Digestion is Interesting

Chen Hao was not worried in the slightest. He slowly chewed the braised pork in his mouth, an unreadable smile lingering at the corner of his lips.

He tapped the edge of the plate with the tip of his chopsticks, producing a crisp sound. "It'll only get interesting after he digests them."

Then he picked up another piece of meat. Glossy sauce dripped from his chopsticks onto the rim of the bowl, splashing droplets of oil everywhere. He casually added, "Wouldn't want him to be too weak. That'd make the fight boring."

Android 18's lips twitched, and the corner of her eye jumped as well.

She stared at the young man before her. He sat at the table completely unhurried, his chopsticks wandering through the dishes as though he were savoring the most ordinary dinner imaginable.

Yet what churned through her mind was Cell's terrifying appearance—his enormous wings, slender tail, black markings all over his body, and those crimson eyes that hid a chilling viciousness.

So, in this young man's eyes, a monster like Cell was nothing more than an opponent who would be "boring to fight"?

But soon, another scene surfaced in her mind, still as vivid as ever—the moment Chen Hao had sent Vegeta flying with a single slap.

It had been a complete crushing defeat.

Vegeta's body had blasted through several mountains like a cannonball. Rubble filled the sky, while dust rose like a mushroom cloud.

And Chen Hao had stood where he was, not even a speck of dust on his clothes, his face still relaxed.

She swallowed. Just as she was about to speak, she held the words back.

Lowering her gaze, she lightly rubbed the rim of her cup with her fingertips.

The unease in her heart gradually settled.

Chen Hao put down his chopsticks and leisurely wiped his mouth with a napkin. With a casual flick, he tossed the napkin into the bowl.

He stood up, and the chair scraped softly across the floor.

"Let's go find Cell." He said it as calmly as if they were discussing the weather.

Android 18 rose with him, her silver hair faintly gleaming beneath the dim yellow light.

She watched Chen Hao's back with a complicated look in her eyes—hesitation, concern, and an emotion she could not quite put into words.

"You're going now? Aren't you going to prepare first?" Her voice was low, as though she feared startling someone.

Chen Hao turned around, still wearing that lazy smile.

The evening breeze outside tousled the hair over his forehead. "Prepare for what?"

He strode outside, his steps light and casual, as if he were merely taking a walk after dinner.

As he passed the cashier, he even waved to the owner like he was saying goodbye to an old friend.

"It's not like we're going to war." He pushed open the door and stepped out. Streetlights shone on him, stretching his shadow long behind him. "We're just killing a bug."

It really sounded like he was going to step on a cockroach.

Android 18 said nothing more and simply followed behind him.

Neon lights flickered along the street, and only a few pedestrians were around. No one knew what these two seemingly ordinary young people were about to do, or that their next move would determine the fate of the entire world.

The moment they stepped outside, the night wind swept over them, carrying the scent of grass and dust.

Chen Hao narrowed his eyes and looked up at the sky. The last traces of sunset were fading away.

"Let's go." The instant the words left his mouth, he lightly pushed off the ground and shot into the sky like an arrow.

Air compressed around his body, making his clothes flap loudly.

Android 18 followed close behind, her silver hair streaming in the wind like a banner.

Two streaks of light tore through the twilight, reaching an altitude of ten thousand meters in the blink of an eye.

Clouds rolled beneath their feet, and the setting sun dyed the sea of clouds gold and red.

The city became tiny below them. Streetlights began to glow, and the gridlike windows of buildings could be seen even from afar.

Chen Hao shouted over the wind, "Can you sense Cell's ki?"

Android 18 shook her head. Sensing ki had never been her strong suit.

But she still remembered. "I can't sense ki, but I remember the direction he fled."

She raised a hand and pointed toward the mountains in the northeast. "He should be in that mountain range. That was the direction he went when he captured Vegeta."

"Then let's go." Chen Hao's body jolted as his speed suddenly surged, detonating the air around him.

Android 18 gritted her teeth and pushed her ki to the limit, barely managing to keep up behind him.

The two streaked across the sky like meteors, leaving bright trails in their wake.

The ground rushed backward like the wind—city, suburbs, fields, forests, mountains. Everything passed in the blink of an eye.

After flying for about ten minutes, Chen Hao suddenly stopped.

A ring of turbulent air exploded ahead of him. He hovered in midair, his gaze sharp as a blade.

Android 18 nearly crashed into him. She hurriedly stopped herself and looked around, tense.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly, her palms slick with sweat.

Chen Hao did not answer immediately. He simply closed his eyes and quietly sensed the surroundings for a moment.

A moment later, he opened his eyes. Amusement flashed within them, and that meaningful curve returned to his lips.

"Quite interesting."

Android 18's pupils contracted. "What do you mean?"

"Cell doesn't look like he did before." Excitement colored Chen Hao's voice, making Android 18's heart sink halfway into an abyss.

Her expression changed at once, a chill rising down her spine. "Has he already absorbed Vegeta?"

"Yes." Chen Hao nodded calmly, then turned and pointed ahead.

"Look over there."

Android 18 followed his gaze. Dark mountain ranges lay beneath the horizon.

At dusk, a figure slowly rose into the sky.

The setting sun rendered him black as a silhouette, yet that silhouette alone was enough to make hearts stop—wings spread behind him like a demon's, his tail swaying, his entire body emanating an aura that seemed capable of crushing the sky.

It was Cell.

Cell was now an entirely different creature from before.

Even the air seemed frozen. The wind had vanished, leaving only Cell suspended on the horizon, looking down at the little insects trespassing on his territory like a dark sovereign upon his throne.

Android 18 clenched her fists so tightly that her palms were drenched in cold sweat.

She could feel that aura nearly crushing the sky itself.

A presence vast as mountains and seas crashed toward them.

Chen Hao merely watched quietly, the curve of his lips growing more pronounced as something like anticipation glimmered in his eyes.

"Perfect form..." he murmured, his voice scattering into the wind. "I've finally waited for you."

Sunlight pierced the clouds, stretching his shadow long behind him.

Cell had transformed completely. His formerly bloated body had tightened into solid muscle, every sinew gleaming faintly.

The shell on his back had become smooth, neatly arranged dark-green plates, like armor polished over countless years.

His broad wings flapped lightly, stirring the airflow and sweeping dust and fallen leaves from the ground.

And his face—once hideous, covered in veins and bone spurs—had now become refined, even carrying a faint trace of elegance in his features.

Cell slowly raised both hands and spread his fingers, as though seeing them for the first time.

His gaze traveled from his fingertips to his palms, then to his wrists and the taut skin of his arms.

He drew a deep breath. Air filled his lungs, carrying the scent of soil and grass, along with the life energy of the entire planet.

He could feel the power within him, almost overflowing, churning through his veins like magma. Every beat of his pulse felt like the earth itself trembling.

He murmured softly, his voice filled with satisfaction. "It's complete..."