After pondering the Grand Supreme Kai's observation for several long moments, Karnel offered what explanation he could. "It's not that I lose all emotion," he said carefully, "but when I transform, my emotional responses become instinctively suppressed to near-freezing levels. This allows me to focus entirely on combat without distraction."
Even as he spoke, Karnel made a mental note to investigate this phenomenon more thoroughly. The Grand Supreme Kai's concern had highlighted something he'd never properly examined about his transformations.
"If that's truly the case, then it's actually quite advantageous," the Grand Supreme Kai replied with his characteristic gentle smile. "The Saiyan race appears to be remarkably well-suited for warfare." With that observation, he turned and walked alone toward the temple.
"So? How did it go? Is the Grand Supreme Kai really as powerful as everyone says?" Leila bounded over, her eyes bright with curiosity.
Karnel scratched his head sheepishly. "He's incredibly strong. I'm nowhere near his level yet. I'll probably need to stay here for extended training if I want any hope of defeating him."
"Then you might be our guest for quite some time!" Leila said with obvious delight. "After all, the gap between your current strength and the Grand Supreme Kai's is enormous. Even with intensive training, who knows how long it'll take before you can match him." She paused, then added more quietly, "The Supreme Kai Realm always feels more lively with another person around."
"I appreciate your hospitality," Karnel replied with genuine gratitude. "I hope you won't mind having me underfoot for a while."
After Leila skipped away, Karnel noticed Kibito crouched on the ground in the distance, staring intently at a basketball-sized crystalline sphere. Unable to resist, he called out, "Kibito, is that your personal crystal ball for... reconnaissance?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Karnel!" Kibito protested, carefully placing the crystal ball on a nearby wooden table. "This is a monitoring crystal that allows us to observe events throughout the universe. With it, we can track major developments across all galaxies, which helps us manage our cosmic responsibilities more effectively." He gestured for Karnel to come closer. "Take a look at this, I've been tracking this particular individual for some time now."
The crystal ball displayed a clear image of a figure Karnel recognized immediately. It was Kairos, currently locked in battle with a massive tentacled creature. Several planets in the background showed signs of recent destruction, and it was evident that Kairos held the overwhelming advantage.
"This warrior has been challenging powerful beings throughout the Eastern Galaxy," Kibito continued. "I've been observing him for weeks now, and he's already killed five opponents during that time."
"I know him," Karnel said, his tone growing serious. "I fought Kairos before coming to the Supreme Kai Realm. He's extraordinarily powerful, and his race possesses a unique evolutionary ability that allows them to continuously adapt and grow stronger."
Kibito's eyebrows rose with interest. "Did you manage to defeat him?"
Karnel smiled but said nothing. The answer seemed obvious, after all, he was standing here rather than floating dead in space.
"Kibito, I'll be training in the Supreme Kai Realm for an extended period, at least until I can defeat the Grand Supreme Kai," Karnel announced, walking toward a corner of the courtyard where he retrieved a capsule from his belt.
"That's perfectly fine," Kibito replied with a wave of his hand, his attention already returning to the crystal ball. "There are so few of us here that we welcome the company. Stay as long as you need." His curiosity about Kairos was clearly piqued.
Across the courtyard, a comical scene was unfolding. Todd was chasing after Leila, shouting frantically, "Leila, you fool! You can't just put on those earrings casually! Take them off immediately!"
Leila, now sporting a pair of distinctive earrings, paused to admire her reflection in a polished surface. "Oh, Todd, don't be such a worrier!" she called back cheerfully. "I'll put them back when I'm done."
"What's all the fuss about?" Karnel asked, approaching the pair with genuine curiosity.
"This idiot is playing around with something as dangerous as Potara earrings!" Todd explained, his exasperation evident.
Leila rolled her eyes at Todd's dramatics and removed the earrings from her ears. "They only work if two people wear them simultaneously," she said dismissively. "What's there to be afraid of?"
Todd quickly snatched the Potara earrings from Leila's hands, muttering as he headed toward the temple, "I'm locking these away where you can't get to them. This kind of carelessness could have serious consequences."
"Potara earrings..." Karnel murmured to himself, recalling about a certain Old Kai who had accidentally fused with a witch using similar earrings, resulting in his rather... unique appearance. Shaking off the thought, he waved to Kibito and activated the gravity chamber capsule.
300 times... 310 times... 420 times...
Days blurred together as Karnel pushed himself through increasingly intense gravitational training. He emerged only when absolutely necessary, driving his body and mind to their limits. His base power level climbed steadily from an initial 300 times normal gravity tolerance to an impressive 420 times.
When he finally stepped out of the gravity chamber, Karnel clenched his fists and felt the surge of newfound power coursing through him. The improvement was dramatic, he was confident he could easily defeat his previous self in combat.
With renewed determination, he approached the Grand Supreme Kai and respectfully requested another battle.
The Grand Supreme Kai was visibly shocked by the extent of Karnel's improvement. "Such remarkable progress in so short a time," he mused. "You truly are extraordinary."
Their second battle proved far more intense than the first, lasting considerably longer and pushing both combatants to their limits. The Grand Supreme Kai found himself pressed harder than he'd been in centuries, ultimately requiring nearly his full power to secure victory.
"I can sense it," Karnel said afterward, his breathing heavy but his spirit undaunted. "The gap between us has narrowed dramatically. Just a little more improvement, and I'll be able to defeat you. I need another session in the gravity chamber!"
"Grand Supreme Kai," the four Supreme Kais gathered around their leader, amazement clear in their voices. "That battle lasted so much longer than before. Has Karnel really made such incredible progress in such a brief time?"
The Grand Supreme Kai gazed skyward with a mixture of admiration and concern. "He's a fighting prodigy beyond anything I've encountered," he admitted. "I initially estimated it would take him hundreds of years to surpass my strength. But at this rate, when he emerges from his next training session, I suspect he'll defeat me with relative ease."
This time, Karnel's training regimen was less frantic, allowing him time to investigate the phenomenon the Grand Supreme Kai had observed. Why did his emotional state become so suppressed during Super Saiyan? In the anime and even the manga, other Saiyans hadn't experienced this particular side effect.
The Supreme Kai Realm knew no night or day, making it impossible to track time by conventional means. Karnel divided his schedule between physical training and meditative introspection, spending equal time on both pursuits.
After several days of deep meditation, examining every subtle change within himself during transformation, Karnel finally identified the source: his tail.
Each time he transformed into a Super Saiyan, his tail would emit what he could only describe as a "bloody aura", a primal essence that seemed to penetrate directly into his brain and interweave with his consciousness. This was what caused the bloodthirsty indifference, the cold ruthlessness that emerged during battle.
More intriguingly, Karnel discovered that when this bloody aura merged with his spiritual consciousness, the trace of divinity he'd acquired also became active. The divine essence seemed to dance around both the crimson battle-lust and his golden Super Saiyan energy, as if celebrating the discovery of compatible forces.
"Even divine energy doesn't resist this bloody aura," Karnel reflected, unable to find an immediate solution. "Perhaps this isn't necessarily a negative development, at least not currently."
Having identified the phenomenon without finding a cure, he decided to accept it as part of his nature. The mystery would have to wait for another day to unravel.