Nightmare Mode (DBZ Gamer!SI)

Game

Thoughts

"Talking"

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Push up. Fall down.

Meeting Kami would be risky. I know he's a nice guy, but we're the bad guys-

Push up. Fall down.

-We're invading his planet. 

Push up. Fall down.

I don't know how strong he is. If he's training the Humans to fight back, then he must be strong. 

Push up. Fall down.

Stronger than me at least. It's risky.

Push up. Fall down.

High risk, high reward. He could just try and kill us the second we meet, but if he doesn't-

Push up. Fall down.

-we could try and get access to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

Push up. Fall down.

No, too risky. There are better options.

Push up. Fall down.

Hide and train until I'm strong enough to face Raditz. I still have my tail, and he won't have his. 

Push up. Fall down.

It's possible, but the rest of the squad is the problem. I'd need to train a lot.

Push up. Fall down.

Too risky. By the time I get that strong the Raditz Squad and Frieza Force will likely be wiped out by Cooler. Not enough time.

Push up. Fall down.

Make amends with Raditz? 

Push up. Fall down.

He might just try to kills us, but if he didn't-

Push up. Fall down.

-then that would be the optimal path. We'd have the squads support and-

Push up. Fall down.

-the problem of trying to take down an army of Ozaru's would go away.

Push up. Fall down. Gray scoffed to himself mid-pushup.

As if. My body would never let me apologize to him, even if it was the best option.

Push up. Fall down.

I'm not a bitch either. I'll kill him before I ever apologize.

Gray grunted, pushing himself to his feet as a notification appeared.

[Push Up] level up! (2500/2500)

+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

"Level five," Gray hummed as the skill leveled up. The skill XP ramp-up was frustrating for him, as it took literally thousands of push-ups for Gray to get the skill to level five. Not that he minded training - it gave him time to think as he did a mindless task, and his pushups were much quicker than an average person's. He was standing in a relatively large opening between the hundreds of trees surrounding him, the rest of his team sleeping a hundred or so feet away. His Saiyan armor was leaning against a tree nearby, leaving him in just his under-armor as he trained.

The moon had risen into the sky - or would've if there was one. The world was plunged into the night as the stars twinkled above, a noticeable celestial body missing from the sky. The last half-day had been spent rather uselessly - in Gray's opinion, at least. He'd gone out hunting, catching and cooking - admittedly, Nam had done most of the cooking - the various beasts that lived in the forest. It was a reminder of how different the Dragon Ball Earth was from his own, as said beasts consisted of massive tiger-like beasts and the occasional dinosaur. Gray had acquired the [Cooking] skill, but it just gave a boost to his CHA.

However, that wasn't the useless part of his day. That came from the discussion with his teammates about what to do next. In short, they'd gotten nowhere. In long, they had a bunch of ideas but nothing concrete. Even Celia, for all her constant scheming and seemingly endless ideas, wasn't sure of the best path. Apparently, Gray going hog-wild on Raditz and betraying the squad hadn't been a possibility she considered.

The biggest roadblock came from the Raditz Squad itself. They were supporting the Frieza Force now, meaning that Gray's team would be their enemies. They were essentially stranded on the planet with no source of support.

I'd have half the mind to just say 'fuck the Saiyans' and join up with the Z-Fighters if it wasn't for Asia and Tamari.

There was only one reasonable end goal - defeat Raditz and help the Frieza Force stabilize. The only thing that was undecided was their path to get there.

Gray stepped a few feet forward, shifting into his boxing stance. His hand shot out, jabbing into the air, and then pulled back. 

I'd like to meet up with the Z-Fighters as soon as possible.

Jab. Jab. Cross. Uppercut.

Even if we're technically enemies, I'd at least like to make sure they'll be able to survive.

Jab. Jab. Jab. Jab. Hook. Jab.

It'd suck if I went back to Planet Vegeta and they all died while I was gone.

Uppercut. Jab. Jab. Jab. Jab.

I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world if they did - there's this little 'erase all consequences' thing called the Dragon Balls.

Hook. Hook. Cross. Jab.

Granted, I'd still have to get the Dragon Balls somehow. Who knows when I'll have the chance to make a wish?

Jab. Jab. Jab. Jab.

Time continued to stretch on, minutes passing quickly as Gray continued working towards leveling up his [Punch] skill, as well as Kolra's boxing style. The moon rose higher, shining down upon the large forest, until eventually, Gray reached his goal. After nearly an hour of training, a notification dinged.

[Punch] level up! (2500/2500)

+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

Does the boxing style not level up unless I'm in an actual fight?

Gray had never looked deeply into how the skill leveling-up system worked - not that it would've helped if he did. He'd tried to at least track the progress but quickly found it hopeless. Nightmare Mode gave him a giant middle finger as it gave a seemingly random amount of progress to each skill.

Gray changed his objective, walking over to one of the towering trees. He tensed his leg, lashing it out and slamming it into the side of the massive tree. Unsurprisingly, the tree caved instantly. It ripped out from the ground, tipping over as the ground around him shook.

Honestly, I thought it would do that, but I just wanted to kick something.

Gray had been frustrated for a number of reasons after his battle with Raditz, and having no way to take out the anger was making him even more frustrated.

Gray turned to an open space next to him, this time launching his leg outwards into the air. His leg flowed through the air in a round-house kick, then pulled back as Gray tensed again. He continued kicking, flashing his leg out over and over again. 

One more level, then I'll start getting ready to sleep.

Gray's body was absolutely exhausted from the battles of the previous day, but someone needed to keep watch in the unfamiliar territory, and Gray had opted to stand guard first.

Mainly because I hate waking up mid-sleep. I feel so unrested.

Gray's leg lashed out again. And again. And again. Over and over as time crawled by, minutes turning into an hour as he finally reached his result.

[Kick] level up! (2500/2500)

+10 STR for leveling up an STR-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

"Damn," Gray huffed, another bead of sweat rolling down his brow, "If it takes this long for level 5, it's going to be hard as fuck to level it up even more."

Gray silently wondered how he'd been able to raise his [Ki-Control] skill so effectively, but wrote it off as being because he was near-constantly controlling his Ki in some aspect.

Gray wiped a bead of sweat off his brow, walking back toward the place where his team was sleeping. They were sprawled randomly across the floor, as they didn't have beds, or even anything relatively comfortable to sleep on - just find the most comfortable patch of grass you can, and hope you sleep decently well. Gray glanced over, seeing his sword leaning against the side of a tree, and walked over. He leaned against the tree, sliding down so he was sitting with his back pressed into it.

The physical skills are more important, but some extra Ki wouldn't hurt.

Gray squinted his eyes shut, stretching out his senses. Nam's pitiful pool. Ranfan's even more pitiful pool. Saeko's rather small energy signal. Asuna's large energy pool, flooding out widely. Celia's even larger pool, raging in circles like a whirlpool. Gray almost blinked, but kept his eyes shut.

Has her Ki always been that crazy?

He stretched his mind further, searching throughout the forest.

They've all gotten stronger. I'll look at their new stats in the morning.

The near-invisible energy signals of the animals filling the forest. Go past them. Look higher. His senses extended up. Higher. Higher. Eventually, Gray felt something.

[Ki Sense] level up! (1000/1000)

+10 Ki for leveling up a Ki-related skill! (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

+100 XP (10x multiplier from [Nightmare Mode])

Gray resisted ripping his eyes open as his senses suddenly expanded even more, allowing him to feel the entire Ki pool of the being above them.

That's… a lot.

Gray's senses were flooded, the pool of Ki spanning out in every direction. It seemed near endless - like an ocean, while someone like Celia was merely a pond. This was a feeling he'd only felt during his fight with Raditz, when he was trying to find the Saiyan captain but couldn't because of the immense Ki radiating off the crowd of Ozaru's. 

It's… not that far above us. Korin? No way, right? I'd believe it if it was Kami, but if Korin has this much Ki, then… fuck. It's even more than I had when I was an Ozaru. It's in the millions at least. 

Gray sighed, opening his eyes as he pushed away the energy signal. 

This is so fucked. So incredibly fucked.

Gray stared up, the starlight shining down from above. Despite the ocean of Ki just above his head, he actually felt relaxed. The wind blew through the forest, rustling the leaves. The occasional sound of an animal running by. If he listened carefully, he could hear the rustling of ocean waves from miles away.

"What's got you so down?" A voice spoke out, and Gray looked over to see Celia leaning against the side of the tree that Gray's back was leaning against. He glanced away from her, looking at the sea of stars shining above them. 

They're so bright out here. I never could've seen something like this in my past life.

The pitch-black forest around him was absent of any light, and Gray wouldn't have been able to see even a foot in front of him if it wasn't for his superhuman eyesight.

"...I'm not happy with how the mission's goin'," Gray sighed, leaning fully into the tree as he stared at the night sky. 

"It's not ideal," Celia said simply, "Having Raditz and his squad as support would be nice, but it could be worse. You became a lot stronger, and me and Asuna aren't pushovers. Saeko is also decently strong." 

"It's not about that. I know we'll be fine. I'll make sure of it. It's just…" Gray grit his teeth as he looked down, breaking eye contact with the starry night to instead stare at his hand, "...I'm too weak. I have this body that can do damn near anything. I couldn't imagine doing any of these things in my pas- ah, a few months ago, but it's not enough. I lost to Raditz. I did everything right, and I still lost. I cut off his tail. I transformed. I was way stronger, but he still just fucking beat me."

A hand swung down, bumping Gray on the top of his head and bringing his attention back up to Celia. Celia stared down at him, locking eyes, "Gray. You're still only 15. A month ago, you were ranked last in Class-F. Now, you can go toe-to-toe with one of the King's elite squad commanders. You've grown faster than any Saiyan I've ever seen - you need to relax. You'll need more than a month of training to take down Frieza."

Gray nodded, looking back at his hand as he grunted in frustration.

She'd be right if I was a normal Saiyan. Even Goku took decades to become strong enough to rival Frieza, but Goku also didn't have this game system. Goku also wasn't given another chance at life. Goku just wanted to protect his friends - he didn't have goals like mine.

"It's just," Gray sighed again, "It's not enough. I know I can't just take on Frieza instantly. It's just, I, fuck," 

Gray groaned, trying to pick his words carefully as he knew he couldn't properly explain to Celia that his frustrations came from his new chance at life, "It's just… I've been losing. I lost to Kolra - I might've beaten him in the end, but I still lost. I lost to fucking Guldo and now I lost to Raditz. I… I didn't come he-, um, I didn't train so hard to lose. I just thought… I thought it'd be going better. I thought I'd be smarter. I thought I'd be kicking ass and fucking bit- ah, kicking ass and, um, ah-"

"Fucking bitches," Celia said, a small smirk on her face, "It's fine."

Celia stepped around the tree, sitting down next to him as she leaned against his shoulder, staring up at the night sky, "You need to relax, Gray. If you keep looking so far ahead, you won't enjoy the moment. Have some fun."

Gray blinked, turning his head to look at the girl leaning on his, "Did… did you of all people just say to have fun?"

"I can have fun," Celia said, a small smile on her face as she leaned her head over, laying it on Gray's shoulder, "The point is - just relax, Gray. You won't be fighting against Frieza any time soon. You'll need years of training to even come close to him, so don't rush. I know you hate losing. I know you don't want to be under someone, but that's what you have to do sometimes. Do you think my Father obeys Frieza because he wants to?"

"I know, I get it," Gray sighed, mental and physical exhaustion weighing down on him. He slumped to the side, his head falling onto Celia's as she leaned on his shoulder, "I just… I don't like it. I don't like not being in control. I don't like the idea that someone stronger can just take everything away. I know I fucked up everything, but I couldn't just let Raditz walk all over me. I wasn't going to let him kill Ranfan, and I almost died for it. If it wasn't for Asuna, I would've died for it."

"I understand," Celia hummed, "I told you when we first met, right? I'll give my everything for you. Whether it be Raditz or Frieza, fight whoever you need to. I'll be here to bail you out when you fuck up. So, relax, Gray. Do whatever you want, and I'll always be by your side."

"Thanks, Celia…" Gray sighed, closing his eyes as he felt sleep start to embrace him, the warm body of Celia pushing away the cold wind blowing through the forest.

Maybe she's not so emotionless after all?

Gray's breathing evened, and sleep took hold of him. In what felt like only a few minutes, a finger tapped on his shoulder, dragging him awake. He blinked his eyes open, the forest still dark around him. He looked to the side, seeing the finger belonged to Celia.

"What's up?" He asked, yawning as he blinked rapidly, "It's not morning yet, right?"

I sure hope not. I'm still exhausted.

"No, you've only been asleep a few hours," Celia said, now standing up as she looked down at him, "But I thought I'd let you know that a collection of energy signals are heading this way."

Gray nodded, his mind pushing away his fatigue as he stretched his senses out, instantly finding the collection she was speaking of. Roughly 20 power levels, one of which clearly dwarfed the rest.

That's close to mine. Shit.

The others weren't nearly as concerning, though they still ranged from around Saeko's level to similar to the Saiyan man he'd fought the day before, Berri. 

"Can you tell how fast they'll be here?" Gray asked, his still relatively low-level [Ki Sense] not able to pick up on their speed.

"An hour, maybe?" Celia hummed, "They're moving slowly. Like, very slowly. They've actually been heading this way for a while - since before you even fell asleep."

Gray blinked in surprise at her words, "Huh? And you didn't say anything?"

"We were having a moment."

…

"Seriously?" Gray asked incredulously, the emotionless girl having the decency to blush lightly.

"You also looked rather cute while you slept. I've been suppressing our energy, so it's fine." She said, turning away as she quickly walked away to wake up the rest of the team, "And, you needed rest. You're our heavy hitter."

I don't understand her at all.

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Gray Tanaki:

[Saiyan D-Class Recruit]

Age: 15

Wallet: 164,650 Coins

Lvl: 14 (193,000/250,000 XP)

PL: 162,225,200

Available Points: 0

HP: 230,000/231,850

TKI: 330,000/335,925

STR: 515

AGI: 700

END: 450

INT: 505

CHA: 205

LUK: 505

KI: 665

HREG: 456

EREG: 456

Skills: [Observe LVL 5], [Running LVL 6], [Determination LVL 4], [Ki Control LVL 9], [Ki Gun LVL 5]. [Ki Enhancement LVL 4], [KI Suppression LVL 5], [Ki Sense LVL 3], [Pushup LVL 5], [Punch LVL 5], [Kick LVL 5], [Jump LVL 4], [Flight LVL 4], [Prediction LVL 2], [Zenkai Boost LVL 1], [Cognitive Acceleration LVL 1], [Ah! Lord Freiza! LVL 1], [Mouth-Beam LVL 1], [Ki-Blade LVL 1], [Cooking LVL 1]

Perks: [Gamer's Mind], [Gamer's Body], [Double-edged Sword], [Legendary Super Saiyan], [Perfect Ozaru], [A Cute Pawn], [A Humble Master], [Ladies Man]

Fighting Styles: [Boxing Style: Kolra LVL 2]

Party: [Saeko, Celia, Asuna, Ranfan]

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Thanks for reading! The next part of the chapter will be out later, or you can read all the way up to chapter 20 at Patreon.com/Koyon !