Oda wants more power to gain the respect of her peers

Oda had no doubt she was strong enough to dispatch one goblin... but all kinds of powerful challengers came through the tower. Some of the challengers were expert swordsmen, like Bedevalus... some were magicians, like Jervale... she'd seen a spaceship, a robot, a giant, all kinds of things! When those sorts of invaders showed up, she had, on occassion, found her powers to be... less than adequate in the face of them. Whatever power the Reality Crystal had given her, it didn't seem to be enough to reverse her fortunes... Maybe this could be an opportunity for her? The young lady steeled herself and answered with resolution: "I wanna become stronger, Ball-Sack!"

"... What did you call me?" The Goblin Guru's voice sounded impatient.

"Um... Your name's Ball-Sack, isn't it?"

"... Cut that in editing, Xyss-Siss. Balzhak, Oda. It's Balzhak, with a Z." The goblin's eyebrows twitched with anger above his glinting glasses, hiding the fury in his eyes. He'd come much too far, developing his brand, to have anyone throw that old joke back at him. "Well, you certainly have room to grow in that department, from what I'm sensing. Luckily, many across the universes share that same wish and I've imparted wisdom- successfully- to most who have sought it. Failures in that regard lie not with me, but with them. We all have potential, but an important part of accessing that potential is one's cunning, initiative, and, perhaps most importantly, perseverance. Miss Oda, do you believe that you have potential, cunning, initiative, and, most of all, perseverance?"

"For sure! All of those are my best traits!"

"Mm." The goblin nearly made his big move, setting on course events that would humiliate the princess completely... then tapped his finger up and down upon his arm, frowning deeper. He'd nearly forgotten what he was here for. Luckily, it was a simple adjustment to make... He could do both at once, securing the perfect one-thousandth episode of his broadcast. "You know what really helps with this kind of strength training? Proximity to strength. I've heard you have a very powerful artifact here, somewhere inside the tower. If we could train you right next to that object of power... I think you'd be surprised how your power skyrockets."

Oda slapped her forehead, barely missing her horns. Of course! That was how Jervale got so powerful... He was always hanging around that danged Reality Crystal! She wanted to get stronger... but she knew that if she took them to the basement room where the gem was stored, Jervale would be waiting there. He'd probably scold her first, then turn the goblin into a giant panflute that the kobolds all had to take turns playing for all eternity until he got an erection. Jervale was a pretty weird guy. For one thing, she didn't think the kobolds necessarily deserved that fate, but for another thing, she didn't want him cleaning up this mess... or depriving her of her chance to get strong! "How about... a room just down the hallway from the Reality Crystal? Could I get strong there?"

"Certainly." The goblin held back another dry chuckle. Knowing what hallway he needed to be in was as good as having the Reality Crystal in hand.

"Sweet! I'll take us down there right away!"

The Goblin Guru and his kobold camera crew followed Oda, their leader frowning as he stared at the ceiling. What was the point of the damn tower if they kept the most important artifact in the basement? There was a Lesson for the Lesser that pertained to misdirection, but building an entire, sky-reaching tower as a decoy seemed like a bit of a stretch...

On the way down, Balzhak had plotted all of the various "lessons" he hoped to give Oda, causing a smile to return to his face. Truth be told, as they opened a door just a short distance away from the proper one, housing the Reality Crystal, he'd already completely forgotten about that gem he'd come here for. It was a long walk down to the basement, providing plenty of time for the Curse of Bullying to work his magic. Listening to the princess pridefully explain the tower's history had only worsened the effect.

"This so-called 'princess' isn't ruling over much of anything, is she? The whole tower's a hand-me-down. I think it's time someone made her see the truth of her own incompetence..." The Goblin Guru smiled to himself spitefully, failing to realize just how frequently the plucky demon princess had been knocked down a peg already over her short career.

The room they'd arrived at was woefully ill-suited for hosting an entire production crew; the goblin instructed all but Oda and Xyss-Siss to stay outside, moving to a single camera broadcast. The room wasn't particularly glamorous either... This was a work-out room that Jervale had made for himself at some point. While it was kept clean through the power of magic, it wasn't hard to spot signs that it hadn't been used in an untold number of years... After all, the demon butler had quickly realized there was no need for staying in shape the old fashioned way when the Reality Crystal could give him whatever kind of body he wanted. Still, it was well-stocked with magically powerful training equipment, which made Oda think there was probably something inside that could help her get stronger, combined with the guru's help. "Hey, so are you really that strong yourself? You look more like a business guru than a strength guru, no offense."

"I am both." Answering the question simply, the goblin paused to push his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, then nodded approvingly at the room. "Fitness of the body is almost as important as fitness of the mind. I know strategies for improving both, but let's focus on your own fitness for the time being. You look like a girl who works out-"

"You think so?" the girl interrupted, smiling proudly with a toothy grin spread across her face. It was rare for anyone to notice the work she put in.

"... Who works out in an outdated, ineffective manner." The goblin crossed his arms and sighed. Casually, he unbuttoned first his jacket, then his dress shirt, shrugging both off to reveal a white tank top over his chiseled musculature. The sight of his toned pecs, rippling abs, and sculpted (green) biceps made Oda blush in spite of herself. Even the kobold, mostly forgotten in the excitement as she worked behind the camera, was blushing a bit. "We're going to try a workout quite unlike anything you've experienced prior. That's how you know it will be effective, Princess. Do not question my methods and you'll have no need to question the results..."