I Am Jiang Ling

Jiang Ling and Bulma settled into a sweet and happy life together.

Goku made a special visit.

Jiang Ling was glad to see him, and the two became very close.

A month passed.

A mysterious visitor caught Jiang Ling completely off guard.

Staring at the light purple-haired youth before him, Jiang Ling was taken aback.

"Didn't you go back?"

Trunks shook his head and smiled. "No. I'm really interested in you."

Jiang Ling nodded and invited him inside.

He asked Bulma to make some tea.

Bulma brought the tea over to Trunks.

The latter immediately stood up and accepted it with both hands...

His polite demeanor surprised Bulma a little.

Trunks grumbled inwardly. Even if you and Vegeta aren't together in this timeline, you're still my own mother...

But he didn't say it out loud.

After they chatted for a while, Jiang Ling sent Bulma away. He watched her go, a faint smile on his lips.

Then he turned to Trunks and got straight to the point.

"Trunks, what brings you here this time?"

Jiang Ling didn't believe Trunks had gone a month without going home just to hang out with him.

Trunks paused, then said, "I actually have a favor to ask you."

"After all, you knew everything about me without my telling you. It was as if you were a prophet."

"Could I invite you to my world?"

Trunks said it while gazing at Jiang Ling expectantly.

"..."

Jiang Ling scratched his head.

He hadn't expected this.

He'd read plenty of Dragon Ball novels in his previous life. Their protagonists were usually invited over by Trunks—either the system took them there, or they shamelessly begged Trunks to bring them along.

He was the first Trunks had gone out of his way to ask.

But thinking about the future world gave Jiang Ling a headache.

It was a playground for the androids. Humans were their toys, and the cities had been reduced to desolate ruins.

Jiang Ling did want to go, but... his own fighting power probably wasn't enough yet.

"Trunks, I'd like to go too, but my strength right now isn't quite..."

Trunks smiled. "We can improve together. Do you ever feel like training alone makes your strength grow too slowly? We can spar with each other and get stronger faster!"

As he spoke, he stared at Jiang Ling, his eyes full of hope and anticipation.

"..."

Jiang Ling couldn't bring himself to refuse. He thought it over, then said, "Then I'll discuss it with your mom..."

Trunks: "???"

She really is my mom, but do you have to take advantage of that like this?

Jiang Ling walked over to Bulma and put an arm around her slender waist. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, "Bulma, I might have to leave for a little while..."

Feeling his warm breath against her ear, Bulma's body went limp and her cheeks flushed.

But when she heard what he said, her eyes widened.

"Where are you going? Can you really bear to leave me?"

"Come on, something came up. I'll be back as soon as I can..."

"Then... you can leave tomorrow."

Jiang Ling shuddered.

The next day.

Jiang Ling held his lower back.

He arrived at the place he'd arranged to meet Trunks.

"What happened to you?"

As a boy, Trunks had no idea what was going on.

Jiang Ling fell silent, then said bitterly, "Your mom, that's what happened... I told her I'd had enough, but she just kept going..."

"???"

"What are you even talking about??"

Pure-hearted Trunks had no idea what Jiang Ling meant.

Trunks took out the Time Machine.

The Time Machine was an oval-shaped craft with a cockpit on top.

The Capsule Corporation logo was emblazoned on its body.

It looked pretty much as Jiang Ling had imagined.

Trunks adjusted the Time Machine.

Then the two climbed into the cockpit and pressed the buttons. The Time Machine started up, carrying them away from the spot and into the Time Tunnel.

The Time Tunnel was a dazzling swirl of colors. Jiang Ling and Trunks gazed curiously at the scenery outside.

It was Jiang Ling's first time, so he was naturally curious.

For Trunks, it was his second trip, and he still hadn't had his fill of the view.

Before long,

the Time Machine vanished into the tunnel.

It then appeared in another timeline, amid a field of ruins.

The city was a wasteland of crumbling buildings beneath a steady drizzle.

The sky was gray and gloomy, and a light rain pattered down.

A dull gray cast over the entire landscape.

Jiang Ling's first impression was one of oppression.

It felt as though a stone weighed on his heart. It was suffocating.

"Has your world always been like this?"

Jiang Ling's expression was extremely grave. The state of this world was worse than he'd imagined.

Trunks waved his hand.

"No, no..."

"It just happens to be rainy today."

Jiang Ling: "..."

All right, he admitted he'd jumped to conclusions.

But the surroundings were so... utterly bleak.

Rain fell over the ruins as a lonely, mournful sound echoed through them.

"Come on, let's go see my place. I haven't been back for over a month," Trunks said.

Jiang Ling nodded.

He brought out a hovercar, and they drove along the roads through the ruined city.

Before long, they arrived at a convenience store.

Jiang Ling asked in confusion, "Here?"

Trunks nodded.

Then he moved a display rack aside. A metal door appeared behind it, and Trunks took out a key to unlock it.

Jiang Ling was impressed.

He knew Bulma had a secret base here, but he hadn't expected this to be the way in.

Once inside, Trunks put everything back the way it was, locked the door, and headed down the stairs.

Their footsteps echoed through the stairwell, dull and heavy.

Soon, he opened another door.

Beyond it lay what seemed like another world.

It was completely different from the one outside.

One section was filled with vegetables and fruit trees, while another was used to raise livestock.

They had everything they needed for daily life.

They crossed this area and arrived at a room.

The living quarters were inside.

Knock, knock, knock.

Trunks knocked on the door. "I'm back."

"Coming, coming."

A melodious, mature voice came from inside.

The door opened.

A beautiful woman appeared before them.

The years had given her a mature air, as the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes attested.

But she had lost little of her beauty; if anything, she had acquired a distinctive charm.

Her long blue hair fell over her shoulders.

Her skin was fair.

Her figure was voluptuous.

Her smile was gentle.

Jiang Ling felt as if he'd stepped into another lifetime.

Just moments ago, young and beautiful Bulma had been reluctant to say goodbye to him.

And now, here he was, looking at a mature, beautiful version of Bulma...

"Mom, this is Jiang Ling. I brought him here from the past to help us," Trunks introduced.

"Hi, I'm Jiang Ling."