Yamcha was awakened by the rich aroma of beans.
He opened his eyes and found himself lying inside a simple wooden hut.
A blanket covered him, and his palms were wrapped in bandages.
He struggled to sit up and saw a small figure standing with its back to him, stirring something in a pot.
A white cat, wearing sunglasses, leaning on a wooden staff.
It was Korin.
"You're awake," Korin said calmly, without turning around.
"Master Korin…" Yamcha began, his voice extremely hoarse.
Korin turned, his tiny sunglasses facing him.
"It's been many years since anyone climbed up here. I didn't expect the one to make it would be a 'dead man.'"
Yamcha's heart tightened. It seemed Korin had noticed something unusual about him.
He gave a bitter smile and said, "You can think of me as a new Yamcha."
Korin was silent for a moment, as if contemplating his words.
"This world has no hope left. Why climb all the way up here?" Korin asked quietly.
"Because I refuse to accept my fate," Yamcha said, eyes sharpening. "Kami is gone, but the Lookout should still be there, right?"
"You want to go to the Lookout?" Korin sounded surprised.
"I want to enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber!" Yamcha stated his intention without hesitation.
"That's the only place in this world that can make me stronger! It's the only hope I have!"
Korin stared at him for a long time—so long that Yamcha began to feel uneasy.
"Interesting eyes," Korin finally said. "Very similar to Goku's back then… but also different... Yours aren't as pure as his, but they have a touch more madness."
He reached behind him, took out a small green bean from a jar, and tossed it to Yamcha.
"Eat it."
A Senzu Bean!
Yamcha's heart leapt—he knew exactly what it was.
One of the most overpowered items in the Dragon Ball world!
He swallowed the Senzu Bean without hesitation and chewed.
An indescribable warmth exploded from his stomach, surging through every limb and bone!
He felt every cell in his body cheering.
All the exhaustion, hunger, and pain accumulated from climbing Korin Tower vanished in an instant!
The mangled wounds on his palms healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, leaving not even a scar.
His body not only returned to peak condition—it felt even stronger than before!
This was the power of a Senzu Bean!
"This feeling… it's amazing!"
Yamcha couldn't help but exclaim. He stood up, stretched his arms and legs, and felt energy overflowing inside him.
"The Lookout is indeed still there," Korin said. "Popo is also still there, guarding that empty palace."
"Then the Hyperbolic Time Chamber…" Yamcha asked nervously.
"It should still be usable," Korin nodded. "The flow of time there is unaffected by the outside world."
That was great!
Yamcha's fists clenched instantly—he had made the right gamble!
"However, there's a problem," Korin said, his tone shifting.
"What problem?"
"How do you plan to get up there?"
Korin leaned on his wooden staff, walked to the edge of the platform, and pointed upward.
"Back then, the Power Pole connected this place to the Lookout. Goku went up using it... But now, the Power Pole has been lost for years. Who knows where it is."
Yamcha froze.
Right… how was he supposed to get up?
The Lookout floated tens of thousands of meters above Korin Tower.
Bukujutsu was the only method.
But… at his current level, he couldn't even fly. At most, he could use Ki to jump slightly higher.
Reaching the height of the Lookout was nothing but a fantasy.
"Master Korin… do you still have any Senzu Beans left here?" Yamcha suddenly asked.
"I do, but not many," Korin said, pointing to the jar behind him. "This is the last batch. New Senzu Beans can't be grown anymore in this world."
"Then could I…"
"You want to use Senzu Beans to recover stamina while flying?" Korin immediately understood.
"In theory, it could work. But your ki is far too weak. Even with Senzu Beans, you wouldn't be able to reach that height. You'd run out of strength halfway and fall to your death."
Yamcha's heart sank.
Could it be… after everything he'd gone through to get here, he would fail at the very last step?
He looked up at the distant, unreachable sky, his face filled with unwillingness.
"However…"
Korin glanced at him and continued.
"Your soul is special. Your mental strength far surpasses ordinary people. Maybe… you can try a clever method."
"What method?" Yamcha's eyes lit up instantly.
Korin pointed at his feet.
"Gather all your ki in your feet, then release it all in a single instant."
"Isn't that just… a Ki Blast?" Yamcha was stunned.
"No, it's different," Korin shook his head. "Not forward—downward. Use the explosive recoil to launch yourself, like a cannonball."
"Launch… myself?"
Yamcha was stunned by the sheer insanity of the idea.
"Yes," Korin nodded, expression serious. "It's a desperate gamble."
"If you succeed, you'll reach the Lookout's height. If you fail, you'll burn out all your strength in mid-air and fall to your death."
"Do you dare to gamble?"
Behind his sunglasses, Korin's gaze seemed to pierce straight through Yamcha's heart.