Time passed slowly.
Raditz grew more and more impatient.
They were moving too slowly, and he had no idea how far away their destination was. All he could do was follow along.
His lack of patience and eagerness for quick results were also caused by the pressure he had lived under for all these years.
Of course, with Lin Chuan there, even if Raditz was unhappy, he could only put up with it.
The others weren't saying anything. What could he do?
More importantly, he now regarded Lin Chuan as his only path to becoming stronger.
He didn't believe that Kami could guide him in training and make him stronger. He thought that was impossible!
Even if Earth's Kami really was a god, so what?
If he were really that impressive, Kakarot wouldn't be the way he was now, with a Battle Power of less than a thousand.
Lin Chuan was different. He'd admitted that he was stronger than Vegeta, so there was no need to obsess over just how strong he was!
With Lin Chuan's help, Raditz had a much better chance of doubling his Battle Power in a short time, or even raising it to three or five thousand in a year.
They crossed the plains and a vast ocean, eventually entering a primeval forest thick with vegetation.
More than half an hour had passed since they set out.
Lin Chuan wasn't in a hurry partly because he was taking the time to properly experience the increase in strength brought by the Infinite Combat Power Enhancement System.
Combat Power +1 per second.
He'd seen it so often that his eyes were starting to play tricks on him, and he was getting numb to it.
But the growth in his own strength was delightful. Every few minutes, he'd rise to another level.
Lin Chuan's Battle Power Index had now reached a staggering 21,675.
A little over thirty-seven minutes had passed, and his Battle Power had increased by 2,225.
Once he'd passed 20,000, Lin Chuan felt as though a much broader world had opened up before him.
His Battle Power had once hovered around 15,000, unable to make any further progress...
Compared to now, the difference was like heaven and earth!
No wonder Dodoria, with a Battle Power of 22,000, had been able to crush Vegeta, at 18,000, and Cui in the Original Work.
Lin Chuan felt that his current self could easily thrash the version of himself with a Battle Power of 18,000.
And his former self at 15,000 didn't even bear mentioning.
"Elder Brother, Lin Chuan, we're here," Son Goku called out.
Their rapid flight slowed even further.
Looking out over the endless forest, they saw a towering stone pillar rising into the sky!
Without a doubt, it was Earth's Korin Tower!
When it first appeared early in the Dragon Ball story, it had seemed so incredible and mysterious.
But later, it stopped appearing on screen, and many people forgot about it.
Most people's memories of Korin Tower were all about the Senzu Beans belonging to Korin at the top.
To be honest, Korin Tower had originally been conceived as a place where martial artists could train and hone their strength.
As they descended one after another, Lin Chuan said nothing, but Raditz impatiently blurted, "We're finally here? This is the so-called Kami??? Don't mess with me, Kakarot. Didn't you say he was a Namekian? This Earthling's Battle Power is only 50."
"No, Elder Brother. Kami lives in a temple above the clouds. This man is Bora, a warrior who protects Korin Tower, the Holy Land," Son Goku explained. "It's been a long time. I haven't been here in years..."
He then greeted Bora and the other guardians of the Holy Land.
Once they'd explained who they were and what was going on, Bora and the others visibly let down their guard.
After all, in their eyes, Son Goku was the hero who had successfully climbed Korin Tower. He had also been summoned by God years ago and become God's messenger.
Returning to a familiar place stirred up memories for more than just Son Goku. Krillin and Master Roshi were both deeply moved.
Master Roshi in particular blushed, embarrassed, as he remembered what he'd done at the top of the tower when he was young.
He just hoped that when they met Kami this time, those embarrassing stories wouldn't come up.
"Are we just waiting here for Mr. Popo to come down and meet us, Goku?" Krillin asked, standing beside Son Goku.
He was still a little worried, and his gaze kept shifting between Lin Chuan and Raditz.
That was just his personality. Son Goku understood, but didn't think much of it. "There's no need to worry, Krillin. Besides, Kami already sensed our arrival, so Mr. Popo will be down soon."
"Oh, right! Speaking of which, at the last Martial Arts Tournament, didn't you tell me you'd climbed Korin Tower and succeeded?" Son Goku's sudden question irritated Krillin.
"What are you talking about? You never listen when people speak. You even gave me a serious answer at the time! It wasn't just me, either. Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha all succeeded, and we met Korin at the top of the tower." Krillin rolled his eyes.
Son Goku scratched his head and laughed awkwardly at that answer.
He'd thought that if he remembered wrong and Krillin hadn't climbed Korin Tower, he could give it a try himself. It would've been good training.
But since Krillin had already succeeded, that was another matter.
With Krillin's current strength, climbing it wouldn't be difficult anyway.
He had a Battle Power of over 200, after all, and that wasn't even the full extent of Krillin's strength.
They didn't have to wait long.
Less than two minutes later, a figure appeared in the sky. It was Mr. Popo, riding a magic carpet as he rapidly descended to the ground.
"B-Battle Power!! 1,030 points!!!" Once again, Raditz was the first to speak.
The moment Mr. Popo came into view, the Scouter on Raditz's head announced his Battle Power, completely overturning Raditz's understanding of the world.
This low-level planet, Earth, actually had someone whose Battle Power exceeded 1,000!
He began to have doubts about Kami up above.
It seemed he'd underestimated him...
Those words left everyone except Lin Chuan stunned.
Mr. Popo's Battle Power was as high as 1,030.
What did that even mean?
Son Goku's Battle Power was only a few hundred. Even if he went all out, he could break a thousand only for a brief moment.
"C-could that be true? Mr. Popo, you're really that strong?!" Son Goku exclaimed.
Mr. Popo showed no change in expression. "Popo didn't know. So Popo's Battle Power is over 1,000."
That really was in keeping with Mr. Popo's character.
Lin Chuan watched, eyes narrowing slightly.
He clearly remembered Mr. Popo's famous scene in the future...
It was during the Majin Buu Saga. Mr. Popo had easily held off Son Goten and Trunks, two Super Saiyans fighting together...
Granted, the two kids hadn't been serious, and they hadn't meant to hurt anyone. Even so, it showed just how high Mr. Popo's level of cultivation was.
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