The room wasn't very large.
The figure sitting in the chair nearly filled everyone's field of vision.
He was enormous.
He sat in an immense chair, ancient and heavy.
Turles and the others had to tilt their heads up to see the Grand Elder's face.
His face was lined with the deep furrows of age.
His skin sagged in layers of wrinkles.
A kindly smile rested on his face.
"That's the Grand Elder?" Tights asked, her mouth slightly open.
Below the chair, a small head peeked out.
A young Namekian child was hiding behind one of the chair legs, timidly watching the uninvited visitors.
That had to be Dende.
A genius Namekian of the Dragon Clan.
Sensing Turles's gaze, Dende zipped all the way back into hiding.
"Welcome to Planet Namek, wayward Saiyan."
The Grand Elder spoke.
His lips didn't seem to move.
But his voice rang out in everyone's minds.
It was old and deep, with an echo that seemed to span the ages.
"As expected of the Grand Elder. It seems you already knew about my journey."
"Not quite. I only learned of it a few days ago myself." The Grand Elder leaned forward slightly.
The chair gave a dull creak.
Turles merely smiled. He had left the base only ten days ago.
That meant the Grand Elder had known his destination when they were still several days away from Planet Namek.
Such power was truly mysterious!
It inspired awe!
He had noticed that the noncombatants in the Dragon Ball world were each more uncanny than the last!
It made him envious!
He shook his head, then responded with a smile.
"There's one thing you got wrong, Grand Elder."
"I'm not wayward."
"I know exactly which path I want to take."
A smile of agreement spread across the Grand Elder's face.
His clouded eyes seemed capable of seeing through everything.
"Yes, I can sense it."
The Grand Elder's voice rang out in their minds once more. This time, it carried a hint of curiosity.
"The violent blood of the Saiyans flows through your body."
He paused.
"Yet the vibrations of your soul... are unusually calm."
"They even have a depth I cannot fathom."
"You are very special. I once heard that there was a kind Saiyan in ancient times, but I had never met one until today, when I met you, a Saiyan with a heart inclined toward goodness."
Tights blinked in confusion. She couldn't quite understand what the Grand Elder was saying.
Inclined toward goodness?
Turles?
There was something especially compelling about the old man's words, something that made them believable.
Could Turles really be a kind Saiyan?
Those two words always felt strange together...
Tights wasn't the only one who didn't understand. Everyone else, including Nail, was the same.
Perhaps only Turles himself could vaguely discern some deeper meaning.
He remained silent, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Never mind Tights-even he doubted himself.
Was he... kind?
"At the same time, I can also sense your anxiety."
"Anxiety? What am I anxious about?" Turles asked, though he already knew.
"Anxiety over power!" the Grand Elder continued.
"Your submission to evil leaves you lost at every moment. That may be the source of your anxiety."
"You came to Planet Namek for the Dragon Balls, didn't you?"
Turles still hadn't figured out how to continue the conversation,
but the Grand Elder had already said his piece.
Turles felt he couldn't remain silent any longer.
"Grand Elder, I did come for the Dragon Balls. I don't know whether you're willing to let me borrow them... but I don't want to lie to you. Perhaps you've misjudged me. I don't care about good or evil, and I'm determined to get the Dragon Balls!"
Turles's words made Nail, who stood to the side, frown deeply.
His gaze toward Turles began to turn hostile.
"Saiyan! This is Planet Namek. If you step out of line, I'll make you regret it."
"You can't." Turles shook his head mildly.
On the way here, he had used his scouter to check Nail's power level.
40,000.
Even without taking off his weighted suit, Turles was confident he could hold his own against him for a while.
"Nail."
The Grand Elder spoke again, but instead called Nail to a halt.
"Go to the elders and bring the Dragon Balls here."
Nail was astonished.
"Grand Elder?"
"Go. He won't do anything like that. I know he has no such intention."
Nail's gaze lingered on Turles for a long time.
Then he reluctantly walked out.
After Nail left, the Grand Elder looked at Turles again.
"Saiyan, I don't know where you learned about the Dragon Balls, but I must warn you: unless you have no other choice, try not to rely on them..."
"What do you mean?" Turles frowned.
"The Dragon Balls can bring about good things of any kind, but they may also trigger unpredictable disasters..."
"My homeworld... was destroyed that way..."
From Turles's perspective, the Grand Elder's words didn't seem very ambiguous in what they pointed to.
What he said reminded Turles of Dragon Ball GT, a less-than-orthodox sequel to Dragon Ball Z from his previous life.
There was an idea in it that every wish made with the Dragon Balls accumulated evil energy. Once that energy reached a critical point, the Dragon Balls would be unable to bear the burden and would release the immensely powerful Shadow Dragons.
Was that what the Grand Elder meant?
But the Grand Elder didn't seem inclined to elaborate, so Turles couldn't be sure.
He couldn't make sense of it in his own mind, either.
In the end, he could only give the Grand Elder a solemn assurance.
"I'll remember your warning, Grand Elder..."
"Hmm... oh, yes. Come here for a moment." The Grand Elder raised his arm with difficulty.
"I'd like to try to draw out your potential and release the power within your body."
Hearing this, Turles's eyes flashed with barely concealed delight.
He had almost forgotten that the Grand Elder had a trick like this!
Potential Unleashed!
Or rather, turning potential into actual power!
Potential-how should he put it?
Turles could think of only one word to describe it-elusive!
Unlike talent, it couldn't be predicted or given tangible form.
For example, suppose someone had the potential to surpass a God of Destruction.
Did that mean they were certain to reach that level of power at some point in their life?
Most likely not. In fact, forget a God of Destruction-it would be perfectly normal for them to reach the end of their life without even attaining Frieza's current level.
Potential, potential-put simply, it was a possibility.
Yet there were so many factors that could affect that possibility!
It was like a road that could reach the end of the world, but had countless forks along the way.