Chapter 13 — The Training of Mr. Popo
Four Weeks Later
Four weeks had passed since Zach learned how to fly.
Four weeks since Kazuma had learned Steal.
Four weeks since Yunyun had appeared in Axel and immediately reignited her rivalry with Megumin.
And, somehow, the party had survived.
More importantly—
They had continued training.
Zach had made sure of it.
Every morning started at four.
Every day included physical conditioning.
Every afternoon included specialized training.
Every night ended with meditation.
And although Kazuma still complained about it—
He was getting stronger.
Aqua's magical control had improved.
Megumin's stamina had increased.
Darkness's physical conditioning had improved dramatically.
And Zach's Ki had continued developing.
But there was one thing Zach had been waiting for.
His system points.
For the past four weeks, he had been saving every point he earned.
Quest completions.
Training achievements.
Combat experience.
Daily training.
The Ground Dragon.
The Demon King's General.
Even smaller accomplishments had slowly added to his total.
And finally—
He had enough.
Zach stood alone outside the party's apartment.
The system appeared before him.
[Training Points Available: 10,000]
Zach's eyes widened.
"Finally."
Another window appeared.
[Available Training Systems]
[Gravity Chamber — Locked]
[Requirements Met.]
[Cost: 10,000 Training Points.]
Zach didn't hesitate.
"Purchase."
The system flashed.
[Gravity Chamber Purchased.]
[Training Environment: Gravity Chamber.]
[Included Feature: Sensei Selection.]
[Training Duration: 30 Days.]
Zach smiled.
Then he noticed something.
The Sensei selection window appeared.
Several names were displayed.
Zach immediately recognized one.
Korin had taught him the foundations.
He had learned Ki control, movement, reaction, and physical discipline.
But the next lesson required something different.
Something deeper.
Zach scrolled through the available teachers.
Then he stopped.
Mr. Popo.
Zach stared at the name.
He remembered Dragon Ball.
He remembered what Popo had taught Goku.
Not simply fighting.
Not simply strength.
Movement.
Efficiency.
Awareness.
Stillness.
The ability to sense energy.
The ability to fight without letting emotions control every movement.
Zach smiled.
"Mr. Popo."
He selected him.
[Sensei Selected: Mr. Popo.]
[Training Duration: 30 Days.]
[Begin Training?]
Zach took a breath.
"Begin."
The world disappeared.
The Look of Mr. Popo
Zach opened his eyes.
He stood inside the gravity chamber.
The room looked different from the one Korin had used.
The gravity chamber was still there.
But standing in front of him was a familiar figure.
Mr. Popo.
Zach stared.
"…Wow."
Mr. Popo looked at him calmly.
"Hello."
Zach nodded.
"Hello."
Mr. Popo studied him.
"You have trained."
Zach smiled.
"I've been trying."
Mr. Popo continued looking at him.
"You are strong."
Zach felt proud.
Then Popo continued.
"But you waste movement."
Zach's smile disappeared.
"…What?"
"You waste movement."
Mr. Popo walked around him.
"Your punches are strong."
He tapped Zach's shoulder.
"Your kicks are strong."
He tapped his leg.
"Your Ki is improving."
Then Popo pointed at Zach's head.
"But your mind is noisy."
Zach frowned.
"My mind?"
"Too many thoughts."
Zach crossed his arms.
"Isn't thinking during a fight important?"
"Sometimes."
Popo looked at him.
"But thinking about every movement makes you slow."
Zach understood.
"You want me to react instinctively."
"No."
Popo shook his head.
"I want you to stop doing things you don't need to do."
Zach blinked.
"What?"
Mr. Popo smiled.
"That is your first lesson."
Day One
The first lesson was simple.
Move from one side of the room to the other.
Zach nodded.
"Okay."
He ran.
Mr. Popo stepped in front of him.
Zach stopped.
Popo pointed toward his feet.
"You took twelve steps."
Zach frowned.
"So?"
"You needed six."
Zach stared.
"Six?"
"Yes."
Popo demonstrated.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
He reached the other side.
Zach stared.
"How?"
"You move too much."
Zach tried again.
This time he used fewer steps.
Popo stopped him.
"Better."
Zach smiled.
Then Popo swept his legs.
Zach hit the ground.
"Ow!"
"Again."
Zach stood.
Popo swept him again.
THUD.
"Again."
THUD.
"Again."
THUD.
By the end of the first hour, Zach was furious.
"This is ridiculous!"
Popo looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because you're barely teaching me anything!"
Popo smiled.
"You are learning."
"I'm just getting knocked down!"
"That is also learning."
Zach groaned.
He remembered Korin.
Korin had pushed him physically.
He had challenged his strength.
But Popo wasn't interested in his strength.
Popo was interested in everything Zach was doing unnecessarily.
And that was much harder to fix.
Eliminating Waste
The days became brutal.
Not physically.
Mentally.
Zach could handle physical exhaustion.
He had trained his body for months.
But Popo constantly forced him to question his habits.
Zach would throw a punch.
Popo would dodge.
"Too wide."
Zach would throw another.
"Too much shoulder."
Another.
"Too much movement."
Another.
"Your feet moved unnecessarily."
Zach became frustrated.
"What do you want me to do?!"
"Less."
"Less what?"
"Everything."
Zach stared.
That answer was somehow more frustrating than anything else.
Popo would make him repeat the same attack hundreds of times.
Then change one tiny detail.
A shorter step.
A smaller rotation.
A different angle.
A slight shift of weight.
Zach began noticing something.
His attacks were stronger when he stopped trying so hard to make them powerful.
His movements became faster when he stopped adding unnecessary movement.
His Ki flowed better when he wasn't constantly forcing it.
But there was still a problem.
His mind.
He thought too much.
Every fight became a checklist.
Move.
Block.
Counter.
Ki.
Kick.
Dodge.
Attack.
Popo would stop him.
"Too slow."
Zach would get angry.
"I'm thinking!"
"Exactly."
Sensing Spiritual Energy
During the second week, Popo introduced something new.
Zach sat cross-legged.
His eyes were closed.
"Sense me."
Zach frowned.
"I can't see you."
"That is why your eyes are closed."
Zach sighed.
He focused his Ki.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Nothing.
He could sense his own energy.
He could sense the presence of other people when they released strong Ki.
But Popo?
Nothing.
Zach became frustrated.
"How am I supposed to sense something I can't see?"
Popo's voice came from somewhere nearby.
"Stop looking."
"I'm not looking."
"You are."
"With my eyes closed!"
"You are still trying to see."
Zach became silent.
He took a breath.
He remembered what Popo had said.
Stop looking.
Stop forcing.
He relaxed.
He focused on the room.
The air.
The movement.
The pressure.
The subtle changes around him.
Nothing.
Minutes passed.
Then—
Something.
A tiny sensation.
Behind him.
Zach's eyes opened.
He turned.
Popo was standing behind him.
"You felt me."
Zach's eyes widened.
"I did."
Popo nodded.
"Again."
The training continued.
Days became weeks.
Zach began sensing small fluctuations.
Aqua's enormous magical presence.
Kazuma's weaker but strangely noticeable energy.
Megumin's massive magical potential.
Darkness's physical presence.
Even animals.
Plants.
The environment.
It wasn't exactly Ki.
It was something deeper.
Spiritual energy.
The world felt different.
Zach began realizing that energy existed everywhere.
He had spent months learning how to control the energy inside himself.
Now he was learning to notice the energy outside himself.
The Empty Mind
The third week was the hardest.
Popo stood across from Zach.
"Fight me."
Zach raised his fists.
"Okay."
Popo attacked.
Zach dodged.
He countered.
Popo disappeared.
Zach turned.
Too slow.
THUD.
Zach fell.
Again.
Popo attacked.
Zach reacted.
Again.
Another hit.
Zach became frustrated.
"Stop!"
Popo stopped.
Zach stood.
"I know what you're doing."
Popo waited.
"You're trying to make me stop thinking."
"Yes."
"But that's impossible!"
"Why?"
"Because I'm thinking about not thinking!"
Popo nodded.
"Exactly."
Zach stared at him.
"…That's annoying."
Popo smiled.
"You are beginning to understand."
Zach sat down.
He closed his eyes.
He breathed.
Slowly.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
He tried clearing his thoughts.
But thoughts continued appearing.
What is Popo going to do?
Gone.
What attack should I use?
Gone.
What if I get hit?
Gone.
What if I fail?
Gone.
He tried again.
His mind became quieter.
Then—
Nothing.
For one brief moment—
Zach wasn't thinking about fighting.
He wasn't thinking about winning.
He wasn't thinking about losing.
He wasn't thinking about Goku.
He wasn't thinking about his family.
He wasn't thinking about the system.
He was simply there.
Popo attacked.
Zach moved.
His body reacted.
He didn't decide to dodge.
He didn't calculate.
He simply moved.
WHOOSH!
The attack missed.
Zach countered.
Popo blocked.
Zach moved again.
Another attack.
Another dodge.
For several seconds—
Zach didn't think.
He fought.
Naturally.
Then his mind returned.
He was hit.
THUD!
Zach flew backward.
He landed.
Breathing heavily.
Popo smiled.
"That."
Zach looked at him.
"What?"
"That was the beginning."
The Final Week
The final week was different.
Popo stopped explaining.
He simply fought Zach.
Zach had to figure things out himself.
At first, he struggled.
He reverted to old habits.
Too much movement.
Too much force.
Too much thought.
Every time he made a mistake, Popo punished it.
But gradually—
Zach improved.
His steps became smaller.
His punches became tighter.
His kicks became more efficient.
His Ki became smoother.
His awareness expanded.
He could sense Popo without seeing him.
He could sense attacks before they fully developed.
And sometimes—
His mind became empty.
During those moments, Zach's body moved naturally.
One day, Popo launched an attack.
Zach stepped aside.
Popo attacked again.
Zach shifted.
Another.
Zach ducked.
Another.
Zach redirected it.
No wasted movement.
No unnecessary steps.
No hesitation.
Zach countered.
His fist stopped inches from Popo's face.
Silence.
Zach slowly lowered his fist.
Popo nodded.
"You understand."
Zach breathed heavily.
"I'm starting to."
The Final Test
On the final day, Popo stood in front of Zach.
"One final test."
Zach raised his fists.
"Fight."
The battle began.
Zach moved.
Popo attacked.
Zach dodged.
No wasted movement.
Popo disappeared.
Zach sensed him.
He turned.
Blocked.
Countered.
Popo attacked again.
Zach moved.
His body didn't wait for instructions from his conscious mind.
His instincts and training worked together.
Popo increased his speed.
Zach followed.
Again.
Faster.
Again.
Faster.
Zach's body screamed.
But his mind remained calm.
He wasn't thinking about winning.
He wasn't thinking about losing.
He wasn't thinking about how powerful Popo was.
He was simply fighting.
One movement.
One response.
One moment.
Then—
Popo stopped.
Zach stopped.
Silence filled the chamber.
Popo smiled.
"Training complete."
Zach dropped to his knees.
He was exhausted.
But he was smiling.
"I actually did it."
Popo nodded.
"You learned three important things."
He raised one finger.
"Eliminate wasted movement."
A second.
"Sense spiritual energy."
A third.
"Fight with a calm and empty mind."
Zach looked down at his hands.
His entire body felt different.
Not stronger.
Not dramatically.
Different.
More efficient.
More aware.
More controlled.
The system appeared.
[One-Month Training Completed.]
[Sensei: Mr. Popo.]
[Training Results Recorded.]
[Wasted Movement Reduction: 63%.]
[Spiritual Energy Sense: Unlocked.]
[Empty Mind Combat State: Unlocked.]
[Combat Efficiency Increased.]
[Ki Control Increased.]
Zach smiled.
Then another notification appeared.
[Special Reward Granted.]
[Technique Acquired: Mafuba.]
Zach's eyes widened.
"Mafuba?"
Popo nodded.
"A dangerous technique."
Zach looked at the notification.
[Mafuba — Level 1]
[A sealing technique capable of imprisoning powerful supernatural beings within a suitable container.]
[Warning: Extremely high energy consumption.]
[Warning: Improper use may cause severe physical consequences.]
Zach stared at it.
"You taught me the Mafuba?"
Popo nodded.
"Only as a last resort."
Zach understood.
This wasn't an attack.
It wasn't meant to overpower an enemy.
It was a way to contain someone too dangerous to defeat normally.
Zach nodded.
"I understand."
Popo smiled.
"Good."
Then another notification appeared.
[Bonus Reward.]
[Hyperbolic Time Chamber Access Ticket.]
Zach froze.
"What?"
The system continued.
[One-Time Access Ticket.]
[Duration: One month of subjective training time.]
[External Time: Approximately one day.]
[Sensei Selection: Available.]
Zach's eyes widened.
"A whole month…"
He looked at Popo.
"Inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"
Popo nodded.
"Yes."
Zach's mind immediately began racing.
A month of training.
One day outside.
A chance to dramatically improve his Ki.
His martial arts.
His physical conditioning.
His flight.
His spiritual awareness.
Everything.
But there was one question.
"Who should I choose?"
Popo smiled.
"That is your decision."
The system displayed one final message.
[Choose Your Next Sensei.]
[Available when Ticket is Activated.]
Zach stared at the words.
Korin had taught him fundamentals.
Popo had taught him efficiency, awareness, and mental calm.
Now he had access to one of the most valuable training opportunities he had ever received.
But Zach didn't activate it.
Not yet.
He had learned something important from Popo.
Sometimes the best decision wasn't to immediately move.
Sometimes—
You waited.
You observed.
You thought.
And then—
You acted.
Zach smiled.
"I'll decide when the time is right."
Back in Axel
The gravity chamber disappeared.
Zach opened his eyes.
Only a few hours had passed outside.
Kazuma was sitting at the table.
Aqua was eating.
Megumin was reading.
Darkness was cleaning her sword.
They all looked toward Zach.
Kazuma blinked.
"You're back."
Zach nodded.
"Yeah."
Aqua looked at him.
"You look different."
Megumin studied him.
"His movements are quieter."
Darkness nodded.
"I noticed."
Kazuma stood.
"What did you learn?"
Zach smiled.
"A lot."
He raised his hand.
A small sphere of Ki formed in his palm.
Then he closed his eyes.
The energy disappeared.
He could sense everyone in the room.
Aqua.
Kazuma.
Megumin.
Darkness.
He could even sense the faint energy of people walking outside.
Zach opened his eyes.
"Let's just say…"
He smiled.
"I've learned how to stop wasting movement."
Kazuma frowned.
"That's it?"
Zach suddenly appeared behind him.
Kazuma jumped.
"WHAT?!"
Zach laughed.
"Not quite."
Darkness stared.
"His movement was almost invisible."
Megumin's eyes widened.
"Impressive."
Aqua crossed her arms.
"I could have done that."
Kazuma stared at her.
"No, you couldn't."
"I could!"
"No."
Zach laughed.
Then the system appeared one final time.
[Create Your Own Legend Progress: 21%.]
Zach stared at the number.
21%.
His progress was climbing.
But he knew there was still a long way to go.
He looked at the Hyperbolic Time Chamber ticket stored within his system.
He didn't know who his next teacher would be.
He didn't know what the next stage of his training would bring.
But he did know one thing.
The path ahead belonged to him.
Not Goku.
Not Vegeta.
Not Vegito.
Not anyone else.
Zach Grace.
A human martial artist.
A Ki user.
A fighter who had finally learned that sometimes—
The strongest movement…
Was no movement at all.
And somewhere inside his system, the Hyperbolic Time Chamber ticket waited.
Ending of Chapter 13