Dragon Ball: Ascension

(A/N: Bonus Chapter! Thank you for your continued support! And don't hesitate to leave a comment or powerstone if you like the story!)

"That's entirely up to you. I'm just offering a suggestion," Karnel said with a knowing smile as he transformed the gravity chamber that the Bargonian people had used for over two months back into a universal capsule and placed it in his dimensional storage. "This device is still useful to me, so I'm taking it back."

He turned to face Ceros one final time. "My friend, goodbye!" With that farewell, Karnel teleported away from Bargonia, leaving only empty air where he had stood.

Ceros stared at the spot where Karnel had vanished for a long moment, then his expression hardened with newfound resolve.

In the centuries that followed, Ceros led his people in gradually bringing all the forces of the Western Galaxy under their benevolent rule. The Bargonian people's gentle governing style earned praise from every civilization throughout the galaxy. An empire that would rule the Western Galaxy for millions of years was born, though remarkably, none of the ruling Bargonian people ever claimed the title of emperor. This became an enduring mystery that puzzled historians for millions of years to come...

Meanwhile, Karnel stood alone on a desolate planet, frustrated by his inability to locate the path to the Supreme Kai's realm.

The Supreme Kai's domain existed on an entirely different dimensional plane from the mortal universe, and Karnel couldn't sense even a trace of the unique divine energy that surrounded the Supreme Kai.

"Is the only way really to die once and travel from the afterlife through Snake Way to King Kai's planet, then take that transport to the Supreme Kai's world?" Karnel thought anxiously.

"No, that method is far too risky," he immediately dismissed the dangerous idea. "What's the point of dying? Besides, there's no guarantee that Dragon Balls even exist in this ancient era. If they don't, I'd be trapped here forever."

"Damn it!" After pondering for what felt like hours, Karnel looked up at the sky and roared in frustration.

He had searched for unique energy signatures throughout the galaxies, teleporting from place to place, but every destination had been another mortal planet. He couldn't even reach King Kai's planet, let alone the Supreme Kai's realm.

"This cursed Instant Transmission technique is just a cheap imitation," Karnel muttered bitterly. "It can only move by sensing life energy, there's no way to travel to specific locations without a target."

For the first time, he felt genuine disgust toward what had previously been his most useful ability.

"I wish I could learn teleportation like Kibito's, the kind that allows free movement between the Supreme Kai's realm and the mortal universe."

"Speaking of which... damn it, that Namekian is still somewhere unknown." Karnel cursed as he closed his eyes and failed once again to sense any trace of the Namekian's presence.

After a prolonged silence, his frustration boiled over. "Do I really have to make a wish to the Shenron? Can't I figure this out myself? With this inferior teleportation technique as a reference and ten times enhanced comprehension from the system, I should be able to learn divine teleportation!"

With that declaration, Karnel selected a random uninhabited planet for his training grounds.

"I don't have many Senzu beans left, so I need to conserve them. It would be wasteful to use them just to satisfy hunger. I'll eat the Divine fruits during this training period instead, they're much better than having no sustenance at all." He pulled out a handful of Senzu beans from his dimensional storage, but seeing how few remained, he carefully put them back and instead retrieved hundreds of fruits.

Deploying the gravity chamber on the planet's surface, Karnel began an intensive training retreat to consolidate his Super Saiyan 2 form.

"I will not stop until I master divine teleportation," he declared through gritted teeth. After all, this was his best hope of returning home. If he truly couldn't comprehend it, death might be his only remaining option.

He remained in the gravity chamber day after day, never emerging, and half a year passed in this manner.

"As expected, techniques involving divine power aren't so easily understood. No wonder even Porunga, the Namekian Dragon, requires two wishes to accomplish such things." Having maintained his Super Saiyan 2 form for six months straight, Karnel finally emerged from the gravity chamber, speaking to himself.

During those six months, even with his ten-fold enhanced comprehension, Karnel had only grasped the faintest glimmer of understanding. He was still far from achieving true mastery.

"I don't know what's wrong with this enhancement system," he complained while flying above the planet to relieve his mental fatigue. "Ever since it unlocked those two functions, there's been no updates or improvements. Not even an instruction manual. It's infuriating."

The entire planet offered little in the way of scenery, only small creatures with minimal intelligence, sparse vegetation, and few bodies of water. There was no aesthetic value whatsoever.

After circling the planet several times to clear his head, Karnel returned to the gravity chamber.

Another six months passed, and with his initial understanding to build upon, Karnel's comprehension of divine teleportation progressed much more smoothly. Though he couldn't fully master it yet, he gained deeper insight into the mysterious concept of divinity itself. Despite spending so much time in the gravity chamber, his actual combat strength had improved only marginally, all his focus had been devoted to studying divine teleportation.

Divinity, he realized, was similar to the laws and fundamental rules described in ancient texts. The Supreme Kai's divine nature was bestowed by higher beings to help them better manage the universe, it wasn't something they had achieved through personal enlightenment. This power was extraordinarily mysterious and incredibly difficult to comprehend independently.

Karnel had made progress only thanks to his enhanced comprehension ability. Otherwise, with his normally analytical mind, understanding something as abstract as divinity would have been nearly impossible.

"If I continue at this rate, it won't be long before I can combine this fragment of divinity with Instant Transmission to complete the technique of Divine Teleportation."

"Kibito's divine teleportation can only transport someone to designated planets but can't track specific individuals, while Instant Transmission works in exactly the opposite way. By combining the advantages of both techniques, my teleportation will be perfect."

Feeling closer than ever to mastering this divine skill, Karnel allowed himself a moment of satisfaction.