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*****
In truth, George currently had only one real vulnerability.
While he had used the authority of the Error pathway to usurp the destiny of this body—ensuring no one could see him as an outsider—the original soul of this body had already departed for the Underworld after death. If someone truly grew suspicious and traced his identity all the way to the afterlife, they would quickly discover that he wasn't the "George" belonging to this world.
However, George wasn't overly concerned. As long as he didn't act as a villain bent on destroying the Earth or the universe, and instead stood on the side of justice, few would be bored enough to go to the Underworld specifically to ask King Yemma to check if George had ever died.
Moreover, unless a soul was destined for a specific Heaven or Hell, most ordinary souls reincarnated quickly, making them even harder to track. Even if they did find out, it wouldn't prove he was from another world; it would only prove that a soul had occupied a deceased body to live out a life. In the grand scheme of things, that was hardly a heinous crime.
Ding-dong!
George arrived at Gohan's house and pressed the doorbell.
"Yes? Who are you looking for?"
The door opened to reveal a woman dressed in Chinese-style loungewear. She looked at George with a puzzled expression. George recognized her instantly: this was Goku's wife and Gohan's mother, Chi-Chi.
Many fans later in the series viewed Chi-Chi as a bit of a shrew, but as George grew older, he realized how difficult her life actually was. She was several years younger than Bulma and had been radiant and full of life during the World Martial Arts Tournament. Yet, she had aged much more rapidly than Bulma.
It made sense. Bulma was the heiress of the Capsule Corporation; she never worried about money, never had to do chores, and had a house full of servants. Aside from her inventions, she had all the time in the world for self-care. Chi-Chi, on the other hand, had a husband obsessed with training and fighting who didn't understand how to provide for a family. The heavy burden of the household fell entirely on her shoulders. Physical and mental exhaustion naturally made her temper a bit shorter.
Especially after the defeat of Cell, Goku chose not to be resurrected, staying in the Other World to train. He was satisfied, but Chi-Chi was left without a husband, raising Gohan and the newborn Goten alone. You couldn't strictly blame Goku—he was a simple soul who didn't understand societal norms—but the reality for Chi-Chi was undeniably harsh.
"I'm George, a classmate of Gohan's. Are you Gohan's older sister?"
"Older sister? My, you certainly know how to talk! I'm not that young; I'm Gohan's mother."
Chi-Chi's face instantly lit up like a flower in bloom. Her opinion of her son's classmate shot up immediately.
"Gohan took his little brother out to cut some wood; they'll be back in a bit. He mentioned you were coming. Please, come in and sit down."
Gohan had mentioned the visit the night before. Chi-Chi was delighted that her son had made a friend so quickly after starting school in the city, especially a student whose grades were consistently in the top three of the class. Seeing how polite George was, she liked him even more.
"Auntie, this is just a small token of my appreciation." George stepped inside and placed several exquisite gift boxes on the table.
"Oh, you shouldn't have! Coming over to play is enough; you don't need to bring gifts." Chi-Chi glanced at the boxes and gasped. "Wait, isn't this that trendy new beauty cream?"
The cream was incredibly popular and she saw advertisements for it on TV constantly, but it was far too expensive for her to justify buying.
"My boy, this is too much!" Chi-Chi exclaimed, happily opening the box to try a sample while showering George with praise.
Mission accomplished, George thought.
His goal wasn't just to learn Ki from Gohan, but to smoothly integrate himself into the group centered around Goku. Building a good relationship with Chi-Chi was a vital first step.
After putting the cream away, Chi-Chi happily brewed a cup of tea and chatted with George about family. When she learned that George's father had passed away in a car accident and that his mother raised him and his sister alone, she felt an immediate sense of kinship. By the time Gohan and Goten returned carrying a massive log, Chi-Chi was practically ready to adopt George as a godson.
"Gohan, since George came to learn about Ki from you, make sure you guide him properly."
"Yes, Mother," Gohan replied, looking stunned.
His mother usually detested martial arts training. He had only told her George was visiting, omitting the part about Ki to avoid an argument. He hadn't expected her to be so supportive.
"George, let's head to the clearing over there," Gohan said.
As Chi-Chi began preparing lunch, Gohan led George to an open space about a kilometer from the house. He began the formal lecture.
"Ki exists in all living things and throughout nature. However, controlling it requires rigorous training. First, you must calm your heart and focus your mind. Like this... feel the Ki within you, then slowly gather it..."
Gohan sat cross-legged on the ground, his hands slowly releasing Ki to form a glowing sphere.
"Since you haven't trained before, it will be hard to manifest it at first. Don't worry; I'll give you an overview today, and you can come back on weekends for basic physical training. Once your body reaches a certain level, you'll be able to condense it easily."
Gohan assumed that for an ordinary student like George, it would take years of training to control Ki. However, the words had barely left his mouth when he saw a sphere of Ki already shimmering in George's hands.
"How... how is that possible?"
"I've always made a habit of exercising my body," George said. He lashed out with a lightning-fast kick toward a nearby tree—a trunk so thick two men couldn't wrap their arms around it. The tree snapped instantly.
While Gohan had been demonstrating, George had covered him with spiritual perception, deeply analyzing the entire process of how Ki was drawn from the body. That was how he was able to replicate the Ki sphere instantly.
"I see... but even so, to learn control this quickly... you really have a gift!" Gohan praised, looking at the broken tree. Based on that power and speed, George was already stronger than Videl and well within the physical threshold to control Ki. Still, manifesting it on the first try was a sign of incredible talent.
"Since you can condense it, you can also fire it if you concentrate," Gohan said. He aimed at the fallen tree, and a palm-sized energy blast condensed and shot out like a cannonball.
BOOM!
The tree was reduced to splinters.
George paused for a few seconds, then raised his hand and fired an identical blast.
BOOM!
A large crater erupted in the ground, the power no less than Gohan's.
Gohan stood there, dazed. This was learning at an impossible speed. Over the next few hours, he realized he had still underestimated George. While George didn't have a massive amount of Ki yet—his power level was likely under a hundred—his learning ability was terrifying.
Whether it was energy blasts, the Sky Dance technique (flight), the Kamehameha, the Solar Flare, or the Destructo Disc—George only needed to see a move once to master it perfectly. The only limitation was that his power wasn't as high.
As lunchtime approached, Gohan shook his head in amazement. "George, I don't think I have anything left to teach you. If you want to go further, you just need to keep training your body to increase your total Ki capacity."
Originally, Gohan hadn't planned to teach him much. He had only agreed to help to keep his secret identity safe. He had assumed George wouldn't even learn to manifest Ki today; at most, he thought he'd teach him basic energy blasts. He certainly hadn't intended to teach powerful techniques like the Destructo Disc or the Kamehameha.
But over the past week, George had become a genuine friend, helping him hide his Great Saiyaman identity. Combined with the thoughtful gifts and his mother's insistence, Gohan had changed his mind. Seeing George's unbelievable talent, he had ended up sharing almost everything he knew.
"Thanks, Gohan. I appreciate the help. I'll make sure to practice when I get home." George dissipated a palm-sized Destructo Disc he had been playing with. He was pleasantly surprised by Gohan's generosity.
"Big brother! Mommy says it's time for lunch!" Goten came bouncing toward them from the distance, moving so fast a normal person wouldn't even have been able to track him.
Each generation really does get stronger, George thought, watching Goten skid to a halt.
Goku had undergone countless years of grueling training and life-or-death battles to finally reach Super Saiyan against Frieza. Gohan, as a half-Saiyan, had even greater potential, reaching a power level over a thousand as a toddler without any training. And now Goten—conceived after Goku had already mastered Super Saiyan—could transform naturally at the age of seven.
"George, you seem to really enjoy researching Ki. Do you plan on becoming a martial artist?" Gohan asked as they walked back. He saw a certain quality in George as he studied Ki—a spark that reminded him of his father, Goku. It was a quality Gohan himself lacked; he had no real interest in fighting and dreamed only of being a scholar. He had only become strong out of necessity to protect his world.
"A martial artist? No, not really," George waved his hand dismissively. He was an elegant "Mage." Even if he used Ki, it would be for researching remote attacks. Close-quarters combat was a bit too uncouth for his tastes.
"Oh? But you seemed so interested..." Gohan looked surprised.
George laughed. "I'm not learning Ki for combat. My true hobby is magic. My dream is to become a great magician. Unfortunately, stage magic is all fake, but Ki gives me hope. I think I can use Ki to create real magic. Honestly, things like the Solar Flare and Destructo Disc already feel like magic to me."
"Magic?" Gohan blinked. He had never thought of it that way. But reflecting on it, if Ki wasn't used for fighting, it really was like the magic from stories.
Piccolo, for instance, could create objects out of thin air, split his body into clones, release electricity to disable electronics, use telepathy, and move objects with his mind. His father had even learned Instant Transmission from aliens.
"Well, if you're interested in that kind of 'magic,' I can introduce you to someone," Gohan said. He figured if George was that curious, he'd introduce him to Piccolo. Gohan had trained with Piccolo to prepare for the Saiyans, but he had mostly focused on combat. He had never bothered to learn the more mystical techniques.
"Really? That would be great. Thanks, Gohan!"
George's interest was piqued. He didn't need Gohan to say the name to know he meant Piccolo. Piccolo might not have the raw combat power of Goku or Vegeta, but as a Namekian and a former "God" of Earth, he possessed a wealth of techniques and divine knowledge. More importantly, he knew the secrets of the Dragon Balls.
The Earth's Dragon was limited, but its source—the Super Dragon Balls—was practically omnipotent. Since George specialized in the "Wish" arts of the Fool pathway, he thought there might be something very valuable to learn from the Namekian's craft.
(End of Chapter)