"Huh? You're Krillin?"
Bulma stuck out a finger and shamelessly poked Krillin's iron-hard chest.
Then she rose onto her tiptoes, trying to touch his shiny, gleaming bald head.
"Quit lying! Krillin was a little shrimp who only came up to my chest!"
Bulma made a comical gesture.
"And he looked... looked like a peeled egg!"
"You're bald too, but... but your build, your features..."
Bulma's cheeks suddenly turned red for no apparent reason.
The fact that he had no nose was pretty strange.
But the man before her had a heroic air about him, with deep-set eyes.
His firm, well-defined muscles practically radiated masculine appeal.
If this was Krillin, did that make Yamcha a stray dog by the roadside?
Krillin's mouth twitched.
He could feel the system interface flashing frantically in the corner of his vision, but he didn't have time to look at it.
"I really am Krillin." Krillin sighed helplessly, trying to explain as calmly as possible.
"I don't know what happened either. I suddenly got taller!"
Just then, a lazy yawn came from the second floor of Kame House.
"What's all the racket so early in the morning...?"
Master Roshi ambled downstairs, wearing sunglasses and a floral shirt, with a giant turtle shell strapped to his back.
He was still clutching a photo album called Cool Beach, and looked half-asleep.
"Master Roshi!"
Bulma immediately looked as if she'd found her savior.
"Come take a look! This guy keeps saying he's Krillin. Is he really Krillin?"
Master Roshi adjusted his sunglasses and looked at Krillin.
The old man froze in place.
His eyes narrowed to slits behind the lenses, and an invisible aura instantly filled the room.
As the God of Martial Arts, he didn't judge people by appearances alone. He also sensed their "ki."
"This ki..."
Master Roshi stroked his beard, his tone turning a little strange.
"Although it's become much sharper, there's still a hint of righteousness mixed in with that sleaziness, and a hint of lechery mixed in with that righteousness..."
"It really is Krillin."
Krillin: "..."
Could you try complimenting me in a normal way, Master?
"You really are Krillin?!"
Bulma cried out. She looked at Krillin again, still with a hint of doubt in her eyes.
[ Ding! Strong emotional fluctuations detected in key character "Bulma." ]
[ Temporary mission triggered: Prove your identity. ]
[ Mission description: Although Master Roshi has acknowledged you, Bulma is still unconvinced. Use a method only Krillin would know to dispel her doubts completely. ]
[ Mission reward: Charm Points +5, Character Attribute Panel unlocked. ]
Krillin read the system prompt and cursed inwardly.
This system really knew how to seize an opportunity.
A method only Krillin would know?
Countless memories flashed through Krillin's mind, before finally settling on one scene.
He took a deep breath, looked at Bulma, and gave her a classic, honest—and somewhat lecherous—Krillin grin.
"Bulma, remember when we were looking for the Dragon Balls, and we needed to get one from that invisible man? You—"
"Stop!!!"
Bulma's face instantly turned tomato-red. She rushed forward and covered Krillin's mouth.
"Don't say it! Don't you dare bring that up!!"
That was her dark past! She'd had to... to make Master Roshi's nose bleed so the invisible man would show himself.
"Fine, I believe you! You're Krillin! That lecherous Krillin!"
Bulma gritted her teeth, but her grip loosened.
[ Mission complete. ]
[ Reward issued: Charm Points +5. ]
[ Character Attribute Panel unlocked. ]
Krillin felt a tingling sensation sweep through his body, as if a warm current were flowing beneath his skin.
He could clearly tell that Bulma's gaze had changed again. She seemed to find him... more appealing?
He took the opportunity to call up the Status Panel in his mind.
A pale blue holographic data window appeared before his eyes.
[ Host: Lin Fei (Krillin) ]
[ Current Template: Saitama (Fusion Rate: 5%) ]
[ Battle Power: 320 (Base form) ] Note: Before Raditz's arrival, Earthlings average around 5–10. Goku is around 330 (weighted).
[ Base Attributes ]
Strength: 45 (The average adult male on Earth is 5. Evaluation: You can punch through steel plates, but you can't blow up a planet.)
Speed: 48 (Evaluation: You can sprint 100 meters in 2 seconds, but you're still a snail compared to the speed of light.)
Constitution: 50 (Evaluation: Your endurance is incredible; you can do push-ups for a whole day and night, but you're not immortal.)
Intelligence: 15 (The average person is 10. Evaluation: Your memories from two lives have made you considerably smarter than your original self, but you're still illiterate next to Bulma.)
Charm: 85 (Your original self had 40. Evaluation: Saitama's handsome template plus a little fine-tuning from the system have made you the best-looking bald man on Earth. You're extremely attractive to women.)
Ki: 3200 (Evaluation: Your ki is still immature, and you can't yet control large-scale energy blasts at will.)
[ Skill List ]
Turtle School Martial Arts (Proficient): Includes Afterimage Technique and Kamehameha (Beginner).
Bukujutsu (Skilled): A Crane School technique that lets you fly freely.
Solar Flare (Novice): Blinds your enemies.
Serious Punch (Growth Version · Passive): You can actively enter a "serious" state once per day, increasing your power by 500%. Currently on cooldown.
Before you continue