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Harry, Gine, and Celari fell quiet.
Now that they'd learned about the Dragon Balls and the wish-granting Shenron, each of them had their own little thoughts brewing.
Of course, knowing the Dragon Balls were rare and powerful didn't mean they planned to steal them. At this point, Harry's influence on them was too strong. Without even realizing it, Gine and Celari had become the type who wouldn't start fights over nothing, much less snatch other people's belongings.
Time slipped by.
A voice finally broke the long silence and drew all three pairs of eyes to the doorway.
No question about it — it was Dr. Brief.
Harry recognized him instantly. He looked much younger than in the original story he remembered, but his outfit and vibe were practically identical.
"So you're the guests my daughter mentioned? I hear you want my help making something… unusual," Dr. Brief said as he walked in with Tights right behind him.
Both father and daughter sized up the trio. Thanks to Tights' warning, Dr. Brief had already guessed the boy was the one seeking him out.
"Hello, Dr. Brief. I've heard you're the inventor of the Capsule and the most brilliant scientist on Earth, so I'd like to ask for your help building something." Harry greeted him warmly.
Flattery rarely failed. Even if Dr. Brief didn't care much for praise, almost everyone liked being spoken to nicely.
"Oh, not at all. Earth has plenty of famous scientists. I'm just good in a few particular areas," Dr. Brief replied modestly.
He took a seat, and Tights sat on the sofa beside him. "Dad's right here, so just tell us what you need."
With her opening the door for him, Harry didn't waste time. "In that case, I'll get straight to it. I'd like you to build a device capable of manipulating gravity."
"A device that controls gravity?" Dr. Brief and Tights froze, caught off guard.
"You might not get what I mean, so let me put it differently. I want a large room with adjustable gravity levels. That's it. A gravity-controlled training chamber," Harry said.
The two looked even more stunned.
"And what exactly do you need a room like that for?" Dr. Brief asked as he lit a cigarette, an unconscious habit whenever he switched into deep-thinking mode.
Gine and Celari were just as puzzled. They had no idea what Harry was planning.
Harry didn't hide anything. "Training."
"Training? So you're a martial artist?" Tights asked, shocked.
Harry knew what she meant. Even with Gine and Celari present, he answered without hesitation. "More or less. I need gravity to push my training further. It helps me get stronger."
Tights' eyes widened even more. She wasn't exactly an expert, but even she knew training under high gravity sounded insane. And Harry looked younger than she was.
"I'm amazed by your creativity, but gravity isn't something to toy with. You're what, eleven, twelve at most? At your age, even a few times Earth's gravity could put your life at risk," Dr. Brief warned.
He was thinking in terms of normal humans.
"You don't have to worry about that. My strength is far beyond what you imagine. For example…" Harry walked over to the giant, thick coffee table — easily something two adults would struggle with — and lifted it above his head like it was nothing.
Dr. Brief and Tights were floored.
Harry set the table down and continued calmly. "I wouldn't mess around unless I was confident. Besides, we've lived in places with more than ten times Earth's gravity. Enduring even dozens of times Earth's gravity isn't a problem. And since you're the top scientist on Earth, I'm sure you can build something like this."
Dr. Brief stared for a moment, then crushed his cigarette in the ashtray. "Building it isn't impossible. But I can't make it unlimited. Even if I create this room, its control range will have limits. And the cost won't be small."
"Money isn't an issue. A hundred times Earth's gravity is enough for now," Harry replied without concern.
"I don't mean money. Some materials are hard to get. Even if I can build it, it'll take time. Are you willing to wait?" Dr. Brief asked.
Money clearly wasn't what he had in mind.
"Just tell me what you need. If it exists on Earth, I'll get it. If it exists off Earth, I can still manage." Harry didn't hesitate.
He didn't explain everything outright, but his determination was obvious.
A gravity chamber was too important. It was the ultimate cheat tool in the early stages. Having the means and not using it would be like owning a mountain of treasure and never digging it up.
Harry's sincerity seemed to soften Dr. Brief. Stroking his chin thoughtfully, he finally said, "I'll need to study the idea before I can say anything for sure. Conveniently, I've been wanting to explore a new field anyway. It shouldn't take too long. Ten days, maybe two weeks — then I'll have an answer."
"That works!" Harry grinned.
And just like that, the matter was settled.
Tights, Gine, and Celari were still stuck in a daze, as if they'd just lived through a dream.
Another hour flew by.
They chatted, tossed around ideas, and even drifted into some theoretical discussions. Harry didn't really understand science, but as a transmigrator he had plenty of bold theories and scraps of knowledge from two lifetimes. His comments ended up giving Dr. Brief all sorts of inspiration.
In short, in a short span of time the two developed a surprisingly good rapport.
…
Before they left, Dr. Brief warmly invited them to stay for dinner.
"We'll pass. We've got things to do. We'll visit again in a few days — we might even need to stay here for a while when the time comes," Harry said.
Almost two days had passed since they arrived. Their emotions had calmed, some unfinished matters were indirectly taken care of, and it was almost time to return to the Lookout.
Before leaving, Harry took out a transparent crystal glowing with a faint blue light and handed it to Dr. Brief.
The scientist was instantly captivated. He wasn't a mineral expert, but his years of experience told him this blue crystal wasn't anything Earth had documented.
"A small gift. Next time, I'll bring you something truly special. I might need your help with that one too."
Leaving the Brief household, Harry lifted both Gine and Celari and shot into the sky.
Watching the three of them fly away, Dr. Brief and Tights were struck speechless all over again.
"..."
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