NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20 Who the Hell Are You?
"Who… who the hell are you?!" The woman's voice trembled noticeably, her body instinctively retreating.
Raindrops fell hazily, soaking her hair and clothes, but she had no time to care about that. The scene unfolding before her was so eerie that her heart pounded wildly.
A creature resembling an alien was slowly approaching the blonde woman. Its body was tall and twisted, covered in dense, nauseating spots. Even more chilling was the needle-like tail dragging behind it.
In the pitch-black night, facing such a grotesque monster, the woman's heart was filled with dread.
She had no idea what this creature wanted.
Android 18, already gravely wounded by Vegeta, was now like a lamb awaiting slaughter. Despite her infinite energy, her limbs had sustained critical damage.
Cell closed in on Android 18, and her fear of him felt almost instinctual.
"Hmph, I finally found you," Cell muttered to himself, his tail swaying incessantly.
Lying on the ground, Android 18 propped herself up with her near-crippled arms, trembling as she tried to back away. Her clothes were tattered, barely covering her body. Staring at Cell's terrifying face, Android 18 panicked.
"What do you want?!" she shouted.
Cell's figure crouched slightly, and his long, thick tail began to writhe. The tail moved with uncanny agility, slithering over Android 18's body like a lively snake.
A sudden wave of itching surged through her, causing her body to tremble uncontrollably.
"Damn it!" Android 18 cursed in frustration.
Then, her palms suddenly unleashed countless dazzling laser beams, firing straight at Cell. But Cell's cunning eyes flashed, and with a stunning 360-degree backflip, he nimbly dodged the lasers.
Android 18's mouth gaped in shock, completely stunned by Cell's extraordinary speed.
Before she could react, Cell had effortlessly evaded her attack.
In her moment of astonishment—
Swish!
A strange sound snapped her out of her thoughts. Cell's long, thick tail, like a venomous snake, shot toward her delicate face with lightning speed.
Android 18's eyes widened in horror and fear. She tried to dodge, but it was too late. The funnel at the end of Cell's tail opened wide, like a gaping maw, mercilessly covering her mouth.
"Mmph! Let me go!" Android 18 let out a pained groan. She felt a powerful force attempting to invade her body, a sensation that sent chills down her spine.
The once-remorseless killer now had tears streaming down her face.
As the saying goes, "Evil is met with evil." The scene before her was a perfect embodiment of that.
Cell smugly admired his handiwork, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
"Save your words for when you're inside my body!" Cell's voice carried an undeniable authority.
"You were created specifically for me, Android 18." His eyes gleamed with greed and desire.
"Not just you, but Android 17 as well. You'll both become part of my body." Cell's words echoed like a curse in the air.
A dazzling light radiated from Cell's body as Android 18 was fully absorbed into him. His muscles and exoskeleton rearranged, and Cell evolved into his Second Form.
But his ambitions stretched far beyond this.
Boom!
Suddenly, the sky flashed with brilliant light, and a purple energy sphere loomed prominently.
Cell looked up and spotted Vegeta and the others in combat.
"That's… Android 17!" At that moment, Vegeta was in the midst of obliterating Android 17 and Cooler into dust.
"No!! Stop!!"
"Android 17!!"
"Damn it! My timeline's Android 17 is already dead! I can't let this fail!"
Boom!
The sky erupted in radiant light. Cell's face twitched, his expression contorted.
He could sense Vegeta's overwhelming aura from above. Even in his current form, he was no match for Vegeta.
Suppressing his own aura, Cell hurriedly dashed toward the explosion site.
…
The Lookout
Dawn had broken.
Vegeta had mastered caring for Trunks.
Everything was ready; now they only awaited Son Gohan's emergence from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Vegeta had been standing guard outside the chamber for a full day.
He was meditating with his eyes closed, training in silence.
Clang!
The door to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber swung open and all eyes turned toward it.
Soon, a dark figure emerged.
It was Mr. Popo.
Following him was a golden-haired boy.
Vegeta observed Son Gohan, already transformed into a Super Saiyan, and a faint, fleeting smile of approval crossed his face, which was gone in a second, making it nearly imperceptible to anyone.
He could feel it: Son Gohan's aura was steady and powerful, rivaling his own.
"Vegeta Ojisan, Bulma Obasan, I'm out," Son Gohan said.
Bulma looked him over. "Hmm! Looks like Gohan's become a Super Saiyan too!"
"Why'd you come out early?" Son Gohan scratched his head with a wry smile. "Sorry, Bulma Obasan, we ran out of food, so I came out early."
He handed Bulma a Hoi-Poi Capsule, the one she'd given him before he entered the chamber.
Bulma grumbled, "I prepared enough food for two years! Geez, you Saiyans have insane appetites."
Trunks also studied Son Gohan.
(Hmm, Gohan's reached Super Saiyan and has already mastered suppressing his excitement.)
(As expected of his talent, he's truly the first man to reach Super Saiyan 2.)
Those words instantly hit Vegeta's mind, igniting his competitive spirit.
[The first man to reach Super Saiyan 2?! Hmph! The first to reach Super Saiyan 2 will be me!] Vegeta's brows furrowed. He scooped up Trunks and marched straight toward the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
His actions caught Son Gohan's attention.
"Vegeta Ojisan… are you taking Trunks into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"
Vegeta ignored Son Gohan, his mind consumed with thoughts of getting stronger.
Seeing Vegeta's silence, Son Gohan turned to Bulma.
Bulma laughed awkwardly. "Well, Gohan, haha."
"Vegeta said since you, Goku's son, are fighting, Trunks, as his son, can't slack off either… Honestly, he's always comparing himself to others."
Son Gohan nodded slightly at Bulma's explanation, then glanced at Vegeta's retreating figure.
"Vegeta Ojisan… he's really changed."
At that moment, Vegeta paused and glanced back at Son Gohan.
"I've already taken care of those guys. The next one, Bojack, is coming to Earth. Oh, and one more thing."
Son Gohan looked at Vegeta, puzzled. "What is it, Vegeta Ojisan?"
"Can you do this form?" Vegeta transformed into his muscle form.
Son Gohan hesitated. "That form… it seems a bit lacking."
Vegeta had gotten the answer he wanted. Son Gohan had indeed grown stronger.
Without another word, Vegeta turned and swiftly entered the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Trunks.
(End Of This Chapter)
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