Shi Tianwu's Choice

"What did I miss?"

Shi Tianwu suddenly came online, and the chat window was back to three people.

"Ah, are you Tianwu?"

"You look so young~!!"

Edward Newgate was taken aback, then studied Shi Tianwu closely.

Shi Tianwu had hidden his personal information long ago, so nobody could see his age.

In fact, he was the oldest person in the group.

But his outlook was young.

"Oh, I see. We've got a new member," Shi Tianwu said.

"How come it's a little kid?"

"Son Gohan?"

Shi Tianwu felt he vaguely remembered the name, so he rummaged through his memories.

It wasn't in his own memories.

Then it must have been in someone else's.

Shi Tianwu found "Son Gohan" in Lu Bian's memories.

Perfect recall—Shi Tianwu didn't consider it a real ability.

Lu Bian had read the Dragon Ball manga many times, and after reading Lu Bian's memories, Shi Tianwu had effectively read it too.

"Son Gohan, huh..."

Shi Tianwu knew Son Gohan through Lu Bian's perspective.

In Lu Bian's eyes, Son Gohan's father, Sun Wukong, was the most reassuring person in any world he knew.

Even when countless terrifying enemies appeared, each capable of destroying the world, as long as Sun Wukong was there, he believed the world would be saved by the Super Saiyan Kakarot.

"Saiyans?"

"Kakarot..."

"I'd really like to meet him."

The Saiyans were a spacefaring warrior race with a love of battle written into their genes. After recovering from near-fatal injuries, their power increased dramatically. When they saw a full moon, they transformed into giant apes, multiplying their combat strength tenfold. They also had the Super Saiyan form, which increased their power fiftyfold.

...In the end, they were wiped out, too.

The surviving full-blooded Saiyans in the universe could be counted on two hands.

Shi Tianwu played the scenes back in his mind, reviewing everything about Dragon Ball in Lu Bian's memories.

He felt that Saiyans had a lot in common with the powerful people he'd met who wielded magnetic-field energy.

Was that right?

Or not?

There were some differences, too...

Why was Shi Tianwu thinking about all this?

Because he was facing a choice.

Now that the magnetic-field humans were extinct, should he, this "god," create a new world from scratch, or restore the world that had perished?

Shi Tianwu hoped he could create a harmonious world.

However, he didn't even understand what this idea of a "harmonious world" meant yet.

There were too many questions Shi Tianwu needed to consider.

As for magnetic-field energy...

That was the question he was thinking hardest about.

Did the world really need a supernatural power like Magnetic Rotation?

He couldn't find an answer...

[Beep...]

[Chat group administrator Shi Tianwu uploaded "Design Plans for a Home-Use Self-Learning Intelligent Computer Assistant"]

"Tianwu, you're uploading something again?"

"With this, Elder Brother Edward would need to find some professionals to make it work. Mr. Bruce Wayne and Gohan, on the other hand, should have an easier time," Lu Bian said.

"This is something I want to give to little Son Gohan," Shi Tianwu said.

"He's seven, and because he lives in remote Mount Paozu, he can only study at home. With better learning equipment, he'll be able to keep up with kids his age in developed cities," Shi Tianwu explained.

"I hope Gohan comes back online soon," Lu Bian said, growing eager.

"Once studying becomes easier, Gohan will have more time to train."

"Mm, that's right." Shi Tianwu nodded.

"By the way, I have something to tell you, Lu Bian," Shi Tianwu said.

"What is it?"

"It's about our Chat Group."

"While my consciousness was inside you, I was studying this Chat Group the whole time."

"I discovered that it runs on your power."

"What? My power?"

"Lu Bian, your [transmigrator] trait is its [underlying code]. You gave it the ability to cross worlds and let people chat with others from different worlds."

"I... I can do something that amazing?!" Lu Bian exclaimed.

"Don't underestimate yourself," Shi Tianwu said.

"And our Chat Group isn't set in stone."

"Based on my calculations, when the group owner's own power grows stronger, the Chat Group's abilities will strengthen as well, and more functions will appear."

"If I get stronger, the Chat Group will get stronger too?"

"I understand." Lu Bian could feel how strongly Shi Tianwu believed in him.

"Perhaps one day, when you're strong enough, we'll really be able to meet," Shi Tianwu said.

"You mean you could travel to my world, and our group members could travel to one another's worlds... as long as I'm strong enough to upgrade and iterate the Chat Group."

"'Upgrade and iterate' is a good way to put it. Perhaps we'll even be able to develop the Chat Group functions we want ourselves." Shi Tianwu nodded at Lu Bian.

"I'll train seriously," Lu Bian said, his gaze growing resolute.

"The world I've crossed over to feels vaguely familiar."

"At any rate, it isn't a world that's completely unfamiliar to me."

"There should be gods and monsters here."

"Brother Tianwu has already given me cultivation methods, so I don't need to go looking for a way to become an immortal."

"Lu Bian, do you want eternal life?" Shi Tianwu asked.

"Eternal life?"

"No. I think living forever would be painful."

"A person only needs to live a meaningful life within the time they have."

"People must have the right to embrace death."

"I think being unable even to die is the most painful thing of all."

That was Lu Bian's personal view, shaped by more than a decade of illness.

When his condition was at its worst, he'd wanted countless times to embrace death, but the love of his family and friends had bound him to this world and made him give up on dying.

The power of "love" was truly terrifying!

Whitebeard listened quietly as Lu Bian and Shi Tianwu chatted. There were many words he didn't understand, but that didn't keep him from grasping what they meant.

Gradually, the conversation shifted to martial arts.

Lu Bian was on the road.

Even while traveling, he could incorporate martial arts training into the journey.

Shi Tianwu spoke at length, while Lu Bian adjusted the video call's angle so Shi Tianwu could advise him on his posture and steps as he walked.

How to train his body through something as simple as walking...

Lu Bian held a long, straight wooden staff, and Shi Tianwu took the opportunity to teach him staff techniques.

As Lu Bian walked and swung the staff, his theoretical knowledge of martial arts rapidly improved under Shi Tianwu's verbal instruction. Edward Newgate listened in and found the lesson quite enlightening, gaining new understanding and insight into how to wield his sword, Murakumogiri.