Support me and be 30 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/Draco_
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
*****
"George? What are you doing here?"
A teenage girl in a white T-shirt with twin ponytails leaped straight down from the flying vehicle. Seeing George standing next to the fallen robbers, a look of utter astonishment crossed her face.
"Miss Videl, it was this young student here who just stepped in to help deal with these vicious thugs. Truly, a hero comes from the youth!"
The police sergeant in charge walked over, looking at Videl and George with an expression of genuine admiration.
Videl stared at George, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What? You took down these robbers?"
She knew George. He was in her class—a quiet, studious "good student" who kept his head down and consistently ranked in the top three of their grade. He was the type who seemed like he'd be moved to tears by a single punch from an athletic girl his own age, let alone a gang of armed criminals.
"I've been working out lately. I even joined a martial arts gym to learn some fighting techniques," George explained with a calm smile, looking at the daughter of Mr. Satan.
Videl scrutinized him for a moment and nodded. "Your body does look a bit sturdier. But still, stay away from things like this in the future. You were just lucky today."
Her energy was usually consumed by martial arts training and helping the police fight crime. Aside from a few close friends, she wasn't particularly familiar with her classmates. She only recognized George because of his academic standing. Naturally, she had no idea what changes he'd actually undergone—nor did she know he hadn't stepped foot in a martial arts gym.
"Today was an accident. I just happened to see an opening for a sneak attack," George replied. He didn't argue; he knew Videl wasn't mocking him, but offering a sincere warning.
Under normal circumstances, an average person practicing at a gym for a few months—or even the instructors themselves—would be doomed if they faced hardened criminals armed with modern weapons. Videl could handle such situations only because she had pushed her physical condition to the absolute limit of a normal human. In the eyes of Goku and Gohan, Videl and Hercule Satan's strength was negligible, but to ordinary people, they were top-tier masters. By George's estimation, even Captain America might struggle to beat them.
Beep! Beep!
"Calling all units! Bank robbery in progress on Third Avenue!" Videl's wristwatch suddenly blared an alert.
"Two in one day? Well, at least I won't have made the trip for nothing." Her eyes lit up. She waved a quick goodbye to George, hopped into her vehicle, and expertly piloted it toward Third Avenue.
"Let's go have a look." George's eyes flickered. He found a deserted corner and vanished, teleporting away.
Today was the first day of the second semester. If he remembered correctly, this was the day Gohan would begin attending Orange Star High School. Since the Son family lived on Mount Paozu in District 439—over a thousand kilometers from Satan City—Gohan had always been homeschooled or taught by tutors.
When he was younger, it wasn't an issue, but as he grew up, Chi-Chi worried he would fall behind in a school environment and become lonely without peers. Thus, she insisted he enroll in the city's high school.
Goku and his companions possessed the world's most refined and detailed methods for utilizing Ki. Getting close to Gohan was the perfect way for George to gain his first real understanding of this world's energy system.
"The efficiency of absorbing energy from the air is still too slow."
Upon teleporting to Third Avenue, George realized that the mana he had just gathered from the atmosphere was nearly exhausted due to the teleportation and the strain of his genetic locks.
However, this was no obstacle. Hovering above a building, he reached out and gripped a power line with one hand while observing the shootout between the police and the robbers nearby.
For him, as long as the energy didn't exceed his current physical threshold, he could easily use Devour Magic to convert it into mana. Electricity was one of the easiest energy sources to obtain in a city. Technically, he could devour the life energy of every living thing nearby—which was far more potent and would significantly strengthen him—but he saw no need for it.
On one hand, he had his own moral standards; on the other, this small clone's primary mission was the transmission of knowledge, not raw power. The limit of a small clone was the Universal level anyway, as the soul fragment restricted its development. Furthermore, indiscriminately draining life force was a surefire way to be labeled a villain, which would be a nuisance.
As a steady stream of current flowed into his body and converted into mana, his reserves were quickly replenished.
"He's here!"
A figure moving so fast it was merely a blur streaked in from the distance, skidding to a halt upon seeing the shootout. Suddenly, golden energy erupted from his body. His hair turned gold, and in the blink of an eye, he appeared behind the criminals.
The speed was so immense that the human eye couldn't track it. Even George's current peak-human body couldn't see the movement clearly. But he wasn't using his eyes; he was using his spiritual sense.
"It's you, Gohan." George withdrew his hand from the power line, a smile touching his lips.
Catching machine-gun bullets with bare hands and flipping cars with a single breath—Gohan in his Super Saiyan state handled ordinary humans like he was playing with toys.
"And this is the result of seven years of slacking off. This 'Ki' energy truly is remarkable."
While Gohan fought, George used his spiritual sense to meticulously observe the Ki circulating within Gohan's body. Based on his observations, Ki appeared to be a fusion of spiritual, biological, and natural energies. Even when simply condensed into a sphere and fired, its destructive power was staggering. In this regard, mana couldn't compete. A ball of pure mana thrown at someone would likely have less impact than a tossed rock.
However, it wasn't without its drawbacks. This energy didn't fundamentally alter the essence of life or allow one to transcend life tiers. If one's Ki was exhausted, or if they failed to use it for defense in time, their body remained as fragile as its base species. An Earthling like Krillin, for instance, could possess enough power to destroy a planet, yet he could still be wounded by conventional weapons if caught off guard without his Ki protection.
Furthermore, it didn't significantly extend one's lifespan; at most, one would live to the natural limit of their species. Master Roshi and Master Shen had lived so long only because they had drank from the Fountain of Youth in their younger days.
Just as Gohan finished dealing with the robbers, Videl arrived in her vehicle. By then, Gohan had already deactivated his Super Saiyan form and was attempting to slip away into the crowd of onlookers.
"Resolved again? Was it the police this time?" Videl frowned as she looked at the unconscious bank robbers. She'd missed the action again. She didn't believe the police could have handled it so quickly, especially since only two officers were present and both were injured.
"Hey, you! Did you see what happened?" Her eyes swept the crowd and landed on Gohan, who was turning to leave.
"N-No, I didn't see anything! I just got here. I don't know what happened," Gohan replied, feigning composure. He immediately picked up his pace, giving Videl no chance for a follow-up question.
"Whew, that was close. Good thing I transformed beforehand, or I'd be in big trouble if someone recognized me."
However, the moment he stepped out of the crowd and breathed a sigh of relief, a figure suddenly appeared and blocked his path.
"Hello. Is there something I can help you with?" Gohan looked up at the figure—a student who looked to be about his age.
"I was standing right there. I saw your hair turn gold, and then it changed back after you beat those robbers. So, you must be the 'Golden Warrior' everyone's been talking about lately," George said, directly exposing Gohan's secret.
Gohan's expression instantly filled with panic. "Y-You must have the wrong person! I'm no Golden Warrior."
Without waiting for a reply, he dodged around George and sprinted away. Since George didn't know him, Gohan figured that as long as he ran fast enough, they might never meet again in a city this large. If he stayed to argue and drew a crowd, his peaceful life would be over the moment someone snapped a photo or video. The only logical move was to flee.
"You can run, but you can't hide," George muttered. He pulled out his Orange Star High School badge, pinned it to his shirt, and vanished.
He reappeared at the gates of Orange Star High School. Stepping into the classroom, he found a secluded seat in the back, just as he had the previous semester. When familiar classmates came over to chat, he handled them with casual pleasantries.
As the start of class approached, the room filled up. Videl arrived shortly after finishing her business at the bank. She nodded to George and, after a moment's thought, walked over.
"If you're truly interested in martial arts, I can recommend my father's gym. They have the best instructors in the world." Taking down three thugs after a single summer of training—even if it was a sneak attack—suggested he had decent potential.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I think my time is better spent on my studies for now. Martial arts is just a hobby," George replied with a polite smile.
If he were just a normal enthusiast, training at the Satan Gym wouldn't be a bad choice. But he wasn't interested in simple grappling; he wanted to study Ki and the various techniques evolved from it.
Videl didn't press the issue. She returned to her seat and began asking other students about the Golden Warrior. This summer wasn't the first time she had arrived at a scene only to find the "Golden Warrior" had already solved the problem. But just now, she had finally found a lead. A witness claimed the Golden Warrior was wearing an Orange Star High badge, meaning he had to be a student at their school.
Unfortunately, after a round of questioning, she couldn't find anyone who fit the description. That was, until the bell rang and the homeroom teacher brought in a new student.
"Class, I'd like to introduce a new student. His name is Son Gohan. His entrance exam scores were perfect across all subjects—Math, Science, Physics, History, and Language. He is an exceptional student."
"White shirt, black vest, orange pants, and a school badge!" Videl's eyes narrowed with suspicion the moment she saw Gohan's clothes. Despite his black hair, he was dressed exactly like the Golden Warrior the witness had described. Furthermore, she vaguely remembered seeing him in the crowd this morning.
"Hello everyone, I'm Son Gohan. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Gohan scanned the room. When he saw Videl, he froze for a split second before quickly bowing to the class.
George, meanwhile, had his face hidden behind a textbook, ensuring Gohan didn't spot him.
When the morning sessions ended and everyone pulled out their lunch boxes, George strolled up behind Gohan and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
"Yo, Golden Warrior. That's a nice-looking lunch."
Gohan nearly jumped out of his skin. He spun around and stared at George, his face pale with shock. "Y-You? How are you here?"
"My name is George. I'm in this class. I sit right over there; you probably missed me," George said, pointing to his corner seat.
Gohan felt a massive headache coming on. "George, I really am not the Golden Warrior. You definitely saw wrong this morning."
"My eyes are as precise as a ruler. I don't make mistakes." George's lips curled into a smirk. "If you won't admit it, I might have to go have a chat with Videl. I'm sure she'd be very interested in what I saw this morning."
"Videl..." Gohan's face paled further. He grabbed George's arm and dragged him toward the school rooftop.
Once they were on the roof and he was sure no one was around, Gohan sighed in defeat. "Okay, George. I am the Golden Warrior. Please don't tell Videl. I don't want everyone knowing my identity; it would be a huge hassle."
Videl had already tried to test him during English class, and she still hadn't dropped her suspicions. Others might not believe George, but Videl definitely would. As the daughter of Mr. Satan and a local celebrity, if she confirmed his identity, everyone would believe her.
"No problem. I'm not a gossip," George said, nodding without hesitation.
Seeing that George was so easy to talk to, Gohan prepared to bow in gratitude, but George stopped him.
"Hold on, I'm not finished. I'll keep your secret, but I have a condition."
"What condition?" Gohan scratched his head.
George smiled. "I've heard that truly powerful martial artists in this world can use an energy called 'Ki.' Like the legendary God of Martial Arts, Master Roshi. I saw your fight this morning; you clearly use that power. I want to learn it."
"I... I can teach you, I guess," Gohan replied hesitantly. "But to actually use Ki for combat requires rigorous training. It's very difficult for an ordinary person to learn in a short amount of time."
Aside from naturally powerful races like Saiyans, Namekians, or hybrids like himself, normal humans had to undergo grueling training to harness Ki. Some martial artists with insufficient talent spent their entire lives without reaching the minimum standard. To Gohan, George was just an ordinary student; even if he taught him with all his might, it seemed unlikely George would succeed.
"Don't worry about that. You just teach me the method. Whether I can learn it or not is my business." George held up one finger. "And I won't take up much of your time. One month. If I haven't learned it by then, you don't need to teach me anymore."
One month? George knew he could learn it in a single session. The month was simply to get to know more people in this world's inner circle.
(End of Chapter)