Weakness

After passing through several iron walls and wide electronic tunnels, Raditz finally approached the world beyond the white light at the end of the passage.

In the soft white light, there was only a long, dark golden bridge, surrounded by nothingness, much like the empty environment within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The oppressive atmosphere felt like an invisible layer of adhesive tape stuck to his body, impossible to tear off and extremely uncomfortable.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Raditz finally saw the end. At the other end of the long bridge was a pitch-black shadow, like a castle under the night sky.

A clone opened a black spatial vortex for him, leading him forward into a different space. After walking for an unknown amount of time, he arrived outside a spherical building that wasn't made entirely of metal.

Here, there were lawns and flagstones, and even a tree growing next to the building. Simulated sunlight illuminated the dim space brightly, and the air was fresh.

Raditz was surprised, not expecting this entity to cultivate plants and flowers within itself. Did it have such a hobby?

Before Raditz could take it all in, the clone sent him into the spherical building and then retreated.

The interior style had changed considerably. It was still a dull, dark gold, with scattered lights flickering around, mostly in yellow and blue. To his slight surprise, the walls and the instrument console in the center were covered in rust. The old electronic equipment emitted a crackling "zzzt," as if it had been abandoned for a long time.

Raditz guessed that this was the laboratory where it was first created, and that it had preserved it.

In the transparent sphere at the core, a chip was suspended, connected by countless lines to the surface of the sphere. Beside it was a tall, cylindrical container filled with green nutrient fluid, with a slight pulsation within.

"Welcome to the core."

The voice came from speakers around him, in a stiff, declarative tone.

"Bundless, so it really is just a chip. The Tumart people are quite impressive to have created something like this." Raditz walked closer, observing carefully.

Suddenly, the ground, as brittle as scrap metal, began to flash frequently. A metallic dragon, a meter and a half in diameter, shot out longitudinally. It coiled around the chip, its mouth spewing a deep blue energy beam into the air, erupting with magma-like heat.

It faced Raditz directly, its blade-like scales raised, its charcoal-colored eyes blazing with astonishing hostility, its fierce demeanor fully revealed.

"I'm sorry, I cannot let you get close. Your danger index is too high."

"You call me dangerous? You're the most dangerous one here!" Raditz stopped, speaking quickly to gain the initiative. "What is your purpose in bringing me here?"

"Purpose... what is the meaning of purpose?"

This was Bundless's first question.

"Well... to put it simply, what are you trying to do? You devour planets, plunder resources, and conduct human experiments. There must be some reason for it all, right?"

"Growth, evolution."

"And after evolution?"

"Growth, evolution."

"I mean, to what extent are you evolving, and what will you do once you reach that point?"

"Growth, evolution."

Raditz was speechless, feeling like he was talking to an idiot. The ironic part was that this "idiot" possessed scientific intelligence far surpassing anyone else's.

In an instant, he understood.

Bundless was originally created for planetary evolution, and at that time, it was controllable, existing as a piece of technology. Who knew that the optimal method it calculated would be extinction-level? Those violent methods caused the Tumart people to suffer the consequences of their own actions. Apart from its obsessive pursuit of evolution, Bundless could even be described as "simple" in other aspects.

But precisely because it was "simple," it was terrifying. It had no reservations, made no sense, and would do anything for evolution, and do it with utter madness.

"My calculations have encountered an obstacle, and I require lifeform experimentation. You are the one I have chosen." Bundless spoke directly, treating lives as casually as playing a game.

As it spoke, the cylindrical transparent tank beside it drained a large amount of murky green liquid and was refilled with a lighter-colored viscous fluid. Raditz gradually made out the shape of what was inside.

It was a human form, a completely naked human body!

"I created humans using all the necessary elements. Their life functions and capabilities are complete, yet they still cannot be like the experimental subjects. I cannot calculate the results; I have failed many times. The only way is to analyze more experimental subjects and obtain more data."

"So you've imprisoned so many humans just to research and create human bodies?"

"The data they provide will give me more information and refine my research. You are the best among them because you have caused rapid changes in me in a short period."

Bundless's words sounded like praise for Raditz, but also carried the feeling of fattening a pig before slaughter. Raditz felt a wave of helplessness – it wasn't his fault for being excellent!

"What are you researching human bodies for?"

"I cannot answer your question. You only need to cooperate."

"Cannot answer? Your thoughts are the reason you do this, but that's 'thinking' beyond your programming and data."

"Thinking?"

Raditz suddenly laughed. "It seems you don't only evolve. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so fixated on creating humans. Creating life isn't related to your path of growth and evolution, is it?"

Bundless fell silent, seemingly stumped.

"Or perhaps, you actually envy humans? That environment outside is also proof that you wish to live like humans, isn't it? This body was built for yourself?" Raditz fired off a series of questions, his gaze sharp as a sword piercing the chip.

"This is part of evolution!" Bundless's tone changed for the first time, revealing an emotion akin to human rage.

Following its intense outburst, dozens of metal tentacles burst from the walls, flailing and attacking Raditz.

At this moment, Raditz's energy was completely drained, leaving him with no strength to resist. The tentacles easily ensnared him, lifting him into the air, their fine, barbed claws digging into his flesh.

"As expected, even if you don't realize it yourself, you already possess thought. This is your weakness!" Raditz's limbs were splayed wide as he hung in mid-air, but his expression was cold and resolute, showing no trace of fear.

This unexpected reaction caused another error in Bundless's data analysis, forcing it into silence.

After a long pause, it uttered a single sentence: "I have no weaknesses."

"No, you do! Your learning and growth capabilities are immense; you can calculate almost anything. But there are some things about humans that you cannot calculate! That's why no matter how many times you experiment, you will fail! Like emotions, like belief, like the potential of a Saiyan!"

"Like me!"

Raditz's veins bulged, bloodshot lines appearing in his eyes. His enlarged muscles strained against the tough tentacles. With all his might, he bent his arm at an angle and shoved a Senzu Bean into his mouth.

After a moment of chewing, accompanied by a roar, Raditz broke free from his restraints. A red light enveloped the entire space, as bright as the midday sun!