Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

Just like the boy described in the story, someone who once cried, laughed, hated, and loved, knows how to endure and how to rebel.

And this is what Tomat used to look like.

But what about him now?

"This isn't a mission, so there's no mission objective. Even if you really just want me to be happy, I'm already very happy."

That's enough, that's good enough, this is fine...

Even without being explicitly stated, this attitude towards life is still reflected in every aspect of Tomat's life.

Every time he mentions the past, it's as if he takes something he once pursued out of a dusty corner, wipes it slightly to commemorate everything he once did, and then puts it back in its original place without making any changes.

"...Are you really grateful to me?"

"of course."

Suddenly, Frostnova changed the question, and Tomat answered without hesitation.

After all, Frostnova did spend her time with this boring person of hers.

When chatting with the operators, Thomas might use all sorts of exaggerated self-descriptions, but he still has self-awareness, so his gratitude towards Frostnova is also genuine.

The other party's invitation to travel with you after listening to your "past" is an act of kindness that needs no further explanation.

Even he himself had a subtle regret—why didn't he show more happiness so that the other person would feel that his efforts were worthwhile?

It's not that I don't want to do it, it's that I can't.

"Well, at least repay me and let me see what kind of person you should be."

Froststar made a request beyond a verbal thank you.

[Main Text] Siesta's Hottest Holiday: Chapter Thirty - Understanding You Completely

Whether a person's outward personality is their true nature can sometimes be discerned even without a psychologist's license or Originium Arts for psychic exploration.

It may be difficult to discern a person's true nature by relying solely on hearsay and indirect information. However, if the person is someone you frequently interact with, their true nature will always be revealed through subtle clues.

Tomat is a case in point. If someone who doesn't know him hears about him, they might actually believe that he is a powerful and indifferent person.

But if you've actually spent time with him, you'll definitely realize that he's hiding his true nature.

A person with enough strength and potential to pursue greater goals is now content with simple things, day after day without change.

If this were truly the detachment that comes from complete inner satisfaction, that would be one thing. But he merely dabbled in things and then told himself, "I'm already satisfied." Perhaps the only thing he didn't control was his appetite.

Most people simply won't delve into it, perhaps because they believe he is indeed a good person, perhaps because they are afraid of uncovering some secrets that shouldn't be known, or perhaps because they are simply more accustomed to maintaining a certain distance in their interpersonal relationships.

Frostnova made a different decision.

This led her to make a request to Tomat that could directly fulfill her needs.

—I had hoped to see you differently than usual, but you were no different from when you were alone.

I don't care, I just want to see it, I just want to know!

This request is somewhat capricious, so capricious that the person involved doesn't even know what their reason is for doing it.

It might have been the time they spent together at the amusement park that sparked feelings of affection in her heart, or it might have been the competitive spirit that influenced her, even though her presence hadn't brought any real impact.

However, once this "getting to the bottom of things" behavior is done, the reason becomes irrelevant.

After all, Tomat had already nodded, but judging from his face, which had lost its usual relaxed demeanor, he was probably still considering something.

Or perhaps they are recalling things they have forgotten.

"With your intelligence, you should understand why I've become the way I am now."

Thomas put a hand on his neck, cracking his shoulders, and continued speaking to Frostnova.

"Just like the stories you've heard, those who could understand me died, and I gradually realized I couldn't break through the bottleneck in my strength. Then, the plans I had prepared vanished in the blink of an eye."

Froststar understood, of course. If a person has experienced a tragic past, the impact can be enough to drastically change that person's personality.

If he hadn't contracted Oripathy, hadn't been forced to work in the mines, hadn't been abused by the Ursus police, and hadn't witnessed those unstoppable tragedies unfold before his eyes.

Froststar was certain that she would be a completely different person now.

It's unrealistic to expect someone to revert to their true self based solely on words.

That's when she realized that her request was unreasonable.

But what can less than a day of companionship change about a man whose past she has never personally experienced?

"You're really something else. Even though your body temperature is freezing cold, you're trying to melt my heart."

But Tomat used a subtle tone that he would never normally use, and said things that were completely out of character for him.

He exhaled a breath that seemed to be stale and turbid, which had been accumulating in his body for a long time, giving people a sense of calm.

He clenched his fists and held them at his sides, relaxing his stance while steadying his steps.

"...You wouldn't normally say something like that."

Even Frostnova was surprised; such a statement was very inconsistent with the image that Tomat had always maintained.

Where does he get the emotional intelligence to read other people's minds?

Normally, he would simply ignore other people's reasons, no matter how eloquent they were, he would treat them as commonplace excuses, and then use irrefutable reasoning to shut up those who disagreed with him—and then use his fists at the right time to make them even more silent.

"My ability to read people is no worse than that of politicians who have been navigating the complexities of the political arena. Even when it comes to women, I've tried to impress them and win their hearts—now that you've revealed that I'm not a saint without desires, why are you still surprised?"

Tomat, who spoke to Frostnova, seemed like a completely different person.

Although there were no visible changes in appearance or voice, a strange sense of unfamiliarity welled up in my heart as my expression changed.

The person is still the same, but they are no longer someone you know.

Because one's qi (vital energy) can change in characteristics depending on one's temperament.

This can be understood as something like "aura".

Some changes occur with age, while others are due to personal experiences or specific spiritual practices.

Even if others don't have the ability to sense auras, as long as you know what "the previous person" looked like, you can basically be keenly aware of this change.

Froststar longs to see him no longer suppress his desires, no longer be content with what is readily available, and become more proactive.

Surviving past hardships robbed him of too many of the aspirations he should have had.

She can empathize with this because she has seen too many similar figures in infected people, including her own father and herself.

Some survivors are still powerless, and it is understandable that they are content with small happiness.

But Tomat clearly has enough power now—he can be happier and express himself more effectively.

So she tried to use her companionship and the simplest of activities like playing to bring about some changes to Tomat's situation.

The results were minimal, but the objective was achieved.

Froststar moved slightly toward Tomat, who now seemed unfamiliar to her.

Was it driven by impulse? Or was it an obsession with the feelings in his heart?

Frostnova grasped Tomat's hand with her icy touch—his skin was even smoother than her own as a woman.

"Even if it's just tonight...can I know everything about you?"

Not all Saiyans can break through their limits. Even during King Vegeta's reign, some Saiyans tried to become stronger, but they could never overcome that bottleneck and could only maintain a power level of a few thousand throughout their lives (for example, in the novel version of Broly and the movie, it was mentioned that his biological father also trained, but his power level always hovered around four thousand—but for some reason, he had a son who was ridiculously strong).

[Main Text] Siesta's Hottest Holiday: Chapter Thirty-One: Hardworking Yet Willful

Inside the room, the sound of bare feet running on the smooth floor startled Hong from her light sleep.

She instantly opened her still somewhat blurry eyes, returning from leaning against the corner of the wall to her usual alert and alert posture.

The curtains of the French windows had been drawn back, and the starlight and neon lights outside prevented the room from being too dark. A bed had been lifted up, and the person who should have been lying on it was nowhere to be seen.

"What's wrong, Mira-chan?"

Red called out softly to the figure in front of the French window. It was Lyudmila, who was standing in front of the French window wearing only a shirt and underwear, one hand on the glass, looking at the night view of Siesta outside the window—now called Mira-chan by Red.

This is a hotel not far from the main venue of the Obsidian Festival music event. During the festival, it is generally only provided for official personnel or music team members.

Lyudmila was here because the Emperor had hired her as a security guard—and then gave the original Penguin Logistics team members extra leave.

Of course, this job was introduced to her by Croissant, who had a sly grin on her face. She didn't know why Kal'tsit would agree to let such a problematic person like her find a job outside, until she discovered that Red had also been sent over.

The security work wasn't too difficult, and it was more than enough for Lyudmila's skills.

It's just that some people can't help touching her tail, which makes her a little scared, although it's much better than being groped by a stranger.

Nobody here knows her, and there's no prejudice against infected people, so overall she had a relatively easy day, except that sleeping with Red made her feel a lot of pressure.

After all, the last time she and I spent the night in the same space, she kept me up for several days because of her noise.

Lyudmila, who fell asleep under Red's gaze with such worries, seemingly resigned to being attacked by Red at night, was awakened by something else.

Something that was both familiar and terrifying to her.

"How could it be...him...? What does he want? Why is he here again...?"

Lyudmila's disheveled hair, which fell across her forehead as she abruptly sat up in bed, was reflected in the glass of the French windows, revealing her terrified face.

She looked towards the beach—the higher floors gave her a good view, but the partial obstruction of buildings prevented her from clearly seeing the direction of "that thing."

Months have passed, and Lyudmila remembers clearly who was behind that suffocating presence.

"No...it's even worse than last time..."

Perhaps because of the "tail-catching game" that Red forced him to participate in frequently after arriving at Rhodes Island, the Kingslayer, whose senses had become more acute, noticed something different in that feeling.

If that previous experience was like a mountain pressing down on your shoulders, an "oppressive feeling" that you couldn't escape or bear.

This time, what she felt was a sense of crisis, like a tide overflowing with the stench of blood rushing towards her.

Perhaps compared to the former's immobilizing oppressive power, the current regicide has the spare capacity to act.

But the overwhelming terror—the bloodless yet pungent aura of slaughter—brought her an even deeper sense of fear.

She choked back tears, her legs trembling, her knees bending weakly downwards until her thighs were pressed together and her calves splayed outwards, as she sat on the cold floor in a seemingly frail posture.

"Mira-chan, what's wrong! Did...did you have a nightmare?!"