While Goku falls into his nightly food coma, GG and I drink a cup of hot tea together in what is becoming a late night ritual for the two of us. Tonight he tells me of his Master Roshi and his fellow student the Ox King. And their rigorous training. While we enjoy our tea. As I step outside for a breath of late night air, taking a look at the plot GG has made for the log cabin, I feel GG step up beside me, not saying anything as we both contemplate whatever is on our minds.
The old man tells me to follow him to the training ground. He tells me to simply watch as he gets into a stance and starts to flow like a river. Ever moving and, gliding around anything in his path. Deceptive strength in every move. As he increases the speed of his movements there comes a point where GG tells me to watch his feet and to pay attention. When I notice something is odd, is when the feats of his maneuvering become, ridiculous. It makes sense once I understand how he's doing it.
This must be how that Shen guy figured out flying. GG is using his Ki to grip the ground. Therefore giving him even more leverage.
Once I signal i got it, he starts anew at a slow pace allowing me to follow along. Slowing increasing the speed of the movements until I'm forced to replicate his technique. Thankfully I already have been since I had the realization.
This is almost exactly like how tree climbing technique was depicted in the Naruto anime. Especially the blowing up part when you use too much energy.
As I'm knocking the dust out of my shoes at the door I grab a green leaf that has blown inside. I place it on my chest because I don't want to look like a doofus. Focusing on my Ki to replicate doing what GG taught me earlier to the leaf, instead of the ground. First time's the charm, but my Ki isn't completely harmless. It's too warm, it's simply too strong and burns the leaf up in moments, I look back at the training ground and see why the ground is so worn. GG has been baking it slowly allowing nothing to grow.
If Ki is life energy then why is it so violent? My guess is, it's simply too much for the leaf to handle. The same way the sun can grow a tree but also burn it up holds true here as well. I grab another few leaves and head inside. GG is still outside. I settled in by the table and continue attempting my bootleg leaf training exercise. Focusing and limiting my ki to not leak out everywhere and burn the leaf up. I want to hold it with my Ki, restrain it, not harm it.
With those feelings in mind I summon my ki and let it dim down and more importantly calm down.
When GG gets back, it's to the sight of me playing with my Ki spinning a leaf on my fingertip like a tiny basketball.
GG-"Impressive display of control Ryan, if you keep that up you'll match Goku's innate control without issue. Now quit playing with leaves at the table and get to bed."
Ryan-" Yes GG."
The following morning I heard the alarm of Goku's stomach and I feel like I'm getting accustomed to this simple way of living. Breakfast today is soup GG made somehow knowing it was going to rain today.
The three of us eat a hearty warm breakfast, while it pours rain outside. Not even Goku wants to head out. So GG has us meditate after breakfast.
GG's meditation technique is all about gaining deeper control of your body, allowing for a stronger connection with Ki as a result. Controlling your breathing is just a part of the technique. We also have to focus on knowing our bodies in every way. Inside and out. As we get a sense for ourselves and our connection to Ki.
Goku and I both sensed GG infront of us like a star. While Goku felt like a planet in comparison.
GG-" Only when one can understand themselves may they judge others."
GG-"Congratulations on learning Ki sensing. Continue practicing for the rest of the day."
Goku was surprisingly quiet, for the same reason he is giving me and GG the side eye. He realized through ki sensing that GG and I are stronger than him. If only barely in my case.
As we practiced the technique, lunch comes and goes. Goku finally asked GG how he got soo strong.
Goku gets the story of Master Roshi and the Ox king told to him, and I doubt its the first time or last. While I get a proper feel for this new ability.
The first thing to mastering this ability is realizing that everything you sense is relative to your own strength. It's much like a sixth or seventh sense because it gives you another way to look at someone. It also lets you feel for others without sight. Trying to describe key sensing to someone is like explaining colors to a blind man. A useless endeavor but, GG managed to teach us with but a meditation session. Like the Master he is.
Keeping this technique active is easy as long as that's all you are doing, but much like ki itself there is a passive and active use of it. GG takes Goku aside and gets him to learn how to not use his Ki to evade Ki sensing.
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Goku-" I don't like doing this GG it feels wrong."
As Goku's warrior nature makes itself known I realize that Goku's training has been sped up by 3 years. Roshi teaches Goku advanced martial arts knowledge. And it isn't until he drinks the Divine Water that he gains Ki sensing. Me saving GG changes things immensely. In a weird way Goku may be weaker by the time of Z due to less zenkai boosts. It seems like I'll have to keep an eye on that.
I also need to make sure that Oolong doesn't wish for panties when we summon the Dragon. Unless something changes, that's a free wish right there. I'm also curious about the transformation school of magic. If Oolong or Puar can't teach me, I need to find a way to join. I can't say I remember much other magic being used. Babidi did some teleporting and mind control. She also showed skills in divination, and telekinesis. She can also bring souls back for a day, and is older than Roshi. I have no idea of her skillset, or limits. Tomorrow is one day closer to her arrival and I'm getting excited at the prospect of nagging her for training. She may act like an old hag, but she isn't evil as far as I know.
Once GG gains Goku's agreement to keep his ki suppressed. He had us do push ups with no ki, followed by situps and running in place. He kept telling us to change what exercise to perform randomly. He was making us work out with our bodies, and not our Ki. This reminds me of Roshi's milk deliveries. There is no way that doing that with Ki was training at all for the Goku I know, unless he wasn't using his Ki.
When dinner time came around GG had me pick out dinner, telling me to get whatever I wanted from the celler. I found a large smoked sausage, noodles and some veggies. When I made it back inside I told GG that I would make dinner.
It won't be perfect but I found most of what I needed for a decent pasta. Some sourdough starter was in the celler so I started with that and made some fresh dough. Letting it sit near the stove to keep warm and, let it rise.
I break out some preserved tomatoes and mash them into a sauce that I boil down, reducing and seasoning it into a quick marinara, I added garlic, basil, rosemary, and some dried thyme.
Three hours later I had small loaves of bread going into the oven to make some garlic bread, and my noodles added to the sauce, with the sausage fried up and added to it. Goku was constantly bugging me for food while I cooked. I even made him his own pot of pasta and an entire loaf of bread. The only thing missing was some mushrooms and cheese. One I could do something about, so I asked GG if he knew where I could pick some after the rain finishes while it was on my mind.
GG-"There are some safe ones upstream by the lake, I'll take you and Goku there after the cabin is finished"
Disappointed in the answer, but understanding. I served everyone.
GG didn't seem too surprised at the Italian style dish, and it makes sense considering everything was made from his supplies anyhow. The garlic bread brought it all together though. Without it its just pasta, but with it, it reminds me of home.
Goku eats a truly insane amount of food during dinner. Breakfast and lunch are relatively tame by comparison. before bed he eats like a bug storing for a metamorphosis. As GG and I fall into our routine of cleaning and tea, we go outside to see the rain has stopped leaving a low hanging mist. The sounds of owls and wolves sounding out their presence, combined with dinosaur roar at the end, and i decide I had enough and got some sleep.
Thursday morning starts early with me outside drying logs while GG prepares breakfast. He said we should wait until later to head to the stream due to all of the rain we had.
Eating some bread turned toast with some eggs and sausage felt oddly nostalgic. The only thing missing was home fries and bacon.
After breakfast Goku and I finished the logs and GG got us to start laying bricks. We first needed to level the ground, thankfully GG seems to have already done that before he laid out what he wanted. So Goku and I spent most of the morning and afternoon ferrying water, mixing mortar, and laying bricks in and alternating pattern. One of GG's training exercises I'm sure, because he made us do it without ki all day.
Once finished, GG walked around our completed work searching with critical eye, but found the foundation to his liking. He started to release his Ki drying out the mortar slowly Once he progressed with one area, he moved on to another taking his time to dry it evenly.
Goku was getting bored and asked GG a question.
Goku-" GG, may Ryan and I go fishing?"
GG-" I don't see why not, there is an old fishing pole by the door for Ryan to use. Just remember no Ki unless you need it for the rest of the night Goku."
Goku-" Thank you GG. Let's go Ryan! I know where the fish are huge. We can catch some for dinner."
I didn't have to be asked twice. I was bored as well watching GG. Once we got to the water, Goku realized that his normal tail fishing technique was much harder to do while not using Ki. He still had more success than I did. I just relaxed and enjoyed the fishing with this new body, My new skin too durable for any bug to harm. Means no more annoying mosquitos to ruin the experience.
I spend much of the afternoon thinking of what my first wish should be. I haven't given it much thought. I gotta remember both Bulma and Goku may hear it as well as Oolong. I'm not too worried about Bulma, she's a horny 16 year old girl, looking for a guy with rose tinted glasses at the start of Dragonball. If i turn that focus to me before Yamcha catches her eye, I could see her doing anything I ask honestly. Not that I'd take advantage of her quick to fall in love attitude. However, Oolong isn't going to not ask questions, and if i wish to be a Saiyan then, Goku may have questions later in the future.
Any wish too drastic may raise questions I can't answer. I'd like to try to wish East Supreme Kai, or maybe even Grand Supreme kai free from Buu, I believe I can do that if I wish for it BEFORE, Fat Buu rejects his evil side and gets absorbed in turn. Becoming Super Buu. I believe I can save one or both of them. This could also get me an in. These are the connections I need to have. I could also wish for an English copy of the Namekian Book of Legends as well. Both of those are wishes that could have unknown consequences.
The Kai's would be extremely curious to know how I knew they could be saved. I could only hope they look down on me too much to even think for a second,
The book is a gamble. I don't know what it has recorded. It could be a history book, or an invaluable book filled with techniques, inspiration, and more importantly magic.
I find myself still thinking of what I should wish for even after dinner and another story. This one is about the Bansho Fan. A weapon capable of causing a downpour of rain with one swing, a thunderstorm with two, and monsoon with three. Maybe i should wish for a magical weapon?