The Awakening ritual was Old Kai's one-man show.
For a full five hours,
Son Gohan watched Old Kai hop around him, and was completely numb.
He was a little worried Old Kai might fall apart after jumping around for five hours.
This really didn't look like an easy job.
With Old Kai's body getting winded from the slightest movement, keeping him hopping for five hours was a huge challenge.
Supreme Kai and Kibito watched for five hours, both completely dazed. But they felt that simply leaving would be terribly rude.
After all, this was their ancestor from fifteen generations ago.
At last, Supreme Kai could take it no longer and asked, "Great Ancestor, how much longer will this ritual take?"
Old Kai kept hopping around Son Gohan in a deadly rhythm and replied irritably, "Be quiet. This is a very important ritual, so don't interrupt. The whole process takes five hours, and boosting his power takes twenty..."
"Uh..."
"Great Ancestor, if it's supposed to take five hours, I think we've already gone over that."
Supreme Kai asked nervously.
"Huh?"
Old Kai stopped at once. "Has it been five hours already?"
"Yes, Great Ancestor." Supreme Kai wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded.
Kibito chimed in from the side. "That's right, Great Ancestor. It's already been over five hours."
Old Kai scratched his head and laughed. "Hahaha, so we've gone over the time, huh? I'm getting old. I can't keep track of time anymore."
Son Gohan: ...
If Old Kai weren't so old, he'd still be pretty young.
"Ahem. Young man, sit down."
"Grandpa, my name is Son Gohan. You can just call me Gohan." Son Gohan was so thirsty his mouth felt dry. He shook out his numb legs and sat down where he was.
He'd been so afraid of interrupting the Awakening ritual that he hadn't spoken for five hours. His mouth was terribly dry.
What an ordeal!
He even kind of needed to pee.
"Sit still and don't talk." As Old Kai spoke, he sat cross-legged opposite him and began muttering another string of completely incomprehensible incantations.
At that moment, Son Gohan sorely missed the way the Grand Elder of Namek had drawn out his potential.
That had been so simple. He'd just pressed a hand to his head.
Compared with this, it was the difference between easy mode and hell mode.
Supreme Kai and Kibito didn't dare speak either. They stood to the side like two spear shafts, unsure whether to sit or leave. They were suffering even more than Son Gohan.
And so, no one knew how many more hours passed.
Son Gohan felt sleep coming over him. He closed his eyes and sank into a deep sleep.
Old Kai's strange incantation seemed to turn into a beautiful lullaby, and Son Gohan slept especially soundly.
Drip!
Drip!
Drip!
In his mind, he heard droplets falling into a lake.
Ripple after ripple spread through his heart.
Son Gohan opened his eyes and woke from his deep sleep. His body felt more comfortable than ever, and his mind was more relaxed and peaceful than it had ever been.
He looked at Old Kai, who was still sitting in front of him, fast asleep, and stood up with a smile.
Turning around, he saw Supreme Kai and Kibito looking at him too.
Son Gohan walked over to them.
When he saw Son Gohan approaching, Supreme Kai quietly asked, "Mr. Gohan, how do you feel? Does anything seem different?"
"Different?" Son Gohan clenched his fist.
He didn't actually feel any different. He just felt relaxed all over, as if his mind had been washed clean. It was as though his entire being had been elevated.
Son Gohan said, "It's hard to say what's different. If I had to put it into words, I feel calmer and more at ease. It's like I'm completely free."
"Heh, I don't really understand either. Let's ask Great Ancestor when he wakes up," Supreme Kai said with a smile.
Kibito studied Son Gohan without saying anything. He just felt that Son Gohan seemed especially mysterious and ethereal now.
He was becoming harder and harder to read.
Son Gohan was right in front of him, yet somehow seemed far away.
"Mr. Gohan, here. This is for you." As Supreme Kai spoke, a long sword appeared out of thin air in his hand. It was the Z Sword, and he held it out to Son Gohan.
"Lord Supreme Kai, you fixed it?" Son Gohan took the sword, surprised.
"Huh? Why is it so light?" The Z Sword no longer felt as heavy as it had before.
Supreme Kai smiled. "While you were having your potential unlocked, I had nothing to do, so I reforged the Z Sword.
"I didn't expect it to become so much lighter once Great Ancestor was released from inside it. After reforging it, the sword has been restored to its original state. It's even sharper than before."
"Our bet still stands, so the sword belongs to you now, Mr. Gohan."
"Heh, thank you, Lord Supreme Kai." Son Gohan accepted the Z Sword without hesitation and put it away.
Perhaps the sound of their conversation had woken Old Kai. He slowly came to.
He looked around in a daze, then asked in confusion, "Huh? Did I fall asleep? I slept inside the sword for tens of millions of years, and I'm still tired. This body of mine is in terrible shape."
Supreme Kai immediately said, "It's because you overexerted yourself just now, Great Ancestor."
Son Gohan walked up to Old Kai and bowed. "You've worked hard, Grandpa. I'll always remember your kindness."
Old Kai stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.
"You young people are always spouting pretty words that mean nothing. I'm an old man, and I don't have many days left to live. Sigh, helping you unlock your potential has taken even more years off my life."
As he spoke, his face grew gloomy, and an oppressive air spread around him.
Son Gohan knew the old ham was putting on a performance, but Supreme Kai and Kibito believed him. They immediately grew worried.
The two of them kept urging their Great Ancestor to take care of himself and not overwork so much in the future.
Son Gohan grinned and leaned close to Old Kai's ear. "Grandpa, I was planning to give you some magazines with beautiful women in them. But since your health is already so poor, I guess I won't be able to give you those magazines after all."
"What? You have something like that?" Old Kai's eyes lit up, and he immediately perked up.
But then he remembered who he was and put on a stern face again.
"Ahem. I'm not interested in your magazines with beautiful women."
"If I wanted to look, I could use my divine powers to watch the beautiful women in the mortal world anytime."
Son Gohan spread his hands, looking terribly disappointed. "All right, then. I was going to give you some discs too."
"Well..." Old Kai furrowed his brows, clearly torn. "Since you insist on giving them to me, I suppose I can make an exception and accept them. All right, hand them over."
As he spoke, he held out his hand to Son Gohan.
"Maybe next time, Grandpa. To show how sincere I am, I'll go collect the best ones for you. I can't give you anything ordinary. It wouldn't suit your status at all." Son Gohan planted his hands on his hips and declared confidently.
"Young people these days... Sigh, fine, fine. Don't forget to bring them next time."
"Respect your elders and care for the young. Got it?"
"I got it. I'll remember."
Supreme Kai and Kibito had no idea what these two, one old and one young, were discussing.
All they knew was that their Great Ancestor was now full of energy and in a wonderful mood.
Mr. Gohan really did have a way with people.
He even knew how to cheer up an old man.
He was incredible.
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