Nightmare Mode (DBZ Gamer!SI)

Game

Thoughts

"Talking"

AN: The stat, reputation, and level changes are being showcased a bit differently in this chapter. They will only be lightly mentioned, and the specific amounts and reasoning will be broken down at the bottom of the chapter. Please leave feedback on if you prefer this format or the format from Chapter 1. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

(Also, an important note at the bottom regarding when this story will be updated.)

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Gray glanced at the small digital clock sitting next to his bed, which read 6:45. He was sat in a meditative pose on the floor of his small bedroom as a small ball of Ki circled around his head. He had 15 minutes before training would start and he wasn't nearly as proficient in [Ki Control] or [Ki Suppression] as he'd like to be, but this would have to do. He stood up and did a quick check of his stats. 

Gray Tanaki:

[Sayian F-Class Recruit 1554]

Age: 15

Wallet: 2,500 Coins

Lvl: 3 (1400/2000 XP)

PL: 253,325

Available Points: 155

HP: 5,725/5,725

TKI: 33,925/33,925

STR: 125

AGI: 45

END: 45

INT: 205

CHA: 25

LUK: 5

KI: 165

HREG: 13

EREG: 13

Skills: [Observe LVL 3], [Running LVL 4], [Determination LVL 4], [Ki Control LVL 9], [KI Suppression LVL 5], [Ki Sense LVL 2], [Pushup LVL 4], [Punch LVL 4], [Kick LVL 4]

Perks: [Gamer's Mind], [Gamer's Body], [Double-edged Sword], [Legendary Super Sayian], [Perfect Ozaru], [A Cute Pawn], [A Humble Master], [Ladies Man]

Party: Empty

Gray Tanaki is a Sayian in training on Planet Vegeta. 

I'm not sure how Beolour will react to my sudden increase in power level. Considering Frieza needs strong fighters for his army, I doubt he'll send someone to kill me for growing so quickly, but I can't be sure. I need to suppress my power as much as possible. 

After his intense training session, Gray had gone back to his room when the two suns on Planet Vegeta started to rise. He'd spent the last couple of hours training his [Ki Control] skill, as well as unlocking and training his [Ki Suppression] skill.

I need to be more careful. I let my anger cloud my judgment. I should've trained to suppress my Ki before I tried to make any big jumps in my stats. 

He managed to learn the [Ki Sense] skill from sensing his own Ki, which allowed him to figure out that at his current level, he could suppress his power level down to 45,000. 

Good, but not good enough. It'll have to do for now.

He wasn't sure how normal increasing your power level by over 30,000 overnight was in this world, but he hoped he'd be seen as a prodigy instead of a threat. Gray opened his door and started heading towards the infirmary, ignoring the crowd of recruits who were also leaving their rooms to start heading toward the training grounds. He wanted to check on Asia before he headed to the training grounds. He wasn't sure how long it would take for the healing pod to work its magic, but he suspected one night wasn't enough for the level of damage Asia took.

Granted, Goku healed from near death in only a few hours on Namek, but he's also Goku.

Gray entered the infirmary and headed towards the room Asia was in and was greeted with an unexpected sight. 

"Just because your little friends hurt doesn't mean you get to skip training, 119! Get your damn armor on." Beolour was speaking down to a tired-looking Tamari, who was wearing the form-fitting grey undersuit that every Sayian had under their armor. Her armor was leaned up against the wall. 

Gray felt his power level rise slightly through his suppression as he found himself growing angry at the sight, "Hey, her best friend almost died, give her a break jack-ass." 

Beolour whirled around to look at him, "What the hell did you say, br-chuuk!" Beolour's words caught in his throat as his scouter displayed Gray's new power level.

"H-how did you…" He stuttered, his eyes wide, before he clenched his fist and looked ready for a fight, "You think just because you got a bit stronger you can tell me what to-" 

He was cut off by Tamari, who gave Gray a small grateful smile, "It's fine, Gray. Asia would be worried if she knew I was skipping training to watch her anyway." 

Tamari stood up and walked over to her armor. Beolour's face looked constipated as he stared at Gray, looking as if he was torn between saying something else or not before he walked past him with a grunt and left the infirmary.

Gray glanced over at Asia's body floating in the healing pod, reading her HP.

HP: 95/120

I'm glad she's nearly healed. She's kind, very kind, which is rare for a Sayian. She didn't deserve what Dareth did to her.

He felt his anger rise again, then squashed it. He'd get his revenge today. But first, he needed to apologize.

"Tamari," He started, "I'm sorry for running out on you last night. I should've stayed here with you."

Tamari chuckled, "Don't worry about it. Us Sayians and sappy emotions don't go well together. I didn't expect anything."

Gray nodded, grateful that she wouldn't hold it against him.

She's not wrong. Most Sayians are meatheads who only care about fighting and their pride. 

They fell into a comfortable silence as they walked together out of the infirmary, heading over to the crowd of recruits and standing with them as they waited for Beolour to start leading them to the training grounds.

"Hey, where's your little friend at?" Gray heard a snarky voice ring out behind him, and he glanced over to see Dareth smirking at him, his posse nearby.

Tamari glared openly at him, stepping forward and opening her mouth to say something before she stopped as Gray grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, "Gray?" She asked, blushing lightly as she looked at him.

"Just ignore him," Gray said simply.

"Seriously, Gray? After what he did to Asi-" She started again.

"Trust me," Gray responded, causing her to be silent for a moment. She looked up at him, confused, then nodded slowly.

Don't waste your words on a dead man, Tamari. 

Dareth tried riling up Tamari a couple more times, but eventually scoffed and walked away with his group when she continued to ignore him. As they walked toward the front of the crowd Celia looked back at Gray, an apologetic look on the normally emotionless girl's face. Gray ignored her and pretended he didn't see it. A few minutes later, Beolour shouted for them to follow him and they headed towards the training grounds.

Right as Gray exited the large garage-like door into the open canyon, he sensed an object rapidly flying towards him and shot up his hand. He glanced down at the object, which was a badge that had the number 220 on it. He glanced up and saw Beolour give him a stiff nod.

Right, they measured my new power level yesterday. This must be my new rank, though it won't be for long.

Gray remembered his conversation with Ken the day prior and looked around for him. He wasn't hard to spot, as the tall muscular boy was shouting loudly with a crowd of other huge muscly boys. Gray started walking towards them, and Tamari cast him a curious glance before following along. As he got closer, Gray could more easily make out their conversation.

"Brothers! I must do this. I wish I could stay with you all, but there are 11 of us! The teams are of 5, so as the strongest among us, I will be the one to join a random team for the exam!" Ken shouted, holding his fist up towards the sun.

"No, brother Ken! I'm the weakest, I don't deserve to be on a team with you all! I'll join the random team!" One of the muscular boys responded, tears streaming down his face as he stared at Ken. 

"No, I'll do it!" Another voice rang out, and an argument over who would be the odd man out broke out.

"You know these guys?" Tamari asked, looking at them wearily.

"One of them," Gray responded, shoving through the crowd of boys to reach Ken, "Hey, Ken. I came to see if you still wanted to train together today."

Ken's eyes widened as he saw him, a glint appearing in them, "Yo! Gray man!" Ken wrapped his arm around Gray's shoulder and pushed him forward slightly as if showcasing him to the other boys, "It's already been decided, brothers! I have already agreed to be a part of Gray's team, so none of you will have to join a random team!"

A flurry of shocked shouts emerged from the boys in front of them.

Ken then leaned over next to Gray's ear and talked much more softly, "Can I pretty please join your team?"

You're rank #2 in the class, you think I'm going to say no? 

Gray nodded in agreement, and Ken slapped his back roughly, "Thanks! Brothers, this is brother Gray! He'll be training with us today!"

A ring of excited cheers came from the crowd of boys at his words.

"Gray," Tamari finally broke through the crowd of rowdy men and grabbed his arm roughly, "Did he just say he was going to be on our team for the exam? Don't go just adding people without asking me! What if I already had 2 other members?"

Gray glanced at Tamari, her words confirming that she also assumed the two of them and Asia would be on the same team, "Did you already have 2 other members?"

She blushed, "Well, no, but still ask me anyway!" 

Gray nodded with a chuckle, and a moment later Beolour shouted for everyone to start running. He took off with the group of boys around him, the run going much differently from the day before. They ran as slow as the slowest boy in the group, who happened to be the boy who openly shouted he was the weakest earlier, but were still finishing multiple laps every minute. However, Gray realized partway through their running that both Tamari and one of the boys looked to be having an easier time than him, as neither had a drop of sweat on them.

[Quick] Callion:

[Sayian F-Class Recruit #189]

Age: 15

PL: 17,620

HP: 250/250

TKI: 925/925

Reputation: 25/100 (Liked)

[Quick] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally quick, and will gain AGI 100% faster.

My power level is way higher than his and Tamari's, but they're faster than me. However, his HP is only twice as much as Asia's despite his power level. He and Tamari must have speed-centered builds.

Gray glanced at Tamari and realized that she wasn't particularly muscular. She had some muscles, as if she went to the gym a few times a week, but was much slimmer than many of the other Sayian girls he'd seen, some of whom looked like they were professional bodybuilders.

I should try and be more well-rounded with my stats. I can't be sure if I'll see a lot of enemies who focus on being fast or not. My strength won't help me if I can't hit them.

There had been a few characters in the series that focused primarily on one aspect of fighting, like Burter, but for the most part, everyone was well-rounded. When Goku arrived on Namek he was faster than Burter, who called himself the fastest in the universe, while also being far stronger than Recoome. 

His concerns were partially alleviated as his [Running] skill leveled up twice during the run.

They finished their running, and Gray spent the next few minutes conversing with Tamari and Ken, but his mind was elsewhere as he watched Dareth arrive back from his run as well.

I can't wait to tear his head off.

They moved on to the Ki training after all the recruits arrived back, and Gray felt confident enough in his control to try learning some Ki beams. He walked away from Ken and his group, leaving Tamari with them as he approached a large boulder. The boulder was 40-50 feet tall and looked to be at least 20 feet thick. 

This'll be so cool if it works…

Gray held up his hand, his fingers in the shape of a gun, and focused his Ki on the tip of his finger. He flicked his hand, and a small line flew out from his finger and shot directly through the rock, then continued on past it into the large canyon wall behind it.

[Ki Gun] Skill unlocked!

Ki gun is way less cool sounding than Spirit gun, but good enough. Pretty basic though, I need to think of something cooler to be my signature move.

He continued to experiment and tried pushing his Ki around his hand. His hand glowed a bright blue, as a coat of Ki surrounded his hand.

[Ki Enhancement] Skill unlocked!

Level up!

+60 Attribute points!

+1,500 coins!

Gray flexed his hand, the energy moving fluidly with his hand. He clenched his fist, walking up to the boulder, and thrust his fist into it. The punch had a bigger impact than he thought it would, as the entire boulder practically exploded. All that remained afterward was a pile of dust and a few pebbles.

Gray clenched his fist again, staring in awe at the pure power his fist had, then glanced over at the other recruits. On the complete opposite side of the training field, Dareth was practicing his Ki control with Gallow, sending beams of energy into the sky. Gray stared at him, his eyes burning holes into the back of his head, as he felt anger flow throughout his body. He lifted up his fist.

I wonder if you'll survive even one punch.

Dareth seemed to feel his stare, and turned around, making eye contact with him.

Only one way to find out.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dareth grunted as he channeled his Ki into his right hand, aiming it upwards and streaming it out as long as he could. He needed to push himself today to ensure he'd be strong enough to pass the exam tomorrow. His team was strong, but not strong enough to be a shoo-in to pass the exam. He and Gallow were strong, him being ranked in the top 20 and Gallow being ranked in the top 5, but Kit and Garlet were pretty weak, and Celia was next to useless if you discounted her intellect. 

He'd hoped his stunt with Asia the day before would scare Tamari about her chances of surviving the exam with Asia on her team, but she seemed dead set on sticking with her and las- former last place.

He just got lucky yesterday. I'll kill him during the exam.

She would be the perfect addition to his team, replacing Garlet, who he found rather annoying anyway. He and Tamari had hit it off on the first day of training and had been good friends throughout the first week. She was one of the better-looking Sayian women he'd seen, as well as being strong and a good fighter. A perfect woman for him. 

Then his luck came crashing down, as some prick had to start picking on her little friend. That hadn't been a problem to him, as he cared little for Tamari's short best friend. She was drop-dead gorgeous, sure, but incredibly meek and weak. He could hardly believe she was even a Sayian.

He ignored the situation, but he wished he hadn't in hindsight as the worst possible person had come to her rescue. The last-place loser he and Gallow had been bullying did nothing but get his ass beat standing up for her, but somehow was seen as a hero by Tamari and Asia. He assumed Gray told Tamari about the bullying he and Gallow did, because the next day he'd gone from a close friend to an enemy in Tamari's eyes.

Dareth scowled as he felt eyes staring into the back of his head, and turned around. His eyes locked with Gray's, who was giving him a thousand-yard stare. He flinched and found himself turning his gaze away.

Has he always been that intimidating?

Pride and anger welled up within Dareth at the fear he'd felt momentarily from Gray's gaze and he turned back to glare at Gray. Gray's eyes bored into his, and he barely resisted the urge to flinch. The pure unbridled anger in Gray's eyes burned into his, and he turned away again, fear welling up within him. 

Why do I feel like…

He stared at the ground, his body betraying him as fear consumed him. The world seemed to disappear around him, and his hands started shaking.

…I'm about to die?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Alright, recruits! Time for the best part of training!" Beolour shouted as the crowd of recruits started to form a circle around him. Gray walked up behind him before the crowd grew too large, and gripped his shoulder with his hand.

"Put me against Dareth." He said simply.

"Ha? Who do you think you're talking to like th-" He grunted in pain as Gray's hand gripped his shoulder harder, starting to form a crack in the shoulder pad of his armor.

"Put me against Dareth." He said repeated.

"Alright, alright, I will," Beolour said, grunting as he pulled his shoulder out from Gray's grip, staring at him with a small amount of fear in his eyes.

Gray walked back to where Tamari and Ken were in the circular crowd, and Tamari looked up at him with concern, "What did you say to him?"

"You'll see," Gray responded cryptically. Beolour shouted out two numbers and the recruits walked into the circle to start battling. 

Beolour's smarter than he looks. He's saving us for last. If I kill Dareth in the first duel of the day, the mood will be rough for the rest of them.

Eventually, after watching the entirety of 8 duels, Beolour shouted for him and Dareth, "18 and 220, get your ass's out here!"

A roar went throughout the crowd as the rematch from yesterday occurred, though the shouts were less one-sided than the day before.

"KICK HIS ASS, DARETH!"

"Beat that prick into the dirt, Gray!"

"Don't let him off easy this time, Dareth!"

Gray entered the circle and noticed Dareth looked much less confident this time around. Whereas he was cocky and gloating the day before, he was now tense and had his guard up.

"Scared?" Gray asked, tilting his head and smiling sweetly at him.

Dareth's eyes widened at Gray's words, and he charged forward angrily, swinging a fist towards his face, and then pulling back to avoid Gray's much-faster fist barreling towards him. He held his palm up towards Gray, apparently deciding that today's fight was more serious than yesterday's, and shot a series of Ki blasts towards him. Gray swiped his hand effortlessly, sending the blasts flying into the floor, and then appeared in front of Dareth in a flash. Dareth barely managed to cross his arms and block the uppercut to his gut, but spit still flew out of his mouth at the impact. 

425HP! (1,085/1,510)

Cheers erupted from the crowd, "GRAY! GRAY! GRAY!"

Dareth somersaulted backward to avoid Gray's next fist flying towards his face and then kicked the floor to launch himself backward and gain some space. He grunted as his back slammed into something, and he looked over his shoulder to shout at whatever recruit had walked too far into the circle, only to come face-to-face with Gray.

"Where ya going?" Gray asked with a sickly sweet grin on his face, and then Dareth's vision was filled with Gray's face as he was headbutted into the floor.

560HP! (525/1,510)

Dareth grunted as he scrambled to his feet, only to fall face first back into it as a hole appeared in his foot, courtesy of Gray's raised hand, his finger sticking out and smoking like the tip of a gun.

400HP! (125/1,510)

Dareth struggled to push himself off the ground, blood dripping from the top of his head and flooding out from his foot. The crowd's roar was deafening, and Dareth's body ached as he forced himself up onto one knee, a combination of adrenaline and his pride keeping him conscious.

"You bastard…" He grunted as he raised his palm, firing a beam of Ki towards Gray. Gray raised his hand, using [Ki Enhancement] to cover his hand in a protective layer. He held his hand straight in front of him and walked towards Dareth's kneeling form, his hand blocking the beam as he walked through it.

Dareth's eyes widened as he saw Gray walking through his beam, and howled in pain as he pushed every ounce of Ki left in his body into the beam, "Stay away, you bastard!"

Gray continued walking towards him, his hand blocking the beam until he was only a foot away, and stared down at Dareth as his beam ran out of energy.

"S-stay away, y-you weakling! I won't lose to someone like you!" Dareth growled, flinging his fists up wildly towards Gray. Gray dodged the weak swings easily, and extended his left hand, backhanding Dareth into the floor. Dareth rolled over weakly onto his back as his body laid flush against the canyon floor, staring up at Gray. His eyes widened as Gray held up his hand, pointing his finger towards Gray and bringing a small ball of Ki to float at the tip of it.

"W-wait, you can't really be…" Dareth's eyes widened as he stared down the barrel of Gray's [Ki Gun], realizing Gray was actually going to kill him, "D-don't, you can't…" He stuttered.

Gray stared at the boy writhing on the floor, who looked up at him in fear as the crowd's roar filled his ears. Gray's smile stretched from ear to ear, his heart beating pounding in his ears. He felt as if he was on top of the world, the crowd cheering his name.

"FINISH HIM!"

"KILL HIM GRAY!"

"GRAY! GRAY! GRAY!"

This feels better than I imagined it would. I could get addicted to this.

"N…No, y-you wouldn't…" Dareth stuttered, staring up with unhidden fear at Gray.

Gray's eyes seemed glued open, and he forgot the last time he blinked. He felt as if he'd just done every drug in the book. His gut spun from the rush of power he felt. The crowd around him seemed to lose their details, changing from people into blobs. Gray's hand shook slightly, and time seemed to freeze around him.

Why… why can't I do it? 

He stared at the small ball of Ki on his finger. It would be so easy. A single shot and the boy below him would be dead. This feeling of power was intoxicating. He could end the boy's life in an instant.

He tried to kill Asia. He would've killed me without a second thought if our situations were swapped. So why can't I do it?

Gray stared down, his hand increasing in its shaking. The boy on the ground looked up at him with fear in his eyes, "P-please… I'm sorry… D-don't…"

He's just an anime character. A nameless extra that didn't even appear in the series. He's not a real person. I just need to fire off one shot.

Gray stared into the begging boy's eyes. Gray realized something very important that day. While he was Gray, a Sayian warrior, someone given a Gamer system so he could live out his wildest dreams, he was also Gray Tanaki, a man who lived an average life. A man who never got into a fight in his life, much less killed someone. 

However, while Gray would come to this realization on that very day, it was not at this moment. 

I know why I can't do it.

"Dareth." Gray said, a grin appearing on his face, "Do you remember what you told me yesterday?"

This feeling. I need to feel it more. That's why. Gray lied to himself.

"W-what?" Dareth stuttered, crawling backward slowly, able to hear him perfectly as the crowd around him seemed to disappear.

I can't do it, because it'd be too easy. He hasn't suffered enough.

"'I'll make sure you're my partner for the duels,'" Gray quoted Dareth's threat from the day before, an uncharacteristically large smile spreading his face, "I'll have to return the favor, right? I'll make sure to see you in the exam."

Gray lowered his hand and walked past Dareth, ignoring the angry shouts from the crowd, as Dareth stared off into the air, his eyes glazed in fear, his body shaking. 

"Alright, that's enough for today! Everybody go get some dinner, training's over!" Beolour shouted, walking into the circle and gesturing for the recruits to get moving. He walked over to Dareth and tried to help the poor boy out.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next couple of hours passed like a blur for Gray. He'd started his revenge, humiliating Dareth and sending him into a fearful panic throughout the rest of the day. He'd finish it tomorrow during the exam. He'd received countless reputation notifications as his reputation was raised with both his friends and recruits he didn't know. He even leveled up his reputation with Ken, becoming "liked." However, for some reason, Gray felt unsatisfied.

Maybe I really should've just killed him there.

Gray sat at a table in the cafeteria with Tamari and Ken, along with Ken's group of "brothers." He'd been congratulated countless times by passing recruits, some even stopping to ask if they could join his team for the exam. Tamari had swiftly rejected them all.

"Are you alright, Gray? You seem kinda out of it." Tamari said, looking at him in concern. She had been the only one to not launch a barrage of questions at him after the duel, most of which concerned how he got so much stronger. She seemed more concerned with his attitude, as he was clearly out of it.

"Yeah," He said, standing up from the table, "I think I'm just tired. I used a lot of Ki today, I just need some sleep."

Tamari didn't look convinced, but nodded at him and let it go. 

I wonder why Beolour didn't bring me to get my power level measured again. Should I be concerned about that?

Gray walked out of the cafeteria but was stopped in his tracks by someone leaning on the wall outside the door, clearly waiting for him.

"Gray," Celia said.

"What do you want?" He asked simply, walking past her and towards the bedrooms. 

"Don't be in such a rush, Gray. You will regret not hearing me out." 

"Why is that? I don't think I care about what you have to say." Gray responded but paused his strides to turn back and look at her.

"Let me join your team for the exam." She said.

Gray chuckled mirthlessly, "Why on Ear-, Planet Vegeta, would I want you on my team? You helped Dareth go after Asia. Even if I ignore that, you're power level is barely over 1,000."

"You are not perfect." The emotionless girl said, her eyes peering into his.

"No one is," He shot back, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"I'm perceptive. You are correct about my low power level, but I make up for my weak body in different ways. I am very good at reading people, Gray. You will not survive for long without my help." She said, and Gray debated between walking away but decided to indulge her.

"Why's that?"

"The path you tread requires you to be perfect, which you are not. You have faults. I will make up for those faults." She said simply.

"Yeah, not buying it," Gray said, turning around and walking away from her. He recalled her modifier, [Survivalist]. 

She's saying whatever she can to try and survive. She won't have Dareth's help anymore once I kill him in the exam.

"I will break it down for you, Gray, since you don't seem to understand. You like girls." She said loudly after him as if that explained everything.

Gray stopped walking as the sheer stupidity of her statement hit him, and turned back to face her, "Yeah, of course, I do. Just not the ones who conspire to kill my friend. If you think having a nice pair of tits is enough to make me forget about that, you're not as smart as you let on."

"You miss my point, Gray, but I thank you for the compliment. It is because you crave women so much that you will not survive." She said, stepping closer to him.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're very simple, Gray. You want women. You want power. You are greedy and possessive. You haven't always been this way, but the last two days you have been." She said, gesturing towards him, "You believe you can be this way because you are powerful. You look down on everybody around you, even if they are stronger than you. You look at them as if they aren't real people. You look at Tamari and Asia as if they are limited-edition collectibles. You will die quickly with this type of thinking, but I will ensure you do not if you let me."

Gray shifted uncomfortably under her gaze and glared at her, "I don't know what you're talking about. You're just making things up to try and get my protection."

"I am not, Gray. Where most Sayians train their bodies their entire lives, I have not had that privilege. My body is weak, unlike a Sayians. I had to train my mind. No one else notices, but I do." Celia continued, tilting her head at him, "Do not take this as an insult. Gray. I am not saying that your thinking is wrong. I am saying it will get you killed. I will keep you alive."

"Even if I did think that way, how would it get me killed?" Gray asked, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

"There are millions of Sayians, Gray." Celia started, and Gray's eyes widened slightly at the large number, "You didn't know that. I don't know why you didn't, as it would be common knowledge for any Sayian who grew up on Planet Vegeta. I also don't care why you don't know. You could be a spy from another planet or have simply hit your head and lost your memories, it doesn't matter to me."

Celia took another step closer to him, closing the distance between them, and looked up into his eyes, "Of the millions of Sayians alive, there are only just over 10,000 in Lord Frieza's elite force. The rest are relegated to working jobs on Planet Vegeta or are under King Vegeta's direction. Do you know why that is?"

"They aren't strong enough?" Gray asked.

Celia giggled lightly, one of the few times Gray had seen her showcase emotion, "No, though that is a very Sayian response. They aren't smart enough. You fall into this category, but you don't know it."

"Are you saying I'm stupid?" Gray inquired, staring down into the girls' eyes.

"Not in the slightest. You are smart, but your focus is misguided. You focus too much on becoming stronger, as most Sayians do, and about "collecting" women. You haven't taken the time to become knowledgeable about the things that will keep you alive. It became very clear when you let Dareth go today. You will likely not have another chance to kill him." She said.

"What are you talking about?" He asked angrily, this time being the one to take a step closer to her, "I'll see him in the exam. I'll force Beolour to make sure of it."

"This is where your lack of knowledge becomes apparent, Gray. There is more than one Class-F. There are millions of Sayians, and hundreds of thousands join as recruits every year. Joining this academy when you're old enough is the normal choice for the majority of Sayians. One of each class wouldn't be enough room for all of them. There are 50 Class-F instructors, and roughly 80,000 Class-F recruits will be taking the exam. Beolour will not be able to ensure you and Dareth are in the same exam group." She explained, not backing down as Gray towered over her.

Gray's eyes widened at the information.

Is she lying? I don't remember there being so many Sayians in the series, but nearly all of them died before canon started, and canon seems pretty much non-existent at this point, so it's possible. If she's telling the truth then I really won't have another chance to kill Dareth unless he survives the exam.

"Even if he could somehow, there is no guarantee that the exam would be set up in a way that you two could battle. The exam is different every year. It could be a battle royale where you could target Dareth, but it could also be something as simple as an evaluation of all our skills by a higher-ranking instructor. This is why you need me, Gray. You are far too uninformed about the world." She said simply.

She's not wrong, but…

"If that's something every recruit here should know, I can ask Tamari or Asia about this type of stuff." He responded, shooting down her point about him needing her.

"They will not know as much as I do. My focus on training my mind, as well as the connections I have from my upbringing, will be much more valuable than anything they can tell you. However, that is only one of the reasons you need me. There are many things you won't be able to rely on Tamari or Asia for. I told you earlier that there are only 10,000 Sayians in Lord Frieza's elite force, despite millions being alive and capable. This is because most Sayians train only their body, and you will never survive to graduate from Class-S with that way of thinking," Celia said, speaking quicker as she became more passionate, "There are many tests that will evaluate your intelligence. Everyone within Lord Frieza's elite force can learn the moon's pattern on a new planet in an instant. They can create strategies to counteract Cooler's best commanders. Play the role of a general against King Cold's forces. That's why Dareth wanted me on his team. You need much more than simply strength to survive."

Gray's mind raced at her words, Is this what you meant by smarter opponents, damn game? 

In the series, most fights consisted of a lot of screaming, punching, and techniques. There wasn't much strategy. Most of Goku's enemies just stood in front of him and challenged him.

"Let me tell you a story, Gray. One every Sayian on this planet knows, but you likely do not. Many years ago, a Sayian elite in Frieza's force was overseeing the conquering and selling of the planet Orant," Celia started, slowly stepping forward until their bodies were nearly pressed together, "He met the King of the planet after exterminating the majority of the lifeforms there, but was so enraptured with him that he put his neck on the line to convince Frieza to spare him. He believed the King, Talium, was the only perfect man. He was kind, a powerful fighter, and had married numerous beautiful women. He became somewhat of a celebrity here." 

Gray could practically feel her breath now, as her face was inches from his, "When Talium was on his deathbed, he wrote a book about his life. The book said that when Talium was young he loved reading so much that he related to characters in books more than real people. He started to see the people around him as just book characters. He married numerous women, but saw them as a collection, marrying none that looked too similar. He used his friends and subjects as tools, killing them when they lost their usefulness so that no one who knew his true self would be alive to expose him. He strived to be a perfect fairytale king. To be overly generous, to be loved by everyone. Then, as he died, he exposed his evil self to the world."

Celia slowly dragged one finger up his front, resting it on his chest and staring up into his eyes, "You remind me of him, Gray. You don't look at the people around you. You look through them. You don't love Tamari or Asia, you just want them as part of your collection. You didn't spare Dareth earlier because you couldn't finish him, you did it to look merciful to those around you. When you explain to Tamari why I'm the 5th member of your team, you won't tell her that I'm just a tool, you'll say that you're strong enough to forgive me. Allow me to be a tool for you. I'll entrust my life to you. I'll learn the pattern of the moon for you. I'll strategize your battles. You can continue to live the way you are now, desiring power and thinking with your dick. You protect me, and I'll protect your way of life. My life is yours, and when I become useless to you, you can kill me so no one else will ever know about your true evil self."

Celia took a step back and held up her hand for him to shake, an unnaturally wide smile on her face. It looked out of place on the usually emotionless girl. Gray stared down at her hand. He felt as if he was making a deal with the devil.

She's not wrong. I don't truly know Asia or Tamari, or any of the women I intend to have in my harem. I haven't been seeing these people as real people. I've been viewing them as characters from an anime, just as Talium viewed everyone around him as characters from a book.

Gray raised his hand, his fingertips brushing Celias, and then…

…slapped her hand away.

Celia stepped back, her eyes wide in shock as her smile drooped.

"You're not as good at reading people as you believe you are, Celia. There's no evil self I'm hiding."

Am I evil? No, I would never become someone like Frieza. I couldn't even kill Dareth earlier. Deep down, I'm still human. I'll kill countless innocent people under Frieza's rule, but I'll feel guilty every time, and it'll be worth it when I overthrow Frieza. Their lives will be sacrificed so I can protect countless more from him.

"But, you're not entirely wrong. I'm not a good person either."

I'm not Goku. I won't fight to protect innocent people. I'll fight to be a badass. I won't try to form a deep connection with all my friends and lovers. I'll follow my dick, and claim every beautiful woman I can.

Gray grabbed Celia's outstretched hand, which was hanging slightly to her side from his slap, and roughly pulled her towards him, their bodies pressing together, "I'll work my ass off to become stronger, and claim every woman I can! I'll accept your offer. However, you won't be a tool. You'll be my tool. I won't throw you to the side when your use runs out. You're mine now, for the rest of your life."

Celia's eyes stared up into his, wide with shock, and then she nodded slowly and shakily.

Gray grinned, and stepped back, "Good, now, why me? How can I know you won't jump ship to join someone stronger than me when things become difficult like you're doing to Dareth right now?"

"Hmmph, asking me that after you just said I'd be yours for the rest of my life? How bold." She said, traces of amusement on her face, "I have dreams too, Gray, just like everyone. I was born with a weak body that refuses to grow stronger. I'm destined to be a leech. However, if I jump from person to person so easily I'll never be able to live my life happily, and I'll become known as a traitor. Honestly, you're my best bet. You're strong and seem to know you'll grow stronger. You've grown much stronger in such a short time. You're smart, but not smart enough to not need my help. You might not be a good person, but you're not cruel. And, most importantly, I know you'll never betray or abandon me." 

"Oh? And how do you know that?" Gray asked.

The normally emotionless girl giggled and did a small twirl, turning in the opposite direction of him and walking away. She looked over her shoulder and gave him a wink, "You said it yourself, right? You'll claim every woman you can. The only reason you bothered entertaining this conversation was because you were thinking how much of a waste it'd be to let someone like me die. I look forward to being a part of your collection." 

Gray sighed as he watched the girl walk away, and turn back towards the direction of his bedroom. He blatantly ignored the reputation notification he received. She really enjoyed that conversation apparently.

Who would've thought that emotionless girl would be the one to help me figure out so much about myself?

He eventually arrived back in his room and sat on his bed. His quest to kill Dareth was still active, so he hoped that meant he'd have another chance to finish him off.

I can't bitch out again. I won't survive like that, much less become a badass who overthrows Frieza. I won't throw away my human self, but I won't hide from my Sayian self either. I came here to live my life to the fullest. To do everything I couldn't in my last life.

His eyes roamed over to the [Party] button. He'd unlocked it during his rage-fueled training session but hadn't looked into it yet. He swiftly tapped the button.

[Party] - You can add a maximum of 4 people to your party. Individuals in your party will gain 10% of any stats or XP other party members gain. (This includes you, as you will gain 10% of any stats or XP your party members gain.)

Damn, would've been nice to have last night. I could've helped Tamari and Asia get a bit stronger from my training. 

He tossed off his Sayian armor and took a quick shower, then laid back on his bed, letting his eyes drift closed. He had to be at his best for the exam tomorrow, and he hadn't slept a wink the night before. 

You better hope I don't see you, Dareth. I'll really finish you off this time.

Sleep consumed him seconds later.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gray awoke to a chorus of extremely loud thuds, as if someone was dropping bombs outside his room. He wiped his eyes and looked out the small window in his room, quickly seeing the cause of the thuds. Thousands of Sayian space pods were streaming down towards the planet, landing one after the other and creating craters in their wake.

Why the hell are so many Sayians coming back right now? Did they just finish a mission or something?

"Everybody, get your lazy ass out here! The whole entire base will be up today, Classes F through S, and I won't let someone under my watch be the one who's late!" Beolour shouted from outside his door.

Gray glanced at the clock in his room, which read 2:45.

I guess it's my fault for assuming the exam would start at the same time as training. I should've asked Celia yesterday.

Gray quickly changed into his Sayian armor and walked out his door into the tunnel.

"Hurry your ass's up! Everyone better be at the training grounds within the next half hour!" Beolour shouted. Recruits were hurrying past him, some looking nervous and others excited, a change from the crowd that normally waited around the bedroom area to follow Beolour to the training grounds. Gray's eyes scanned the tunnel hastily for his team members.

I was so tired yesterday that I didn't check to see if Asia was healed yet. Will she even be able to take the exam?

He hoped she would be, as his team would be given a random recruit who didn't have a full team if she wasn't. Gray nearly jumped in surprise as a hand slapped his back roughly.

"Yo! Gray, my brother! You look nervous. Relax man, this exam will be the most fun we have all year." Ken said from behind him and Gray nodded at him.

He's right. I didn't even hear him walk up behind me. I need to calm down. I'm not a human anymore, I'm a Sayian. A badass Sayian at that, whose power level is leagues above the rest of Class-F. 

A moment later Tamari ran up to the two of them, Asia following behind her. Gray smiled at the now-healed girl, "Glad to see you're alright, Asia."

The blonde girl blushed and nodded stiffly at him. She seemed to fall in the 'nervous' category rather than the excited one. Tamari was the opposite.

"Today we finally get to leave this shit hole, eh? I hope Class-D has some bigger bedrooms." She said jokingly, an excited grin on her face.

"That's the spirit, sister Tamari!" Ken said, holding his closed fist up.

"So, should we try to grab a 5th member before the exam starts, or stick with whoever gets randomly assigned to us?" Tamari asked, looking at Gray for input.

"No need. I am here." A voice intoned behind Gray, and he glanced over to see Celia standing there. Tamari looked at her, then back to Gray, who gave a nod.

"You can't be serious, Gray! One of Dareth's lackeys?" She hissed, stepping towards Celia.

"I assure you I will prove to be a valuable teammate," Celia said simply.

Tamari opened her mouth to argue more, but was cut off by Beolour as he speed-walked toward them, "I don't care how strong you are now, brat, if you're late I'll kill you personally!" 

The rest of the group started walking towards the training grounds, but Gray stayed behind for a moment. He grabbed Beolour's shoulder roughly, "Can you make sure I'll see Dareth during the exam?"

"No way, kid." He said, grunting from the pressure on his arm.

"Are you sure?" Gray asked, his grip increasing on Beolour's shoulder. This type of threatening behavior worked yesterday to get him matched with Dareth in a duel, so he was hoping it would work again.

"Listen, brat, even if you tear my arm off right now I couldn't make it happen. It's out of my control. I would if I could, I like having two arms." The larger Sayian grunted out.

Gray turned away in a huff, and Tamari fell back to match his pace and walked next to him, "Are you sure about her Gray? We could find someone better. A lot of higher-ranking recruits wanted to be in the team after they saw what you did to Dareth yesterday."

"I'm sure," Gray said, giving her a comforting smile, "Trust me, alright?"

Tamari still didn't look completely convinced but nodded begrudgingly at him.

They arrived at their normal training grounds soon enough but were met with a closed door. A large muscular Sayian stood in front of it. 

[Stoic] Squas:

[Sayian F-Class Instructor]

Age: 26

PL: 28,670

HP: 3,000/3,000

TKI: 2,450/2,450

Reputation: 0/100 (Neutral)

[Stoic] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will have difficulty showcasing their emotions.

An instructor from a different Class-F group.

Gray looked at him questioningly, and the man gestured for them to continue, "Continue until you reach the depart zone."

Gray didn't remember where that was and didn't have the map of the academy with him, but luckily for him Celia wordlessly took the lead, walking a few steps in front of their group. He fell into small talk with Tamari and Ken, as Asia seemed too nervous to join the conversation. A few minutes and a flight of long stairs later Celia turned, and they exited out a large garage-like door with a crowd of recruits around them. 

"Everybody line up! Stick with your groups and get in line!" A voice hollered, and Gray glanced at the short older man ordering the recruits around. There was a single file line forming, with recruits standing shoulder to shoulder, so Gray followed Celia's lead and they stepped into the line. Once he was standing comfortably in the line, Gray cast observe on the man, ignoring the level he gained in the skill as he read Tarro's description.

[Wise] Tarro:

[Sayian B-Class Instructor]

Age: 126

PL: ?

HP: ?

TKI: ?

Reputation: 0/100 (Neutral)

[Wise Teacher] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally wiser, gaining INT 50% faster, as well as individuals who learn from them gaining INT 50% faster.

A Class-B instructor? I guess Celia wasn't lying about how many Class-F recruits there are if they need help from other class instructors to handle them all.

They stood shoulder to shoulder in the line, and Gray felt like he was in the army back home for a moment. He glanced down the row of recruits and realized he couldn't see the end of the line. 

There must be tens of thousands of us here.

A few hundred feet away from them sat a collection of Sayian pods, with a couple of men moving them around into groups of 5.

There's no way those are for us, right? Are we leaving the planet for our exam? 

A thought suddenly popped into Gray's head as he saw a large man grab a space pod and carry it while flying.

"Why haven't I seen anyone flying until now?" He asked, whispering down to Celia, who was standing next to him. 

I didn't even bother trying to learn to fly since no one else was. If Videl could fly after just finding out what Ki is, then there must be a reason someone like Dareth wasn't using it in our fight. I was worried nightmare mode might've fucked the world up to the point that no one could fly.

"Planet Vegeta's gravity is very strong. It is not feasible for weaker Sayians to utilize flight. It would be faster to walk for us in Class-F, but for someone like him," She gestured to the large Sayian flying with the space pod in his hands, "It is possible to be used in battle."

Makes sense. The gravity also must be why the running was so difficult on the first day. Goku swam across half the world as a kid, and yet I was struggling to run a mile in under a minute despite having a power level multiple times higher.

After roughly 20 minutes, Tarro pulled a small white ball out of his pocket. He tossed it up in the air, and the ball suddenly grew legs and wings, the front of it turning into a bright green screen. The small flying ball-shaped robot flew down the line nearly faster than Gray's eyes could see, then circled back and landed in Tarro's hand. Tarro glanced at the screen on the ball for a moment, before looking up and shouting loud enough for the entire line of recruits to hear him,

"GRAY, RANK 220, AND ANYONE ON HIS TEAM MAKE YOUR WAY TO ME." Gray's eardrums felt like they were going to burst from the sheer volume of his voice. Gray stepped out of line and started approaching the man, having to walk down the row of recruits, as Gray was positioned close to the middle while Tarro was at the front. The rest of his group followed behind him. Tarro continued shouting out names as Gray approached.

Gray reached him a moment later, and Tarro held out a small badge to him, "You are on Team 1 within Class-F. Find the pod with your name on it. You'll receive the rest of the information you need once you're inside." 

He gestured to a pile of pods a few hundred feet behind him.

We really are leaving the planet. But why was I the first one called?

Gray's team approached the set of space pods, and Gray found the one with his name on it. Gray glanced at his team, who were all standing in front of their space pods, but looking at him for direction.

"I'll see you guys when we get wherever we're going." He said simply, nodding at them. They all returned his nod, and he waited until everyone but Celia had climbed into their pods. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Anything I should know before I get in?" He asked, as she was the only one who knew he was pretty much clueless about what was going on.

"The ships will be connected. You can ask me any questions from inside. Besides that, it'll likely be a long journey. Get some sleep. " She said simply, climbing into her pod. Gray nodded and did the same, climbing into his round space pod and watching as the door closed him within it.

"Gray, Rank #1 within Class-F, you will now be briefed on your mission." A robotic voice rang out from within his pod.

Rank 1? I'm ranked 220. I'll ask Celia about that later.

"5 Sayian groups will be sent to planet Vargon. Your group is one of them. You are to exterminate all lifeforms with a power level greater than 1 on the planet. This includes native and non-native lifeforms. Only 5 lifeforms may return from the planet. Death, failure to exterminate all lifeforms, or more than 5 Sayians leaving the planet will result in a failure." The robotic voice said.

Are you kidding me? I couldn't even bring myself to kill Dareth, and now you want me to massacre a planet's population, along with the other 4 Sayian groups?

[Quest Alert]

Pass the exam.

Rewards:

+500 Attribute points (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+10,000 Coins

+10,000 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+1 [Perk Token]

+1 [Skill Token]

Bonus Rewards:

You will receive bonus rewards based on how many [Sayians] you kill.

You will receive bonus rewards based on how many [Vargonians] you kill.

Failure:

Death.

"I assume you're glad I'm here now, Gray." Celia's monotone voice came from a speaker in the pod. 

Fucking nightmare mode. I wonder if I dump all my points into LUK I'll stop being fucked over?

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE - Hey webnovel ppl, this story will be updated daily until it's caught up! After that, it'll be updated twice a week for all of September, then once a week after that. You can read one chapter ahead at Patreon .com/Koyon (Soon to be up to 10 chapters ahead.)

Thanks for reading! Hopefully this chapter gave a bit more insight into Gray's character, as well as Celia's.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gray Tanaki:

[Sayian F-Class Recruit 1]

Age: 15

Wallet: 4,000 Coins

Lvl: 4 (800/5000 XP)

PL: 253,325

Available Points: 205

HP: 5,725/5,725

TKI: 33,925/33,925

STR: 125

AGI: 45

END: 45

INT: 205

CHA: 45

LUK: 5

KI: 185

HREG: 16

EREG: 16

Skills: [Observe LVL 4], [Running LVL 6], [Determination LVL 4], [Ki Control LVL 9], [Ki Gun LVL 1]. [Ki Enhancement LVL 1], [KI Suppression LVL 5], [Ki Sense LVL 2], [Pushup LVL 4], [Punch LVL 4], [Kick LVL 4]

Perks: [Gamer's Mind], [Gamer's Body], [Double-edged Sword], [Legendary Super Sayian], [Perfect Ozaru], [A Cute Pawn], [A Humble Master], [Ladies Man]

Party: Empty

Gray Tanaki is a Sayian in training on Planet Vegeta. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPECIFIC CHANGES IN THIS CHAPTER BREAKDOWN:

+130 Ki from unlocking [Ki Sense], [Ki Suppression], [Ki Gun], [Ki Enhancement], and from LVLing up Ki-related skills.

Increased [Ki Control] by 4 LVL's (5 to 9) while meditating.

Unlocked [Ki Sense] while meditating.

Increased [Ki Sense] by 2 LVL's (0 to 2) while meditating.

Unlocked [Ki Suppression] while meditating.

Increased [Ki Suppression] by 5 LVL's (0 to 5) while meditating.

Unlocked [Ki Gun] during daily training.

Unlocked [Ki Enhancement] during daily training.

Increased [Running] by 2 LVL's (4 to 6) during daily training.

Increased [Observation] by 1 LVL (3 to 4) from observing Tarro.

+80 Reputation with Tamari for standing up to Beolour for her (260/1000.)

+50 Reputation with Ken for letting him join his team (75/100)

+100 Reputation with Tamari for beating Dareth easily (360/1000.)

+40 Reputation with Ken for beating Dareth easily (105/1000)

+3 HREG for finishing a battle.

+3 EREG for finishing a battle.

+Various amounts of reputation with various Class-F Recruits for beating Dareth

+300 Reputation with Celia for letting her join his team (328/1000)

+100 Reputation with Celia for being charming during their conversation (428/1000)

+20 CHA for charming Celia.

+1,800 XP from unlocking and leveling up skills 

+50 Attribute points from leveling up after unlocking [Ki Enhancement]

Please leave feedback on whether you prefer this format, with the specific changes being at the bottom and only lightly mentioned during the chapter, or the other format from Chapter 1, where the specific changes were shown during the chapter. 

(Hey again webnovel ppl - this only lasted one chapter, as most people preferred the other format.)

If you made it this far, a little sneak peek into the next chapter: The exam won't be as easy as you think, and not for the reasons you're thinking either :)