Chapter 3 – Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan God
"Uh-huh!"
Luo Tian's figure blurred and in the next instant, he was behind Vegeta.
The movement was so fast that even the young prince's sharpened Saiyan instincts failed to register it.
Vegeta rubbed his eyes, convinced he'd missed something. He scanned the rocky plateau in every direction
"Behind you."
The voice came from directly at his back. Vegeta froze, the hair on his tail bristling. He turned his head stiffly, and there stood Luo Tian, smiling faintly.
Boom!
Luo Tian brought his palm down on the back of Vegeta's neck. He infused the strike with a thin layer of angelic power, converting it into dense, high-intensity force.
He was careful had he converted it to destructive power like the Hakai energy of a God of Destruction, the boy's body would have been erased in an instant.
Even so, the impact sent Vegeta sprawling forward, blood spraying from his mouth before his small frame hit the ground with a dull crack.
"Urgh…" Vegeta lay face-down, his limbs refusing to obey him.
Shock flashed in his eyes, rapidly shifting to confusion and disbelief.
I… was injured by that guy's slap?
No, it couldn't be!
I must've been careless! That's it! I just didn't dodge!
After all, how could someone with a scouter reading of only 100 possibly hurt him?
In Vegeta's five-year-old mind, the answer had to be simple.
"I'll try the healing technique now," Luo Tian said evenly. He stepped forward, and a layer of faint, silver-tinted but still turbid angelic power enveloped Vegeta's body.
The divine energy seeped into every cell, knitting torn muscle and sealing internal damage with surgical precision.
In less than ten seconds, Vegeta's injuries had completely vanished.
The prince shot to his feet, stunned by the absence of pain.
Luo Tian briefly probed Vegeta's ki and confirmed what he already knew his battle power hadn't increased. The healing hadn't triggered a Saiyan zenkai boost because Vegeta had never been on the verge of death.
"…Really healed?" Vegeta muttered, almost to himself.
"Of course. When you head out, call me. The planet I'll take you to is… unique." With that, Luo Tian kicked off the ground and soared into the clouds, leaving the young prince still processing what had happened.
Wait… am I just going to ignore the fact he injured me with one hit?
…
The red skies of Planet Vegeta stretched endlessly as Luo Tian glided above, the wind rushing past his ears. He touched down in a nearby settlement, where the streets teemed with life Saiyan warriors returning home in waves.
Since his birth, Luo Tian had never seen so many of his own kind gathered in one place.
Among the arrivals, he spotted a familiar figure disembarking from a spherical attack pod.
Bardock father of Son Goku had returned from an off-world mission at Frieza's summons.
Bardock's resemblance to Goku was uncanny, down to the wild black hair and sharp eyes. The key differences were the long, jagged scar running across his left cheek and the battle-worn armor he wore, along with the brown tail swaying idly behind him.
"Bardock, still alive, huh?" a burly Saiyan named Lutra called out with a grin.
Bardock glanced his way. "Do you know why Frieza's recalled us all?"
"Who knows? Rumor is, some massive star was found, and a big squad's needed to deal with it," Lutra replied casually.
Bardock's brow furrowed, unease prickling at the back of his mind.
"Oh, and another thing," Lutra added. "Frieza's men have been asking questions… about the Super Saiyan."
"…Super Saiyan?" Bardock's eyes narrowed. "You mean the legendary Super Saiyan?"
"That's the one," Lutra said with a proud smirk.
The term was sacred among Saiyans a hero of myth said to appear once every thousand years. In their understanding, this warrior was the mightiest in the entire universe… though to them, "universe" meant only Universe 7.
The Super Saiyan was more than just a symbol of strength. He was the ultimate Saiyan ideal unstoppable, unmatched, and forever engraved in their warrior culture.
In Luo Tian's understanding, there were two main types of Super Saiyan transformations: the standard Super Saiyan and the fabled Legendary Super Saiyan. He walked toward Bardock and Lutra at a steady, deliberate pace, smiling faintly.
Seeing him appear so suddenly, both Bardock and Lutra were caught off guard.
"Well, well look who it is. Isn't this our former prodigy, Luo Tian?" Lutra chuckled, tapping the side of his scouter. The lens flickered, and his eyes widened briefly before he shook his head with mock disappointment. "Tch… your combat power's only 100. What in the world happened to you?"
"It's nothing," Luo Tian said lightly, unfazed.
Lutra: "…"
Bardock: "…"
Bardock's gaze lingered on him, full of quiet questions. He had heard the rumors how Luo Tian's battle power had reached 20,000 by the age of four, a level unheard of even among elite Saiyans, only to plummet to 100 within a single year.
The details eluded Bardock, who had been off-world fighting under Frieza's orders. He had no idea about the mysterious training Luo Tian had undertaken from that strange book.
"Tch, acting like you know all about the Super Saiyan legend," Lutra scoffed. "You might want to check that scouter reading before spouting big words. A fallen genius is still just a weakling."
"How much do you actually know about it, Luo Tian?" Bardock asked, curiosity overcoming skepticism.
"As I said, Super Saiyans fall into two categories," Luo Tian replied calmly. "There's the ordinary Super Saiyan, which one can reach through immense training and latent potential… and then there's the Legendary Super Saiyan a being who appears only once every thousand years. Unless such a genius is born, most of us can only aim for the ordinary form."
Bardock's brow furrowed, considering his words.
"Hah!" Lutra laughed.
"You said we can become Super Saiyans with training why didn't you include yourself?"
"…Because I might never transform into a standard Super Saiyan," Luo Tian admitted with a sigh.
"What, because you crippled yourself?" Lutra sneered.
"No," Luo Tian said, gazing up at the crimson sky. "Because I plan to skip that stage entirely… and become a Super Saiyan God."
Lutra: "…"
Bardock: "…"
"…You're full of it," Lutra muttered.
Luo Tian didn't rise to the bait. "To even become a Super Saiyan, you need a certain concentration of S-Cells. These form when a Saiyan's heart and mind are calm and at peace."
"S-Cells? A peaceful heart?" Lutra blinked. "What kind of nonsense"
"Bardock," Luo Tian interrupted, ignoring Lutra completely, "you already have S-Cells in your body. Not enough yet, but your temperament is calmer than most Saiyans. If you maintain that state, you'll reach the transformation sooner than you think."
"What? I'll become a Super Saiyan?" Bardock asked, genuinely startled.
"Ha! Bardock, don't tell me you're actually buying this!" Lutra howled with laughter.
Luo Tian shook his head at Lutra's ignorance. He knew the truth when Planet Vegeta fell, Bardock would be hurled into the past, a thousand years before, and the legend of the Super Saiyan would begin with him.
And Luo Tian intended to make sure the legend was complete.
Just as he was about to leave, two of Prince Vegeta's guards landed nearby.
"Luo Tian," one said crisply, "His Highness orders everyone to assemble at the launch base at 2200 hours. No delays."
"Wear your scouter next time," the other added, tapping the device over his eye. "Makes communication easier."
"Got it. Thanks for the heads-up," Luo Tian replied with a nod.
Next time? He inwardly scoffed. If his calculations were correct, there would be no "next time." Planet Vegeta's end was fast approaching.
The guards departed quickly, leaving Bardock staring at him.
"…Luo Tian, are you planning to leave the planet?" Bardock asked.
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