Nightmare Mode (DBZ Gamer!SI)

Game

Thoughts

"Talking"

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

"Arrival at planet Vargon will commence in approximately 10 minutes." A robotic voice filled his space pod, and Gray looked through the reddish-purple window at the rapidly approaching planet.

Well, I should do it before I arrive there, just in case.

Gray rapidly deposited 50 points into his LUK stat before glancing at the small screen on the side of his pod. He pressed the picture of the second space pod out of a line of five and spoke,

"Hey, Celia, you know anything about Vargon?" Gray asked.

He probably should've asked her about the planet during the past 8 hours they had been flying there, but he'd fallen asleep soon after the awe of flying through space wore off.

"Of course. It's a D-Class planet, with the average power level being just over 5,000. The population and type of lifeforms living there are unknown. The planet is unenticing and of low priority to sell." The girl's voice emotionlessly responded to him.

"Is that also something every Saiyan recruit would know?" Gray sighed.

"Of course."

Do Saiyans learn about every planet close enough to travel to, or is this one important?

He tapped the third space pod on the screen, "Hey, Ken, you already know about the planet we're heading to, right?"

"No way man, never heard of it. Do you? You must be super smart if you do, brother Gray!" Ken's masculine voice excitedly resounded through his space pod.

"Ahem, yes, of course, I do," Gray coughed into his hand and relayed Celia's words.

He doesn't know, so Celia was lying about that. Why would she lie about something like that? Maybe she just doesn't want to seem like a know-it-all. Or maybe Ken is dumber than the average recruit.

Gray recalled Ken and his "brothers" loudly shouting and crying manly tears at the training grounds the day before.

Yeah, probably that.

Gray glanced at his stats one last time, debating on whether he should use any more of his available points.

Gray Tanaki:

[Saiyan F-Class Recruit 1]

Age: 15

Wallet: 4,000 Coins

Lvl: 4 (800/5000 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: 45

LUK: 55

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: Tamari, Asia, Ken, Celia

Gray Tanaki is a Sayian in training on Planet Vegeta. 

Nah, I'll save them in case I need them in a pinch. I'd be in trouble if I distributed them evenly now and ran into a defense-oriented opponent who I couldn't beat because my STR was too low, or a speed-oriented one I couldn't hit.

He'd added the Saiyans on his team to his party earlier during their flight. He was concerned something might happen to them that'd give his system away, but no one said anything, so he assumed only he could see it. 

Gray tensed his arms as they hurtled towards the blue planet, fire starting to appear around the window of his pod as they plummeted toward the ground. The floor grew closer and closer in his vision until he jumped slightly as his pod was rustled by the landing. He reached up and pressed the button right above the door to his space pod, resulting in the door opening. He stepped out and looked around, taking note of all the… nothingness on the planet.

The ground was blue, and seemed to be hard and rocky, as if they were still in the canyon back on planet Vegeta, but without all the rocks and walls. It was just the flat floor for as far as Gray's eyes could see. Gray glanced over as a flurry of space pods landed around him, his teammates soon stepping out. 

Gray took a step towards the nearest one, containing Tamari, and looked down in surprise as he stepped farther than he expected.

I feel lighter… far lighter. The gravity here is much weaker than on planet Vegeta.

"Why's there nothing here? We landed in a bad place for a genocide-type mission." Tamari groaned as she stepped out of her pod, stretching and looking around at the bare planet. The others started approaching Gray and Tamari.

"I'm not good at the whole strategizing thing, so just tell me what to do brother Gray, and I'll get it done!" Ken exclaimed, raising his fist and grinning widely at Gray.

Gray nodded and turned to Celia, "Start looking into how the moon works on here, if there even is one. Knowing when we can transform would be a huge help Tamari, you and I will go scout. Ken, stay with Celia and Asia here until we're back. Make sure they stay safe and don't hesitate to kill any Saiyans or Vargonians if you see them. Don't give them a chance to talk. Asia… start thinking of a plan."

Not that I'll use your plan, but I can't just tell you to sit here and look pretty, can I?

"Sure thing, Gray man!" Ken said, his eyes narrowed seriously.

"Um, it could be useful to talk to any inhabitants we run into, in case they have information we can use!" Asia spoke up, before blushing and looking away as all eyes turned to her.

"No, we can't be sure what abilities they have. We're here to kill them. Do so as quickly as possible if you see any." Gray shot down her idea, feeling a slight pang of guilt as she looked down at her hands and fidgeted.

We have no idea what type of abilities the Vargonians have. If Bardock was on a planet full of aliens who could see the future, who knows what these guys can do? I won't get fucked over because I'm feeling guilty over killing them. They won't get the chance to speak.

"Is it a good idea to split up like this?" Tamari asked, glancing at Gray.

"Yes, just be careful. If you see any lifeforms, kill them. If you find someone with a power level over 10,000, retreat here. Don't take any fights you're not confident in winning alone. You head that way, Tamari, I'll go in the opposite direction. We'll meet back here in roughly an hour." He said, gesturing to his left, then turning to the right at Tamari's nod and sprinting off.

His feet moved even faster than usual, covering hundreds of feet in every stride.

If the gravity is lower here, then this should work.

Gray continued at full speed, then shot upwards off of one foot, leaping high in the sky.

[Jumping] skill unlocked!

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

[Jumping] LVL 1 - Your ability to launch yourself upwards.

+10 AGI for unlocking an AGI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

Not the skill I was looking for, but I won't complain about getting that.

Gray fell back to the ground and started running again, leaping back into the sky a moment later, this time trying to channel his Ki throughout his body. He envisioned it surrounding him, holding him up and keeping him afloat.

[Flight] skill unlocked!

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

[Flight] LVL 1 - Your ability to fly.

+10 AGI for unlocking an AGI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

Gray grinned as he felt himself stay in the air, soaring forward at rapid speeds. The wind bellowed in his ears and broke across his face.

Man, this'll never get old. This must be how the Wright brothers felt.

His eyes scanned the planet below him but didn't see anything out of the usual. The planet was completely barren. No people, animals, plants, buildings, or anything at all besides a few rocks.

How could anyone live here? Or are we just in an uninhabited part of the planet?

He flew for another few minutes before deciding to turn around and head back, hoping Tamari had better success. As he was turning to fly back, he turned around abruptly as he sensed a mass of Ki barreling towards him. He looked up and saw 3 Saiyan space pods hurtling toward the planet a few thousand feet ahead of him.

3? Did pouring all my points in LUK actually do something and one of the teams we have to fight is only a team of 3?

He landed on the ground and started slowly walking towards where the pods were landing.

I know I told the others to be careful, but I shouldn't have any problems even if it's three-on-one. I'm leagues above the rest of F-Class.

Gray stopped a couple hundred feet away from the pods, crossing his arms and waiting for the Saiyans to exit the pods. The pod furthest from him opened, and a tall Saiyan stepped out. He was completely bald, muscular, and had a green scouter on his face. He wore the standard Saiyan armor, which had a #52 badge on the front. He looked like a knock-off of Nappa. Gray cast observe as the man turned towards him, and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head at the sight.

Fuck you, game. Genuinely, fuck you.

[Simpleton] Arlic:

[Saiyan C-Class Recruit #52]

Age: 19

PL: 768,990

HP: 14,600/14,600

TKI: 52,450/52,450

Reputation: 0/100 (Neutral)

[Simpleton] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will lack common sense.

Why is there a C-Class recruit here?

Said recruit suddenly appeared in his face, a fist pulled back. Gray barely managed to dodge, kicking the floor and launching himself backward, having to push aside a fist as he did, the large man chasing him.

"If everyone comes to me as you did, I'll be home before they serve dinner," Arlic said, grinning at him as he followed up his attack, launching a flurry of Ki beams from point-blank distance. Gray slapped the first one away but grunted as his hand stung from the contact.

-15HP! (5,710/5,725)

He shot up into the sky to dodge the rest, but Arlic raised his hands and followed his trajectory with a flurry of blasts. Gray saw one of the other pods open behind Arlic, and he flew the way he came as fast as he could, a trail of Ki blasts following him. He managed to dodge most of them, but his leg burned as the edge of one grazed him. Arlic shot off the ground and started following him, slowly catching up. Gray quickly tossed 20 more points into AGI.

Gray sighed in relief as he realized he was faster than the huge man now, who was slowly falling further behind.

His muscles look like they have muscles. There's no way he can be THAT fast with that body type.

Gray noticed that the energy belonging to the other two Saiyans with Arlic wasn't following him, and eventually Arlic gave up the chase with a shout, "I'll hunt you later, you little rat!"

Gray relaxed once he was sure Arlic wasn't following, slowing down his flight speed as beads of sweat dripped down the side of his face.

Why the hell are there C-Class recruits here?! I thought the other teams would be F-Class!

Gray continued towards Ken's power level, his [Flight] skill gaining a level before he arrived at the location where their pods landed a few minutes later. Celia was a few hundred feet from them, staring up into the sky. Asia was making a makeshift chair out of a few rocks, and Ken was standing near her, his arms crossed as he stared straight ahead with a serious look on his face.

"We got a problem," Gray said as he landed, saying it loud enough for them to all hear him. He continued as Celia started walking back to the group, "I didn't find any Vargonians, but I found three Saiyan pods arriving. There were C-Class re-" 

He was cut off by a shout, "Incoming!"

Gray turned to the direction of the voice and saw Tamari shooting towards them from the sky, a male and female Saiyan following close behind her, and Gray sensed two more power levels following them from further back. The male was short with black spikey hair, while the female was taller and muscular, looking like an Olympic bodybuilder, with short blonde hair tied into a ponytail. 

Gray shot up into the air, intercepting the male Saiyan as he saw Ken do the same to the female Saiyan from his peripheral. Gray dodged a flying punch from the man and was mentally relieved when his Ki-enhanced counterpunch landed, slamming into the man's face.

1,450HP! (2,420/3,870)

He's not nearly as strong as Arlic was, so not another C-Class.

His leg flew up as the man was momentarily dazed from the punch, and Gray's roundhouse kick connected with his chest, sending him flying to the floor. He didn't have a chance to see how much damage the attack did, as he was forced to bend backward to dodge a Ki beam heading towards him, courtesy of the female Saiyan. He glanced towards the ground and saw Ken standing up from a crater, launching himself back up towards them, but being stopped by a flurry of Ki blasts as one of the power levels he'd sensed earlier arrived. 

Gray didn't have time to look at Ken's situation for long, as the female Saiyan launched herself at him. He raised his hand, forming a gun with his hand, and shot a small beam of Ki at the approaching girl. She tried to dodge but was too slow, resulting in her shoulder having a hole pierced into it. She quickly backed up and put a hand over the bleeding wound.

1,670HP! (2,560/4,230)

Gray quickly raised his hand to block a beam of Ki heading toward him, but Tamari intercepted it with a beam of her own. The other power he'd sensed earlier had arrived, and his beam was slowly overpowering Tamari's. Gray didn't have time to assist her, as he had to drop to the floor, his fist slamming downwards and barely missing the male Saiyan he'd kicked down earlier, who was attempting to rush at Asia and Celia.

The Saiyan shot backward, flying into the sky and retreating to the female Saiyan. Gray turned to his side and raised his arm, catching Ken's body as it hurtled towards him, steadying him on his feet. A moment later, Tamari appeared next to him, having to retreat and dodge the Ki beam overpowering her own. The two newly arrived Saiyans regrouped with the injured ones in the sky as Gray's team did the same on the floor. 

+50 Reputation with Ken (For helping him) [2x from [A Humble Master]]

He took the lull in the battle to use observe on them. He glanced at one of the two new arrivals, who had been clashing beams with Tamari. He was tall and fat, his face round and pudgy, with his belly jutting out, as well as being bald.

[Weak] Rugool:

[Saiyan D-Class Recruit #45]

Age: 17

PL: 210,540

HP: 25,000/25,000

TKI: 21,120/26,260

Reputation: -10/100 (Negatively Viewed)

[Weak] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will gain STR 50% slower.

A ton of HP. He's a tank. Slow and weak, but he has a lot of Ki and can take a lot of hits. And he's also in Class-D, dumbass game. Why is he even here?

Gray looked to the other new arrival, who looked very thin. He had messy black hair and a sharp angular face, his eyes sunken into his face and hallow. He was abnormally skinny for a Saiyan, looking more like a long-distance runner than a warrior.

[Quick] Capper:

[Sayian D-Class Recruit #56]

Age: 18

PL: 201,899

HP: 550/550

TKI: 2,925/2,925

Reputation: 0/100 (Neutral)

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

A speed-oriented build. He'll go down in one hit, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get that hit in.

He turned his gaze to the female Saiyan.

[Strong] Pasley:

[Sayian D-Class Recruit #51]

Age: 17

PL: 206,975

HP: 2,360/4,230 [Bleeding (-200HP/m)]

TKI: 7,760/10,045

Reputation: -110/-1000 (Disliked)

[Strong] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally inclined to pursue STR-based skills. 

Well rounded, but strength-oriented.

Finally, he glanced at the male Saiyan he'd sent flying at the start of the fight.

[Angry] Erkin:

[Sayian D-Class Recruit #68]

Age: 17

PL: 196,755

HP: 1,520/3,870

TKI: 4,560/12,045

Reputation: -250/-1000 (Disliked)

[Angry] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally angry. They will gain a 10% boost to every stat when enraged, but will lose control over their thoughts.

They're all close to my power level- no, probably fairly weaker after the AGI I gained earlier, but I'm not sure I could take them all on my own.

Gray glanced at the rest of his team. Tamari looked a bit winded but overall fine, while Ken was covered in bruises but still grinning largely with excitement. Asia looked concerned and unsure what to do, while Celia was looking at him for instruction.

This is where having two weak teammates is coming back to bite me in the ass. At least there are only 4 of them.

"We need to fight smart if we want to win this without any casualties," Gray started, "Ken, you couldn't hit the small one, right?"

"Yeah, he kept dodging all my attacks, but his punches don't hurt much," Ken said, breathing slightly heavily.

"Don't hurt much" my ass. You're covered in bruises and he launched you into the floor. They won't hurt much to me, but his power level is 4x yours.

"Take the big one. He's slow, dodge most of his attacks and you'll be fine." Gray said to him, and Ken nodded at his words, looking up at Rugool, who was also conversing with his teammates.

His power level is far higher than Ken's, but he's slow and weak. Ken matches up against him well, since he's decently fast but very strong. Ken will be able to dodge and survive his weak attacks, but Rugool won't be able to dodge his attacks. He'll wear him down.

Gray glanced over to Tamari, and pointed up at Erkin, "You take him, Tamari. He's already half-dead, so his movements should be slow. Use your speed to your advantage. If you're losing, say something to piss him off. I get the feeling he'll get mad easily. I'll take the other two."

Not being able to think in a battle is practically suicide. His modifier does more harm than good. [Observe] is more helpful than I thought, since it lets me strategize easily with information I wouldn't know otherwise..

"Are you sure, Gray?" Tamari asked, looking up at him in concern, "You've been getting a lot stronger lately, but both of them?"

"I'll be fine," He dismissed Tamari's concern, smiling reassuringly at her, then turned to Asia and Celia, "You two. You see the skinny one up there? Look for a moment when he's distracted, and try hitting him with a Ki blast."

I doubt I'll be able to hit him, especially not when I'm fighting the girl as well. Asia and Celia are weak, but considering how low his HP is, one shot might be all it takes to injure him heavily enough.

The two girls nodded at him, and his attention was dragged back to the group of Saiyans as Pasley shouted down to them, "Y'know, I'd say your death would be quick and painless, but I'm pissed off over this hole in my shoulder, so it won't be."

Gray grinned, "Thanks for the thought, I appreciate it," he launched himself into the sky, speeding towards Pasley, "In return, I'll make sure yours is."

Erkin tried to intercept him as Pasley readied herself for the fight, but was intercepted by a Ki blast from Tamari, "You're fighting with me, jack-ass! You're an even bigger idiot than you look if you think you're strong enough to fight Gray!"

Erkin's face scrunched in anger at her words, and he shot himself towards Tamari, leaving Pasley to Gray. Capper tried to bolt down towards Asia and Celia as Ken shot towards Rugool but was interrupted as Gray fired a Ki blast at him mid-flight, resulting in him turning his attention back to Gray. 

Gray thrust a Ki-enhanced fist towards Pasley, which she barely dodged, then followed up with a kick that she was forced to block. She crossed her arms but was still flung back from the force of his kick.

200HP! (2,160/4,230)

Gray rushed towards her to follow up his attack but was interrupted by a fist slamming into his ribs. 

He flung his arm out to grab Capper, but he dashed back out of his reach.

-8HP! (5,717/5,725)

I barely even felt that.

He swiped away a flurry of Ki blasts from Pasley, rushing towards her as she flew back and continued to launch blasts at him. He felt another fist slam into his face but ignored it as Capper dashed away again. He was significantly faster than Pasley, and he reached her a moment later. He slapped aside another string of Ki blasts and grabbed her outstretched arm, which had been firing blasts at him, and ignored a flurry of punches landing on his back as Capper tried to help her. 

He yanked Pasley towards him, tilting his head to dodge her other hand's punch, then slamming his elbow down on the arm in his grip. Pasley screamed out in pain as her arm broke in half, and Capper's punches increased in speed, but he continued to ignore them, grunting lightly as the man's weak punches started to add up.

1,800HP! (360/4,230)

Pasley's eyes rolled over as she struggled to maintain consciousness, the combined pain of a hole in her shoulder and a broken arm wracking her body. She succumbed to the pain, her body slumping as she was held up by her broken arm by Gray. He spun around and threw a kick at Capper, but he dashed back and dodged it. He turned back to Pasley but heard a scream behind him a second later. He glanced over his shoulder to see Capper holding the bleeding stump where his arm used to be, a green Ki blade spinning past him. Gray glanced down and saw Asia's arm outstretched, another spinning blade sitting in her hand.

Damn, that looked like Krillin's Destructo Disk or one of the disks Freiza threw. Badass.

Gray took advantage of Capper's distracted state as he gripped his arm in pain. He rushed towards him, dragging Pasley's limp body with him, and shot his fist out. Gray's fist easily tore through Capper's chest, like a knife through butter, and the Saiyan boy let out a final guttural scream before his body slumped, hanging on Gray's fist.

Blame Dareth, not me. If I didn't regret sparing him so much yesterday, I probably would've felt guilty about this.

+1,000 XP! (1,800/5,000)

+1000 Coins

+1 [Saiyan] Kill Count! (1/10)

+10 HREG (For winning a battle)

+10 EREG (For winning a battle)

+10 END for taking [Capper]'s punches like a man

1/10? 5 teams of 5 would be 25, 20 excluding us, so there are fewer Saiyans than if there were 5 F-Class teams of 5, but they're stronger.

Gray raised his hand, a finger gun forming, and pressed it into Pasley's forehead.

+1,000 XP! (2,800/5,000)

+1000 Coins

+1 [Saiyan] Kill Count! (2/10)

+10 HREG (For winning a battle)

+10 EREG (For winning a battle)

I feel… satisfied. Is this my Saiyan body affecting me? Telling me that killing feels good?

Gray felt the empty feeling that had been in his stomach since his battle with Dareth vanish, replaced by adrenaline flowing through him. A grin unconsciously formed on his face. He looked to see how Ken and Tamari were doing.

Ken was wailing at Rugool, who was now covered in bruises, swinging his fists widely towards Ken but missing. Erkin didn't look much different, as his bleeding and bruised body was swinging widely at Tamari, his face scrunched in rage, but missing as his body started to feel the effects of his injuries. 

Gray shot towards Erkin, covering his fist in Ki as his fist slammed into the unsuspecting Saiyan's head, sending him plummeting toward the ground. Gray didn't need to follow up his attack.

920HP! (0/3,870)

+1,000 XP! (3,800/5,000)

+1000 Coins

+1 [Saiyan] Kill Count! (3/10)

+10 HREG (For winning a battle)

+10 EREG (For winning a battle)

[Ki Enhancement] level up! (100/100)

+10 KI for leveling up an KI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

Gray turned to help Ken but quickly realized he didn't need to. Rugool was huffing as his punches slowed down, his eyes glazing over as the culmination of Ken's punches wore him down. Ken shot up into the sky, shooting a beam of Ki down at Rugool. Rugool crossed his arms and tried to block it, but was forced downwards until his body formed a crater in the ground.

+100 XP! [Party XP Share]

Gray sighed in relief as their final opponent was finished. Capper had managed to do just over 1000HP of damage to him with his weak but quick punches adding up, and he was feeling a bit sore from the encounter. He glanced over at Tamari, who looked exhausted, then at Ken, who was covered in bruises but looked like he had more fight in him. 

+100 Reputation with Ken (For leading your team to a victory) [2x from [A Humble Master]]

+200 Reputation with Asia (For leading your team to a victory) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Humble Master]]

+200 Reputation with Tamari (For leading your team to a victory) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Humble Master]]

+80 Reputation with Celia (For leading your team to a victory) [4x from [Ladies Man], [A Humble Master]]

+50 INT for using strategy to defeat strong opponents! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

Gray pushed his reputation gains to the side as he thought about their next course of action.

We need to rest before we do any more exploring. We're all healthy enough to keep fighting, but we need to be at our best in case we run into Arlic's group. It might be time for me to use up the points I've been saving.

Gray floated down to the floor where Asia and Celia were standing, Ken and Tamari following him down. Tamari spoke up, pulling her scouter off her face, "I can't believe we pulled that off. Those guys' power levels were through the roof! What the hell were they doing here?"

"No idea, but they didn't seem too tough. The big one was practically shrugging off my punches at first, but toward the end of the fight, he was struggling badly. He was a good opponent. I feel stronger after our battle!" Ken shouted excitedly, clenching and unclenching his fist.

"Yeah, I do too. Actually, I've been feeling stronger since we got here. Maybe it's the gravity?" Tamari responded.

I'm surprised Ken managed to beat that guy on his own. The XP he gained from being in my party probably had something to do with his punches getting stronger later on in the fight, but they also probably got stronger from the AGI I gained earlier.

He glanced at Ken and cast observe, curious as to how much stronger he'd gotten.

[Macho] Ken:

[Sayian F-Class Recruit #2]

Age: 16

PL: 132,200

HP: 2,190/4,500

TKI: 2,650/2,650

Reputation: (215/1000 Liked)

[Macho] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally manly.

He was around 40,000 when I checked last, so he gained over 90,000 power levels from being in my party. This game might keep fucking me over, but damn am I glad I have it.

He glanced at the rest of his team to see if they'd also experienced a power boost.

[Rough] Tamari:

[Sayian F-Class Recruit #119]

Age: 15

PL: 42,200

HP: 565/1,075

TKI: 3,460/5,350

Reputation: 550/1000 (Liked)

[Rough] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally talented in "rough" situations, such as training, sports, etc.

Also a little over 20,000. Not nearly as much as Ken. It must be because he defeated his opponent on his own, so he got all the XP from it, instead of the 10% Tamari got from the ones I defeated. It makes sense, he defeated someone with a power level nearly 200,000 higher than his own. He probably got a huge boost from that.

[Angel] Asia:

[Sayian F-Class Recruit #1450]

Age: 15

PL: 18,950

HP: 725/725

TKI: 3,050/5,725

Reputation: 520/1000 (Liked)

[Angel] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will be naturally kind.

Not as much as the other two, but she's not useless in a fight anymore. 

[Survivalist] Celia:

[Sayian F-Class Recruit #1550]

Age: 16

PL: 1,020

HP: 75/75

TKI: 250/250

Reputation: 508/100 (Liked)

[Survivalist] Modifier - Individuals with this modifier will do whatever it takes to survive.

Gray blinked in surprise.

The other three had their power level grow a lot, but her's didn't change at all. Maybe it's because of how the game distributes the stats. If they all "leveled up" from the XP they got from my fights, then maybe the game distributed their available points into whichever stat suits them best. Celia's would've all gone into INT so her power level wouldn't have risen… No, then her TKI would be higher. I don't understand, but I don't have time to think about it now.

"Let's figure out our situation and make a plan. Those were four Class-D Saiyans, and I saw three Class-C Saiyans earlier. This exam isn't going to be against our fellow Class-F Saiyans." Gray said.

"You saw Class-C's here?! Are you sure? Why the hell would they be on Vargon!" Tamari said, looking at Gray with wide eyes. He nodded in confirmation to her.

"This exam won't be as easy as we thought. Finding and killing the inhabitants of this planet might end up being the easy part. Also, as concerning as the arrival of the Class-C Saiyans is, that might be the least of our worries." Gray followed up.

"What do you mean? If those guys were Class-D, then the Class-C recruits would be even tougher to take down." Asia said, staring up at him in confusion.

"You're right, but I'm pretty sure there are Class-B and Class-A Saiyans here as well," Gray said solemnly, all of their eyes widening in disbelief, save for Celia who nodded.

"You've realized it as well. There are 5 Class-F Saiyans here, which are us. There were 4 Class-D Saiyans, which were the ones we just defeated. Gray ran into 3 Class-C Saiyans. Pattern recognition would expect there to be 2 Class-B Saiyans, and 1 Class-A, though it's just speculation. We have no way to be sure until we run into them." Celia explained.

No, I do have a way to be almost completely sure. My quest earlier showed that I had defeated 1/10 Saiyans, meaning there are 10 Saiyans here besides us. 4 from Class-D, plus 3 from Class-C, plus 2 from Class-B, added with 1 from Class-A equals 10. 

"Gray, did you see the badge number on the Class-C Saiyans you saw earlier?" Celia asked him.

"Yeah, I saw one of them. His badge was 50-something. Why?" Gray responded, looking at her curiously.

"That information is more valuable than you think. Rank 50 is roughly the middle of C-Class. The D-Class Saiyans we fought were also ranked in the 50s, which is in the top quarter. There's a pattern here." Celia said simply, locking eyes with him.

"Go on," Gray said, nodding at her.

"The small robot who scanned us before we left planet Vegeta likely tested our power levels. Our team was deemed the strongest out of Class-F, which is why we were Team 1. We were at the top of our class. The Class-D Saiyans we fought were in the top quarter, while the C-Class Saiyans were around the middle of their class. The B-Class Saiyans will likely be in the bottom half of their class, while the A-Class will be in the bottom quarter. If this is true, then they are not unbeatable. However, this is all speculation." Celia said in a matter-of-fact tone.

What she's saying makes sense. The space pod called me "rank 1" when it was telling me our mission, so the robot was likely testing our power levels and updating my rank. If her logic is correct, then the B and A-Class Saiyans might be beatable if we gang up on them, but I don't want to rely on that.

"We should assume we're right and act accordingly. Rest up here for a while so we're all at our best when we run into them. I wasn't hurt much in the battle, so I'll scout the area around us a bit more. The other Saiyans should've landed by now, and it'd be bad if they were near us and we didn't know." Gray said.

That's not the real reason, as I'd sense their energy if they were nearby. I just want to level up my [Flight] and [Jump] skills a bit to get some more AGI before we run into anyone. 

"Be careful. Come straight back if you see anyone." Asia said, staring up at him with concern. Tamari nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, man. Even if they are a few classes higher than us, we can take them on together." Ken said, looking at Gray seriously.

Gray nodded assuringly at them, "Don't worry, I'll head back if I run into anyone. I'm confident that I'm fast enough to escape even a Class-A recruit."

No, I'm definitely not, but I'll probably be fine if I dump a bunch of points into AGI and book it.

Gray took off into the sky, giving him a moment to think over the situation as he lazily scanned the barren planet as he flew.

If I use all my available points I'll probably stand a good chance against all the C-Class Saiyans, but I'm not sure I'd be able to hold my own against the A and B-Class recruits. 

[Flight] level up! (1000/1000)

+10 AGI for leveling up an AGI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

I need to find the Vargonians before the other Saiyans get to them. If their average power level is 5,000, then as harsh as it sounds, they're pretty much a free source of XP. I could use them to level up and get more points, as well as level up some of my skills. They have to die anyway, I might as well be the one benefiting from it.

Gray landed on the floor, leaping forward and covering thousands of feet with every jump.

[Jump] level up! (100/100)

+10 AGI for leveling up an AGI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

It'll also help my team get a lot stronger too. Ken is the only one who can realistically help in a fight right now. The rest will be sidelined to support.

[Jump] level up! (1000/1000)

+10 AGI for leveling up an AGI-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

I also need to figure out how to raise my END more. So far the only way I've been able to level it up is through my [Determination] skill and tanking Capper's punches.

Gray decided that was enough leveling up for now, as the jump from needing 1,000 skill XP to 10,000 meant that it'd take him hours to level up his skills anymore. He flew back towards his team and was accosted by Celia as soon as he landed.

"Gray, speak with me for a moment." She said, staring at him as emotionless as ever.

Gray nodded and they walked a couple hundred feet away from the others, "What's up?"

"I know where the lifeforms living on this planet are." She said simply.

"You do? Well, where are they?" He asked excitedly.

Her finger pointed down to the floor, "There."

Gray blinked, looking at the floor, then back to Celia, "They're in the floor? What the fuck do you mean, are they ants or something?"

Celia sighed, "Stretch your senses down as far as you can. The others can't sense Ki like we can, so they wouldn't have noticed."

Gray nodded, closing his eyes and focusing on the floor below them. He felt nothing, so he reached deeper and felt more nothingness. He reached deeper, focusing all his Ki into stretching downwards as far as it could go. His head jerked back as his mind was flooded with thousands of power levels.

"What the fuck? They've been below us this whole time?" Gray sighed, staring at the mass of power levels below him.

"Indeed."

What kind of alien lives in the ground? Are they an army of ants? Moles? Or… wait…

"We're going to have to fight a civilization of dwarves with super-powerful weaponry, aren't we?"

"Probably," Celia's monotone voice replied, turning and walking back toward to rest of the team, "but who knows?"

Well, dumping 50 points into LUK didn't do shit apparently. A, B, and C-Class Saiyans, AND dwarves that'll definitely have bullshit weapons. At least I'll have the chance to get a badass sword. 

Gray blinked as the situation that just occurred processed in his mind, and he turned his gaze to Celia's back as she walked away.

…I never told her I could sense Ki.

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UPDATE SCHEDULE: Hey web novel ppl - Still uploading one chapter a day until we're caught up, then twice a week for September, then once a week after. One chapter ahead is currently available at Patreon.com/Koyon (As in, up to chapter 10. Up to chapter 9 is currently up on other sites already), but that'll change to 5 in the next month or two.

Thanks for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. A little bit shorter than usual, but I wanted to end with the reveal of the (maybe) dwarves!

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Gray Tanaki:

[Saiyan F-Class Recruit 1]

Age: 15

Wallet: 7,000 Coins

Lvl: 4 (4,500/5000 XP)

PL: 859,575

Available Points: 135

HP: 6,975/6,975

TKI: 49,825/49,825

STR: 125

AGI: 125

END: 55

INT: 255

CHA: 45

LUK: 55

KI: 195

HREG: 46

EREG: 46

Skills: [Observe LVL 4], [Running LVL 6], [Determination LVL 4], [Ki Control LVL 9], [Ki Gun LVL 1]. [Ki Enhancement LVL 3], [KI Suppression LVL 5], [Ki Sense LVL 2], [Pushup LVL 4], [Punch LVL 4], [Kick LVL 4], [Jump LVL 4], [Flight 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: Tamari, Asia, Ken, Celia

Gray Tanaki is a Sayian in training on Planet Vegeta.