Elsewhere, the Exalted Venerable "Heaven's Blessing" Islabith and Jia were observing the situation from start to finish, chuckling and laughing intermittently.
"Jia, you need to become stronger than you are now. Consider this merely a warm-up—because that is exactly what it is; who am I kidding? What you are about to go through—even for an Exalted Venerable—will serve as preparation. After all, one cannot remain hidden from sight forever unless something actively prevents them from appearing," Islabith said in a calm tone as she watched Yuta.
Jia let out a deep sigh. She thought back to her battle against Vermon Solterk—where she had suffered a humiliating defeat—and her fight against the Goblin Ruler Kavlior, where she had pushed her power to its absolute limit and was still paying the price to this day. Furthermore, the rulers of the Grand Duchies and Empires remained vastly more powerful than her.
And that was to say nothing of the entities roaming novels at such extreme power levels that even the weakest among them surpassed the strongest entity in this world—with the exception, of course, of the Venerables or beings who did not originate from this world!
It was, in a sense, an incredibly difficult situation for her. Yet, there were few options available; ultimately, there was only one path: she had to become stronger—strong enough to fully understand herself and the world around her. Courage and perseverance are the keys that unlock the doors to secrets, while strength is the path that allows one to navigate the very mysteries and enigmas capable of ending one's life.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds before speaking in a calm tone that nonetheless carried a terrifying determination to defy the impossible: "I will become the absolute strongest, and I will confront the most powerful, ferocious, cunning, and devious entities of all."
A faint smile graced the face of the Venerable Sky-Blessing Iselabeth as she listened; she then spoke softly: "Do you remember that 'Demon Gem of the Fantasy Realm'? Once you reach Level 2 of your Zenith Wing, seize and consume just two of them. Consider this your first lesson as my disciple."
Jia remained silent, recalling the item—along with several others—that had appeared shortly before she obtained the First Creator's Phone; she now realized it held immense significance.
She sat on a nearby bench, the lingering trace of a smile from her earlier laughter still gracing her face. She glanced at the First Creator's Phone resting on the table for a few seconds, then turned her gaze back to the Venerable Sky-Blessing Iselabeth, only to find her gone.
She spotted her in the garden, walking toward Yuta, Chloe, and Madeline. A moment of tension gripped her; the disparity in power was so vast that she hadn't even sensed the Venerable One's departure. She picked up his phone, her expression filled with bewilderment and surprise; two weeks had passed since the last audio recording—Recording No. 7—which had coincided with Boutaleb's birthday and one of the greatest tragedies of his life.
She let out a long sigh as she opened the app, only to find—to her surprise—that there were exactly seven voice messages. She then closed the app.
"Strange! The 'Memories of the Queen of the World (I am the Great Outcast)' and 'Palace of Everything Nameless' abilities didn't activate during the same period the voice messages stopped. Could they be connected? An ability that shows me the past, and a voice recording that reveals the phone owner's future?" Jia's tone held a hint of skepticism regarding the link between the ability and the app.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds, trying to clear her mind. When she opened them again, she found herself inside Boutaleb's house, with the system interface hovering before her:
Jia sighed inwardly in frustration; the transition had been sudden and completely unexpected. She immediately stood up, only to realize she was actually lying beside Boutaleb, who was asleep with his phone resting next to him.
This strengthened her earlier hypothesis that the ability was linked to the phone; yet, her curiosity about the phone's contents was stronger than ever.
She accessed his private journal—specifically the chapter she had been reading—only to find nothing but the continuation of past events. However, the main character felt strangely familiar, as if one had heard of him before:
One night, Goku went to the room of his father's wife, Loria. Upon his entry, Loria demanded, "How dare you enter my room?" Ignoring her words, he said, "You thought I wouldn't realize you were the one who tainted my mana? But I actually have to thank you, Loria." "Thank me? Why?" "Because thanks to that, I managed to master both dark and holy mana." She was shocked; "How did you do that? That's impossible." He replied, "That is none of your business," and left in a huff.
A year later, Goku enrolled in the Magic Academy under a different identity—that of a Count's son. Upon arrival, he met the headmaster, who explained the academy's rules: "One of the most important conditions for joining is that you cannot use your royal family name; everyone is equal here." "Understood, Headmaster." After the conversation, Goku went to his room and found two commoners there. "Hello, could you introduce yourselves?" "My name is Laud Jenk; I wield fire magic. And you?" "My name is Arbid; I wield gravity magic. And you?" "I am Arthur (Goku) Volkin, and I wield shadow magic." They were astonished. "Your magic is incredibly rare, Arbid—I mean, Goku—because a user of shadow magic appears only once every thousand years." They heard an announcement over the loudspeaker instructing them to proceed to the ceremonial hall. When they arrived, Goku was the one chosen to speak, having ranked first in the entrance exams. After the ceremonies, Goku attended a dueling class, where he proved to be the strongest among them. He faced rivals such as the champion Calvin Sander, the King's son Arthur Johnlvin, and Laud Jenk. The next lesson was... Possessing magical abilities, Goku would employ shadow magic—having reached the S-rank level.
One day, Goku visited his uncle, with whom he lived. "Uncle, I'm going to the Kalaras Shrine; I need the key." "Alright, here you go," his uncle said, thinking to himself that there was nothing of value there. However, Goku knew of the existence of the "Soul-Saver" sword—or the "Sword of Light"—whose power rivaled that of the Sword of Athena. The system had revealed that finding it would yield a reward of 800,000 evolution points, with an additional 900,000 points awarded for fusing it with the Sword of Athena. After some time, he arrived at the cave, and Upon arriving, he took six steps northeast and another to the west, as guided by his system. "Who are you?" the Gatekeeper demanded. "I am the Gatekeeper—the one who stops thieves like you from stealing the sword." Goku replied, "We shall see if I get the sword or not." He unleashed the fourteenth form of the Mana Sword: *Atlagor's Thousand-Strike*. The Gatekeeper gasped, "What is this? How can a mortal possess such power?" Goku retorted, "That is what the weak say to rationalize their defeat." He then proceeded to fuse with the sword; the process required immense time and effort, but he gained 1.7 million evolution points and adopted the name "Yokora." Later, he discovered the sword could replenish its energy using the blood of its victims; it also saw a 100% increase in damage output and a 300% boost in power. He acquired two skills from it: the "Strike of Serenity," which purifies a person's soul, and the "Strike of Darkness," its exact opposite, which enslaves the victim as his eternal servant.
Two days later, the mid-year exams began, with Goku ranking first. Two weeks after the exams, inter-academy competitions commenced. The host institution was the Solvink Sword Academy. Ten academies participated, most notably Solvink, Goku's academy, the Golfk Magic Academy, the Kairstan Martial Arts Academy, and the Blahra Beast-Taming Academy. The competition consisted of three stages: the first involved inter-academy combat, the second tested magical skills, and the third was a test of survival. Stages two and three were individual events. In the first stage of the opening round, no academy... In the second round of the Five Academies tournament, Solvenic Academy faced Volgis Magic Academy; Gulfk Magic Academy faced Kairstan Martial Arts Academy; and Blahra Beast-Taming Academy faced Yonkiv Yumira Academy. Goku, serving as the leader due to his superior strength, assisted with training and devised the winning strategy. He led his team to victory against Solvenic Academy and eventually won the final against Gulfk Magic Academy, though the victory was hard-won due to the weakness of his teammates. The second stage focused on magical skill; the first bout was between Goku and Jin. On match day, Jin sneered, "Let's see who I'm fighting—the Academy's number one? How lucky." Goku replied, "We'll see if you're lucky or not. Alright, let's end this quickly: Crimson Sun Strike!" Jin fell. Referee: "Winner: Arthur. Time: 30 seconds." Other victors included Calvin Sander, King Arthur's son Johnlvin, Laudjink, and Zalk (grandson of the Sword Saint). The fifth round saw Goku face Laudjink. Goku said, "Let's see who wins." Laudjink unleashed the "Sun Masters' Strike," but Goku countered. "Is that all you've got? Take *this* strike: Sun Masters' Strike!" Laudjink was defeated. Referee: "Winner: Arthur. Time: 25 seconds." The final match was between Goku and King Arthur's son, Johnlvin. On match day, however, Goku forfeited. "What? But he promised to defeat me before the match!" The third and final round was a survival challenge set on the "Monster Island." Upon arrival, Laudjink asked Goku about the island's name; it was named so because it was the first place monsters appeared and was teeming with them—a prospect that delighted Goku. Suddenly, the system screen appeared... "Host, you have a crucial mission: to slay an SS-rank Monster King. The path to him lies through a terrifying portal atop Devil's Peak. Goku teleported to the summit at night, intending to test his transformations. Upon entering the portal, he found it teeming with S, A, and B-rank monsters. A battle ensued, lasting for hours, during which he converted all the portal's monsters into Shadow Soldiers (time inside the portal moves at a rate where one day equals two days outside). Eventually, he encountered the Monster King. Goku fought him, utilizing Kaioken x10, x20, and x30, as well as Super Saiyan 1, 2, and 3. The Monster King, Kaitos, asked, 'Do you take me for a punching bag, Goku?' Goku replied, 'Yes—and what's wrong with that? By the way, you make an excellent punching bag.' Enraged, the King vowed to kill him and unleashed his final form; it resembled a human but possessed immense power, reaching the SSS-rank—so powerful, in fact, that he destroyed the very chamber they were in. Goku said, 'Since you've used your full power, I'll do the same,' and transformed into Super Saiyan Blue. However, the aura wasn't blue but violet, resulting from a fusion of the mana of Gods, Saiyans, demons, and holy energy; this form was forty times stronger than standard Blue. He unleashed a Kamehameha, defeating the King, then used the 'Devour' and 'Shadow Monarch' skills to claim the King's shadow as a subordinate. The System offered a weapon from Goku's original world; when Goku handed it over, the sword devoured the King's essence, transforming from a sword into a staff. Its attributes evolved, its size increased, and it gained the ability to shapeshift into any weapon or armor. Meanwhile, Goku's tail grew back." He earned the title of "Monkey King" and, subsequently, "Beast King"—a title that granted him the ability to command beasts. Upon exiting, he discovered the trial had ended; he had won by default because all other participants had surrendered after being attacked by monsters. During the celebratory banquet, everyone noticed Goku's tail. The "Sword Saint" asked, "Goku, why do you have a tail?" Goku explained, "I entered a portal, killed the Monkey King, and claimed his title—that is why I have this tail." The Sword Saint was astonished, wondering how Goku had defeated the Monkey King, who was considered one of the strongest fighters. "Very well, you may go."
Meanwhile, Gohan said, "We must bring my father, Goku, back; it has been twelve years since our fight against Frieza." Everyone agreed and began gathering the Dragon Balls. Once collected, they asked Shenron to revive Son Goku. Shenron replied, "I cannot." Krillin asked, "Why? We've brought him back many times without issue." Shenron explained, "He is in another realm, and an unknown force is preventing me from bringing him back." Bulma asked, "Can we speak to him?" Shenron replied, "You can." At that moment, Goku heard Shenron's voice telling him his friends wanted to speak with him. Goku began talking to them, recounting how he had found himself in the body of the Demon King's son, and explaining the "System" and the world he was in. Everyone was shocked. Vegeta told him, "We will find a way to bring you back, and then I will defeat you soundly." Goku replied, "Alright."
A week later, Goku joined the Hunters' Guild. The team consisted of five members: the leader, Galban; the deputy, a swordsman named Roseau; a mage who was his friend, Laudo; a defender, Yohan; and Goku, who became the sixth member under the name Arthur Volkin. His first mission was to fight the leader, Galban. After a battle that ended with his opponent's surrender, everyone began praising Goku for having bested a leader. Their first mission was to escort a count to the capital and protect him in exchange for 300,000 gold pieces. Upon arrival, Goku was shocked to discover the count's identity: "Count Goku? My father? What? Your father?" "Yes, he is my father" (though it was a fake father). The journey proceeded smoothly until midnight, when bandits surrounded them from all sides.Rosa took on the attackers—"You weaklings!"—effortlessly parrying their strikes before finishing them all off with her "Moon Blade" attack. They then continued their journey. Upon reaching the capital, the kingdom awarded them a sum of money that was divided among all guild members; each received 50,000 gold pieces. Goku, however, spent his entire share on food, leaving nothing behind. Back at the academy, Goku asked the System, "Will I transform into an Oozaru when there is a full moon?" The System replied, "Yes, but if you manage to control it, you will unlock a new transformation called Super Saiyan 4, which multiplies your power 4,000 times." Goku countered, "But Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue are stronger than that." The System explained, "True, but this form can be fused with other transformations." Goku asked, "How is that possible?" The System replied, "By activating one of your other forms while in your Oozaru state and attempting to master it. Super Saiyan 4 is a hybrid of the Oozaru state and Super Saiyan. Your mission is to master Super Saiyan 4, fuse it with other forms, and master those combinations as well. Your reward will be a portal allowing you to travel between your original world and this one—once a day." Goku agreed. When the day of the final exams arrived, Goku topped the academy rankings, earning the title of "Pride of the Family" among both humans and demons.
A week after the end-of-year break, he began training to control the Oozaru form. After days of training, he succeeded and transformed into Super Saiyan 4. All that remained was to fuse it with Super Saiyan 1, Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, Ultra Instinct, and True Ultra Instinct. He began training for the Super Saiyan 1 fusion; it was difficult, requiring a month and a half to master, while the fusions with Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue took a full month each, due to... He mastered the Oozaru form—spending two full months perfecting Ultra Instinct. "Mission accomplished; here is your reward, Host Goku." "Welcome, Chi-Chi." "Goten, do you recognize him?" "Chi-Chi? No... who are you?" "Goku—I'm your husband, Goku. What's wrong, Chi-Chi?" "What? That's impossible. Goku's hair is strange, but yours is long, red, and handsome." "That's hurtful! Yes, I am Goku; my appearance changed after I was reborn in that other world." Two hours passed, and everyone was informed. "Vegeta, but how did you get here, Goku? Through achievement points or evolution?" Vegeta remembered. "But what was the mission?" "To master the Oozaru form." Everyone was surprised: "How?" "I'll show you." He transformed into Super Saiyan 4. "But that's weaker than Super Saiyan Blue or Super Saiyan God," Vegeta noted. "I fused it with other transformations. I'll show you: Super Saiyan 4, Super Saiyan 4 God, Super Saiyan 4 Orange, Super Saiyan 4 Orange Kaioken, Super Saiyan 4 Ultra Instinct (both the base and mastered forms), and the Avatar state." "Gohan, why did the Super Saiyan Blue color change to purple?" "Because it mixed with the demonic mana of that world." After the celebration ended, Goku returned to his own world.
Four years passed; Goku graduated from the academy and returned to the Demon Kingdom, where he received a warm welcome from his parents. "I'd like to speak with both of you privately." "Alright, what do you want?" "I am a being who was reincarnated into this world; my original clan name was Saiyan Samira." "Stop this nonsense, Goku." "Alright, I'll show you." He transformed into Super Saiyan 1. By the way, his people used to plunder planets and sell them off. They asked, "So, Goku, what was your life like before?" He replied, "I was a warrior who fought powerful opponents—so powerful that the universe felt as fragile as glass before them. I married and had two sons, Gohan and Goten; thanks to the dimensional portals I possess, I can visit them once a day." Goku asked if they wanted to see them, and they answered, "Yes, we do." The next day, Goku took his parents to his former world and introduced them to his family and friends; his parents were proud of their son. They met Beerus, the God of Destruction, and Whis. They asked Goku who these two were. Goku explained, "That is the God of Destruction; he rules this entire universe. And that is his assistant and trainer, Whis—he trains me, too." They were astonished to learn who they were and the extent of their power. Beerus asked Bulma, "Who are they?" Bulma replied, "They are Goku's parents from his new life." They went to Goku's house and found it modest. Goku said, "I was poor in my previous life." The next day, they returned to their own world.
Jia's expression shifted to one of involuntary surprise as she stared at the phone. She spoke in a tone that mixed astonishment with bewilderment: "Why is all this written in this chapter? A chapter within a chapter—it's incredibly bizarre! It's terrible writing—with all due respect. And why do the names of the characters and transformations resemble those from the *Dragon Ball* anime? Is the author that lazy when it comes to naming things?" Her expression involuntarily shifted to one of confusion at her own words; she returned the phone to its original spot, making a mental note to ask Yuta about the existence of such a thing—for her tone and manner of speaking had been incredibly fluid.
She turned her gaze toward Boutaleb, who was in a deep sleep. As she brought her hand close to his face, he betrayed slight signs of tension, shattering the charade of his slumber.
He opened his eyes, looking at her with a hint of embarrassment. Yet, when Jiya placed her hand on his forehead, the sensation was far from ordinary; it mirrored the feeling of touching Yuta's skin—as if she were touching her own body.
This realization led her to understand that Boutaleb was connected to the entities known as "Nameless" and "The Great Outcast." But how? He was merely a frail human—it was impossible for him to be either of those beings! And yet, the ability was named "Memories of Nameless"—so how could this be?