Saved a Beauty

The overwhelming power Raditz and the others displayed left everyone shaken. Even the once-commanding female leader panicked, at a loss for words.

Just moments ago, she had seriously urged them to leave and brazenly claimed she would protect them. Thinking back on it now made her face burn. On further thought, everyone felt a trace of fear rise within them.

Especially with Vegeta and Piccolo wearing such cold expressions, Nappa's aggressive gaze, and all those sinister-looking bald men...

Raditz looked at the fierce-looking group and shook his head with a bitter smile. "You don't need to be afraid. We're travelers stranded on this planet. Our spaceship encountered resistance when it broke through the atmosphere, so we had no choice but to cut the power and stay here to rest for a while."

"S-so that's how it is. My name is Fladi, and I'm the leader of this Resistance Army. We're all humans who were left behind on this planet for various reasons. Some had their home planets swallowed up, some were travelers too, and there are also surviving Tumartians."

Fladi, wearing red boots, walked up to Raditz. "Please come to our base and rest for the time being. We'll treat all of you well." She glanced at the people behind Raditz and still felt a little intimidated.

"Haha, that sounds good." Krillin stretched and looked toward Goku. "What do you think, Goku? There might be lots of good food."

Goku thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "All right. There's nothing to do here anyway."

"Then it's settled!" Raditz made the final decision. He knew Vegeta would not object over something so trivial. To Vegeta, it was the same wherever they went.

Fladi was delighted and pointed at the two armored vehicles that had been left behind. "You can use those two vehicles. We need to get back to the base quickly, or a new troop of pursuers will be here soon."

"No need. Just lead the way."

Raditz and the others suddenly floated into the air. The gravity here was a little more than twice that of Earth, but they did not feel it at all.

The Resistance Army stared in amazement again. They had never expected that there were people who could fly...

On the way back to the so-called base, Raditz discovered that it was merely a few rooms stolen from the Metal Planet's buildings. After taking those rooms, the surviving Tumartians had used their technology to block Bundless's senses.

These buildings were used to receive and transmit cosmic messages, absorb external energy, and manufacture new equipment and machines.

Using this convenience, the Resistance Army had also obtained several mechs and a great deal of weaponry and ammunition. However, compared to Bundless's sheer scale, it was not worth mentioning.

They had even cultivated soil in the limited space, diverted part of the planet's water supply, and grown plants and crops to survive. There were now only a little over thirty surviving humans. While barely clinging to life, they were also planning to rescue the others being held captive.

The Tumartians had also said that the chip Bundless had captured many living beings for experiments and was studying humans. If that was the case, there had to be a place where those test subjects were imprisoned.

Fladi explained the entire situation to Raditz and the others, gave them all the remaining food, and made a plea alongside the Resistance Army. "Please save our companions, and the people from every planet! With your power, you can definitely do it. We're begging you!"

"If that's the case, leave it to us!" Goku's blood surged, and he was already rubbing his fists together.

Raditz chuckled. This was Goku's nature, after all. They had to stop Bundless before they could leave anyway, so rescuing some people along the way was no big deal.

Thus, everyone made their decision. Gohan and Krillin stayed at the base in case anything happened, while the others broke into the interior of the Metal Planet.

After repeatedly probing and infiltrating the place, the Resistance Army had obtained some information. Using the data and their technology, the Tumartians identified the internal entrance and the locations of the rooms holding the test subjects. All the information had been made into a map and handed to Raditz.

Following the instructions, their group bypassed the patrolling mech squads and entered the Metal Planet through a hidden entrance. This was where it discharged exhaust and recycled waste residue. The temperature was high, the pressure immense, and the gravity abnormally amplified, yet none of it posed a problem for them.

Bundless had never calculated that a group like them would be able to endure such an environment and enter its interior.

The group advanced quietly and eventually reached a crossroads. One path led to the mech storage, another to the laboratory, and others to various supply stations. Vegeta headed straight for the mech storage. To him, rescuing people was a joke; fighting mechs was barely interesting enough. The others each went in a different direction, while Raditz and Goku chose to rescue the hostages.

At the end of the passage was indeed a brightly lit sealed chamber, with light shining through a narrow opening. The gap was only wide enough for half a person to pass through, so Raditz gathered energy in his palm and heated the metal until it melted. Then the two smashed through the metal panel and electronic barrier and slipped inside.

Under the brilliant lights, countless high-density metal cages were arranged in staggered rows.

Imprisoned here were not only Tumart's native inhabitants, but also people from other planets. They came in all shapes and appearances, yet every one of them was shackled with electronic chains.

A cold electronic voice came from the vast circular dome. First came a shrill, teeth-grating screech, like two rough cleavers scraping against each other, stabbing at their eardrums.

Then a cold, sharp voice drifted from the equipment. "Test Subject Number 300 has returned..."

"Test Subject Number 349 has died..."

After the long series of capture announcements ended, there was a brief silence. Raditz could clearly see many people trembling, as though they feared punishment would fall upon them.

"Test Subjects Number 66, 71, and 80—enter the experiment!"

As the numbers were called, the heavy metal doors opened to both sides. A listless, long-eared alien entered from outside, followed by several blue-armored patrol soldiers.

"The door opened?" Raditz was startled to discover that the compartments of those whose numbers had been called opened automatically. A group of two-meter-tall mechanical warriors clad in armor seized them and escorted them toward another area.

The door was open now. Raditz could strike while he had the chance!

The opportunity lasted only an instant. He could not miss it.

The three unfortunate test subjects had green burlap sacks over their heads and walked slowly forward. The first had already reached a point less than five meters from the door.

Now!

Raditz's fist, prepared for so long, suddenly shot out and smashed fiercely into the wall. The solid wall rang out with a heavy boom and caved in, but it did not break apart! The material here was terrifyingly sturdy, startling him greatly.

Making a snap decision, he immediately changed tactics. A wave of heat burst from his hand, and dazzling blue light blasted toward the ceiling—only to vanish without a trace! Raditz was shocked again.

At once, metal electrodes shot out from the walls on all sides, along with weapons of every kind. The cage had instantly become a deadly battlefield.

In the instant he was countered, Raditz understood why. Every wall could absorb energy, possessing the same ability as the Metal Giant outside. Behind the energy-absorbing shield was an iron wall made from high-strength alloy, and many weapons had been installed as well.

Linked Vulcan Cannons fired at Raditz's body. In addition, enormous curved blades hung above him, while a cross-shaped giant blade descended from the sky, its gleaming edges reflecting the brilliant lights as it dropped at extreme speed.

It was as though the winds of hell were rushing toward him. The Vulcan Cannons fired in unison! Yet Raditz smiled.

He leaped toward the cross-shaped blade and unleashed Kaio-ken the instant the barrage arrived. His speed surged explosively, allowing him to slip around the blade and seize its telescoping metal hydraulic rod. With a vicious pull, the rod snapped, and the lower portion of the cross blade took the Vulcan Cannon bombardment and veered toward the mechanical soldiers!

The blade was exceptionally sharp, and its speed was incredibly high. The air let out a shrieking roar!

Following the howl of the wind, the cross-shaped giant blade sliced through a group of soldiers at high speed, scattering sparks. Goku darted through the barrage, dodging and knocking down the remaining patrol soldiers.

Everyone else was stunned, as though they had witnessed the most impossible thing in the world. Someone had appeared from nowhere! Someone was fighting back against these terrifying machines!

While everyone was still in shock, Raditz had already rushed to the door. He turned and fired two Ki Blasts, blowing apart the remains of the mechanical warriors. The wrecked mechs sputtered sparks and arcs of electricity as dark green lubricant spilled across the floor.

After a brief pause, the prisoners erupted. They shouted and screamed inside their compartments. Some even burst into tears, cheering hysterically.

Who would not want to see a hero defy fate?

But immediately, warning buzzers sounded throughout the entire space. Red lights flashed, and countless black Metal Warriors rose from the ground, filling the area.

A vast mechanical army charged toward Raditz as the doors began to close.

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—"

Two shots struck the two test subjects at the rear in succession. The last shot was about to hit the person at the front when Raditz casually flicked it away, then grabbed the test subject beside him and rushed out through the door.

Clang!

The door shut behind them. A corner of the dark green burlap was caught in the gap, and the test subject beneath it finally revealed her true appearance.

Before he even saw her face, Raditz's expression gained a trace of surprise, and a blush suddenly appeared on his cheeks. His hand was pressed against her chest, soft and slightly raised, with a resilient touch. She was undoubtedly a girl.

Looking up, he saw that the girl had striking long orange hair and blue eyes. Her porcelain-white skin and delicate girlish curves were exposed before Raditz's eyes. Her thin clothing emphasized her frailty.

She bit her lip tightly, her face equally flushed as she lowered her head and did not dare look at Raditz.

"S-sorry." Only then did Raditz realize his hand was still covering the girl's chest, and he hurriedly let go. He wanted badly to explain that he had not been able to control his hand and had not done it on purpose.

"Th-thank you."

The girl gave a shy smile.