The Dimensional Gap

Qi Heng nodded, his eyes showing no hesitation, his voice like a final verdict.

"Even if the two of you team up, Vegeta Son Goku, in their current state, facing Omega Shenron head-on—" He paused for a moment, then softly uttered, "The hope is truly pitifully slim."

That guy was a monster from another world.

The room fell into a deathly silence; even the hum of the instruments seemed to have been turned off.

Everyone stopped breathing, as if the air had been sealed off.

Only on the screen, those seven glaring red dots continued to jump and arrogantly sway back and forth, as if mocking everyone's heaviness.

Shock and disbelief were written on everyone's faces, and a chilling fear quickly spread.

The fighting spirit that usually clung to Son Goku's face froze.

He stared intently at the red dot representing the Omega Shenron, his gaze heavy with a weight that seemed to threaten to crush him.

The laboratory was eerily quiet.

The crisis has already opened its bloody maw like a monster.

The sophisticated instruments on the wall were making particularly jarring noises, and everyone's expressions grew increasingly tense.

Trunks gritted his teeth, his fists clenched until they turned white.

He couldn't help but take a step forward, his voice filled with the urgency and unease typical of youth. "Then... what should we do?"

Qi Heng ignored him.

He didn't even look at anyone, but slowly turned around, the hem of his black trench coat drawing a cold, hard arc.

His boots clattered on the metal floor, his steps steady, each one clear yet solitary, as he walked outside.

"Qi Heng!" Bulma finally couldn't hold back any longer, stood up and raised her voice, her eyes behind her glasses filled with anxiety and doubt.

"Where are you going? This is not the time for you to act alone!"

Qi Heng stopped at the door, his back as cold as a mountain.

He didn't turn around, leaving everyone with only his upright figure.

A few seconds later, his voice came through, calm to the point of being cold, each word clear and brooking no argument. "Go find the Shadow Dragons."

He turned his face slightly to the side, his profile as sharp as a knife.

"Omega Shenron... I'm quite interested in that."

"As for the rest," he paused, his tone indifferent as if it were none of his business, "You can handle it yourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, the automatic door slid open silently, and the cold white light from outside shone on him. The next second, he disappeared into the dimness of the corridor, leaving only an increasingly oppressive silence in the room.

Everyone looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

The atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

"That bastard!" Vegeta gritted his teeth, veins throbbing on his forehead, arms crossed, his whole body radiating rage.

"No matter how many years have passed, this guy is still so infuriating, with that self-righteous attitude!"

"But what he said is probably true." Piccolo's face was greener and more somber than the sky outside.

He crossed his arms, his gaze sharp, his voice deep.

"We are well aware of Qi Heng's strength and insight."

"Even he specifically emphasized Omega Shenron... That guy's power is definitely far beyond our previous estimates, reaching an unimaginable level."

Son Goku hadn't spoken until now, when he slowly clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking softly.

A flame reignited in his eyes, and a burning fighting spirit broke through the oppressive silence.

A fighting smile habitually crept onto his lips.

"No matter how strong they are," his voice was firm and powerful, radiating unwavering confidence, "We must defeat them!"

"Otherwise, the Earth would truly be doomed."

"Hmph, nonsense." Vegeta snorted coldly, but the fighting spirit in his eyes was also ignited.

He stood up abruptly, his Battle Suit gleaming brightly under the lights.

"I don't have time to dawdle here."

"Kakarot, we'll take care of the strongest one."

"Everyone else, split up and get the rest done quickly!"

"No problem!" Son Goku stood up in response, his sunny smile a stark contrast to Vegeta's fierce appearance.

--Two days later.

The eastern part of the Earth, in the coldest part of the Northern Hemisphere.

A once bustling city has now been completely transformed into a graveyard of ice and snow.

Before my eyes, there was only chilling white and deathly silence.

The tall buildings were all encased in a thick layer of blue ice, crooked and broken into several pieces.

On the streets, the snow was so deep that it could submerge a person, with only broken signs and car wrecks peeking out.

What's most chilling are the human ice sculptures still frozen in the postures of running and hiding, scattered everywhere in the ruins, their faces forever frozen in terror and despair.

The air was freezing cold; each breath felt like inhaling thousands of ice needles.

The exhaled breath instantly turned into white mist.

Two figures broke through the swirling ice crystals and snowflakes, landing in a square filled with ruins in the center of the city— Gohan and Piccolo.

Gohan stood on the hard ice, and the devastation around him made him clench his fists.

Even though he had experienced grand events like Cell and Majin Buu, he was still speechless with shock at this sight, his heart filled with rage.

"What... what exactly happened?" he asked, his voice strained.

Piccolo's expression was colder than the ice and snow here.

His sharp gaze swept around, and he could clearly sense the evil yet powerful chill.

"It's Shadow Dragons," Piccolo said in a deep voice, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "The dragon that resides here can control extreme ice and cold."

"This city is proof of its power."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the ruins not far ahead suddenly exploded!

"Boom!"

A half-collapsed department store suddenly exploded, sending countless pieces of reinforced concrete covered in ice flying everywhere.

Amidst the swirling dust and debris, a silver-white figure soared into the sky, hovering in mid-air, looking down upon them.

It was a humanoid monster, but its entire body was cold and malevolent, unlike anything human.

It was covered in layers of ice armor as sharp as diamonds, and its head was a ferocious dragon's head. When it breathed, it spewed out white, chilling air that could freeze one's soul.

Those icy blue vertical pupils were cold and devoid of any emotion, instead filled with cruelty and mockery.

It emanated a terrifyingly low temperature, causing the air to crackle and pop.

Eis Shenron!

"Two more fearless little bugs have arrived." Eis Shenron's voice, sharp as ice scraping against metal, echoed over the ruins.

"Humans just never learn; their obsession with Dragon Balls is laughable."

Gohan took a deep breath of the cold air, suppressed his anger, and instantly entered battle mode.

His body slumped slightly, his fists clenched, and golden flames erupted with a "boom," but it wasn't Super Saiyan form; it was more like a carefully controlled attack that forced back some of the ice and snow.

"You're Eis Shenron? You're the one who destroyed this city?" He stared at the other man.

"That's right, it's me." Eis Shenron tilted his head, his icy blue eyes full of mockery.

"To welcome the true master of the Dragon Balls, we need to clean up the environment."

"You're here to retrieve the Dragon Balls? Not bad..." It slowly raised an ice-armored arm, its five fingers spread wide, and extremely cold power gathered wildly in its palm, forming a violently spinning ice storm.

"--If you're so capable, then meet me in this eternal cold and we'll see!"

Before he could finish speaking, Eis Shenron's figure had already blurred.