Dragon Ball: Ascension

"The strength we've gained fighting the wild beasts and rival clans has improved us considerably," Ceror said, his expression growing troubled. "But I know that with our current power levels, we'd be practically useless against the Kaimo invaders. Even at our best, we're still no match for them." He turned to Karnel with renewed hope in his eyes. "Do you really have a way to help us grow stronger quickly?"

"I do have something in mind," Karnel replied thoughtfully. "Though I'll only be able to work with you and your elite warriors for now. Training your entire population would take too long, and frankly, I don't have the resources to equip everyone simultaneously."

Karnel led them to a nearby clearing, casually dispatching a few aggressive beasts that wandered too close. He couldn't help but notice how unusually powerful these creatures had become recently, they possessed impressive raw strength but lacked any real intelligence or technique. If these monsters had even basic reasoning abilities, he mused, the Bargonians might not have survived this long on their own planet.

Pulling out what appeared to be a small capsule, Karnel tossed it onto the open ground. With a soft pop and a cloud of smoke, a sizeable building materialized before their astonished eyes.

"This is called a gravity chamber," Karnel explained, gesturing toward the structure. "It can adjust the gravitational force inside to different multiples of normal gravity. It's one of the most effective ways to rapidly increase physical strength. The thirteen of you can train in shifts from dawn to dusk."

The Bargonian warriors stared in amazement, unable to comprehend how such a large building could emerge from something so small.

"Karnel," Ceror said hesitantly, his voice filled with skepticism, "is this little house really as magical as you claim?" As someone who had never left his homeworld, Ceror had no experience with advanced technology. The whole thing seemed impossible.

Rather than waste time with explanations, Karnel simply grabbed Ceror by the arm and pulled him inside the gravity chamber.

Once inside, Ceror looked around curiously. "I don't feel anything different. Are you sure this thing works?"

"Stand still," Karnel said with an amused smile as he activated the controls. "Let me demonstrate."

The moment Karnel engaged twenty times normal gravity, Ceror felt as though a mountain had suddenly been placed on his shoulders. His knees buckled, and he crashed backward onto the floor with tremendous force, his entire body pressed flat against the ground.

Karnel adjusted the settings to eighty times gravity, watching as Ceror struggled helplessly against the invisible weight pinning him down. "Well? This room is now generating eighty times Bargon's normal gravity. Think you can stand up? And more importantly, do you believe training in here might give you the strength to resist the Kaimo?"

Ceror could feel his muscles straining against the horrific gravitational pull, his bones creaking under the pressure. Every part of his body felt as though it were being crushed into the floor. His internal organs seemed ready to burst from the overwhelming force. Within minutes, sweat poured down his face as he gasped for air. Through gritted teeth, he managed to speak: "Yes... Karnel... I believe you now. Please turn this off before I die under this terrible pressure!"

Seeing that Ceror had reached his limit, Karnel deactivated the gravity multiplier.

After lying on the floor recovering for several minutes, Ceror was amazed to discover that his strength had actually increased slightly from just that brief exposure. The improvement was small but unmistakable.

"Karnel," he said, his voice filled with excitement and newfound respect, "your gravity chamber is incredible! Training in here, I can see how someone could become several times, maybe even ten times, stronger than before!"

"Absolutely," Karnel nodded. "But as you just experienced, this isn't something to take lightly. If you push the gravity too far beyond your body's current limits, you'll be crushed to death within minutes. Gravity training requires patience and discipline. You must fully adapt to one level before gradually increasing to the next."

Remembering the sensation of being nearly flattened, Ceror thumped his chest solemnly. "Don't worry, Karnel. I understand the importance of taking things one step at a time."

Karnel was satisfied with this response, these were grown warriors who understood the value of careful preparation. "Now then," he continued, "how much stronger would you estimate that envoy was compared to you?"

"The Kaimo envoy was significantly more powerful than me," Ceror admitted after careful consideration. "In a one-on-one fight, I wouldn't stand a chance. I'd say he was probably three or four times stronger than I am."

"Close enough," Karnel confirmed. "That envoy, Wright, had over five million battle power. You're currently sitting at about one million, so he was roughly five times stronger than you. And here's the concerning part: he was just a mid-level tribute collector among the Kaimo. If they send someone truly powerful for revenge, your current strength won't even register as a threat."

Ceror's face went pale, his lips trembling slightly at the implications.

"But that's precisely why I'm giving you this gravity chamber," Karnel continued, his tone becoming more encouraging. "I don't expect you to reach the level where you can crush their elite warriors, but you should definitely be able to handle their regular forces. Anything beyond your capabilities, I'll deal with personally."

"Besides," he added with a reassuring smile, "we don't know how long it'll take for the Kaimo to mount their retaliation. By the time they arrive, you might have increased your power several times over, maybe even ten-fold. There's no point worrying about it now. Just focus on your training."

Hearing this, Ceror's anxiety melted away, replaced by determined laughter. "You're absolutely right, Karnel. I was letting my nerves get the better of me."

"It's not too late to start," Karnel said. "Go back and get your affairs in order. Beginning tomorrow morning, you and your warriors will train until the Kaimo invaders arrive."

As the leader of his people, Ceror naturally had numerous responsibilities to delegate before he could dedicate himself fully to training. He quickly departed with his thirteen elite warriors to make the necessary arrangements.

After they left, Karnel settled himself comfortably inside the gravity chamber, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. It had been quite some time since he'd needed to use gravity training himself. Perhaps it was time for a refresher session of his own.