Jayr POV - Challenge Space - ???

  [The winner of the Battle and of this Champions Challenge is Jayr Pucci, the Man of Culture! As the Winner, Jayr will grab the power of Son Goza's Blessing to empower and evolve his own, meanwhile, the Champion of Void will lose his Blessing together with the powers it granted, his Soulbouory, and the capacity to explore the Omniverse on his own.]

  As soon as the st of Culture's words fell onto this y mostly ruined and scarred battlefield, I istantly feel something in me ge in such overbearing mahat I have to fully foyself to not get lost in the earthshattering ge happening in my mind at the moment, at the same time, I also return bay Base Form as the Humanoid Dragon Form needs a lot of tration to maintain.

  I suddenly feel capable of notig that all the previous experiences I have lived until now were a lot more meaningful than what I first expected, I now uand the average mortal ditioer, realize how to bance multiple perspectives and is, and find myself more motivated than before in pursuing truth and the on good.

  My thoughts became a lot more flexible and open, I feel the tendend willio take on different ideas and perspectives to the various problem I have entered to find new aer solutions.

  This isn't the only ge I'm going throught, on top of all that, I also feel an increase in my ability to uand ideas, cepts, and other factors and variables like cause and effed other much more abstracts cepts.

  After some unknown time, I'm finally able to snap out of that state and immediately realize what happened, 'At this point, it is pretty obvious what the new levels of power of my Blessing brought to me, it has enhanced my wisdom and prehension. Once again it isn't a big improvement in itself, not so much that it has fually ged who I am at the core iven me a very obvious advantage over the other Champions, but still, these improvements in my Blessing will still help me further enhance my basic abilities. In fact, thanks to them I already have new ideas to help me master the Ultimate Teique I'm still having trouble with and that very elusive but incredibly overpowered state.'

  Suddenly, the ruined battlefield quickly fades away and in its pce, the usual endless white space makes its appearand together with the endless white space, Son Goza in his base form and in a perfectily healthy dition, if not a little fused and dazed, also makes his appearanbsp;

  After a few moments, Son Goza snaps out of his dazed state, focuses on me, sits on the ground, and ents, "Man! That st transformation was truly siot only looks very cool but its power is out of this world! I mean you literally broke a gaxy with a single pund sidering the level of effort o destroy even a single p in that battlefield prepared by the cepts, it isn't an exaggeration to say that you could easily destroy aire universe with a punch that powerful, maybe even more! It's truly crazy!!"

  Hearing that, I calmly sat down in front of him and said in order to ence him, "You are also crazy strong. The bination of Legendary Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 4 is truly one of the most broken in the whole Dragon Ball Universe. I mean you forced me to use one of my three Trump Cards and that is quite something sidering that the oppos I faced until now weren't able to push me to that point. On top of that, I'm pretty sure that if you were able to reach the Legendary Super Full Power Saiyan 4 Limit Breaker Form, which by the way I think is such a long ass name, anyway, if you reached that level I'm sure that I would be forced to use another one of my Trump Cards, maybe even both and still, I'm not fully fident on ing on top."

  In respoo that, Son Goza smiles wryly and says, "Maybe, but the LSFPSJ4LB isn't something that I reay ow."

  At this point, I interrupt him and excim, "LSFPSJ4LB...? God! This is even worse than the mouthful version! What's it? A part of your bank at password!?"

  In response, Son Goza chuckle and says, "I know it... The names for Saiyan Transformatioruly getting out of hand, but when my Father aa are the ohat e up with most of the names for such transformation, one 't expeuch. I thought about ging them sieically I was the one who "discovered" the Super Saiyan 4 Transformation in my timeline, but then I decided to keep the official ones."

  After that small digressiohen tinues with the previous reasoning, "Anyway, I didn't even have the time to fully master the LSSJ4 yet, in fact, today was the first time I even archieved the LSFPSJ4 and it was only thanks to our battle... So, you pretty much defeated me at my best, I've got no pins rets."

  Shortly after saying that, Son Goza lies on the ground and looking up he asks, "Now that I think about it why are we still in the Challenge Space?"

  Right at that moment, the monotone voice of Void is heard as it says, [The reason for that is that we want to warn you about a few things and then you have a decision to make.]

  Then Culture's cheerful voice is heard as he expins, [First of all, let us remind you that you still explore the Omniverse if you have ain the capacity to move to another universe on your own without the use of the Unigate, but you only go to universes you or other Champions have already been before, which means that you 't visit new Universes unless you are apanied by another Champion...]

  Void's voice quickly follows after Culture's as it adds, [Moreover, even if you travel to other Universes on your own, I advise you to be very careful from now on, since you lost the prote of my Blessing and so the travel between Universes is now a lot more perilous than before, you end up in a space storm that will rip you apart, or be intercepted by mighty being or ic horrors, you even end up in the void and be ed into nothingness since you also lost the other abilities of the Blessing. On top of that, the list of bad stuff that happen goes on infinitely. There is a reason why even though there are mahods to travel across the Omniverse, only the lucky ignorant, the desperate, and the mad genius lucky daredevil like Rick Saruly dare to carelessly travel the Omniverse without any preparation or prote from us and still succeed.]

  After saying that, Void takes a brief pause to give Son Goza the time to digest these new pieces of information before it tinues, [Ahing of note is that even if you have lost the Champion Challenge, and thus your Blessing, you still live the rest of your life however you want. The only difference is that in the unfortunate circumstahat you get killed and die, instead of your soul getting reinated once more with a blessed fate that will guarantee a happy life. However, all your memories of the Omniverse will be wiped out like it usually happens to everyone else uhe Omniversal Reination Cycle as promised, you choose to make use of your own home universe's Afterlife System if that is what you want.]

  Hearing that, Son Goza sits up again and brings his hand to his in a thinking pose he mutters, "That isn't all that bad of choice... I mean the Dragon Ball Universe's Afterlife System isn't all that bad, not only is loss enough to allow resurre in case of an untimely death, but there is also the fact that I retain my body and still experience life once I'm dead since I'm an heroic soul without any doubt. On top of that, I've grown quite fond of my friends and family and don't want tet about them if possible."

  After reag that clusion, Son Goza stands up and decres while l his head in sign of gratitude, "Since you graciously gave me the ake this choice, I have e to the decision that I want to make use of my home universe's Afterlife System. Thank you for the opportunity you have given me." which is quickly followed by Void's monotone voice that says, [Very well, from this moment on your soul will fall uhe authority of the Dragon Ball Universe's Afterlife System.]

  Shortly after that Culture's cheerful voice is heard as he says, [Regarding your most immediate future, you have 2 choices ahead of you. You choose to be safely returo your Home Universe, the Dragon Ball Universe, where you will be reunited with your friends and family as soon as you leave. Or you choose to remain in this universe, the Walking Dead Universe, and safely travel and explore the Omniverse with my Champion, but in that case, it is better that you both e to some kind of agreement beforehand and enforce it through a tract witnessed and enforced by us cepts.]

  In respoo that, Son Goza starts to think about his options by muttering out loud, "Obviously I want to return to my home universe, after all, my friends and family are all there. But I don't like the idea of suddenly disappearing without at least saying goodbye to Mie who became my unlikely panion in the very depressing The Walking Dead Universe, in fact, I would also like to do something to make that depressing universe a little bit better."

  Thearts to walk bad forth as he tinues with that line of reasoning, "More importantly, even if I lost and now I am not a petitor itle Across The Omniverse anymore, I still want to be able to do my part in the case someone absolutely powerful and evil is about to win and o be stopped... But in that case, then my only choice is to travel with Jayr and follow him around as he jumps from one universe to another... What should I do...?"

  At this point, I get up from the ground and snap him out of his musings by saying, "You know that you don't have to actually travel with me? I mean sure if you want to, you follow me after we form a tract with the cepts to help ensure our safety, but that isn't the only choice avaible to you."

  Hearing that, Son Goza stops walking and focuses on me as he asks in a hopeful tone, "What do you mean with that?" to which I calmly reply, "I mean that we first sign a binding tract witnessed and enforced by the cepts whose terms will ehat we won't knowingly harm each other and those dear to us both directly and ily and will make us uo reveal a we will learn and learhat could be used against us. After that, we will spend a few more months in this universe as I have a few things left to do, like kick-starting the creation of a fully self-suffit unity that will hopefully lead the dire of this universe in a better dire and finish creating and spreading the cure for the Wildfire Virus. Then we will travel to your home universe where you'll reuh your family and I'll spend some time meeting my childhood heroes before leaving you to tih my adventures."

  At this point, Son Goza interrupts me and asks, "Wait! Wait! Wait! If you leave me behind in my home universe, how I'm going to help stop an evil Champion in case it is needed!?"

  I smile hearing his question before I calmly reply and expin, "That's quite easy. My Blessing as Champion of Culture has a quite useful hiddehat activates when I and another individual reize each other as fellow "Man of Culture". When that happens, the universe of that individual falls under my authority and prote, which means that no one else actually travel to that universe without my sent and that I also restore the universe in case it gets destroyed for whatever reason. Not only that, but I also summon the "Man of Culture" and any other willing individual from those universes to e to my aid whenever I want."

  In respoo my expnation, Son Goza 't stop himself from exg out loud, "God! That's so broken!! That means that whenever you are in trouble you summon those "Men of Culture" and other allies from whatever universe they e from no matter the distance!?"

  I nod and then I crify, "That's right, but at first it wasn't as useful as it sounds, after all, I had no trol over when I and another Man of Culture would reize each other. It was a pletely random event outside of my trol."

  Son Goza immediately notices something as he repeats, "Was?" to which I nod and expin, "Indeed, after my ret victory in our Challenge and the improvement of my Blessing I ow nominate someone a Man of Culture and if Culture itself deems them worthy and they truly want to bee ohey officially join the club and bee a fellow Man or Woman of Culture with all the perks and honors. So what is your choice?"

  In respoo my question, Son Goza thinks about it for a few moments before he looks at me and says, "I have decided. I'll sing that trad try that thing about being a Man of Culture."

  At the same time as he finishes saying that, a table with a pen and a piece of paper which is the tracts iion lying on top of it appears between us.

  Then shortly after, Culture's voice is heard as it decres, [A trader our name has been requested by the Man of Culture and the former Man of Void. All the cepts ience will witness and make sure that this tract's terms are held in such a way that both parties won't casually breach it, but if one of the parties breaches the terms of the tract then his or her soul will be fully and forever erased the same instant he or she does so and nothing will be able to save them.]

  After Culture finishes saying that, Son Goza loudly gulps before moving toward the table and without hesitation picks up the pen and signs his name on the tract, then he looks at me and the pen he says, "I did it! It's your turn."

  I take the pen with a smile and also sign the tract, and as soon as I lift the pen from the paper, the tract shines with a multiclow and turns into tless motes of light that are then absorbed into our bodies, making me realize that now the tract is fully in effect.

  Shortly after we sighe tract, the table and the pen disappeared just as they had appeared, and then, Son Goza looked at me and asked, "Now that I have sighe tract you tell me what I have to do to bee a Man of Culture? No wait, before that, I'd like to know who are the other members of this very exclusive and illustrious club. Is it possible?"

  Hearing his request, I don't hesitate to answer, "No problem. I was quite fortunate as before the upgrade in my Blessing, the hidden perk activated itself four times already. The first member to join was Nagumo Hajime from the Arifureta Universe, a Master Synergist capable of creating just about anything using a bination of Magid Teology. Last time we talked he informed me that he was building a Magical Variant of a Gundam using the God Gundam as inspiration so that we have a proper mecha battle..."

  Seeing Son Goza nod, I calmly tinued, "The seember is Lenome from the Teoppa Gurren Lagann Universe. He is the oldest and probably the smartest member of the group and very likely also the most powerful beside me. He was a tyrant who ruled the world with an iron fist keeping humanity as oppressed as possible, but he only did that to protect humanity from extin. Don't worry he already went through his redemption ard now is simply enjoying his retired life while pig on his daughter's husband whenever possible while w as a teacher from time to time."

  In respoo that, Son Goza ically opens his mouth wide before he excims, "Teoppa Gurren Lagann!? The oh the gaxy-sized multiverse destroying robots!?" to which I nod with a simple grin.

  At this point, Son Goza realizes something and cautiously asks, "Wait... If you explored that universe does it mean that you also have one of those ridiculous overpowered robots?" which makes my grin grow even bigger before I reply while quoting a certairy professor turned drug dealer, "Yoddamn right!"

  After that, I tinued, "The third one is Nikita Mikealson. She is the former Champion of Gravity and a pretty powerful tribird of Witch, Werewolf, and Vampire from the Vampire Diaries Universe which makes her very, very hard to kill with the most eans. On top of that, she also has a very vast repertoire of spells which makes her very versatile and uable. She became a friend and an ally after I defeated her in a Champions Challenge during the previous Random Battle and is currently together with her husband, the Champion of Decay who, by the way, is in an official alliah me and also quite powerful."

  Hearing that, Son Goza let out a sigh before he ented, "At this point, I'm not even surprised by the fact that you are allied with a former Champion you have defeated before since I'm in the exact same position but it's good as she seems quite powerful too. Now that I think about it I don't know much about the Vampire Diaries Universe as I thought that it was a show for horny teen girls like Twilight, but damn! A tribird between a witch, a vampire, and a werewolf seems a crazy cept, especially sidering how popur and powerful some of them are individually in the various media... On top of that, there is also the Champion of Decay who if I remember well chose the Bleaiverse another very popur oh quite a few powerful hax. You already got quite the powerful team!"

  After he said that, I cluded, "The fourth one is Brook from the One Pieiverse, he is without doubt the weakest of the group and spends most of the time expl the world with Laboon so he doesn't want to get involved with the Battle Across the Omniverse in any way or capacity. But thanks to him I still summon some other very powerful allies that I've left in the One Pieiverse."

  At this point, Son Goza 't help but excim, "I don't even know what to say anymore... Not only you are crazily strong, but your Blessing is also truly deceptively powerful, too. I mean, if I could summon my Father, my brother, Vegeta, and my other friends and allies from my home universe whenever I wanted, I would have likely felt much more secure. In fact, in case of emergency, I could also pull out a ion and summon Zeno-sama to wipe out everything... Sure, first I should wait for Father to befriend him, but then he would surely be a stroerrent against mgressive Champions and without any doubt a perfect st resort option in case everything goes to shit..."

  Shortly after saying that, Son Goza calms down and focuses ba the important topic, "Anyway, you still haven't told me what I have to do to bee a Man of Culture..."

  Hearing that, I smirk and say, "It's not all that difficult. You just have to say the sacred motto out loud and wait for Culture to judge you. Now, if you feel ready repeat after me: Always remember these words: Work hard, study well, have fun, a and sleep plenty with a bunch of beautiful partners by your side! That is the True Culture way! We must master the art of pea addition to the art of war! The cept of Culture will be with you... always!"

  Immediately after hearing that, Son Goza's eyes widen, and then he almost choked on his own saliva in shock, and thearts to cough and wheeze for a few moments until he quickly regains trol and recovers and excims out loud, "e on! Are you kiddihat is almost a perfect citation of what Master Roshi said during the Tour of Power!! How that bee a sacred motto of a cept!?"

  In respoo his outburst, I calmly shrug my shoulders and expin, "I have absolutely no idea. That was something that my Partner Digimon Patamon randomly said in the heat of the moment during one of our training sessions and for some reason, Culture liked it so much that he made it his official Sacred Motto. Maybe Culture is quite fond of Master Roshi, or maybe it simply thought it was funny... Personally I don't care too much about it and just follow along."

  Son Goza looks unsure for a few moments before he steels his expression and decres, "Always remember these words: Work hard, study well, have fun, a and sleep plenty with a bunch of beautiful partners by your side! That is the True Culture way! We must master the art of pea addition to the art of war! The cept of Culture will be with you... always!"

  For a moment nothing happens, but then I feel a familiar sudden untrolble urge to do something, I look at Son Goza straight into his clear bck eyes, then I ine and say, "Ah, I see you're a Man of Culture as well..."

  Then something magical happens, as a solemn atmosphere falls on our surroundings as even the endless white space seems to gain a little bit more colors.

  At the same time, I sense something in my Soulbouory ging, and as I focus on it, I sense a new Seed of Culture f right beside the small cluster made up of a disc with Hajime's image as he points his gun with the title Arifureta on it representing the Arifureta Universe, oh the image of a fming red skull with shades in the shape of Kamina's signature gsses representing the Teoppa Gurren Lagann Universe, one is a bck disc with a, stylized white oak tree in the background drawn in a soft grey color and the words Vampire Diaries obviously representing the Vampire Diaries Universe, and the st one is a white disc with the image of a very iic Jolly Roger with a straw hat on it which clearly represents the One Pieiverse.

  Then there is the new seed that is quickly f, this Seed of Culture is once again in the shape of a disc, but the image printed on this one is that of the very iic 4 Star Dragon Ball which clearly represents Son Goza's home universe, the Dragon Ball Universe.

  Immediately after the Seed of Culture in Soulbouory is fully formed, a fsh ht multicolored light blinds us causing Son Goza to curse loudly "What the...!?" but his voice soon fades away as I sense our surroundings quickly shift once again.

  Odyin