Wooo—wooo!
A piercing alarm blared at once. Several security robots flashed red as they swiftly slid out from the corners and surrounded Goku, their cold gun barrels trained on him.
Goku jumped in fright and hurriedly took a fighting stance.
The red lights in the robots' eyes scanned Goku a few times. Once their databases confirmed he was on the whitelist, the alarm immediately stopped.
After announcing "Identification confirmed" in mechanical voices, they all retracted their weapons and slid back to their original positions to stand by.
"What was that all about...?"
Goku breathed a sigh of relief and scratched his head, looking confused.
He strode into the main house, calling out as he went:
"Bulma! Vitelli! Are you home?"
Living room, dining room, kitchen... Apart from a whole lot of robots tidying things up, he didn't see another soul.
"Nobody's home..."
Goku felt a little disappointed, but when he wandered into the backyard, his eyes suddenly lit up.
In the open space back there stood a large, futuristic-looking silver-white metal building that hadn't been there before. Capsule Corp's name was printed on the door.
"Wow! Is this Vitelli's new Gravity Chamber?"
His curiosity flared at once, and he temporarily forgot about looking for anyone.
He rubbed his hands together excitedly, found the switch on the door, and pressed it.
Hiss—!
The airtight door slowly slid open, revealing a spacious, high-tech training area inside.
"Heh heh, let me give it a try!"
Goku darted inside, and the airtight door slowly closed behind him.
Before long, the vast Gravity Chamber filled with the deep, powerful hum of its startup, heralding the beginning of another grueling training session—with a different person this time.
Almost as soon as Goku had slipped into the Gravity Chamber, the God of Destruction Realm came into view, countless light-years away.
The rainbow-colored light faded, revealing Vitelli, Bulma, Beerus, and Whis on that familiar, unusual world.
A rich, fragrant aroma filled the air. In the distance, the outline of the God of Destruction Palace looked immense beneath the strange light in the sky.
"Wow—!"
It was Bulma's first time setting foot on an alien world, and the strange sights around her immediately caught her attention.
Plants radiating a soft glow, oddly shaped little animals that seemed gentle, the soil beneath her feet as if infused with some kind of energy, and the sky above—brilliantly colorful like the aurora, unlike anything she'd ever seen...
Everything here thrilled the genius scientist.
"So this is an alien planet! It's incredible! What makes the plants glow? The atmosphere seems completely different from Earth, too! And those animals—their biological structure..."
Bulma's eyes sparkled. She could hardly wait to pull out her instruments and start studying everything.
Beerus had been complaining to Whis:
"Whis, have you gotten slower lately? I remember you used to cover the same distance in just one minute and forty-five seconds, but this time you took almost two whole minutes! While I was asleep, were you too busy looking for food in the universe to bother training?"
But when he heard Bulma's exclamation, he immediately turned around. He lifted his chin slightly and looked down at her with an air of superiority as he said:
"Hey, woman! This is the God of Destruction Realm, where I, Lord Beerus, live! It's not comparable to those alien planets you're talking about!"
Bulma was crouched down, carefully examining a glowing plant. She looked up at his words and blinked her bright blue eyes, her face full of genuine confusion.
"But isn't this just another planet in the universe, outside Earth? Doesn't that still make it an alien planet?"
"Uh..."
Beerus was so thoroughly stumped by her perfectly sound, blunt logic that he couldn't get a word out. All desire to show off had vanished.
He flicked his tail in annoyance, feeling as though he and this Earth woman had some trouble communicating.
After stretching in a big, bored yawn, he turned to Vitelli beside him.
A flash of purple light enveloped him, and his stately God of Destruction clothes instantly changed into a comfortable brown set of pajamas. He even had his sleeping cap on.
Yawning, Beerus said sleepily:
"Mm... I always get sleepy after a big meal... Since you're an Apprentice God of Destruction now, you can take care of clearing out those useless trash planets from now on. I just ate until I was quite full, so I'm going to take a nap for a decade or so and get my energy back... Haaah—"
He yawned as he swayed toward the depths of the palace, his voice growing fainter and fainter:
"As for how to use Destruction... let Whis teach you... zzz..."
Before he'd even finished speaking, he vanished from the spot with a whoosh, apparently heading straight to his bedroom.
Whis and Vitelli looked toward where Beerus had disappeared and shook their heads in unison, both wearing helpless expressions.
"That guy's hopeless."
Vitelli muttered under his breath.
Whis returned to his usual calm, easygoing smile and looked at Vitelli.
"So, Vitelli, are you planning to begin your new training right away, or would you rather rest first? Personally, I suggest we start with a cup of afternoon tea."
As he spoke, a delicate teapot and several teacups appeared in his hand out of nowhere.
Just then, Bulma emerged from the nearby woods, a little notebook in her hand as she hurriedly wrote something down.
At Whis's suggestion, she eagerly raised her hand.
"Leave the tea to me! I brought lots of different kinds of high-quality tea leaves from Earth, and I've been wanting to see how they taste brewed with the water here!"
Vitelli shook his head and looked at Whis, his expression turning serious.
"Let's have tea another time, Whis. I want to start training first. When are you going to teach me how to use Destruction?"
He might have resented Beerus forcing the position on him, but since he couldn't refuse, he wanted to master this power as quickly as possible.
After all, it was incredibly powerful.
Whis handed the teapot to Bulma, a mysterious smile on his face.
"Vitelli, the truth is... you've already learned."
"Huh?!" Vitelli froze, his face full of surprise.
"I've already learned? When? How come I didn't know?"
Whis calmly set down his teacup and explained:
"When you just asked me how to train in Destruction."
He saw the confusion in Vitelli's eyes and continued:
"'Destruction' isn't just a kind of energy. It's also the manifestation of the authority that comes with a divine position. Earlier, you didn't accept your identity as an 'Apprentice God of Destruction' in your heart. Your subconscious was rejecting it, so that authority was closed to you. Naturally, you couldn't sense it."
"But when you asked how to train in 'Destruction,' it showed that you'd accepted this new identity and responsibility. You'd begun to think about things from the perspective of an 'Apprentice God of Destruction.' That acceptance is the key that unlocks your authority. Besides, your grueling training in the alternate dimension had already built up enough God Ki in your body and spirit. All that's missing now is some guidance and clear acknowledgment."
Whis tapped Vitelli on the chest and added:
"What you need to do now isn't learn a specific technique, but keep reflecting on and honing your inner self, so that your will and resolve truly become worthy of this authority over 'Destruction.' When your heart is fully in tune with the role of a God of Destruction, using 'Destruction' will come as naturally as breathing."
Vitelli fell into thought as he listened to Whis.
I've already learned? I just need to make myself worthy of this power?
He recalled how he'd felt when faced with Beerus's Destruction Energy, and the restless divine power inside him, carrying the aura of annihilation and ending...
He seemed to have found the faintest hint of a direction.
Just then, Whis interrupted his thoughts. The gentle smile on his face somehow made Vitelli feel that something was wrong.
"By the way, Vitelli, I should remind you that you have about three months to get familiar with and learn how to use your God of Destruction powers effectively."
Vitelli snapped out of his reverie, his face full of helplessness.
"Something else? I did plenty of errands for you while I was training in the God of Destruction Realm!"
He remembered that stint as a "delivery boy," when Whis used his angelic abilities to toss him into some random corner of the universe, then expected him to use Instant Transmission to get back on his own.
Whis shook his head. His tone remained gentle, but his words made Vitelli's scalp tingle.
"Don't worry, Vitelli. This time, I'm not asking you to deliver anything or look for anyone. It's just that Lord Beerus hadn't handled his duties for quite some time before going to sleep. The list of planets across the universe that need to be subjected to 'Destruction'... well, it isn't exactly short."
He raised a slender finger and lightly tapped the empty air. An invisible list appeared there.
"Since Lord Beerus has entrusted these duties to you, and he's gone to sleep, it naturally falls to you to take over the work."
"Three months from now, if you still haven't mastered Destruction and begun carrying out your duties, I'm afraid Universe 7's overall ranking will... drop again. It would be difficult to explain that to Grand Zeno."
Vitelli's eyes flew wide. He could hardly believe his ears.
"You've got to be kidding me! I'm an Apprentice God of Destruction! I've only just taken the job, and it hasn't even been an hour! I haven't even finished my probation period! And I'm already expected to start working? Isn't that a bit ridiculous?!"
Whis smiled as he tried to reassure him.
"Now, now, Vitelli, take it easy. I'm not asking you to start this very instant. You still have three months to prepare and practice, don't you? I'm sure you'll be fine, given your talent."
Vitelli looked at Whis's "I believe in you" expression, then at the mountain of planets awaiting Destruction. In the end, all he could do was let out a long, utterly defeated sigh.
"Ugh! I knew it! This Apprentice God of Destruction job is a total trap!"
Watching her boyfriend's miserable, helpless expression, Bulma couldn't help bursting into laughter.
She walked over and gave Vitelli an encouraging pat on the back.
"Keep it up, honey! Do your best for our universe's ranking and prosperity!"
Her tone brimmed with excitement at watching the trouble unfold—and absolute faith in him.
Vitelli looked at his wife's radiant smile, then at Whis, who was sipping tea elegantly but was really an incredibly devious schemer. Then he thought of the official God of Destruction, fast asleep and leaving him to deal with the whole mess...
He took a deep, deep breath of the fragrant air of the God of Destruction Realm, which now felt impossibly heavy.
Life as an Apprentice God of Destruction seemed far more tedious than he'd imagined!
Chapter 23: Vados Pays a Visit—As Expected of Bulma!
Vitelli stood alone atop a lofty peak. The setting sun spilled molten gold across the rugged mountains of the God of Destruction Realm.
He had changed back into his old black Battle Suit. The sunlight had lent it a warm, orange glow.
Vitelli gazed at the enormous orange star, radiating warmth, as it slowly sank below the distant horizon. The entire sky was painted a magnificent crimson.
But night did not fall over the God of Destruction Realm.
Just as the deep darkness of space was about to swallow the horizon, a younger, more vibrant white star rose in the east.
Its cool yet blazing light filled the empty sky in time, keeping the world bathed in an eternal glow.
Only the light's color and warmth had quietly shifted without anyone noticing.
Vitelli's gaze followed the white star, and a hint of silver appeared in his deep eyes as it rose.
He slowly raised his hands and pressed his palms together in front of him, focusing as he felt the immense power inside his body.
A moment later, his hands began to part with an extremely slow movement, as if they were bearing the weight of the world.
As his palms drew apart, a dark-purple point of light, radiating intense heat and the aura of annihilation, suddenly appeared in the empty space between them!
At first, the point of light was no bigger than a grain of rice, yet it contained a terrifying energy that made his heart tremble.
As the distance between Vitelli's hands grew, the dark-purple energy sphere began to swell violently!
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Vitelli's forehead. Clearly, controlling this Destruction Energy was still putting a strain on his body.
But just then, a silver glint flashed in his eyes. Rather than hurling the energy away like Beerus had, he gave a low shout: "Not enough!"
He actually began to force the properties of his "White Heat Flash"—a technique that contained scorching heat—into the already extremely unstable Destruction Energy!
At once, the core of the dark-purple energy sphere seemed to ignite, bursting with a dazzling white light!
An indescribable heat radiated outward in an instant, slightly warping the space around him.
The dark purple and brilliant white energies, so utterly different from each other, clashed and merged violently, hissing in a grating sound. The sphere looked ready to lose control and explode at any moment!
Vitelli gritted his teeth and poured out every bit of his limited but powerful God Ki, forcibly suppressing and guiding these two unruly forces.
He tried to control them as precisely as possible, his mind focused to the utmost. The two merging forces in his hands seemed to dance on the edge of a knife.