A/N (1/20/26): This chapter has been revised to better fit the overall plot.
I removed unnecessary or uncertain details and added progressive information that is important to the story at this stage.
You will find the (Revised) mark in the chapters that required such changes for the story to continue smoothly within the settings I've established.
I am an amateur writer, hence these many errors. So, please excuse my errors. I appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy the story.
A/N(1/20/26): My admission exams are still going on. So, the story won't be continued this month.
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Jin stirred awake on the cold, featureless floor of the endless white expanse. His body ached—each muscle protesting from the strain of the Body Double technique. Sitting up slowly, he pressed a hand to his side and exhaled.
"…Damn… the Body Double technique really takes its toll," he muttered, strained, rolling his shoulders.
He frowned.
"What kind of bastards were those?" he said, irritated. "Splitting themselves and still maintaining the same level of power… Good thing they relied on negative energy. Otherwise, that would've been worse."
Silence followed.
"So… what now?" he asked, quietly.
After a moment, his gaze sharpened.
"Maybe I should look into what the dragon gave me now that it appears that I may have some time for that."
As soon as the thought formed, understanding surfaced naturally, as if he had always known how to access it. Jin blinked, surprised.
"So that's what it is. A technique to store knowledge in an orderly way." He paused, thoughtful. "But… why does it feel like there's more to it than that?"
He shook his head.
"Never mind. I'll explore it later. Right now, I need answers if I want to move forward."
Closing his eyes, Jin drew a slow breath and focused on the technique given by the Celestial Dragon. His consciousness shifted, sinking inward—descending deep into his Mind. To the mind space where every knowledge, every memory, and everything that makes one him stays, which is different than the technique where people fight each other or imaginary enemies in the mind.
Within his mind, a vast lake stretched endlessly, its surface perfectly still, reflecting a white sky with no horizon. Each step Jin took across the glass-like water sent gentle ripples outward, disturbing the silence.
At the center hovered a crystalline shard, glowing faintly, pulsing like a living heart.
Drawn to it, Jin approached.
"So this is where the knowledge is stored," he murmured, curious. "Let's see what I can gain from it."
He reached out. The instant his fingers touched the crystal, it dissolved into light and flowed into him.
Knowledge stirred within him, as though he had always known it.
What he sought revealed itself clearly.
The biology of the Saiyans.
It carried weight—not of words or pages, but of mysteries that had never been solved or explained.
Jin's eyes opened back in the white expanse. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"…So that's the truth behind the Saiyan biology and its forms," he murmured. "And the reason I can't transform."
His fingers curled, pensive.
"It's because I no longer have S-Cells." He exhaled. "To think they were a survival mechanism. A way to store excess power that the Saiyan body gained through training but couldn't fully contain."
His expression tightened, reflective.
"A flaw… but a necessary one."
He let out a slow breath.
"If I had stayed on that path, if I hadn't refined my body to pursue a more flawless body, then maybe I would've achieved those forms." A faint chuckle escaped him, dry. "But I wouldn't have grown this strong this quickly."
His gaze hardened, certain.
"While other Saiyans gain explosive power through transformations with emotions acting as triggers, my strength grows steadily—without loss, without diversion. My base strength can rise endlessly without reaching any limits." He clenched his fist. "That's something they don't have, but I don't have the trait of getting exponentially strong in a moment either. Which might be a deciding factor in a crucial moment."
The tension in his body eased as he cleared his mind, settling into a calm state.
"There's no point brooding over it," he said, resolved. "What matters now is the present… and my situation here."
He scanned the endless expanse—then paused.
"Wait." His brow furrowed, uneasy. "The knowledge covered the Saiyan biology… so I understand the transformations." He hesitated. "But what about the state the Ancient Sage spoke of? The one he achieved?"
His jaw tightened.
"That wasn't a biological transformation… was it? Maybe I might be able to achieve it?"
He shook his head.
"…I don't know. And I'm not sure either."
"Damn it," he muttered, frustrated. "I should've asked about that specifically."
He straightened, exhaling slowly.
"But there's no point crying over spilled milk. I need to move." His eyes narrowed. "First, I have to get out of this place."
Jin rose to his feet. Endless white stretched in every direction—boundless, hollow, silent.
"…Now," he murmured, focused, "which way should I go?"