Chapter 220: Super Saiyan?

"These idiots!" Horus's expression darkened as he stared at the growing crowd of soldiers gathered outside the Training Room.

He naturally understood that life on the Black Knight Warship was incredibly boring, but that was no excuse to violate military discipline.

'I need to find an excuse to punish them properly this time,' Horus pondered. His eyes lit up slightly as he tapped a few commands onto the screen.

Outside the Training Room, a Holographic Screen suddenly popped up in the corridor, startling everyone.

"Huh, isn't that Captain Bette? This is a live feed from inside the Training Room!" a soldier exclaimed in surprise.

"Is it Lord Horus?" Brown guessed, knowing that only Horus had that level of authority.

It was not just outside the Training Room. Holographic Screens projected simultaneously in the Lounge, the logistics warehouse, and every other section of the ship.

"Thank you, Lord Horus!" After a brief moment of confusion, the soldiers learned what was happening through the internal comms channel and erupted into cheers.

The corners of Horus's mouth twitched upward. 'You might be thanking me now, but you will be crying later.'

"Even a normal castaway can spar with Bette, while you idiots only know how to gamble outside!?"

Inside the Training Room, Li Yu felt truly helpless. He had just been training honestly, minding his own business and provoking no one, when this baffling musclehead suddenly jumped out and demanded a fight.

However, recalling the descriptions of the Gold-Blooded Race's innate talents on the Black Hole Network, he felt intrigued. The heavier the injuries they sustained, the more rapidly their strength increased after recovery. This seemed like a very promising opportunity.

Furthermore, since he possessed Near-Death Rebirth, it was equivalent to having a safety net. He might even be able to farm this encounter for more power.

He could also use Winner's Spoils to copy his opponent's racial talent. Thinking of this, Li Yu's mood eased considerably.

"Since Captain Bette wants to spar, it would be disrespectful to decline," he declared.

He secretly crushed the virtual arena token, and an invisible radiance enveloped the two of them. Bette seemed to sense something and twisted his body, but after failing to find anything unusual, he coldly snorted.

"Enough of your nonsense!"

The Training Room was not particularly small, but it was not exactly massive either. It was barely enough for the two of them to brawl in, and the atmosphere gradually grew heavy.

"Claptrap is here to help the master."

Li Yu did not hold back. The Splinter Deployment Armor deployed, and Claptrap rapidly assembled a massive arsenal of energy firearms.

Beams from Psionic Energy particle cannons and energy annihilation rays formed a dazzling shower of light that rained down on Bette.

"Bring it on!"

Bette gave a fierce grin. The energy aura around his body expanded into a massive, crimson-gold sphere several meters in diameter, propelling his muscular frame forward in a brutal charge.

The tempestuous long-range artillery bombarded Bette's energy shield, leaving behind a trail of expanding energy spheres from the continuous explosions in his wake.

Enduring the concentrated fire, Bette advanced with unstoppable force, shooting straight toward Li Yu.

He closed the distance instantly, choosing his preferred and most thrilling method of combat: melee combat.

Energy from the Titan Colonization Armor surged into its thrusters, transforming Li Yu into a streak of flowing light as he evasively maneuvered. The Training Room barely provided enough space for him to dodge.

With every movement, immense physical energy surged from Bette, shattering the incoming attacks all around him.

Both were at the B-Class level, but Li Yu had the Titan Colonization Armor providing propulsion, making him significantly faster.

While Bette's physical speed was not slow, he was much bulkier in comparison, making it difficult for him to close the gap.

"Why are you running!?" Bette shouted, shattering an incoming energy cannon blast with a single punch, his brows furrowing in frustration.

"In a battle, who says you cannot run?"

Bette took a sharp, deep breath. The next moment, his mountain-like body swelled, instantly tearing his combat suit apart as he grew several meters taller.

The Gold-Blooded Race did not rely on the Gene Chain either. They continuously broke through their physical limits, unearthing potential from their own flesh to achieve energy manipulation.

This was entirely due to the massive potential of their species. Interstellar humans, by comparison, possessed very little physical potential.

Bette extended his palm, aiming at Li Yu in the distance.

In the next instant, blinding light erupted from his hand. The energy traveled at an astonishing speed, and it was not just a simple blast—it could be remotely controlled by Bette, giving it a homing effect.

Li Yu dodged through more than a dozen passes, but he was eventually struck, his entire body bathed in the intense light beam.

However, the energy beam did not explode as expected. Instead, it condensed into tangible energy, gripping Li Yu tightly.

Li Yu was startled. The surrounding energy generated a suppressive force, and he immediately tried to break through the confinement wrapping around him.

Yet he was met with terrifying resistance. His movements became incredibly sluggish, almost as if he were frozen inside the beam.

"This is..."

Li Yu's pupils shrank.

"Get over here!" Bette yanked his hand back violently. The beam rapidly retracted, pulling the distant Li Yu straight toward him.

The Gold-Blooded Race cultivated ancient ancestral martial arts. They possessed a variety of special techniques and had an extremely profound grasp of energy manipulation.

"It hasn't even been five minutes, is it going to end already?" someone asked, their eyes wide as they stared at the Holographic Screen.

"Come on, hold on!" another person cheered for Li Yu, having bet he would last at least ten minutes.

Behind Li Yu, Claptrap deployed cutters against Bette's energy beam, attempting to pull him free from the light.

However, Bette's arm muscles bulged as he channeled more power. Countless glowing projectiles shot out from the beam, blasting Claptrap away instead.

Li Yu frowned slightly. His Mental Power surged as he activated his superpower. Immediately, the light beam wrapping around him began to warp, and Bette suddenly realized that he had lost control of his own energy.

Li Yu casually stepped out of the beam. He raised his hand, and in an instant, the energy condensed together, forming a sphere of light that he gripped firmly in his palm.

"Now I am starting to get serious," Bette declared, an excited gleam shining in his eyes.

His response was a crystalline bead that exploded point-blank against his chest. The terrifying energy fluctuation launched him backward, slamming him hard into the wall of the Training Room.

A massive volley of energy attacks followed up immediately. By then, Bette had steadied himself. His expression grew dark; taking a hit like that while unprepared had left him rather annoyed.

He punched outward with a resounding boom, spewing forth a thick wave of energy. From the back of the Titan Colonization Armor, mechanical arms extended out and formed a heavy mechanical shield in front of Li Yu.

Bette's twin fists slammed into the shield. Dazzling light expanded rapidly like a massive explosion, washing out the Holographic Screens in a blanket of blinding white, making it impossible to see anything.

The mechanical shield was blown apart instantly. Bette's momentum remained undiminished, yet the moment he closed in on Li Yu, he noticed something was wrong. It felt as if he were bound by rushing water, and every movement required significantly more effort.

Bang!

As his blow struck the Titan Colonization Armor, purple light flashed. Bette frowned. His power had been weakened far too much. Something was definitely wrong!

Smash! A mechanical fist slammed directly into his face. Intense pain stimulated his nerves, and purplish-red electric arcs surged over his entire body, causing a momentary paralysis.

Li Yu seized the opportunity and triggered his ability, manipulating the energy inside Bette's body. Doing so was extremely difficult, but the results were highly effective.

Thud!!

A muffled boom echoed from within Bette's body, and pale golden blood spilled from his mouth. He swayed but did not fall. Instead, he grew even more exhilarated. His opponent's strength was beyond his imagination, but that was exactly what made this fun!

"Captain Bette is injured?" Many of the soldiers watching the battle were in disbelief.

"Whatever his name is, he really is powerful. But an injured Bette is the true Bette!" Brown was completely unconcerned.

Inside the Training Room, Bette lowered his head and charged right back into the fray!

The two traded punches and kicks, sending energy fluctuations scattering in all directions. Li Yu felt like a punching bag. Bette truly lived up to his reputation as a musclehead; his physical strength was astonishing.

Even after reducing the impact through multiple layers of weakening effects, Li Yu still felt agonizing pain all over his body from the heavy blows.

Bette, on the other hand, did not escape unscathed either. Wounds began to appear across his body—slashes from sharp blades and necrotic scorch marks from energy cannon blasts.

He stimulated his cellular activity, continuously healing his old wounds, but new ones kept appearing just as fast.

Meanwhile, his speed was slowly increasing, and his strength was growing. These were subtle changes, but they were steadily accumulating.

After brawling for a while, Bette's expression grew more and more ecstatic. He originally thought this guy would only be able to entertain him for a few moments, never expecting him to be this strong.

"It has been a long time since I met someone in the same tier who gets my blood pumping like this."

Bette let out a low, exhilarated roar. His entire body radiated golden light, and his torso seemed to expand another size, while his green pupils slowly shifted to a pale gold.

...

"It's happening, here it comes!" The soldiers let out excited murmurs.

"Captain Bette is transforming! How long has it been? How long did he last?"

"Thirteen minutes!"

"Fuck, a Super Saiyan?" Li Yu was dumbfounded, but his gaze quickly grew even more fervent. Who would not want to become a Super Saiyan?

Bette's aura became far more terrifying. The very next second, golden fists lashed out like a torrential storm, hammering against his opponent blow after blow. The punches were so fast they left countless afterimages, leaving dent after dent on the surface of the Titan Colonization Armor.

Thud-thud-thud!!

Eardrums vibrated as the muffled impacts echoed within Li Yu's body.

Every strike from Bette employed a different attack vector. The horrifying force began to heavily damage the Titan Colonization Armor—and this was power that had already been weakened by dual layers of defense.

Excitement shone in Bette's eyes. He withstood it. The other party actually withstood it.

Just as he was getting thoroughly invested in the beating, bizarre syllables suddenly drifted into his ears. He faltered, and his storm-like barrage of punches was abruptly blocked!

To his shock, Bette realized that Li Yu—who should have been completely suppressed and immobilized—had suddenly regained his mobility. His hands had formed claws, perfectly catching Bette's fists.

Bette's expression shifted as he immediately reacted. His muscles swelled, and colossal power surged into his arms as he attempted to forcefully break through Li Yu's block. But the next moment, he froze in sheer shock.

A terrifying force, no less potent than his own, transmitted directly from Li Yu's arms!

'What is going on?!'

"Saiyans really are badass, you almost beat me to death..." Li Yu licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned, his head spinning slightly from the adrenaline.

Only then did Bette realize that at some unknown point, he had been forced out of his Awakened State, causing his strength to plummet drastically.

Li Yu had just utilized The Voice, forcing Bette out of that unique state of power.

In the blink of an eye, Li Yu tightened his grip violently, clamping down on Bette's fists. A horrifying, surging strength filled his entire body. With a powerful swing of his arms, he hoisted Bette off the ground and hurled him through the air.

"What?!" As Li Yu's figure rapidly shrank in his vision, a flash of absolute disbelief crossed Bette's eyes before he slammed brutally into the Training Room wall.

The very next moment, Claptrap bounced out. Five Electromagnetic Cannon Turrets deployed instantly, covering nearly half of the Training Room.

Bette's pupils dilated. His energy aura flared up instinctively as he tried to interrupt Li Yu's assault.

At such close range, the explosive destructive force of five Electromagnetic Cannons would be devastating.

However, as his energy aura detonated, it ended up injuring him instead. Having been inexplicably forced out of his Awakened State, Bette was completely unable to re-enter it in the short term.

Flexing his muscles, Bette gritted his teeth and charged forward again. But at that exact moment, the Electromagnetic Cannons finished charging, and Li Yu fired without hesitation!

"Warning, warning. Ultra-high energy reaction detected. The threshold of the Training Room's tolerance may be exceeded."

Boom!

The entire Training Room seemed to quake. Blinding blue electric arcs obscured everything, and the surveillance cameras hidden behind high-strength glass finally shattered, rendering the feed completely dark.

Horus closed the Holographic Screen. Li Yu's performance had vastly exceeded his expectations. He had hardly seen any of the methods the man employed, and it seemed there were even Mental Fluctuations involved.

Throughout the Black Knight Warship, all the soldiers watching the battle looked at each other in dismay. Did Captain Bette actually lose?

Outside the Training Room, Brown's eyes were glazed over. As Bette's vice-captain, he received plenty of "special attention" from him and knew better than anyone just how formidable Bette was. Yet now, Bette had actually...

No... the outcome was not confirmed yet. Everything was still unknown. Brown rallied his spirits once more.

"Just now... those were Small Electromagnetic Cannons, right?" a soldier asked in a hushed whisper.

Using Electromagnetic Cannons for a sparring match—and five of them at that. This was simply... absurd.

Inside the Training Room, the piercing blue electric arcs gradually contracted, condensing into a deep blue sphere in Li Yu's hand as he began injecting more energy into it.

The residual energy dissipating from the Electromagnetic Cannons was still quite substantial.

Bette collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily, his entire body scorched black. Yet, he still struggled to get back up. Fine cracks had actually formed on the walls of the Training Room, proving just how terrifying the point-blank attack from the Electromagnetic Cannons had been.

His green pupils stared at the highly unstable sphere in Li Yu's hand and the cannons that were recharging once again. He let out a hoarse voice, "You win."

The moment those words were spoken, Li Yu's movements paused slightly. He crushed the deep blue sphere in his hand, and the Electromagnetic Cannon Turrets retracted. An invisible power swept over Bette, forming a screen of light that only Li Yu could see.

[Challenge Completed—Please select your spoils of war. You may only choose one.

Biological Energy Control: Through long-term training, the Gold-Blooded Race generates powerful biological energy from within their bodies, which they can skillfully control.

Golden Blood Fighting Style: The absolute pinnacle of martial arts techniques utilized by the Gold-Blooded Race.

...]

There were many options listed, but Li Yu only had eyes for one.

[Golden Blood Talent: A powerful innate talent buried deep within the bodies of the Gold-Blooded Race. It absorbs sustenance from battle, carrying a chance to enter an Awakened State and acquire a massive boost in strength.]

There was no need to consider anything else. This was the one!

Li Yu confirmed his selection, and an invisible surge of power flooded into his body.

A strange palpitation echoed from his heart. Purplish-red electric arcs and magma poured out uncontrollably as his Gene Chain Development Progress leaped from the B-Minus Class straight into the B-Class!

Through his recent use of the Gene Development Potion, alongside the newly acquired Golden Blood Talent drawing "sustenance" from the intense battle, Li Yu had managed to ascend to a new tier.

For some inexplicable reason, Bette suddenly felt an odd sense of familiarity radiating from Li Yu. It was a very sudden sensation, one that left him feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"I took advantage of the situation this time," Li Yu said, snapping back to reality and looking at Bette.

Bette had only come here to exercise and had not brought any weapons or equipment.

On the other hand, Li Yu had been fully armed, which definitely gave him the upper hand. However, Bette's true strength was likely at the B+ level, making him two minor tiers stronger than the Li Yu from just moments ago.

"A loss is a loss..." Bette shook his head. There were no excuses in defeat.