Training Side Story: Zen Temple

[Deleted member 12]

Shinji Devil Man

Already watching the young master Zhongli closely, Shinji felt as he released an intense shockwave that roared like thunder; it was a manifestation of his power, erupting violently, powerful enough that it launched every last stone flying towards Shinji and the others. Despite the mental warning he quickly notices the sudden shift in the environment and in that same moment he'd adapt, locking in and truly focusing he was able to focus most of his energy to increase his speed to 10,050 and he was able to perceive each rock as the hurdled towards him. Adjusting his stance in the same unleashing a blinding flurry of jabs and straight punches alternating between his left right hand, even throwing in a few kicks he'd not only deflect most of the rocks sent his way while some were completely smashed. However, his offense-based defense was going well until a single rock slipped through his defenses striking him right in the lower abdomen, forcing him to throw up his guard blocking the rest of which pelted him. He ended the challenge with a few welts and bruises on his arms and stomach but other than that he was fine, grinning menacingly as welcomed the challenge; knowingly and willingly ready to partake whatever task Zhongli was ready to throw at them. This training was already more interesting than what his father had offered, Zhongli offered a mentorship that was not for the weak of heart; those who trained under him was embodied the meaning of determination. This dojo wasn't just about becoming strong or learning how to fight, it was about maximizing one's potential. The moment Shinji recognized this he was fully invested in training with the young master, after all passing up this chance would be huge mistake. It felt it was important to seize this opportunity or else no one would regret making a poor decision, he was well aware of the benefits of training, yet he always neglected it until now; at this very moment everyone inspired him to actually try.

Shinji: "Well that was definitely something...that's all you got?"

Feeling a bit uneasy he wasn't happy with his performance, Shinji wouldn't let it get him down just yet but still he had hoped that this was enough to past the first test, a dark cloud hung over the demon's head; Shinji was used to being good at everything and whenever he would mess up, he'd get very childlike, pouting and throwing tantrums. However, whenever his pride was on the line he'd just remain awkwardly silent until someone else broke the ice.

Kaelon & Ban

As the training began Ban was unable to perceive the motion of the rock sent his way, but he knew they were coming; Zhongli's shockwave shook the very earth beneath his feet with raw power alone. Impressive Ban thought to himself as he quickly analyzed the situation. Creating what seemed to be a red tornado around his body. Ban quickly shifted his center of gravity cartwheeling into a handstand balancing on a single hand building his momentum, as his second leg left the ground within the same second he'd perform an upside-down split rotating at a speed of 2,500; spinning rapidly becoming nothing more than blur of motion. As he spun his feet collided and clashed with the rocks flying towards him, kicking each one as the entered his radius, each deflection was loud and thunderous echoing throughout the entire mountain range after each impact. Ban was having fun as he was able to test his limits "Ha ha! I'm gonna give you all I've got he shouted as he continued to rotate shifting his weight between each hand creating a what seemed to be a crimson sphere, but it was just him rotating so fast that he looked like ball of energy. Between each twirl he managed to speed up his movement gradually increasing his momentum till he was as a speed of 2,900, Ban was only able to keep up the pace for a moment before the number started becoming overwhelming and after taking a few hit he was forced into a defensive position, The rocks started pummeling him leaving creating welts and bruises on his arms and legs, he even ended up with a little knot on his forehead. After the storm of rocks calmed Ban quickly reached for his forehead trying to apply pressure to numb the stinging feeling in his head, despite the pain all over his body he refused to fall to a knee.

Kaelon: "Woah..."

Kaelon who was standing behind remained watching with his arms crossed there was impressed at Ban's defensive capabilities, the technique he used was quite interesting he thought to himself. He wondered if his brother had felt the same. Kaelon stood there relaxed and calm with his arms crossed, there was no more rocks throw after they had been scattered around the training area, this group had showed decent potential had that demon been properly trained he believed that no even a single stone would have touched him. Shinji was much the others as well as himself, something he looked as wasted potential; had been able to use abilities to its full potential he might have been able to see the movement of each stone relatively easily, but his reaction was a bit slow but his ability to adapt under pressure was what most impressive about him. Kaelon let of a sly smirk as he thought of a way to bring the best out of Shinji but first, he needed something that would motivate the demon to try his best and really push him to do his best. For now, he would observe the bunch closely to determine how to assist his brother in training the next generation of disciples.

Shinji Stats
​

Main Categories​	Stat Points​
Stamina/ health​	1,200 (+500 Racial Boost = 1,700)​
Strength/ Attack​	2,500 (+500 Racial Boost = 3,000) (1,000 to speed) (Currently 2,000)​
Durability/ Defense​	1000 (+500 Racial Boost = 1,500) (500 to speed) (Currently 1,000)​
Agility/ Speed​	6,750 (+200 Racial Boost = 6,950) (Currently 10,050)​
Magic/ Intelligence​	1000 (+500 Racial Boost = 1,500) (500 to speed) (Currently 1,000)​
Ki Control​	1,700 (+200 Racial Boost = 1,900) (1,100 to speed) (Currently 800)​
Total (Ki Reserves/ Battle Power)​	12,950​

Ban Stats
​

Main Categories​	Stat Points​
Stamina/ health​	900 (+400 Racial Boost = 1,300)​
Strength/ Attack​	1,500 (+400 Racial Boost = 1,900)​
Durability/ Defense​	1000 (+400 Racial Boost = 1,400)​
Agility/ Speed​	2,500 (+400 Racial Boost = 2,900)​
Magic/ Intelligence​	600 (+200 Racial Boos = 800)​
Ki Control​	500 ( (+600 Racial Boost = 1,100)​
Total (Ki Reserves/ Battle Power)​	7,000​

Kaelon Stats
​

Main Categories​	Stat Points​
Stamina/ health​	700 (+400 Racial Boost = 1,100)​
Strength/ Attack​	1,000 (With Relaxed State- 7,900) (+400 Racial Boost = 1,400)​
Durability/ Defense​	1,000 (With Relaxed State- 7,900) (+400 Racial Boost = 1,400)​
Agility/ Speed​	2,000 (With Relaxed State- 7.900) (+400 Racial Boost = 2,400)​
Magic/Intelligence​	1,900 (With Relaxed State- 7,900)​
Ki Control​	2,000 (With Relaxed State- 7,900) (+800 Racial Boost = 2,800)​
Total (Ki Reserves/ Battle Power)​	7,900​

 

[Poro The Cat]

𝓡ayne scoffed at Kuina's words, forcing herself to lean back more, even though her nails were still digging into the stone of the bench, hurting herself more than the stone. "I'm not worried about them dying," she said quickly. Green irises searched gold ones before turning back towards the students being pelted by grayish yellow blurs that flew from Zhongli and Kaelon.

She was itching to get in there, to have that same strength, to fight alongside them, but she knew better than anyone that if she jumped in on something like this, she'd end up seriously injured. Fighting ran in her veins, always wanting to be more than she was. Watching these students being put in their place but knowing they were getting stronger while she sat and watched made her antsy.

Even as Zhongli and Kaelon picked up speed, throwing rocks at the children like they were nothing, Rayne felt that deep desire of a Saiyan flowing through her bones. She felt every bone in her body begging her to jump into the fray and even attempt her hand at it, but she knew that her body couldn't handle this kind of pain. It made her grit her teeth just a bit more.

A few of the rocks bounced near the two of them that the children had managed to cast aside, watching the power emanate from the demon. The act made Rayne glance at Kuina for just a moment before returning her gaze to the training happening before her. Specifically, on Zhongli and Kaelon, quietly studying each of their movements, or at least, what she could see of them. Even then, her green eyes would flit between the masters and the apprentices. She wanted to learn, to understand and to know just how they worked, how they fought, how they trained. 'One day,' she thought to herself. 'One day, I'll be like that.'

 

[Deleted member 4]

Zhongli Zen

Zhongli Zen is a Saiyan/Cerulean hybrid who stands as the strongest martial artist on earth, known as the Grand Master of the Zen Dojo located outside the city of Central City built in the side of a mountain. he is an individual who is normally nonchalant but should he ever get serious such as in battle or in training he become a far stricter and more brutal person.


As the stones passed by them with such a flurry of brutal efficiently, His eyes having watched each of the four managing to deflect the minimal criteria and then some only to be pelted by the rest as was expected. As the air calms and the stones fly off the mountain Zhongli slowly cracks his neck his energy simmering slowly faded away as he spoke with a calm voice, no longer strict as he slowly stretched his arms,​

"That concludes todays training. You all managed to pass the initial training. Tomorrow is a day of rest, the end of the week, so two days from now will be your trainings finale where we will be using actual ki blasts against you, those wishing to learn power up... Well be prepared for the harder treatment."​

He stated as he began walking over towards Kuina and Rayne before slowly stopping his head turning towards Kaelon as he spoke with a serious tone,​

"Guide them to the guest lounge and show them to the hotsprings and dining hall. Ensure they don't eat our full storage. If they do it comes out of your pay and you will reimburse the cooks."​

With it being said he slowly turned back towards his wives as he approaches them giving a warm smile, Kuina though listening to the retort while having watched how rayne watched the training session seriously. An amusing sight for her which caused her to chuckle and giggle, but now as Zhongli stood before them Kuina's golden orange eyes stared at him as she spoke with quite an amused tone,​

"Giving them a hard time for an initial test seems pretty crude. And here little Rayne is feeling all Left out Zhongli. What will you do about it?!"​

She chuckled with a wink amused to find out how Rayne would react to her purposeful teasing.
​

 

[WarriorofSpaceBooty]

Upon hearing the sound of stones flying receding in the distance and fewer rocks hitting him and his friends like brutal bullets that aim to torture, Inugami breathes a sigh of relief. After dropping his guard, he sighs with relief. The shimmering sign of Zhongli's energy fading away makes him see the crack in his neck, an energy he'll remember and bury in his mind for a long time, as he listens to him conclude his training on deflecting with their hands rather than ki to enhance and protect them. As they have exceeded his expectations, he offers to teach them power-ups, which will require a lot of practice. He warns them of deflecting ki next time. The thought of food made Inugami's stomach growl as he followed Kaelon into the temple, where hot springs and a dining hall were promised. A small smile spread across his face as he asked his companions, "How about Hotsprings and then some food?" he smiled as he looked at his companions.
​

 

[Rutaba]

Rutaba barely had time to process Zhongli announcing the end of training before his body decided it was done. The moment the words were spoken, his legs turned into jelly. He didn’t drop right there, but it was really close.

For what felt like forever, stones had been flying at him from every direction. His palms were swollen and red from all the deflections. His forearms throbbed like someone had been hitting them with hammers. Bruises covered his ribs, shoulders, legs, and back. A small cut still stung above his forehead from one rock that got through. Every single breath reminded him of at least three different places that hurt.

Yet despite all of that, a tired little grin slowly spread across his face.

He’d done it.

He hadn’t been thrown off the mountain.

He hadn’t quit.

And according to Zhongli, he had actually passed.

That alone made every single bruise feel worth it.

Rutaba stretched both arms way over his head and immediately regretted it.

“OW.”

He lowered them fast.

Then he tried stretching his back.

“OW.”

He stopped doing that too.

His tail drooped behind him as he slowly made his way down from the training grounds. He couldn’t help feeling a little proud of himself. He had made it all the way back. He hadn’t stayed at the bottom like he almost did at the start.

For a brief moment he thought back to the beginning of the exercise. The stones flying like bullets. The panic. The confusion. The feeling of being completely overwhelmed. Then he remembered the moment everything started to click.

The spaces between the stones. The rhythm. The pattern. A small smile appeared on his face. The lesson wasn’t really about the stones. It was about learning how to think.

That realization made him feel strangely grown up.

For about three seconds.

Then his stomach let out an absolutely monstrous growl.

The sound was so loud that several nearby birds scattered from a tree in a panic.

Rutaba immediately looked around with wide eyes.

“Did that come from me?”

Another growl followed, even louder.

His ears lowered slightly.

“…Okay, yeah that was definitely me.”

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly before continuing down the path.

By the time he reached the hot springs, Rutaba looked ready to collapse. The warm steam drifting through the air hit him first. Then came the smell of mineral water and fresh mountain air. The springs themselves sat surrounded by stone and nature, the water gently rippling under the afternoon light.

For a moment he simply stared.

Then he practically dove toward them.

A loud splash echoed as he slid into the water.

The heat wrapped around his battered body instantly.

Every sore muscle seemed to melt.

Every bruise felt a little less painful.

Even his swollen hands finally stopped throbbing so bad.

Rutaba sank until only his head remained above the surface.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh…”

The sigh seemed to last forever.

His tail floated lazily behind him in the water.

His eyes slowly closed.

For the first time since training began, there wasn’t a single stone flying at his face. No mountain trying to throw him off. No lessons. No pressure. Just warm water. Peace. Quiet. A perfect moment.

The hot springs were nice.

But food still existed.

And he was suddenly very aware that he hadn’t eaten nearly enough today.

He leaned back against a smooth rock and stared up at the sky overhead.

The mountain air felt different now. Calmer. The tension from training had disappeared. For a few moments he simply enjoyed the quiet. Then another thought entered his head. A dangerous thought.

“What do you think they got at the dining hall?”

He started counting on his fingers.

“Rice.”

One finger.

“Meat.”

Second finger.

“Fish.”

Third finger.

“Noodles.”

Fourth finger.

“Dumplings.”

Fifth finger.

His eyes widened.

“What if they got dessert too?”

That possibility visibly excited him.

Rutaba sat up straighter in the water.

“What if they got cake?”

Pause.

“What if they got five cakes?”

Longer pause.

“What if they got ten cakes?”

By now he was fully invested in the discussion.

His imagination had completely abandoned reality.

The dining hall had transformed into a mythical treasure vault filled entirely with food.

He folded his arms thoughtfully.

“If they got ten cakes…”

His eyes narrowed.

“I could probably eat seven.”

Another moment passed.

“…Maybe eight.”

Then he reconsidered.

“Actually, no.”

His grin widened.

“I could definitely eat all ten.”

Rutaba laughed to himself before sinking deeper into the water again.

The warmth soaked into his muscles while his mind drifted between thoughts of training and food.

Mostly food.

A small smile remained on his face.

Today had hurt.

A lot.

Tomorrow was supposed to be rest.

And two days from now Zhongli was apparently going to replace rocks with actual ki blasts.

That sounded terrifying.

Future Rutaba could worry about that.

Current Rutaba had much more important concerns.

Like locating the dining hall.

And discovering exactly how much food they were willing to let a growing Saiyan eat.

Judging by the way his stomach growled again, the answer was probably:

Not enough.

 

[Deleted member 12]

Shinji Devil Man

The thought of learning how to deflect ki and power up sounded pretty interesting, Shinji found this young master's training method to be quite intense, but after today he felt somewhat accomplished. Tossing his pride aside a smile crossed his lips when he heard that he had passed the initial training lesson, it was one thing to train but to train alongside other felt a bit inspiring to him which a bit unusual for him. Despite pushing himself for brief moment he felt as if he was just getting warmed up, he couldn't help but want to continue training.

Shinji: "Hey Rutabaga!!! wait up"

Chasing after the young saiyan racing toward the hot springs, not a demon could pass up the opportunity for a good soak. As Shinji set foot into the water enjoying the warmth, breathing in the steam, relaxing comfortably. The flame from his tail continued to burn even while submerged.

Shinji: "You better be ready for tomorrow's training after dragging me all the way out here"

He shouted loudly and aggressively splashing water at the saiyan child who seemed to be daydreaming about food, his stomach growled loud enough to disturb nearby wildlife.

Shinji: "Woah...."

In shock Shinji's eyes widen he was surprised that such a loud roar can come from such a tiny stomach. Thinking about it he remembered that he hadn't eaten anything since waking up which was literally just a few moments ago. For now, he would continue soaking in the hot springs, he'd lay back and close his eyes resting his head against the stone while using a towel to prop his neck up. The hot springs was nice and refreshing and the first time Shinji, was genuinely relaxed and clear headed; his mind was usually filled with all sorts of chaos and mischief but at this very moment he felt nothing.

Kaelon & Ban

After Ban had completed his training for the day a smile crossed his lips, his body was bruised and battered but it was nothing he couldn't push through. He was even more excited when he would hear that they would be rewarded with free food and a chance to soak in the hot springs. Kaelon smiled and nodded towards Ban acknowledging his success, he was just as excited for Ban to join the dojo all though he wasn't going to show it, but Kaelon was always enthusiastic about training with new recruits. Ban and Kaelon would follow behind the others chit chatting amongst themselves. After they got changed the two of them headed to the hot springs, while Ban entered with Shinji and Rutaba who seemed to be in their own little world; Kaelon sat of to the side meditating floating with his legs crossed, calming his mind while enjoying the warmth of the hot springs.

Kaelon: "You guys did pretty good today, especially you Rutaba... you're quite strong for someone your age"

Kaelon paused for a moment to take a breath.

Kaelon: Tomorrow is a day of rest Shinji, you're going to need it for the next test won't be as easy as today's training, so you'll have to bring your A game got it.... Perhaps when you leave here, you'll be even stronger if you take you training a bit more serious. And once we leave here, I'll show you guys to the dojo's food storage."

With that said Kaelon continued his meditation without speaking another word and although his eyes were closed, he remained aware of his surroundings. Meanwhile Ban simply relaxed inside the hot springs, the warm waters felt relaxing and soothing; the bruises on his skin began to lighten up before simply fading away as if they were never there. As he relaxed, he was able to clear his mind for a while hoping to enjoy the down time before they continued training, it was only a matter of time before the devil (Shinji) woke from his slumber. That obnoxious demon was like a thorn in his side but despite being nonchalant and annoying he was quite the interesting individual. He was always shouting but deep-down Ban felt like Shinji just needed a reason to fight maybe perhaps find his resolve, after all, this was just all speculation; he barely knew the guy from a can of paint.

​

 

[Poro The Cat]

𝓔ven with the words leaving Kuina's mouth, Rayne's face turned a deep shade of red. Despite the truth of Kuina's words, it wasn't exactly something that Rayne wanted to put out there. "Kuina! That's not--!" She didn't even finish the words, only huffing at the end. Gritting her teeth, Rayne could only cross her arms and look away like an angsty teenager.

After a moment of watching the others run off, Rayne grumbled softly and rolled her eyes up and back. She turned back towards the other two then, giving a glare that meant nothing to Kuina and finally glancing up at Zhongli and giving a little sigh. "I'm hungry. I know that you have to be, so can we just get something to eat?" She moved past Kuina and Zhongli then, heading towards the kitchen. She may not have been the best fighter, but she could definitely cook, especially with the kind of appetite she had.

 

[Deleted member 4]

Zhongli Zen

Zhongli Zen is a Saiyan/Cerulean hybrid who stands as the strongest martial artist on earth, known as the Grand Master of the Zen Dojo located outside the city of Central City built in the side of a mountain. he is an individual who is normally nonchalant but should he ever get serious such as in battle or in training he become a far stricter and more brutal person.


Zhongli stretching his limbs as he watched Kuina and Rayne banter and talk before Rayne spoke to him, His blue eyes watching his two wives with amusement as he responded with a calm and relaxed tone,​

"I could go for some food. Especially if you are cooking Rayne."​

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he watched Rayne walking past him as Kuina Slowly stood up patting dust from her pants and buttocks, her arm wrapping around Zhongli's left arm she watched Rayne with an amused expression,​

"Rayne Dear, Don't forget to cook more than enough for Zhongli and yourself. You both alone excluding Kaelon ran the Grocery bills up to 8,000 Zeni. Oh ~ Don't forget to give our dearest husband some affection, he worked really hard for us." ​

Her words were teasing like poking at a bear with a stick all while Zhongli followed behind Rayne with Kuina on his arm with a confused expression, the conversation Kuina was deliberately giving to Rayne was going right over his head. None the less they followed Rayne to the kitchen where Kuina sat Zhongli at a Table before leaving to the kitchen to assist in helping Rayne cook. There Zhongli sat alone at the head of the Table chair, his brain still trying to process what Kuina was telling Rayne. None the less he sat comfortably in his seat his hands cupping his cheeks and chin as he pondered on how he will implement the training for Power up into the Training of Ki blast Deflect, and how much power he should limit himself too. He knew by forcing them to not rely on the use of Ki or magic, he was bottling their energy up inside them which was crucial for one to learn how to utilize power up. As such during the training in two day,s he will allow them to release that ki or magic to amplify their defenses and speed which would be a temporary multiplier of 1.5x their ki control to distribute. These were the things Zhongli was putting into his mind and playing with and yet there was one unsettled factor, if he used just alittle to much power he could possibly kill one of them or all of them, So releasing his Relaxed state to access his full power in a brief moment would be ill advised as none of them could truly handle the strongest on earth.
​

 

[WarriorofSpaceBooty]

Inugami adopts a more relaxed, laid-back posture as he walks alongside his friends and acquaintances into the mountain temple, taking in the beauty of such a place in real time. This place must have been built years ago, probably longer than some temples constructed over fourteen years, yet this Zen Temple looks much older and unique. The thought in his head was interrupted by the loud sound of Rutaba's stomach growling, which made the young monk chuckle at this, of course, the kid is hungry; better yet, they all are. Inugami leans over and ruffles the kid's head. "Damn boy, let's feed that monster before it begins to knaw through your guts" he says, but sees him take off upon seeing the hot springs in view, making him take off after the boy and dive in as well, feeling the heat from the water made all the sores within his body feel relief and pure bliss which caused the young monk to let out a satisfied sigh "Goddamn, the Flaming Mountain Temple doesn't compare to this, sure we got saunas but this?" gesturing his arms in a wide wave with a big smirk "Has no match, i could stay in here forever, take the punishing training of Zhongli just to have this!" he says to Shinji, Ban and Rutaba. He then grabs a towel to prop against his head, closes his eyes, and then lets the water take him to paradise; however, that was interrupted by the sound of Rutaba's stomach growling, then he talks about food, which, of course, is on the boy's mind "Well, if they have so much food, I'm sure you can satisfy that hunger" he jokes to Rutaba.
​

 

[Rutaba]

Rutaba had almost drifted off in the hot spring.

The warm water wrapped around his bruised body like a giant blanket, slowly pulling every ache and pain out of his muscles. His shoulders finally relaxed. The soreness in his forearms faded little by little, and even the swelling in his palms didn’t feel nearly as bad anymore. His tail floated lazily behind him, occasionally sending small ripples across the surface.

His eyes had just started to close again…

Then—

“Hey, Rutabaga! Wait up!”

One eye cracked open.

“…Huh?”

Before he could fully wake himself, cool water splashed across his face.

Rutaba jerked slightly, blinking water from his eyes before wiping his face with the back of his wrist.

“HEY!”

“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be?”

Grinning, Rutaba scooped up both hands full of warm spring water and flung it back before settling lower into the water again.

“You started it!”

He chuckled, but the movement immediately reminded him how battered he was.

“…Ow.”

He rubbed both forearms dramatically.

“Okay…” He winced.

“Maybe one splash was enough.”

When Shinji mentioned tomorrow’s training, Rutaba blinked before shaking his head.

“Nah.” He leaned farther back against the smooth stone. “Tomorrow’s a rest day.” A satisfied smile spread across his face. “I’m gonna train really hard at…” He paused dramatically.

“…doing absolutely nothing.”

He folded his arms proudly.

“Master Zhongli said it’s a day of rest.”

Right on cue, his stomach let out another earth-shaking growl.

The sound echoed loudly enough that several nearby birds scattered from a tree.

Rutaba slowly looked down at the water.

“…That wasn’t me.”

Silence.

“…Okay.”

He sighed.

“It was definitely me.”

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“I’m growing.”

Another growl answered him almost immediately.

Rutaba pointed at his stomach accusingly.

“See?”

He leaned back against the rock and stared up at the sky.

The mountain air felt different now. Calmer. The tension from training had disappeared. For a few moments, he enjoyed the quiet. Then another thought entered his head. A dangerous thought.

“What do you think they got at the dining hall?”

He started counting on his fingers.

“Rice.” One finger.

“Meat.” Second finger.

“Fish.” Third finger.

“Noodles.” Fourth finger.

“Dumplings.” Fifth finger.

His eyes widened.

“What if they got dessert too?”

That possibility visibly excited him.

Rutaba sat up straighter in the water.

“What if they got cake?”

Pause.

“What if they got five cakes?”

Longer pause.

“What if they got ten cakes?”

By now he was fully invested in the discussion.

His imagination had completely taken over.

The dining hall had transformed into a mythical treasure vault filled entirely with food.

He folded his arms thoughtfully.

“If they got ten cakes…”

His eyes narrowed.

“I could probably eat seven.”

Another moment passed.

“…Maybe eight.”

Then he reconsidered.

“Actually, no.”

His grin widened.

“I could definitely eat all ten.”

Rutaba laughed to himself before sinking deeper into the water again.

The warmth soaked into his muscles while his mind drifted between thoughts of training and food.

Mostly food.

A small smile remained on his face.

Today had hurt.

A lot.

Tomorrow was supposed to be rest.

And two days from now Zhongli was apparently going to replace rocks with actual ki blasts.

That sounded terrifying.

Future Rutaba could worry about that.

Current Rutaba had much more important concerns.

Like locating the dining hall.

And discovering exactly how much food they were willing to let a growing Saiyan eat.

He rubbed his stomach with both hands and let out a happy sigh, and said to Inugami, “Man… I’m gonna eat until I can’t move. Then I’m gonna take a nap. Then I’m gonna eat some more. That’s the perfect rest day plan.”

His eyes sparkled with pure joy at the thought.

Yeah.

Tomorrow was going to be awesome.