"Although Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, and Yamcha aren't here, everyone else is pretty much accounted for. So I won't beat around the bush—I'll get straight to the point."
"To deal with the crisis that will arrive a year from now, which may even involve the Universe Emperor Frieza you mentioned, I know you all need to become stronger as quickly as possible..."
"And as Earth's Kami, I know of a special place where a great master resides. With my abilities, I can recommend you to him so you can train."
"I believe that with this great master's guidance, anyone can make tremendous gains in strength in a short time!"
As soon as Kami Piccolo finished speaking, Son Goku and Krillin grew excited.
If Kami said so, it had to be true.
If that was the case, then even if those two Saiyans were utterly evil, they'd be able to handle them on their own when they came to Earth. They wouldn't need to rely on Lin Chuan's power.
"Um, Kami, who is this great master you're talking about? And where is he? Are there really people like that on Earth?" Son Goku asked eagerly.
He had never heard of such a person, much less met one.
As one of Earth's strongest fighters, how could he not be excited to hear this?
Son Goku had no idea that the person Kami Piccolo was talking about didn't live on Earth.
Those words made not only Son Goku, Krillin, Yajirobe, and Master Roshi prick up their ears.
Raditz heard every word, too. Frowning, he was once again filled with astonishment.
This Kami sure had a big mouth.
It was one thing to say they needed to prepare for Nappa and Vegeta's invasion, but to bring Frieza into it... What did that even mean?!
Lin Chuan hadn't expected Kami Piccolo to say this outright at such a time.
He was going to expose King Kai.
"Goku, you really need to change your ways! If you meet this person as you are now, one act of disrespect could cost you the chance to receive his guidance."
"He is a god as well, and his divine rank is far above that of Earth's Kami."
"As for where he is... What I'm about to tell you may frighten you. This god is an extraordinary being who lives in the Underworld! He is also the supreme ruler of our North Galaxy—King Kai!"
As Kami Piccolo spoke, his expression grew increasingly serious.
"K-King Kai? The U-Underworld?!" Son Goku stared at Kami Piccolo in shock, unable to believe it.
He was curious about what kind of being King Kai was.
But if he was in the Underworld, how were they supposed to get there?
That was the world of the dead...
"The Underworld? Isn't that where people go after they die?!"
"Could it be... Kami, are you planning to send us to the world of the dead?"
"Or are we supposed to die first and then go to the Underworld to train with King Kai...?"
Krillin turned deathly pale, so stunned that he could barely think straight.
He had died once and gone to the Underworld...
But Shenron had later brought him back to life, so he'd returned to the world of the living.
Yajirobe, standing nearby, was clearly stunned, too. He didn't want to die.
"The world after death? The Underworld? The supreme ruler of the North Galaxy... King Kai? What does any of this mean?!" Raditz listened to Kami Piccolo's explanation, his head spinning. He nearly thought he was dreaming.
He knew nothing about any of this.
Ever since arriving on Earth, his view of the world had been constantly overturned. Now the world after death had appeared, along with some supposedly supreme King Kai...
After years of fighting across the universe, he felt as though he'd lived his life for nothing.
"King Kai... I've heard of him. So, Earth's Kami, this is what you had in mind when you summoned us here?" Lin Chuan's sudden words took everyone by surprise.
Once again, Lin Chuan gave everyone the impression that he seemed to know everything.
Kami Piccolo especially couldn't imagine what kind of being Lin Chuan was. He was a Saiyan, yet he even knew about King Kai!
"Lin Chuan, you know about King Kai?"
"So this King Kai really is powerful and can help us grow stronger?"
There was a note of urgency in Son Goku's voice.
He wanted to hear some information about King Kai from Lin Chuan, too.
If even Lin Chuan said King Kai was extraordinary, then it had to be true.
"As far as I know, our universe is divided into four great galaxies, each ruled by one of four Kai: the East, South, West, and North Kai. We're currently in the North Galaxy, so the person your Kami is talking about must be the North Kai."
"Among the Kai, the North Kai is indeed quite capable, and he has a few tricks up his sleeve."
Lin Chuan's explanation was simple and clear. He didn't seem to reveal much, yet everyone present was still dumbfounded.
In a way, Lin Chuan was embellishing the story, too.
Otherwise, the plot wouldn't unfold smoothly.
Son Goku and the others had to train with King Kai, but Lin Chuan wasn't going. He didn't need to.
"Is... is that true? Talos, the being called King Kai rules over the four great galaxies in our universe?!" Raditz asked in disbelief.
When he saw Lin Chuan nod, Raditz took a deep breath.
He had spent his life fighting across the universe and invading planets. As a member of the Frieza Force, he knew how vast the universe was. Even the North Galaxy alone was unimaginably huge.
The universe's four great galaxies weren't ordinary galaxies.
Take the North Galaxy alone. It was known to contain tens of thousands of vast star domains. Each star domain held hundreds of millions of star systems, and every star system had plenty of galaxies...
By comparison, he suddenly realized how foolish he was.
He was like a frog in a well.
This new concept made him compare the North Kai to Frieza.
He suddenly thought that King Kai might be even stronger than Frieza?!
Raditz had no idea how mistaken he was.
Ruling over something didn't necessarily mean you were powerful.
"S-so King Kai really is powerful?!"
"He rules over a quarter of the universe—that's unbelievable!" Son Goku came around, his blood beginning to surge and boil with excitement.
The chance to study under such an extraordinary being was surely a tremendous blessing!
As Son Goku came to his senses, Krillin grew excited, too.
He was actually even sharper than Son Goku. If he still didn't understand now, he'd be a fool.
He was a martial artist who longed to grow stronger, too. How could he be content with the way things were?
The atmosphere began to change...
Before you continue