Aside from his strong martial arts training, Korin also possessed many strange and peculiar abilities, such as telepathy.
However, this ability was useless against Ethan because, although he appeared to be an ordinary person on the surface, his inner soul and spiritual core were far from ordinary. Korin's power could at most penetrate the surface, but it could not truly enter his core, so naturally, he could not read Ethan's thoughts.
Because the difference in power levels was too great, Korin could not understand why this was happening. He only felt a strange force obstructing his ability.
"You've come to challenge Korin Tower for the Sacred Water, haven't you?"
For many years, countless martial artists who climbed Korin Tower had aimed to obtain the Sacred Water. Korin assumed these few were no different.
"No, we came to receive guidance from you."
As soon as Ethan spoke, Korin was surprised.
"Oh? You don't want the Sacred Water?"
"I believe the strength gained through one's own training is more reliable."
Ethan knew that the item was just ordinary water, and the so-called power gained from climbing Korin Tower actually referred to the two difficult challenges, climbing the tower and snatching the Sacred Water from Korin.
If one succeeded, their strength would naturally increase significantly compared to before, achieving the goal of becoming stronger.
Korin designed this challenge to select and train outstanding martial artists, helping them understand certain principles.
However, this was the first time he had encountered someone like Ethan who did not follow the usual path.
"Then why did you come to Korin Tower?"
"I hope you can give us some guidance," Ethan said seriously, his face full of sincerity, while secretly still focused on his real goal, getting some Senzu Beans along the way.
"I see."
Korin liked such young martial artists full of positive spirit, so he did not refuse and immediately gave them the first training exercise, snatching the Sacred Water kettle from his hands.
"You can come at me together, or one by one."
Ethan and Yamcha exchanged glances, but Yoruichi stepped forward first.
"I'll go first."
They would not attack together. They came to train, and taking on the challenge one by one would allow them to improve more effectively.
"It's rare to see a girl come here."
Although there were many female martial artists in the Dragon Ball world, those who reached the peak were mostly male. By the middle period, only Android 18 stood out, and her situation was quite special. By the later stages, it had essentially become a male-dominated story.
Korin did not give Yoruichi any special treatment just because she was a girl. To him, they were all young martial artists. As a result, Yoruichi gained no advantage in the chase. Her already limited stamina was quickly exhausted, and she collapsed on the ground like a lifeless fish, unwilling to move a finger.
Looking at Yoruichi lying motionless and the other two who also looked exhausted, Korin took out a few Senzu Beans and handed one to each of them.
"These are Senzu Beans. Eat one and you won't need food for ten days."
"That amazing?"
Yamcha curiously took the plain-looking bean, chewed it, and swallowed it. Immediately, he felt full.
"I'm really full."
Even his depleted stamina had recovered. Feeling as if he had returned to his peak condition, he immediately began chasing Korin again, trying to snatch the kettle.
Ethan watched from the side, quietly estimating the gap between his strength and Korin's. The difference was still large, but not impossible to overcome.
By Dragon Ball standards, Goku's strength before drinking the Ultra Divine Water was probably similar to Korin's, and after drinking it, he surpassed Korin.
"In terms of power level, Korin should be around two hundred."
At that moment, Yamcha removed the weights he had been wearing. The sudden drop of the weights made Korin pause before realizing that these young people had climbed Korin Tower while wearing them.
"Interesting."
Unfortunately, even without the weights, Yamcha still could not snatch the kettle.
After Yamcha stepped down, Ethan did not immediately take his turn. It was getting late, so he suggested continuing the next morning.
Korin agreed without hesitation, though he wondered if Ethan planned to steal the kettle while he slept.
"You're not planning to steal it while I'm asleep, are you?"
Yamcha thought the same, but Ethan shook his head firmly.
"That kettle is useless to me. I'd rather fight you directly."
They rested honestly through the night. Influenced by Ethan, not only did he refrain from sneaking an attack, but Yamcha and Yoruichi also slept peacefully, which surprised Korin.
"These young people are quite good."
Perhaps because Ethan left a good impression, the next morning Korin agreed to his request, real combat training instead of chasing the kettle.
"Then the condition is that you must actually land a hit on me."
"Alright."
Ethan took his stance and carefully observed Korin.
He did not rush forward. At such a high altitude, intense movement would consume stamina quickly. Yamcha had already suffered from this, wasting energy on unnecessary attacks.
"Aren't you going to remove those things you're wearing?"
"This will make the training more effective."
"Interesting."
During their brief exchange, Ethan suddenly attacked. Fully prepared, he burst forward at his fastest speed, startling Korin.
"So fast."
Even Yamcha was shocked. He had not expected Ethan to reach such speed while still wearing weights. If he removed them, it would be even faster.
"Ethan has become this strong?"
More surprises followed. This was no longer a chase but a sparring match. Man and cat exchanged punches and kicks, clashing repeatedly in an instant.
Although Ethan did not land a single hit, Korin's attacks were also neutralized. For now, they were evenly matched.
"Ethan wasn't using his full strength before?"
"No, he was."
Yoruichi understood him better.
"He's improved again, or you could say Korin brought out more of his potential."
The sparring ended with Korin knocking Ethan down with his staff. Although Ethan lost and failed to land a hit, he had pressured Korin enough to make him sweat.
"These young people are not simple."
After resting, Yoruichi and Yamcha took their turns. Whether by oversight or intention, Korin no longer made them chase the kettle. Instead, all training became direct combat, with victory determined by who landed the first hit.
Yamcha put his weights back on, making him the quickest to fall.
"You waste too many movements. At this altitude, stamina drains faster. Too many unnecessary actions will exhaust you."
He was also criticized.
"You jump too much and neglect your lower body."
Years of habit were not easy to change. Even after being beaten repeatedly by Korin's staff, he could not fix these flaws immediately.
After a full day of training, Korin began to feel tired. Guiding three outstanding martial artists at once was exhausting.
Fortunately, Ethan gave him a gift, a freezer filled with various delicacies. Even if it ran out, Ethan could refill it.
Senzu Beans were convenient, but how could they compare to real food? Moreover, Ethan had carefully selected items suited to Korin's species.
At this point, Korin realized that Ethan had come prepared.
After enjoying the food, Korin asked seriously, "Do you have any requests? I should say first, I cannot do anything too difficult."
"It's nothing difficult. I saw you have many Senzu Beans. Could you give me some?"
Korin looked at the large jars filled with beans.
"You just want Senzu Beans? That's no problem."
To him, they were not particularly valuable. Although they were difficult to grow and had low yield, he had accumulated plenty over the years.
"If you want them, take them."
"Thank you for your generosity."
In Korin's mind, Ethan would take only a few. Instead, Ethan took out a storage capsule, released a cargo container, and began moving entire jars inside.
Seeing him move one jar, then another, and reach for a third, Korin finally coughed.
Ethan understood and stopped, not taking any more.
(To be continued.)