Recovery and Training

Piccolo and Tien Shinhan soon arrived on the wing.

"We're saved." Seeing Piccolo and Tien Shinhan arrive, Krillin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With Piccolo and Tien Shinhan there, the mother and son were able to escape successfully. Krillin watched their plane fly away, while Tien Shinhan complained from the side, "Damn it, he got away again! If he keeps doing this—running away the moment he finds us—then there's nothing we can do to him."

A gust of wind blew by. Krillin looked at the clothes on the ground and fell silent.

From a tall tower in the distance, Cell watched the helpless rage of the group below with some satisfaction. "If I keep absorbing life energy at this rate, it won't be long before I can absorb Android 17 and Android 18 and become Perfect Form."

Elsewhere, Android 17 was driving wildly through the forest, drawing a barrage of complaints from Android 18. "Android 17! Isn't there a decent road around here?"

"Isn't this more fun?"

Watching Android 17 enjoy himself, Android 18 could only helplessly turn to Android 16 and ask, "Android 16, how much farther is Goku's house?"

"We're almost there."

Seeing how relaxed Android 16 looked, Android 18 was completely speechless. "Honestly! You two are so relaxed. Wouldn't this be much easier?"

With that, Android 18 leaned half her body out of the window, gathered energy, and blasted the mountains and forest ahead flat. A broad, level road immediately took shape.

"See? The road's much flatter now."

"Why would you do that? Seriously! A road this flat is no fun to drive on."

"You really are strange. I didn't expect you to retain so much humanity."

Amid the siblings' mutual teasing, the androids drove toward Goku's home.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye. Outside Kame House, Goku stood by the sea with his eyes closed, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists. His heartbeat was steady and strong—the special medicine from the future had truly pulled him back from death's door. He took a deep breath of sea air. A golden aura flashed around him before immediately fading away. His body was fine. Next, it was time to make up for the time he had lost.

As Goku used his ki, Malvis, who was enjoying some food in a beautiful city to the north, raised his head and looked toward Turtle Hermit Island.

"He recovered so quickly? As expected of a special medicine developed specifically for this illness in the future." Malvis set down his utensils, shifting his gaze from the feast before him toward Kame House. "Looks like it's time to meet the protagonist of this Dragon Balls world. I can also help Trunks train while I'm at it, since I promised him."

But before that, he needed to finish this table of food. Looking at the feast spread out before him, Malvis stopped holding back. Saiyans had astonishing appetites, after all. Thankfully, Bulma had given him a card. Otherwise, a god like him would have had to dine and dash.

After briefly getting used to his strength, Goku proposed that, like Vegeta, he should surpass Super Saiyan. He then used Instant Transmission to find his son and the other friends. Finally, he gathered Vegeta and his son and headed to Kami's Lookout, intending to use the cheat-like Hyperbolic Time Chamber.

At Kami's Lookout, Goku and the others had just explained their purpose to Popo and were about to enter the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when a figure silently appeared behind them.

"Yo, looks like I came at just the right time."

Everyone present was startled by Malvis's sudden appearance, though their reactions differed—some were delighted, some were frightened, and some were curious.

Trunks was naturally delighted. He had been wondering where to look for Malvis, yet the man had appeared before him on his own. It was wonderful news.

Vegeta was the one who felt alarmed. Thinking back to the humiliation of being effortlessly pinned to the ground by Malvis, he could not help feeling stifled.

As for curiosity, it naturally belonged to Goku, who had never seen Malvis before. His bright, wide eyes stared intently at the newcomer, as though he had endless questions about him.

"May I ask who you are?" Seeing that the other man meant no harm, Goku asked politely.

"Hahaha, don't mind me. I'm just a god."

"A god like King Kai and Kami?"

"More or less. I'm just a little stronger."

"Really? Then may I spar with you?" Upon hearing that the other man was a god, Goku immediately began speaking more respectfully.

"Of course." Malvis had a high opinion of Goku. As expected of a pure-blooded Saiyan who had received a good education since childhood—he really knew how to be polite.

Vegeta said nothing from the side, but his eyes remained fixed on Malvis, filled with unwillingness over having been taken down in a single move last time.

"Trunks, we can begin what I promised you after you and Vegeta come out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber." Malvis looked at Trunks and directly ignored Vegeta beside him. As for why he wanted to wait until they came out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber—naturally, it was to let the father and son spend some quality time together. This was also part of Vegeta's transformation. As he was now, he still did not meet Malvis's standards.

"Mm." Trunks nodded, then entered the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with Vegeta.

"Lord God, I still don't know your name." After watching Vegeta and his son enter, Goku looked at Malvis again.

"God of Destruction—Malvis. That is my name." Looking at Goku's innocent smile, Malvis felt as though he had been healed. Perhaps that was Goku's charm—making so many powerful people willing to gather around him and become his friends.

"Lord Malvis, can we spar now?" With nothing to do at the moment, Goku once again issued a challenge.

"Sure. Then let me see how strong you are now, Goku." Malvis did not refuse this time.

The group went to the open ground outside. Goku assumed a fighting stance. "Lord Malvis, be careful."

Before his words had even faded, Goku charged forward and threw a punch—only for Malvis to dodge it effortlessly. Refusing to believe it, he attacked again, but Malvis evaded every strike one by one.

"Goku, become a Super Saiyan. Come at me with everything you have."

Hearing that, Goku did not hesitate. He transformed directly into a Super Saiyan and attacked Malvis at full power. This time, Malvis did not dodge—he extended one finger and steadily blocked every attack.

"Your strength is decent, about on par with Vegeta. But your foundation is solid. That's your advantage." He withdrew his finger. A faint vibration from Goku's punches still lingered at its tip, every blow carrying solid force.

Goku's assault grew more and more ferocious, but without exception, every attack was blocked by that single finger. Realizing the vast gap between them, he exited his Super Saiyan state and stopped.

"Lord Malvis is incredible! None of my attacks worked at all." Goku showed no discouragement in the face of this situation. Instead, his face was full of excitement. "Then we won't have to worry about the androids and that monster."

"I'm sorry, Goku. I won't interfere." Malvis raised a hand, stopping the request that was about to leave Goku's mouth. "This is Earth's calamity. You need to resolve it yourselves. Besides—you want to fight them with your own hands too, don't you?"

Goku opened his mouth, then smiled. He had been seen through.

"I understand, Lord Malvis!" Goku nodded. "That's right, I really want to fight them." He also knew that some gods simply could not interfere in mortal affairs, so he did not insist.