(A/N: Bonus Chapter, Enjoy!)
Vegeta roared in frustration and slammed his fist into the ground, creating a small crater. The very idea of fishing, such a mundane, peaceful activity, went against every fiber of his warrior instincts. Yet the promise of achieving the Super Saiyan transformation burned within him like an obsession, a desire so powerful he could barely contain it.
After several minutes of internal struggle, pride warring with desperation, Vegeta finally launched himself into the sky and followed Karnel's energy signature.
"Just as I predicted," Karnel chuckled to himself as he sat on the vibrant green grass beside a crystal-clear stream. He was already setting up his fishing rod with practiced ease. "Vegeta's pride would never allow him to remain inferior to a 'low-class warrior' like Kakarot. He'll swallow that pride if it means gaining power."
With a thunderous crash, Vegeta descended from the sky and landed heavily beside the stream, his impact sending up a cloud of dust and causing the very earth to tremor slightly.
"Here, this one's for you," Karnel said casually, tossing the spare fishing rod in Vegeta's direction. "I'm guessing you've never experienced anything quite like this before. Fishing isn't as simple as it appears, if you approach it with the right mindset, you'll discover sensations and insights you never knew existed."
Without waiting for Vegeta's response, Karnel cast his line into the gently flowing water. Notably, he hadn't even bothered to attach any bait, letting the hook sink into the stream with only the smallest of ripples marking its entry.
"This is humiliating," Vegeta muttered through gritted teeth, staring at the fishing rod in his hands as if it were some alien artifact. "I can't believe I actually followed through with this ridiculous charade."
In Vegeta's warrior mindset, sitting by a stream with a fishing rod was the epitome of wasted time. Those precious minutes could be spent training, pushing his body to new limits, increasing his power level through pure effort and determination. Yet Karnel's words had struck directly at his deepest insecurity, the golden transformation that had allowed Kakarot to effortlessly surpass him haunted his every thought.
'Damn you, Karnel,' he cursed silently.
Observing Karnel sitting with closed eyes in what appeared to be a meditative state, Vegeta reluctantly tore open the fishing equipment packaging and cast his own line into the stream with far less finesse.
As if responding to some cosmic signal, time seemed to decelerate around Karnel. His enhanced senses gradually withdrew from the external world, the gentle babbling of the stream, the whisper of wind through nearby trees, even Vegeta's frustrated muttering, all faded into insignificance. His consciousness dove deep into his God's Heart, where the captured powers of time swirled in contained harmony.
With perfect focus and no external distractions, Karnel began the delicate process of refining one of the wild temporal forces. Slowly, methodically, he guided it through a transformation process, gradually merging its essence with the power of time that already bore his soul's imprint.
Meanwhile, Vegeta experienced something that shook him to his core. The energy signature of the man sitting mere feet away from him simply... vanished. Not suppressed or hidden, completely gone, as if Karnel had achieved perfect unity with the natural world around them.
"How is this possible?" Vegeta whispered, rubbing his eyes and looking again.
What he witnessed next defied all logic. Karnel's form seemed to shift and blur, taking on the characteristics of various plants and animals native to Earth. One moment he appeared to embody the strength of a great oak tree, the next the grace of a soaring eagle, then the patient stillness of a mountain stone. It was as if he had become a living conduit for the planet's life force itself.
Vegeta forgot entirely about his fishing rod, letting it rest limply in his hands as he stared in fascination at this impossible display. His analytical mind raced, trying to identify patterns or techniques he could replicate, but found nothing comprehensible.
Despite possessing enough raw power to obliterate entire planets, this supreme level of harmony with nature's rhythms remained completely beyond his understanding. A Saiyan warrior who had known only destruction and combat couldn't grasp the profound peace required for such unity.
Time flowed differently by the stream, unmeasured and unhurried. To any casual observer passing by, it would appear as though only one person sat fishing in that peaceful spot, the second figure having achieved such perfect camouflage with his surroundings as to become nearly invisible.
"Ah!" Karnel's eyes finally opened, sparkling with satisfaction and renewed energy. "That felt incredible, like receiving the most rejuvenating massage imaginable. I've successfully mastered another temporal force. The integration process went even more smoothly than expected!"
His gaze shifted to Vegeta, who was still maintaining the appearance of focused fishing while clearly being anything but focused.
"Vegeta, you're not even attempting to calm your mind," Karnel observed with gentle amusement. "You're just going through the motions without any real engagement. This approach will yield absolutely no benefits, you're essentially wasting both our time."
The assessment was accurate. Despite Vegeta's serious posture and apparent stillness, his facial expressions betrayed a mind in constant turmoil, unable or unwilling to embrace the meditative aspects of the activity. It reminded Karnel strongly of his own first fishing experience with one of the Supreme Kaioshin, he'd been equally clueless about the deeper purpose behind the seemingly simple sport.
"Fishing is pointless," Vegeta declared with disdain, though his eyes held a hint of curiosity about what he'd witnessed during Karnel's transformation. "I don't feel anything meaningful happening. That strange state you entered, where you seemed to become one with everything around us... what was that about?"
Karnel smiled knowingly. Vegeta's impatience was entirely predictable, a sport that required mental stillness and spiritual openness was fundamentally incompatible with his current mindset.
"The effects are quite profound, though I'm not sure I can adequately explain them to someone who hasn't experienced them personally," Karnel replied thoughtfully. "I can tell you that what you witnessed represents a significant advancement in spiritual awareness, a elevation of consciousness that will prove invaluable for future development and achievement."
Vegeta remained silent for several long moments, processing this information before responding with typical bluntness: "Look, all I care about right now is transforming into a Super Saiyan and finally surpassing Kakarot in battle. Whatever mystical 'realm advancement' you're talking about holds no interest for me whatsoever."
Karnel sighed deeply, shaking his head with genuine disappointment.
"I was offering you something extraordinary, Vegeta, a shortcut that could accelerate your growth beyond anything you've imagined. But since you're determined to reject this opportunity..." He shrugged. "I suppose you'll have to learn the hard way instead."