alive, but barely.
"That bastard Dareth!" Tamari said angerily, staring down as her hand was clenched hard enough to draw blood, with tears dripping from her eyes.
"His fucking lacky Gallow started a fight with me in the cafeteria, and we both got dragged to the discipline chamber. He did it on purpose, so I wouldn't be there with Asia." She said, tears dripping from her eyes as her voice cracked.
"When I got out, I couldn't find her. I hoped she'd just gone to bed early. A recruit from Class-A on his way back from training found her body covered in rocks in the canyon. Dareth left her there to die. He wanted to kill her." Her voice sounded completey broken as she stared at Asia's body, tears dripping down her face.
Gray's eyes widened as he realized what happened. Dareth had gone after Asia to get back at him for defending her and humiliating him during the duel today. He remembered seeing Asia eating alone in the cafeteria, but was interrupted before he reached her by… Celia.
She did that on purpose. She distracted me to keep me away from her. That's why she apologized at the library.
Gray felt anger rise up as he realized he'd been tricked. Celia had started talking to him to draw him away so Dareth could go after Asia. His hands clenched into a fist, and he gritted his teeth.
"Gray…" Tamari said, reaching out and clamping her hand on his wrist, "I fucking hate him, Gray. He hurt Asia. He tried to kill her. And I can't do a damn thing about it." Tears stremed down her face, and a sob broke through.
"I fucking hate it Gray. I hate that he can do this and I can't do anything about it. He's too fucking strong. Gallow's too fucking strong. I can't do anything…" Tamari said, light sobs escaping as she used her other hand to wipe her face, "I feel so helpless."
Gray ripped his arm from Tamari's grasp, and turned away, "I'll see you tomorrow, Tamari."
Gray walked away silently as he heard Tamari's soft sobs behind him.
He knew he should've stayed. That he should've comforted Tamari as she stood there tramutized, sobbing over her best friends broken body. That he should've done anything but leave.
But he didn't. He was mad. Furious. He didn't know he could be this mad. He walked in silence back towards his room, a single thought repeating over and over again in his head.
She's mine.
He'd decided the moment he met Asia. She was beautiful, gentle, and kind. She was going to be a part of his harem. He reached his room, and kept going. He walked until he was at the entrance to the training grounds, and walked out, the combined moonlight of Planet Vegeta's 2 moons lighting up that part of the canyon.
She's mine. She's mine, and yet you hurt her.
He dropped to the floor.
[Pushup] skill unlocked!
+10 STR for acquiring a STR-related skill!
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
She's mine. You touched something that's mine.
[Pushup] level up! (10/10)
+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Level up!
+50 Attribute points!
+1,000 coins!
[Party] system unlocked!
I'll make you regret it.
[Pushup] level up! (100/100)
+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
I'll make you beg for mercy.
[Pushup] level up! (1000/1000)
+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
I'll kill you.
He stood up, sweat dripping from his body.
[Punch] skill unlocked!
+10 STR for acquiring a STR-related skill!
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
I'll fucking kill you.
[Kick] skill unlocked!
+10 STR for acquiring a STR-related skill!
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
I'll fucking kill you.
[Punch] level up! (10/10)
+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
I'll fucking kill you.
[Kick] level up! (10/10)
+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
I'll fucking kill you.
[Punch] level up! (100/100)
+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
I'll fucking kill you.
[Kick] level up! (100/100)
+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
I'll fucking kill you.
[Punch] level up! (1000/1000)
+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
I'll fucking kill you.
[Kick] level up! (10/10)
+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Gray wasn't sure how long he was out there, fueled purely by his rage, but he didn't sleep that night.
You're fucking dead, Dareth.
The game agreed.
[Quest Alert]
Kill Dareth
Rewards:
+100 Attribute points (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
+2000 Coins
+10,000 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])
Increased reputation with Asia
Increased reputation with Tamari
Increased reputation with Bouleor
Increased reputation with Ken
Increased reputation with Celia
Increased reputation with ?
Increased reputation with ?
Failure:
You will have to live with your inaction
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That's chapter 1, thanks for reading! Reviews are welcome! Also, I have a Patreon at Patreon.com/Koyon - any support is greatly appreciated, and you can read the next chapter a week early! (Soon to be up to 10 chapters 10 weeks early)! This story will be updated weekly (To any webnovel ppl reading this - I'm posting this here late, I'll update it daily until it's caught up! This story is already up to chapter 9!)
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Gray Tanaki:
[Sayian]
Age: 15
Wallet: 2,500 Coins
Lvl: 3 (1000/2000 XP)
PL: 253,325
Available Points: 155
HP: 5,725/5,725
TKI: 3,175/3,175
STR: 125
AGI: 45
END: 45
INT: 205
CHA: 25
LUK: 5
KI: 55
HREG: 13
EREG: 13
Skills: [Observe LVL 3], [Running LVL 4], [Determination LVL 4], [Ki Control LVL 5], [Pushup LVL 4], [Punch LVL 4], [Kick LVL 4]
Perks: [Gamer's Mind], [Gamer's Body], [Double-edged Sword], [Legendary Super Sayian], [Perfect Ozaru], [A Cute Pawn], [A Humble Master], [Ladies Man]
Party: Empty
Gray Tanaki is a Sayian in training on Planet Vegeta.