The sky had just begun to grow light.
Lin Fan slowly awoke from his mysterious meditation and let out a long breath. In the chilly air, it condensed into a faintly visible white plume that lingered for several seconds before dissipating.
He stretched his limbs. Though he was still naked and his wounds had yet to heal, a night spent circulating the supreme technique recorded in the Great Dao Source Scripture and drawing energy into his body had eased much of his exhaustion and even dulled his hunger and thirst.
The wisp-like flow of True Qi inside him was barely perceptible, yet it circulated slowly on its own, continuously drawing in the scant spiritual energy between heaven and earth to nourish his nearly depleted body.
Most remarkable of all were his eyes. His vision was much clearer than before; he could even make out the veins on leaves in the distance.
"This Great Dao Source Scripture truly is extraordinary..."
Lin Fan felt a little more at ease. He had found a faint glimmer of hope in the midst of despair.
But when he looked around, all he saw was a vast wilderness, fraught with danger.
The most urgent thing was to find some clothes to cover himself, then something to eat. Better yet, he might come across a town where people lived.
After figuring out which way to go, he followed the rough dirt road, cautiously retracing the route the farmer's jeep had taken the day before.
Along the way, his hearing and eyesight seemed slightly sharper. He could sense snakes and insects moving a hundred paces away and avoid them in time, saving himself a lot of trouble.
He walked for most of the day. The sun grew fierce, and the dirt road wound on, seemingly without end.
Just as he was parched and weary, he heard a faint, steady engine hum in the distance—utterly out of place in this savage world. It wasn't the jeep's crude roar from yesterday; this sound was much more refined.
Lin Fan tensed and immediately slipped behind a thick clump of roadside bushes, holding his breath.
After what had happened the day before, he knew this world was no safe place. He couldn't tell whether whoever was coming meant him harm, so he had to be extremely cautious.
Before long, a strange-looking, bright blue one-person motorcycle came down the road from the opposite direction, kicking up a light cloud of dust.
It had a sleek, futuristic design. Its rider was a young woman dressed in practical, short clothes, with cascading blue hair and snow-white skin. She was beautiful, and she was looking down at a palm-sized device with a flashing screen, muttering to herself.
"Strange... The signal's strongest right around here, so why have I been riding around for ages without seeing a thing?"
That girl, that motorcycle, those words... Hidden behind the bushes, Lin Fan's pupils contracted, and his heart shuddered.
Bulma!
The heiress of Capsule Corporation!
The Dragon Radar!
Memories of his past life surged over him, drowning him in an instant.
He had never imagined that he would meet one of the key figures from the early days of the Dragon Ball story in circumstances like these!
Bulma rode closer, apparently irritated by her fruitless search. She slowed down and scanned the area.
Lin Fan's heart pounded like a drum. In the blink of an eye, he made his decision.
An opportunity was right in front of him. If he missed it, he might not encounter another person for who knew how long—especially someone who understood the state of this world!
He took a deep breath, forcing down his excitement and unease, then suddenly stood up from the bushes.
"Hey!"
His shout came out of nowhere. Covered in mud and stark naked, he looked like a savage and startled Bulma, who had been completely absorbed in the Dragon Radar.
"Ah—!"
Bulma cried out. The motorcycle lurched sideways and nearly toppled over.
She hurriedly steadied it, then looked up and saw what Lin Fan looked like. Her eyebrows shot up, and her pretty face filled with shock and disgust. One hand had already crept toward a strange capsule at her waist.
"W-where did this wild man come from?! You scared me to death! What do you want?"
Seeing how wary she was, Lin Fan knew he looked absolutely wretched. He quickly tried to make his voice sound as friendly and harmless as possible.
"Miss, don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person. I'm a mountain ascetic. Yesterday, I ran into a wild beast and lost all my clothes and belongings. I've been wandering ever since. I just want to ask for directions; I mean no harm."
As he spoke, he deliberately let the calm bearing that had naturally emerged from last night's cultivation soften his wild, unhinged appearance.
Bulma listened, still suspicious, and looked him up and down.
Though he was filthy and covered in wounds, his eyes were unusually clear and bright. He didn't look like some ignorant country bumpkin, and he didn't seem crazy, either.
Her guard eased a little, but she kept her hand on the capsule and pursed her lips. "An ascetic? Who'd believe that? What kind of cultivation are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere? And you ran into a wild beast... Looking at you, I doubt your battle power even reaches five."
Lin Fan's mouth twitched at the words "battle power five." He smiled wryly to himself but kept his expression calm.
He knew that unless he showed her something convincing, he'd never gain this clever girl's trust.
His gaze fell on the device in Bulma's hand, which kept beeping softly. He gave a faint, inscrutable smile, pointed at the Dragon Radar, and said slowly, "The thing you're holding is quite ingenious. Are you searching for an orange sphere with a red star inside?"
At that, the disgust and impatience on Bulma's face vanished, replaced by astonishment. Her beautiful eyes widened, and she blurted, "Y-you know that?! Who are you?"
Seeing her reaction, Lin Fan knew he'd guessed right. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while his smile grew even more enigmatic. "I don't just know about that. I also know your name. You must be... Bulma, right? The heiress of Capsule Corporation in West City."
"What?!"
Bulma was even more shocked this time and nearly jumped off her motorcycle.
She was certain she'd never seen this wild-looking man before, yet he had somehow named her, identified where she came from, and revealed that she was searching for the Dragon Balls. It was unbelievable!
She instinctively clutched the Dragon Radar to her chest and stared at Lin Fan in alarm. "Who... who are you? How do you know all this?"
Lin Fan knew he'd said enough, so he stopped playing mysterious and sighed, his voice tinged with just the right amount of helpless honesty. "My name is Lin Fan. I've been wandering around, practicing my cultivation, and ended up here. As for how I know about you... It's a secret technique passed down by my sect, a form of divination. I use the workings of heaven to infer what has happened."
His words were half true and half false. He had explained where his information came from by attributing it to an elusive sect, while subtly flattering Bulma as well. It all made him seem more sincere.
Bulma listened, still uncertain. "Divination"? That sounded even more mysterious than her grandfather's technology.
But he had correctly named her and guessed her purpose. That much was a fact.
She studied Lin Fan closely. His eyes were clear and honest. Though he looked wretched, there was nothing lecherous or vicious about him. Her wariness faded further, while her curiosity took over.
"Divination? Is that for real...? You can really do that?"
She tilted her head and muttered, then waved a hand. "Never mind. However you found out, you look so miserable that I doubt you could do anything to me. Hey, you said you got lost while practicing your cultivation. Do you know where I can find a One-Star Dragon Ball around here? I've been looking for ages and haven't found it."
Seeing that she had softened, Lin Fan was delighted, though he kept his expression calm and shook his head. "The Dragon Balls are elusive. I can't divine their exact location, either. But when you head to a town to rest, could you give me a ride?"
Bulma rolled her eyes. She looked at Lin Fan's decidedly unsightly appearance, then thought about his amazing "divination" skills. In the end, the heiress's kind heart and practical nature won out.
"Fine, fine. You're lucky you ran into me."
She patted the back seat of the motorcycle. "Hop on! But I'm warning you, don't try anything funny! I'm not someone to mess with!" As she spoke, she waved the capsule in her hand threateningly.
A great weight lifted from Lin Fan's heart. He hurriedly thanked her and, embarrassed as he was to be naked, carefully climbed onto the back seat.
The motorcycle hummed to life and carried the unlikely pair down the dirt road. The wind lifted Bulma's blue hair and blew away some of the gloom in Lin Fan's heart.
At last, in this dangerous Dragon Ball World, he had taken his first difficult step.
Before you continue