Knowing that he had to be prepared was probably the most pressure he had ever received and with the massive loss he received on Earth, the pressure had only grown larger. It wasn't like anything he had ever felt before and even though he had felt he was finally becoming his own person, he was becoming somebody new. He wasn't bounded by contracts or duties anymore, he wasn't directed to violence an war, he no longer had the need for endless mounds of money to provide for a large group, he was free to do anything he wanted to. Though with this freedom, with the knew path he had chosen, the pressure was more than it ever had been before.

The pressure to do it all right was heavier than the gravity that pulled him downward, nothing compared to it. Nothing in his lifetime. The pressure of being the strongest in his class, being the brightest and proudest of his peers, the pressure of doing his missions for the saiyan empire to become a well known elite, the pressure of raising his kids or providing for the faction, those didn't stack up to what he felt now. He felt like he had come so far in his journey with just a few short months, like he was walking the right path but he knew that the obstacles would still be many. The pressure was there to not fail, he couldn't fail. He needed to make sure he was ready to accomplish his goals.

He needed the Dragon Balls of Namek, that was his goal and there was lots that could get in the way. The more he thought about the Dragon Balls and how to get them, the more pressure he felt on his shoulders. It very well felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders and that's because it partially was. Resorting the lives of Earth and the city that he removed from the face of the planet. It was a heavy thing to do but it was necessary, all of those lives were lost because of his actions and as far as he knew, he was the only one trying to do anything about it. If he failed, not only would his children, friends and faction fail to return but the entire population of Orange City would remain dead, the city remain destroyed. A vast majority of those people were innocent, never did a single crime in their life and they didn't deserve their fate. It was a huge responsibility to him to bring them all back, they had deserved better and better is what he was going to try to bring them.

The weight would be shown in his training, the responsibility that he had brought onto himself was reflected in his determination with every single move he would make in the gravity chamber. His drive, dedication and motivation to the cause had pushed him to work harder than he ever did before to perfect himself as a fighter, to make sure that he could deliver, protect, secure the future of all those who he had once doomed. It wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't be a walk in the park but it had to be done.

Truth be told, he wasn't even sure how he'd get the Dragon Balls. He didn't know how one would even find them? Could he simply just ask the Namekians for them or would they send him on some kind of quest? In all honesty, he couldn't help but hope that in return for liberating the planet they'd help him find them or just give them over to him, whatever the case may be. Hopefully they'd be like Pybara, hopefully they'd see what he was becoming instead of what he used to be and cut him some slack, give him a break and just understand that he was trying to do the right thing. Even if they didn't, he didn't have a choice and getting the Dragon Balls wasn't just an option, it was the only path he could take. No matter the cost, he owed it to everybody on Earth to do the right thing and bring them back.

Athren couldn't have ever thought his life would lead him this way and put him on this path. He went from a brutal, ruthless warrior to a saiyan who was just trying to do his best for his kids. Even doing what was best for his kids kept him in the fight, kept him on other planets and fighting all the battles, whether they were right or wrong, he was right there in them taking as many lives as necessary to get paid to put towards the food and resources for his faction and his children. Three months ago he had done just that. His focus had been on everything else, everybody else. He had to make sure the ship and the faction themselves were fed and taken care of, each member paid for their assistance and work towards his efforts but now, it was all different. The dynamic had completely swapped and it was almost a little overwhelming.

Surely, this wasn't the way his life was supposed to go? How could something so cruel happen to those who didn't deserve it? The question had lingered in his head for all but a few second but the reminder of all his cruel actions flooded in like a dam that's flood gates had just been opened, it all came rushing back. Every bad deed, every innocent like he took for money and riches. His faction, his freinds and everybody else had suffered the same fate he had pushed against everyone else. It was unfair that they had paid for his crime, but it was the truth he'd have to move forward with. There wasn't much else he could do about it until he got the dragon balls. He just have to keep training, keep preparing until the time came to act.

---

Word Count: 1,002
Total Word Count: 2,004

After liberating the Namekians, would he begin traveling to all the planets he once wronged? Would he start helping all the people he hurt or the communities he destroyed? He really didn't know what the appropriate step was. He couldn't fix everything, he couldn't restore the lives of everybody he killed. That number was just too high, surely the Dragon Balls couldn't restore all of that, could they? The only real step that he knew he could take was protecting the Earth for Cress, keeping those people alive and of course Namek.
Those were the priorities.

The Earth had seemed like a rather peaceful place until he arrived to wipe out the USD, there hadn't been much going on there. How often would it really even need his help? It was a beautiful planet, and obviously, the PTO had plans for it but what exactly could they be? He knew that wiping out the USD was beneficial for them somehow, it left the Earth in a weakened state but would the PTO go to enslave it? Wipe out the population and sell it to the highest bidder or maybe it was just to prove a point? Athren didn't know what the Earth was in for but if he could, he'd fill the shoes of the USD and shield it, protect it from that kind of fate, even if the Earth would look at him as a monster if the truth had really come out, even if they found out that he was the grey great ape, he'd do his best for them, regardless of their judgment on his actions.

If they would demand that he pay for his crimes, he wouldn't know what to do. Did he deserve it? Absolutely, but what would it even serve? He couldn't accept their punishment, he'd have to refuse. There was nothing that they could do to justify what he was capable of doing in the long run, he was better off doing his own thing but again, this question wouldn't need an answer if his wishes came through as he thought they would. With no memory of him, he'd be in the clear to start fresh, to start new. The Earth wouldn't know any better and neither would the PTO. Hopefully, Namek would be liberated before he made his wishes, that would make things much easier, much simpler. He wouldn't have to worry about the repercussions of his actions there, for his attack on the mighty trade organization. He'd be free to live without watching his back constantly or watching the backs of those around him.

This Yardrat trip had brought thoughts to his head that he never would have had before, maybe it was giving him far too much time to think. His thought process was truly in over drive and he was thinking about the what ifs. Though maybe it was reasonable, especially after experiencing what he went through. There was no easy answer on what to do next or how to protect those around him, but he'd have to navigate it carefully.

Maybe with Pybara in his corner, he could ask what to do next. Get some guidance on what was the best option, what was the right thing to do next? Pybara was wise, smart and one of the beings in the universe that wanted peace, wanted everything to be right, wanted no violence to any being. He was one that may have the answers but it was hard asking for help, it was hard enough for the saiyan to swallow his pride and ask Pybara for training, let alone asking for guidance with his life. Asking for advice would be something else entirely, it wasn't just learning some new powerful techniques or getting stronger but that was asking for help in the direction of ones life, Athren didn't know if he could swallow that just yet. He was still in control, he still wanted to be in full control without the guidance of others but he had to admit that he was nervous, nervous that he'd make a mistake, that somebody else would get killed because of him, and at this point he couldn't help but think of the last two people left in his life that he cared about.

The stress and pressure he was applying to himself was far too real, something that he never done before but things quickly changed when you lost it all. He went from being a wealthy faction leader to a single individual on his own, one being trained by a different race, one without a real life plan or a solid direction. The massive change of pace was enough to make anybody think twice, to second guess their every move, it was tough. He never experience anything like this, aside from what happened on Earth it was the feeling of being lost that crept up inside of him, of being alone, it brought thoughts to him that he never thought he'd ever have.

Maybe if he had done things differently, it all would've been okay and that was something else on his mind. What if he had just taken his kids and retired right then and there? Leaving Vegeta for a peaceful life, one without contracts or missions for wealth and riches? Hell, it was too late to look back on that now, to late to fix any of it but he couldn't help but wonder. Instead, here he was. Suffering the consequences of what he had done and what he had become, all so close to retirement, to the end of his job. One more mission couldn't have gone by peacefully? Just one more was all it would have taken for him to be free of this, to keep everybody safe. Though he could dream and wish about it all he wanted too, this was the reality he had found himself in, this was the life he'd have to navigate around, the was what he was going to have to live through every single day without question. He'd have to push through and dig down deep.

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Word Count: 1,018
Total Word Count: 4,051

Through all the distractions and thoughts, Athren had completely got lost in his training schedule. The technique he had come to learn had been put off and instead, he managed to spend hours simply just training regularly, it wasn't that it was a bad thing but it did push off the more important thing until later. Now that he had finally collected himself entirely, with his thoughts and body now at ease it was time to focus on what he had come to do. Again, he didn't think this was taken very long as he was already used to using a similar technique. The Nova slash was going to be simple, it was simply creating energy claws at his fingertips and using them to slash an opponent. His Nova Punch had basically all the elements of this attack but instead of surrounding his fist in energy, it would simply be his fingertips. The bonus was, this technique would be a little more devastating if it collided with his opponent, maybe even enough to cut through limbs if he was lucky.

With that thought in mind it was time to get started on his technique and quit with the basic training he was doing, he had to focus on the immediate goal and get it done, he wanted to be prepared for everything to come and add another offensive technique to his library of moves. It was kind of exciting, Athren had always liked creating new techniques and he always enjoyed using them in battle a little bit more, that's where they really paid themselves off and the work was put into full effect. Though Athren's list of techniques that he wished to learn was long, this one had managed to weasel its way into being the top priority.

Having the fighting style he did, Athren absolutely loved getting up close and personal. Facing down an opponent face to face instead of fighting at a distance, it was the way he had always been, it was the way he craved to fight so this technique also gave him the satisfaction of exchanging blows with his opponent and the brutality of it? Well that was something else entirely. He knew that this technique wasn't going to be something he used often to its maximum potential but at least it was there to get him out of a tough spot, if he needed it.

It was hard to believe that this technique's direct competition was an explosive wave, a technique that could get him out of a jam in close quarters if need be. It was the next technique he intended to learn but for now, one step at a time. As he stood tall and proud in his chamber Athren was about ready to get to work, ready to push himself and get this done. Though as per usual, he wouldn't stop until it was perfected, without any chance of failure. His standards were far to high, to the degree that he had been seeking out perfection.
Seeking out perfection wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it did increase the time it took him to be finished training a technique, he would very often stretch it out much further than he'd have to just to be safe, even if the technique was as simple as this one was.

Though getting started Athren would lift his right hand up to look at it, he reached in and felt his energy, he felt his ki flowing throughout his body and quickly transferred it to his fingertips and within seconds dark orange energy claws had formed. They were very sharp, sharp enough to cut through nearly anything he desired. The only thing that was left to test them but unfortunately, he didn't have a willing participant. He quickly executed the technique without any failures or struggles, it was reliable and easy and he was already quite happy with the progress he was making.

Though as he looked at his claws, he got a bright idea. He really did want to test it out on something and the training dummy had been right there, just waiting to be cut into. "Activate the training dummy, send it at me with everything it's got!" Athren exclaimed, awaiting for the training dummy to make its move.

The dummy itself activated and immediately stepped off its charging port and it didn't take very long before it lunged at Athren with a very fast, aggressive fist. It's goal was to simply punch Athren in the face. Athren on the other hand had a very different plan, he ducked underneath the incoming attack and quickly turned, his right arm swiping down in one swift movement!

SLASH!

THUD!

With the quick movement of his arm, Athren's ki claws had cut the dummy's arm off right at the shoulder and the heavy metal arm had hit the floor with a loud thud that would echo throughout the room! The dummy's exposed wires beginning to spark lightly as they tried to send currents of electricity and commands to their now removed limb. Athren couldn't help but smirk lightly, his ocean blues shining as he removed the energy from his fingertips. "Well, it's pretty obvious that it worked!" As he said this, some light oil began to spew from the training dummy's opening. It leaked out and spewed onto the floor and if it was a living creature, surely it would have been blood. Though Athren managed to pull this technique off within his first try, he still had work to do. He wanted to make it faster and stronger and there was still some room to improve it and he liked to take it with baby steps.

Next he'll work on amplifying the energy he put into it and making it much faster than it was before to prepare and with the dummy still having multiple limbs for him to cut through, he still had a good target to practice on! Though it was a shame he was wasting his money by cutting it up, it was much more beneficial to him this way than it was sparring for he simply outgrew it, he became far too strong for the dummy to be effective anymore in a spar. At least this way, he could guarantee that his technique would work the way it was intended and it wouldn't fall flat in an actual fight! Whether it was wasted money or not, it wasn't such a big deal to him! He was kind of having fun with it, just the way it was now! All that was left was to slice it up into a few more pieces and he'd be done!

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Word Count: 1,118
Total Word Count: 6,196

[C1OT1]Nova Slash: learned

Wiping all the unnecessary thoughts from his mind once again Athren found himself back to the moment and in this moment nothing else had mattered but finishing the technique that he was trying to perfect. It was just him, the armless training dummy and the intense gravity pulling down on him. He had one more improvement to make, he wanted to make the claws appear brutal, ruthless and like they'd completely rip anything apart. Even if they functioned that way throughout, appearances could even be applied to a fight. The more brutal and ruthless something looked, the more likely somebody was to react out of fear or panic. After all, nobody wanted to be cut open to begin with, and nobody wanted to be cut open by something so vicious looking. It just added to the weight of seeing such an attack. An energy sword? Sure, it could cut through you with little to no resistance but it didn't encourage the opponent to be afraid, brutal, sharp tines of energy claws? There was something about that, that just screamed horror.

The gravity and his weights had still been pulling him down to the ground, his body tired and sore from the extreme amount of time he put himself under the pressure of the gravity. His muscles ached and his pours let out all the sweat they could in an effort to keep him cool and fresh. Though he had worked himself into overtime, pushing through it all until he was done. There wasn't any quitting, there wasn't any other way he'd turn the gravity off. He had to finish this. Even if he was tired, hungry and his body begged for a break, he wasn't going to do it until this was finished, until it was behind him.

The training dummy at this point turned to face him once more, given that it was lacking both of his arms, it didn't really have any moves left. The sparking begin to get bigger on both ends as more oil leaked from its insides. The computer was reading major faults at this point and it wasn't sure what to do, it wasn't designed to take this kind of damage or abuse, and it began to overload the system to the point it was absolutely useless. It truly appeared that the training dummy officially ended its service, it was completely still and just asking to be cut down by a powerful and improved version of Athren's technique. The training dummy stumbled as it started approaching Athren, it's internal gears slowly starting to seize without the proper amount of oil to lubricate them. It stumbled almost as if it were trying to keep on the offensive, to follow its programming and not stop until its target was defeated.

Athren extended his right hand out to his side once more, quickly he brought out his energy into the claws for the last time, making them slightly longer, and sharper and shaping them to be more terrifying than ever before. His technique was now truly complete and in its most powerful form. There wasn't anything left to practice or learn, his Demonic Nova Slash had been finished up to a point where it fell within his high standards.

Quickly the saiyan launched himself forwards and with four massive slashes against the training dummy he cut right through it.
The training dummies head proceeded to fall off, its torso had been cut in two and its legs fell over limp. Nothing remained of the training dummy except for an official pile of scrap and with that, it had fully served its purpose to the best of its ability, there wasn't anything else Athren could use it for, nothing else he could gain from it. Though he had to admit that this final farewell was on the entertaining side of things. He didn't expect to finish off the dummy like this, but he was so glad he did.

After he was done taking in the scene Athren's energy claws would vanish from his fingertips, his ocean blue eyes would scan around as he felt relieved that yet another technique was under his belt, one that he couldn't wait to use in live action. Though, he didn't know when the time for it would come, he did feel like it would be rather soon. As he stood there the weight of the gravity kept pulling down at him and his weights had become almost weightless, they had felt like they weren't even there and with that, the saiyan removed the weights and tossed them to the side. He was officially done with those too.

"Deactivate the gravity." Athren stated as the red lights changed to white and the gravity itself had ceased. He felt relaxed and as light as a feather now, he felt like he could float and his body had felt absolutely weightless. All of his training has been leading up to certain moments and this was a huge milestone for him, he had worked himself so hard that all of his training equipment wasn't of any more use to him, he had grown far beyond the limits of any normal saiyan and he knew he could keep going. He wasn't going to stop anytime soon, he wanted to keep getting stronger, faster and much more powerful. He had more techniques he wished to learn too, he was becoming something else entirely.

Though he was happy with his training, today wasn't finished yet and there was still much more to do. He needed to go to Pybara's and continue his Spirit Fission training, he was almost done here. His trip to Yardrat nearly concluded and he had about a week longer. He couldn't wait, though Yardrat had been really good to him, he had to get back to his life. He had to get back to Zerori, to Earth for a quick visit before he went off to fight his battles on Namek. There was still so much he needed to do but the Dragon Balls had felt like they were getting within his reach.

It wasn't the fact that he was started on his journey to Namek that made him feel that way, it was the fact that he had come so far in such a short amount of time. Two months ago he wasn't even close to this level, his capabilities and techniques were far weaker than what they were now. He was so close to being ready to embrace the responsibility he took upon himself, so close to liberating the Namekians from their torture, from their captivity. He was right there, ready to do it all. To fight for them and everything he cared about, to give the Namekians their life back and to give the life back to those around him that lost theirs. Just another few weeks, it wasn't much longer to go and he'd find himself on the Planet Namek, fighting for somebody else.

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Word Count: 1,163
Total Word Count: 8,500

[COT3]Demonic Nova Slash: learned

Gravity Activated: 174x
Heavy weights equipped: x75