"Is that it? I don't feel any different!" Karnel carefully examined his small body but couldn't detect anything special.
"It can't be fake. I should test it before jumping to conclusions," Karnel muttered to himself, deciding to verify the modifier's effects through training. He immediately grabbed the scouter and scanned himself to record his current power level.
1! He was possibly the weakest Saiyan ever dispatched from Planet Vegeta!
"Pathetic. Even Goku wasn't this bad, he at least had a power level of 2 at birth."
After a brief rest, Karnel eagerly began his first training session since crossing dimensions.
His "training" consisted mainly of running and push-ups, appropriate exercises for his infant body. He was still growing rapidly and didn't dare attempt anything too strenuous. If he damaged his body or stunted his growth now, it would severely limit his potential.
67... 68... 69(Nice)... 100...
Throughout the day, Karnel cycled between running and push-ups. When fatigue set in, he rested briefly before continuing. Fortunately, the forest surrounding his crash site teemed with small animals, providing ample food when hungry. A natural spring just a few hundred meters away offered clean water, and he could sleep near the spaceship when tired.
"Ahh! This unpolluted spring water is incredible, sweet with just a hint of mineral flavor." Well-fed and hydrated, Karnel returned to his spacecraft and sat on a flat stone to rest.
"Now let's see if this 10x training speed modifier is the real deal." He pulled out the scouter and scanned himself again.
9!
"It works! The 10x training speed modifier isn't a lie! In just one day, my power level has reached 9, 8 times what it was before. And this is with me holding back because I'm still just a baby. Only a few simple exercises produced these results. Just imagine what I could accomplish in a few years..." Karnel jumped up excitedly.
With this tenfold training speed, he planned to remain on Aurex for at least ten years. Frieza, who ruled Planet Vegeta, wouldn't concern himself with a low-class warrior whose initial power level was only 1.
Karnel considered destroying the spacecraft with its locator completely. They might assume he had perished in the line of duty, which would grant him total freedom. However, he couldn't do it now, destroying the spacecraft would eliminate his only means of leaving the planet.
"Do I really need to return to Planet Vegeta at all?" After some reflection, Karnel suppressed the urge to destroy the spacecraft and claim his freedom.
As the sun set and rose again, a new day began. And with the sunrise began Karnel's daily training regimen.
Five years later...
"Has it really been five years already?" Karnel murmured, activating the spacecraft's instruments to check the date displayed on the lower panel.
Five years of rigorous training had transformed him. As time passed, Karnel's body had grown at an incredible rate, and his power level increased exponentially. The first year ended with just over 2,000. By the second year, he reached 8,000. The third year saw 21,100, and the fourth year 36,600. Now, in his fifth year, his power level had reached a staggering 70,000.
His height had increased with years of exercise, reaching 1.3 meters. His face had developed sharp, angular features, and his muscles were incredibly dense, with every cell in his body containing explosive power.
A five-year-old with a power level of 70,000, no one would believe it if told.
"70,000! It's not enough. I still have five more years. I wonder what level I can reach by then." Karnel's face was full of anticipation.
Feeling the surging power coursing through his body, Karnel contemplated where he would be in five more years, then suddenly his expression changed.
"If I have a power level of 70,000 now, I could easily surpass 300,000 in five more years. If I return to Planet Vegeta with that kind of power..." A cold sweat broke out on Karnel's forehead. He currently had no way to suppress or hide his Ki. With a power level exceeding 300,000, he would be like a beacon glowing in the night. At that point, he would likely be detected by Frieza before even reaching Vegeta, and his death would be inevitable.
Karnel wiped away the cold sweat, grateful for this realization.
"Thankfully I figured this out early. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know what killed me. I have five years left, and I must master the technique of concealing my power within that time."
From that day forward, Karnel altered his training regimen. During daylight hours, he continued his usual physical exercises. At night, he quieted his mind and devoted himself to studying the secrets of Ki suppression.
Ki exists within everyone. Through exercise and training, particularly after exceeding normal physical limits, the energy hidden within one's cells naturally refines itself. Most people lack proper guidance or don't understand how to harness this power, so they never tap into their potential.
The humans of Earth were relatively weak in the grand scheme of the Dragon Ball universe. The strongest person on Earth was probably Master Roshi, the Turtle Hermit, but even at his best, his power level barely exceeded 100. Krillin, Tien, and the other human fighters had some relevance in the early sagas, but once the later arcs began, they became essentially irrelevant after leaving Earth.
It was precisely because humans lacked innate potential that they had developed techniques to polish every bit of energy they possessed, maximizing efficiency. This approach allowed them to create numerous outstanding martial arts techniques. Their ability to manipulate Ki far exceeded the capabilities of other races in the universe who relied solely on brute force and raw combat ability.
While Saiyans naturally possessed tremendous power, most never learned the finesse that humans had developed out of necessity. This was the key insight Karnel needed to develop his plan for the next five years, he would combine Saiyan strength with human technique.