The walk back toward the plains and Mt. Unknown was a completely different experience now. With full stamina and the knowledge that he had a second dose of recovery water, Tommy felt genuinely capable. The 15 Ki Points he had earned were a bonus, starting his savings fund for the Scouter.
He used the time to reflect on the timeline. Age 749. Goku was three, meaning he was still living with Grandpa Gohan, who would die soon—in Age 750—before Goku's encounter with Bulma in Age 753. This gave Tommy roughly four years to get strong enough to survive the Red Ribbon Army and King Piccolo sagas, where the threats began escalating rapidly.
Four years. To go from PL 5 to... what? PL 200 just to fight King Piccolo?
The odds were staggering, but the lure of the "UNMEASURABLE" power sealed in Mt. Unknown was too great to ignore. That had to be his immediate power jump.
He reached the perimeter of the great mountain just as the three moons began to rise—a strange sight to see two extra, smaller moons in the Dragon Ball sky, confirming he was indeed on Earth. The heavy, humming energy field was still present, making the hair on his arms stand up.
He pushed through the dense foliage until he was standing once more before the colossal, moss-covered Stone Gate. The violet light emanating from the arcane carvings was brighter in the darkness, and the Mega Four-Star Ball pulsed with a terrifying, contained power.
[Quest: The Ancient Seal] [Condition: Host must possess a Ki Control (KC) of E-Rank or higher. (Condition Met!)]
Tommy held his breath and approached the gate. He reached out a trembling hand and placed it gently on the stone beside the huge Dragon Ball. The stone was strangely warm, vibrating slightly.
"Okay, System. What now?"
[Host must channel Ki energy into the seal's matrix, focusing on the release point around the Mega Four-Star Ball.]
Tommy closed his eyes and summoned the inner warmth—his Ki. He forced the energy to travel down his arm and into his hand, pushing it into the stone. It was a struggle; the gate felt like a giant electromagnet, actively resisting the flow of his paltry Ki.
The small, coal-like flame of his Ki strained, and he saw the violet carvings on the gate briefly flare brighter.
[Ki Control (KC) Check Initiated! (E-Rank Required)]
Tommy gritted his teeth, forcing more power. "I need this! I need to survive!"
Whoosh!
His entire Ki reservoir (10/10) was drained in a painful rush. The immense power within the mountain surged back, overwhelming his weak connection.
[Ki Energy (KE): 0/10] [Ki Control Check Failed!] [Note: Host's total Ki reservoir is too low to maintain the necessary connection.]
Tommy stumbled back, panting, his arm aching from the failed attempt. He checked his stats.
[Ki Energy (KE): 0/10 (Empty)]
"Are you kidding me?!" he groaned, sinking to his knees. "I had the Control, but not the fuel?"
He looked down at the last vial of Recovery Water (Small).
"Well, this is what it was for."
He drank the clear liquid. The relief was instantaneous.
[Stamina (STM): 15/15 (Fully Restored)] [Ki Energy (KE): 10/10 (Fully Restored)]
"Okay, second try," he said, pushing the remaining empty vial into his pocket. "Full power, full focus."
He placed both hands on the stone this time, focusing his entire being. He wasn't just pushing the Ki; he was trying to match the frequency of the seal, imagining the energy flowing out of him and into the violet lines, running around the circumference of the Mega Ball.
The warmth in his abdomen intensified. He felt the pain and depletion begin again, but he held the connection steady.
One second... two seconds... three seconds...
He felt the last bit of Ki leave his body, but this time, the massive energy from the mountain didn't rebound. Instead, the seal let out a sound like a gigantic metal lock being released. The violet light surrounding the Mega Four-Star Ball sputtered and died.
[Ki Control Check Success!]
The colossal Dragon Ball slowly, agonizingly, slid out of the groove in the stone gate and dropped heavily into the dirt. It was so big it came up to Tommy's waist.
The moment the ball was released, the heavy, resistant energy field around the mountain vanished.
The Stone Gate, no longer sealed, slowly began to grind open with a deep, echoing rumble, revealing a dark, cavernous pathway within.
[Quest Complete!]
[Quest: The Ancient Seal]
Reward:Hidden Ki Technique, Permanent +10 to Ki Energy, Access to Mt. Unknown Training Grounds.
Tommy gasped, checking his stats immediately.
[Ki Energy (KE): 10 -> 20]
"A permanent double Ki boost! That's huge!"
He also received a new scroll:
[Hidden Ki Technique Scroll: Internal Ki Storage] [Use? Y/N]
He pressed "Y." The knowledge flooded his mind, teaching him how to utilize his increased reservoir.
The System gave him one final, serious message:
[Internal Ki Storage is an Anomaly Skill. It allows the Host to store a large amount of Ki without raising the detectable Power Level, bypassing traditional Scouter readings and increasing Ki efficiency. This technique is unique to the Host and should be kept absolutely secret.]
Tommy smiled. This was the edge he needed. Stealth power! He was already cheating the Dragon Ball universe's main weakness—Ki detection.
He looked at the huge, dark opening of the gate. Within the blackness, he could see a wide set of stone stairs spiraling upwards into the heart of the mountain.
[New Quest Alert!]
[Quest: The Ascent]
Objective: Ascend to the highest peak of the Mt. Unknown Training Grounds.
Reward:Unlock Racial Potential (Saiyan/Namekian/Human), 250 KP, System Shop Update (Advanced).
Failure Condition: Giving up or falling off the path.
Tommy looked up the massive, winding staircase leading into the blackness. He knew this was going to be the trial.
He stepped inside the cavern. The air was cool and immediately felt cleaner. But as he looked up the path, he saw why the challenge was an "Ascent."
Giant, impossibly large stone steps were carved into the mountain's core, each one nearly as tall as Tommy himself. The staircase wasn't built for a human; it was built for giants.
A small sign, chiseled into the rock, confirmed his suspicion, though it was written in the same strange, alien script as the gate.
[*System Translation: Test of the Great Warriors. Climb 300 Steps to Claim the Power of the Stars.]
"Three hundred steps, each one a vertical jump," Tommy muttered. "This is going to be my first real training montage."
He looked back down at the Mega Four-Star Ball lying in the dirt. He felt a sudden, familiar presence nearby, and the System chimed an alarm.
[Warning! New Target Detected!] [Scan Result: Son Goku (PL 10) is approaching the perimeter of the Training Grounds.]
Goku? Did he finish off the dinosaur already?
Tommy had to move fast. He couldn't let Goku see the massive Dragon Ball, the strange gate, or him entering the mountain. It would completely shatter the timeline.
He scrambled up the first step, hauling himself over the massive lip of the stone. He used the last of his Ki to make the second jump, the Internal Ki Storage already showing its value by quickly refilling his reserve.
He heard a small, high-pitched voice from the clearing outside the gate.
"Wow! A giant Dragon Ball! Grandpa never told me about this one!"
Tommy winced. Too late. Goku was outside.
Tommy knew he couldn't stop the boy. He could only escape. He pushed himself onto the third step, then the fourth, climbing desperately into the darkness of Mt. Unknown, leaving the future hero of Earth behind him staring at the mystery he had just unlocked.