Mess with the best, die like the rest.
POWER LEVEL
349,076
Tech Points
3/74
Forms
Super Saiyan 2 [x22]
Zeni
72,383
Hybrid
|
Dec 7, 2023 0:12:48 GMT -5
Post by Athren on Dec 7, 2023 0:12:48 GMT -5
It didn't really matter whether or not the Earth was at stake, Athren had given his word to Salada that he'd be here and get her started on her path to become a Super Saiyan. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to do that but he knew he wanted her to develop some techniques. She was going to need them if she even had the smallest chance of survival. If anything, it would be wise for her to abandon the Planet Earth and go for the stars. She had absolutely no ties here, from the sounds of it she was just here for orders and if he were in her shoes, he'd leave. Of course that wasn't an option for him though, he had an investment here, his kids, his village, they couldn't afford to be abandoned by him. He didn't have a choice in the matter, he was going to stay and fight, even if he knew for a fact that death was on the way for him. He was going to die as a warrior on his own terms. The one that he sensed couldn't take that from him.
He arrived at the location at the exact time he was supposed too, though unlike the last time he didn't arrive in his base form. He had found himself in his Super Saiyan Two form and the purpose behind this was rather simple. He wanted to master this form to the same extent that he did his Super Saiyan. He wanted this form to feel like second nature, to feel like he wasn't even in it. He wanted to harness it to it's fullest potential, it's most optimized power. He wanted to be unable to tell the difference between his base form and this form and while he had a long way to go, this was the best starting point.
He was at the location first and while he waited he began moving around, shadow boxing. Almost as if he was fighting a real opponent. His strikes were sharp, accurate and dangerously fast. He was practicing for the battle to come. He had known he was outmatched in every single way aside from techniques, with the help of what he learned on Yardrat and Vegeta, he couldn't help but hope he could leave some kind of a mark on this threat. Whomever this Arcitc was had the advantage of power, from what Athren could sense Arctic was roughly four times what Athren was in power. The only way he could imagine getting any sort of damage was with his final explosion technique, or course that would be his last resort but he wasn't going to be afraid to use it. Salada might've not seen it prior, but Athren was still half saiyan and raised on Vegeta. His mannerisms outside of combat might've been adapting to Earth but the way he fought, he was without a doubt a saiyan warrior, and elite and the best of the best. Though, he couldn't help but hope she arrived soon.
Word Count: 509
Power Level: 330,141
Super Saiyan 2: 7,263,102
|
|
POWER LEVEL
76,893
Tech Points
14/20
Forms
Oozaru[x10]
Zeni
32,835
Saiyan
|
Dec 9, 2023 9:30:16 GMT -5
Post by Salada on Dec 9, 2023 9:30:16 GMT -5
God, this planet was so confusing. Just a few quick laps around the area convinced the Saiyan of one thing: EVERYTHING on this world looked the same. Sure, it had it's fancy different biomes and sure, its bio-diversity would be the idol of most inhabitable planets, but when it came to LANDMARKS and finding your way around, you might as well be BLIND. Salada didn't even know why she agreed to this in the first place. It wasn't like SHE, a REAL SAIYAN couldn't do what he was doing on her own! She had the will... She had the BLOOD! ...She supposed what she lacked was the knowledge. The Saiyan, with a grimace on her face, somehow managed to find the little nook in the jungle Athren had directed her towards and, much like all the others, it looked EXACTLY the same. Grass, trees, humid atmosphere... all just a waste of exploitable resources.
...But what caught her eye most chiefly... was Athren. He stood in the middle of the place, taking careful, measured strikes, shadowboxing as if he weren't being watched right now. But what was more interesting... was HIM. Athren didn't look all that different, but his energy... EVEN WITHOUT a scouter, she could feel THAT! His hair was also more defined too, a lighter shade of gold with more numerous and obvious spikes! His aura blazed around him as if he were FURIOUSLY on fire, spare lightning crackles arching across the plantlife, threatening to set them alight as well! Salada stared, wondering if this show as for HER, or this was just something he planned on doing in the meantime. She couldn't tell with this man, what his intentions were... How he presented himself just didn't give much of an indication as to what he was truly thinking.
"Anywhere else would have been easier to find." Salada huffed, making her presence known. "...In the middle of this dump? I'm surprised even YOU knew where it was." Salada gestured at all the plants around them with her head. So much useless growth... So much NOTHING. ...And she had yet to actually see where the humans lived. Not only did they not fully colonize their own world just yet, but they left it to the planet to grow out of control!
Foolishness.
"So how are we going to do this?"
WC: 390
|
|
Mess with the best, die like the rest.
POWER LEVEL
349,076
Tech Points
3/74
Forms
Super Saiyan 2 [x22]
Zeni
72,383
Hybrid
|
Dec 17, 2023 15:24:56 GMT -5
Post by Athren on Dec 17, 2023 15:24:56 GMT -5
His shadowboxing session had been going rather well, as well as to be expected in such a minimal training attempt. Though there was something about it that brought his mind at ease, that nearly made him forget about all the good, the bad and the evil that his life had faced. He had even managed to find a space within his own mind that allowed him to forget about Arctic, even if it had been the most briefest of moments. While he knew that this type of training wasn't going to be enough to face Arctic and win, he wasn't going to back down from the challenge but he knew that the more prepared he was, the better off his chances would be. It was going to be the fight of his life when it came to his door, it would be far beyond Liari and most likely be one of the most difficult fights the universe would ever see, but that wasn't going to stop him from making the attempt.
With Salada's vocal cue that she had arrived, Athren would bring himself to a stop and stand strongly there. His arms were down by his sides as he turned his head to look over at her. While he wasn't exactly impatient or rushing her arrival, he couldn't help to throw a comment her way. "You took long enough." A brief pause happened as he thought about the reason why. "If this place was hard to find, that tells me that you were looking for the location and not my energy. You can't sense energy, can you?" He knew he had to be right, it wasn't like he was suppressing his power level either. The full power of his Super Saiyan two from was there and easily sensed by anybody with the ability, this was something that the two of them were going to have to work on. She needed to know how to sense ki and that was for many reasons.
With the question of how they were going to do this, Athren had already come up with a very easy plan for today. While he wanted to prioritize ki sensing, he also wanted to know exactly where she was at with everything else. Her power wasn't terrible in comparison to a lot of saiyans but there was still a lot more she could achieve. He wanted to kill to birds with one stone. See what she could do with her techniques and fighting style and observe where she was lacking.
"I want to know where you're at, techniques and all. I want to see what you're capable of and we'll work on improvement from there. While we need to teach you how to sense Ki, I want to know what else you need."
Techniques were very important and Athren wanted to help her out with that, the power would come naturally through a sparring session.
If she had managed to be trustworthy, maybe he'd take her to his gravity chamber but for now. This was going to need to do.
"Attack me, with everything you've got and don't hold back. Got it?"
His cold stare looked over at her, waiting for her to make her move.
Word Count: 538
Total Word Count: 1,047
|
|
POWER LEVEL
76,893
Tech Points
14/20
Forms
Oozaru[x10]
Zeni
32,835
Saiyan
|
Dec 18, 2023 13:29:38 GMT -5
Post by Salada on Dec 18, 2023 13:29:38 GMT -5
Salada stared at Athren like he was... well... insane. What? Sensing energy? Why did he speak of that like it was COMMON!? Sure, there were SOME alien races the Saiyans had come into contact with that had the ability, but even among them, it was their elite warriors that could inherently detect strength! Scouters, as far as the majority of Saiyan-kind were concerned, were the optimal top-of-the-line way of detecting outsiders! ...Apparently on Earth, this wasteland-of-a-planet, it was common practice for their warriors to know such things. Salada was almost offended with the tone Athren took, practically insulting the great Saiyan warrior without speaking the words... Then again, he had every right to. She was but a BUG compared to him even without the Super Saiyan form, she judged, and, past that... HE WAS A SUPER SAIYAN, A LEGENDARY WARRIOR! He had ever RIGHT to look down on her and speak to her as an inferior! ...Salada swallowed her pride before it could take control. He was only trying to help, Salada had to remind herself, forcing her anger DOWN into the depths of her mind. She need only answer his question, then get what she came for. She didn't need to take this personally.
"No, I can't." Salada stated flatly, glancing off to the side where her scouter SHOULD have been. "It's not exactly common knowledge, knowing how to detect power levels. That's why scouters exist in the first place." She then grimaced, remembering how her scouter BURNT OUT when detecting Opherla's energy. Another thing to pay her back for. "So... what? are we going to be learning that?"
That was then Athren proposed something... Salada didn't expect, given his previous questioning: He wanted her to hit him... as HARD... AS SHE COULD! The Saiyan looked oddly at her golden-haired counterpart, uncertain what this had to do with sensing energy. What, if you punched someone enough, you just figure it out? Or maybe he just wanted to feel her FULL POWER so he knew how much he had to limit himself in training her...? That second possibility struck a cord with her... Anger bubbled up in the face of his (perhaps unintentional) disrespect. She wanted to proclaim 'HOW DARE YOU' or 'DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME...' But how could she? he was a Super Saiyan... He really COULDN'T underestimate most warriors because they'd be THAT FAR below him! Salada, once again, forced her rage down with restraint. She can deal with all of that some other time. For now, she'd do as she was instructed.
"Fine." Salada huffed... BEFORE A DARK RED AURA EXPLODED ALL AROUND HER! Salada dropped down into a half-squat, letting out a roar as her ki RELEASED in a firey aura! Salada raised her hand, all of that energy syphoning off into her palm, condensing into a small... but HYPER CONDENSED red energy ball! ...It was her ultimate technique, one that sapped a good bit of her energy... but THIS was what Athren wanted!
"ORGA SPHERE!" She roared, HURLING the ball at the almighty Super Saiyan! Her energy-ball would ZIP up to Athren... BEFORE SUDDENLY EXPANDING TO THE SIZE OF A SMALL BUILDING, threatening to encompass the man in an explosive red BLAST! If it managed to touch Athren and explode... Salada would smirk. It connected... Perfect.
WC: 550
TWC: 940
|
|
Mess with the best, die like the rest.
POWER LEVEL
349,076
Tech Points
3/74
Forms
Super Saiyan 2 [x22]
Zeni
72,383
Hybrid
|
Dec 18, 2023 23:42:14 GMT -5
Post by Athren on Dec 18, 2023 23:42:14 GMT -5
With few words, Salada had confirmed his suspicion about her lack of Ki sensing abilities and Athren knew that this was something that they needed to work on. If she was going to become a better warrior overall, she had to replace technology with her own abilities. Athren would recommend that the only piece of saiyan equipment worth even carrying around anymore was their armor. It was top of the line. It was strong, lightweight and very flexible. It was something that surely assisted Athren countless times in the past but as far as the rest of their technology went for battles? It was far beyond outdated, they were relics and technology couldn't keep up with a warriors desires for self improvement.
"That's something we're going to have to work on and once you've figured out how to sense energy, you'll never need to rely on a scouter again. Unless you prefer it for communications but that's your preference."
He wasn't trying to talk down to her at all, he was simply doing his best to help her out. There was no ill intentions or judgement here, he had only hoped she could get to a level where if she had gotten jumped again, she'd have a fighting chance to defend herself. That was the priority in the short term and while Athren didn't see a long term, if there was he'd want her to be capable of fighting anybody on the planet on par but that wasn't something he could worry about now.
With his request to attack him with everything she had, it seemed like there was an obvious miscommunication. Whether or not it was his fault for not being clear or for her to take it and put it all into one attack, didn't really matter much. She huffed as she seemed reluctant to actually attack him in the way he demanded but it wasn't before long that her red aura exploded around her and consumed her, she formed a small energy ball into her hand before she called out it's name and hurled it at him with great speed.
Of course, Athren couldn't help but shake his head slightly as a smirk came across his face. He wasn't finding humor in her attack or her power but just the situation they had found themselves in. As the ball approached, it rapidly expanded into an energy the ball the size of a small structure. Yet, Athren remained calm and when it reached him he simply slapped it with the back of his hand as he was going to direct it out into space. When his hand had made contact with the attack, the entire attack exploded around him, leaving a crater underneath the ground where his feet once stood and his own body had no damage. His clothing might've been burned a bit and steam might've rose from his body but he was completely fine.
He let out a very light chuckle as he looked to her.
"That wasn't quite what I meant.. I meant.. attack me, with everything you've got as in like. Charge me, punch me, kick me. Attack me like you'd attack any real opponent on the battlefield."
Word Count: 534
Total Word Count: 1,581
|
|
POWER LEVEL
76,893
Tech Points
14/20
Forms
Oozaru[x10]
Zeni
32,835
Saiyan
|
Dec 20, 2023 17:55:54 GMT -5
Post by Salada on Dec 20, 2023 17:55:54 GMT -5
Salada... was smiling. YES, a direct hit! That had to do some damage right!? Super Saiyan or no, taking the FULL FORCE of an attack straight to the face SURELY meant something!
HA! ...What a delusional fantasy. In fact, as if recognizing the ridiculousness of the situation, a small chuckle would come from the cloud of dust surrounding Athren to reveal that the man... was less than UNHARMED... HE WAS LAUGHING AT HER! It took ALL of Salada's will not to RECOIL from the utter shock of seeing the Legendary Warrior completely disregard her attack, to merely step through it as it had never even happened! Was this the power of a Super Saiyan, something so far above the common warrior that he could even make HER Orga Sphere look like NOTHING!? Salada's jaw dropped... and she wasn't at all ashamed to notice that she was... trembling. After all, what more could a warrior do when faced with something THIS powerful, something so far above ANYTHING you could fathom?
...But she wasn't trembling with fear exactly...
Salada's anger turned inwards... once more reflecting on the circumstances that had brought her here. In just a single day, everything Salada had known growing up under the empire had been turned completely on it's head. What she had thought STRENGTH was, what she believed SHE was worth in the grand scheme of the universe... suddenly became infinitely smaller. She had become an ANT from the warrior she had once been, a GNAT where a COMMANDER once was! She... was WORTHLESS, utterly HELPLESS before Athren! He... If she poured every ounce of power into her next attack, she doubted she could make a follicle of his golden hair MOVE, let alone wound the bastard! ...On Vegeta, she was someone... She wasn't an Elite or a Noble, but she was at least a commander of MEN! She had her own squad... she had AUTHORITY... She thought that she MATTERED.
...She was nothing... And Athren was joking about it.
"Punch..." Salada repeated, shaking her head. What would that do? What would be the point? She might as well be hitting the UNIVERSE for all the good it'd do! ...She then looked inward... and saw the utter weakness starting to brew. She could see herself, this little woman TERRIFIED of the beast before her, this trembling wreck unwilling to step up to Athren's challenge (now that he made it more clear). Who would she be...? Would she give into her weakness...? Would she collapse under the weight of yet ANOTHER humiliation?
"No..." Salada rumbled, FORCING her aura to reignite! "I won't quit... I AM A SAIYAN! HAAAAAAAAA!" Whether because she was consciously meeting his challenge or needed an outlet for her anger, Salada would RUSH Athren, PUNCHING at his jaw so hard... the edges of her gloves shaved off. Salada stared at them as her fist passed his jaw, her knuckles already starting to ACHE... but she ignored that and brought her knee up to SLAM into his jaw from BELOW, then SLAMMING her forehead into his in a brutal headbutt!
WC: 514
TWC: 1454
|
|
Mess with the best, die like the rest.
POWER LEVEL
349,076
Tech Points
3/74
Forms
Super Saiyan 2 [x22]
Zeni
72,383
Hybrid
|
Dec 23, 2023 0:36:53 GMT -5
Post by Athren on Dec 23, 2023 0:36:53 GMT -5
While Athren had experience dealing with saiyans throughout his lifetime, this was significantly more entertaining given how he had distanced himself from his people. It wasn't just the distance in measurement but the distance in power as well. While he was completely rooting for Salada to do amazing here and get stronger, the look on her face, her attitude, everything about her told him the story of what was going on in her mind. He knew that a saiyan with that much pride, that much determination couldn't be handling this situation well but she wasn't willing to back down and that alone was a very strong trait. Her jaw had dropped with a surprise to see Athren not even damaged from her most powerful attack but the truth was, in time she'd get there and that wasn't a doubt in Athren's mind. She just needed to keep trying, to continue growing stronger and it wouldn't be long until she reached a level that she could do something. She was a saiyan after all and if Athren could reach this level, so could she.
It took her a moment to come to terms with what she had just witnessed but it didn't take her long to get back into it. She spoke aloud and it seemed to be more to herself than to Athren and he simply awaited her response to his request. She wouldn't quit? Good. He wanted her to have this attitude, not just here in this moment but throughout her lifetime. She was capable of becoming strong, she just couldn't give up and that mindset would lead her right to where he was standing, the form he was in and all.
"Perfect, that's exactly the response I was hoping for."
With her pressing her attack once more and closing the distance between them, she tossed her fist at his jawline and he simply just accepted it. He wanted to encourage her somewhat. If he tanked everything so easily, he feared that she might tap into her negative emotions and give up completely and that wasn't the outcome he was going for here. With her fist colliding with his jaw, his face had moved a small inch. Though he did this deliberately, he knee hit his chin as his head tilted upwards, followed by her head smacking against his as he let his ki carry him backwards slightly into a hover. Each movement he made was a gift and there was no signs of damage but he was hoping that the action alone would motivate her.
"Huh? I didn't ask you to stop. Did I?"
He said out loud.
He was pressing this, he wanted her to unleash everything she had. Physically.
He wanted her to blow off all of her pride and anger. He wanted her to channel it all towards him physically so she would be calmer afterwards for some actual training. If he was going to teach her anything, he knew that she'd have to be relaxed. That was the endgame here.
Word Count: 506
Total Word Count; 2,087
|
|
POWER LEVEL
76,893
Tech Points
14/20
Forms
Oozaru[x10]
Zeni
32,835
Saiyan
|
Dec 25, 2023 12:29:58 GMT -5
Post by Salada on Dec 25, 2023 12:29:58 GMT -5
One might've thought that Salada feeling Athren's body give, if only slightly, would invoke some measure of satisfaction for her. After all, budging what was essentially the PINNACLE of all Saiyan power with her own was nothing less than an HONOR of the highest measure. ...However, Salada, even being unable to sense energy herself, knew that Athren was merely placating her. She didn't know WHY, but there was NO WAY that the legendary warrior, the SUPER SAIYAN, was going to struggle against someone like her, a mere Middle-Class Saiyan. She resented this admission in more ways than any human could understand. Her life revolved around battle and at least partially proving that SHE was number ONE! SHE wanted the power, SHE wanted the respect! SHE DESERVED IT! SHE WAS A MIGHTY SAIYAN WARRIOR! ...Yet here she was, being played down to, being... accommodated by someone so far out of her league, she would've laughed if she were watching anyone else experiencing the same.
...It was shameful... But this shame, she could bare. The humiliation of knowing, at least to some extent, just how LITTLE she mattered compared to Athren was assuaged greatly with the knowledge that she was training under THE legendary Super Saiyan! HE had chosen HER for this and that, at the very least, meant something. Salada forced EVERY drop of her energy OUT, let her ANGER and HATRED of EARTH and those specific "two" Earthings BURN as kindling for her power! Athren would see her energy GROW and GROW, powered by the poison in her heart... and might also see it starting to clear up inside as well. As Salada fought on, she felt her mind let go from the darkness she dwelled upon if for no other reason than to focus on this "fight." The need for revenge, the HUNGER to maul Opherla and her friend Liek... it all seemed less important when she was staring down the golden warrior of legend. Salada, in letting her rage OUT... was also making space inside for something else, perhaps even for the pride she had in battling the Super Saiyan.
When the first round of blows was over, Athren egged Salada on, encouraging her to keep it coming! Well... if he wanted it so bad, she was MORE than willing to give it to him all at once! Smirking, Salada would jump back and raise her hand over her head, her sanguine aura INTENSIFYING around her arm! A small red sphere would form within her palm, growing brighter, pulsating intensely... before Salada's fist closed around it. Light glistened fiercely between her fingers as her aura flowed upwards around her fist, Salada grimacing as she channeled the FULL, MIGHTY POWER of the Saiyan race into her one hand, it glowing FIERCELY with the battle-starved nature of their people!
"WHO SAID I WAS STOPPING!?" Salada ROARED, shooting towards Athren! She would THROW her ki-infused fist DEAD-CENTER at the man's forehead, aiming to KNOCK HIS BLOCK OFF... or at least try to, considering the circumstances! Should her punch connect, the energy inside the fist would EXPLODE behind Athren's head, SHOOTING OUT in a thin beam of energy arching over the horizon! The impact sound would be like that of a hundred mortar-shells going off at once, the Saiyan's knuckles... bleeding beneath her white elastic gloves!
WC: 554
TWC: 2008
|
|
Mess with the best, die like the rest.
POWER LEVEL
349,076
Tech Points
3/74
Forms
Super Saiyan 2 [x22]
Zeni
72,383
Hybrid
|
Dec 31, 2023 19:14:08 GMT -5
Post by Athren on Dec 31, 2023 19:14:08 GMT -5
He couldn't help but admire her dedication to this little interaction. She was truly giving it her all even though both warriors had known the outcome if one party had been trying. Nevertheless, she was giving it her all and truly trying to do some damage and that was something Athren admired. She wasn't being a coward, she didn't fear the power that Athren had and she was demonstrating that she was a true saiyan warrior and she was earning Athren's complete respect for that. It was something that he was raised with, an environment he was born in and throughout the first twenty five years of his life or so, he was bred to be a warrior just the same as she was. She embraced it, she was living by that training and guidance and it was almost something he was jealous of. He had too many responsibilities, he was losing sight of everything that she carried but deep down, he knew he'd follow that same mindset if he had too.
Athren spectated as her Ki flared up again, her aura consuming her arm as she was preparing for another attack. She was clearly determined to do some kind of damage, maybe she was trying to prove a point, save her pride, display that she was a warrior at heart no matter what the stakes were. He knew what was coming, he had a technique just like the one that she was preparing and he was all but ready for it. There wasn't a chance that he'd let this one land. He was going to use his superior speed to avoid it completely, he was going to play around with her a little bit and hope that she'd wear herself down, that her attacks would consume her anger and leave her calm. Of course, being toyed with might've done the opposite but he'd run that gamble.
"Come on then!"
He stated rather calmly as he crossed his arms, his eyes observing as she made he move. She pushed forward to press her attack, rushing forward as it seemed she threw everything into this technique as she tried to collide with his head. She would've missed completely as Athren dodged underneath it and by time it was all said and done, she would've felt his back against hers. His arms crossed as he stood there firmly, confident.
"Well, that wasn't bad at all."
He paused for a brief moment.
"I've got to give you credit. You're a warrior, you're everything I was raised to be. I can see it with how determined you are, how you don't want to quit. You've already earned my respect, Salada."
Whether or not she took this compliment the right way didn't really matter, Athren was just speaking his mind and it was all the truth. He wasn't lying to her, he wouldn't. She earned his respect and he'd be honest with all of his words. Even if those words would damage her pride.
He'd always speak his mind.
Word Count: 504
Total Word Count: 2,591
|
|
POWER LEVEL
76,893
Tech Points
14/20
Forms
Oozaru[x10]
Zeni
32,835
Saiyan
|
Jan 1, 2024 14:25:01 GMT -5
Post by Salada on Jan 1, 2024 14:25:01 GMT -5
Well, it was at this point that Salada remembered one of the most BASIC rules of Saiyan military training: Never throw all of your power into one attack unless you are 101% sure you can land it! Otherwise, you're more likely just to waste most of it.
Whether or not Athren remembered this rule from the handbook, he was sure-as-satan about to teach her that because, as Salada's power-condensed fist CAME for his face like a desperate, angry animal, Athren, as calmly and casually as you please, ducked under it... as if he had all the time in the world to get out of its way! Salada felt her hand WHIFF... and her feet almost disappear from underneath her as the momentum of her blow threw her off balance! The raw ki in her hand SHOT OUT over the horizon as she had predicted, ZIPPING out into the sky and far beyond vision, Salada's shoulder ACHING... as she had pulled it in her failed attack upon Athren. She lurched forward a half-step, the sudden drain of SO MUCH WASTED POWER seeping into her muscles, Salada's eye-lids starting to droop as her face contorted into an exhausted... disappointed expression. She didn't doubt Athren could have eaten her punch if he chose to. Hell, she might've broken her FIST on his face if he stood still and took it... but there was something personal about the way he dodged around her blow, something that hit Salada in the chest: It really hit home the difference between her and him. Before, it was OBVIOUS he was more powerful, yes. Before, Salada knew that she had no chance in winning... But when you unleash all of your energy like that and your opponent treated it just the same as they might any other blow, all the wind would be knocked RIGHT out of your sails as if they had struck you first. Salada raised her fist to her face, her knuckles now steaming from the residual heat her her ki. She stared at her gloved fist in disappointment. It wasn't Athren's fault she was this weak... she didn't feel anything but a vague sense of pride that she had done THIS well against a legend.
...But she should have done better. She SHOULD have made him move a little bit! SHE WAS SALADA, SAIYAN WARRIOR... and that meant nothing out here it seemed, even less than nothing before the legendary Super Saiyan. Salada straightened her back... only to feet Athren's broader one lightly touch hers. Without even turning to face her, he commented on her attack, remarking that it... "wasn't bad." Salada grimaced at the remark, she too not turning to face him. ...Well, she supposed that was the best she could hope for in a moment like this... It still HURT that she was just... "alright" to this man, her peer, her... LEGEND... but at least he wasn't casting her aside. Furthermore, Athren would state how much he RESPECTED Salada, complimenting her fortitude and determination!
Salada could not suppress the sharp intake of breath she reflexively indulged, her chest SWELLING with pride that the golden legend acknowledged her so! It took everything she had to suppress the smile pulling at the edges of her lips, to stay her heart which promptly skipped a beat! Pride filled Salada like an overflowing jug: rapidly and overflowing, practically engulfing Salada in an instant! She stared ahead, silent for a moment, taking the time to work out the trembling in her fingers and the weakness in her body. Slowly, she would turn to face Athren, her face as stoic as she could make it before pressing a fist against her chest and bowing her head, a salute of respect.
"You honor me, Legend." Salada mumbled. "...But... What now?"
WC: 632
TWC: 2640
|
|
Mess with the best, die like the rest.
POWER LEVEL
349,076
Tech Points
3/74
Forms
Super Saiyan 2 [x22]
Zeni
72,383
Hybrid
|
Jan 14, 2024 8:53:21 GMT -5
Post by Athren on Jan 14, 2024 8:53:21 GMT -5
Of course, Athren was well aware of the exchanges in a typical fight. It wasn't just about trying to go all out to deal a massive amount of damage all at once. There was specifics to it, there was strategy. Athren was well aware that if you made an attempt to use all of your power in a single attack you had put yourself in a high risk, high reward situation. If the attack you had tried to land did land, you would be rewarded greatly with a punishing blow that would do massive amounts of damage on your opponent but if it happened to miss, you left your own stamina and energy low and put yourself in a position to have those attacks come right back at you. With Salada right here, it was training, it was all in good fun and there was no risk to her for expending so much energy and if anything it would just remind her what not to do.
He could tell by the way her stance had shifted and her overall attitude that she had tapped herself out. Her great amount of effort had left her tired, exhausted and needed a small rest before she could continue. He couldn't help but assume if this was a real fight, she wouldn't have gone to this length to try to damage him. He assumed that if this was indeed a real fight, she would've paced herself and tried to make a solid and effective opening before going for such a devastating blow. All in all, she had shown heart and pride and Athren respected it. If Salada was capable of getting stronger and he knew that she was, she was going to make a very proud, powerful saiyan warrior. It was really just about getting to that point. Time and effort was the key. Although Arctic was on the way, Salada would have time to prepare and hopefully by then, she'd be a super saiyan. He knew it was a tight timeline, but he could only hope.
When she had finally turned to face him, he couldn't help but give her a friendly little smirk. His arms had been crossed against his chest as he arched a brow curiously as she gave him a light bow of the head to show her own respect. This might've caught him by surprise, after all she was a true saiyan warrior. He knew they respected power but he didn't expect this so rapidly after her arriving to Earth. They couldn't even call themselves friends at this point. Regardless, he accepted it. Though when it came to her question, he couldn't help but blurt out his first thought.
Now that she had expended her energy, maybe she could focus on something calmer?
It was worth a shot.
"I think it would be very beneficial to you if you learned how to sense energy. That way, you can throw the scouter away for good and rely on your own instincts. We can focus on that, if you'd like?"
He questioned softly, awaiting her reply.
Word Count: 515
Total Word Count: 3,106
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POWER LEVEL
76,893
Tech Points
14/20
Forms
Oozaru[x10]
Zeni
32,835
Saiyan
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Jan 16, 2024 8:33:26 GMT -5
Post by Salada on Jan 16, 2024 8:33:26 GMT -5
Athren seemed surprised how readily Salada accepted Athren's superiority and how comfortably she gave him his due respect. What was he expecting, denial? More petulant rage? No. She would have been a FOOL to not acknowledge just how beyond-her Athren was, to treat him like he was the same as the rest of this human trash. His power was golden, his strength, undeniable. As much as she hungered and craved it for herself, she wasn't about to let these feelings overwhelm any sense of good judgement or self-preservation! ...At least, in front of him. Salada had learned quickly in the military that you really didn't get a lot of second chances out int he field. Whether its an opponent, some environmental factor, or your own stupid decisions, odds were that once the dice were rolled, you weren't going to get to scoop them up for another toss. Now, Salada had been lucky so far. She had back-sassed Athren, allowed her tongue to waggle well within reach for the legendary Sayian to reach out and take it, and yet she was still here... and not mute.
...She had been lucky and Salada wasn't deluded enough to presume otherwise.
She was, however, surprised that Athren would propose something so... Alien. Sensing power levels without... a scouter...? Salada reached up to her ear as if to grab the thing... then remembered it had been destroyed and discarded long ago and her arm would drop again. It wasn't exactly unheard of, beings that could sense energy inherently, but they were often considered "freaks" among the common soldier! Just the same with those that could mutate and twist their bodies to serve different purposes or just to get stronger, energy-sensors were so far in the outliers of commonality, she'd be surprised if a Saiyan warrior discovered more than one or two in their lifetimes!
...Salada blinked at the realization that Athren... along with others on this planet, by implication of Athren's casual declaration of it, were capable of such things! She opened her mouth in protest to defend the devices, that they were good for communication and coordination with home base, that they were able to keep an eye on certain frequencies and networks that were shared between settled worlds... but she instead switched and chose to ask another question.
"That ability is rare... almost unheard of." Salada started, slowly nodding her head. "...What does it involve?"
WC: 401
TWC: 3041
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Mess with the best, die like the rest.
POWER LEVEL
349,076
Tech Points
3/74
Forms
Super Saiyan 2 [x22]
Zeni
72,383
Hybrid
|
Jan 20, 2024 21:10:55 GMT -5
Post by Athren on Jan 20, 2024 21:10:55 GMT -5
It was still such a strange thing to him, being in a position to actually teach and guide people but it wasn't a position he'd abuse or take lightly. He was very selective of those he wished to teach but he knew that Salada wasn't a waste of his time. He knew that this wasn't going to be a long mentorship, this wasn't something that was going to last a year or more. This was something that would be over within a few short visits. He didn't want to pass down all his knowledge but he at least wanted her to have a better foundation so she could explore the rest on her own. Athren had a long life of battle, conflict and what some could define as war. He had managed to learn a lot from those experiences and he knew that it was the best way forward but in this case, he just wanted Salada to be able to survive those initial experiences so that she would have the chance to gain that experience on her own.
Fortunately, it seemed like when Athren was first starting out and growing into his own everything was different. Being on his current level wasn't something common, there had been no names floating about of those who had reached this level of strength. On Athren's assignments for the saiyan's or even his own faction, he never experienced anything that was too much above him. On Earth, he had met that person when his children died but even then had taken years to meet.
Salada had drawn a poor hand when she landed on the Earth, she had come across some of Earth's strongest warriors who had apparently been eager for a fight and she hadn't been prepared. If those warriors had wanted to take things more seriously, she could've easily lost her life and he had hoped that the foundations he was trying to support within Salada would provide her with the opportunity to come out on top the next time it had happened.
He couldn't help but smirk when she went to reach for her own scouter, it was clear that she had relied on it for her entire life and he wasn't going to blame her for it. There was once a time that he too relied on that technology. While he had missed the communication part for quiet a while, his telepathy was more than capable of replacing that aspect of it. He was honing in on all his skills and no longer relying on technology to provide him with the essentials. The last thing he had to throw aside was his armor but even that only made an appearance in the most dire situations.
"While you won't find it in too many places out in the universe, you'll find it plenty around here. It seems like most of the fighters I've come across on this planet are able to use it."
He paused for a moment as he tried to find the best words to describe what it involved. When he did it, he learned it on his own after seeing it used against him. He couldn't understand what it was but he remembered it began with feeling out your own energy.
"It really isn't the easiest to describe and obviously I can't demonstrate it for you, but you know how you can feel your own power? Sense your energy as you manipulate it through your body? It's like that but instead, reaching out and feeling the energy of others."
He had hoped that was more than enough to at least make her understand the concept of it.
Word Count: 610 Total Word Count: 3,716 |
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POWER LEVEL
76,893
Tech Points
14/20
Forms
Oozaru[x10]
Zeni
32,835
Saiyan
|
Jan 23, 2024 18:52:34 GMT -5
Post by Salada on Jan 23, 2024 18:52:34 GMT -5
Can't... demonstrate.
Great.
Salada stared at Athren, processing his... explanation of what she needed to do. He wanted her to SENSE other people's energy like she could her own... but what did that even MEAN!? Her own limits were defined to a NUMBER and what she could roughly estimate with those numbers when paired with what she saw herself do! SENSING power...? What, like she was some kind of lampray, sensing the electrical vibrations in the water!? The young Saiyan shook her head and did everything she could to keep herself from throwing her hands up in the air. Athren might as well have been asking her to imagine how a deer feels when it skips through the grass or how a bird feels when it swoops down to catch a meal.
SENSE the energy of OTHERS!? WHAT DID THAT EVEN MEAN!?
Salada just huffed and closed her eyes, trying to block out her surroundings. What she could see, what she could hear, what she could feel. It ALL had to go if she had a Changeling's chance in a desert of figuring out what SENSING OTHERS meant. Athren did give her an interesting bit of information, though: He confirmed that this planet, Earth, was chock full of fighters that could sense energy inherently... and that was the STANDARD! Salada had always thought those freaks, those that could sense power, were able to biologically, as if they had some organ that could tune itself to the power-level of another not unlike a scouter!
...But apparently this was LEARNT instead?
Clearing her mind, Salada attempted to focus on herself, first trying to detect HER OWN power level. if she couldn't at least do that, she SEVERELY doubted she'd have any chance of feeling out anyone else's. A minute passed... then two... then three... Salada not moving but it was obvious from her expression that she was slowly losing her temper! Her lips peeled back a quarter-inch at-a-time in a snarl, her eyes clenched tighter closed, her stance shifted wider and her fingers curled into fists! FRUSTRATION... born from NOTHING! More accurately, a lack of RESULTS! This was simple MEDITATION, the basic garbage they teach young ones in the academy as part of their ki-centric training! Salada turned her head aside, away from the memories before she could focus on them... lest boredom only justify her short temper even more!
"I need something..." Salada grumbled, turning her head in the direction of Athren. "Is there anything else you can tell me? Anything at all...? I'm coming up with nothing, here."
WC: 428 TWC: 3469
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Mess with the best, die like the rest.
POWER LEVEL
349,076
Tech Points
3/74
Forms
Super Saiyan 2 [x22]
Zeni
72,383
Hybrid
|
Jan 29, 2024 22:29:31 GMT -5
Post by Athren on Jan 29, 2024 22:29:31 GMT -5
After his explanation he was met with what he would almost describe as a blank stare and while he hadn't the slightest idea of what was going on within her mind, he couldn't blame her for whatever it was. He was well aware that his explanation wasn't the best but it was the best he could do. It might've come across like it was something that was a very difficult task but Athren remember when he learned it that it wasn't overly bearing. You just had to feel your own Ki, once you could feel your own energy you just reached out to try and sense the energy of others. While it did sound easier than it was, he had completely faith that Salada would make his words make sense and make it happen. She was a determined young saiyan, talented, skilled and had so much potential. She had this.
With a huff her eyes had closed and Athren simply observed. It wasn't the time to be loud and try and coach her. It was simply the time to let her try and figure it out for her own. She needed to focus and it was clear she was trying her best. She just needed to remain calm to allow her to focus. She couldn't let such a thing stress her out or draw her to anger. Her facial expressions started to show as he could see the muscles in her body starting to tense and this included her fingers curling into fists. She was losing this lesson and that was fine, failure had just been a path to success. If at first you didn't succeed you just had to keep trying.
"There isn't much else to go off of unfortunately. The way I described it is the essentials of it."
He paused a moment as he remained cross armed. His gaze looking down at her as he thought of another way to tell her about it.
He had an idea, one that might be able to put a visual to it for her and one that she was very easy to do on her own.
"Alright, I've got an idea."
He paused another brief moment to make sure he had her full attention.
"Why don't you try forming an energy sphere? Something that will allow you to visualize the results and work backwards from there. Instead of trying to feel your own Ki from within you.. try and sense it from the point and follow it back from where you're bringing it out?"
Maybe this would've been easier. Athren knew when he manipulated his energy into attacks he could feel every ounce of it that he was pouring it. He had managed to master and harness his own energies and had full control of it. While she was working on the very first steps up it all, maybe this would be something that would work better for her.
Word Count: 489
Total Word Count: 4,205
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