Chapter 26* – Climb If You Don’t Wanna Die~

~ 1 Hour Later ~

Ajax found himself splayed across the floor of Korin's Tower, limbs scattered in disarray in every direction. True to its promise, his adaptive ability had successfully acclimated him to the repercussions of the Ultra Divine Water. The agony, once an overwhelming force of nature, had been reduced into a sensation he could now withstand with gritted teeth—an infinitely more bearable and preferable alternative. However, despite these adjustments, the effects of the Ultra Divine Water still lingered, intermittently triggering involuntary spasms in Ajax's body, as if responding to electrical currents.

Desperately gasping for breath and completely drained of all strength, Ajax blinked through the lingering haze of torment that clouded his senses. The Tower's shadows danced, playing tricks on his vision and challenging his efforts to forcefully dissipate the haunting memory of the Ultra Divine Water and the echoes of his screams from his mind.

The excruciating pain he had just endured felt absolutely lethal, and he had a sneaking suspicion that without that specific clause in his wish— for both physical and mental adaptation– he would have died screaming like the rest. At the very least, if he did make it through, there was a strong likelihood he would've been driven to madness like the Longbottoms.

God, he is going to swear in the name of all that he held sacred— his name, life, honor, soul, whatever it takes— to never subject himself to this shit again. The mere thought of reliving that experience is so repulsive to him that he– he– he literally cannot even put it into words. He'd choose any other fate over enduring that agony again. He genuinely would rather be eaten by zombies alive, which was his greatest fear up till just an hour ago, than that. In his opinion, being eaten alive would be a preferable alternative, as it would likely involve less overall pain in comparison. So, in summary, never again. He'd literally rather die a thousand deaths.

"Remarkable! In just an hour, you've already stopped screaming!" Korin exclaimed with genuine surprise beside Ajax.

Ajax, wearied beyond measure, somehow managed to muster enough energy to flop his head towards Korin, his entire body groaning in protest against the simple movement. Facing Korin, who stood over him, Ajax had to admit he had no earthly idea when Korin had arrived or how long he'd been standing there. He had been just a bit preoccupied with trying not to die, you see.

"Yayyy…." an extremely coarse whisper emerged from Ajax's mouth, the consequence of countless screams that clawed their way out of his throat not long ago.

Still standing over the recovering Ajax, Korin couldn't suppress his chuckle at the rather unenthusiastic response.

"If you have the strength to respond even after all that, then I reckon you'll be able to pull through just fine." The corners of Korin's eyes formed a downward arc as he smiled with genuine joy. "Do you realize you're making history right now? Take pride in this accomplishment because you're the first human in history to conquer this challenge."

"Yayyy…," Ajax repeated, far too drained to conjure anything more elaborate.

Korin burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the tower.

"That's the spirit!" Korin exclaimed with mirth in his eyes. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, Korin leaned in, his laughter subsiding into a warm smile. "Mr. Popo should be making his appearance soon. He has a knack for pushing someone to their absolute limits, so I suspect he'll arrive at the precise moment you regain the ability to move. Good luck, young warrior; the fate of the Earth rests on your shoulders!"

With that, Korin discreetly tucked another Senzu bean into Ajax's pocket, silently mouthing the words 'last one I have'. However, it appeared that Korin had an additional thought, as he spoke up moments later.

"Oh, this won't help with the residual pain from the Ultra Divine Water, but it'll remove any muscle tears or injuries from your spasms." Having imparted this information, he started waddling away like some fat penguin, disappearing beyond Ajax's line of sight.

Although Ajax could have turned his head to follow Korin's departure, he was far too exhausted for a deep breath, let alone another movement of his head. However, the mere knowledge that he had a Senzu bean tucked safely in his pocket brought a sense of reassurance. He'll eat that when he regains his ability to move.

Lying sprawled on the floor of Korin's Tower, Ajax directed his weary gaze toward the ceiling above. His mind, still reeling from Ultra Divine Water's trial, suddenly and unhelpfully prompted him that he had never seen the ceiling of Korin's Tower, at least, not that he could recall. Ajax squinted. Well, the patterns resembled those found on the ceiling of some wooden cathedral, fitting for a congregation of naked angels to sing and frolic around.

Ajax chuckled inwardly. He was glad at the distinctive lack of naked angels painted, carved, or otherwise adorning the ceiling. He was in far too much pain to be in the mood for angel schlongs– not that he's ever in the mood for it. His interests lay elsewhere, particularly in the fairer sex and them thig– oh god, he's rambling from the pain.

Faintly, Ajax sensed a gradual ebbing of the pain, as if a tide was slowly receding. The teeth-gritting pain from moments earlier had settled to a dull, persistent ache, akin to a particularly bad stomachache, only everywhere.

His muscles, which had felt like disconnected, limp noodles only moments ago, now exhibited signs of response to his mental commands. With motor control once again a part of his repertoire of skills, the presence of the Senzu Bean tucked in his pocket became an enticing siren, whispering sweet nothing into his ears. This is the perfect time to eat that. Ajax shifted, the movements slow and deliberate as he attempted to reach for the Senzu Bean.

"How long are you going to lay there, maggot?"

The authoritative and impatient voice cut through the air like a whip, snapping Ajax to attention. Ajax wearily turned his head, the once-arduous task now more manageable, but his gaze was met with an abyss of black. He frowned. Disoriented, he shifted his head upward to the foreboding sight of Mr. Popo's ominous silhouette.

Dread settled in Ajax's gut as a heavy premonition crashed upon him, sending shivers down his spine. Noo… it couldn't be. Could it? He must have misheard.

"You mute? Maggot?" Mr. Popo repeated, his words devoid of any warmth or patience.

Ajax's fervent prayers against the impending reality and his desperate mental plea for mercy proved futile as his worst nightmares were confirmed, his eyes widening in horror in recognition. 

"It's the Abridged Mr. Popo! AHHHHHH!!!!" Ajax's voice erupted in a high-pitched scream. The moment of sheer terror infused him with an unexpected surge of strength and oxygen that he had not possessed before.

This was an entity beyond mortal comprehension, a cosmic horror bundled up in the guise of a seemingly innocuous character. Facing this monstrous creation by the mad geniuses at TFS, a creature capable of inducing existential dread down Zeno's spine, is probably one of the few fates more horrifying than the Ultra Divine Water.

He wants nothing to do with this eldritch abomination! This… thing is strong enough to eat Buu for breakfast. He's practically an Ancient One! Oh god, he can see the Louis Vuitton patterned tentacles already!

"Ah, you know how to show respect to your superiors. Good—" Mr. Popo began, his unblinking gaze drilling into Ajax. "—for a maggot."

The words crashed into Ajax's ears, evoking memories of a certain status hierarchy he oh-so clearly remembers from his past life.

With an almost casual callousness, Mr. Popo kicked Ajax's side. It was a restrained strike that normally would've only drawn a slight wince but now sent streaks of pain down Ajax's still very sensitive side.

"Get up, maggot."

Motivated by his survival instincts, Ajax managed to rise to his feet with great difficulty. He definitely doesn't want to die and disregarding Abridged Mr. Popo was a guaranteed, one-way trip to the Shadow Realm. He swallowed hard, attempting to suppress his trepidation about whatever command Mr. Popo was about to deliver.

"Climb."

"Uhh... climb what?"

"Climb to Kami's Lookout if you don't want to die~."

"...oh."

And so, Ajax climbed, because what else could he do?

~ 12 Hours Later ~ 

The climb to Kami's Lookout, Ajax thinks, was incredibly monotonous. As he expected, his body had long adapted to any lingering effects of the Ultra Divine Water and the intense physical demands of the climb. Right now, scaling the power pole was about as taxing as a leisurely stroll. Whatever initial novelty the climb provided had long been worn off by the repetitive rhythm, leaving behind only a pervasive sense of boredom that clung to him like a persistent fog. In short, he's bored out of his freaking mind.

As Ajax mechanically scaled the power pole, his mind wandered. Could he abuse this ability for theoretically infinite stamina? Can he use it to his advantage?

He reasoned it might be difficult to overly exploit in direct combat. His ki reserves weren't boundless like his stamina, and running out of Ki meant no amount of stamina would do him any good. However, the prospect of infinite stamina certainly held promise outside of combat, especially once he became of age for certain activities. A wry smile crossed Ajax's face. He's very much looking forward to the future.

Ajax's eyes briefly shifted upward, getting an eyeful of Yamcha's butt a few feet above his head. It's not like he's actively trying to see it, okay? But, from this angle, that's all he can see of the darn guy.

"Hurry it up, man, it's only been 12 hours!" Ajax called out, a mixture of impatience and good-natured ribbing lacing his voice.

Above Ajax, Yamcha trembled as he climbed another ten or so meters, practically glistening under the moonlight like some vampire out of Twilight due to being drenched in his sweat. Clearly exhausted, Yamcha halted his progress, taking a brief moment to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his brow with one hand.

"Screw off, Ajax! Not everyone can cheat like you," Yamcha bit out, breathing heavily. "Have a little sympathy for the rest of us mortals, would you?"

"I would've if you hadn't farted in my face!" Ajax shot back with a disgusted expression.

"Stop being so close to my ass then!" Yamcha shouted in reply, resuming his ascent at a quicker pace than before, seemingly eager to put some distance between himself and Ajax.

Ajax sighed shortly after, realizing that Yamcha had a point. Not the part about his ass, but the cheating part. For him, this climb was nothing more than a mild inconvenience due to his adaptation, but for the others, this was a monumental challenge. Even Goku, the mighty protagonist himself, had resorted to bending the rules with the power pole the first time he ascended to the Lookout in Dragon Ball.

Ajax leaned against the pole, feeling the cool material pressed against his palms as he tightened his grip on it. Even now, he has no idea what this thing is made of. It felt like metal but looked like wood. For all he knows, it could be Vibranium.

Resting his chin on his hand, Ajax stared out into the expansive night sky. He can't see shit in the pitch-black surroundings, but the lack of visibility didn't hinder the view of the stars above, so at least he had them for company.

Being so elevated above the ground, the absence of artificial light allowed the night sky to reveal its captivating splendor. The cosmic canvas stretched endlessly overhead, adorned with countless stars that sparkled like distant diamonds.

Ajax marveled at its beauty.

In his previous life, he never had the energy or inclination to gaze upward, due to being buried up to his nostrils in debt. Even if he had, he doubted he would have seen them through the bright lights of the city where he resided.

Ajax drew in a deep breath, savoring the crisp night air. His eyes grew unfocused, taking in the entirety of the night sky and allowing the symphony of nature to envelop him in this moment of peace. He'll enjoy this moment as he waited for Yamcha's slow ass to climb higher.

In this moment of relaxation, Ajax's thoughts automatically shifted to recent events. The canon seemed to be subtly progressing in an expected direction, diverging slightly from what he had remembered. Well, that's not quite right. It wasn't so much the events themselves changing, it was more like the characte– no, people had deviated from their canonical selves.

In the canon, Raditz had been notably crueler and more aloof, and Nappa was not as understanding either. The Saiyans, who were predictable for their ruthlessness, were revealing an additional layer of complexity not present in the original story. This deviation unsettled him because he can't predict a character's– shit, a person's actions if he didn't understand them. 

Ajax had constructed THE MASTERPLAN based on the known personalities and behaviors of people in the canon. However, these deviations introduced an element of unpredictability, essentially throwing a wrench into his carefully crafted strategy. It felt like trying to navigate a path when the landmarks had suddenly changed.

Regardless, as per THE MASTERPLAN, he wouldn't be ready to rock the boat until Namek at the earliest. After that, he will be at the forefront of the Z Fighters in every way that matters. 

At that, he found himself wondering what other discrepancies existed between the reality he found himself in and the familiar canon he had known. Definitely Mr. Popo for one. A shiver of dread ran through Ajax at the mere thought of that being. Abridged Mr. Popo, just damn. It felt as if someone out there was intentionally playing him.

Ajax shook his head, clearing his thoughts, a determined glint in his eyes. No matter. He would figure out a way to recalibrate the events and align them with the intended course for now. He just needed to embrace the idea of maintaining an open mind for unforeseen challenges and assimilating new information so he could adapt on the fly.

As his train of thought pulled into its final station, Ajax looked upward to assess Yamcha's progress. To his surprise, Yamcha had stealthily advanced far into the distance without him even noticing. Wasn't he tired just a moment ago?

Well, whatever. Back to the grind…

***

DBA Corner: Ultra Divine Water & Potential 

Okay, here's another DBA Corner! In response to readers' requests and feedback, I've decided to streamline the DBA Corners. After all, we're all here for the story and not my mad ramblings! Without further ado, this corner will briefly define potential and offer a glimpse at how the Ultra Divine Water works.

Within DBA, combat power, or PL, refers to the current level of an individual. Potential, defined simply, is the untapped level of power that an individual could reach but has not yet attained. When a fighter realizes 100% of their potential, they have reached the pinnacle of their strength, becoming the strongest they can possibly be in terms of power.

Please note that potential is different than talent. Talent is the rate at which one progress and gain strength. A talented individual with low potential means that he/she will reach their peak quickly and stop growing. Conversely, an individual with low talent and high potential will take ages to grow stronger but can eventually attain a level of power that others can only dream of.

The UDW is a substance that enhances one's potential at the cost of life force. In the world of DBA, the greater the quantity of UDW consumed, the more compromised your life force becomes, making you more susceptible to diseases. However, the positive trade-off is an immediate boost in potential, resulting in increased power. Unfortunately, the UDW has no impact on one's talent.

The above is a basic overview of how the UDW functions, and for the sake of avoiding spoilers, this is all that needs to be shared at this point. It'll become relevant again later on though, so please be patient…