In Dragon Ball: A brutal beating of Frieza at the start

Page 223

That thing was about the size of a small fighter jet, and its appearance was incredibly grotesque... If you called it a living being, it had a hard, dark gray shell, like armor, with edges sharp enough to cut through metal; if you called it a machine, it had appendages on both sides like an arthropod, with claws at the ends that gleamed with a ghostly blue light. There was no cockpit, no engine opening, and its head was a constantly spinning cone covered in densely packed small bumps, emitting a cold, red glow, completely devoid of any life.

It's a creature cobbled together from machines and monsters, both fierce and bizarre, giving you the creeps just looking at it.

Xi's voice trembled, her face as white as paper: "It's the 'Hounds'! The scavengers under the Observer! They specialize in doing the dirty work and chasing important targets! How did they find their way here?!"

"Hunting dogs?" Lin Ye frowned, the sight of the creature making his stomach churn.

“They are particularly sensitive to high-energy reactions, especially… the energy of the foundation!” Xi glanced at the fragment in Lin Ye’s hand, her meaning clear as day… this thing was what attracted them.

As soon as the words were spoken, a "hound" suddenly opened its mouth... but it wasn't a mouth at all; it was clearly an energy cannon muzzle... A dark red beam of light shot out with a "whoosh" and struck the energy barrier!

"Stab..."

The sound was so loud it made your teeth ache. The part of the barrier that was hit visibly thinned and disappeared, like melted sugar!

"They can corrode the barrier!" the soldier operating the defense system screamed, frantically adjusting the parameters, but the values ​​on the screen kept dropping.

"Fire! Fire! Don't let them focus on one spot!" Elder Ex's order came through promptly, carrying an unquestionable force.

In an instant, all the firing cannons in the harbor came to life. Energy beams and physical projectiles rained down on the four "hounds," engulfing them completely in the flames of the explosions.

But the next second, those four things burst out of the fire, defying the barrage of fire, and rammed into the barrier again! Their shells were ridiculously hard; energy beams only left black marks, and physical cannonballs were useless, simply deflecting them. Only a few heavy cannons firing in unison could slow them down even by half a beat.

Moreover, they are extremely agile, weaving through the artillery fire, and with a flick of their appendages, they can shred several protruding gun emplacements into pieces with a "crack"!

"Damn monster!" Vegeta cursed, unable to hold back any longer. A flash of golden light emanated from his body, and he charged straight through the energy barrier, lunging at the nearest "hound"!

"Uncle Vegeta!" Trunks cried out anxiously, his hand slipping from his sword.

"Let him go!" Android 18 remained calm, raising his hand to unleash an energy beam that struck the appendage of a "hound" that was trying to ambush Vegeta, forcing the creature to take a half-step back.

Vegeta rushed up to the "hound" and slammed his fist into its cone-shaped head!

After a muffled thud, the "hound's" head tilted slightly, and sparks flew from the small bumps on it. But as if it felt nothing, its side appendages, like scorpion tails, lashed out and stabbed at Vegeta!

Vegeta flipped backward to dodge the attack, and then fired a Ki Blast that slammed into the Hound's stomach.

The thing was thrown out and tumbled several times in the air, but it stabilized after a short while. Its shell was dented and broke into pieces, but it didn't cause any serious injury.

"This shell is way too hard!" Vegeta spat, his anger flaring even more. He could feel that gathering Ki Blast here was much more difficult than usual, and its power was also significantly reduced.

Vegeta hadn't even finished dealing with this, and the port's barrier was already on the verge of collapse. The other three "hounds" seemed to have chosen their direction, relentlessly charging towards Lin Ye, causing the cracks in the barrier to widen.

"Lin Ye! Their target is you and the cornerstone!" Xi shouted at the top of her lungs, almost breaking the control panel in her hands, but she couldn't stop those things at all.

Lin Ye saw it too. He took a deep breath, and the blue light of the variable engine suddenly lit up: "We can't just sit here and get beaten up! Trunks, follow me! Number 18, Xi, provide cover fire!"

"Understood!" Number 18 jumped down from the gun emplacement, his arms moving in rapid succession, firing beams of energy that struck the "Hounds" in their path, disrupting their rhythm. Xi quickly adjusted the port's defenses, turning the remaining gun emplacements around and opening fire on the "Hounds."

Trunks roared, steam rising from his body, and charged through the barrier with his sword, slashing at the appendage of a "hound" with a "whoosh"!

Lin Ye followed closely behind, his body enveloped in the energy of the Variable Engine, instantly increasing his speed. He seized the opportunity, dodging a sweeping energy claw, and simultaneously gathered the power of the Foundation into his fist, slamming it into the side of another "hound" with a "thud"!

"Om..."

The white light of the foundation stone and the blue-gold light of the variable engine intertwined. The force of this punch was much stronger than that of an ordinary ki blast, directly cracking the hard shell of the "hound" and exposing the internal wiring, which was still sparking.

"It works!" Lin Ye was overjoyed. It seemed that the power of the foundation stone had an additional effect on these monsters.

The wounded "hound" suddenly let out a piercing howl, neither human nor mechanical, sending chills down one's spine. The other three "hounds" went berserk, attacking even more fiercely.

"Snap..."

The port's energy barrier finally gave way, and a large hole appeared in its weakest point!

A "hunting dog" instantly darted in and pounced on Lin Ye! It opened its energy cannon muzzle, dark red light swirling inside, about to fire!

"Watch out!" Trunks and Vegeta shouted at the same time, but they were both entangled by the other two "hounds" and couldn't come to help at all.

The energy beam from No. 18 hit the "hound," causing it to sway slightly, but it didn't stop it from firing its cannon at all.

Just at this critical moment, a thick and bright energy cannon suddenly shot out from the depths of the port, and with a "boom", it hit the "hound" right on the head!

As the flames from the explosion subsided, "Hound's" head was blown off. Its headless body swayed for a moment before crashing to the ground with a thud. The dark red energy at the severed end flashed a few times before extinguishing completely.

Everyone was stunned; even the fighters stopped.

At the port entrance, Elder Ex stood beside a powerful energy cannon that would take several people to move, its muzzle still smoking. The cannon looked old, but that last shot must have been terrifying.

"What are you daydreaming about, children!" Elder Ex's voice was sharp and forceful. "Get these filthy things out of 'Safe Haven'!"

The elder's cannon shot and roar instantly boosted everyone's morale. The survivors shouted slogans, adjusted the cannons more accurately, and doubled the firepower.

Lin Ye and the other three perked up, and Vegeta laughed wildly, "Great! Watch how I deal with them!"

He seized the opportunity when one of the "hounds" was suppressed by artillery fire, gathered a qi blast that was a size larger than before with both hands, and shoved it into the joint of the creature's appendage!

"boom!"

The ki blast exploded inside, severing the "hound's" appendages, which then floated crookedly in mid-air.

Number 18 circled around to the back of another "hound," its energy ports on both arms shining brightly as it continuously fired energy beams into the cracks in the creature's shell... those were the cracks Lin Ye had just smashed, which had now become its weak points.

Trunks gripped his sword, its blade flashing like a dragon, tightly binding his opponent and preventing it from aiding others.

Lin Ye then targeted the last "hound" that charged in. His variable engine was running at full speed, and the resonance of the foundation allowed him to vaguely guess where the creature would move next. He dodged a claw attack, then charged forward, the white light on his hand shining even brighter, and with a "thud," slammed his fist into the "hound's" shell!

The battle was chaotic, but no one retreated. Those "hounds" were incredibly resilient; even with broken limbs and cracked shells, they kept charging forward, showing no fear of death.

Finally, many of the port's facilities were destroyed, and several survivors were slightly injured. The three "hounds" were finally dealt with, their pieces scattered and floating in the nebula outside the port.

Vegeta, panting, looked at his battle suit with a hole in it and the scrapes on his hands, his face grim: "These junk... they're way too durable."

Number 18 checked his energy reserves and frowned: "The consumption is too great. Their defense and resistance are stronger than I thought."

Trunks looked at the debris and damaged turrets on the ground, still shaken: "These... were just the advance troops?"

Xi rushed over, her face still grim. The control panel in her hand was still displaying data: "'Hounds' have been deployed, which means the Observers are already watching this place. Although they were wiped out, they might have sent back the coordinates of 'Haven' before they were destroyed!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent, their hearts heavy.

Lin Ye squeezed the still-warm foundation stone in his hand and looked up at the boundless nebula outside the window.

The trouble was just beginning. They had to leave immediately; they couldn't stay here any longer.

Chapter 481: Choices and Departure

The smoke from the battle in the port area hadn't completely dissipated; the air was thick with the acrid smell of burning energy, mixed with the metallic stench unique to the "Hound" carcasses—a smell that sent a chill down one's spine. The survivors were busy clearing the battlefield; some carried the wounded to the medical bay, others were hammering and tinkering to repair the artillery emplacements. Each face wore a look of relief at surviving, yet the worry in their eyes was impossible to hide.

The elders' emergency meeting was moved directly to the port command center, where the atmosphere was oppressively heavy.

Elder Ex's voice was terribly hoarse; he'd exhausted himself firing the heavy artillery earlier: "The 'Hounds' have come knocking! 'Safe Haven' has definitely been exposed, or at least is being watched! Activate the emergency plan immediately! Prepare for a full relocation!"

A burly elder with a scarred face slammed his fist on the control panel, making the screen flicker: "Relocate? Easier said than done! So many people, so much stuff, where are we going to move them? This nebula is the last place we can hide!"

"Not moving is suicide!" the female elder with the prosthetic eye immediately retorted, the red light in her eye flashing rapidly. "Although the 'Hound's' signal is mostly blocked by the Nebula, the Observer's main fleet might already be on its way! Any further delay and it will be too late!"

"But we..."?

The elders started arguing, their anxious voices echoing through the command room.

Lin Ye and Vegeta stood to the side, Vegeta leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his face so sour it could drip water; he clearly had no patience for the argument. Android 18 stared at the defense distribution map on the wall, his finger occasionally tapping in the air, as if calculating the feasibility of relocation. Trunks looked at the elders, their faces red and necks bulging, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. Xi clutched the hem of her clothes, her head bowed, inwardly blaming herself: it's all her fault for bringing Lin Ye and the others back; she'd brought disaster upon "Safe Haven."

Lin Ye took a deep breath, took a step forward, and said in a voice that, though not loud, silenced everyone's argument: "Elders, please stop for a moment."

The room fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on him... the holder of the "spark" who had brought both hope and disaster.

"The 'Hounds' came for me because of the cornerstone I hold." Lin Ye didn't mince words, directly taking responsibility, his gaze sweeping over each elder. "This is our fault; we can't stay here and drag 'Safe Haven' down with us."

Elder Ex frowned: "Lin Ye, that's not right! The Observers are our common enemy, how could you implicate us...?"

“Precisely because we are a common enemy, we can’t be wiped out in one fell swoop.” Lin Ye interrupted him, his tone resolute. “We have to leave immediately and go to the Seventh Generation to find ‘Hidden Dragon.’ This was the original plan; we’re just setting off ahead of schedule.”

He paused, then added, "By leaving, we can draw the observers' attention away. They'll definitely prioritize chasing me, the one with the cornerstone, which will buy the 'safe haven' more time to relocate."

"This is too dangerous!" Trunks couldn't help but shout. "There might already be a fleet waiting outside!"

"Which road isn't dangerous?" Vegeta scoffed, straightening up. "Staying here and waiting to be surrounded is even more foolish! We might as well charge out and have a good fight!"

Number 18 nodded, his tone calm: "Lin Ye's decision is correct; diversifying the risks at least preserves hope on one side."

Xi looked up at Lin Ye, her gaze both complex and resolute. Finally, she nodded: "'Star Shuttle' is ready. Although it's not at its optimal state, warp drive is definitely not a problem. I know an emergency route that can take advantage of the energy storm at the end of the nebula to hide, maybe even shake off the first wave of pursuers."

The elders remained silent for a long while. Elder Ex sighed deeply, his white beard drooping: "It seems... this is the only way. Children, 'Safe Haven' remembers your kindness! You must live, find the other 'Sparks,' and don't let Dr. Camilla's hope be extinguished!"

He turned to Xi and said, "Xi, take them to replenish their supplies. Give them the best equipment from the warehouse, and then... send them on their way."

"Understood, Elder," Xi replied solemnly.

The resupply speed was astonishing; in this life-or-death situation, not a single one of the "remnants" faltered. Boxes of high-energy batteries were loaded onto the "Star Shuttle," emergency repair robots were stuffed into the storage compartment, and even two large bags of compressed nutrient solutions were filled to the brim. The warehouse's old manager even pulled out two old protective suits from the very back and handed them to Trunks: "These were dug out of ancient ruins; they can withstand some energy erosion and spatial compression. They might come in handy when we reach the Seventh Generation."

Lin Ye handed the data storage device left by Camilla to Elder Ex, his fingertips trembling slightly: "Elder, please take this. If we... don't return, the information inside might be helpful."

Elder Ex received the memory device with both hands, clutching it tightly until his knuckles turned white. "Rest assured," he said, "we will concentrate all our efforts to crack it. Take care, child."

There was no time for further farewells; the piercing alarm suddenly blared again, this time more urgent than before, red lights flashing incessantly in the command room... The outer detectors detected large-scale spatial jump fluctuations—the Observer's fleet had truly arrived!

"Quick! Let's go!" Elder Ex shouted, pushing Lin Ye towards the "Star Shuttle."

Lin Ye and his three companions boarded the spaceship in a few quick steps. Xi was already seated in the pilot's seat, her fingers flying across the control panel; the data stream on the screen was so fast it was dizzying.

"All systems activated! Engines warmed up! Shields at 65%! Hold on!" Xi's voice came through the ship's communication system, carrying an unmistakable resolve.

The Star Shuttle's engine emitted a deep roar as it slowly pulled away from the ravaged port.

Lin Ye peered out through the observation window. Elder Ex and a group of survivors stood at the edge of the harbor, waving at them. There were no slogans, no elaborate gestures, but the worry, expectation, and weighty blessings in their eyes were crystal clear.

"Hold on tight! We're heading straight for the eye of the storm!" Xi shouted, shoving the control stick all the way down.

The "Star Shuttle" shot out like an arrow, plunging headlong into the chaotic, multicolored nebula storm ahead... The arcs of energy within darted about like crazed lightning snakes, a terrifying sight.

The spaceship instantly began to shake violently, tossed about like a leaf in a storm. The alarms blared incessantly, and the shield energy bar on the screen visibly plummeted.

Vegeta stood firmly in the cabin, but his face was grim. Staring at the ceiling, he cursed, "Is this damn ship even any good? Hopefully it'll fall apart before the enemy even shoots it down!"

"Shut up, Vegeta!" Android 18 retorted coldly. "Shio is already giving it her all!"

Sweat beaded on Xi's forehead, trickling down her cheeks, but she didn't wipe it away, her eyes fixed on the course ahead. She had to find the only remaining safe passage through the dense energy turbulence and spatial rifts; the slightest deviation would mean the entire ship's demise.

Lin Ye gripped the armrests of his seat tightly, the variable engine glowing faintly against his chest, helping him steady himself. He could feel the foundation stone in his hands heating up, resonating strangely with the surrounding raging energy... This resonance made his heart tighten, yet it also seemed to be subtly guiding him in the right direction.

"Hard to left! Get out of that energy vortex!" Lin Ye suddenly shouted, a strong intuition surging into his mind.

Without a second thought, Xi swerved sharply. The "Star Shuttle" grazed the edge of a massive, suddenly appearing energy vortex. The turbulent energy within the vortex swept across the spaceship, instantly turning the shields red and distorting the alarm's tone.

"How did you know there was a whirlpool there?" Xi turned back to look at Lin Ye in surprise; that place was completely outside the detection range.