"What was that just now?"
Although it lasted only five seconds, the immense aura Goku exuded after transforming into a golden warrior—along with the energy fluctuations that made the entire mountain tremble—stunned everyone inside the potential-unlocking chamber.
In that moment, it felt as though they were facing a being from an entirely different dimension—a terrifying deity.
"Regardless of what it was, the outcome is clearly excellent."
Bai Yuekui was the first to recover her composure; she gazed at Goku, who was currently adjusting to his body, with a radiant smile.
She had anticipated that unlocking his potential would boost his strength, but she hadn't expected the increase to be so massive.
This was, naturally, a wonderful thing.
The greater the boost to Goku's strength, the more confident they could be about entering the "Scarlet Miasma" later on.
"How do you feel? Is there any physical discomfort?"
When potential is unlocked normally, the body undergoes evolution, which almost inevitably leads to some side effects.
Some might temporarily lose the ability to speak—like Maiduo.
Others might see their physical growth stall for a period—like Xiadou.
It often takes a few years of adjustment to fully recover.
"I feel fantastic right now!"
Goku moved his hand, creating a blur of afterimages, then leaped up and unleashed kicks that generated sonic booms, describing the general state of his body following the potential unlock.
Bai Yuekui nodded after listening:
"The boost to your base strength is a result of the potential unlock.
As for that special state you entered earlier—that was likely a unique ability you gained from the process..."
Everyone who unlocks their potential experiences an improvement in physical attributes and the evolution of certain organs, often resulting in the acquisition of a special ability.
She believed that the state where Goku's hair turned gold was precisely his awakened ability.
The function of this ability was to drastically amplify the energy within his body.
The fact that it could only be maintained for five seconds was perfectly normal.
When villagers from Dragon Bone Village first unlocked their potential, they could only use their abilities for a few seconds at a time; capacity would increase gradually through training.
No one's ability could be used indefinitely.
"I see!"
After hearing Bai Yuekui's analysis, Goku gained a better understanding of his own situation.
As long as he continued his training and worked hard, that state—which boosted his power fiftyfold—could be sustained for longer periods.
"Goku, I have another method to further enhance your strength. Would you be willing to give it a try?"
Seeing how delighted Goku was with his increased power, Bai Yuekui took the opportunity to propose a second phase of enhancement.
At Dragon Bone Village, beyond the unlocking of latent potential, there were also enhancement treatments involving the "Angel" and "Miracle K" serums.
However, aside from herself, no one else in the village could withstand the effects of these two serums.
In the original "Operation Gnash-Tooth," she had intended for Mark to receive the injection.
Given the physical constitution of Mark's clone body, he should have been capable of handling both serums.
When administered together, the two serums could unlock the potential for infinite human cell division and promote the regeneration and reconnection of nerve cells.
To put it simply, it offered the possibility of immortality and further physical enhancement—much like her own state.
She was confident that Goku's physique could handle both serums, allowing his strength to rise to a new level.
"I can get even stronger?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Goku nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice.
And so, after the potential-unlocking process, Bai Yuekui took Goku to her experimental base.
This time, there was no one else present—just her and Goku.
"Just lie down on the bed."
"It's that simple?"
Goku leaped onto the bed used for human experiments and lay down obediently.
Restraints instantly popped out from the sides of the bed, securing his limbs and torso firmly in place.
"Don't worry; these are just support devices."
Worried that Goku might misunderstand, Bai Yuekui offered a brief explanation.
Goku had no objections to this, as he could easily break free from those restraints with just a little effort.
"Next, I'm going to inject you with two types of serum; they can..."
Habitually putting on her glasses, Bai Yuekui began operating the complex equipment in the base.
Soon, two massive syringes—one containing red serum and the other blue—appeared before Goku.
They slowly moved toward his body.
"An injection!"
The moment he saw the syringes, the look on Goku's face changed instantly.
"Waaah! I don't want an injection!"
A terrified scream rang out from the laboratory. Goku violently snapped the metal restraints holding him, then darted away, dodging the needles and leaping off the bed.
He was fearless—unafraid of anything, even death itself—yet he had one major weakness.
That weakness was injections; he had an intense fear of needles.
When he was young, he had nearly died after accidentally falling off a cliff and hitting his head; his grandfather had taken him to see various doctors, resulting in him receiving countless injections.
Ever since then, he had harbored a deep-seated psychological trauma regarding needles.
So, even though those two serums could boost his strength, he absolutely refused to compromise.
He could increase his power through his own training; there was no need for injections.
"Oh... Goku, just bear with it for a moment. It won't hurt. I'll give you some candy after it's done."
Bai Yuekui couldn't help but feel a sense of helpless amusement; it was surprising that Goku—who could casually swat a Monarch-class Phage Beast to death—was actually afraid of injections.
But on second thought, while Goku was incredibly strong, he was still just a child, so this reaction was actually quite normal.
She tried to coax him gently, speaking to him as one would a small child, hoping to get him back onto the bed.
However, she had clearly underestimated the extent of his fear.
"I'm hungry. I'm going to go eat."
Goku instantly vanished from the spot using teleportation.
Getting an injection? He wouldn't do it even if it killed him.
"Alright, then."
Seeing Goku teleport away, Bai Yuekui had no choice but to helplessly switch off the various instruments.
She couldn't force him if he didn't want to.
Fortunately, the potential-unlocking process was already complete; while the two serums could boost one's strength, their primary function was granting immortality.
Her desire for Goku to take the serums was largely a way to repay him.
It would certainly be better if Goku's strength could be increased further, but even without it, he should be capable of carrying out the plan.
They had no other way to repay Goku for his help, so they had hoped to grant him immortality through the injections.
Unfortunately, Goku wasn't interested.
"Maybe I could try making an oral version in the future."
"I could bring Lord Kami here for the shots later."
Having teleported back to Dragon Bone Village, Goku thought to himself while enjoying some delicious food in the shop.
Bai Yuekui had mentioned earlier that the two serums could not only boost strength but also grant immortality.
Lord Kami didn't have much time left; while he himself would never agree to an injection, he might let Lord Kami get one.
That way, Lord Kami wouldn't have to worry about his lifespan anymore.
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