Bang!
A sharp sound rang out.
While the two were still talking, a bullet struck Ji Yun in the cheek.
"Holy crap, what's going on? Someone's taking potshots at us?"
Ji Yun touched his cheek and complained helplessly.
Firearms couldn't do the slightest damage to his sturdy body. The bullet had hit his face, but he barely felt a thing.
"Everyone, don't shoot! It's me, Trunks!"
Trunks gave Ji Yun an apologetic look, then called out to the people around them.
There was no helping it. The Future World was too cruel.
People stayed on high alert at all times. Whenever anything seemed suspicious, they didn't dare let their guard down.
"It's Trunks! Trunks is back!"
"Everyone, don't panic. He's not an enemy."
One by one, survivors who had been hiding among the ruins began to emerge.
They were all dressed in rags, filthy from head to toe, their faces etched with hardship.
"Trunks, sorry about that. We didn't know it was you."
"We saw two figures suddenly appear and instinctively mistook you for androids!"
A White-haired Uncle spoke to Trunks apologetically.
"It's all right, Uncle. These are desperate times. I understand!"
Ji Yun said calmly, feeling rather helpless.
Come on, I'm the one who got attacked. I'm the victim here. You should be apologizing to me.
"And this is..."
The White-haired Uncle asked without thinking.
In this world, Trunks was the only strong fighter.
Everyone else was just an ordinary person. That shot had either hit Trunks or missed entirely.
An ordinary person would have been done for with a single shot.
So they hadn't paid much attention to Ji Yun.
"Oh, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Ji Yun."
"I brought him here from the past to help us. He's incredibly strong!"
"He's even stronger than me! He can definitely defeat the androids!"
Trunks introduced Ji Yun to the White-haired Uncle.
More and more people gathered around them.
When they heard that this young man was even stronger than their savior, Trunks, they all looked at Ji Yun doubtfully.
Clearly, they didn't believe it.
"How could this guy possibly be stronger than Trunks?"
A scruffy, middle-aged man said skeptically.
"Don't try to comfort us, Trunks. We haven't lost hope!"
The White-haired Uncle patted Trunks on the shoulder, trying to reassure him.
"That's right, Lord Trunks. As long as you're here, we'll keep fighting the androids to the bitter end!"
"Right! We'll fight to the end!"
"To the end!"
Everyone shouted passionately.
"No, everyone, Mr. Ji Yun really is—"
Trunks hurriedly tried to explain.
But Ji Yun tugged at his clothes, cutting him off.
These people had survived in the apocalypse, and their fear of the androids had sunk deep into their hearts. They had no hope for the future.
If there really had been someone this powerful in the past, why would they be living in such misery?
They clearly thought he was just some comforting embellishment.
"All right, everyone. Whether you believe me or not, I came from the past to fight the androids alongside you!"
Ji Yun said with a smile.
He didn't care at all that they doubted him.
Hearing this, the crowd nodded in agreement.
Whether he was strong or not could wait. He had indeed come from the past to help them.
"All right, everyone. Let's head back first!"
"Then we can figure out what to do next!"
Trunks said helplessly.
They could let his strength speak for itself!
The people trusted Trunks, so they listened to him.
They withdrew from the area.
Then they headed for the Survivor's Underground Base.
After about an hour of walking,
they reached a concealed entrance.
They carefully made their way down the stairs.
"Lord Trunks is back!"
The children at the base saw their hero return.
In an instant, they swarmed around him.
Trunks quickly hit it off with the children.
Even the gloomy underground was filled with the sounds of laughter.
Ji Yun, meanwhile, looked around.
Most of the people in the underground base were elderly, women, and children who couldn't fight.
Their main task was to provide logistical support for those fighting on the front lines.
"Mr. Ji Yun, I'll take you to meet my mother first!"
Trunks walked over to Ji Yun and said with a smile.
"Sure!"
Ji Yun nodded calmly.
But inside, he was filled with emotion.
Bulma at this point in time!
The two slowly made their way to the end of the base, where a brightly lit room stood.
This was Bulma's Laboratory.
Bulma was also the only scientist left in this era.
"Mom, I'm back!"
Trunks pushed open the door and called out happily.
Bulma was seated in front of a computer, tapping away at the keyboard.
When she heard Trunks's voice, her hands stopped moving. She took off her glasses.
She looked at her son with delight.
"Trunks is back. How did it go? Did you get to see your father in the past?"
Bulma smiled at Trunks as she asked.
"Yeah, I did see him, but..."
Trunks paused, hesitating.
"But what? Was your father too cold toward you?"
"Well, that makes sense. He's a proud man and very difficult to get along with."
Bulma smiled, her eyes filled with memories of the past.
As Trunks listened to his mother, he recalled what it had been like to meet Vegeta.
When he'd gone to the past, everyone on Earth had been getting along just fine.
They'd all been laughing and chatting. It seemed like he was the only one who'd been knocked to the ground, and no one had even come over to check on him.
Proud? He didn't see it. It had just been miserable!
"Mom, I didn't go back to our past. The Time Machine took me to a Parallel Universe in the past!"
Trunks interrupted Bulma's reminiscence and explained.
"Hmm? A Parallel Universe?"
Bulma looked confused, her brows knitting slightly.
That shouldn't have happened. She had complete confidence in what she'd built.
It shouldn't have malfunctioned.
"Oh, right, Mom. Let me introduce someone."
"This is Ji Yun, a powerful fighter from another Parallel Universe. He's incredibly strong."
"He came here with me in the Time Machine to help us."
Trunks pointed to Ji Yun, who stood in the doorway.
Only then did Bulma notice the person standing there.
Her furrowed brows relaxed, and she greeted him with a smile.
She thought to herself that the Time Machine really had malfunctioned. There hadn't been anyone like him in the past.
Ji Yun, meanwhile, had drifted off.
He stared at the Bulma of this world, feeling a pang in his heart.
He knew this world had nothing to do with him.
This Bulma belonged to another timeline, too.
But seeing the weariness on her face, he couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
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