The sun was blazing over West City, casting warm golden beams across buildings, streets, and one very messy apartment.
Sunlight peeked through cheap curtains and landed squarely on the face of a sleeping man.
He looked familiar — that classic shonen face, long and shaggy hair falling over his eyes. A rugged charm, with just enough "I've made bad life choices" to complete the package.
Lying next to him, snoring softly, was a blue cat.
Puar.
Yamcha—well, I, technically—shifted under the blanket with a yawn and slowly blinked awake.
[Insert image of Yamcha]
"...Weird dream," I mumbled, voice raspy.
I sat up, stretched, and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. The apartment around me looked normal enough — old martial arts posters, some Z-Mart ramen on the counter, and Puar's anime plushie collection in the corner.
I stood up groggily and shuffled to the bathroom.
[SYSTEM STANDBY MODE: IDLE...]
[NOTE: Host has yet to emotionally register current existence.]
I splashed water on my face, still half-asleep, and looked into the mirror.
Then blinked.
Once.
Twice.
And then—
"Oh Fuck"
Ding!
[Good morning, Host! So… reality hit already, buddy?]
I stared at the mirror. My reflection — Yamcha's face — stared back.
Still blinking.
Still trying to decide if I was in a coma, a very immersive VR game, or just permanently cursed.
I grunted. "If it hadn't already hit me, you popping up like a bootleg notification sound just did."
[Now that's the spirit!]
[Welcome to Day One of your Cultivation Journey! Pro tip: try not to get exploded this time.]
I leaned against the sink, muttering to myself. "No way this is real. No. Freakin'. Way. This has to be a hallucination. Some late-night ramen trip went really sideways…"
[Denial! A classic first-stage response. Don't worry, it'll pass. Or not. Either way, you've got my help.]
I gave the glowing air a deadpan look. "Help? You've been roasting me since the void."
[Constructive criticism builds character.]
[Also, you're Yamcha. You need it.]
[So, Host, what do you wanna be known as? "I" or "Yamcha"?]
I shrugged with a sigh, rubbing the back of my neck.
"This is my life now, right? So... guess I'll go with Yamcha from now on."
I paused, frowning slightly. "Also, my name wasn't 'I', and you know it."
[Mmmmmmm… do I?]
I narrowed my eyes at the floating UI spirit that wasn't even visible but somehow felt smug anyway.
"You were literally there when I died."
[I was there when a soul spun a cursed wheel, not when a 'Steve' or 'Alex' or 'Chad from accounting' flatlined.]
[Anyway, Yamcha it is! Locking in new Host ID: Discount Goku with Trauma™.]
"I hate you."
[That's fair. But we're stuck together forever now, so you'll learn to love me.]
(Note: I will be calling I, Yamcha from now on)
[So, Host, what was your past life name?]
I paused.
The room was quiet for a moment, sunlight filtering in from the window.
I looked at the invisible voice in the air, or at least where I felt Sage-Pai floating.
"It was... Regulus."
For once, Sage-Pai didn't reply with sarcasm or a soundbite.
Just silence.
[...]
[Huh. That's... a strong name.]
"Yeah. It used to mean something."
[Well, now it's the name of the guy who spun 'Yamcha' on the wheel of cosmic screwery.]
I rolled my eyes. "There it is."
[Look, Regulus or Yamcha — doesn't matter. What matters is that this version of you is going to break the mold.]
[Now hurry up and put on pants. You've got Ki to cultivate, and death flags to dodge.]
Yamcha stepped out of the shower, towel slung around his neck, feeling marginally more human. He moved quietly, careful not to wake the blue cat sleeping peacefully in the next room.
He got dressed quickly, throwing on the usual gi and wristbands. Something about it just felt... right. Familiar in a way that tugged at two sets of memories at once.
Those memories were still flooding in, trickling slowly like a movie he'd never watched, but somehow lived.
Fights, friends, training... and more.
Some of it didn't match what he remembered from Dragon Ball Z.
Things he never saw in the anime.
Moments that felt like filler, or maybe—fan comics? Alternate timelines?
But one detail stuck with him:
He had a sister.
And parents. Alive. Living somewhere outside Japan.
Somewhere peaceful. Far from Capsule Corp, far from Saiyan invasions and gods of destruction.
Yamcha sat on the couch, letting it all settle. The walls were decorated with baseball memorabilia — a shiny trophy shelf with his name engraved in gold.
Yamcha, MVP of the West City Wolves.
He stared at it. The award wasn't his, not really. But it still brought back something.
Back when he was Regulus, before the war, before death… he played baseball. Not pro. Just as a kid. But he remembered the smell of the glove, the thud of the ball, the sound of the crowd — it stuck with him.
He smiled faintly. "Guess I'll keep the sport alive either way."
Then he sat forward, clapping his hands with a grin.
"So, Sage-Pai. Show me what you can do."
Silence.
Still nothing.
Then—
Ding!
[Host Command Accepted: Opening Cultivation Menu™]
Yamcha's eyes widened as a full video-game-style HUD blinked into existence in front of his face. Floating menus, transparent panels, stat boxes, all glowing with faint golden ki.
Even the ding had reverberated in his head, like someone booted up a PlayStation in his skull.
He nearly fell off the couch.
Yamcha blinked, staring at the floating screen like it personally insulted his bloodline. He squinted, leaned forward, then recoiled slightly as his eyes watered.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Ouch! Why the screen color… ORANGE?!"
It was like someone had cranked the saturation to "blinding sunset" and hit him in the face with a Dragon Radar.
[Hahahahaha!]
[Welcome to your new Cultivation HUD™! Now with retina-destroying orange glow! It's color-coded for "energy flow"—and also my personal amusement.]
"Can't you just… I don't know, make it blue or something? Something less painful to look at?"
[No can do. Orange is canon. Z-flavored. Legacy UI. Deal with it.]
"I'm going to need sunglasses just to read my stats…"
[Consider it part of your training!]
Yamcha just sighed as he spoke. "Show me everything?"
Ding!
[Name: Yamcha
Power Level: 177 (Don't focus too much on this — it'll become bullshit later)
Race: Human
World: Dragon Ball Model: All
Techniques:
– Turtle School Martial Arts
– Kamehameha
– Wolf Fang Fist
Inventory:
– Starter Packages]
Ding!
[Now to have some fun.]
Yamcha narrowed his eyes. "I don't like the sound of that."
[Too bad!]
The Starter Package icon on the screen pulsed — glowing like a loot box that really wanted to be opened. It hovered in the middle of the screen, gently rotating.
Yamcha leaned closer. "This better not be like one of those gacha scams."
[Only one way to find out, Host~ Open it! What's the worst that could happen?]
"...You say that like that's not a loaded question."
[Correct.]
Yamcha rolled his eyes and tapped the icon. The moment his finger brushed it—
FLASH!
The screen exploded into sparkles, and a golden scroll unrolled mid-air with confetti.
[Congratulations! You have received:
– Cultivation Manual: Body Refinement Stage 1
– Ki Compression Pill (x1)
– Beginner Robes (Black & Orange)
– Meditation Stone (Auto Focus Type)
– Surprise Item (???)]
"...That's not a bad start, honestly."
[Enjoy it while it lasts.]
Yamcha tilted his head. "...Why did you emphasize while it lasts?"
[You're in Dragon Ball, Yamcha. Something's going to explode in, like, three days.]
Yamcha looked at Sage-Pai, suspicion already in his eyes. "So um... about my Beginner Cultivation Stats?"
[Hope you like being roasted~]
The screen flickered again, and new panels popped up in that same aggressive orange.
Cultivation Path: Mode Ki – Body Refinement Stage 1
Spiritual Meridians: Unaligned (Status: Clogged like bad plumbing)
Core Qi Pool: 5/100 (Beginner) – Leaks when stressed
Mind Focus: 2/10 (Distracted by shiny things)
Body Constitution: 3/10 (Punchable)
Spirit Compatibility: 4/10 (Barely spiritual)
Natural Talent: "Let's call it... a work in progress."
Yamcha just stared.
"...I hate you."
[It's okay. That's stage two in our bond arc. First is denial, then hatred, then reluctant co-dependence.]
"...I will suplex the air you exist in."
[And I'll cheer you on while insulting your form. We make a great team.]
Yamcha just sighed, already regretting everything. "Screw it. Let's just get started."
He reached into the glowing inventory panel and pulled out the [Cultivation Manual: Body Refinement Stage 1]. It materialized in his hands with a faint golden shimmer — the kind of shimmer that tried to look ancient and mystical, but mostly came off like someone added sparkles in After Effects.
The cover was written in both elegant Chinese calligraphy… and Comic Sans, for some reason.
He stared at it.
"...Why does this look like a bootleg self-help book?"
[Because it is. But with more internal screaming and body pain.]
Flipping it open, Yamcha scanned the first few pages.
> "Cultivation Step One: Unlock the Meridians. Sit cross-legged. Focus your breath. Visualize your ki like a flowing river. Then shove it through your spiritual plumbing and hope nothing explodes."
He raised an eyebrow. "That's... not reassuring."
[Welcome to the sacred art of spiritual muscle tearing.]
"Awesome. Can't wait."
He dropped onto the floor, crossed his legs, cracked his knuckles, and took a deep breath. "Alright. Flow the ki. Don't explode. Got it."
He began to focus.
Breath in.
Breath out.
Focus.
Feel the ki…
...And suddenly—
THROB.
ZAP.
POP.
"AaAAAAAGGHHH—"
Yamcha's body jerked upright as glowing dots lit up across his limbs and spine like someone turned on Christmas lights inside his nerves.
[Congratulations! You have begun Meridian Awakening!
...Ignore the burning. That's normal. Mostly.]
"I hate this!"
[Still better than getting stabbed by a Saibaman.]
"...You're not wrong."
Yamcha sat up a little straighter, rubbing his chin as a thought hit him.
"Okay, wait. I'm confused. What does 'Protagonist chosen by Fate and the World' actually mean?"
Ding!
[Ah. Good question! Let me explain.]
[Ahem.]
[When it comes to the power structure of the universe, there are three main types of protagonists:]
Tier 1: Protagonists Chosen by Both the World and Fate
– These are the golden children. Chosen by the very laws of reality and narrative destiny.
– Think: Cultivation Novel MCs, who trip over ancient techniques, get overpowered ancestors in their left shoe, and break through realms by breathing.
Tier 2: Protagonists Chosen by the World
– These guys have been summoned, reborn, or inserted into the setting by the will of the world.
– Usually gifted cheat systems, overpowered weapons, or plot armor.
– Think: Isekai Protagonists.
– Annoyingly lucky, not always smart.
Tier 3: Protagonists Chosen by Fate
– These are the wildcards. They're not meant to be heroes, but Fate takes a gamble on them.
– They rely on grit, stubbornness, and pure narrative defiance.
– Think: Ritsuka Fujimaru from Fate/Grand Order.
– Not powerful by design, but through sheer insane luck and will, they rewrite destiny.
[And then there's you.]
"…Wait, where do I fall in all this?"
[You spun a wheel and got Yamcha. So technically, you're in the 'None of the Above, please send help' category.]
"…I hate it here."
[To be fair, so does Krillin.]
Yamcha sighed, dragging a hand down his face.
"So I'm basically in Tier 4. Great. Universe threw me in the trash and said, 'figure it out, loser.'"
He sat up again and stared at the glowing inventory menu. One item still sat there, pulsing faintly.
"…Screw it. What's my Surprise Item?"
Ding!
[It's actually pretty good for a starting one.]
The icon glowed — a golden question mark flipping rapidly before it clicked open like a loot box.
A blinding flash later, something dropped into his hands.
He looked down.
It was a...
…rock.
"…It's a rock."
[Correction: It's a Primordial Focus Stone™.]
"…Still feels like a rock."
[Because it is a rock. But it's a special one.]
Yamcha narrowed his eyes, holding it up like it owed him money. "Explain before I throw this at Vegeta."
[The Primordial Focus Stone increases your cultivation speed by 300% when meditating. Works once a day. Also lets you enter a pseudo-spiritual plane for training... and hallucinations.]
"…Hallucinations?"
[Training-induced. Totally safe. Mostly.]
"…Can I hit people with it?"
[If you really want to—but its real use is helping you catch up to Tier 1 Protagonists while being a Tier 4 pleb.]
Yamcha stared at the stone again.
"…I'm gonna name it Plot Rock."
[Approved.]
Yamcha froze mid-thought.
"Wait… System MCs. The ones with cheats and golden fingers and plot armor thicker than Nappa's neck. What tier are they?"
Ding!
[System MCs are Tier 2.5.
Not you, though.]
Yamcha blinked. "…Why .5?"
[Because they think they're Tier 2, but the world always finds a way to bully them.
You?
You're Tier 4. No illusions attached.]
"…So I'm weaker than people who get reincarnated with a vending machine system?"
[Correct.]
"…People with farming systems?"
[Yes.]
"…People who fall from the sky and accidentally land on a cultivation fruit?"
[Absolutely.]
Yamcha just stared blankly at the air.
"…I'm below accidental power-ups."
[Hey! Look on the bright side.]
"There's a bright side?"
[You're in Dragon Ball. Cultivation + Ki + Plot Rock + training arcs = you can climb tiers.
Eventually.]
"…How many years?"
[Yes.]
"…YES?!"
[Yes.]
Yamcha faceplanted into the couch.
"So I'm starting at the bottom of the protagonist food chain, the world hates me, Goku eats destiny for breakfast, and my only safety net is a schizophrenic orange UI voice?"
[You're welcome.]
"…I didn't say thank you."
[You were thinking it.]
"No. I really wasn't."
Yamcha grabbed the Primordial Force Stone, took a deep breath, and started to focus on it.
Then his eyes opened, as he found him self, standing on water, like a certain religious figure, with smoke around him and a big stone in front of him
Yamcha blinked rapidly.
"…Okay. Either I'm cultivating, or I finally died for real and ended up in the world's worst baptism scene."
A dense fog swirled around him, clinging to the air like incense in a temple. The water beneath his feet didn't ripple, didn't move — it was perfectly still, like a mirror. And there, towering in front of him, was a massive stone slab covered in glowing ancient symbols.
A low hum echoed through the space.
Ding!
[Welcome to the Primordial Inner World, Host.
Please avoid falling into the water. It is not water. It is… something.]
Yamcha took a careful half-step back.
"…Something like what?"
[Let's just say if you fall in, you'll come out looking like Yamcha Action Figure Prototype #0 — the one Bandai never released.]
"…Okay, no stepping in the water."
He looked at the massive stone again, the glow reflecting off the mist.
"What am I supposed to do? Punch it? Read it? Pray to it?"
[Wow, Host. Truly enlightened questions.
Approach the stone. Touch it. It contains your cultivation foundation — IF you can synchronize with it.]
"IF?" Yamcha repeated. "Why IF?!"
[Because this is Dragon Ball All Model. Difficulty: Yes.]
Yamcha groaned but stepped forward, each footfall silent over the unmoving surface. He placed both hands on the glowing slab.
A jolt hit him like a truck full of Kamehamehas.
"—GAAAHHH!!"
Symbols flared, the mist surged, and Yamcha felt his mind yank somewhere deeper — a realm of swirling ki, ancient diagrams, and what looked suspiciously like tutorial messages written in an unhelpful font.
Ding!
[Compatibility check initiated.
Reading Host's spiritual aptitude…
Scanning…
Scanning…
Oh dear.]
"…What do you mean 'oh dear'?!"
[Host's spiritual resonance with Primordial Ki: 15%
Host's mental stability: 35%
Host's emotional stability: Hahahaha.]
"HEY!"
The slab pulsed urgently.
Yamcha grit his teeth as ki surged into his arms, ripping through his meridians like lightning through old wiring.
"COME ON—!!"
Ding!
[Synchronization…
25%
40%
60%
75%
87%]
Yamcha could feel his entire body vibrating.
Then—
BOOM
A shockwave erupted, blasting the mist away.
The stone split down the middle, glowing shards dissolving into streams of light that spiraled into Yamcha's body.
He dropped to one knee — panting, shaking, but alive.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host.
You have achieved Stage 1: Body Refinement — Complete
Primordial Ki unlocked.]
Yamcha gasped. "I… I did it?"
[Yes.
And you didn't explode.
Which shocked even me.]
"…Thanks?"
[You're welcome, Punchable Human 2.0.]
Yamcha groaned.
But then he felt it — subtly stronger muscles, deeper breathing, energy flowing more smoothly, like his body finally had a proper engine instead of… whatever Yamcha normally ran on.
He stood up slowly.
"This… might actually work."
The mist swirled again, forming a pathway back.
[Training session complete.
Returning to physical body in 3… 2… 1…]
To be continued
Hope people like this Ch and give me power stones and enjoy