At last, after a muffled rumble, the energy sphere stabilized once more.
It was no longer just pure dark purple. A thread of incandescent white light continuously flowed through its core and across its surface, radiating a terrifying aura that seemed capable of destroying everything and reducing all things to ash!
Vitelli let out a long breath. Looking at the newly fused energy sphere in his hand, he smiled, tired but deeply satisfied.
"Finally, I did it... I'll call it... 'Destruction Flash,' maybe? It sounds kind of familiar..."
After seventeen days and nights of constant insight and experimentation, he had finally mastered the core of the power of Destruction. With his powerful control and vivid imagination, he had fused it with his own unique traits.
The result was an ultimate technique unlike any other, one that belonged to him alone.
Perhaps it was the subconscious influence of memories from his previous life, or perhaps it was a habit formed in the brutal environment of Planet Vegeta. Whatever the reason, he had a deeply ingrained fear of not having enough firepower. Pure destruction never seemed quite sufficient to him; he needed to add the extreme heat he excelled at before he felt at ease.
"Oh my~"
A gentle voice, tinged with surprise, came from behind him.
"You really did succeed, Vitelli. Combining two completely different and immensely powerful forces takes real courage and control. I'm impressed."
Whis had appeared there at some point without making a sound. He wore his usual smile, but a hint of surprise and admiration gleamed in his purple eyes.
Vitelli didn't turn around. He continued watching the "Destruction Flash" slowly fade from his hand, as well as the white sun in the distance that had now taken over the sky.
Several minutes passed. Only after his energy had completely settled did he turn to Whis and say calmly:
"I've more or less mastered the power of Destruction now. About the task we discussed earlier, clearing out those 'trash planets'—when do you think it'd be best to set out?"
He got straight to the point. Now that he had mastered the power of a God of Destruction, he wouldn't shirk the work that came with it.
Whis's smile grew even more amused at his words. Teasingly, he said:
"Oh my? I never thought you'd become so diligent and dependable, Vitelli. Just over half a month ago, someone was practically repulsed by the position of God of Destruction~ If Lord Beerus worked as hard at training and took his duties as seriously as you do, Universe 7 would surely be far ahead in the rankings by now, wouldn't it?"
As he spoke, he even let out an exaggerated sigh, as if he were truly worn out by his own God of Destruction's laziness.
Vitelli couldn't be bothered to answer. He simply turned without changing his expression and headed down the mountain toward the house Bulma had built.
Whis didn't mind. He naturally followed behind, continuing to chatter about what had been happening.
"Bulma hasn't been idle at all during the more than ten days you've spent training in seclusion. Your little girlfriend is a rare genius when it comes to science! She's finished building her mobile laboratory, and her efficiency is astonishing. I also heard her say that her next plan is to set aside an area in the God of Destruction Realm and try growing some crops unique to Earth."
Vitelli paused, looking surprised.
"Grow crops here? Given the soil in the God of Destruction Realm and this planet's ridiculous environment... can that actually work?"
Whis chuckled and continued:
"That's not all. She also plans to design and build an unmanned spaceship to bring over embryos of livestock from Earth—animals that are adaptable and have good meat—and try raising them on a large scale in the God of Destruction Realm."
"Raise livestock?!"
This time, Vitelli was genuinely shocked. Raise cows and sheep in the God of Destruction Realm?
The image was so wild that he could barely bring himself to imagine it!
"Wouldn't the gravity alone make it impossible? Ordinary animals would just..."
"Ho ho ho~" Whis covered his mouth and laughed.
"Bulma also said she was going to build a large Anti-Gravity Ecological Simulation Chamber specifically to solve the environmental adaptation problems involved in farming and raising livestock. It's such a creative idea."
Vitelli was completely impressed and shook his head helplessly.
The girlfriend he'd found really was a genius who loved to tinker. She actually planned to bring high-tech agriculture and animal husbandry into the realm where the gods lived...
Still... when he imagined that someday he might really get to eat fresh Earth vegetables and grilled meat in the God of Destruction Realm, he found himself... kind of looking forward to it?
By the time they finished talking, they had reached the modern house Bulma had produced from a Hoi-Poi Capsule.
The house looked somewhat out of place in its surroundings, yet somehow blended in all the same, giving it a strangely East-meets-West feel.
"Bulma! I'm back!"
Vitelli pushed open the front door and called out.
However, the person who came out in response wasn't the lively blue-haired girl he'd expected.
A tall, graceful woman stood in the doorway. Her skin was blue-green, much like Whis's, and her silver-white hair was tied into a neat, high ponytail, with two strands falling down over her forehead.
She wore clothes similar in style to Whis's, but they showed off her figure even better.
Her face was beautiful, but carried an innate coolness and aloofness. In her hand, she held an Angel Staff just like his.
The female angel calmly sized Vitelli up with her golden eyes. A playful smile seemed to linger at the corners of her mouth, making him feel inexplicably uneasy.
Vitelli froze on the spot, his pupils contracting slightly as he cried out inwardly, No way! Why is Vados, the angel of Universe 6, here?!
"Oh my~"
Whis came out from behind him and greeted the woman with a familiar smile.
"You haven't gone back yet, Big Sister?"
Vados gave Whis a slight nod in acknowledgment, but kept her eyes on Vitelli.
She spoke in a clear, cool voice:
"I heard that Universe 7 had unexpectedly gained an Apprentice God of Destruction. Lord Champa can't leave Universe 6 at the moment, but he's very 'concerned' about this, so he specifically sent me over to see how things were going."
She placed particular emphasis on the word "concerned." Clearly, that fat God of Destruction was mostly driven by curiosity and a certain competitive urge to compare himself with others.
She stepped forward and examined Vitelli more closely, not missing a single detail from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.
Her gaze seemed able to see right through him. Vitelli felt like a specimen under a microscope, and the scrutiny made him deeply uncomfortable. He was just about ready to get goosebumps.
Just as he was about to speak, Vados finally withdrew her piercing gaze.
Her smile deepened slightly, and her eyes showed something that... could probably be called approval.
"Hmm... your ki is well-refined, your foundation is solid, and you've managed to gain an initial grasp of Destruction in such a short time. You've even developed something new."
She gave her assessment in an even tone, but there was a note of approval in it.
"You seem far more dependable than a certain God of Destruction who only knows how to eat and sleep. You're quite impressive."
Vitelli quickly nodded and gave a stiff reply. "Thank you for the compliment, Miss Vados."
Then he practically fled past her and darted into the house.
The aura and gaze of this Big Sister were simply too much pressure for him.
Whis's undisguised laughter came from behind him.
"Hehehe... Big Sister, it seems your 'appraising' gaze scared our Apprentice God of Destruction~"
At that, Vados turned her cool gaze on Whis, a hint of displeasure in her eyes.
"Whis, rather than worrying about how other people react, you should worry about yourself. I sensed that your ki has actually weakened slightly since the last time we met. How long has it been since you trained seriously?"
Whis's smile froze instantly. As if she'd stepped on his tail, he immediately stopped teasing his strict older sister and hurriedly laughed it off with an excuse.
"Oh my... Well... there are so many affairs in the universe that need taking care of..."
As he spoke, he hurried into the house to join Vitelli and Bulma.
Vados watched her younger brother's hurried retreat and let out a helpless sigh.
She made up her mind to "happen to pass by" Universe 7 more often from then on, so she could keep an eye on her exceptionally talented but increasingly lazy brother.
Such a promising young angel couldn't be allowed to become just like Beerus.
Vitelli found Bulma in the workshop on the second floor.
The room was packed with instruments and design blueprints. Bulma was seated in front of a huge computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Complex three-dimensional diagrams and countless streams of data filled the screen. She was so focused that she hadn't even noticed him come in.
"Did you miss me, Bulma?" Vitelli asked with a smile, keeping his voice soft.
Bulma finally snapped out of it. The moment she saw Vitelli in the doorway, her face lit up with delight. Like a happy little bird, she sprang from her chair and threw herself into his arms.
"Honey! You've finally finished training! Did you succeed?"
Vitelli laughed and caught her securely, wrapping his arms tightly around her soft body. He kissed her smooth cheek and forehead several times, only stopping when Bulma gave him a sweet, complaining protest.
Holding Bulma, he sat down in the chair in front of the computer and settled her comfortably on his lap.
Curious, he looked at the strange-looking spaceship design on the screen. "Yeah, it went really well. What are you working on? Is this the unmanned cargo ship Whis mentioned?"
"That's right!"
Bulma nodded excitedly, her blue eyes sparkling with intelligence and enthusiasm.
"I've more or less finished the anti-gravity technology module. Now I'm mainly working on miniaturizing the hyperspace engine and making the energy core last longer! Once I solve those problems, I'll be able to establish a regular unmanned cargo route between Earth and here. Then I can bring over all kinds of seeds and livestock embryos, as well as lots of delicious and useful things from Earth!"
She grew more and more excited as she spoke, gesturing enthusiastically.
"Then I can grow vegetables and fruit on a large scale in the Anti-Gravity Ecological Simulation Chamber, and raise animals like cows, chickens, and fish! That way, you won't have to eat those awful alien foods or stored Earth food all the time. You'll be able to enjoy fresh Earth delicacies whenever you want! How's that? Isn't this lady amazing?"
Vitelli listened as his girlfriend went on about her "God of Destruction Realm renovation plan."
Seeing the confidence in her eyes and the tenderness she showed in thinking of him filled his heart with immense gratitude and pride.
He hugged Bulma tightly again, burying his face in her fragrant blue hair. His voice came out a little muffled, yet filled with sincere emotion.
"Thank you... Thank you for doing all this for me, Bulma..."
How lucky he was to have met a woman who was not only beautiful and intelligent, but also willing to use her genius to warm both his stomach and his heart.
Feeling the change in his emotions, Bulma gently hugged him back and said softly:
"Silly, you're Bulma's man for life. If I don't look out for you, who will?"
After they held each other for a while, Bulma gently pushed him away and pointed at the computer screen.
"All right, go downstairs and eat first. The robot I brought should have prepared something already. I just have to check a few final parameters here. I'll be done soon, and then I'll come down to join you."
Vitelli tugged at her and said with an amused smile:
"We can finish this after we eat, right? Let's go together."
"Be good~ It'll only take a moment!"
Bulma insisted, pulling him up from the chair and gently ushering him toward the door.
"Go on, go on! You must be starving after training for so long!"
Vitelli couldn't talk her out of it, so he smiled and went downstairs.
Once she heard his footsteps disappear at the bottom of the stairs, Bulma's gentle smile turned sly and smug. Like a cat that had just stolen a fish, she gave a little fist pump at the air and whispered to herself:
"Hmph, silly Vitelli, always burying himself in training. Now you'll be even more dependent on me, won't you~! Hehe, little Vitelli, I've got you wrapped around my finger!"
She couldn't help giggling at her own words, then happily sat back down at the computer and hummed a cheerful tune as she continued working on her interstellar logistics venture.
To her, making the man she loved happier was the most worthwhile research project of all.
Chapter 24: Cleanup Duty, an Unexpected Discovery of Namek
In the universe, distant stars shimmered endlessly. But here, silence reigned eternal.
Yet today, a brilliant streak of light suddenly appeared and shattered the stillness.
When the light faded, two figures were revealed: Vitelli, wearing a black Battle Suit, and Whis, the angel of Universe 7.
Vitelli wasn't wearing his Apprentice God of Destruction uniform. He always felt that the outfit was rather ugly.
Fortunately, Whis had told him there were no strict rules about it, and he could wear whatever he liked. Other Gods of Destruction only wore their uniforms because they were easy to recognize and helped avoid unnecessary interruptions.
Naturally, Vitelli would rather not wear one. As for interruptions... he could simply deal with them as they came.
Their location was extremely unusual. Directly ahead of them loomed a black hole so enormous that any ordinary person would have felt their heart skip a beat. Its gravity warped the surrounding space and all the light, creating a swirling abyss that devoured everything.
And on an orbit extremely close to this cosmic graveyard, a dim, gray-surfaced planet stubbornly continued its rotation.
Vitelli gazed at the contradictory yet magnificent sight, unable to resist a sigh of wonder.
"This world really is amazing. There can be a planet near a black hole, a symbol of nothingness and annihilation, and it's even evolved life... The resilience of life is beyond imagination."
Whis smiled elegantly at that, his tone light.
"That's actually nothing special, Vitelli. Lord Beerus and I once visited a planet orbiting a neutron star. The life forms there were far stranger, made entirely of crystals and sustained by absorbing radiation. So you still haven't seen much of the universe, you know. You'll need to get out and explore more~"
Vitelli smiled and pushed that brief moment of wonder to the back of his mind.
With today's itinerary, this wasn't the time to wax poetic.
"Come on, I'm sure I'll see plenty more strange things in the future. Let's get to work, Whis."
Whis nodded and gracefully tapped the Scepter against the empty space before them.