The Zenith Beyond Chapter 3

Edited by: Marethyu, Priapus

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It has been approximately eight hours since I left Zenith alone within Monsoon. Eight hours of foraging and hunting to provide for the champion, and after calculating the amount of food I've gathered, this time knowing how much she's capable of eating in a single sitting, I've determined that I have enough for at least three months. From meat to edible fungi to wild fruit and vegetables— anything that's nutritious and suitable for consumption.

It's not as much as I hoped, but I've yet to explore this planet's seas, where most life resides. The terrestrial creatures are nowhere near as numerous, and many are poisonous, but thankfully, very few are outright aggressive. Since the planet is mostly water, most predators are aquatic.

An expedition into the deep sea holds excellent promise. The abundance of life could provide a rich source of food for Zenith, and who knows what valuable resources might be hidden on the seafloor. I'm running short on materials for tools and gadgets to help raise and train the champion, and the deep sea could be the answer.

For example, investing time and effort in agriculture and farming would greatly help diversify Zenith's diet. While she is primarily a carnivore, she still benefits significantly from plant-based food. Foraging for vegetables would become more time-consuming if I didn't build an easy and convenient farm.

While we could leave this planet in search of a more suitable one, this world is a sanctuary. It's countless lightyears away from any potential threats, making it a safe haven for us. Perhaps in a few years, when Zenith is powerful and old enough to care for herself, I'll consider other options.

Regardless, I have complete confidence in Zenith's abilities. After her training, I doubt any of this world's aquatic beasts could pose a threat to her. Her extraordinary power level and learning capabilities are a testament to her potential.

Besides, none of the creatures in this world have evolved into anything substantial during my time here. The planet lacks intelligent life, and while Saiyans can survive without ever socializing, unlike many other intelligent races, interacting with others might help her develop.

I'll run a few more tests on Zenith before we begin our journey. I've yet to see what she's truly capable of in combat scenarios. But I have faith in her abilities. She's turning out to be a prodigy among prodigies, exceeding my expectations at every turn. She hasn't disappointed me, and I don't believe she ever will.

After sending another second basket of fruit to my dimensional storage, I look down at the colossal bipedal footprints on the snow, larger than anything I've seen on this planet so far. Analyzing the footprints tells me where it went, how close it is to Monsoon, and what kind of beast it is. There's only one bipedal creature on this planet.

The track is about fifty kilometers away from Monsoon, heading to a large icy mountain about an additional ten kilometers from where I'm standing. I cautiously follow the footprints until I exit the forest and see vast, snowy plains, but I don't spot it anywhere as the tracks end abruptly. I know what it is, though. They're somewhat rare, but I've encountered a few of them already. And this one seems to be an alpha. It's much bigger than the average one.

A giant, bull-like beast with a white fur coat, horns on the sides of its head, and four eyes. They are one of the few terrestrial predators, ultimately not a concern as their power levels barely reach a thousandth of Zenith's.

Their meat is very rich in protein. Perhaps I should look for it—

It's then that I get an emergency report from Monsoon, informing me that Zenith is currently in a lot of distress. For a moment, I'm left confused at what could've possibly happened to her. She's in the safest place in this entire cluster— what's making her so frightened?

But rather than ignoring her, I don't waste another second and hurry back to the vessel, using my teleporter to return in an instant. Whatever it is, I will not risk her safety, even if the probability of her being attacked is zero percent.

I hear the child's cries coming from her bedroom, so I open the door to see if she is in any danger or hurt in any capacity. Thankfully, that doesn't appear to be the case, as she's on the bed, sobbing but entirely unharmed.

Zenith pauses her cries and looks at me with tears and snot on her face before she quickly gets off her bed and runs toward me, hugging my metal leg in a mixture of relief and terror. Her sobs begin anew, this time much quieter and less agitated.

"What is it?" I ask tonelessly. "What happened?"

In an attempt to answer my question, Zenith babbles something utterly incomprehensible in between sobs and hiccups, which does not help either of us. I've already determined that she wasn't in any danger. Accessing Monsoon's memories shows me that she woke up and suddenly began crying and calling for me. For no reason.

"Stop crying," I say, which makes her flinch.

She quickly obeys, gradually lowering her voice until she's only sniffling and hiccuping. I stare down at her as she's hugging me for comfort and eventually push her off, making her look at me with puffy eyes.

"Why were you calling for me?" I ask again.

Zenith flinches again and looks down before answering my question with a shaky voice.

"I-I dunno. Th-there was someone orange screaming. He was so angry." She sniffles. That is very vague. "A-and then, there were lots of lights and loud noises, and then there was a big boom, and then everything got bright, and it hurt."

A dream? That is what it sounds like. More of those nightmares that had plagued her ever since she was in the tube, thankfully without her power spiking and going out of control. But this confirms that whatever's causing them is a third party— an external influence. I did not expect her to be having more outside the tube…

A furious 'orange' individual, lights, loud noises, and an explosion. This does not explain anything or help in any meaningful way. Do these dreams even have a meaning? There's still no discernible pattern to them…

"A-and then, I woke up, and Dev w-wasn't here. I was scared." Tears began gathering in her eyes again. "I-is Dev mad at me?"

"No," I reply curtly. "But dreams should not elicit much distress. It's distracting and could disrupt my workflow, slowing progress."

Zenith's lips begin trembling at my response.

"I'm sorry…" She whispers.

"Make sure it does not happen again," I advise. "Now go wash your face and see me in the control room. I'll prepare your first meal of the day."

"Okay…" Zenith sniffles before apologizing again. "I'm sorry…"

She then walks out of her bedroom and to the bathroom to do what I told her, having fully calmed down. I take some of the food I've gathered for her out of storage and put them over a controlled fire conjured by Monsoon, slowly cooking her meal.

I expect this incident will not continue to repeat itself. Otherwise, drastic measures will be taken.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well-fed and prepared, Zenith enters the training chamber, looking better than she was after waking up. She is in a much better mood after enjoying her meal, almost having forgotten that dream of hers entirely. Good. I'm pleased that it won't be affecting her performance today.

"Today, we will test your raw aptitude in combat," I explain over the intercom. "This test is divided into three stages: First, you will only use ranged ki attacks. I have some data regarding a few potential opponents for simulation use, but for now, we will stick to regular targets."

As I press a few buttons, several stationary red targets appear over her, and Zenith quickly understands her assignment, extending her arm, releasing her ki, and then shooting each target with perfect precision. This was expected, of course. A simple test like this is nothing to her, so I create more targets, this time moving around the chamber.

Once again, it's a simple challenge for her, so each time I make more targets, I have them move at exponentially greater speeds. From a few kilometers per hour to over Mach 30 in a very short period.

To my amazement, this continues until the targets start moving at several times the speed of light, and it is then that Zenith pauses and doesn't shoot immediately, so I take a closer look at her face through one of the cameras inside. I'm pleasantly surprised as, while she hasn't instantly destroyed the moving targets, she's able to track them with her eyes relatively well. I did not expect her to be able to track such extremely rapid movement at all. The effect Ki has on her is perplexing and extraordinary.

As she narrows her eyes in focus, Zenith releases a few blasts, hitting three out of five targets, and although her expression drops to a dissatisfied frown, I'm still positively content with that display.

"Very good, Zenith." I praise her, registering the data. "You've done well."

"I did good?" She looks back at me in confusion. "But I didn't get them all."

"As I've explained once before, these tests exist to gauge your current limits," I respond. "There's no goal for you to accomplish. Only show me what you're capable of."

She blinks before her frown turns upside down, her white tail moving from side to side.

"Now, let us begin the second stage of this test," I say, pressing a few buttons to create another target, but this time directly in front of her. "Each time one of these appears, strike them. You are not allowed to use any ranged options. Rely on physical attacks only."

Zenith nods and punches the target, prompting me to create three more all round her. In what looks like one swift move, she destroys all three immediately. I ramp up the rate at which they show up as well as expanding the distance they can appear in.

Although very obviously sloppy in her moves due to her inexperience, Zenith makes up for it with strength and speed. Each new target is much harder to destroy than the last, which she doesn't notice until a few more minutes into it, forcing her to put more strength into her strikes.

Eventually, Zenith becomes overwhelmed, zooming around the chamber and destroying as many targets as possible. Although her speed and reflexes are surprising, her physical strength is on an entirely different level.

Each punch has enough energy to shatter a large planet behind it.

Although this cluster is filled with entities at this level, this is still absurd. Zenith is still a child. And her power level is slowly rising—from 132,400, which I thought was her maximum, to 150,000. Excellent.

Once I have enough data, I stop the test. I notice that Zenith has gotten slightly tired, her breath growing a little heavier. However, she doesn't seem upset. Instead, she looks delighted, giving me a big smile, which surprises me slightly.

"This was so fun!" She beams with a giggle, her face glued to the glass separating us, jumping up and down excitedly. "Again! Again! Again!"

Of course. I should've expected this. Saiyans almost always relish physical stimuli of this sort. Zenith might not be like most Saiyans, but she's still part of the warrior race. It's only natural for her to enjoy these activities.

This is acceptable. It'll help her progress. Though, I didn't foresee such a strong emotional response.

"You've shown enough, Zenith. Well done." I compliment her again. "Get ready. We will begin your last physical test now."

"Is it gonna be fun, too?" She asks with anticipation.

"Possibly," I answer, pressing more buttons to summon her first real challenge. "I want you to destroy him."

A simulation of a humanoid alien appears. A warrior from a planet called Brench, whom some of my automatons killed for data, is an adult male with light-blue skin and white hair and a surprising power level of 25,000.

He's not a challenge to Zenith, but I wish to see how she handles this psychologically.

"Be alert. He will not stand there and take your attacks. He will fight back," I add before she strikes. "And this is merely your first opponent. There are two more stronger adversaries I have in store."

She nods as the simulated warrior gets into a stance. As he dashes toward the champion, Zenith easily dodges his punch, responding with her own, which effortlessly penetrates his chest. Blood spurts out, hitting her face, but she remains unfazed, pulling her small hand back as she stares at the collapsing body.

"I did it." She says, glancing at me.

There is no indication of dread or anxiety. I expected a child this young would be stressed after seeing the corpse of something that looked relatively similar to her. Perhaps she knows it's not real? However, that was her reaction when she destroyed one of the failed experiments as well. Interesting. It could be a difference in psychology for Saiyans.

"Indeed," I respond as the corpse and its blood disappear before a giant, white, feline-like beast with tusks and a horn appears. "This is your second opponent. Eliminate it."

A monster from a planet called Tigarn that has a power level of 78,000 and fur that can absorb ki. It is much stronger than the first opponent, but it still pales in comparison to Zenith. Though, it should still prove to be somewhat of a challenge.

The champion blinks as it roars at her, jumping away from its lunge and shooting it with a few blasts. The beast ignores Zenith's ranged attacks, charging at her again and surprising her a little. But the difference in speed is very noticeable as she's still able to avoid its bite, blasting it in the face with a more potent blast.

Once again, it suffers no damage, growing slightly more powerful as it feeds on Zenith's ki. The champion blinks and frowns in focus, avoiding more of its pounces. However, this time, she responds by kicking it in the face, sending it crashing into the wall of the chamber.

Seeing it damaged by that attack, Zenith shows that she quickly understands the monster's ability as she rushes toward it, foregoing the use of pure ki and striking only with punches and kicks.

There's no hesitation as she brutally caves the monster's skull in, painting herself, the walls, and the floor with simulated blood. However, from the blank look on her face, Zenith doesn't show any enjoyment in the act. Strange. I thought combat was the highest form of stimuli for Saiyans.

With its head destroyed, Zenith steps back, staring at its twitching corpse before looking back at me.

"I dun wanna do this anymore." She states. "Not fun."

"It isn't?" I ask, deleting the beast and the blood it left behind, as well as fixing the damages in the chamber. "How so?"

"I dunno," Zenith responds. "It's boring."

I assume it's due to the lack of viable obstacles. In the previous test she found 'fun', she was actively being challenged. Perhaps that's what's missing.

"Is it because you find it too easy?"

She blinks.

"I dunno?" Contrary to her verbal response, Zenith nods, confirming my suspicions. "It's not fun."

"I see," I reply tonelessly, summoning her last opponent. "Then I hope this will be more entertaining for you."

Another humanoid with bluish-green skin and ginger hair— a soldier from a destroyed planet called Hera. The strongest warrior I have data on, with a whopping power level of 125,000. Only slightly weaker than Zenith.

"Prepare yourself," I warn her. "He is nearly as strong as you are. Do not underestimate him."

The Hera soldier gets into an experienced stance before dashing at Zenith, and for the first time since this test had begun, she's hit—kicked and sent crashing into the ceiling. She gasps in surprise and pain, not moving fast enough to avoid getting hit again, her head smashing further into the metal surface.

As brutal as this might seem, Zenith is in no danger. The simulations will never land any lethal blow, but they will not hold back to ensure the most beneficial progress. If she's deemed unable to handle any of the simulated opponents, then we will stop and return to more manageable tests.

As the Hera soldier throws another punch, Zenith blocks it with her forearm before avoiding a jab, striking her enemy in the chest to push him away, giving herself breathing room to back off and fall on the ground.

But unlike the others, where a single attack from her could prove either lethal or strong enough to stun, the simulated soldier recovers quickly, charging again. This time, however, Zenith is ready, evading his attacks with a focused expression.

The difference in form and stance between an inexperienced child and a soldier is vast. Even though Zenith should be slightly stronger, the experience gap between them is very palpable as the Hera Clan warrior is easily able to keep up, landing more hits than her.

Although they're going at it blow for blow, it's easy to tell that Zenith is struggling a lot more than I expected. However, she's relatively durable, and her endurance is higher than I thought, resisting even the hardest of strikes. And what should've been a very frustrating battle for Zenith, seeing how she's losing it…

Even as blood drips from a scratch on her cheek, she is grinning. Her wide, eager smile shows far more excitement in this battle than in her former test. The more she hits and the more she's hit, her emotions spark even more.

I see. That confirms it. So, it's fair combat that she enjoys. Not one-sided battles or killing.

The longer the battle goes on, the stronger Zenith becomes, showing her full Saiyan heritage on display. The harder they're pushed, the more powerful they evolve. A perfect trait for a so-called warrior race.

Eventually, the gap in power grows wide enough that no amount of skill or experience could make a difference. Zenith's power level increases by 35% in the span of a few minutes, and she starts to dominate the battle, beating down the Hera soldier before incinerating him with a powerful red ki wave.

The champion pants in exhaustion, almost falling to the ground, but the adrenaline and excitement keep her up on her feet as she rushes back to look at me with a wide, beaming grin.

"Againagainagainagain!" She hops enthusiastically.

"I'm afraid we're finished for today, Zenith," I respond, opening the door. "You've done exceptionally well during your tests. Good job."

"Aww…" She deflates, wiping blood off her nose. "But it was so fun…"

"I can see that you enjoyed it," I comment as she exits the chamber. "But that's enough physical activities. You may train again tomorrow."

"Really?" She looks at me, her eyes sparkling with eagerness.

"Indeed," I confirm. "Now come. Let us get you cleaned up. Then, we can begin other tests."

"Okay." Zenith obeys, running to the bathroom.

By tomorrow, her physical training will be intensified. I'll extend it from thirty minutes to one hour a day, then further if she consistently tolerates it. It's clear to me that her stamina is the weakest characteristic. She tires too fast.

We will travel to Yardrat after a month to continue her training there. For now, I believe it's time to teach her a few basic skills and further study her learning ability.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following few hours are spent educating Zenith on basic subjects like writing, reading a few common languages, and, more importantly, math. Things that she'll need to understand when she grows up. I may not always be with her, after all. She must grow to be self-reliant.

And once again, I'm slightly surprised to see her so eager and agreeable. It seems that Zenith enjoys learning no matter the subject. So far, at least. Thankfully, She has had no trouble understanding anything, although she is noticeably slower in learning how to write and read.

However, when it comes to math, she's very impressive. She easily memorizes the multiplication table in a matter of an hour. Though, I've admittedly yet to understand how she's turned out to be an incredible prodigy in nearly every field.

I understand that she is physically powerful and talented in combat, but her cognitive capabilities are far above the average adult's, and Saiyans aren't commonly known to be as intelligent as other races. Is she simply that special? Is it the Metanova in her blood and soul that makes her so brilliant?

I do not know. I've never used Metanova in such a way before, so I'm learning new things alongside her. Zenith is the first of her kind— She's not a pure Metanovian like me or the Master. I was born knowing all of the things I'm teaching her.

"Did I do good?" Zenith asks after solving an advanced algebra problem on the holographic screen. "Did I?"

It's baffling. And fascinating. After hundreds of millennia of failed experiments, the first successful one produced a perfect specimen.

"You did. Well done." I praise her, patting her head as she smiles. "This will be it for today."

She blinks and nods, standing by my side in silence. Zenith watches me register all the new data I gathered today into the main computer, tweaking the schedule for the rest of this week. She does and says nothing else, as if she's waiting for my command.

…Her overreliance on me could be problematic for her development. It shows a lack of independence, being no different than any of my automatons. That will not do. I am her servant.

"You're not required to stay by my side, Zenith," I tell her. "During times like these, when you're not training or learning, you're free to do whatever you wish."

Zenith blinks, but she does not say anything, so I try to give her an incentive to do something.

"Is there something you desire at this very moment?" I ask.

"I dunno—"

Zenith suddenly flinches, her expression turning into a frown of confusion as she looks up at the ceiling. She blinks a few times, tilting her head before rushing to the main entrance and lightly knocking on the closed hatch.

"Open, 'Soon!" She says. "Open!"

I watch this bizarre phenomenon in silence, curious, as Monsoon opens the hatch to let her outside. Shortly after, I follow Zenith, spotting her standing on the snow and staring at the stars with a mixture of confusion and recognition.

I follow her line of sight and find… nothing. I see nothing substantial beyond the visible shining stars. But that's supposed to be the case— there's nothing for lightyears. The closest planet is on the other side of the galaxy.

The entire time, Zenith is dead quiet, watching the skies and seemingly looking at something I'm unable to detect. How strange. What's gotten her like this? Did she want to gaze at the stars? I understand being in awe at the vast emptiness of space, but this is very sudden.

"Is everything alright, Zenith?" I ask.

Remembering I'm here, she grabs the end of my claw with one hand as she points at the sky with the other, bouncing up and down.

"He's there! He's there!" She says. "He's in the sky!"

"And who might that be?"

"The angry orange man!" She answers, making me pause. "He's up there!"

The one from her dreams? So then, is he the one responsible for her nightmares? But how come she knows that he is? In fact, how was she able to figure out his location? Or rather, the direction he's in, at the very least?

"Are you sure?"

"Uh-huh!" She nods. "He's there! I know he is!"

"And how do you know this?"

Before answering immediately, Zenith pauses and blinks, this time giving me a less sure response.

"I-I dunno." She falters slightly; however, she is still sure of herself. "But he's there!"

"…I see." I turn to look at Zenith. "Do you wish to meet this orange person?"

She takes a moment to think about it, visibly conflicted.

"…I dunno." She answers. "He's scary."

"He frightens you?"

"Uh-huh." She confirms.

"So you don't want to see him."

"I dunno," Zenith says. "Maybe he's not bad?"

There's no logic or reasoning behind her claim. He terrifies her, but she doesn't think he could be a danger. She wants to see him, but she doesn't. Which is it? She's not being very clear in what she truly desires.

Regardless, this individual or thing must be important to her. An 'orange' person that's for some reason connected to her on some level, terrorizing her dreams… perhaps unintentionally.

…Could it be? The odds of Zenith being born during the same era he's alive in are incredibly low. But even if the chances of it being the case are lower than 1%, perhaps it's still worth investigating.

If this cluster's catalyst is active, then this is no coincidence.

Fate might've had a hand in Zenith's miraculous birth after all.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somewhere in space…

It happened too fast.

They weren't used to visitors— their planet was the only one with intelligent life in its solar system, and worlds with civilizations were pretty far. Add in the fact that they were forbidden from leaving the planet unless absolutely necessary, and the Yardratians had become a reclusive bunch. Not many people knew about them.

And then, one day, a space pod came crashing down from space. At first, they were worried— they'd heard of planet-conquering warriors before, and while they weren't entirely helpless, they weren't sure if they could defeat a Freeza Soldier or something like that.

But when they'd decided to investigate, sensing a very low power signature inside the pod, they saw a Saiyan. Beaten, injured, and almost entirely out of energy. The unconscious man's clothes were torn, cuts and wounds all around his torso, leaving only his orange pants intact.

They did not know who it was, why he was there, and where he came from, but clearly, he wasn't some conqueror looking to wipe them out.

So after debating amongst themselves, they'd ultimately decided to take him in and nurse him back to health at the orders of Pybara. Their grandmaster was the wisest and most skilled in all their techniques, and he could tell from first glance that this man was pure of heart.

Even after he was healed, the man was in deep slumber, still highly exhausted from whatever battle he was in. So they simply waited for him to wake up, continuing to live their lives as normal.

That was until three other pods crash-landed, and this time, the visitors weren't so kind.

The Yardratians weren't given a chance to investigate who it was this time before they were attacked by three who called themselves the 'Trainees of the Ginyu Force', declaring that this planet now belonged to Freeza.

And the Yardratians did not stand a chance. Despite their useful techniques, the invaders dwarfed them in power. Several were killed in an attempt to stop them, and as their grandmaster was ready to go to battle…

The Saiyan woke up and proceeded to wipe the floor with them.

The last of the invaders had his back on a boulder, holding his chest in pain as blood poured out of the wound left by the Saiyan's ki blast. He stared at the Saiyan in utter fear, whose hair was now shining a brilliant gold, sharing the color of his fiery, explosive aura.

Pybara was in awe at what he saw. He couldn't believe it. The legends were true…

"M-monster…" The invaders spat out before life left his eyes.

The Super Saiyan stared at the invader's lifeless body next to the others, sighing in frustration.

"Idiots. I warned them." He muttered to himself, golden aura dispersing and his hair returning to its original color as he turned around to meet the Yardratians with a grin. "I don't really know what's going on or where I am, but everything's gonna be fine now."

The strange Saiyan's bright smile cut through the tension and made the Yardratians cheer, praising their unlikely savior as he rubbed the back of his head with a chuckle.