Looking at the blue interface floating before him, Raditz wondered how to use this cheat.
[Planet Check-in System] [Host: Raditz] [Current Planet: Earth] [Check-in Tasks: 3. Choose and complete one to receive the corresponding reward. (Details)] [Evaluation: A planet with mediocre opportunities. A hellish start?]
"Planet Check-in System? Does that mean I can get rewards just by checking in?"
Raditz was intrigued but confused. He opened the detailed task descriptions, and three entries appeared at once.
[Task One: Saiyan Orphan]
[Objective: Obtain a Saiyan sample found on Earth.]
[Hint: The young Low-Class Warrior Kakarot was sent to a frontier planet on a mission and has yet to return. Defeat him, and you'll be the new Low-Class Warrior!]
[Reward: Saiyan bloodline]
[Difficulty: S+]
[Task Two: Martial Arts Master]
[Objective: Become a disciple of Earth's "God of Martial Arts" and earn his approval.]
[Hint: A vast ocean, an isolated island, and an old man living overseas who never leaves his turtle shell behind.]
[Reward: Inherit the "God of Martial Arts'" talent and lifelong martial arts knowledge]
[Difficulty: A]
[Task Three: The Beginning of the Dragon Balls]
[Objective: Collect a Dragon Ball on Earth.]
[Hint: It's said that seven wish-granting stars are scattered across multiple universes, impossible to find. Perhaps their imitations are easier to locate than the real things.]
[Reward: Seed of Miracles]
[Difficulty: B]
Raditz took a deep breath.
The objectives of all three tasks were clear. They all involved people and things he knew well.
Sun Wukong, Master Roshi, and the Dragon Balls. Basically, if he found one of them, he could find the other two as well.
What made his heart race were the corresponding rewards.
A Saiyan bloodline meant a higher ceiling for his battle power.
The Martial Arts Master's teachings meant a solid foundation for training.
Compared to the first two rewards, the Seed of Miracles seemed rather cryptic.
Raditz was more inclined to complete the first task. In the Dragon Ball world, you needed battle power before you could talk about anything else.
But with this scrawny body of his, going head-to-head with Goku? If he got hit by even one punch...
As if imagining something terrifying, Raditz shook his head, driving the scene from his mind.
"I'd better find him first."
Looking at the Red Ribbon Army headquarters, now nothing but ruins, Raditz recalled the original story.
"Goku should be right around the time he just destroyed the Red Ribbon Army."
According to the story, Goku would go with his friends to Fortune Teller Baba to find the location of the last Dragon Ball. To get Baba's help, they would have to fight the martial artists she brought in.
"Goku will fight his grandpa, Son Gohan, and have his tail pulled off during the battle. This is a good chance."
Raditz made up his mind and dashed toward the entrance to the ruins.
"I have to meet them quickly. If I miss my chance, who knows where Fortune Teller Baba is?"
Fortunately, Raditz hadn't run for long before he spotted a group of people standing in the distance.
A spiky-haired boy, an old man in sunglasses, a pretty young woman, and a bald little monk—they were all unmistakable.
Goku spotted the man in a Red Ribbon Army uniform running toward him, too, and immediately took out his Power Pole.
"Another enemy?"
"Don't attack, don't attack, I..." Before Raditz could finish, a bald boy suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Haha, Goku, you really let your guard down. There's still one straggler left!" Krillin grinned. "Leave him to me. I might as well do something after coming all this way to help you."
Before he could finish speaking, he threw a punch.
"Pfft!"
The small fist carried immense force.
Raditz felt as if a truck had hit him. His body flew backward, and he spat out blood.
"I miscalculated..." Raditz's vision darkened, and he lost consciousness.
"Huh? He's that weak?"
As Krillin stood there wondering, a fist slammed into his bald head.
"Wham!"
"Ow! Bulma, what'd you do that for?"
Bulma, who had jogged over, withdrew her iron fist and scowled. "Why didn't you wait for him to finish talking?"
"His clothes clearly didn't fit, and he looked about the same age as Goku. He didn't look like he was with the Red Ribbon Army at all."
"Uh..."
Krillin awkwardly scratched his head, his eyes wandering. "I was just trying to help Goku. I got carried away."
As he spoke, he moved to Goku's side and patted him on the shoulder, trying to get out of trouble.
"But if he wasn't a bad guy and Krillin beat him to death, wouldn't that mean he killed an innocent person by mistake?"
Goku's innocent words pierced Krillin's heart like a sharp blade.
"N-no, that won't happen. I can use the Dragon Balls to bring him back to life," Krillin hastily added.
"Stop talking nonsense. He's still breathing!"
Bulma crouched down and carefully checked Raditz's breath.
"Krillin, come help me. Carry him to Kame House. There's medicine there. If we leave him like this, he'll really be in danger. I also need to help Goku fix the Dragon Radar."
"All right."
Krillin trudged over in resignation and lifted Raditz onto his back.
"Where am I? Who am I? What am I doing?"
When he woke again, Raditz stared at the unfamiliar ceiling and asked himself the three questions of the soul.
"Oh no, Krillin, you hit him so hard you made him stupid."
A girl's teasing laugh came from beside him. Raditz came fully to his senses and saw the group gathered around him. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"I can't believe they brought me back. I guess it turned out to be a blessing in disguise."
"You're awake? Do you remember who you are?" Bulma asked gently as the others looked at him with curiosity.
Raditz steadied himself and looked at the bright-eyed girl before him.
Then he replied with the story he had prepared. "Yes. My name is Raditz. The Red Ribbon Army held me captive."
"Huh! Why did they imprison you?" Goku's eyes widened when he heard Raditz had been held captive.
"Because of this." Raditz raised his right hand.
Everyone frowned at the metallic-looking hand.
"A doctor held me in an underground laboratory and modified me to use as a weapon." Raditz paused for a moment, then continued, "The laboratory was right beneath the Red Ribbon Army headquarters."
"Human experimentation?" Bulma's expression darkened. "That's awful, and it's connected to the evil army Goku destroyed. Do you know the doctor's name?"
"Yes."
Raditz remembered the doctor's vow of revenge. He was almost certain it had been Dr. Gero.
After weighing the pros and cons, he decided not to hide it.
"I think his name was Dr. Gero. When he left the laboratory, he said something about getting revenge on Sun Wukong. I escaped after he left."
"By the time I got out, the Red Ribbon Army had already been wiped out."
"You must be the one who destroyed the army, right? Thank you for saving me." Raditz looked over at Goku.
"Hahaha, so that's what happened." Goku rubbed the back of his head and laughed cheerfully. "I saw you wearing their uniform and thought you were a bad guy. You don't have to thank me. My name is Sun Wukong, but you can just call me Goku."
Goku was glad to have unknowingly rescued an innocent person.
"I'm Bulma, and these are Krillin and Yamcha..."
Bulma sympathized with Raditz's plight and warmly introduced her companions.
"Sorry, I mistook you for one of them, too. It's my fault, hahaha." Krillin stepped forward, looking a little embarrassed as he explained.
Bulma rolled her eyes. "You mean you attacked too fast!"
"It's fine. It was just a misunderstanding." Raditz waved a hand, though his chest still ached faintly.
"So, Raditz, what are you planning to do now?" Bulma asked.
"My memories are a little jumbled. I don't know how long Dr. Gero kept me, and I don't know where my home is..."
Raditz was being honest enough. He really didn't know anything about the original owner of this body.
The few scraps of memory he had showed that the original owner shared his name, Raditz, and looked a lot like him in his previous life.
"Why don't you stay here for now?" Bulma suggested.
"We don't know where Dr. Gero escaped to. If you stay here, everyone can protect you."
"Bulma's right. Since that doctor talked about revenge, he'll definitely come looking for Goku. We can look out for each other if we stick together." Krillin finished, then turned to Master Roshi, who was leisurely flipping through some magazine he didn't recognize. "Master Mutten, is that okay?"
"Heh heh heh..."
Master Roshi was completely absorbed in his own artistic pursuits and hadn't noticed the increasingly pointed glares from everyone.
Wham!
"Eek!"
"Bulma, what's gotten into you now?"
Bulma lowered her righteous iron fist, a large vein bulging on her forehead.
"You lecherous old man, don't corrupt the kids!"
After hearing everyone out, Master Roshi couldn't very well refuse.
He adjusted his sunglasses and looked at Raditz. "You can stay, but everyone here has things to do. You'll need to take care of yourself."
"That's fine. I can take care of myself. I can also cook, clean, and shop for supplies..."
Raditz hurriedly offered, his enthusiasm unmistakable.
A hellish start? This was a perfect start!
Now he had joined the main cast, and he was close to meeting the requirements for all three tasks. He only needed to get a sample of Goku's genes or become Master Roshi's disciple to complete a task.
As for the Dragon Balls, one lay quietly on a nearby table, and there were six more!
Master Roshi had no comment on Raditz's impassioned offer. He silently continued reading his magazine, though a hint of suspicion flickered behind his gleaming sunglasses.
"Then it's settled." Bulma made the call. "Raditz, just make yourself at home for now."