Staring at Jackie Chun's serious expression, Li Shu smiled before the other man could speak. "Master Mutaito, sorry about that just now. It wasn't a fair victory, really."
"..." Master Roshi was silent for a moment before saying, "So you figured it out a long time ago."
Goku and Krillin had been watching the match with great interest. At those words, they turned around in surprise and stared at Jackie Chun in disbelief.
At this point, there was no need for Master Roshi to keep hiding his identity, so he removed his disguise.
"Goku, Krillin, keep watching the matches. Li Shu and I need to talk alone."
Master Roshi led Li Shu to a secluded spot nearby. After sighing, he explained why he had disguised himself.
In short, he wanted to stop Goku from winning the championship. Goku was too young to get carried away with pride; he needed to experience a setback.
"Li Shu, you're quite a bit older than Goku and Krillin, so you should understand. Since I've already failed, I hope you'll take on this responsibility."
Li Shu was overjoyed. Wasn't this an achievement being handed to him on a silver platter? How could he possibly refuse?
Never mind whether he could beat Goku. He'd accept the task first and figure out the rest later. Where there was a will, there was a way!
"Don't worry, Master Mutaito. Leave this to me," Li Shu readily agreed.
The system's notification rang out right on cue!
"Achievement quest 'Victory Without Arrogance, Defeat Without Discouragement' triggered. Defeat Son Goku head-on at the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament! Quest reward: [Battle Heart]!"
Battle Heart?
Li Shu was startled. After [Battle Eye] and [Battle Nose], here was another Battle Combat skill. It seemed these really were part of a set.
If he collected all the Battle Combat skills, would there be some kind of set bonus? Or an achievement?
Judging by the system's usual patterns, there was a good chance.
Looks like I'll have to fight for first place after all. Li Shu felt a little weighed down.
He wasn't very confident about defeating Son Goku head-on. At most, he had a thirty percent chance.
He'd just beaten Master Roshi, who was even stronger than Goku, but in a direct fight, he'd most likely lose.
Unless he used the Flight Technique to gain an advantage from the start, he'd have little chance of beating Master Roshi head-on.
But at this stage, when no one else could fly, using the Flight Technique would be far too cheap. Li Shu wasn't sure it would count as a head-on victory. After all, it wouldn't be a fair win.
His achievement points had reached 28. To be safe, Li Shu decided to ask the system. He could afford to spend one point.
If he could use the Flight Technique, his odds of beating Goku would shoot up to eighty percent.
The system replied promptly. "No. Answer complete! [Achievement points]-2! [Current achievement points: 26]!"
The two-word answer cost Li Shu two achievement points. The consultation fee had quietly doubled, leaving him furious but helpless.
"If I can't use the Flight Technique, this quest is going to be pretty difficult." Li Shu glanced at the tournament bracket.
Unless something unexpected happened, his next opponent would be Krillin, after which he'd face Goku in the finals to compete for first and second place.
He still had time to increase his power level. At the very least, he needed to bring it up to Goku's. Thankfully, they weren't too far apart. Two more successful upgrades to [Dinosaur Leg] should do it.
"By the way, where did you learn the Kamehameha?" Master Roshi asked suddenly.
Without even batting an eye, Li Shu lied. "Huh? That? I learned it from you."
"Me?" Master Roshi looked confused. "I don't think I taught you that move."
Li Shu shamelessly replied, "I watched you perform it once, then imitated your movements and tried it myself. I learned it just like that. It didn't seem all that difficult."
"..." Master Roshi opened his mouth, but in the end, he chose to stay silent.
Master Roshi couldn't think of any other plausible explanation. He had to admit that the kid in front of him really was a genius.
He'd learned the technique Master Roshi had spent fifty years perfecting after seeing it only once.
"Congratulations! You've earned the achievement 'Genius?' Reward: [Thick Skin]. Achievement points +1!"
"[Thick Skin]: Skin as thick as a city wall. Reduces your sense of shame."
Li Shu: "..."
This was the first time Li Shu had earned an achievement, but it was also the first time he hadn't been happy about one.
"I didn't mean anything by it. I was just curious." Seeing Li Shu's expression, Master Roshi hurried to explain. "I was planning to teach you all after the tournament anyway."
"Big brother! Master Mutaito! It's Goku's turn, but he's nowhere to be found!"
Just then, Krillin's panicked voice rang out from a distance. Li Shu and Master Roshi's conversation came to an end, and they hurried over to find out what was going on.
When he learned what had happened, Li Shu was startled. Goku was missing? Had this happened in the original story? He couldn't remember at all, so he gathered more people to help search for Goku.
He was worried that his arrival might have changed the course of the story.
If Goku was eliminated just like that, his achievement quest would be ruined!
A few minutes later, Li Shu found Goku. Seeing him leaning against a wall, fast asleep and snoring, Li Shu was at a loss for words. Thankfully, it had only been a false alarm.
"Wake up, Goku! It's your turn!" Li Shu hurriedly picked him up and ran toward the ring.
Goku woke up just then and gave an embarrassed grin. "The sun felt so nice and warm that I accidentally fell asleep."
At Goku's explanation, everyone instantly toppled over.
After that little interruption, Son Goku's match officially began.
His opponent, Giran, was a winged monster. Li Shu quickly remembered this part of the story.
What happened next was almost exactly as he remembered.
Monster Giran tried everything he could, but none of it worked against Goku. In the end, he chose to surrender.
During that time, Li Shu used a [Super Blessing Potion] and 4 achievement points, successfully upgrading Dinosaur Leg to LV3.
[Never-ending Dinosaur Leg-Lv3]: Regenerative edible weapon. Can attach to the leg. Increases power level by 4% when equipped!
With the boost from his equipment, Li Shu's power level reached 78, just short of Goku's 80.
Li Shu didn't continue upgrading Dinosaur Leg. He estimated that upgrading it from LV3 to LV4 would cost 8 achievement points for a single attempt, and he wasn't willing to spend that much.
If he got unlucky, the remaining 23 achievement points would go to waste.
Twenty-three achievement points was no small amount. He decided to try upgrading his [Saiyan Bloodline]!
"Upgrade [Saiyan Bloodline]!" Li Shu gave the command, silently hoping, Don't fail! Don't fail! Please, don't fail!
Before you continue