17

The next day, very early, the entire group began to climb Korin Tower, with the looks and shouts of encouragement from Launch and Upa below them. They went up one after the other, Yajirobe going first in the lead, followed by Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chaoz, and Krillin. At the end of the vertical row was Chi-Chi.

Everyone had warned her enough about how complicated that journey would be, directly and indirectly telling her that it was best not to try it. But Chi-Chi's resolution was absolute, and she was unwilling to give in to any difficulty. However, although during the first few hours it was somewhat easy for her to keep up with the others, as time passed and the top of the tower was still not visible at all in the distance, her body began to feel not only the exhaustion of such a heavy task, but on top of that the pain of her wounds that have not yet fully healed.

She forced herself to overcome the pain and exhaustion so as not to be left behind. Or, even worse, falling to the ground because, from the height at which she was already, she would most likely not survive.

Chi-Chi didn't dare look down, but she was pretty straightforward. The only thing that gave her some security was knowing that if anything happened, she could always count on calling the Flying Nimbus so as not to end up being a plaster on earth. Although, of course, as long as she didn't fall unconscious before she could do it.

Time passed, and the group kept climbing, with no sign that the end was near. They had even reached the clouds, a sight that Chi-Chi would have found wonderful if it weren't for how tired she felt.

It can't be. Who the hell built this? She thought, surprised and perhaps a little horrified. And yet Kamisama's Lookout was supposed to be even higher than that.

It was hopelessly impossible for her to keep up with the boys, and little by little, she fell behind. It was unheard of to her that Tenshinhan and the others seemed to still have enough energy. They had not stopped for a moment or reduced their ascent rate. It was incredible that they seriously had so much strength and endurance, and yet they were all supposed to be less strong than Goku. Chi-Chi always knew that there was a considerable margin between her husband and her, but knowing that she was not even on par with her other partners made her feel that the margin was even bigger than she thought.

What am I doing here? Chi-Chi questioned herself with regret, already finding it difficult to think due to exhaustion. I'm not a warrior, not like them, not like Goku... Why did I think I could do it? I should have listened to them. I should have stayed home, recovering from my injuries. I'm a fool; I should go back right now before I can't...

While all those thoughts were flooding her mind, one of her feet was misplaced on one of the ledges of the tower, slipping and falling downwards. Chi-Chi's body staggered, lurched downward, and came close to falling to the ground, just as she had feared. Luckily, that shock was enough to wake her up, enough to extend both hands and hold firmly on one of the edges, with her fingers tense and sore. Their entire body was left hanging, even slightly swayed by the cold wind blowing at that height.

"Are you okay, Chi-Chi?" Krillin's voice pronounced loudly above her. She looked up as best she could and saw how the young shaven-headed warrior quickly descended towards her. He stopped a little above her and extended a hand, offering it to her to take. "Let me help..."

"Krillin," Tenshinhan's voice pronounced loudly in the heights, like thunder. Everyone had stopped higher up and was looking down. Disapproval was immediately evident in the three-eyed warrior's voice. "If she's really so determined to do this, she has to do it alone," he said harshly. "If not, she'd better come back at once."

Those harsh words seemed to upset the others a little, but no one said anything to contradict him, not even Krillin himself. Chi-Chi looked at Tenshinhan with annoyance from her difficult position, of course not agreeing with what he said. However, deep down, she knew he was right; he, more than anyone, had warned her from the beginning. And now that they had gotten this far and she saw more clearly the great difference between them and her, she couldn't help but accept it.

But despite her thoughts and fears from just now, Chi-Chi still refused to back down. She might not be as strong as them, but she had a much greater motivation. Fueled by it, she would climb that wicked tower until she genuinely couldn't take it anymore. It was the least she could do for her son...

Chi-Chi quickly bent her legs and placed the tips of her feet on another ledge, taking weight off her toes. She took a moment, standing there, and surprisingly, despite how uncomfortable the position was, stopping just a little was at least a little relaxing for her tired limbs.

"Don't worry, Krillin," she said in a severe voice. "Keep going, don't be late for me."

Krillin hesitated for a moment but then nodded slightly.

"Please, don't force yourself too much. If you really can't anymore, call the Flying Nimbus and come down safely to earth. Do you promise me?"

"Yes, don't worry," Chi-Chi replied with feigned confidence. "I'll be fine."

Krillin then hurried up to catch up with the others with a speed and agility that made Chi-Chi envious. For her part, she stayed there, resting for just a moment, while she watched the others continue climbing. It didn't take long for them to disappear from sight.

When she felt ready again (or as close to it as possible), she took a deep breath and resumed her climb, taking her time but not retreating a step.

- - - -

The hours that followed were... strange for Chi-Chi. Time passed, and she continued to advance at her own pace, step by step, inch by inch. Whenever she felt like she couldn't take it anymore, she would stop for a few moments, catch her breath, and continue. She felt a little more confident when she realized that the times between one rest and another were becoming shorter. However, she couldn't say if it was because she was beginning to get used to it because her exhaustion and the wear and tear on her limbs were such that she no longer cared for it, or it was impossible to feel pain anymore. But as long as she could keep moving, she didn't care.

She was a little scared when she noticed that the light around her was getting dimmer, and it was even more so when she looked to the side and saw that the sun was beginning to set in the distance. The night was about to fall, and she was still climbing there. Had she really been climbing all day? Only when that idea crossed her mind did she realize how hungry and thirsty she was; she literally hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day.

At that point, Chi-Chi was not surprised to see that the end of the tower was still not visible. When it became night, almost absolute darkness enveloped it, only overshadowed by the small stars, so the tower became no more of a black silhouette that she could feel with her hands and feet but little else.

It was perhaps at that moment that she most considered retiring. She didn't feel like continuing climbing practically blind without even knowing how much was left. How long could she last in her current state?

But she didn't, neither on that occasion nor on any of the following, when the thought of giving up was present. She had already come quite far. And if this was a test to be able to train with Kamisama, how could she back out? How could she hope to save her son if she couldn't even do something like that?

In fact, advancing in the dark turned out even better in the end. Seeing nothing, Chi-Chi could imagine that the end was only a few meters away from her, so she could motivate herself to keep moving forward with that image in her head. It wasn't as easy to fumble around for something to hold on to or where to place each tip of the foot, but by that point, after so much repetition, she had learned to measure the distances between molding and molding, so her body was practically moving by mere instinct.

The night was long, lonely, cold, and especially hard. However, when the sun began peering over the horizon in a beautiful and hopeful dawn, all their efforts and waiting were rewarded. As the sky became clearer and the structure of the tower became visible to her tired eyes... she managed to spot something different, something large and round that was perched just above her.

Chi-Chi had to rub her eyes several times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating somehow.

"Is that really the top?" she questioned herself incredulously. She wasn't sure if what she saw in the distance was really what she believed, but the mere possibility was enough to convince her to give just one last push.

Chi-Chi kept going and going. Her legs and arms burned like she had never felt before, her fingers were bleeding, and her head hurt from lack of sleep, hunger, and thirst. But the further she went, the more and more that structure became, and the more he became convinced that it must be the end.

It can't be; I did it, she repeated in her head with joy. Goku, Gohan, I did it... I did it...

The goal was already within reach. The top was enormous, the size of a house, and she ended up wholly hidden under its shadow at some point. At the bottom, where the tower joined that oval structure, a series of holes gave the naked eye access to the interior. There was no way to reach them other than to attempt a jump.

"Just one more step," she told herself, staring at the circular hole closest to her. She took a deep breath, flexed her legs, and then lunged forward, separating herself from the tower and extending her hands toward the edge of the hole.

Her fingers missed the edge by just a few millimeters.

The next moment, she could feel her body begin to descend, and inevitably, she would start to fall straight towards the ground.

No, no, it can't be! She screamed inside her head, although no words came out of her mouth. Instinctively, her hands waved in the air, trying to grab onto anything but finding nothing. She would fall and couldn't avoid it.

She had to call out to the Flying Nimbus, but she was so exhausted that she was convinced that when she opened her mouth, no sound would come out of her, much less the scream she needed.

I'm going to die, she thought, horrified, and she had no doubt that it was true.

However, just before her body plummeted downwards, a strong arm reached out from inside the structure through the hole she tried to reach, reaching out towards her as far as it could, barely grasping the tip of her fingers.

Chi-Chi felt great pain when she felt her hand imprisoned with that force, but also because of the pull she felt on her entire arm when her body tried to go downwards, but found that opposition upwards. The young woman was left hanging, her feet dangling several meters (or rather kilometers) above the ground. She raised her gaze as best she could to see what had stopped her. She looked at the hand that held her, the strong arm that accompanied it, and the strong three-eyed face and bald head of her savior, who was also hanging from the edge of the hole with his other hand.

Tenshinhan? She thought surprised when she recognized him. She was shocked to see that, of all of them, it was precisely him who helped her.

The warrior applied great strength to get up and return to the inside of the peak, pulling Chi-Chi with him. She couldn't do much to help him, except let him take her with him. After a few seconds, both Tenshinhan and Chi-Chi were already inside the oval structure. The young woman could do nothing but let herself fall on her chest to the hard floor, which at that moment felt like the most beautiful and soft thing she had ever felt in her life.

Chi-Chi was breathing heavily, unable to normalize the agitation rumbling in her chest on her own. As best she could, she turned so she was on her back. She turned her head to the side and saw Tenshinhan standing, rubbing the wrist of the hand he had used to hold her.

"Thank you, Tenshinhan," Chi-Chi whispered with barely a thread of voice. The three-eyed warrior just looked at her and simply nodded in response.

The woman took a moment to look up. Not only was she lying on solid ground, but there was a roof and circular walls above her. It was really a house built on heights; it was incredible.

"Chi-Chi," she heard Krillin's voice say, so she quickly forced herself to turn her gaze in that direction. The shaven-headed warrior, along with Yamcha, was approaching her with a broad smile on his face. "You did it, congratulations!" he said with genuine joy in his voice.

"And you did it on your first try," Yamcha noted next with the same sentiment. "That is incredible."

Chi-Chi noticed that Yamcha and Krillin were not the only ones, because Chaoz and Yajirobe also came behind them. Everyone had gone to receive her.

"Thanks, guys," she replied, giving them a slight, small smile and not being entirely sure if her words could be heard. "My whole body... it hurts," she complained between deep, painful breaths.

She made the gesture of trying to get up from the ground, but she couldn't do it even a centimeter. Krillin and Yamcha approached each side of her, and between them they lifted her, letting her lean entirely on them.

"Don't worry," Krillin indicated while he and Yamcha helped her walk, although they were practically dragging her since she was almost unable to take a step on her own. "Master Korin can give you a Senzu Bean to regain strength."

"Master Korin?" Chi-Chi repeated slowly, as if those words were somehow unknown to her. It took a while for her lethargic mind to clear up and understand what they were referring to. She's heard that name before, right?

"So you are Goku's wife," she heard a squeaky voice uttered in front of her, echoing above any other sound.

Chi-Chi slowly raised her gaze forward and saw how Tenshinhan and Yajirobe stepped aside, making way for... someone? Chi-Chi had to look down a little because that person turned out to be shorter than Chaoz.

At first glance, Chi-Chi would not have recognized it as a person in itself since it was a small, round being with its body completely covered in white hair, a large head, and pointed ears. His eyes seemed closed, lost in the fur of his face, and he held in his right hand a long wooden cane, taller than him, almost twice as tall.

That being advanced towards her, stopping right in front, and raised his gaze to observe her... or so it seemed to since it was difficult to determine where his eyes were looking exactly.

"Yes, master, she is Chi-Chi," Krillin went ahead to respond. "Chi-Chi, he is Master Korin, the guardian of this tower."

Is it Master Korin? Thought Chi-Chi, quite surprised on the inside, but on the outside, her face could not openly show that or any other feeling. But... It's a cat...

"It's a pleasure to meet you," that being suddenly commented, and to Chi-Chi's surprise, that same squeaky voice from a moment ago emerged from his tiny mouth. "I've heard a lot about you, young lady."

Chi-Chi tried her best to overcome that shock and offered him a respectful bow as best she could while Krillin and Yamcha held her.

"The pleasure is mine, master."

Korin nodded in response to his bow.

"It is remarkable that you were able to climb up here alone. You should feel proud of it."

"Yes," Chi-Chi said with a half-smile. "Thank you so much."

"Here," Master Korin suddenly exclaimed, quickly throwing something small at her. Chi-Chi's reflexes managed to react despite the pain in her joints, catching the object in the air: a small green bean.

"This is the Senzu Bean?

"Eat it and you'll feel better," Korin indicated in a kind voice.

That seed seemed familiar to Chi-Chi. Hadn't Goku eaten one at the end of the tournament five years ago? He even gave one to Piccolo if she remembered correctly. And it was true that both seemed to have regained their energy as soon as they ate them. Could it really be that magical?

Chi-Chi didn't question it much and decided to eat it. What did she have to lose after all? She was pretty hungry anyway, so that tiny seed would be better than nothing.

The seed crunched as it was ground by her teeth, and then she swallowed it whole. It didn't really have any flavor, and at first, it didn't even feel like I'd actually eaten anything. However, just a few seconds later, the effect became completely tangible in every fiber of her being. Not only was the hunger she felt extinguished in the blink of an eye, but the pain and fatigue diminished significantly until it became practically a distant memory.

It's incredible! She thought, stunned, unable to fully process the sudden change. But when Yamcha and Krillin released her, and she had no problem standing on her own feet, she was able to verify that her body had indeed recovered, as fresh and ready as it had been the morning they began their climb, or even more so.

Chi-Chi looked at Master Korin, her gaze filled with amazement. She thought she noticed how his feline lips outlined a small sly smile.

"Very well, there is no more time to waste," the old hermit said aloud, turning to the rest of the group. Everyone immediately turned to listen to him attentively. "Kamisama awaits you at the Temple to begin your training. Now, I'll give one of these to each of you."

At that moment, Master Korin raised his right claw high so that everyone could see what he held in it: a small golden bell tied to a reddish string. Everyone seemed a little confused at first. The hermit approached Krillin, handing him to him first. Already in his hands, the young fighter verified that it was what it initially seemed.

"A sleigh bell?" he whispered, intrigued.

"It is proof that I have approved you to go up to the Lookout," explained Korin as he went one by one, giving them an identical bell. After Krillin, he went to Chaoz, then to Tenshinhan. "Present it to Mr. Popo, the guardian of the Temple, and he will allow you to see Kamisama."

"Is it some kind of magic sleigh bell?" Yamcha asked curiously as soon as the master gave him his.

"No, it's just a normal sleigh bell," Korin responded, accompanied by what seemed to be a few mocking laughs. That confused the others even more, thinking for a moment that it was some kind of joke, although that didn't seem to be the case.

After Yamcha, he continued to give his bell to Yajirobe, who reluctantly took it from him. Then, the master walked a little further to the side and stood right before Chi-Chi. She solemnly extended her hand towards him and waited. The white-furred cat stared at her (or so she felt he did) for several seconds in absolute silence, without even moving. That silence and that wait disconcerted Chi-Chi. And when she was about to ask him what was happening, the old master turned entirely towards the others.

"Well, that's all," he stated in a calm voice. "Now you can leave and start your training. Remember that the fate of this world will rest in your hands, so good luck."

Chi-Chi jumped, totally confused. Her empty hand was still extended forward, waiting.

"Hey, wait a moment, Master Korin," Chi-Chi exclaimed out loud. "You didn't give me my sleigh bell."

"Your sleigh bell?" The old hermit mumbled, sounding clearly confused. He then turned back to her, looking up at her from his low position. "I don't know what you're talking about, young lady. I don't have any sleigh bells to give you."

"What?" Chi-Chi exclaimed, more eager than before. "What do you mean by that? Don't be joking, please."

"I don't see why you think it's a joke," Korin responded with overwhelming calm. "I won't give you any bell because you will not go to Kamisama's Lookout. You don't have my authorization to train with Kamisama," he stated with overwhelming normality, taking both Chi-Chi and all the other listeners off guard.