In a mist-shrouded valley.
The air was fresh, a stream gurgled softly nearby, and the place was far removed from all worldly noise and bustle.
Goku stood in front of a simple wooden house, his expression unusually hesitant and awkward.
Behind him, in the shadow of a nearby boulder, Vegeta stood with his arms crossed, his aura suppressed to the extreme.
Goku took a deep breath, as if gathering his courage, raised his hand, and gently knocked on the door.
Thump, thump, thump.
No response came from inside.
Goku scratched his head, then knocked again, this time a little harder.
After a long moment, slow footsteps could be heard approaching from within.
Creak—
The wooden door opened a crack.
Loren poked out half his head. His eyes were heavy with sleep, his hair messy, and there was a faint red mark on his face from just waking up.
"Goku? Why are you here?"
"Is there more trouble?"
Loren had just finished a nap and was clearly still grumpy.
Goku could only laugh awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
"Uh… Loren, sorry to disturb your rest."
"It's not trouble. It's just… there's something I wanted to ask you."
Loren raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of interest appearing.
He opened the door wider, leaned against the frame, and looked Goku up and down.
"…Loren, we can't always rely on your strength."
"If we keep depending on you to defeat enemies, what happens if one day you're not around?"
"So… Loren…"
Goku's expression became extremely sincere. He suddenly bowed deeply.
"Please tell me—how can I become a Super Saiyan like you?!"
His voice was loud—loud enough that Vegeta, hiding in the distance, heard it clearly.
Vegeta froze.
That idiot Kakarot actually… asked it so directly.
Absolutely shameless.
Yet despite himself, Vegeta's ears strained to catch every word.
After hearing Goku's request, Loren didn't look surprised at all.
"Super Saiyan, huh…"
He dragged out the words, his gaze drifting toward the distant sky as if recalling something.
"That's not just a power-up."
"It's a realm—one you can only touch by surpassing your limits."
The words sounded profound and mysterious, leaving Goku confused but also feeling like they made sense.
At that moment, a familiar system notification echoed in Loren's mind.
[The God-level selection system]
[Ding! Important plot point detected: "Imparting Knowledge." The host's choice will affect the tranquility index of future leisure life.]
[God-level choice triggered. Please select.]
[Option One: Maintain the demeanor of a master. Use vague explanations and let them comprehend it themselves.
Reward: One case of "Otaku Happy Water" (Unlimited Edition).]
[Option Two: Invest in future peace. Reveal the transformation method. Cultivate capable fighters to ensure a more peaceful slacker life.
Reward: Permanent +200,000 to base combat power.]
Loren's gaze lingered on the options for less than half a second.
Otaku Happy Water was tempting.
But a permanent increase of 200,000 base combat power was clearly more valuable.
More importantly, if these two battle maniacs learned it, future messes could be handled without him.
A perfect long-term investment.
"System, I choose Option Two."
He withdrew his gaze and looked back at Goku, who was full of anticipation.
Then Loren lazily called out toward the distant boulder.
"Hey, Prince over there."
"How long are you planning to hide?"
"If you want to listen, come out and listen properly. Sneaking around doesn't suit your arrogant status, does it?"
Behind the boulder, Vegeta's body stiffened instantly.
He'd been discovered.
A burning sense of shame rushed to his face.
Goku also turned around in surprise.
Under both of their gazes, Vegeta knew he could no longer hide.
Gritting his teeth, his face alternating between pale and flushed, Vegeta finally stepped out from behind the boulder.
He didn't look at Loren.
Instead, he shot Goku a fierce glare—as if saying, This is all your fault, idiot.
Loren found his awkward stubbornness amusing.
Clearly desperate to learn, yet still clinging to pride.
"Alright," Loren said casually.
"Since you're both here, I'll explain it once and for all."
"So you don't bother me again later."
He cleared his throat and raised one finger.
"First, there's a basic, rigid requirement."
"Your base combat power must exceed one million."
(Note: For reference only—this is a simplified standard. In canon, Bardock's exact base power was unclear.)
One million.
The number made both Goku's and Vegeta's pupils contract.
"As for this requirement—Goku."
Loren pointed directly at him.
"After Namek, and then pushing Kaio-ken beyond your limits against Turles, your base power should already be enough."
Goku's eyes widened in surprise.
Then Loren turned to Vegeta.
"As for you, Vegeta…"
"You're still a bit short."
Boom!
The words struck Vegeta like a thunderbolt.
His expression instantly darkened.
A bit short…
Once again, he had fallen behind Kakarot.
And Loren had said it straight to his face.
Loren completely ignored Vegeta's near-murderous glare and raised a second finger.
"Second—the method."
"This part is actually simple."
"Anger."
"You need anger strong enough—but you must not let it cloud your mind."
"The key is to focus that anger, along with all your power, into the center of your back."
"Feel it. Imagine an energy outlet there."
"When your back starts tingling, and you feel power trying to burst out—"
"Release it all at once."
Both Goku and Vegeta froze.
"The… back?"
They had never imagined something so crucial would be centered there.
"That's it."
Loren spread his hands lazily, clearly finished.
"Class dismissed."
...
Author's Note:
The fanfic Dragon Ball: I Became Invincible by Being a Lazy Salted Fish! Part 1 & 2 (Dragon Ball Z & Super) is now fully completed.
The entire story has been uploaded on Patreon as a dedicated collection:
📚 Dragon Ball (Chapters 1–343)
Organized into 42 posts, with multiple chapters per post for easy binge reading.
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your continuous support and love for this story 💙