Granolah's unease grew stronger.
He didn't even dare to quicken his pace.
An eerie stillness filled the air, making even the sound of the wind blowing through the valley seem particularly jarring.
He forced himself to start walking, step by step, toward the tightly closed wooden door.
"Grandfather?"
He called out tentatively.
Unsurprisingly, there was no response.
Granolah, her steps stiff, slowly walked to the door.
He took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
"Squeak--"
"Grandfather?"
"Grandpa! I'm back!"
Granolah frowned and looked around the room.
Nothing was gained.
But if no one responds, he wouldn't be too worried.
Perhaps Grandpa just went out to gather herbs or buy things, and went a little far away.
What makes one's heart tighten is...
The orange bead that Grandpa Monaito treasured and polished day and night has also disappeared!
Grandpa never takes this bead out with him...
Granolah suppressed her racing thoughts and turned to walk towards the secret door leading to the basement.
The result was as expected.
Elec and Jass, who had been staying here, have also disappeared without a trace.
The corner that used to be filled with their odds and ends was now empty.
It was cleaned up very thoroughly...
It doesn't seem like they left in a hurry.
" Oatmeel."
He called out softly.
Oatmeel began his work with perfect understanding.
"The main structure of the stone house is intact, and no signs of external damage have been detected."
No obvious signs of a struggle were found inside or in the surrounding area.
No bloodstains detected.
No normal vital signs were detected.
Just as he was trying to clear his mind, Oatmeel's voice rang out again.
"Special signal source detected..."
Guided by Oatmeel, Granolah found a communicator under Monaito's bed...
His pupils suddenly contracted!
This is a communication device that he personally handed to his grandfather; it also has a GPS tracking device.
It has never left my side for many years.
He didn't even bring this with him...
If he wasn't sure what had happened before...
So now we can basically confirm it!
Grandpa's in trouble!
In the sea of stars in the universe.
A medium-sized disc-shaped spaceship, not particularly large, was moving silently at an astonishing speed, leaving a long, dark blue trail in the depths of space.
The four siblings of the Heeters Family gathered here.
Of these, the most dramatic change was in Jass.
The petite and slender Jass who used to follow behind her older siblings is no more.
Today, Jass is a tall and slender young man, even taller than Oil.
His muscles are well-proportioned and smooth.
He remained silently standing behind his older siblings, without uttering a word.
Oil looked excited.
It gives one a feeling of "after hardship comes happiness".
"The era of our Heeters Group is finally about to begin!"
Maki, who was casually fiddling with her twin ponytails, stopped what she was doing when she heard this.
"Yes!"
"Brother, we shouldn't need to continue our operations in Tibet now, right?"
Their eyes Central City held a look of anticipation for the future.
The atmosphere inside the cabin became relaxed and pleasant because of their conversation.
In contrast, their eldest Elec, was not as out of control.
Elec crossed his arms over his chest, gazing at the universe with a sinister expression.
"It's too early to be happy."
"Have you forgotten?" Elec said calmly, "How long have we prepared for this day?"
Elec looked at his younger siblings, who had become serious again, and nodded in satisfaction.
"The flames of revenge cannot remain merely words."
"Now, the time is ripe... it's time to begin our plan!"
"During our time away from the cosmic stage, Frieza Force has also undergone tremendous changes!"
"They are no longer mere plunderers, but have disguised themselves as maintainers of order, which is more terrifying than before."
"They've become even more difficult to deal with!"
"Therefore, simply brute force is not enough to deal with Frieza Force."
We need help!
"Elec said slowly, then turned his head away."
" Maki!"
"Yes, brother!"
Maki immediately understood. She walked to the control panel in the center of the cabin and quickly operated the screen with her slender fingers.
A holographic projection lit up in the center of the cabin.
It was a vast cosmic star map, but in four remote corners of the map, four desolate planets emitting an ominous red glow were clearly marked.
Maki walked over to the star map, her expression turning serious, and began to explain.
"Based on our numerous comparisons and verifications over the years, we can basically confirm that these four completely abandoned prison planets seem to be holding some... extremely powerful individuals!"
"We also acquired some ancient books and records about these guys from antique dealers at high prices!"
"Legend has it that in the very distant past, they were a group of villains who made the entire universe tremble, causing extremely serious damage to the universe. Later, they were sealed away in these godless places by the gods of that time."
Maki's words captivated Oil and Jass, who were standing nearby.
Monsters from ancient times?
Oil looked at the four ominous planets, his brow furrowed, and expressed his concerns.
"Brother, these guys... since even ancient texts call them a calamity, their power is probably beyond our imagination."
Oil looked worried.
"Once we release them, will our Heeters Family truly be able to control them?"
"What if... what if they get out of control!"
Is it possible that this could backfire on us?
Faced with Oil's concerns, Elec knew that it was indeed a point that could not be ignored!
His gaze fell on Jass.
After sensing his elder brother's gaze, the latter quickly returned a resolute look.
He meant that he could handle any kind of monster!
It's not that I lack confidence in Jass.
This caution is simply a consistent characteristic of the Heeters Family.
Jass's transformation was actually achieved through the Dragon Ball!
They originally wanted to use Dragon Ball to make Jass the strongest warrior in the universe!
However, this wish was beyond the Eternal Dragon's capabilities.
Even overdrawing Jass's potential wouldn't be enough.
That would mean risking one's life in advance, making it more like a disposable strategic weapon.
Even if they could defeat Frieza, they wouldn't be able to take control of Frieza Force or truly Control the universe!
That's not what Elec wants!
As a second-best option, Elec made a wish that was cleverly devised.
Extend the timeframe for your wish, so that Jass may have it for the rest of her life.
You can permanently gain power greater than any of your enemies!
In other words, one can enhance one's strength based on the actual enemy one faces.
Of course, this also reduces your lifespan!
If the enemy's strength exceeds what Jass can achieve in his lifetime.
Then Jass will die immediately!
That's why Elec is now treating this so-called ancient criminal with caution...
"But brother..."
"These four planets are located in different galaxies, and are guarded by Galactic Patrol!"
"It won't be easy for us to get closer..."
"Those guys... are definitely in the way..." Elec fell into deep thought upon hearing this.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his eyes flashing with determination.
"Then we'll just have to find them some things to do..."
[P. S.: This was an oversight on my part. Some readers may not have read Dragon Ball Super or read the manga. To clarify, Elec and his friends use the Two-Star Dragon Ball from Planet Cereal, which are Monaito's Dragon Ball.]