A tidal wave of hunger crashed over him.
Yamcha leaned against the cold car wreckage, his stomach twisting painfully.
Ever since he crawled out of his grave, he hadn't had a single drop of clean water, let alone food.
If this continued, even if the Androids didn't find him, he would starve to death first.
"I have to find a way…"
He carefully tucked the torn photograph into his chest pocket, then forced himself to stand.
This underground parking lot was huge; he should be able to find something useful.
He began feeling his way through the darkness, exploring the area.
Cars of all kinds filled the space, most covered in thick layers of dust, some crushed by collapsed ceiling panels.
He tried door after door, hoping to find unopened food or bottled water.
"Got it!"
In the trunk of an SUV, his hand brushed against several bottles. He pulled them out and shook them—they still had water inside!
He had no idea how long they'd been there, but he couldn't afford to care.
He twisted open a bottle, took a cautious sip to make sure it didn't taste strange, then drank it down in big gulps.
The cold liquid sliding down his parched throat made him exhale in relief.
He searched the car further and actually found an unopened pack of biscuits.
It felt like a blessing from the heavens.
Yamcha tore open the wrapper and devoured the biscuits.
He had never imagined such dry biscuits could taste this good.
With water and food in his system, his weakness faded noticeably, and his mind finally cleared.
He sat back in the corner, slowly sipping the remaining water, forcing himself to calmly think about his next steps.
"Hiding here isn't a long-term solution."
Food and water would eventually run out.
And if the Androids decided to wipe out this entire area, he wouldn't even have time to escape.
He had to get stronger.
Only with enough power to protect himself could he hope to survive in this devastated world.
But how could he get stronger?
He closed his eyes, trying to recall all the training methods from Dragon Ball.
Weighted training? Climb Korin Tower? Drink the Ultra Divine Water?
For him right now, these conventional methods were far too slow.
Even if he had amazing talent and spent three to five years multiplying his power tenfold or a hundredfold—what would it accomplish?
Against the Androids, he would still be defeated in a single blow.
They were monsters who could overpower Super Saiyans.
"The normal path won't work… so I can only take a shortcut."
One idea after another flashed through Yamcha's mind.
Go to Planet Namek? Impossible. Kami was dead, the Dragon Balls were gone, and he had no way to travel that far.
Become an Android? Dr. Gero's lab had already been destroyed—there was no technology left for him to use.
…One plan after another came to mind, only to be rejected.
His brow tightened into a frown.
Was there really no way? Was he destined to hide like a mouse, only to be caught and toyed with by a cat someday?
"No… there has to be a way!"
He slammed his fist against the ground.
"There must be some place where someone's strength can skyrocket in a short amount of time…"
A short time… rapid growth… A phrase flashed through his mind like lightning.
"Hyperbolic Time Chamber!"
Yamcha's eyes lit up instantly.
That was it—the Hyperbolic Time Chamber!
The miraculous room on the Lookout! One day outside was equal to one year inside!
And the brutal environment—heavy gravity, thin air—was perfect for training!
In the original story, Vegeta and Trunks spent a year inside and emerged far stronger than ordinary Super Saiyans.
Goku and Gohan entered and even reached the Full Power Super Saiyan state!
This was his only chance!
As long as he could train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, his strength would definitely undergo a qualitative leap!
With the foundation of this body, combined with an adult mind and his understanding of Ki...
As long as he could reach a certain level, and take advantage of the fact that the Androids couldn't sense Ki, his chances of survival would rise dramatically!
"That's it! My only way out!"
Yamcha's heart pounded wildly at the realization.
But soon, he forced himself to calm down.
New problems appeared.
First, the Lookout floated far above Korin Tower—ordinary people couldn't reach it.
Second, Kami and Piccolo were already dead, so what was the situation at the Lookout now? Was Mr. Popo still there? Could the Hyperbolic Time Chamber still be used?
In the original story, in Future Trunks' timeline, Kami died and the Dragon Balls vanished. But it was never mentioned that the Lookout itself disappeared.
It was worth a gamble!
"No matter what, I have to try!"
Yamcha made up his mind. This was the only path he could think of to break out of this hopeless situation.
"To get to the Lookout, I have to reach Korin Tower first."
He recalled the map. Korin Tower was in the Sacred Land, extremely far from West City—almost half a continent away.
Walking there was impossible. There were too many threats along the way, and food and water would be major problems.
He needed transportation.
Moreover, before setting out, he had to master the most basic ability—using Ki.
Even just learning Bukujutsu, or simply being able to hide his Ki, would make the journey many times safer.
A plan slowly took shape in his mind.
First, in this underground parking lot, he would try to train and master the basics of Ki.
Second, he would find a usable vehicle and gather enough supplies.
Third, he would head for Korin Tower!
With a clear goal, the fear and confusion in Yamcha's heart were swept away, replaced by a fierce will to survive and a renewed sense of purpose.
He took a deep breath, stood up, and his gaze grew firm and unshakable.
He wanted to leave this damned parking lot, leave this city of death.
He wanted to live.
He walked to the blocked entrance and peered through a narrow crack, cautiously observing the outside.
It was still completely silent. The distant explosions had stopped; he couldn't tell whether the Androids had left or were simply preparing for another round of "games."
Yamcha didn't go out immediately.
He withdrew from the entrance and decided to carry out the first step of his plan.
He found a relatively open spot, sat cross-legged just like in the manga, placed his hands on his knees, and closed his eyes.
Now, what he had to do was awaken the dormant power within this body.