Alaric had been stuck in this world for three months. He knew it was the Dragon Ball universe, but the remote village where he landed was so isolated that it didn't even have a TV. He had no clue what time it was or exactly where he was.
So, he stayed put, hunting every day just to survive. All he could do now was wait.
When autumn came, traveling merchants would pass through, trading goods. That would be his chance to hitch a ride out of the village and finally visit places he recognized, like West City, Mount Paozu, Penguin Village, and so on.
Lying on a rock, Alaric used his sharp eyesight to spot a terrifying creature several kilometers away, a dinosaur. Autumn was approaching, and the merchants would arrive soon. He decided to catch a big prey to trade for some leverage.
The dinosaur was covered in rough, gray scales that looked like stone. Its massive body stood on sturdy legs.
Alaric wasn't sure what species it was, but he knew it wasn't a gentle one. It had a sharp horn on its head, and its teeth, especially the canines, gleamed coldly.
Hiding downwind, Alaric already caught the stench of the beast. He frowned, thinking about how to keep the dinosaur intact. His previous hunts had been careless, ruining the pelts he could have sold.
This time, he needed a way to keep the prey in good condition. 'If I use ki, I could kill it easily,' he thought, 'but then I wouldn't get a good price.'
His power wasn't strong enough yet; otherwise, he'd just knock the dinosaur out like in the anime. Then an idea hit him: 'Wait, I can piss it off and let it slam itself into the mountain.'
With a plan in mind, Alaric charged forward. "You beast! Prepare to die!"
The gray dinosaur hadn't noticed him. Compared to the dinosaur, Alaric was like an ant next to an elephant. But once Alaric struck, everything changed.
Just a few leaps and he was on the dinosaur's back. His right fist slammed hard against its scales.
BAM!!!
The rock-like armor shattered under his blow, and his fist sank in.
"Roar!"
The dinosaur cried out in pain and jumped wildly.
Using the momentum, Alaric leapt from the dinosaur's back onto its head, landing a heavy blow that cracked several scales. The dinosaur roared louder as it finally noticed him hopping around. It swung its sharp horn, trying to strike him.
Seeing that he had the beast's full attention, Alaric continued to taunt it, weaving left and right, tossing stones and insults with casual contempt. His boots crunched over gravel as he edged back, carefully aligning his path with the sharp ridge behind him. A towering slab of rock, half the size of a house, just where he wanted it.
The dinosaur, snorted and roared, nostrils flaring with rage. Its thick tail slammed the ground in frustration, splitting stones and sending a shockwave across the plateau.
Alaric smirked. 'There we go. Just a little more.'
He darted out of range, flipping backward with ease, and landed on a slope. The dinosaur stomped after him, growling, the earth trembling under its thunderous weight. After a few more taunts, it finally snapped.
With a roar, it lowered its head and charged, tearing across the plains like a living avalanche.
Alaric didn't move. Not yet.
Dust kicked up around the beast's claws. Its jaws opened wide, exposing rows of yellowed teeth.
'Closer... closer...'
Then, at the last second, Alaric vanished. He leapt skyward, twisting through the air. The dinosaur didn't have time to stop. With its full momentum locked in, it barreled forward, and slammed headfirst into the mountain behind him.
BAM!!!
Stone cracked. The mountain quaked. Dust erupted in every direction as massive boulders sheared off the cliff face and crashed down onto the beast. Its skull hit the rock wall with a sickening crunch, sending tremors through the ground.
A low, thunderous groan escaped the creature's throat as it crumpled beneath the rubble, half-buried, its legs twitching once… then going still.
Alaric landed on a nearby ledge. He exhaled slowly, surveying the aftermath with narrowed eyes.
The dinosaur's skull was caved in from the collision. Cracks spread across its horns, and one eye had burst from the force.
Despite training by pushing rocks and dragging logs, he hadn't seen much improvement. What he wanted most was a gravity chamber, especially one small enough to fit inside a Capsule Corp capsule. The only scientists capable of creating something like that were probably the eccentric genius from Penguin Village and Bulma and her father in West City.
In autumn, four merchants arrived in the village on horse-drawn carriages. Even though this Dragon Ball world was basically Earth, its technology was surprisingly advanced.
Still, many areas felt quite primitive, like the merchants' old-fashioned carts. The dinosaur Alaric had hunted gave him an edge, helping him strike a deal with the merchants. After a week, he finally climbed aboard one of their carriages, leaving behind the simple village he had called home for months.
A month later, Alaric reached the legendary West City. Most of that month was spent traveling along mountain roads, with only a few days in smaller towns before arriving. He had planned to stay longer in one town, but a sudden urge made him quickly buy tickets and transfer flights until he got to West City.
During those few days, Alaric pieced together the timeline. Satan hadn't appeared yet, and the catastrophic events, the widespread deaths cause of buu, hadn't happened. That was a relief; at least he had some buffer time.
Now in West City, with his current status, visiting Bulma's home wasn't an option. Luckily, he wasn't in a rush to start training in a gravity chamber. First, he needed to figure out exactly what timeline he was in.
Alaric looked up the champions from past World Martial Arts Tournaments, hoping to spot familiar names like Jackie Chun, Tenshinhan, or Goku. At the bottom of the list, he found Jackie Chun and Tenshinhan, which meant he was in the King Piccolo era.
"King Piccolo hasn't appeared yet," Alaric figured. "So Goku must be gathering the Dragon Balls to bring Krillin back."
If he wanted to find Goku, he had two choices: either visit Karin Tower and seek out Master Karin, who always knew where Goku was, or find Bulma and get a Dragon Radar made. In the end, he decided to head to Karin Tower since Master Karin's Senzu Beans were way more valuable than Dragon Balls.
Alaric bought a basic Capsule Corp set in West City because, not having mastered Bukujutsu, the art of flying using ki, a flying device was necessary. He also prepared weighted clothing to train while climbing the tower.