Chapter 9: The Innocent Monster
The hospital had finally returned to a fragile sense of normality.
After Vegeta's test in the previous days, things had calmed on the surface. The doctors continued monitoring routine readings, Bulma occasionally checked on the baby with casual curiosity, and the Z Fighters had slowly stopped crowding the area.
But something had changed.
Not openly.
Not visibly.
But in perception.
Because now… they were watching.
---
Inside the crib, I was aware of it all.
Every presence in the building.
Every energy signature.
Every shift in attention.
It was not overwhelming anymore.
It was simply… information.
And I had begun to understand this body more.
Small.
Weak.
But not empty.
A vessel that could barely contain even a fraction of what I truly was.
Still…
That did not stop experimentation.
---
Bulma sat nearby, reading something on a handheld device.
"You're surprisingly quiet today," she said casually, glancing at me for a moment. "Not crying, not moving much… almost boring."
Her tone wasn't serious. More observational.
Vegeta stood near the window again.
As always.
Silent.
Still.
But aware.
He had not forgotten the previous test.
Neither had I.
---
Inside my mind, I observed the system interface.
---
[SYSTEM STATUS]
[FULL ACCESS CONFIRMED]
[ALL WISH-BASED POWERS AVAILABLE]
[OUTPUT LIMITATION: PHYSICAL BODY ONLY]
---
Same result as always.
No seals.
No restrictions.
Just reality refusing to let a newborn body express infinity.
Interesting structure.
Not a prison.
Just physics.
That made it acceptable.
---
Then I decided to test something else.
Something smaller.
Something harmless.
At least… in intention.
A simple motion.
A thought.
A wave.
My tiny hand lifted slightly inside the crib.
It was awkward.
Unstable.
Still new.
But I focused.
Not power.
Not destruction.
Just expression.
---
A single motion.
Upward.
Like a child reaching for air.
---
And then it happened.
---
The world responded.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
Instantly.
A pressure burst outward from my hand.
Invisible force.
Compressed.
Focused.
Pure output.
The ceiling above cracked.
Not shattered.
Not exploded.
But ripped upward as if grabbed by an invisible hand.
The rooftop section of the hospital wing tore free.
Concrete, steel, reinforced structure—lifted in a single violent motion.
And then—
It was gone.
Thrown upward into the sky.
A loud shockwave followed immediately after.
BOOM—
Glass shattered across the room.
Medical equipment screamed in alarm.
Walls cracked in multiple directions.
The entire wing trembled violently.
---
Silence.
---
Then chaos.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"
"STRUCTURAL FAILURE—NO, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"
"GET BACK! GET BACK!"
Nurses rushed out.
Alarms blared.
Doctors shouted orders.
But none of it mattered.
Because at the center of it all…
I was still in my crib.
Unmoving.
Unharmed.
Completely fine.
---
I blinked.
That was more than expected.
Not dangerous.
Just… output miscalculated.
I had not intended destruction.
Only release.
But even a fraction of my power… was still far beyond this environment.
Interesting.
I made a mental note.
Control required more precision.
---
Then I laughed.
Small.
Soft.
Innocent.
Like a normal baby discovering something amusing.
"Ha…"
A tiny giggle escaped me.
Not because of destruction.
But because of reaction.
Everything around me panicking…
while I remained perfectly fine.
---
Outside the room—
Vegeta moved instantly.
His head snapped toward the broken wing.
"…What the hell?"
For the first time since arrival…
his voice carried sharpness.
He disappeared.
Instant movement.
---
Bulma stood up immediately.
"VEGETA?! What happened?!"
But he was already gone.
---
Inside the broken section of the hospital…
Wind rushed through the exposed structure.
Medical alarms were still screaming.
Debris floated in mid-air from residual force.
And Vegeta stood at the center of it.
Arms lowered.
Eyes narrowed.
Observing.
Analyzing.
---
"…That wasn't ki," he muttered.
His gaze shifted slowly.
Downward.
Back toward the nursery area.
"…It came from there."
A pause.
His expression hardened slightly.
Not fear.
Not panic.
But something far more serious.
Recognition of anomaly level increasing again.
---
Back in the crib…
I sensed him.
Vegeta had arrived.
Fast.
Very fast.
So this time… he saw it directly.
Good.
That would accelerate understanding.
---
The system interface flickered briefly.
---
[NOTICE]
[EXTERNAL ENTITY: VEGETA]
[OBSERVATION STATUS: DIRECT CONFIRMATION OF ANOMALY]
[THREAT CLASSIFICATION: UNDEFINED]
---
Interesting.
Now even system classified it as undefined.
Not threat.
Not ally.
Just unknown.
Perfect.
---
Vegeta slowly lowered his stance.
Not attacking.
Not retreating.
Just watching.
"…You're not normal," he said quietly.
Not to me.
But to reality itself.
---
And I simply looked back.
Still a baby.
Still innocent.
Still smiling slightly.
Because they still didn't understand something important.
---
I hadn't even tried yet.