Less than a minute later, Goku, Tien, and Chiaotzu touched down in the courtyard.
Alex was still lounging comfortably in his wooden chair, completely unfazed by their sudden arrival.
“Master,” Tien and Chiaotzu greeted respectfully.
Goku stood to the side, carefully studying the handsome, serene man in front of him.
But almost immediately, he started scratching his head in confusion.
‘What’s going on?
Why can’t I sense his ki at all?
It’s like he’s just a normal guy.
But if he’s Tien’s master, there’s no way he’s ordinary.
His power must be so incredibly high that I can’t even comprehend it!’
In reality, the reason Goku couldn’t sense Alex’s energy was simply because Alex had assimilated God Ki.
Unless a mortal had reached the realm of the gods themselves, divine energy was completely imperceptible to them.
Goku’s combat power was vastly superior to many deities, but he wasn’t a god himself.
On the other hand, while Alex hadn’t been officially appointed to a divine position, possessing God Ki essentially made him one.
He just needed the raw power or the official title to make it official.
Therefore, Goku couldn’t sense a drop of his true strength.
Alex slowly opened his eyes, taking in the three martial artists, and stood up.
“Goku.”
Just as he expected, the Saiyan looked exactly like he did in the anime, right down to his signature goofy expression.
Seeing that Alex already knew who he was, Goku beamed.
He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward, but the sheer excitement of meeting an unfathomable master quickly overrode his manners.
“You’re amazing!
Getting Tien this strong in such a short amount of time!”
Alex waved a hand dismissively, his expression perfectly tranquil.
“Tien put in the hard work.
I merely guided him to the door.”
Goku tilted his head, not entirely grasping the metaphor.
“You’re still incredible!
If you made him that much stronger in just a couple of days, can I spar with you?!”
Goku’s request was entirely within Alex’s expectations.
But there was absolutely no way he was going to accept it.
His base power level was still lower than Goku’s.
If he got his ass handed to him right now, it would be impossible to recruit the Saiyan as a disciple—let alone Vegeta.
The Prince of all Saiyans would never bow to someone weaker than him.
Alex smiled faintly.
“I will not spar with you, Goku.”
Goku blinked, utterly dumbfounded.
“Huh?
Why not?
Why can’t we fight?”
“Let me ask you something, Goku.
Can you sense my ki?”
Goku didn’t understand the point of the question, but he answered honestly.
“Nope.
Not at all.”
“Could you sense the East Supreme Kai’s ki?” Alex pressed.
“No…”
Goku was still struggling to connect the dots, but Tien and Yurin suddenly gasped, staring at Alex in absolute shock.
They suspected it, but they desperately needed to hear him say it out loud.
“Goku, the truth is, the Supreme Kai and I are fundamentally the same,” Alex said smoothly.
“We are Gods.
That is why you cannot sense our energy.”
Goku’s jaw dropped.
“Whoa, you’re a god too?!”
“Exactly.
And you are a mortal,” Alex explained.
“Furthermore, you are a mortal with great merit who has protected this universe and the Earth time and time again.
I cannot casually raise my hand against you, or I will face severe divine punishment.”
‘I knew it!’ Tien thought, his heart racing.
‘Master is a deity!
It all makes sense now.
That’s why he has the Super Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Only Kami’s Lookout has something like that!’
Yurin’s eyes practically sparkled from the sidelines.
‘I have to find a way to become his disciple!
If he’s a god, he must have unbelievable techniques.
If I learn them, I’ll definitely be able to crush that three-eyed baldy!’ Originally, she just wanted to join the dojo to be near Tien.
But now, she genuinely wanted to learn what Alex had to teach.
Alex didn’t even blink as he spun his web of lies, his acting absolutely flawless.
‘It’s a white lie,’ he justified to himself.
‘Just throwing out a little bait to keep him hooked.’
Goku looked visibly deflated, his shoulders slumping.
But then, he held up his thumb and index finger, leaving a tiny gap between them.
“Then…
what if we just spar a little bit?
Just a tiny bit!
That way you won’t get punished!”
‘Yeah, right,’ Alex scoffed mentally.
‘Once you get going, you battle maniac, there is no such thing as a “little bit”.
It turns into a fight to the death.’ Outwardly, however, he just maintained his gentle smile and slowly shook his head.
“Goku, let it go.
If Master is forbidden from fighting, we can’t force him.
We can’t risk him being punished by the divine laws just for a spar!”
Goku sighed heavily, dropping his hand.
“Man, that’s such a bummer.
I really wanted to see what a master like you could do.” Despite being obsessed with fighting, he wasn’t going to get someone else in trouble just to satisfy his own itch.
Seeing Goku looking so dejected, the corners of Alex’s mouth curled into a satisfied smile.
This was exactly the effect he wanted.
“I know it is disappointing, Goku,” Alex said softly.
“Truthfully, I feel the same.
I was quite looking forward to testing your limits.
I wanted to see your Super Saiyan 3 form.”
Goku froze, his eyes bugging out.
“Wait, you know about Super Saiyan 3?!”
Alex chuckled.
“I know much more than that.
I know you can transform into a Super Saiyan 3, and I also know the exact flaws—and potential—of King Kai’s Kaio-ken.”
“No way!” Goku gasped, completely stunned.
King Kai had invented the Kaio-ken and taught it exclusively to him.
How could this man know about it?
Alex was thrilled with the reaction.
The Saiyan was stepping right into the trap.
“The Kaio-ken is King Kai’s signature creation, yes.
But I have developed my own version.
I call it the Ultimate Kaio-ken.
It drastically reduces the physical strain and stamina drain of the original technique, allowing the user to safely multiply their power to far higher levels.”
Goku was practically hyperventilating.
Ultimate Kaio-ken?!
It drastically reduced the stamina drain and physical damage?!
If he could eliminate those two fatal flaws, he could easily stack a times-twenty Kaio-ken.
Or twenty-five.
Or even thirty!
Just the thought of that kind of power made his heart pound against his ribs.
Unable to contain himself, Goku pressed his palms together in a respectful bow, opening his mouth to beg for instruction.
But then he stopped, a sheepish grin spreading across his face.
“Hehe…
I just realized I never asked your name!”
“Alex.”
“Alex!
Please, let me be your disciple!”