The koi pond had forgiven him.
Mostly.
By late afternoon, Kai had wrung the water from his hair, changed into dry clothes, and resumed his self-inflicted crash course in "How to Dragon Ball."
And the crashes?
Oh, they were plentiful.
Every failed jump, every shoulder-check into a tree trunk, every face-first dive into Bulma's brick fence only added to the total.
And yet — somehow — it was working.
[DING]
[Body Trauma Resistance: Minor (Unlocked)]
[Adaptation Engaged – Skeletal Durability +2%]
[Pain Response Suppression Initiated]
'I'm gonna end up with titanium bones at this rate.'
He backflipped, hovered half a second, and hit the ground in a roll. No pain. No soreness.
Just progress.
He hadn't stopped moving in hours. No hunger, no fatigue. Just a steady, almost unreal momentum.
His system was adapting to the concept of nonstop training. Like it had accepted that this was the new normal and tuned the dials up.
No more tired legs. No aching arms.
He just kept going.
And then… it happened.
He jumped.
And didn't fall.
No panic. No yelling. No crashing into landscaping.
He just… hovered.
Six inches off the ground.
Then a foot.
Then two.
Kai blinked down at the grass below him, blinking.
'…Holy crap. I'm doing it. I'm flying. I'm actually flying!'
He tilted forward, floated a few feet, then up.
[DING]
[Flight Skill: Unlocked]
[Ki Stability Achieved – Short-Range Flight Capable]
He spun in the air and did a tiny fist pump.
"Oh my god, I am such a beast."
He zipped a few more laps around the yard, adjusting his balance, testing speed.
'Let's goooo. Gohan could never.'
Then he stopped midair and pointed dramatically toward the stars.
"Vegeta. Nappa. I hope you boys like getting kicked by a guy who needed twelve concussions to learn to hover."
Later that night, long after the city lights dimmed and the house went quiet, Kai was still out there.
Moving.
Training.
Gliding in slow circles around Capsule Corp's backyard, arms folded, eyes closed, completely calm.
He threw a few punches midair.
Floated higher.
Lower.
His control was improving by the hour. His body wasn't just adapting anymore — it was evolving on instinct. Every desire he leaned into, every goal he obsessed over, his body listened.
'At this rate, I'm gonna end up with ultra instinct because I stubbed my toe too hard.'
He chuckled to himself… then heard the back door slide open.
"Do you ever sleep?"
Kai snapped upright in the air — still floating — and turned to see Bulma standing there in her robe, hair slightly messy, holding a mug of tea and looking 40% confused and 60% concerned.
"Oh hey," he said, waving from midair like that was normal.
Bulma stared. "…You're flying."
"I know, right? Awesome."
"You were crashing into the koi pond, like, twelve hours ago."
"Yeah, I, uh…" Kai landed slowly, trying to stay casual. "I'm kind of a genius. Learns fast."
Bulma narrowed her eyes. "You weren't even close this morning."
"Well, turns out desperation is a good motivator," he said with a too-wide grin.
She walked out into the yard, blinking up at the stars.
"Okay, but seriously. Do you ever get tired? You've been at this since yesterday."
Kai scratched the back of his neck.
"I've got a condition," he said quickly.
Bulma tilted her head. "A what?"
"A condition. Genetic thing. I don't get physically tired like normal people. It's weird. Doctors hate me."
She sipped her tea, watching him carefully. "Right…"
'Please stop asking questions. I cannot explain 'magical alien system that makes me cracked' to the smartest woman on Earth.'
"I'm totally healthy though," Kai added quickly. "I just have crazy stamina. You know, martial arts genes or something."
Bulma looked like she wanted to call B.S., but she let it go. For now.
"…Anyway," she said slowly, "since you're apparently allergic to resting, I figured I'd show you something."
Kai blinked. "Now?"
"Yup. Come on, Flyboy."
She led him inside, through the hallways, down two elevators, and into a reinforced steel chamber that looked more like a spaceship interior than a room.
Inside was a half-built dome with control panels, a sensor array, and a massive power conduit hooked to the floor.
Bulma crossed her arms proudly.
"Prototype gravity chamber. Still needs finishing touches. But once it's up and running, you'll be able to train at up to 20x Earth's gravity."
Kai whistled.
'Now we're talking. Goku had to beg for one of these. I got mine because I don't pay rent and Bulma has a soft spot for idiots.'
"Bulma… this is amazing."
"Yeah, well, don't blow it up."
"Can't make promises I won't keep."
She sighed and shook her head, then handed him a tablet with calibration settings.
"You'll probably only survive 2x right now. Try not to liquefy your insides."
He took the tablet, grinning like a man who just got a new toy that could kill him.
"Oh I'm gonna be so swole by next week."
As she turned to leave, Bulma paused in the doorway and looked over her shoulder.
"…You really are weird, you know that?"
Kai winked. "And yet you haven't kicked me out."
She rolled her eyes.
"Yet."