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"What is this?" Gohan poked at the red light on the fragment.
Lin Ye gripped the shard tightly, suddenly remembering Alice's last words: "The system's ultimate command is to protect, not to destroy."
Is this AI, which claims to be the Mother of Chaos, a puppet controlled by the system, or... another Alice trying to break free of her shackles?
He looked up at the hole in the ceiling of the secret chamber, where the twin stars of the Big Dipper were emitting a crimson light. On the system interface, the words "[Time-Space Resonance]" flickered with a soft white light, and the newly appeared task bar below read: "[Find the seven ruins of the Sands of Time to unlock time travel]."
"We should go." Goku patted him on the shoulder. "Bulma said there's new activity on Namek."
Lin Ye stuffed the fragment into his storage capsule and turned around, meeting Vegeta's gaze. The Saiyan prince turned his face away, but whispered as they passed each other, "Next training session, 18000 times gravity."
The moment he stepped out of the fortress, a small white flower suddenly sprouted from the red soil. Lin Ye paused for a moment, then suddenly whispered to the flower's shadow, "Wait for me."
As the wind swept through the sea of flowers, it seemed to echo with a familiar response.
Chapter 344: The SOS Signal from the Sixth Universe
The alloy floor of the Big Dipper Fortress creaked horribly underfoot, each step feeling like walking on shattered glass. Lin Ye crouched in the waist-deep rubble, his fingertips clutching a half-piece of mechanical debris that was still slightly warm. It was a fragment of the Chaos Mother's core processor, the metal break congealed with a ghostly blue coolant, like solidified blood.
“Squeak… squeak…”
Suddenly, the tactical terminal on his wrist emitted a crackling electrical noise, and a silver-blue holographic screen unfolded out of thin air, with countless pale golden data streams cascading down like a waterfall. In the center of the screen, the coordinates of 360 parallel universes flickered with varying brightness, most maintaining a stable white light, except for the coordinates of the sixth universe, which pulsed with a blinding red light like a red-hot iron, staining the surrounding star field crimson.
"Not done yet?" Vegeta's voice came from behind, tinged with his usual impatience. When Lin Ye turned around, he saw Vegeta kick a millstone-sized piece of rock, deep blue flames dancing in his palm, shaking the surrounding dust and smoke to the ground. "What exactly is hidden in that tin woman's memory bank? If I don't have any decent opponents, I don't have time to waste in this lousy place."
As he spoke, he cracked his knuckles. The battle with the Mother of Chaos had made his old shoulder injury throb, but the pain only fueled his fighting spirit. Since Majin Buu was defeated, he hadn't encountered an enemy who could make him take a serious stance.
Lin Ye lightly tapped the coordinates of the sixth universe with his fingertip, and a series of red warning boxes suddenly popped up on the holographic screen. He frowned slightly and zoomed in on the rapidly decaying energy waveform: "It's not a problem with the Mother of Chaos, something has happened in the sixth universe."
"Hmm?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to stare at the screen. "Universe Six? Champa's territory?"
“Not only that.” Lin Ye pulled up a more detailed analysis report. “The tactical terminal intercepted an encrypted communication from Babidi’s remnants. They are besieging the Saiyan planet in Universe 6. Energy signatures indicate… they have activated the Saiyan tails with some kind of device.”
"A tail?" Goku suddenly peeked out from behind the broken wall, his black tail swishing excitedly behind him, almost knocking over the energy batteries piled up against the wall. "Could it be..."
“It’s the Golden Great Ape.” Lin Ye’s voice deepened, and a blurry battle scene suddenly popped up on the holographic screen. The golden great ape was rampaging through the city, and the scarlet energy waves crushed skyscrapers like cookies. “They turned the Saiyans of Universe 6 into out-of-control Golden Great Apes, and judging from the energy readings, there’s more than one.”
"Jabe!" Goku suddenly took two steps forward, his black eyes shining brightly. "Jabe's over there too! We have to hurry and help him!"
As he spoke, he clenched his fist, and golden flames instantly surged from his body, causing the surrounding rubble to levitate in the air. He had promised Gabe a good fight at the All-Universe Martial Arts Tournament, and he couldn't let that kid fall for such tricks.
"Shut up, Kakarot!" Vegeta frowned and stopped him. "Instant Transmission isn't something you can just use whenever you want. Without accurate ki detection..."
Before he could finish speaking, a pale blue holographic projection suddenly exploded between the three of them. Bulma, arms crossed, hovered in mid-air, her blue hair tinged with a deeper indigo by the holographic projection's glow, her usually smiling face now filled with anxiety.
"You've finally connected!" she said urgently into the camera, her fingers flying across the virtual keyboard. "Five minutes ago I received an emergency distress signal from Champa, with the highest level of encryption! He said the core planet of Universe Six was about to be breached and told me to contact you immediately."
"Core planet?" Lin Ye suddenly stood up, and the alarm on the tactical terminal became even more shrill. "That's the home planet of the Saiyans in Universe 6. Cabba and his team's headquarters are there!"
"And that's not all." Bulma pulled up a live feed, and the scene on the screen made everyone hold their breath. Under a crimson sky, the once bustling city had turned into a sea of fire, and countless golden figures were rampaging between buildings, each roar creating a shockwave powerful enough to overturn a tank. "Champa said that those golden giant apes are controlled by some kind of magic, and their combat power is constantly increasing. The protective shield of Universe 6 has already been breached in three places!"
"Buzz..."
Lin Ye's tactical terminal suddenly trembled violently, and a blinding red light shot straight towards the ceiling.
[Warning! A large-scale energy anomaly has been detected in Universe 6!]
[Confirmed energy characteristics: 7 Golden Giant Apes (mutants), all with energy levels exceeding the Super 2 limit!]
[Residual Babidi energy detected, suspected to be from a modified control technique!]
"Damn it!" Lin Ye clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. "That bastard Babidi actually had this trick up his sleeve! They want to turn all the Saiyans in Universe 6 into war machines!"
The Golden Great Ape is the Saiyan's most primitive and dangerous form. An ordinary Great Ape can increase a Saiyan's fighting power tenfold, let alone this magically enhanced golden mutant. If they were to completely destroy the core planet, the Saiyans of Universe 6 would likely face extinction.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Vegeta suddenly shot into the sky, his deep blue aura tearing a rift in the ruins. "Kakarot, locate Cabba's presence!"
"We found him a long time ago!" Goku's voice trembled with excitement as he placed his hands on Lin Ye and Vegeta's shoulders. "He's inside the protective shield of the core planet, but his aura is very weak; he seems to be injured!"
A burst of golden light suddenly erupted, and the three figures left three afterimages in place before breaking through the clouds and disappearing outside the atmosphere of the Big Dipper Fortress.
“Boom…!”
A wave of scorching heat hit him, and Lin Ye nearly slipped on the broken glass as he landed. The scene before him was even more horrific than what he had seen in the holographic projection. The crimson sky was stained purplish-black by thick smoke, and the ruins of skyscrapers were piled up on the streets like broken matchsticks. The air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder and blood.
"Roar...!"
A deafening roar came from the side. When Lin Ye looked up, he saw a golden giant ape, about a hundred meters tall, swinging its sharp claws and cutting an alloy building in half. Its golden fur gleamed eerily in the firelight, and its scarlet pupils held no reason, only pure destructive desire.
"That's... the Golden Giant Ape?" Lin Ye clenched his fists, his internal energy surging uncontrollably. The energy fluctuations of this thing were even more violent than he had imagined; it was practically a living disaster.
“More than one.” Vegeta sneered and pointed to the distant sky. Lin Ye looked in the direction he pointed and saw six golden figures darting through the clouds, each dive leaving a crater-sized dent in the ground.
"Jabe!" Goku suddenly ran to the left front, his black tail leaving afterimages behind him. "I can sense his presence, he's in the plaza ahead!"
Lin Ye and Vegeta immediately followed, their speed creating a powerful gust of wind that made the surrounding flames flicker. As they turned the corner, Lin Ye suddenly saw a familiar figure: Cabba was kneeling in the fountain in the center of the square, his red battle suit soaked in blood, his left arm twisted unnaturally, clearly broken.
Standing before him was a figure in a long black robe, holding a scepter inlaid with purple crystals, grinning maliciously at Cabba: "The Saiyan prince? Nothing special. Once you're turned into a Great Ape too, no one in Universe 6 will be able to stop your plans, sir."
"Pah!" Gabe coughed up a mouthful of blood, struggling to stand up. "You bastards...you will never succeed!"
"Oh? Is that so?" The man in black robes suddenly raised his scepter, and the purple crystal instantly lit up. "Then I'll let you see with your own eyes how your people destroy their own homeland."
As he finished speaking, the buildings around the square suddenly shook violently. Two golden giant apes burst through the walls, their scarlet eyes fixed on Gabe, saliva dripping from their mouths and sizzling as it hit the ground.
"Oh no!" Lin Ye was about to rush forward when Vegeta grabbed him.
"Don't rush." Vegeta's lips curled into a cold smile. "Let that kid see what a real Saiyan is like."
Before he finished speaking, Wukong had already transformed into a golden light and rushed out.
"Hey, Gabe!"
The familiar voice made Gabe look up abruptly, and when he saw the face with a hearty smile, his eyes instantly reddened: "Mr. Goku? How could you...?"
"Of course I'm here to help you!" Wukong landed in front of him, dodging the giant ape's swung claws, and slammed his fist, crackling with golden energy, into the giant ape's chin. "This kind of bully deserves to be taught a lesson!"
"boom!"
With a muffled thud, the hundred-meter-tall golden giant ape was actually punched and sent flying, crashing into the distant ruins like a meteor.
The smile on the black-robed man's face froze instantly: "Super...Super Saiyan? How is that possible!"
“What’s impossible?” Vegeta slowly walked to Goku’s side, his deep blue aura exploding around him. “A single finger is enough to deal with this kind of trash.”
As he spoke, he raised his hand, and a point of blue light gathered on his index finger. With a slight movement of his fingertip, a thin energy wave shot through the air and struck the forehead of another giant ape precisely.
"boom...!"
An energy wave exploded within the giant ape's body, instantly turning its golden fur red. The giant ape let out a shrill scream, its massive body rapidly shrinking until it finally transformed into a wounded Saiyan warrior, collapsing limply to the ground.
"This...this is..." Gabe's eyes widened, completely unable to believe what he was seeing. They were both Saiyans, so why were they so powerful?
"Stop spacing out, Gabe." Lin Ye walked over to him, pulled out a repair kit from his tactical terminal, and tossed it to him. "There are still five giant apes to deal with. Do you want your home to be completely reduced to ruins?"
Gabe caught the repair agent, bit off the cap, and gulped it down. The cool liquid flowed down his throat, and a tingling, itchy sensation spread through his left arm; the broken bone was healing rapidly. He stood up, clenching his fist: "Of course not!"
"Very good." Lin Ye's gaze swept across the plaza. "Leave the black-robed man to me. You guys deal with the remaining giant apes. Be careful not to kill them; they're all being controlled."
"Hmph, I know." Vegeta snorted and turned to charge at the nearest giant ape.
"Leave it to us!" Goku smiled and winked at Cabba. "It'll be a good opportunity to stretch our muscles!"
Watching the two disappear from sight in an instant, Lin Ye slowly turned to the still trembling man in black robes: "Now, it's time to talk about your matter."
The man in black robes suddenly pulled a black sphere from his robes and slammed it to the ground: "Trying to catch me? Not so easy!"
Thick smoke instantly billowed out, carrying a pungent sulfurous smell. Lin Ye frowned and waved away the smoke, only to find that the man in black robes had vanished without a trace, leaving only a trail of purple footprints on the ground, stretching towards the city center.
"Trying to run?" Lin Ye's lips curled into a cold smile, and his inner energy suddenly erupted. "No way!"
Just as he was about to give chase, his communicator suddenly rang. It was Bulma's holographic projection, her face even more grim than before: "Lin Ye! Something terrible has happened! Champa said that the mastermind behind Babidi is on the energy tower of the core planet, and they are using the energy core of Universe Six to summon something!"
"Energy Tower?" Lin Ye looked up at the tallest spire in the city center, its top emitting an eerie purple light. "I understand, I'll be right there."
After hanging up the communication, he suddenly noticed that Gabe was staring blankly at the unconscious Saiyan warrior on the ground.
"What's wrong?" Lin Ye walked over and asked.
Gabe's voice was a little hoarse: "He is a warrior of our tribe... He was training with me yesterday."
Lin Ye patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, we'll save them."
"Yes!" Gabe nodded vigorously, and a burst of red flames suddenly erupted from his body. "I'll go to the energy tower with you!"
Seeing the renewed fighting spirit in his eyes, Lin Ye smiled and nodded: "Alright, let me see just how strong the Saiyans of Universe 6 really are."
The two exchanged a smile and simultaneously soared into the sky. Under the crimson sky, the two figures flew towards the energy tower like shooting stars, followed by the laughter of Goku and Vegeta, and the unwilling roar of the Golden Great Ape.
But none of them noticed that deep within the bombed ruins, a pair of scarlet eyes were slowly opening, their pupils reflecting the purple light from the top of the energy tower, with a strange red glow flashing across them.
Chapter 345: Rifts in Family Ties and Cosmic Undercurrents
The morning mist on Namek carried a pungent sulfurous smell, like a damp rag plastered on one's face. Lin Ye leaned against the doorframe of the makeshift wooden hut, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, not even noticing the splinters piercing his palms.
The arguing coming from behind the wooden door was like a dull knife cutting flesh, familiar yet strange. It was his parents, whom he had resurrected three days ago with the Super Dragon, arguing heatedly about whether or not to bring an energy detector when they went out.
Xiaoye said it was dangerous outside! Her mother's voice was choked with tears, and she was tightly clutching a palm-sized black cube in her hand. It was a simple detector that Bulma had specially made. The red numbers flashing on the screen made her face turn pale. Yesterday, the blond man with the long tail had eyes as wide as saucers, and he looked at me as if he wanted to swallow me whole!
"It can't be that weird!" Father slammed the detector on the table, making the enamel mug bounce. "Didn't Xiaolin say that's his friend, Vegeta? Besides, back on Earth, didn't the tigers in the zoo have that same look in their eyes?" He reached for the Senzu Bean on the table, but his mother slapped his hand away.
What are you going to do with this thing? Mother pushed the magic beans aside. Can these beans be eaten as a meal? I dreamt last night of your dad's braised pork. It was so fatty and shiny, I could eat three big bowls of rice with it.
Lin Ye closed his eyes briefly; the system panel on his retina was still flashing: [Abnormal emotional fluctuations detected in the host; it is recommended to activate the Family Affection Adaptation Plan].
He recalled the ecstasy he felt three days earlier when he made his wish. When the green light of the Super Dragon faded, his parents stood on the ruins in their familiar blue and white striped pajamas. His father still clutched half a page of the evening newspaper, the front page headline being "Today's Special at the East City Vegetable Market." But reality delivered a harsh blow. His father yelled "Traffic violation!" at the flying car, his mother nearly fainted from fright, mistaking Piccolo for a green monster, and worst of all, they avoided all superpowers like the plague, constantly muttering about wanting to live like normal people.
Need a helping hand? Number 18's voice drifted from behind. She was carrying a wicker basket, and the aroma of freshly grilled fish wafted over with the morning mist. The metal pinky ring on her ring finger gleamed coldly in the morning light. Bulma said she could build a simulated Earth environment cabin that could even mimic the music of square dancing grandmas.
Lin Ye shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the wooden door: What they wanted wasn't a fake one, but a genuine feeling that they belonged here.
He turned to look at the yard, where Klin was squatting in front of the stone stove, enthusiastically demonstrating to his parents, who had gathered to watch, how to light a fire using qigong. Blue qi flickered in and out of his palm. Suddenly, his father slapped his thigh: "Good lad! This magic trick is way better than those on the Spring Festival Gala! Can you conjure a live rabbit?"
Klin's face flushed red, and he scratched his head, chuckling, "Uncle, this isn't magic, it's..."
"Whatever it is, give me another one!" the father clapped enthusiastically.
A deafening roar suddenly erupted from afar, causing the clouds to tumble and churn. Lin Ye knew without looking that it was Vegeta throwing a tantrum in the gravity chamber—he had overheard Cabba shouting slogans during training earlier, mispronouncing "Saiyan Alliance" as "Saiyan Rice Ball."
[Alert! Energy fluctuations detected in Universe 6, coordinates: Eastern Plains of Namek]
The system notification had barely finished when Lin Ye had already vanished from the spot.
The rocks on the eastern plains were still steaming. Gabe was surrounded by three men in black armor, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The energy blades in their hands glowed with an eerie blue light, tearing through the air with each swing, leaving behind fine spatial cracks.