After eating his fill, Li Shu went straight to the city and spent his only 100 yen on a ball of yarn.
"Heh heh, no cat could resist a ball of yarn, right?"
When Li Shu returned to Korin Tower, Korin was already asleep. He didn't take advantage of the cat while he slept, because he knew Korin was only pretending.
With such a vast difference in strength, he had no chance of taking the water by force. He'd only be toyed with endlessly. His only option was to outsmart Korin.
Li Shu wasn't in a hurry. He found an empty spot and went to sleep.
"What admirable character." After sensing that Li Shu had left, Korin praised him silently.
The next day, after dawn, Li Shu launched another campaign to snatch the Super Holy Water.
Korin toyed with him again and again. Li Shu fell from Korin Tower several times, but never lost heart.
During this time, Korin even gave Li Shu a Senzu Bean to help him recover his strength.
It should be about time, right? After all these tries, he should be off his guard by now. Li Shu kept a close eye on Korin's expression, waiting for the right moment.
Now!
Korin fooled him once more, and just as Li Shu fell from Korin Tower, he suddenly tossed a ball of black yarn upward. Holding his breath, he pressed himself against a stone pillar to stay out of Korin's sight instead of continuing down the tower as he usually did.
The Wait-for-the-Cat Plan—activated!
"What's that?" Korin's attention was immediately drawn to it. When he saw that it was a ball of yarn, his paws began to itch. He wanted to go bat at it a few times.
As the ball of yarn began to fall under the pull of gravity, Korin couldn't hold back any longer. Driven by feline instinct, he darted toward it and stretched out his paw.
Just then, a figure flashed past his eyes.
"Oh no!" Korin was startled, realizing he'd been tricked, but it was too late to react. He felt the weight leave his hand—the Super Holy Water hanging from his staff was gone.
"Master Korin, you let me win." Holding the Super Holy Water, Li Shu smiled at the astonished Korin.
Korin gave a wry smile. "Do you know who the last person to take the Super Holy Water from me was?"
"Who?" Li Shu asked, though he already knew. He had to let Korin save face.
"Your grandfather's teacher, Master Roshi."
"What?" Li Shu put on a perfectly convincing look of shock.
"Do you know how long it took him?" Korin asked.
Li Shu obediently shook his head.
"Three years." Korin held up three fingers, then changed it to one. "And you only needed a day."
"Young people are truly impressive. Truly impressive."
"May I drink the Super Holy Water now?" Li Shu asked politely.
A knowing smile suddenly appeared on Korin's face. "Go ahead."
Li Shu didn't hesitate. He drank it all in one gulp.
Achievement Quest 'The Taste of Super Holy Water' complete. Congratulations, you've earned one chance at an Eye Technique draw. Achievement points +1.
Li Shu didn't rush to draw. Instead, he said, "Master Korin, this is just ordinary water, isn't it? Was the increase in strength from repeatedly climbing Korin Tower and trying to steal the Super Holy Water?"
Korin looked at Li Shu in surprise. "You're a clever boy. It seems you've already felt the change in your strength."
With the quest complete, Li Shu had no reason to stay. Before leaving, though, he wanted some Senzu Beans. No one could ever have too many of those.
Korin was generous and gave Li Shu ten Senzu Beans. He was very pleased with the boy's character and talent, and wanted to nurture him.
After leaving Korin Tower, Li Shu found a hill in the wilderness and thought, System, draw.
Loading draw system... Loading Eye Technique rewards... Loading complete! Current Eye Technique draws: 1. Begin drawing?
"Yes." Li Shu didn't hesitate. The names of various eye techniques flashed through his mind.
[Dragon Sight Eye] [Sharingan] [Byakugan] [Heavenly Eye] [Cross-eyed]
"What? Cross-eyed really counts?" Li Shu was horrified. He silently prayed that he wouldn't draw Cross-eyed.
He couldn't understand how Cross-eyed could count as an eye technique. Wasn't this ridiculous?
Fortunately, Cross-eyed flashed by in an instant, and Li Shu breathed a sigh of relief.
[Narrow-minded Eye] [Trouble-Making Eyes] [Heavenly Heart Pupil] [Fiery Golden Eyes] [Three-Flower Flame Eyes] [Ah-Pupil Eye]
"?" Li Shu was dumbfounded. I can put up with Narrow-minded Eye and Trouble-Making Eyes, but how am I supposed to put up with Ah-Pupil Eye? Is that a typo?!
For a full five minutes, Li Shu saw countless eye technique names, all kinds of bizarre. Anything remotely related to "sight," "eyes," "pupils," or "gaze" apparently counted as an eye technique. Even homophones and typos made the cut. It was utterly, unbelievably ridiculous—far beyond ridiculous.
Eye Technique list review complete. Beginning draw. Ding! Congratulations, you've obtained the Eye Technique [Battle Eye].
Before Li Shu could react, the draw was already over. When he saw the name, he let out a long breath. At least it sounded pretty reliable.
At the same time, a burning sensation surged through his eyes, accompanied by intense pain. He went blind in an instant.
"Ah!" Li Shu writhed in agony, rolling around on the ground like an earthworm, twisting and bouncing.
No! I need to speed up my search for the Dragon Balls. So what if I change the plot? I have to make my wish for Pain Immunity as soon as possible!
The Wait-for-the-Dragon Plan was officially a failure. To hell with it!
The pain was too much for Li Shu to bear. His mind was a complete mess, and he passed out from the agony.
When he woke again, he felt himself moving—or, more precisely, something was dragging him along the ground.
At the same time, a powerful hunger hit him. He had no strength left in his body, and it felt worse than when he'd gone ten days without food.
"How long was I unconscious? Damn, did I miss the summoning of Shenron?"
He couldn't die anyway, so Li Shu wasn't worried about his current predicament. He hurriedly opened the Dimensional Storage Space and checked how many Senzu Beans were left in the Beginner Senzu Bean Can.
"One, two, three, four... forty-six! Was I unconscious for over a month?" Li Shu was furious.
Despite his hunger, he let out a roar that shook the heavens and earth. "Aaaah! The system has ruined me!!"
He couldn't remember exactly when Son Goku first gathered all seven Dragon Balls, but it definitely hadn't taken long. More than a month had passed. Shenron was probably already on vacation!
"The system has ruined me! System, you've ruined me!!" Li Shu was overcome with grief and indignation, his heart full of resentment.
According to the rules of Dragon Ball, the Dragon Balls needed a year to recharge. His wish for Pain Immunity would have to be delayed by a year.
At the same time, Li Shu's roar startled the Tiger-Headed Demon Ghost dragging him.
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