The insectoid body slumped to the ground, a smoking hole where its head used to be.
Knox exhaled slowly, the manic grin slowly sliding off his face as he calmed himself down. His shoulders rose and fell in quick bursts, the sharp edges of adrenaline still scraping at his nerves.
This was what he had been missing in his past life.
Every old friend he confided in about his dream either misinterpreted it or blatantly told him that he was crazy. They said that adventurous lives seemed great on a TV screen or a book, but reality would quickly humble him, and he'd soon come to miss modern life.
But now, moments after killing his first enemy, he had to wonder...
'Were they all stupid?' It was an arrogant thought, but he couldn't help it. 'It's exactly the same as a video game except all the details are turned up to eleven. And the rewards feel-'
[—Enemy Slain—]
[Level Up!]
Level 1 → Level 2.
All stats have been increased by +1.
[!] New Level Up Requirement: Slay a [250] Power Level enemy.
'-even better.'
Warmth surged through his veins, a crackle of raw energy humming beneath his skin.
His lungs opened like he'd been suffocating until now, air filling him in long, greedy gulps. Every muscle on his body seemed to expand and then contract, his physique becoming more refined.
His vision sharpened, with colors biting harder and lines etching clearer. His heart hammered away but now it felt steady, beating more in tune with his Ki.
Even his thoughts were clearer, sharper than they'd ever been before.
"Holy shit," he whispered. A breathless laugh broke out of him. "I feel amazing."
Clenching his fist, he relished in the sheer power just a simple squeeze of his hand could produce.
Then he unclenched, his gaze landing on the alien sniper lying before him. The smell of charred flesh drifted on the dry wind.
There was that, too. They told him that killing another person, human or otherwise, would cause complications. At worst he'd be traumatized and at best he'd be filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt. He'd throw up and cry, unable to get the thought out of his head.
All of the years of socialization that instilled into him that murder was bad was supposed to surge through him, causing him to go into a fit of hysteria.
Knox stared at the corpse, waiting for some kind of sorrow or nausea to rise up.
But nothing came.
"They tried to kill me first," he muttered to himself. "That makes it self-defense."
The emotional, more civilized part of him truly wanted to believe that. That the only reason he didn't feel anything was because he was simply defending himself.
But the truth was far simpler.
He just… couldn't bring himself to care.
Not only because it was a bug person, and he'd never once felt bad about killing a bug, but also that he simply believed it was fair. Since he had attacked with the intent to kill, he should've been prepared to be killed himself.
That was all Knox needed to completely lose any sympathy for him.
He crouched, eyeing the alien's gear. A weathered communication device sat clipped to its belt, faint static hissing from the speaker. Without a second thought, he yanked it free and smashed it under his heel.
He rolled his shoulders and finally allowed himself a breath.
"Status," he muttered.
The familiar orange pane opened before him.
[Knox Creed]
Age: 18
[Earthling Lv.2/10]
Power Level: 192
BODY— 2 (x3) = 6
MIND— 2 (x8) = 16
SOUL — 2 (x1) = 2
Skills: [Meditation (D)] [Pain Suppression (D)] [Thermal Resistance (F)] [Thought Acceleration (F)] [Dodging (F)]
Traits: [Wishbane], [Evil Aura], [Ki Control]
Knox's eyes widened at the number glowing on the pane.
"One ninety-two…" he whispered.
Before, his power level hadn't even been worth reading. Now, after only a single altercation, he was stronger than Master Roshi would ever become for a long time.
'He'd still kick my ass, though.' Knox admitted. 'My combat abilities are nonexistent and that guy's apparently a martial arts super prodigy.'
It seemed that his initial instincts were sort of correct. His level increased all his base stats. His skills multiplied those stats depending on how much mastery he had of the skill. And his Power Level was all three stats multiplied.
If he hadn't ranked up his [Meditation] and [Pain Suppression], his current power level would only be 72. Nearly three times weaker than he was now.
Knox dismissed the pane with a thought, the glowing numbers dissolving into the air. His gaze lingered on the world beyond, where smoke curled lazily into the sky and the distant rumble of explosions still carried across the dry wind.
His first instinct was a natural one; To find the others.
The other expendables had been scattered across the ridges, surrounding the small settlement, same as him. Some would be dead already, but others might still be alive, fighting to survive just like he was.
The social animal in him told him that was a good idea.
A group meant mutual protection and shared firepower. More eyes watching for ambushes while he rested.
But… this was the world of Dragon Ball.
He highly doubted they would even be able to keep up with him anymore. They would all be clumsier, slower, and just plain weaker. It might've been a callous thought, but they'd just be dead weight at best.
Besides, he had a System.
Evidently, combining a System with the overwhelming power of the Dragon Ball world meant that the user would grow in leaps and bounds.
And if one kill could push him this far… What would ten do? A hundred?
The more he honed himself, the faster he could climb, until the very idea of being something akin to an 'expendable' became laughable.
"Yeah," he muttered, gripping the blaster at his side. "In fact…"
He looked at the compact white weapon in his hand, its energy chamber still pulsing faintly with borrowed power. The scouter on his ear gave a faint click as it refreshed its scan, dutifully reading his own power level back to him.
He frowned.
The blaster was a useful weapon since it didn't require any of his energy to use, but it was ultimately a crutch. The kind of thing weaklings relied on so that they never had to learn Ki control properly.
The scouter, though… that was a different story.
It was a leash that tracked and monitored him, but it was also his lifeline. If the army pulled out after purging the planet, he'd be stranded without it to guide him back to the ship.
As much as he hated using it, he hated the idea of being trapped even more.
"I don't need this, though."
Knox ripped the cord attaching the blaster to his scouter and dropped the gun onto the cracked remains of the alien's device.
'I should be able to do this now…'
Closing his eyes, he slipped into [Meditation] with ease.
That buzz building up in his chest. The faint thumping in his ears. The scraping of his hands as he climbed rock by rock. The sheer primal euphoria of conquest.
All of it coalesced into a building heat in his heart.
His Ki stirred, still clumsy and unrefined, but burning steady in his chest. This time, instead of allowing it to continue flowing through his body, he forced it outward.
Down his arm, into his palm, until his skin tingled like live wires were crawling under it.
His hand lit with a faint black and red glow. He thrust his palm out, sharpening his will to a razor's edge.
"Hah!"
With a shout, a flash of light exploded from his hand, slamming into and obliterating the pile of tech into ash and rubble.
[Ki Projection (F)] skill acquired!
Through focused will, you have learned to manifest your Ki outside of your body as an attack.
+1 SOUL multiplier for acquiring a spiritual skill.
Knox exhaled, shaking out his hand before staring at the smoldering crater.
He clenched his fist slowly, feeling the warmth linger in his body.
Those who called it life force had truly been as literal as they could be. Somehow, he felt as if he was manipulating the power of 'life' to his bidding. It was an awe-inspiring, exhilarating moment, for sure.
But he wasn't done.
Still standing at the edge of the ridge, Knox's thoughts jumped to the next step. The one Gohan had shown Videl. The one every Z-Fighter used like breathing.
Flight.
In one of the Buu saga episodes, he vividly remembered Gohan standing beside Videl, watching calmly as she strained herself to hover off the ground. Knox remembered the exact words Gohan had said:
"You basically take control of your energy, then you sort of put it underneath you and your energy holds you up."
It was kind of vague, yes, but it was enough.
Knox crouched slightly, took a breath, and focused again.
He drew out that same feeling. That warmth, that thrill, the surge of power from before… and imagined it gathering in his core, then funneling downward, like fire building under his soles.
Relaxing his body completely, he pushed. Holding that pose, a few seconds passed.
Then a minute. Then two.
Then, before he knew it, the dust the dust had begun to swirl gently beneath his boots. For a heartbeat, Knox swore the whole world stilled with him.
Then his heels left the ground.
[Ki Flight (F)] skill acquired!
Through mastery of balance and energy control, you can suspend yourself in the air with your own Ki.
+1 SOUL multiplier for acquiring a spiritual skill.
Snapped out of his focus, Knox plummeted back to the dirt, knees buckling from the sudden loss of support. He caught himself, chest heaving as sweat trickled down his temple.
And then the grin returned full force.
"Finally…" he whispered, almost reverently. "Finally."
Knox laughed again, a light and airy sound that echoed throughout the ridge. That single step, no matter how clumsy, meant everything to him. Just one of a million things he wanted to do since he was transported to another world.
He crouched low, pulling the Ki into his core again. This time he pushed harder, steadier, his will sharpening against the resistance of his own body.
The dust blasted outward. His hair whipped around his face. Then his feet broke contact once more, and this time… they didn't fall.
The ground shrank beneath him, his balance wobbling like a newborn animal, but he stayed afloat.
"YES!" he barked out, laughter spilling unrestrained. He tilted forward instinctively, Ki shifting with his weight, and lurched into the air above the ridge.
The world opened around him. The sprawling canyon below, the ridges and broken mesas stretching endlessly, trails of smoke marking battles he didn't care about. For the first time since waking in this beautiful galaxy, he felt untethered.
Just him. His Ki. And the boundless sky.
Knox steadied himself, turning his gaze toward the deeper canyons, away from the ongoing slaughter.
"FUCK YEAH!" he roared, voice cracking between euphoria and madness as he shot forward into the horizon.