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

Page 264

"They're so stubborn," Li Sha said.

By this time, the reinforcements had arrived and surrounded Wild Fang. They ceased their probing attacks and began constructing some kind of energy network. Countless tiny energy beams connected between the creatures, forming a massive encirclement.

They're preparing a coordinated attack! Sentinel warning: High energy detected!

They are about to launch a purification attack. Wild Fang said this attack would directly target the energy core and cause me serious damage.

"What should we do? Fight or run?" Li Sha asked anxiously.

Looking at the hot fragment of the Key of Creation in his hand, Lin Ye suddenly had an idea.

Wild Fang, ask them if they recognize this.

He held up the fragment, making it clearly visible in the pulse communication.

Wild Fang did as instructed. But when the image of the fragment was transmitted via energy pulses, something unexpected happened.

All living things suddenly stopped moving, and the tight energy network began to dissipate. The leader swam closer, its pulses carrying a clear hint of surprise:

Fragments of the Light of Origin... Why are they in your hands?

"The Light of Origin?" Li Sha repeated doubtfully.

They changed their attitude. "Now they're willing to listen to our explanation," said Huangya.

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat: Tell them that we are looking for a way to fight the Whispers of the End, and this fragment is our only clue.

Wild Fang conveyed this message. After a moment of silence, the leader's response surprised everyone:

If you are truly the inheritors of the Light of Origin, then please come with us. The elders will want to know your story.

Are they going to take us to see the elders? Li Sha hesitated, wondering if this was a trap.

Looking at the increasingly hot shards in his hand, Lin Ye made up his mind: Let's go with them. My intuition tells me this might be our chance to find the answer.

I agree. Wild Fang said that while these creatures were clearly hostile, their attitude now showed more...curiosity.

Guided by the native creatures, Wild Fang began to move deeper into the nebula. These creatures led the way, leaving beautiful trails of light in their wake as they moved through the nebula.

"Where are they taking us?" Li Sha asked, looking at the increasingly strange sights outside the window.

The landscape deep within the nebula began to change. The previously sparse asteroid belt gradually became denser, and distinct artificial structures began to appear on these celestial bodies—like some kind of architecture or a giant sculpture. They were integrated with the asteroids themselves, as if they had grown out of the rock.

These are... Lin Ye looked at the scene before him in surprise.

The remnants of an ancient civilization. "Very ancient," said Huangya, "even more ancient than my own people."

The guiding swarm of organisms stopped before a particularly large asteroid. The surface of this asteroid was almost entirely covered by some kind of white structure, which looked like coral or some kind of crystal, shimmering softly in the light of the nebula.

The leader creature sent a signal, and an entrance opened on the white structure, just large enough to allow the Wild Fang to pass through.

"They invited us in," said Ara-ga.

"Is it safe inside?" Li Sha asked worriedly.

My sensors cannot penetrate those structures; they have very strong energy shielding.

Lin Ye took a deep breath: Now that we're here, there's no turning back. Let's go in.

The Wild Fang slowly drove into the entrance, and the structure behind it immediately closed. They entered a huge interior space, the sight of which stunned everyone.

The space was filled with luminous energy flows, pulsating through the walls like blood vessels. Countless similar aquatic creatures swam here, their bodies larger and their energy fields more complex. At the very center were three particularly enormous beings, their energy fields so powerful that they created visible halos around them.

"These are their elders," said Huangya.

One of the elders emitted a pulse, this time without needing translation; its meaning was directly transmitted into Lin Ye and Li Sha's consciousness:

Welcome, holders of the Light of Origin. We are the remnants of dust, the guardians of this nebula. Tell us, why have you come, and why do you carry the whispers of the end?

Just as Lin Ye was about to answer, the fragment of the Key of Creation in his hand suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly intense light. The energy flow throughout the entire space began to surge, and the pulses emitted by the elders were filled with shock.

Even more surprisingly, Lin Ye felt the abnormal structure within the database begin to vibrate violently, as if in response to something.

All the Dust Remnants, including the three elders, turned in the same direction at the same time—towards the location of the unknown radiation source.

The elder's pulse carried a clear sense of urgency:

Time is running out; the Whisperer has sensed your arrival. Before it finds you, we must tell you the truth... about the Light of Origin, about the Whispers of the End, and about the impending destruction.

Lin Ye and Li Sha exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes. The truth? What truth? And who exactly was this so-called Whisperer?

Chapter 552 Ancient Echoes

The elder's pulse information surged directly into Lin Ye and Li Sha's minds like a torrent, carrying an undeniable solemnity and urgency.

"Time is running out. The Whisperer has sensed your arrival. Before it finds you, we must tell you the truth..."

Lin Ye suppressed the slight dizziness brought on by the flood of information in his mind, gripped the still-warm fragment of the Key of Creation in his hand, and replied in a deep voice (even though he knew the other party might be directly reading his thoughts): "We are searching for answers. What is the Light of Origin? What is the Whisper of the End? What is the relationship between the abnormal structure in our database and that radiation source?"

The energy fields of the three elders flickered like breathing. The pulse of the largest elder in the center resounded once more. This time, the information was transformed into language fragments and images that they could better understand, as if a vast star map was unfolding before their eyes.

"The Light of Origin..." The elder's pulse carried a profound meaning, "It is creation, it is order, it is the blueprint and starting point for the evolution of all things. The fragments in your hands are tiny crystallizations of its power, which once sowed the seeds of life and civilization in the beginning."

In their vision, Lin Ye and Li Sha seemed to see a glimmer of light explode in the void, transforming into countless streams of light that flew to all corners of the universe. Some of these rays fell upon barren planets, giving rise to diverse life forms and magnificent civilizations. The descendants of the Wild Fang tribe seemed to be among them.

"What about the Whispers of the End?" Lisa asked anxiously, feeling the abnormal structure in the database vibrating even more violently, and an indescribable sense of unease lingered in her heart.

The elder's pulse instantly became heavy and dark. "The final whisper... is the opposite of the light of origin. It is the whisper of returning to chaos, the corrosive sound that leads all things to ultimate annihilation. It is not a physical entity, but more like a... phenomenon, a plague at the level of rules. It erodes civilization, distorts life, pulls order back to disorder, and leads existence to nothingness."

New imagery unfolds: they see prosperous civilizations shrouded in eerie shadows, technology spiraling out of control, life mutating, stars dimming, and ultimately everything reduced to drifting dust and distorted echoes of energy. How strikingly similar that vision is to the suddenly vanished civilizations recorded in the historical logs of the database!

"In our database..." Lin Ye suddenly realized something.

“What you are carrying is a ‘mutant’ formed from the deep corruption of the Whispers of the End.” The elder’s pulse confirmed their guess. “It is like a malignant tumor, constantly emitting the aftershocks of the whispers, attracting the true ‘Whispers’ and corrupting everything it comes into contact with. It is a miracle that you were able to seal it away for the time being.”

"The Whisperer... is that the source of radiation?" Lin Ye pointed in the direction he had sensed earlier.

“That’s a manifestation node of the Whisperers… or rather, a powerful infected.” The elder corrected him. “It was once an ancient observatory in this nebula, but now it has been completely taken over by the Whisperers and has become a signal tower that continues to spread corruption and summon more void power. The aberrations in you resonate with it, and it has locked onto you.”

Just then, the entire ruin space trembled violently! The pulsating energy flow on the walls became chaotic and blinding, and some smaller dust remnants emitted panicked pulses and wandered around.

"What's going on?" Li Sha steadied herself and looked around nervously.

Huangya's consciousness immediately transmitted, carrying an unprecedented solemnity: "Extremely strong energy disturbance detected externally! Coming from the direction of that radiation source! Something... is approaching at high speed! Extremely fast!"

The elder's pulse was filled with anxiety: "It's here! The Whisperers' minions have been summoned! Their target is you, and the aberrations you carry!"

"We must leave here!" Lin Ye decided decisively. Staying here would only bring disaster to the Dust Remnants, and they had to preserve the database, which was the key to understanding the past and finding a way to combat the Whispers.

"Come with us!" The elder's pulse left no room for doubt. "There is an ancient passage that leads to the other side of the nebula, where there may be an area that can temporarily shield us from the whispers' detection!"

Guided by the three elders, the wall on one side of the ruins slowly slid open, revealing a deep passage covered with even more ancient runes. The passage was just the right size for Wild Fang to pass through.

"Wild Fang, keep up!" Lin Ye shouted.

The massive biological vessel of the Wild Fang slowly turned and entered the passage. The passage was not completely dark; ancient runes on both sides emitted a faint glow, guiding the way.

Just as Huangya had fully entered the passage and the entrance behind it was about to close, through the not-yet-fully-closed gap, Lin Ye and Li Sha caught a glimpse of several twisted, enormous figures, seemingly composed of shattered star debris and shadow energy, tearing through the nebula and hurtling straight toward the ruins they had just been standing on! The aura they exuded was filled with pure malice and a destructive desire.

The entrance to the passage was completely closed, temporarily isolating it from external threats.

But everyone knows that the crisis is not over.

"Will they catch up?" Li Sha wondered, still shaken.

“This passage has a disruptive effect, temporarily interfering with their tracking.” The elder’s pulse echoed within the passage, “but it cannot last. The Whisperers are extremely sensitive to the ‘Light of Origin’ and the deep ‘Aberrations’.”

The passage seemed to extend in a way that defied the rules of physics, with the surrounding runes shimmering and flashing past at high speed.

"Elder, how should we fight against the Whispers of the End?" Lin Ye asked the most crucial question. Simply knowing the truth wasn't enough; they needed a method.

The elder's pulse paused for a moment, as if considering its words. "The Light of Origin is the key. The complete Light of Origin possesses the power to reshape order and purify nothingness. But it was shattered in the ancient cataclysm, its fragments scattered throughout the universe. What you hold is only one of them."

"Collect the fragments?" Li Sha's eyes lit up.

“Yes, but it is by no means easy. Each fragment contains immense power and a great test. Moreover, the Whisperers and their minions are also searching for and attempting to corrupt or destroy these fragments.” The elder’s pulse carried a warning. “Furthermore, the power of the fragments alone is not enough. We need to understand the nature of the Whisperers and find their roots…”

Suddenly, a light appeared ahead in the passage.

“We’ve arrived,” the elder’s pulse said.

As Huangya emerged from the passage, the scene before him changed once more. He was still deep within the nebula, but the surrounding nebula dust was much denser, forming an almost natural veil. In the distance, a dying star could be faintly seen, emitting a dim red light; its gravity seemed to bind the nebula in this region, creating a relatively stable structure.

“This is the ‘Shadow Veil’ region, where the gravitational field of a dying star and dense nebula effectively interfere with most energy detection,” the elder explained. “You can rest here temporarily, but not for long. The Whisperers will not give up.”

Lin Ye looked at the fragment of the Key of Creation in his hand, whose light had subsided slightly, and then sensed the still restless abnormal structure within the database, his brows furrowing.

The temporary safety brought a respite, but also heavier pressure. They not only had to repair the Desolate Fang and maintain the database seal, but also face a terrible truth concerning the survival of the universe, and an omnipresent enemy called "Whispers of the End."

The road ahead remains fraught with peril. The fragments they hold are both a spark of hope and a beacon of destruction.

Chapter 553 Breathing Under the Curtain of Shadows

The Wild Fang slowly came to a stop in a relatively empty star field, surrounded by dense, almost tangible nebula dust that filtered the red light of the dying star in the distance, making it appear even dimmer and more dim. It was unusually quiet here; even the usual background noise from interstellar radiation seemed to be absorbed by this heavy "veil."

"Environmental scan complete." The sentinel's mechanical voice broke the brief silence. "The nebula dust density is extremely high, effectively attenuating all types of active detection beams. The gravitational field is stable but complex, with multiple gravitational anomalies. Long-distance blind advance is not recommended. No immediate threat detected."

"Finally, I can catch my breath." Li Sha let out a long sigh, her body relaxing as she leaned against the inner wall. "That was really exciting. Those... minions looked even more terrifying than the Destroyer's warships."

Lin Ye's expression remained unchanged. He looked down at the fragment of the Key of Creation in his hand. Although its light no longer flickered as intensely as before, it still radiated a warm sensation, like an uneasy heart. "We don't have time to rest for long. The database's energy, the repair of the Wild Fang, and that Whisperer who might catch up at any moment... none of the problems have been solved."

“The key holder is right,” came the voice of Huangya, tinged with weariness. “My energy level has only recovered to 12%, my external armor is 35% repaired, and the internal structural damage is less than 10% repaired. I need a lot of resources.”

“And there’s the database,” Lin Ye added, “the seal’s stability is still slowly declining. We must find an energy source as soon as possible.”

"Whisper, analyze the current environment, and find usable resources, especially energy," Lin Ye instructed.

[Environmental data analysis in progress... Detected peculiar decay radiation from a dying star; medium energy level, unstable, inefficient and risky to absorb directly. Nebulous dust contains trace amounts of rare metals, but their distribution is sparse and difficult to collect. No high-purity energy crystals or strong radiation sources were detected.]

The situation is not optimistic. This area can provide cover, but resources are scarce.

"Before the elders left," Li Sha recalled, "did they mention 'ancient passages' and 'interference effects'? Could they know something else? Like, where are some resource points hidden nearby?"

Lin Ye's heart stirred: "Wild Fang, could you try to contact the elders of the Dust Remnants? Or, Sentinels, could you scan the area near the exit of the passage we've passed through and see if any information markers have been left?"

"The passage exit is completely closed, and no obvious information markers have been found," the sentry reported.

“My direct spiritual link with the Dust Remnants has weakened since leaving the ruins,” Wild Fang replied. “Active communication would require additional energy, and it’s uncertain whether it can penetrate the nebula’s interference here. However… I can try sending a weak, directional pulse signal containing our current location and needs. If they are willing and able to receive it, they might respond.”

"Give it a try," Lin Ye nodded, "but keep the energy output to a minimum."

A barely perceptible energy pulse emanated from the Desolate Fang ship and silently disappeared into the dense nebula.

The wait for a response felt exceptionally long. Everyone knew they were racing against time.