The Strange Village

"Put-put-put—!"

The pink motorcycle kicked up a long trail of dust across the wasteland.

Chen He sat with his hands over his head, miserably crammed into the tiny space on the back seat. In front of him was Bulma's fragrant purple hair blowing in the wind, while Son Goku crouched on the rear crossbar, gripping his shoulders tightly and yelling nonstop.

"Wow! This 'steam-car' monster runs so fast! Even faster than a poop dragon!" Goku shouted as he excitedly tried to poke at the exhaust pipe.

"It's called a car! And don't wipe your dirty hands on me!" Bulma roared over her shoulder as she drove with her goggles on.

The jolting made Chen He roll his eyes. He cursed inwardly, This awful road—only a Saiyan's waist could take this. An ordinary person would've fallen apart by now.

He casually opened the system panel that only he could see:

Points: 550 / 1000

"Still over four hundred points short..." Chen He pursed his lips. He was anxious to unlock the shop. Having combat power but no offensive techniques was simply too uncomfortable.

"Hey, Chen He." Bulma stared at the Dragon Radar mounted on the front of the vehicle and suddenly called out, "The radar says the village ahead has a Dragon Ball, but the signal seems to be moving. We need to speed up!"

Chen He raised his head and glanced at the outline of a village appearing on the distant horizon, amusement rising in his heart.

That perverted pig Oolong was there, wasn't he?

"Step on it, miss. But a warning first—there's a 'monster' in that village that specializes in kidnapping pretty girls." Chen He casually added.

Bulma snorted and patted the little pistol at her waist. "I've got this. What am I afraid of? Besides, don't I have you as a 'bodyguard'?"

Chen He said nothing, merely sweeping his gaze over the surroundings.

Just then, a shadow suddenly charged out from behind a pile of jagged rocks nearby.

"Roar—!"

A monstrous bird resembling a pterosaur, as large as a small truck, let out a piercing shriek. It opened its saliva-filled jaws and dove straight at Bulma.

"Ahhh!! A monster!!" Bulma screamed, and the motorcycle swerved violently.

"Don't panic! Hold on to the handlebars!"

Chen He's eyes sharpened. Before Goku could react, he sprang from the back seat like a released spring. With a light tap of his toe against the seat, his body actually remained suspended in midair for several seconds.

At his current combat power, he was absolutely delivering a crushing blow against anything from this early stage.

Chen He brought his fingers together, and the "ki" within him naturally gathered along the edge of his palm. He could feel that warm power flowing beneath his skin, like a red-hot blade.

"Get lost!"

Twisting his body, Chen He delivered a precise midair hand chop to the monster bird's neck.

Crack!

With a crisp snap, the monstrous bird—powerful enough to smash a car—did not even have time to scream before its entire head was violently broken off. Its huge body crashed into the rocks by the roadside under its own momentum, sending dust flying everywhere.

Chen He landed steadily, taking two steps with the momentum before turning around with flair.

[Ding! Elite monster 'Wasteland Pterosaur' slain. Successfully protected key character Bulma!]

[Reward Points: +500!]

[Current Points: 1050/1000. System unlock requirements met. The Basic System Shop has been opened!]

"I did it!" Chen He's heart jolted, but he still had to pretend to be unfazed as he dusted off his hands.

"Chen He! You're amazing!" Goku jumped off the stopped motorcycle and circled the dead monster bird. "Can you teach me that move? I want to break bones with one chop too!"

Bulma was stunned as well. She stared open-mouthed at the monster bird on the ground, then at the calm-faced Chen He. After a long while, she finally squeezed out, "You... you really aren't a monster, are you?"

"What I am isn't important. What matters is..." Chen He smiled and pointed ahead. "The shop... pfft, the village is here. Our next Dragon Ball is there."

Chen He's consciousness had already sunk into his mind.

The shop interface opened, and row upon row of items made his head spin:

Flight:

Price: 3000 Points

Effect: Releases the ki within the body to move through the air and fly

Afterimage Fist:

Price: 1000 Points

Effect: Creates high-speed afterimages to confuse enemies

Senzu Bean:

Price: 500 Points

Effect: Instantly restores stamina and internal and external injuries after consumption, but is ineffective against illnesses

Scouter:

Price: 1000 Points

Effect: Detects a person's combat power

...

Current Remaining Points: 50

"W-What?!" Chen He was somewhat dumbfounded. He really wanted to curse this crappy system—the shop required 1,000 points just to unlock!

"System, I want to check in!"

[ Ding! Check-in successful! Battle Power +100, Points +50! ]

"Good thing there's a fixed reward every day..." Chen He sighed and exited the system.

The moment Chen He came back to his senses, Bulma smacked him on the shoulder.

"Hey! What are you spacing out for?! There's something wrong with that village up ahead!" Bulma hid behind Chen He, trembling as she pointed toward the village entrance.

Something was indeed wrong.

At the huge village entrance, there was not even a dog in sight. Every door had been nailed shut with thick planks. A chill hung in the air, as if they had wandered into someone's graveyard.

"Help—!"

Suddenly, a skinny old man came scrambling out from behind a pile of firewood. Without even looking at Chen He, he dropped to his knees before Bulma with a thud, wailing, "Heroine! You've finally come! Please save us! That demon... that demon is about to come and take my daughter!"

Bulma jumped back in fright. "Heroine? Grandpa, you've got the wrong person! I'm just passing through!"

Chen He curled his lips at the side, thinking that the old man had sharp eyes. Bulma really was exactly the type that perverted pig Oolong liked.

"Chen He, that old man smells scared." Goku sniffed, already reaching for the Power Pole on his back. "Where's the monster? I'll knock him flying for you!"

Chen He patted Goku on the head and chuckled. "Don't worry. That monster will probably be here in three minutes."

The words had barely left his mouth.

BOOM—!

A huge cloud of black smoke suddenly erupted at the edge of the village. Then, a gigantic demon, as tall as a two-story building and covered in fangs and long fur, strode out of the smoke. Its voice rumbled like muffled thunder:

"Hand over this year's bride! Otherwise, I'll level this village!"

The villagers immediately let out a wave of screams, each of them shrinking like quails.

Bulma's legs went weak with fear. She clutched Chen He tightly around the waist. "Ch-Chen He! Bodyguard! Get up there already! That thing looks even bigger than that weird bird from before!"