(A/N: New Patreon Pyrrha MaraV! Thank you for becoming a Legend. Bonus chapter, enjoy!)
"After seeing the strength I've demonstrated, and knowing that Saiyans can become so powerful, are you beginning to feel that irresistible urge to become stronger?" Karnel laughed inwardly, though his expression remained serious and calculating.
"What? How can I know what you want if you don't tell me?" Karnel said with mock innocence.
Vegeta's internal struggle intensified after hearing this. His teeth ground together audibly, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. Grief and fury warred across his features as he opened his mouth repeatedly, only to find himself unable to form words. The proud prince of all Saiyans, reduced to speechlessness by desire and desperation.
Raditz and Nappa, however, couldn't contain themselves. If they could obtain the method of becoming a Super Saiyan and gaining such terrifying power from this mysterious warrior, they would gladly grovel for it.
"Hey, Saiyan!" Nappa stepped forward, puffing out his chest. "Do you know who this is? He is the son of King Vegeta, the prince of all Saiyans! How can we become the legendary Super Saiyan? Tell us the method immediately!"
This idiot... Vegeta thought with mounting dread.
"Tsk!" Vegeta made a disgusted sound. Nappa truly deserved to die for being so utterly brainless. How could he threaten someone with a combat power of 594,313 so casually?
How long had it been since Karnel heard such an amusing threat? He couldn't remember. Anyway, those who had spoken such words in front of him had all been sent to the afterlife long ago.
One punch.
Crack!
The sound of bone snapping echoed through the forest as Nappa's spine was shattered by Karnel's fist. A jagged piece of vertebrae pierced through his back, protruding bloodily into the air. Crimson pools spurted out like a grotesque fountain, creating a scene both bloody and terrifying.
Karnel's speed was far beyond their ability to track, no one had even seen the moment he struck.
"AHHHHH!"
When reality caught up with him, Nappa's back had been twisted into an unnatural shape. Clutching his mangled spine, he couldn't help but scream in agony. His thunderous wails sent hundreds of small creatures fleeing in terror from the trees, their wings beating frantically as they escaped the source of such horrific sounds.
"Damn it! Fortunately, Nappa, that idiot, spoke up first, otherwise..." Raditz had been about to say something equally stupid, but the words died in his throat. He shuddered violently, feeling a cold wave of relief wash over him.
"Vegeta... my back! This damn bastard... hiss!" Nappa's forehead was drenched in sweat. He hugged his blood-stained torso tightly and lay on the ground, wailing in pain.
Vegeta remained completely indifferent to Nappa's suffering, a cold light flashing in his eyes. Trash is trash. If it's not useful...
"Little ant, I'll only break your spine this time," Karnel said with chilling calm. "Be careful with your words next time, or you might lose your life by accident one day."
Then he turned to Vegeta and asked, "Do you really desire power that much?"
Vegeta was surprised by the question, but his expression remained cool and composed. He stood up and kicked the still-moaning Nappa away with casual brutality.
"Tsk tsk! Merciless to his own companions. Vegeta is still just a cruel and brutal Saiyan," Karnel sighed internally.
Vegeta maintained his arrogant silence, but he looked at Karnel with barely concealed hope flickering in his eyes.
"I don't know if you've heard this, but every time a Saiyan enters a near-death state and recovers, his strength increases dramatically. It's actually quite easy for you to become stronger quickly." Karnel spoke with casual confidence.
"Why didn't my father tell me about this? Did he not know? Or is this Saiyan lying to me?" Vegeta felt overwhelmed by this revelation, then looked at Karnel with deep suspicion.
"Vegeta, I'm not in the mood to lie to you. You haven't experienced a true life-and-death battle in all these years, have you? You haven't even been seriously injured, so how would you know about this?" Karnel's voice carried a note of pity. "You have to understand that in order to gain powerful strength, you sometimes have to risk your life to fight for it. There's no free lunch in this world, it's impossible to gain incredible power without paying a price."
Karnel reached into his clothing and pulled out a small bag, tossing it over to Vegeta.
The Senzu Beans were no longer of much use to him, and there were only about a hundred left in his dimensional storage anyway.
Without waiting for Vegeta to ask, Karnel explained, "Those are dozens of Senzu Beans. Eating one can revive you instantly from the brink of death, enough for you to die many times over."
Vegeta caught the bag and pulled out a small bean, examining it for several seconds. It appeared completely ordinary, just a simple bean with nothing special about it.
"Don't ask questions, just begin! You can try it yourself and see if it works." Karnel's tone carried dangerous meaning.
"Try? How exactly do I—"
Vegeta wanted to ask for clarification, but Karnel clearly wasn't giving him the chance. In an instant, he stood up and drove his fist into Vegeta's chest. The combat uniform he wore was shredded to pieces by the force of the blow.
Vegeta watched the fist approaching his chest but couldn't react at all. He simply didn't have the time!
Just one punch, and Vegeta was critically injured, collapsing to the ground with a howl similar to Nappa's earlier scream.
"Stop shouting! If you don't eat that bean quickly, you'll die!" Karnel's tone carried a grim finality that made the forest itself seem to grow quiet around them.