Great Elder

Namek was extremely far from Earth. Even the fastest spaceship, reverse-engineered from ancient Namekian and Saiyan advanced technology, would take a full month to fly there.

Krillin looked at Kami's uneasy expression and gave an awkward laugh. "Sorry, Kami, I lied to you. It'll take us a month to get there."

Kami seemed to have expected it and said nothing, but his expression showed fear. The so-called "nervousness of nearing home" was exactly what Kami was feeling now.

Krillin comforted him, "Namekians are a peace-loving race. Most of them are kind and simple." Krillin silently added in his heart: Except for Slug. Slug is a Namekian with an absolutely evil heart. Slug's combat talent is even greater than Piccolo's. After regaining his youth and transforming into a Super Namekian, his power is astonishing, reaching 200 million... Even in his old age, he had 40 million...

Kami was still lost in thought. It seemed he wouldn't be able to untangle his heart until they reached Namek. Krillin shook his head with a wry smile.

He couldn't waste a month. He had to use this time to train. With that, Krillin took out the Gravity Training Room.

Krillin set it to a hundred times gravity. The surroundings instantly turned a dark red, and the air grew much heavier. Krillin grinned. "Heh, a familiar feeling."

A month later...

Ding. "Estimated landing on Namek in five minutes..." The console's mechanical voice rang out.

Krillin was sitting cross-legged. He slowly opened his eyes. "Finally here."

After the twenty-eighth day of training, Krillin had stopped his high-intensity regimen. In the vastness of space, no one could predict what might happen. He had to stay in peak condition.

System, check status:

Code
Time: Era 756
Name: Krillin
Age: 21
Race: Earthling
Dimension: Level 1 Dimension (equivalent to Korin)
Battle Power: 340,000 (next limit: 1,500,000)
Potential: 1,160,000
Training Speed: Light Speed

"I only gained 30,000 this month. Still a bit slow. But with my current energy, using VIP training wouldn't last more than a few days. Far less cost-effective than Light Speed Training. A long road ahead. Take it slow." Krillin couldn't help but sigh.

One minute later, they arrived at Namek. The console sounded again.

They could already see Namek's outline. The entire planet was green, with several bright companion stars nearby. By Earth's brightness scale, they were probably first-magnitude stars. The spaceship sped forward, gradually entering the atmosphere. The sky was green, making everything clearer. Namek wasn't a single intact planet but a world made up of hundreds of islands.

Kami stood at the spaceship's door, both hands resting on the Divine Staff. A thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. He stared silently at his homeland—familiar yet strange.

Boom!

The spaceship landed successfully on a high-altitude island.

"Destination reached: Namek. Total travel time: twenty-nine days, ten hours." The console's deadpan voice rang out again, though it seemed to carry a hint of cheerfulness. Was it because it had returned to its home planet?

"Kami, let's go down!" Krillin said to Kami.

Kami nodded.

The two slowly walked out of the spaceship.

Kami took a deep breath of air, listening to the faint tremors in the breeze, looking at the river before him and the strange trees. A flood of emotions surged in his heart. His voice choked slightly as he said, "Hundreds of years! I've finally returned to my homeland. This is my homeland!"

"Nail, I sense a clansman has arrived on Namek. A very kind Ki. Two thousand kilometers to the east. Go welcome our new kin." The Great Elder's massive body lay on his chair, his voice weak and slow.

"Yes, Great Elder." Nail replied respectfully.

"Kami, we should go find the leader of Namek—the Great Elder. There's a powerful Ki to the southwest. If I'm not mistaken, that's where the Great Elder is." Krillin said excitedly.

"That's right, that's where the Great Elder is. Since I set foot on Namek, I seem to remember a few things, though they're still blurry. But I can clearly sense the Great Elder's location." Kami said, somewhat puzzled.

"Someone's coming toward us. Their Ki is very similar to Piccolo's. From the feel of it, about 40,000 Battle Power." Krillin said calmly.

Krillin wasn't flustered. A mere 40,000 was nothing to him. If I'm not mistaken, it must be Nail. Nail is a combat-type Namekian. 40,000 Battle Power is nothing surprising. Looks like the Great Elder is quite sharp. Kami and I just arrived, and Nail's already here. As expected of someone who's lived for hundreds of years... Krillin thought silently.

Nail's flight speed was very fast. In moments, he reached Krillin's landing point. Seeing the aged Kami, Nail was inwardly astonished. There were actually other clansmen surviving on another planet.

Nail descended. Once close, he spoke respectfully, "Esteemed elder who has traveled from afar, Nail greets you." He then bowed deeply to Kami.

Kami was from the same era as the Great Elder, having lived for hundreds of years. The Great Elder's children were all Kami's juniors. Calling him "elder" was not wrong. Nail only showed hostility toward those who offended the Great Elder. At other times, he was a simple and kind warrior.

Kami studied Nail. "He looks a lot like Piccolo, but his Ki is completely different. Nail's Ki is restrained and calm, lacking the violence in Piccolo's."

"Rise, child." Kami spoke gently, his eyes full of affection, like a grandfather looking at his grandson.

"Can you take us to see the Great Elder?" Kami asked Nail.

"The Great Elder sent me to welcome the elder. Please follow me. The journey is long. Please climb onto my back, and I will carry you. My duty is to guard the Great Elder, so I cannot be away from him for too long. I must return quickly." With that, Nail bent down.

Seeing this, Kami naturally climbed onto Nail's back. Krillin watched and thought, I'm definitely not fighting you for the chance to show filial piety, heh. Let's go.

Nail carried Kami and flew toward the Great Elder, with Krillin following close behind.

Thud, thud! They landed on a very high pillar. The Great Elder lived here. The building in front of them looked a lot like the spaceship's construction style. The aesthetic sense is really... Krillin had some small thoughts.

"Great Elder!" Nail said respectfully. "Let them in."

Kami walked step by step toward the Great Elder, leaning on the Divine Staff. Krillin started to follow, but Nail reached out and blocked him. Nail wasn't comfortable with outsiders.

Krillin, seeing Nail block him, showed neither anger nor joy. "Little master's getting a temper here." He made a move as if to start a fight. I've held back for so long, I've been dying to find a strong opponent to spar with. Heh, you forced me. I didn't start it.

"Nail, let the guest in. His ki is calm, kind, and upright." The Great Elder's voice rang out once more.

"Yes, Great Elder." Nail said politely to Krillin, "Please, come in, guest."

Krillin had no choice but to drop it. He understood this was Nail's duty and held no hard feelings—there would be plenty of chances to fight later. Nail was also someone who enjoyed battle, after all, being a warrior-type Namekian. Krillin had seen the fighting spirit in Nail's eyes just now.

"Thanks. Let's go in together."

Nail nodded.

Krillin walked inside and looked at the Great Elder reclining on his chair. At that moment, his thoughts were: Holy crap, no wonder he's the Great Elder—he's huge!