Chapter 4: Chapter 04: Thief

My laugh quieted down, and a frown formed on my face. I am standing in the middle of nowhere, stranded on an alien planet with my spaceship possibly being destroyed and the environment hostile, yet here I am happy about the circumstances. Laughing like a maniac. 

The stress must be getting to me, I thought as I set up a little campfire. I would have lit it up with my arm cannon but considering that it is in a thousand pieces, my ki would do just fine. I held up a ki sphere, letting it touch the dry leaves and its heat create a little fire, which I then fueled with other dry leaves.

I wanted to fire a small ki beam, not unlike Frieza’s death beam and I could feel that I would be able to do it, but I didn’t have the necessary control to fire a death beam with lesser intensity so it would only light up a small fire instead of blowing a hole into the ground. It would take me some time to get the hang of it but for now, I would just crouch down with my sphere in hand to ignite a fire. 

I cooked the carcasses of a chick that had its neck bent all the way to its back. I also grilled the salvageable parts of the mother bird. It wasn’t like I would gain strength from its corpse, but I felt like it was appropriate- no it was satisfactory to do so as they were the first victims of my Oozaru transformation.

The thought had me freeze up for a second and I could only let out a bitter chuckle afterward. The climate inside the prison had already changed me. Back in my past life, I knew that the person who stepped out of the prison would be a different person from the one that stepped into it. 

Even though I never made it out alive, it still changed me, and I couldn’t help but smile ruefully at that. 

Despite my apparent failure to survive, I still thought of myself as a survivor and there was no doubt in my mind that I would have also adapted to this hostile jungle rather quickly, at least quicker than most people. 

But a day wasn’t enough to change a man’s thinking of his food being merely for nutrition to being satisfied that the food one ate was his former victims of violence and reveling in the thought of consuming their carcass. A body influenced the mind just as much as the mind influenced the body.

My Saiyan parents seemed docile even with the occasional hunt and somewhat brutish behavior. The hunts were just a way to get food and maybe to let off some steam, but they wouldn’t enjoy it as much as I did now. I thought as I bit into the steaming flesh, chewing only two times before swallowing.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that they never experienced the Oozaru transformation. Since they belonged to the worker class, they hadn’t participated in the final battle against the Tuffles, the rare event at which the Saiyan denizens of Vegeta experienced a full moon. 

They couldn’t control themselves as Oozarus, making them and the other workers more of a liability than an asset, so they were brought underground, denying them the chance to cause unnecessary trouble.

They wouldn’t know the feeling the transformation gives a Saiyan. I closed my eyes as I recalled the feeling of transforming. The absolute power flowed through my veins as it gushed out of my heart and into every part of my body.

The power gave me an ultimate high and with it came a primal rage, wanting to be released. As I recalled the rage, I found myself restless. I just wanted to stand up and find the nearest creature and smash its head in.

It was probably a good thing that Kakarot doesn’t remember transforming. Maybe he wouldn’t be such an innocent child afterward.

With all that being said, I couldn’t find it in me to care that I was growing more accustomed to my Saiyan heritage. The Z-fighters won’t even have an issue if I was ruthless, as long as it was directed at the enemy.

The only thing that I won’t accept was the fact that I had no control over the transformation. Although it was nice to experience such a power, it wouldn’t be helpful if I couldn’t direct said power. To not become a mindless beast was already enough reason for me to master this form.

Additionally, it probably helps as a gateway for the Ikari state and Super Saiyan 4 as well. Speaking of, I am definitely keeping my tail even if the cast abandoned it. 

I also hope that the moon here would show up rather often. If it shows up every few years, I will never master the Oozaru transformation on this planet. 

Having satisfied my hunger with the chicks and the remains of the mother bird, I sat down cross-legged and tried to meditate in order to extinguish the still smoldering embers of rage. 

I have enough experience with meditation, though this time instead of concentrating on my breath, I used my ki as a means to focus my concentration. It was a lot more difficult than as a human, as I felt my mind being uncharacteristically restless.

I did my best to guide my ki into every part of my body one by one and then into every part at the same time. I just had creative fun with it and when I opened my eyes, I noticed that my control over my ki became more natural. 

The increase of control might be negligible, but it was still noticeable and with an awareness of improving, a feeling of pride bloomed out of my Saiyan heart.

I sighed as I knew I wouldn’t be able to reign in my emotions completely, hence I just stopped trying so hard. It isn’t necessarily bad to be a bit prideful, right? Just had to make sure that it doesn’t grow to Vegeta’s proportion.

Although the meditation session was short, it was insightful, to say the least.

The usage of ki seemed to act like a muscle. The more I use it, the more my reserves will grow, but more importantly, I would increase the mind-to-ki connection and thereby my control over ki. 

Another faster option would be to increase my physical capabilities to increase my ki, but my ki control wouldn’t benefit that much, at least not with firing ki attacks. Though I presume that the usage of my body in tandem with my ki would become better. 

I will have to weigh my options. If I wanted stronger ki blasts, I would have to practice my ki blasts and meditation. If I wanted to punch harder and increase my ki reserves, I would have to train my body.

Still, my insights were only concerning my own ki, I still don’t know how I am going to sense other’s ki and by extension teleport to them. 

I don’t know where to start recreating that teleportation skill. On the flip side, I have used ki only for two days. Maybe I will even come up with Instant Transmission on my own one day. 

Still, it would be probably best if I wait until I have contact with King Kai and let him teach me.

After discontinuing my thoughts about techniques that I wanted to learn and create, I flew up and looked around, trying to find the place from which I was snatched by the mother bird.

It didn’t take long until I found the destroyed area caused by the mother bird’s dive into the trees. From there, I knew where to head, and I arrived in just a few minutes.

My heart started thumping as I looked at the empty spot where my attack ball should have been hovering. I wasn’t able to see it, but I felt a vein pop up on my temple.

Where the FUCK is my Spaceship?!

I looked around for a trail, but it just appeared to have vanished! I was growing frantic as I thought of the possibility of being stuck on this low-level planet. A roar distracted me for a second before I refocused on my problem.

Just as I started thinking about my attack ball, I somehow made the connection with the six-legged creature with the broken wing. Did it come back again to take revenge? But why snatch my attack ball away? Maybe it couldn’t destroy it and just stole it out of spite?

The thought seeded itself into my brain, and I couldn’t help but pursue the idea. It had been just a day, so finding the general direction of the creature’s lair wasn’t hard.

I flew up and stepped on the gas, figuratively speaking, of course, and speeded through the jungle. A few tens of minutes later, I came across a deep trench extending a few meters, with blood splatters all over the place.

I crouched down when I saw something shining. I picked it up and recognized it as a scale. Was the creature attacked by something else? But where is my attack ball, if that’s the case?

My musing was interrupted by a caw-like call. I looked up and saw the crow-like birds that I first met on this planet. They held up one wing as if they pointed at something. They all pointed in the same direction of the jungle.

Were they telling me where the attacker went with my spaceship? At a closer look, the path of destruction with the bushes and trees that were destroyed in that direction was strangely circular, no doubt caused by my attack ball.

How had I missed that? 

Maybe it was because this entire section of the jungle was a mess, and it was clear that a struggle had happened here recently. It was only after it was pointed out to me it became obvious, like those illusionary pictures that hid a secret image. Once it was pointed out, one couldn’t unsee it.

I didn’t hesitate any longer and just gave the birds a nod before heading in the direction they were pointing towards.

I flew through the jungle, following the path of destruction. The mess the one that took my attack ball caused wasn’t as significant as my destruction as an Oozaru, obviously, but it showed me that the one thought little of trees and handled my attack ball with no care at all!

At some point, I noticed that the destruction lessened, so I got more cautious. It didn’t take me long until I came across a clearing with singed trees surrounding the area.

I sat upon a branch hidden from sight in the crown of a tree while being able to overlook the area.

In the middle of the clearing were supplies strewn about, with no organization to be seen. There was a small pool of blood next to a makeshift seat. Behind the supplies was a wreck of what could only be a spaceship. Had someone crash-landed on this planet? 

I looked around until I saw my attack ball hovering above a circular light in the middle of some other technical devices for which I couldn’t decipher the purpose for. It honestly just looked like a setup for a photo shoot. However, no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find the thief.

I wasn’t nervous before, but I could feel my heart starting to pump more exaggeratedly again.

It had been the same in the past when I was still a student. I was always calm days before whatever I needed to do. It was only just minutes before the event when my nervousness kicked in, hard.

I know it was just the reaction towards stress triggering a fight-or-flight response that in modern times was more of a handicap than helpful, but it wasn’t like I could switch the response off even if I knew the technicalities. My nervous kicks became even more exaggerated in prison, as I had to fear assassination attempts every day there.

Now I was getting similarly nervous again, but more excited? It felt similar to a fight or fight response, though thoughts of fleeing were as quickly banished out of my mind as soon as they appeared. 

My fists were clenched, my legs were tense, and I felt myself anticipating the appearance of my enemy. My breath became faster and deeper, as if I was trying to supply my entire body with more than plenty of oxygen. I was in a half-crouch, ready to bounce at the thief.

I knew what my body was getting ready for. I could observe and interpret my body’s reaction just like I could as a human, maybe even more so now as a Saiyan. 

But just like I never had been able to help myself from acting on some emotional impulses, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from attacking the one that thought going after what was mine was a good idea!

Realizing what would inevitably end up in a fight only made me more excited and more battle-ready, which in turn made me try harder to contain my emotions. 

Something that could carry my attack ball across the jungle while fighting off whatever creature the thief came across was certainly stronger than I was! 

As soon as I finished the thought, I knew I made a mistake thinking about that little detail. It was less than a second later that my heart started thumping a notch faster than before. My fists clenched even harder, and I knew that a feral smile was forming across my face.

I could feel my control over myself slip as the possibility of a fight was hanging before my eyes. It wasn’t unlike the night before when I was turning into an Oozaru, but so much more enjoyable as I was aware of every sensation.

It had been a long time since the last time I got impatient, but now I only felt like screaming for the thief to come out to play. As if to answer my prayers, a pig’s grunting sounded out from across the clearing.

For a moment, I was puzzled as I saw a pig’s face on an upright humanoid body. The thief wore a purple tank top and jeans with a belt on which a small button was attached to. 

Surprisingly, the upright pig had gray skin like a rhino, though some areas of his body were stained with blood, especially the left side of its body. Probably because its left arm was halfway missing since it looked like a new wound.

I watched the orc-like creature move towards his makeshift seat to sit down. Unexpectedly, it pulled out what I think was a beer out of the supply crate before chugging it down. It let out a satisfied sigh before standing up again and looking at a screen that it took out of its pocket.

With a nod, it put it back into its pocket. It walked towards my attack ball, to be precise, to a screen next to what looked like a turned-off lamp.

The orc pressed a few buttons making the lamp turn on, but instead of normal light, a grid-like laser field shone onto the now highlighted door of my attack ball. It took a few seconds until the apparent scanner stopped and gave its result back, which seemed to have displeased the orc as it threw the beer to the ground.

The bottle shattered on the ground and wasted the beer in the process. Ohh, now I am not only excited, but I was getting angry as well.

It had been quite some time since I enjoyed a beer and seeing someone waste it was pissing me off. It was a miracle that I could hold myself back even though my body was as battle-ready as it could be. 

The main reason was that I felt like something even better would happen if I waited for a bit. It was just a feeling, nothing based on logic, but I chose to follow the feeling, so I remained unmoving. 

Was it a bad idea to follow the feeling of a body that I didn’t understand how it influenced me mentally? Maybe? 

Another reason why I didn’t just jump into it was the fact that there might be more of his kind running around in the jungle. Additionally, the orc seemed to be stronger than I was, not by much, but still stronger.

More of his kind would be rather troublesome. Maybe I should attack him right now after all… 

Oh, that was why I felt something better might happen if I waited. Because more strong opponents equal a good time.

Fine! Once, I will listen to my instincts and see what trouble it will bring me!

I used all the meditative techniques that I learned in my past to calm myself and not waste so much energy by being tense the entire time and, surprisingly, my body didn’t disagree. 

After ruining his beer, the standing pig approached my attack ball and tried to feel the seams of the door that the scanning device highlighted, but it obviously wouldn’t be able to grasp them.

The attack ball was perfectly round and seamless. It honestly looked completely new if one dismissed the blood and mud stains on it.

The orc let out a frustrated huff before grabbing another beer bottle… Well, it could be something other than beer, but looking at the thuggish ugly mug of this orc, it couldn’t be something else, right?

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Even if it told me that it was drinking water, I would never believe it!

My legs’ tenseness lessened and my fists unclenched slightly as I relaxed my body further. I didn’t move from the spot and remained crouched on top of a branch high up in the crown of the tree, out of sight.

I was waiting for an opportunity to attack, but until then I would use this thief to further my study of ki. The pig didn’t seem to intend to wander around for the day as it rearranged the tools around my attack ball.

I could use him to try sensing his life force. Being able to sense ki would undoubtedly be more useful than relying on a scouter that could break at any moment. So, here I was sitting on a branch stalking a pig like a creep.

I could almost feel its strength when I first saw it, but if I closed my eyes, this sense would vanish. It was clear that I was relying on my eyes to estimate its strength by finding clues in the ease of its movements and the almost unnoticeable shaking of the ground with each step it took.

The cues the 2-meter-tall pig gave me enabled me to compare it to the creatures I encountered just the night before, but that was it. If I closed my eyes or if it was not in my field of view, this sense vanished.

I was so lost in my observation and my attempt to sense its ki that I was startled awake the moment the pig sprang up in surprise as it panickily took its screen out of its pocket.

It then rushed to grab something out of a crate that looked like a rifle that wouldn’t feel out of place in a halo game. The pig pointed into the jungle while checking its screen from time to time.

Just like I was startled by the pig’s sudden movement, the sudden sense of the approaching creature startled me as well. It was like a sixth sense, as I knew exactly where the unknown creature suddenly charged from, despite not hearing or seeing it.

When I focused back on the pig, I noticed that I could sense its ki as well. Surprisingly, now it was easy, almost natural, to sense ki. It was like a switch was flipped, lightening up the surroundings.

Like little fireflies in the dark, I noticed the surrounding life forces. Some were brighter than others, so I could tell that the creature approaching was slightly stronger than the pig, but the rifle would be an obvious game-changer.

It wasn’t long before the six-legged creature from the day before burst through the thicket like an enraged beast.

Compared to the day before, it looked ragged, with multiple wounds all over its body and a missing leg. It charged at the pig while it covered its body with its tattered wing from the rapid fire it sustained. 

The shots of the rifle easily punctured the wing and penetrated the flesh of the creature.

The pig slowly retreated and just before the six… five-legged creature reached him, he jumped to the side to avoid it, but it seemed like the five-legged opponent anticipated it as it stopped and turned to the side at the same time.

The six-legged creature smacked the pig flying with its tail right into…

Oi! That’s my attack ball!

I couldn’t stand waiting anymore since all the participants had already gathered! Good thing, I still have to settle my own old scores with the five-legged creature, and I was out on patience!

My legs had long tensed up again. With all my might, I jumped towards the pig from my crouched position. I propelled myself through the air as I heard the branch splinter behind my back.

The pig didn’t see me coming until my fist was already flattening its ugly snout. At the same time, I ripped the rifle out of its hands as the pig was sent flying into and through its stacks of crates.

I quickly turned around and flung the rifle at the six-legged creature, which seemed surprised by my sudden appearance. It instinctively smacked the flying rifle away with its tail which gave me enough time to charge my attack.

I stretched out my arm at the same time as I fired my attack. Unlike before, it wasn’t a sphere that I fired but an energy wave!

Unfortunately, the attack wasn’t strong enough to send the heavy creature flying, but considering the pained cry and the burned patch of skin, it was obvious that my attack did a lot of damage. 

I ignored the whining creature for now as I focused on the pig that was kneeling on the ground while holding its snout with one hand.

Combined with its low groans, the scrunched-up face, and the blood seeping through its fingertips, it was clear that the thieving pig was in pain.

The sight didn’t even make me hesitate for a second as I stomped the ground to launch myself towards the kneeling pig.

It seemed to notice my approach as it opened one eye to look at me. It let go of its snout to swing at me. I barely dodged it and buried my fist into its gut. However, it positioned a leg behind it, preventing it from being sent flying as its legs dug into the ground.

It immediately swung its arm downwards, aiming for my head. I raised my arm in a hurry to block. With the full brunt of the force, I barely blocked the attack as it sent me to my knees. So focused on blocking its strike, I didn’t see the front kick until it was too late.

My body was light, so it was no wonder that I found myself shooting through the air at concerning speed. I forced myself to look behind me and found a tree fast approaching. Just before my face touched the tree, I found myself stopping.

Good thing I can fly! I thought as I turned towards the battlefield again. The two were fighting again, but it was obvious to me that they were holding back, fearing another surprise attack from me.

Even though they are stronger, they must be careful about a surprise attack from the other party and me. Furthermore, they are both injured, making them perfect prey.

Without waiting for an opportunity, I just threw myself into their battle. My ki flowed through my body enhancing it as much as it could. In a blink of an eye, I was already above the five-legged creature with my hands intertwined. I hammered down aiming for its head.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough for it to be unable to react. It had already met my fists with its tail. The two attacks completely canceled each other out. However, the creature used the agility of its tail to immediately launch another attack.

With no defense, I was flung away again, but this time I controlled my body better, allowing me to observe the two while slowing down my momentum. I disregarded the arching rib as I waited for another opportunity.

The pig had used the moment of distraction to ram its tusks into the neck of the giant creature, but was quickly forced away by a stomp.

The pig lured the creature away from its supplies, undoubtedly scared it would break its equipment.

As they were struggling, I had already prepared myself for the next attack. Now, I was barely ten meters away, slightly above them, when I released my attack.

In imitation of Vegeta’s energy volley attack, I just started throwing energy spheres at them, disregarding the surroundings. At most, it was the pig’s supplies that would suffer.

They saw my attacks coming, but didn’t react fast enough. So, I just started blasting, trying to bury them inside countless explosions. The individual explosions weren’t much but added up, it stirred up quite the dust until their bodies could barely be seen.

The ground was getting thoroughly shaken by the explosions and I think I have taken a liking to the rapid firing of energy blasts. It fills one with a sense of superiority as you just lay waste to the surroundings. No wonder Vegeta and the cast continued to use it even though it never worked out for them!

I stopped after not being able to see them, to take a breather. It was incredibly draining, but it was a good way to vent! It took a while until the cloud of dust settled, though I wasn’t paying attention to the spot I fired at just a moment ago.

Usually, the opponent would either shrug the attack off or launch a surprise attack after using the dust as cover. Since they weren’t strong enough to shrug off my attacks, they were probably waiting for me to let my guard down.

It took some moments, but after nothing happened, I looked around only to see two smoking bodies. They didn’t move away at all and just took the attacks??

Wait, does that mean the volley attack worked?! 

Huh.

Oh, they are moving. I approached them and saw their rugged appearances and it looked as if they had just come out of a house fire or an explosion…

The five… three-legged creature was miserable. It had burn marks all over its body and was bleeding profusely. It struggled to get up under its enormous weight. I went beside its head and looked at its eyes as it was staring at me in anger, despair, and fear!

Although I couldn’t read its mind, I could somewhat guess what its eyes were trying to convey to me. I obviously couldn’t grant it mercy, since it would be too troublesome to take care of a cripple. 

I stretched out my arm, pointing a finger at its head before firing a ki beam or rather a laser which quickly penetrated its eyes entering its head before the beam exited the head on the other side, penetrating the ground.

My actions seemed to have agitated someone, as their efforts to crawl away increased. The pig wasn’t in a much better condition compared to the now-dead creature.

It was missing a leg, and its only remaining arm was bent in several places. If it weren’t such a morbid scene, it would have been quite funny to see him crawl away like a snail while continuously looking back at me in panic.

As I approached him, his efforts increased once more before I flipped him over and pinned him to the ground with my foot, while still being prepared for him to launch a desperate attack.

Instead, it just said something to me, though I had no idea what he was trying to say. It seemed to realize the communication problem as it struggled to press the button on its belt, which turned green for a second.

“Please, don’t kill me!”, I assumed he repeated. “I can give you credits!”

“Credits, what would I need credits for?” I asked him as I scrutinized the button that was undoubtedly a translator of sorts. 

I knew the universal language since I learned it in the pod, and other languages were a thing I remembered in the Dragon Ball Universe. The Namekians had their own language, not to mention the gods. So, it would make sense that other languages existed.

However, if such a translator existed, why were they desperate to have a Namekian translate their wishes in that arc?

“If-if you don’t want any credits. I am familiar with the black market. I can get you anything you want!” I didn’t say anything as I shot a finger beam through its brain.

I wouldn’t trust him after maiming him and he would soon realize that my attack ball was a one-man ship. Don’t want him to send a distress signal and call his buddies here. Even though by the time they arrive here, I would have already outgrown them. Besides, I certainly didn’t want to take care of him.

I took off the translator on its belt and attached it to my belt. Besides, the pig had a few burn marks, and its flesh was already giving off an enticing smell, which increased my hunger. 

…

After eating my fill with exotic flesh and pork steak, I went through the supplies of the pig. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to scavenge. A few rifles, a lot of food supplies, and some technical devices with no manuals, which made them chunk for me. Nothing really stood out for me either, and I couldn’t carry much with my attack ball.

The rifles were garbage as well. It could injure the former six-legged creature, but the wounds weren’t large enough to be considered lethal, besides my ki attacks had more oomph already.

“Attack ball, S-0365, open!” As soon as I spoke out, the door of my attack ball opened. It had nothing to do with my voice, but one just needed its designation to open the door. Of course, the pig wouldn’t be able to open the door since it didn’t seem to know the universal language.

There was also the remote inside the attack ball that looked like a calculator with which one could control the attack ball, which totally didn’t completely forget about. 

I jumped inside and closed the door. Shortly after, I fell asleep. There was no way I was returning to the cave now that it was getting dark again or even staying outside, as the smell surely will attract some of the jungle’s predators.

The attack ball was pretty much the safest place on this planet, which was why I initially didn’t want to sleep inside of it. 

After I woke up the next morning. I stepped outside of my attack ball and saw that the remains of my meals had disappeared. Even as Saiyan, I couldn’t finish the 3-meters tall six-legged creature. Its flesh was just too nutritious.

Unsurprisingly, the crates were still intact. Sure, they were knocked over, but the food inside the crates was untouched. Probably, mostly because the creatures that came to scavenge didn’t know how to open them. Either way, more for me!

After putting on my spare scouter, I threw in two food crates. I took another two food crates and a beer crate to carry with me as I ordered the attack ball to follow me. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice to order it blindly to my cave again.

What if it hit another bird again? I would have to suffer a surprise attack again!

Either way, I was quite satisfied with my haul. I killed two formidable opponents, ate some good food, and even got some food for the next two or three days, though I doubted that space food would taste any good.

I saw some of these raven-like birds watch me carry my loot through the jungle. Suddenly, one of them flew towards me. It had blood-red eyes, unlike the black eyes of its flock.

It hovered before me as it opened its beak. “Come and find me.” 

It spoke.

After finishing its message, it flew away with its flock, and I could only stare at them blankly as they disappeared into the thicket.

My stomach announced itself, bringing me out of my daze. I could only shrug as finding someone wouldn’t be done in a minute, might as well go back to my cave again and eat something before I decide if I should listen to some random bird.

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