The spatial turbulence tore at him with bone-deep agony.
It was as if countless tiny blades were repeatedly slicing through his flesh, bones, and meridians, while his consciousness was ripped to shreds.
Lin Chen's body tumbled helplessly through the pitch-black rift in space. His flesh, which had just healed, split open again, and tiny beads of blood drifted through the warped void.
The aftereffects of [Desperate Burst] erupted in full force.
His strength was drained in an instant. His limbs went limp, and the energy within his core was in utter disarray. He couldn't even maintain a basic hover, let alone unleash a technique.
His battle power plunged off a cliff. From just over 2,700 after his recent breakthrough, it dropped straight to below 1,000—leaving him even weaker than he had been at the start.
[System Notification: Aftereffects of the burst have taken hold. Battle power will remain locked in a weakened state for the next seventy-two hours. You cannot break through on your own, and your cultivation speed is greatly reduced.]
The system's cold notification sounded. Lin Chen's heart sank.
He was in the worst possible condition, facing the most unknown of circumstances.
No one knew where this random warp passage would lead: to a lifeless nebula with no sign of civilization, a death zone crawling with ferocious beasts, or dangerous territory controlled by another force.
The ancient divine presence that had just surpassed Frieza's was an even sharper thorn in his mind.
That definitely hadn't been Beerus's aura.
The God of Destruction's presence was domineering, destructive, and aloof, towering above all.
But that divine presence had been boundless and ancient, stretching across countless eons as if it had existed since the birth of the universe.
The other party had merely glanced at him. It had shown no malice and made no move, yet Lin Chen had felt wary down to his bones.
Universe 7 truly concealed countless secrets that the original story had never revealed.
His dizziness grew worse. His overtaxed body could no longer withstand the violent spatial turbulence, and his consciousness flickered like a candle in the wind before sinking into darkness.
Before he passed out completely, he had only one thought.
Please, don't let it be territory controlled by the Frieza Force.
Please, not a death zone.
He didn't know how much time had passed.
A warm breeze brushed gently across his cheek.
It carried the faint, sweet scent of grass and flowers, tender beyond belief.
There was no bitter cold of space, no tearing spatial turbulence, no scorching heat from rivers of lava, and none of the desolate bloodshed that had hung over Planet Vegeta year-round.
Comfortable, peaceful, warm.
In the ten years since Lin Chen had transmigrated, he had never experienced an environment so pleasant.
His heavy eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.
Above him stretched a clear blue sky, with lazy white clouds drifting across it. Soft sunlight fell upon his skin, warm and comforting as it dispelled much of the chill in his body.
He lay on soft grass. All around him stood lush, dense woods, alive with birdsong and the rustle of leaves.
A place brimming with life, untouched by conflict.
It was the complete opposite of the brutal, savage homeworld of the Saiyans.
"Is this... a habitable planet?"
Lin Chen murmured, then braced himself against the ground and struggled upright on aching arms.
He was still incredibly weak. The moment he moved, every bone and muscle throbbed with pain. His energy was in disarray, and even lifting a hand took effort.
He looked down at himself. His Battle Suit had been mostly torn apart by the spatial turbulence. His clothes were ragged, his body covered in small wounds, many of them crusted with dark red blood. He looked utterly miserable.
Fortunately, [Near-Death Super-Speed Recovery] had kept all his life-threatening injuries under control. None had reached his core.
Once he made it through the period of weakness, his strength would fully recover—and might even reach a new level.
"Looks like I made the right bet."
Lin Chen let out a long breath, and at last, some of the tension eased from his body.
The random warp hadn't sent him to a death zone. Instead, he had crashed onto a planet with an exceptionally healthy ecosystem.
The environment, vegetation, atmospheric density, gravity... every characteristic pointed to one place.
Earth!
The haven he had dreamed of reaching, the place he had spent ten years lying low and striving toward—the very heart of the Dragon Ball world!
After all the twists and turns, the desperate flight, the blood-soaked destruction of his spaceship, and being driven to the brink by the Universe Emperor, he had finally ended up here.
"Heaven hasn't treated me too badly."
Lin Chen raised a hand to shade his eyes from the sun. A flicker of relief crossed his gaze, but he quickly regained his composure.
Landing on Earth didn't mean he was absolutely safe.
Earth was now thriving in the martial arts, home to veteran martial arts masters like Master Roshi and Master Shen, as well as countless beasts and dangerous hidden realms.
More importantly, he hadn't completely concealed his Saiyan aura. If he ran into someone with keen senses, his identity could easily be exposed.
And Frieza had already memorized his aura.
He had escaped today thanks to the random spatial warp and the trump card he had used when driven into a corner.
If Frieza targeted him again, he wouldn't be so lucky.
He had to grow stronger as quickly as possible!
Before Frieza's army found Earth, he needed power enough to stand against the Universe Emperor!
Lin Chen raised a hand and brought up his full status panel.
[Host: Lin Chen]
[Race: Half-Saiyan (Earth soul modification; potential surpasses that of pure-blooded Saiyans)]
[Current Battle Power: 920 (locked in weakened state)]
[Peak Base Battle Power: 2780]
[Talent: Near-Death Super-Speed Recovery (rare bloodline talent)]
[Authority: Super Saiyan preliminary unlock authorization (inactive)]
[System Status: Stable]
Looking at the stats, Lin Chen understood.
With peak battle power close to 2,800, he was already far stronger than an ordinary low-class Saiyan—comparable to Nappa in his early days.
As soon as his weakened state ended, he could begin another round of absorption and advancement.
Just as he was about to get up, scout the area, and look for a source of water and a human settlement, a clear, lively girl's voice rang out from a path in the woods nearby, tinged with a hint of petulance.
"Honestly! Where did it go?"
"The radar said it was right around here. Why did the Dragon Ball signal suddenly disappear?"
"I went to all the trouble of sneaking out to have an adventure. I'm not going home until I find the Dragon Balls!"
Her voice was sweet and clear, full of a young girl's energy and playful complaints.
Lin Chen paused and turned to look.
At the end of the woodland path, a pretty young girl slowly came into view.
She looked no older than eighteen or nineteen. Her short purple hair was neat and practical, her features delicate and striking, her skin fair and luminous, and her eyes bright and clever.
She wore simple outdoor clothes and carried a large backpack. In her hands was a small, sleek scanner with a distinctly high-tech look. She walked along, staring at its screen with a troubled expression.
Bulma!
The moment he recognized her, Lin Chen knew where he was in the timeline.
The beginning of the original Dragon Ball story!
Bulma, back when she was a girl, had first left home to hunt for treasure—the genius who had begun her Dragon Ball adventure!
In that moment, Lin Chen was certain: he had landed at the very starting point of the Dragon Ball story.
"I didn't expect to run into the beginning of the story as soon as I got to Earth."
A glint of understanding flashed in Lin Chen's eyes.
In the original story, Bulma had made a Dragon Radar so she could gather the Dragon Balls and wish for a handsome boyfriend. She had left West City and ventured into the mountains to find the Four-Star Dragon Ball, where she'd met Son Goku.
But fate had taken a different turn. The first person she met wasn't the innocent, naïve Little Goku. It was Lin Chen, a battle-scarred stranger who had escaped the brink of death in the depths of space.
Bulma was still staring down at the radar, brows knitted and lips pursed in frustration.
"That's strange. The signal was definitely in this area just a moment ago. How could it vanish out of nowhere? Is the device broken? No way. How could the radar I made with my own genius be wrong?"
Muttering to herself, she continued along the path. As she walked, she happened to look up—and froze when she spotted the boy sitting on the grass nearby.
The next moment, Bulma stopped dead.
A breeze stirred the woods. The boy sat on the grass, his clothes torn but his posture straight. His features were sharp and deep-set, his presence cool and composed, unlike any boy she had ever seen on Earth.
There was a steadiness and distance about him, the kind that came from surviving life and death. Even covered in wounds and looking utterly battered, he couldn't hide the proud edge in his nature.
Bulma had grown up seeing spoiled rich boys and refined gentlemen in West City, but she had never seen a boy with eyes like his—or a presence like his.
For a moment, she could only stare.
Lin Chen looked back at her calmly, making no effort to strike up a conversation. His expression was composed.
A stranger—calm, steady, unruffled.
For some reason, his demeanor made Bulma's heart tighten. She stopped instinctively, a hint of wariness crossing her face.
"Who are you?"
Bulma gripped the Dragon Radar in her hands and asked softly, her voice carrying a tentative caution.
She had been clever and precocious from a young age, far more worldly than other girls her age. She could tell at a glance that the boy before her wasn't some ordinary mountain dweller.
His presence, his eyes, his build—everything about him felt unusual.
Lin Chen didn't hide anything or try to win her over. His voice was steady and even. "My name's Lin Chen. I got lost and ended up here."
He deliberately softened his Saiyan accent, speaking in the most standard Earth language, while suppressing his aura as much as possible. He looked like a stranded outdoor traveler, down on his luck.
"Lost?"
Bulma blinked her big eyes and studied his tattered clothes and wounds from head to toe. Her curiosity only grew.
"Where did you come from? This is deep wilderness, with nobody around. Ordinary people wouldn't dare come here. How did you get lost out here—and end up covered in injuries?"
Her questions came one after another, full of girlish curiosity.
Lin Chen had his story ready and answered calmly. "There was a landslide. I fell into a valley, stumbled around for a while, and woke up here."
It was half true and half false, with no obvious holes.
The destruction of Planet Vegeta, the pursuit through space, the spatial warp—those things were too unbelievable. If he told her, she would only think he was crazy.
Bulma understood at once, then looked at him with sympathy.
"Oh, I see. That's awful."
Seeing all the wounds covering Lin Chen, she let most of her wariness fade. Her kind heart got the better of her.
He did seem cold, but he looked pretty pitiful.
"Are you all right? Are your injuries serious? These mountains are dangerous. There are lots of fierce beasts!"
As she spoke, Bulma carefully stepped closer, rummaged through her backpack, and took out a portable wound spray and some compressed biscuits. She held them out to him.
"Here, take these. Have something to eat, then treat your wounds."
Lin Chen glanced at the food and medicine she offered. He was touched.
The Bulma from the original story was proud, clever, and willful, but she was kind at heart and warm toward others.
She certainly lived up to her reputation.
"Thank you."
Lin Chen didn't refuse. He reached out and took them.
His body was extremely weak, and he desperately needed energy. These supplies had come at just the right time.
He ate a few bites of compressed biscuit. The gnawing emptiness in his stomach eased a little, and he regained a sliver of strength.
Bulma stood nearby with her hands behind her back, head tilted as she watched him without blinking. The more she looked, the more curious she became.
This boy named Lin Chen really was different.
He was covered in wounds, battered and weak, yet showed none of the panic or confusion one might expect. He was far too composed.
He was handsome, with striking features and a cool air about him. He was more attractive—and more memorable—than any boy she had seen in West City.
An inexplicable hint of affection stirred in the girl's heart.
"Lin Chen, where are you planning to go next?" Bulma couldn't help asking. "These mountains are vast and dangerous. There's no way you can get out on your own."
As Lin Chen tended to his wounds, he replied evenly, "I'll get out of the woods first, then decide what to do."
"Then that's perfect!"
Bulma's eyes lit up, and she immediately responded. "I'm heading farther into the mountains to look for the Dragon Balls. I know the way! If you don't mind, you can come with me for now. I'll help you get out of here!"
She had her own little plan.
Part of her wanted to help, but she was also genuinely curious about Lin Chen and wanted to spend more time with this mysterious, handsome stranger.
Lin Chen considered it briefly, then nodded.
"Sure. Sorry for the trouble."
He had just arrived on Earth and knew nothing about it. Following Bulma was undoubtedly the fastest way to learn about the planet, find his place in its world, and figure out where he was in the timeline.
Besides, the greatest opportunities, hidden realms, and resources were always found along the path of the main cast.
Just as the two of them were about to set off together and head deeper into the woods, the system in Lin Chen's mind suddenly vibrated without warning.
Buzz—!
[Beep! Detected an extremely strong Dragon Ball energy signature nearby!]
[The Four-Star Dragon Ball is within one hundred meters!]
[Detected a special life-form rapidly approaching!]
[Battle Power Scan: 1350!]
[Life-form characteristics: Pure-blooded Saiyan, naturally pure heart, unlimited potential!]
Lin Chen stopped in his tracks. A flash of light glinted in his eyes.
Son Goku!
Little Goku was here!
But the next moment, the system's second notification left his entire body rigid, a storm surging in his heart!
[Special warning: A long-range lock-on signature has been detected!] [Source of signature: Frieza!] [The other party has used the coordinates of the universe's source to preliminarily pinpoint this planet's location!] [Frieza's reconnaissance team is expected to arrive in Earth's star region within seventy-two hours!]
He had only just landed on Earth; his peaceful days hadn't even begun.
The Universe Emperor's pursuit had already crossed the sea of stars and caught up with him!
Before you continue