Shadow Dragons Appear
In the very center of the table, a holographic projection of the Earth slowly rotated.
The blue ocean and green land are clearly visible, yet the whole scene exudes an indescribable sense of oppression.
Bulma stood in front of the main control screen, her fingers pressing hard on the panel until her knuckles turned white.
On the screen, seven glaring scarlet signals, like a swarm of disturbed bees, tore through the virtual map, darting wildly in seven directions, leaving behind tangled trails that made one's heart tighten, as if the net of death was tightening ever more.
Behind me, I could hear everyone breathing.
Gohan bit his lip, Piccolo crossed his arms, his green fingers almost digging into his flesh.
Pan unconsciously gripped the hem of her grandfather's Son Goku Battle Suit.
Vegeta leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, his jawline taut like a sharp knife.
"So—" Bulma finally broke the almost frozen silence.
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling in the overly quiet laboratory, as if suppressing even more intense emotions, "Let's sort out this mess."
She turned around to face everyone, and started counting on her fingers one by one, her nails almost digging into her palms.
"First," her voice echoed in the empty laboratory, "the Dragon Balls. We've used them countless times, made countless wishes, but because of the accumulated Negative Energy, they've mutated."
"They're no longer wishing spheres, but...living disasters." She pointed to the wildly darting red dots on the screen. "They've become 'Shadow Dragons.'"
"Second," she pressed down on her second finger, the knuckles cracking crisply, "The number of Shadow Dragons is exactly seven, corresponding to the seven Dragon Balls."
"Third," she said, her voice growing faster and more resolute, "There is only one way to retrieve the Dragon Balls and restore them to their original state—a direct confrontation, defeating every single Shadow Dragons. There are no shortcuts, and there are no alternatives."
"Fourth," she abruptly slammed her hand down on the table, her gaze sweeping across everyone's faces, "If we fail and allow these dragons to run rampant, their Negative Energy will spread like a plague. Finally..." She paused, her voice tightening, "Finally the Earth will die completely, turning into a lifeless stone. Time won't wait for us."
She leaned against the edge of the screen, her shoulders slumped slightly, as if those words had drained all her strength.
"Reality is just that cruel."
Pan's face turned deathly pale instantly. Her lips trembled a few times before she managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Then... what should we do? Grandpa..." She subconsciously looked at Son Goku.
"What else can we do?" Vegeta's cold laugh echoed from the corner, tinged with impatience and his usual belligerence.
He lowered his arms from his chest, stood up straight, and his red Battle Suit was dazzling in the cold light.
"Find those arrogant lizards, and then—" he smirked, a cold smile playing on his lips, "Wipe them out at the molecular level. That way, the problem is solved."
"Easier said than done, Vegeta," Piccolo retorted in a low voice, his gaze beneath his hat brim cold and deep. "We're facing seven enemies, scattered across the world. We know nothing about them—what they look like, how powerful they are. Splitting up is suicide."
"I've found the location." Bulma turned to the console, her fingers flying across the virtual keyboard.
The Earth projection quickly transformed into a detailed strategic map, with seven pulse-like red dots that suddenly became dazzlingly bright, each landing on a different location: the depths of the ocean, a snow-capped mountain, a desert, a primeval forest, city ruins, a deep canyon, and an active volcano.
"The Dragon Balls Scouter is still working. Although the target has changed to a high-speed, Shadow Dragons, the core frequency of its energy signature remains the same. I have already made preliminary location and trajectory predictions."
Seven red dots, seven targets.
Gohan counted the enemies, his brow furrowed, but a determination gradually formed in his eyes. "Seven enemies. We have enough manpower here, if allocated properly. We can split into groups and attack simultaneously to eliminate them as quickly as possible."
"I agree with Gohan." Son Goku stood up, his usual relaxed smile gone, replaced by the focus and seriousness of a warrior facing a formidable opponent.
"Vegeta and I—" He looked at the prince by the wall, who snorted but didn't object, "We'll go after the one with the strongest energy. The rest, we'll divide into groups according to our strength and deal with them individually."
While everyone was discussing in hushed tones how to divide the group --
"Wait." A quiet, almost indifferent voice came from the darkest corner of the laboratory, like someone throwing a stone into the center of a lake, making the air tremble.
Everyone stopped and turned to look at the source of the sound.
Qi Heng was still sitting in the metal chair far from the main table, his figure almost blending into the shadows.
He crossed his arms, only his pale golden eyes gleaming in the darkness, calmly scanning the crowd one by one.
There was no fear or impatience in his eyes, only a chilling calmness.
"Before you get all fired up and assign tasks—" Qi Heng said, his voice low but each word clear, "There's a very basic question. Do you really understand the strength of the 'Shadow Dragons'?"
Son Goku blinked and shook his head frankly. "I don't know. But no matter how strong they are, we'll have to fight them to find out."
"Well, before you 'test' them with your bodies, why don't you listen to what I have to say first?" Qi Heng slowly stood up, his movements unhurried yet carrying a suffocating rhythm, as if the air itself became heavier with his rise.
He walked to the screen, his heels tapping on the metal floor, each step feeling like a blow to the heart.
He stopped beside Bulma, staring at the seven scarlet dots of light, his golden eyes reflecting the flickering red glow.
"The seven Shadow Dragons weren't just randomly chosen. They correspond one-to-one with the star ratings of the Dragon Balls, from one star to seven stars." Qi Heng raised his hand, pointing at the points of light, as if he could touch their essence through the screen.
"Their strength also has a clear hierarchy, with the weakest being probably Eis Shenron or Nuova Shenron."
He paused, as if recalling or confirming, "The strongest one..." His gaze locked onto the most restless red dot with an absurdly high energy reading.
"Yes, Omega Shenron."
The temperature in the laboratory seemed to have dropped a few degrees.
"Its strength," Qi Heng turned and glanced at Son Goku and Vegeta, his tone calm, yet he uttered a chilling statement, "far exceeds the limits of what you know about Super Saiyan 4."
"What?!" Krillin couldn't help but exclaim.
Trunks and Goten gasped.
Piccolo's pupils constricted sharply.
Vegeta lowered his arms from his chest, his fists clenching instantly, his knuckles cracking. His brows furrowed deeply, his crimson eyes fixed on Qi Heng: "Far beyond Super Saiyan 4? You mean—even in that form, still—" "That's right."