Dragon Ball Battle Power System

[To start things off, may all our readers' savings double every year and their debts shrink every year.]

(A note before we begin: because of the system's settings, this story leans a little toward slow-paced development. In particular, the first thirty chapters include some everyday scenes while the protagonist lies low and builds up his battle power. You handsome readers can use the table of contents to skip chapters as you like. Every time the protagonist's battle power doubles, it is marked in the chapter title.)

Fierce winds hurled fat raindrops against the windows with a sharp patter. It was already late autumn, yet a typhoon had still made landfall in Shanghai. The company's employees had all clocked out and rushed home the moment their shifts ended, leaving Jiang Nan alone on the entire technical department floor.

It wasn't that Jiang Nan loved his work. He had wanted to get home before the wind picked up too. He only had himself to blame for habitually clicking on his unread messages in the company's messaging app before leaving.

Almost the instant the small text beneath that message changed to "Read," Jiang Nan's phone began vibrating.

"Nan, buddy, you're like a brother to me. Please help me out. This client's been with our company for years. Nobody else answered my messages. You're the only one still at your desk!" The caller was a colleague from an out-of-town branch.

Why did I have to click that damn message? Jiang Nan bitterly regretted it.

"No, what you're describing wasn't in the original requirements. If the client insists on that functionality, operations needs to coordinate with the product department and go through the normal change process." Jiang Nan sounded a little impatient.

The rain grew heavier. Fierce winds swept past the office building with piercing howls, while flashes of lightning occasionally brought thunderous booms.

His colleague pleaded, "Nan, please figure something out. I know the client's being unreasonable, but he's worked up and says he'll file a complaint against me if this isn't fixed today."

"It's not that I won't help. Everyone's already gone home. Even if I could develop the feature on the fly, I can't deploy it by myself. I don't have that level of access, understand?" Jiang Nan's tone softened.

"Nan, help me out. My performance review this month is already looking bad. If I get another complaint, I'll be out of a job. Brother, please have a little pity on me."

Jiang Nan fell silent. The economy had been bad these past two years, and plenty of employees in nonessential departments had been laid off. His resolve began to soften.

He checked the live weather forecast on his phone. The wind was currently force 7 and wouldn't reach force 9 for another three hours. Making a stripped-down temporary version shouldn't take too long. As for not having permission to deploy it, that was just nonsense to fool someone outside the field.

Rules were rigid, but people could be flexible. As a seasoned office veteran, Jiang Nan had saved accounts for every role in the automated deployment process, from testing to approval. This was agile deployment in the truest sense-as agile as anyone could want.

Jiang Nan said quickly, "All right, all right. Give me a minute. I'll put in an emergency access request and patch something together for you. Next week, have your manager email the requirements to the product manager."

"See, I knew you'd come through, Nan. Next time I visit headquarters, dinner's on me."

He got straight to work, creating a branch from the live code. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he made the necessary changes.

An hour and a half later, Jiang Nan finally deployed the temporary feature. Only after calling his colleague at the branch to confirm everything worked did he pack up, grab his umbrella, and head downstairs to go home.

It was already eight when he took the elevator down. Of the ground-floor lobby's several exits, only one remained unlocked. Jiang Nan struggled to push the door open far enough to squeeze through and was immediately met by violent wind and rain.

"Holy shit!"

The umbrella flipped inside out the moment he opened it. Jiang Nan held it sideways to shield his body, but his face had nowhere to hide. The gale blowing straight at him made it hard to breathe.

Huge raindrops pounded the ground. Viewed at an angle, the splashes looked like translucent butterflies made of rain.

Jiang Nan clearly had no leisure to appreciate the sight. He only wanted to get through the curtain of rain and onto the subway as quickly as possible.

The subway entrance was only a little over a hundred meters from the building, but every step of that distance was a struggle. In just over a minute, nothing on Jiang Nan was dry except the front of his chest. Even his back had been soaked.

He was finally nearing the subway station. Jiang Nan quickened his steps, ready to dash the rest of the way.

Just then, a dazzling bolt of lightning tore through the night. Like divine punishment descending from nature itself, it struck Jiang Nan dead-on!

His whole body went numb, and his vision instantly turned white. He immediately realized he had been struck by lightning.

I'm done for! I just spent a million to get married! That was the thought that flashed through Jiang Nan's mind.

Before the stunned eyes of a clerk at a nearby twenty-four-hour convenience store, a living person vanished into thin air.

Bzzzz...

An incessant ringing filled his ears.

Darkness. Pure darkness.

Walla oola, oola walla...

As his hearing gradually returned, Jiang Nan heard a babble of voices around him. His consciousness slowly returned as well, but everything before his eyes remained pitch-black. He couldn't see a thing.

Thank goodness. As long as I'm alive. Some kind soul must have rescued me, Jiang Nan thought.

"Ding-!"

"Dimensional traveler detected. Initiating system binding!"

A synthesized voice of indeterminate gender sounded directly in the depths of Jiang Nan's mind.

Still puzzled, Jiang Nan finally began to regain his sight. His surroundings gradually brightened, and he discovered he was lying on a circular platform. A large ring hung above it, giving off an eerie white glow.

Is this a hospital?

Jiang Nan glanced around. Several people in matching uniforms stood nearby. They looked like researchers and were watching him with expressions of either delight or astonishment.

Behind them stood an old man with gray hair and a gray mustache. Wearing a white lab coat, he stared thoughtfully at Jiang Nan with his brows furrowed.

Jiang Nan still had no idea what was happening and didn't dare speak rashly. He simply met the old man's gaze.

"Who are you?" the old man finally asked.

"Where am I? And who are you?" Jiang Nan asked in return.

By all rights, he should have been in a hospital. If they needed to register him, they ought to be asking for his name and personal details. But judging by this old man's attitude, he didn't seem like a good person.

The old man snorted and fixed his hawklike eyes on Jiang Nan. "Dr. Gero. Everyone here calls me Dr. Gero. This is my research institute. Now it's your turn to tell me who you are."

How did I end up in a research institute? Did some organization decide a lightning-strike victim was worth studying and bring me here to dissect me?

Jiang Nan grew nervous, but he wasn't in a position to resist. He could only answer, "My name is Jiang Nan. I'm from Zhongzhou."

"You're from Central City?" Dr. Gero's face lit up. "Central City is a full six thousand kilometers from here, which means..."

"The experiment succeeded!" the assistant beside Dr. Gero exclaimed in delight. "The teleporter works! Once we mass-produce it, it'll sell like crazy. Dr. Gero, you're going to become the richest man on Earth!"

Dr. Gero's mustache twitched, and he smiled too. "Brief certainly is a genius, inventing something like the Hoi-Poi Capsule. But when it comes to understanding space, I still have the edge over him."

Jiang Nan looked utterly bewildered. What the hell are they talking about? Six thousand kilometers? Am I even still in the country? Where the hell have I ended up?

"Ding-!"

Suddenly, the voice in his head spoke again.

"Dragon Ball Battle Power System successfully bound!"

"Host: Jiang Nan. Human from another dimension. Battle power: 5."

What system?

Jiang Nan's mind raced, instantly connecting all the information he had so far.

System, another dimension, Dr. Gero, Hoi-Poi Capsules...

I've crossed into another world???

I've crossed into another world!!!

While everyone around him was immersed in the joy of their successful experiment, Jiang Nan gathered his thoughts and called out inwardly, System!

"I'm here!" Sure enough, a reply came from inside his head.

Is this the Dragon Ball world?

"Yes!" The system's reply was brief and cold.

Am I dead, or have I crossed into another world? Or am I in a vegetative state, imagining all of this? Jiang Nan asked.

"I cannot understand your question, Master. However, my scans indicate that you are currently a living organic life-form."

So he really had crossed into another world. He was screwed. All Jiang Nan could think about now was going back to his original world.

Jiang Nan had a compelling reason to return. After years of relentless pursuit, paying a bride price of 380,000, and buying his future brother-in-law an apartment in the county seat, he had finally moved the woman of his dreams enough for her to agree to marry him. They had only registered their marriage two days ago!

I want to go back! System, figure something out.

"Master, I do not possess the ability to travel between dimensions."

Then is there any way for me to gain that dimensional travel ability you mentioned?

As soon as he asked, Jiang Nan suddenly remembered that in the Dragon Ball world, reaching a certain level of battle power seemed to allow someone to break through dimensional barriers. His clearest memory was of Majin Buu and Gotenks opening dimensional passages to escape the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

"That is possible." The system confirmed his idea almost as soon as it occurred to him. Good-as long as there was hope!

Only then did Jiang Nan remember to ask about the system's abilities. Then, System, what can you do?

The system answered, "I am a battle power system. I can measure the battle power of all life-forms. My primary function is to double my host's battle power every year."

Double it every year? So I'll only have a battle power of 10 next year, and 20 the year after?

"Correct!"

As a science and engineering guy, Jiang Nan knew this system was absolutely broken. His battle power would grow slowly at first, but the further things progressed, the more powerful the system would become.

Provided he could stay alive that long. If this world matched the Dragon Ball he remembered, that old bastard Dr. Gero was no good person.

Jiang Nan asked, What year is it?

"Master, I have only just activated and cannot yet access information about the outside world."

He set aside the distant future for now. Then do you have any rewards for me, like a beginner's gift pack or a lucky prize wheel?

"No."

What about a system shop or something?

"No."

Helpless, Jiang Nan pulled himself out of his thoughts and considered the immediate problem of how to get out of the research institute.

Jiang Nan hopped off the circular platform and took a few steps forward. He cautiously asked Dr. Gero, "Esteemed Dr. Gero, I've long admired your reputation. It's truly an honor to meet you in person today. Now that the experiment is over, may I leave?"

Dr. Gero was in a good mood, but he still couldn't be sure whether the teleporter truly worked or only worked on people with special constitutions. For now, he brushed Jiang Nan off.

"How about this? Stay at the institute for a few more days. I still need to check whether your body developed any abnormalities during teleportation. Once I've confirmed you're healthy, I'll arrange a plane to take you back to Central City."

Fett, the assistant beside Dr. Gero, caught his meaning. He chuckled. "Mr. Jiang Nan, right? The doctor is looking out for you. Stay here for now and don't worry. Come with me. I'll take you to the lounge."

Fett was a white man in his twenties with brown hair. He was short, about half a head shorter than Dr. Gero, and rather plump. Whenever he spoke, he narrowed his eyes and smiled, which made him somewhat unsettling to look at.

On the way to the lounge with Fett, Jiang Nan did consider escaping. But several researchers followed behind him, and unless he was mistaken, the things hanging from their belts were handguns.

They brought him to a room-though calling it a holding cell would have been more accurate. It had no windows, only a bed, a desk, and a chair. There was even a surveillance camera mounted in the corner.

When Fett left, he stationed two researchers outside the door, putting an end to Jiang Nan's thoughts of escape.

Jiang Nan lay down on the bed. The bed frame was a little hard, but this wasn't the time to worry about comfort. He leaned against the head of the bed and began to think.

He didn't understand why a world like this existed, but the universe had always been full of unknowns. Even in his original world, nobody could explain exactly how the universe existed.

So this wasn't the time to agonize over where he had come from or where he was going. The most important thing was to determine whether his life was in danger.

According to his memories, Dr. Gero should have been working for the Red Ribbon Army, researching androids and weapons of mass destruction. Why was he researching teleporters now? And planning to mass-produce and sell them?

Could it be that Dr. Gero hasn't joined the Red Ribbon Army yet?

Jiang Nan's hand unconsciously touched his trouser pocket, and he was delighted to discover his phone was still there. Apparently, Dr. Gero and the others hadn't searched him while he was unconscious.

Jiang Nan pretended to roll over, actually turning away from the surveillance camera so he could discreetly take out his phone.

As expected, the phone showed no service. But here in another world, the family photos on it could offer Jiang Nan some comfort. They were sustenance for his soul. He absolutely couldn't lose them.

To conserve the battery, Jiang Nan turned off his phone and tucked it into his inner pocket. Once he got out, he would find a way to recharge it.

Meanwhile, back in the laboratory, Dr. Gero and the researchers were busily preparing for the next experiment.

Jiang Nan's appearance out of thin air proved that a spatial passage had opened. If they adjusted the parameters, they should be able to send someone out through the teleporter.

A researcher put on protective gear and took a satellite phone with him, then shakily stepped onto the circular platform, filled with apprehension.

At Dr. Gero's command, the experiment began once more.

The ring above the platform gave off a faint white glow, accompanied by a humming sound. Under the expectant gazes of Dr. Gero and all the researchers, nothing happened.

Unwilling to give up, Dr. Gero pressed the activation button again.

Still no response.

Silence...

Dr. Gero suppressed his displeasure and consoled himself. "Failure is normal in scientific experiments. We've already succeeded halfway today. That alone is a historic breakthrough."

"You're absolutely right, Doctor. In just one month, we've already achieved preliminary proof that the technology is viable. Being able to learn from a leading scientist like you is the greatest honor of my life."

Dr. Gero's mustache trembled. "Prepare for another experiment. Go bring that Jiang Nan here. This time, put him on the platform."