Vegeta

Lin Xia heard the system and only then realized that cards could be dismantled.

After asking for more details, he learned that once a card was dismantled, it could never be restored.

So Lin Xia now faced a choice: either keep his A-rank partner, Tien Shinhan, or sacrifice Tien Shinhan to obtain a new SSR skill.

Just then, the ground began to tremble.

Amid the rumbling, Lin Xia clearly saw a crack split open in the ground in the distance.

Something seemed to be crawling out from inside.

"Looks like the secret-realm boss is about to appear!"

Lin Xia took a deep breath and looked at the Tien Shinhan card in his hand, as if bidding it farewell.

He wasn't indecisive; he was practical and decisive.

Since he could obtain an SSR skill, losing an A-rank card was nothing to regret!

"System, I want to dismantle Tien Shinhan!"

As soon as Lin Xia finished speaking, the card in his hand crumbled into gray dust and gradually vanished.

[New skill obtained!]

[Neo Tri-Beam (SSR): Place your right hand over your left, touch your right pinky to your left index finger, and press your thumbs together to form a frame. Aim at your opponent through the frame, charge for 10 seconds, then unleash an energy wave to attack!

This technique is tremendously powerful, but it consumes a great deal of stamina. Overuse will place an immense strain on your body, so use it with caution!]

Lin Xia grasped how to use the Ki Blast Cannon almost instantly!

At the same time, a notification popped up:

[Vegeta's Affection +15%!]

[Current Affection: 100%!]

[New Card Obtained: Vegeta (SSR)!]

Another pleasant surprise followed right on its heels, leaving Lin Xia ecstatic.

He knew his choice just now had aligned with Vegeta's wishes, which was why he had gained affection.

"Rrrraah!"

Then, accompanied by a chilling roar, the secret-realm boss crawled out of the fissure.

It stood nearly three meters tall. It wasn't shaped like an animal, but like a humanoid with a lion's head.

Its muscles were well-defined, and a scar ran beneath its right eye.

[Lion King: A level 6 secret-realm boss. Skilled in close-quarters combat. Compared to its formidable attack power and incredible speed, its defense is its weak point!]

The Lion King didn't waste time. It cracked its neck, then charged straight at Lin Xia.

It was incredibly fast. In the space of a few blinks, it was almost upon him.

Lin Xia had just taken out the card bearing Vegeta's image.

Vegeta wore a Battle Suit on the card, with a scouter over his right eye. Clearly, this was the prince from when he had just arrived on Earth.

If the Lion King had watched the Dragon Ball anime, it would surely have had this thought:

The good news: Vegeta was at his weakest at this point!

The bad news: Vegeta was at his most evil at this point!

But he was an SSR character, after all. Even though Vegeta only had [1 strength], all his starting attributes were equivalent to level 5!

Exactly the same as Lin Xia's current attributes!

"Come forth, Prince!"

At Lin Xia's command, the golden card in his hand turned into particles and gathered in an empty spot nearby.

As the dazzling golden light faded, Vegeta appeared.

He was much shorter than Lin Xia, but his presence was fearsome. In his eyes, all things in the world seemed no more than ants!

By then, the Lion King had reached Lin Xia and swung a fist as big as a sandbag!

"Thud!"

Vegeta flashed in front of Lin Xia and caught the punch with ease.

Then he pointed his other hand's thumb at himself, fixed the lion-headed monster with a contemptuous stare, and sneered. "You ugly monster! How dare you attack a Saiyan? You clearly don't take me, the Saiyan Prince, seriously!"

"Hey, Vegeta, don't get cocky!" Lin Xia frowned. He hadn't expected Vegeta to be such a show-off, but the difference in their levels was right there. "This monster is level 6..."

Before Lin Xia could finish, there was a thud, and the Lion King sent Vegeta flying with one punch!

"Whoosh!"

Vegeta shot past Lin Xia with a rush of air and slammed into the invisible boundary wall of the secret realm. He slid down in a sorry heap, raising a cloud of dust.

At the sight, Lin Xia muttered, "So the Eat-Defeat Gesture really is real."

He hadn't summoned Vegeta expecting him to kill the Lion King in one blow.

He had summoned him to have another pair of hands.

After all, bosses didn't just have high levels and lots of health; they also came with buffs to their damage and defense.

They weren't something you could take down just like that.

"Come on, Your Highness. Let's take this guy down together."

Lin Xia held out his hand to Vegeta, who was sitting on the ground, intending to help him up.

But Vegeta slapped his hand away. "Tch, I can handle it myself!"

Vegeta got to his feet, yanked off the broken scouter on his right eye, which was crackling with sparks, and crushed it. "I was conquering planets on my own when I was five. You think I can't beat this ugly monster?"

"Be good and listen," Lin Xia said with a sly grin. "I'm your master, you know."

"No one can be my master!"

Vegeta glared at Lin Xia, his face twisted with fury.

He knew how he had come to be here, but he would never accept being beneath anyone!

"You're a Saiyan, and I'm the Saiyan Prince!" Vegeta sneered. "Now get down on your knees and pay your respects!"

"Smack!"

Lin Xia didn't answer. He slapped Vegeta across the right cheek, fixing him with a sharp stare. "But I can slap you. Can you do the same to me?"

"Bastard! I'll kill you!"

Vegeta flew into a rage and swung a fist straight at Lin Xia's face.

But just before it touched his skin, the fist stopped.

[You cannot harm your master!]

A warning popped up before Vegeta's eyes.

His arm seemed to have been frozen by magic, locked in midair. No matter how hard he strained, he couldn't move it forward by even a millimeter!

Whether overcome by humiliation or unwilling to face reality, Vegeta trembled with rage, his eyes utterly hollow.

"Shall we work together to take down this lion first?" Lin Xia asked calmly.

He knew Vegeta's personality all too well. The man was stubborn as a mule, and if Lin Xia didn't keep him in check, he might turn on him.

That was why he'd slapped him and made him understand where he stood.

But Lin Xia knew that this alone wouldn't make Vegeta submit completely. He would have to build a bond with him little by little over time.

Seeing Vegeta still frozen in place, Lin Xia gently lowered his raised hand. "You don't want to die here, do you?"

That did the trick. Vegeta turned away in defiance, but at least he didn't attack Lin Xia again.

Meanwhile, the Lion King, who had been watching from the sidelines, actually smiled—only for its expression to turn regretful a moment later.

It seemed disappointed that Lin Xia and Vegeta hadn't turned on each other as it had hoped.