Korin Tower

Li Shu sat outside the grilled chicken shop, watching other people eat as tears streamed from his mouth.

Passersby glanced at him as they walked by. A couple dining by the window looked at the shabby, wild-looking Li Shu with scorn.

"Sorry." Li Shu conscientiously looked away. Watching other people eat while drooling really was impolite.

Some customers who had been about to enter the grilled chicken shop saw Li Shu sitting outside, shook their heads, and left.

"I seem to be affecting their business." Li Shu felt a little awkward. The Wait-for-the-Cat Plan had suffered an unprecedented setback right from the start.

Just as Li Shu got up to leave and find somewhere else to continue his plan without affecting the shop's business, the owner came running out.

"You're from the countryside, right? Here, take this. Go beg somewhere else, and don't affect our business." With a look of disgust, the owner handed Li Shu a food box and 100 yen.

"..." Li Shu was speechless. He glanced at his dragon-hide coat and said, "Actually, I'm not a beggar. I'm a dinosaur hunter. Would you be interested in trying some new ingredients at your shop? Let me tell you, dinosaur meat is delicious. I've even thought of a name for the dish: grilled dragon. Sounds good, doesn't it?"

The owner froze. Grilled dragon? It did sound like a pretty good name, and he found himself intrigued.

When he was a child, he'd once had the good fortune to eat dinosaur meat with his father. Its flavor really was beyond what chicken could match.

Nobi Bear sized up the mountain wild man before him again. That genuine leather coat of his really did look like it was made of dinosaur hide.

Even after twenty years, he still remembered the taste of grilled dragon hide. It was a hundred times better than chicken skin.

"A dinosaur hunter?" Nobi Bear glanced at the wild man's eighteen-pack, which he had unwittingly revealed. His doubts began to fade.

"That's right." Li Shu quickly accepted the food and money. As he ate the juicy, tender chicken skewers, he slipped the 100 yen into his pocket without a word and continued, "I can give you a dinosaur leg for free. If you like it, you can buy more from me. How does that sound?"

At that, a smile instantly spread across Nobi Bear's face. He repeatedly apologized. "I'm sorry, sir. I was out of line just now. I'd be happy to give it a try."

"My name is Nobi Bear. May I ask what you're called?"

"Li Shu."

"Mr. Li Shu, when can you bring over the dinosaur leg?"

"In one..." Li Shu had just said two words when he saw Korin come out of the shop after finishing his grilled chicken. He immediately continued, "Something urgent just came up. I'll come find you in a few days. That's that. Thanks for the food."

Li Shu polished off everything and left without looking back, leaving Nobi Bear staring after him in astonishment.

He followed Korin with an easygoing swagger, in a pretty good mood. He hadn't expected to stumble across a way to make money during the Wait-for-the-Cat Plan.

As for the dinosaur protection plan, Li Shu had long since forgotten all about it.

Li Shu's tracking skills were superb, but he didn't bother using them. In the face of absolute power, even the most brilliant tracking skills were useless.

At this stage, Li Shu knew full well how powerful Korin was.

Rather than sneaking around, he might as well walk openly.

Korin soon noticed him. Li Shu wasn't worried in the slightest. Under Korin's puzzled gaze, he smiled and greeted him. "Could I visit Korin Tower?"

"Hm?" Korin hadn't expected the little fellow to know who he was. Perhaps he was the descendant of an old acquaintance. He smiled kindly. "Of course, little one. But could you tell me your name?"

"My name is Li Shu. I love traveling. My grandpa told me Korin Tower was the tallest tower in the world, but I didn't know where it was. I happened to meet Master Korin today, and I don't want to miss this chance."

"Who is your grandpa?" Korin asked.

"Son Gohan," Li Shu replied.

Son Gohan? Korin thought for a long while before finally remembering. His smile grew even warmer. "So you're the grandson of Master Roshi's first disciple."

Li Shu explained, "Actually, my grandpa rescued me in the mountains and took me in."

Li Shu slowly recounted what had happened and told him about the five years he'd spent on Mount Paozu.

Along the way, Korin listened attentively. When he learned that Son Gohan had passed away, he was filled with emotion.

Korin Holy Land.

A towering totem pole rose from the ground and disappeared into the clouds, its top nowhere in sight.

"We're here, child. That's Korin Tower over there. I can only bring you this far. If you want to climb it, you'll have to rely on your own strength." Korin pointed toward the distant tower and spoke kindly.

Li Shu gazed at Korin Tower in the distance, deeply awed.

He had seen it countless times in the anime, but only standing there in person could he truly appreciate the magnificent structure that took his breath away.

"I'll be waiting for you at the top, child. Remember, you can only reach the top by relying on your own strength." After saying this, Korin rose into the air and flew away.

Li Shu knew the rules for climbing Korin Tower, and he also knew that the legend about the Super Holy Water at the top making you stronger was false.

The real training that increased one's strength was the process of climbing Korin Tower and obtaining the Super Holy Water from Korin.

Even though Li Shu knew all this, he still planned to fly up. He could finish the sign-in task and claim the reward before beginning his training.

"I learned the Flight Technique through my own efforts, so that should count as my own strength, right?"

With that thought, Li Shu headed toward Korin Tower. A man who looked like a Native American and held a spear stopped him in front of a tent. A child stood beside the man.

Bora eyed Li Shu warily and barked, "Who are you? What are you doing here? Leave at once."

Li Shu remembered the father and son. They were the ones who had guarded this place for generations, so he replied politely, "Sir, I'm here to climb Korin Tower. Master Korin said he'd be waiting for me up there."

"K-Korin?" The man froze. Although his family had guarded this place for generations, they had never seen the immortal who lived atop Korin Tower. They had always thought he was just a legend.

Even so, he wasn't about to let a stranger climb the sacred place his family had sworn to protect.

"Beat me, and you'll earn the right to climb Korin Tower," Bora said sternly.

Li Shu smiled and accepted. It was a perfect chance to test the results of his training over the past five years.

He sensed Bora's ki. It was considerably weaker than his own.

If Li Shu's battle power was 30, Bora's was probably only around 10—just a little stronger than an ordinary person.

Li Shu immediately relaxed. He probably wouldn't embarrass himself.