Ever since the sparring match in the palace training grounds that had crushed Vegeta's confidence, the atmosphere around Whitley's residence had become somewhat subtle.
Some unfamiliar Saiyans began to appear and disappear in the nearby streets, their eyes filled with curiosity and scrutiny.
And Raditz, with his iconic broom-like long hair, had become a regular visitor in the vicinity of Whitley's home.
Whenever Whitley was meditating peacefully or dripping with sweat in his backyard, Raditz would always find a spot not too far and not too close. He would either pretend to be passing by or squat on a rooftop to observe secretly, diligently recording Whitley's every move, the rhythm of every punch, and even every roar of exhaustion.
Whitley was well aware of this, but he couldn't be bothered to care.
Prince Vegeta's curiosity? Or perhaps, the unwillingness to accept defeat after his pride had been wounded? Let him be.
As long as these tails didn't step into his yard and interfere with his training rhythm, he would treat them as if they were air.
His life remained as regular as a precision machine. In the early morning, he would meditate to sense the harmony between his "ki" and his mind. In the forenoon, he would temper the limits of his physical body under three times gravity. In the afternoon, he would practice fine control and explosive bursts of ki. At night, he went to bed early to ensure he had ample energy every day.
A servant would punctually deliver a large pile of high-calorie food each time, and he would pinch his nose and devour it like a whirlwind, turning the unappetizing food into fuel for his growth.
A week later, the long-awaited gravity room finally arrived.
Several trembling alien engineers in battle suits carefully transported a silver-gray metal chamber, about ten meters in size, to Whitley's backyard.
The surface of the chamber was covered with complex energy conduits and heat sinks, with a heavy, circular hatch in the center.
"Lord Whitley, the... the gravity room you requested, according to specifications... has been completed with a maximum limit of ten times the gravity of Planet Vegeta."
The lead engineer's voice trembled as he handed over an instruction manual. "The operating instructions are all inside... please... please be sure to use it with care!"
Whitley took it, his fingers brushing across the cold metal surface of the gravity room, feeling the technological power it contained. The excitement in his heart was about to burst through his chest.
Finally! It was no longer that piece of junk that could break down at any moment! Ten times gravity! This would be his ladder to a higher level of power!
"Well done."
He tried to maintain a calm exterior and nodded. The engineers, as if granted amnesty, quickly bowed and departed.
As the heavy hatch closed behind him with the dull hiss of a hydraulic lock, Whitley stood in the center of the gravity room and took a deep breath, his fingers sliding quickly across the control panel.
VMMMM—!
A low, steady energy hum sounded, far more powerful and robust than the previous crude device.
An invisible, mountain-heavy pressure descended in an instant! It felt as if the mass of the entire planet was pressing down on his shoulders!
"Ugh!"
Whitley let out a muffled grunt, his knees bending slightly, and his entire skeleton groaned as if under an unbearable load. Ten times gravity!
Ten times the normal gravity of Planet Vegeta! This feeling of power increasing was truly fantastic!
His eyes burned with the most fervent flames of desire for strength!
"Ten times... come on!"
He clenched his jaw, veins bulging on his forehead. The "ki" in his body ignited like dynamite, working furiously with his body to resist the terrifying pressure! He forced himself to stand up straight, and then, with great difficulty, inch by inch, he raised his arm!
Get stronger! Get stronger!
This belief was like a brand seared deep into Whitley's soul, supporting him as he began a new, even more insane round of tempering in the hell of ten times gravity!
Every punch was like pushing a ten-thousand-ton ship.
Every kick was like struggling in viscous molten steel.
With every breath, his lungs endured immense compression!
Sweat no longer flowed but gushed out like a river, only to be instantly evaporated by the high temperature!
The days flew by amidst the roar of the gravity room, the groans of his body, and the surging growth of his power.
In the morning, he was no longer confined to the backyard.
He sat cross-legged in the center of the gravity room, trying to empty his mind under the extreme pressure of ten times gravity.
He recalled from his hazy memories Kami's teachings to Goku: "You must make your mind as pure as the sky, and your movements as swift as lightning."
To keep the mind clear was easier said than done. To maintain a clear mind under ten times gravity, the difficulty increased exponentially!
Distracting thoughts pressed down like mountains, but he forced himself to strip them away, striving to focus on his breathing, on the flow of "ki" within him, trying to touch the realm that only gods could reach while under the heavy pressure.
After meditation until evening, it was all physical training in the gravity room.
Under the hammering of ten times gravity, he conducted comprehensive training that pushed beyond the limits of his physical fitness, speed, strength, and endurance.
He no longer just pursued an increase in power; he focused more on making his body's movements as swift as lightning under extreme pressure. This required an unprecedented level of coordination and efficiency in mobilizing his muscles, bones, nerves, and even his "ki" under the heavy load!
Late at night: After a short rest, it was time for a deep exploration of ki. He would switch between being inside and outside the gravity room, feeling the effect of the changing gravity on his "ki." He tried to compress his aura to a lower point under normal conditions, and under gravity, he guided his ki for more complex and precise internal circulation and bursts.
The results were astonishing!
The power level reading on his lens skyrocketed past 15,000 and showed no signs of stopping!
In just one month! Under the terrifying catalysis of ten times gravity, his base power level directly surpassed the fifty-thousand mark! When he measured his power level, the scouter put on a show of instantly exploding, leaving Whitley speechless and forcing him to sheepishly find a way to get another old-fashioned scouter.
But the speed of this power increase sent a shiver of fear even through him.
What was even more miraculous was that he felt some indescribable change happening inside his body.
Punching, dodging, blocking... these actions became more and more instinctual, no longer requiring repeated calculations in his mind as they did at first.
It was as if his body itself had gained "wisdom." Under the grinding of pressure and limits, a near-instinctual combat intuition was born! A more acute sense of control over his power, space, and his own state!
This dual transformation of mind and body pleased Whitley even more than the simple increase in his power level number.
He knew that this might be the prototype of the so-called divine realm, the cornerstone for reaching higher levels of power!
On the other side.
"Sitting on the ground in a daze like an idiot every morning? And only entering the gravity room to start formal training around noon? Hmph! What a lazy guy!"
In the depths of the royal palace, Vegeta listened to Raditz's detailed report. His young face was full of disdain, but his eyes burned with a raging fire and an almost fanatical obsession.
"If it were me! I would start training before the sun even rises! I'll train twice as long as him! No! Three times!"
Vegeta clenched his fists tightly, his small face full of ferocity. "Next time! The next time we meet, I will completely shatter that smug look on that bastard's face! I'll make him kneel before me and beg for mercy!"
He could almost see the image of Whitley surrendering to his absolute power, a cold and confident arc forming on his lips.
Raditz kept his head down, not daring to breathe.
He could clearly feel the almost crazed obsession emanating from the prince. Ever since being "taught a lesson" by Whitley, the noble Saiyan prince had actually started training like a low-class warrior. And it wasn't just training; it had become self-torture!
Not only had the intensity doubled, but he had also specifically found several elite warriors with power levels close to five thousand to act as his training dummies... The results were predictable. Those unlucky bastards were still lying in medical pods.
"But... Your Highness Vegeta," Raditz reminded him cautiously, his voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "King Vegeta... has already arranged our first mission... in one month, we're going to Planet Sofu... it's a mid-level planet... about the gravity room training, perhaps..."
"Shut up!" Vegeta whirled around, his cold gaze stabbing at Raditz like a knife, cutting him off. "Are you questioning me, this prince?! Or are you questioning King Vegeta's arrangements?!"
Terrified, Raditz dropped to his knees with a thud, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. "I wouldn't dare! Your Highness, please calm down! It's just... the mission is imminent..."
"Hmph! A mere mission to a mid-level planet, how much time can that take?!"
Vegeta snorted coldly, his tone filled with absolute confidence. "Go and hurry them to finish the gravity room! One month! It's enough! If Whitley can improve so quickly with such a lazy method, I, this prince, will only become stronger than him by working harder! Get lost! Come and notify me when it's time to depart! Don't disturb my training!"
"Yes! Yes! Your Highness!"
As if granted amnesty, Raditz scrambled out of the room, the resentment in his heart towards Whitley deepening another layer—it's all that monster's fault! His Highness is like a powder keg right now!
A month slipped by quietly amidst Whitley's selfless training, Vegeta's insane self-torture, and Raditz's anxious spying.
Whitley's residence seemed to have become an isolated island in the eye of a storm, maintaining absolute tranquility.
King Vegeta also seemed to have tacitly approved of his secluded state, and Prince Vegeta was immersed in his own plan to catch up. No one disturbed this almost rigidly regular routine.
However, the peace was finally broken.
Ding-dong—Ding-dong—
The shrill sound of the doorbell penetrated the thick walls of the gravity room, interrupting the limit-pushing punching sprint Whitley was in the middle of.
He slowly retracted his fist, feeling the surging power of 50,000 that was now rushing endlessly through his body, and frowned slightly. It didn't seem to be lunchtime yet, did it?
He shut down the gravity system. The heavy pressure receded like a tide, and his body instantly felt so light it seemed it would float away.
Whitley opened the hatch and walked to the front door, covered in steaming heat.
Standing outside the door was Nappa, sweat beading on his bald head.
Seeing Whitley open the door, Nappa subconsciously took half a step back, his eyes darting around as he spoke quickly:
"Wh... Whitley! The mission is here! Assist His Highness Vegeta in conquering a mid-level planet called Sofu! Tomorrow morning, assemble at spaceport landing pad three! Uh... it's best not to be late!"
He said it all in one breath, his words tumbling out as if he were fleeing for his life. Then he looked at Whitley expectantly, as if afraid the other would punch him if he got upset.
Although they were both elite warriors, Nappa knew very well that his own power level was nothing in front of the monster before him!
Whitley's face was expressionless. He just nodded calmly. "Mm, I got it. Thanks for making the trip."
He closed the door crisply, as if he had just dealt with a trivial matter.
Outside the door, Nappa let out a long sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his bald head, and, without daring to linger for a second, shot into the sky and flew at full speed towards the palace.
He was one of Prince Vegeta's training partners for the day! If he was late... the thought of the prince's cold eyes and terrifying fists made Nappa fly even faster.
Inside, Whitley did not immediately return to the gravity room. He walked to the window and looked in the direction of the royal palace, his eyes deep.
It was time.