"Yes, without a doubt, I said it."
"Can I... participate too?"
"As long as you take off this necklace, as long as you can persist with three years of self-cultivation, as long as you can join the Martial Arts Association... it's definitely possible."
Krillin listened, his mouth involuntarily hanging open...
"But... what if the monks at the temple find out? It'll be terrible for me." The little bald monk was clearly tempted, but still had reservations.
That's how he was—worldly, timid, and very greedy.
These flaws were very obvious in the early part of the original story. In the original plot, in order to become Master Roshi's disciple, he even conducted thorough research, made preparations, and took a very opportunistic approach... If it weren't for Roshi's appreciation of talent, or for seeing his pure nature, he probably would have been sent back home with a Kamehameha right then.
Even during the early days of his training under Master Roshi, Krillin had been known for various opportunistic actions.
But at his core, the little monk was kind-hearted, or one could say... people who achieve high success in martial arts on Earth aren't inherently bad. Even the current Tsuru, if not influenced by the present Taro, and if he hadn't reached such an extreme personality in his long life, would not have his martial path reduced to this level.
"If you wear it close to your body, no one will notice. I'll be monitoring for anyone approaching you. When there are people around, I won't make a sound," Jarvis seemed to have considered everything, eliminating Krillin's concerns.
Krillin couldn't resist the temptation. He thought about all the bullying he'd endured every day, the grievances in his heart, and he couldn't help but recall the mysterious little fat swordsman he had encountered at the small tavern by the mountain, and the incredibly strong little boy, Goku, seen in the TV broadcast. He wondered, had he felt a tiny bit of ambition to get stronger back then...?
"Will becoming a member of the Martial Arts Association really allow me to leave here?" Krillin pursed his lips and asked, feeling his throat dry.
"Without a doubt. I'll contact the people at the Martial Arts Association for you." Jarvis responded, adding, "If you pass the three years of self-cultivation review and meet the criteria, you'll be able to enter the 'Virtual Earth Network' through this necklace, and in the 'Muten City' there, you'll directly connect with the Martial Arts Association people, and I'll handle all the paperwork for you."
---
Inside Jarvis's source code space, a green torrent of data converged into the figure of a middle-aged man.
Before him was the back of Taro. Jarvis knew this was Taro's mental projection. On the entire Earth, only Taro had the ability to connect his will to his main body and communicate without relying on any devices.
"So, how's it going?" Taro casually asked.
Jarvis's electronically synthesized voice had a hint of magnetism, but it showed no emotional fluctuation as he spoke slowly, "I've done it as you instructed. He should take the necklace, but whether he can endure three years of self-cultivation remains to be seen..."
"Yeah, whether he can hold on or not... we'll see." Taro smiled.
"You don't know either?" Jarvis asked in an emotionless tone.
Taro turned around and said, "Jarvis, I didn't expect... you would blindly believe in someone too."
"'Blindly believe' is not accurate, Mr. Taro. Based on your past actions and experiences, I don't think my trust in you is 'blind.' You are the most perfect and powerful human I know, within my computational capacity," Jarvis responded humbly.
Taro didn't mind, "Your flattery module is getting quite skilled..." He paused, then continued, "I don't have much faith that the current Krillin can persist three years. But it doesn't matter, it's just a little thing to kill time. Since we've met, giving him a chance is fine."
"If he passes the three-year assessment, will you take him as a disciple?" Jarvis, ignoring the term "Saitama" that wasn't in the database, deduced from Taro's tone and asked.
"We'll see when the time comes... If I need to find a companion for Goku, then it's fine," Taro nodded, then shook his head, thinking for a moment, and finally said, "If he can endure for three years, then... we'll guide him into the virtual Earth network, and let him enter the 'Muten Tower' to see how he performs."
After saying this, Taro's mental projection slowly dissipated.
Jarvis's figure turned into green data flow and disappeared, "As you wish..."
---
The Phoenix cried out a few more times. Krillin gritted his teeth and, trembling, carefully took the necklace off its neck. The silver-white metallic luster and the not-too-cold feel in his hands were like jade—smooth and round, without the usual hardness of metal.
He stared at the necklace in his hand, took a deep breath, and with a serious expression, hung it around his neck, hiding it under his clothes.
"By the way, the Phoenix wants to eat a purple-furred bear's paw. If possible, you should pay attention to any information on that. Of course, I'll also collect data on the purple-fur bear around you..." Jarvis's voice came from under Krillin's chest.
Krillin scratched his head, looking at the large red bird beside him, "It wants to eat... a purple-furred bear's paw?" After recalling the scene where the Phoenix was nibbling on roasted wolf meat, Krillin felt like he shouldn't use common sense when dealing with this bird... But how did such a strange and terrifying bird end up with this necklace?
Was it raised by someone?
"It... where did the Phoenix come from? It's not someone's pet, right?" Krillin said jokingly, glancing at the Phoenix, which responded with a haughty look, warning him not to forget about the purple-fur bear.
Jarvis answered, "It's Mr. Taro's pet."
The Phoenix continued to look at Krillin with disdain, leaving him puzzled. So, he asked, "Uh, is... Mr. Taro very powerful? Wait, why is the bird's gaze even weirder now..." Krillin noticed that when he asked this, the Phoenix looked at him with complete disdain. He couldn't help but feel more frustrated. How many times had this bird looked down on him today?
"Mr. Taro, known to the world as the Muten Roshi."
Clang!
In the mountains of Orin Temple, a small bald monk dropped his basket and machete to the ground, shocked beyond belief. His mouth hung open for a long time, almost dislocating...