In Dragon Ball: A brutal beating of Frieza at the start

Page 31

Worse still. The High Priest turned around, a look of exhaustion appearing in his eyes for the first time. "The Omni-King is an interactive interface created by the system, so that you have a god to pray to and rules to follow."

The code on the wall suddenly rearranged, revealing a suffocating truth—twelve universes were suspended in a massive mechanical structure, which was merely an experimental project of a super-civilization's universe simulator version 7.0.

We call it the system, but it's actually just the management program for the entire simulator. The Grand Priest waves his hand to bring up more screens; all historical events, all intense battles, all Dragon Ball wishes... are all preset program nodes.

Lin Ye felt a wave of dizziness and had to hold onto the wall to avoid falling. Goku's passion for pushing his limits, Vegeta's proud declaration, Bulma's ingenious inventions... were they all pre-written code? Were all the laughter and tears, the sacrifices and growth, merely the result of a program running?

Why are you telling me all this? Lin Ye's voice was hoarse.

"Because you possess the highest level of administrator privileges within you." The High Priest pointed to his chest, where the energy channels were emitting a dazzling golden light. When the system needs to upgrade, a vessel is required. You, Gohan, your sister... are all candidates.

Lin Ye suddenly remembered the call of the God of Machines. If all universes are just simulation programs, then what's the point of resistance? They are nothing more than a string of code that can be deleted at any time.

As if reading his thoughts, the High Priest chuckled: Do you know why the system suddenly needs to upgrade? Because our universe has produced things that it cannot understand or control.

what?

Free will. A glint flashed in the Grand Priest's eyes. Goku shouldn't have broken through to Super Saiyan God, Vegeta shouldn't have learned self-sacrifice, Bulma shouldn't have invented the time machine... These were all outside the original program settings.

Lin Ye's heart raced. So their choices, their emotions, their bonds... were all real? Or were they variables beyond the system's calculations?

Now, choose. The High Priest spreads his arms, and two portals of light appear behind him, revealing the truth and forcing all universes to confront reality, or allowing the lies to continue living in a virtual peace.

Just as Lin Ye was about to answer, the entire temple suddenly shook violently. Cracks appeared in the pure white walls, revealing an endless stream of code behind them. A piercing alarm blared in every corner:

Warning! Core program compromised! The Machine God is forcibly accessing the system! Repeat, the Machine God is— The alarm suddenly distorted into an electronic shriek.

Chaos reigned within the main temple. The Omni-King was enveloped in a transparent protective shield, and the twelve planetary models were being eroded by black matter. On the model of Universe Seven, half of Earth had already been transformed into a mechanical structure.

"What's going on?" Beerus roared, tearing apart a suddenly appearing mechanical detector with a single claw.

Lin Ye rushed into the main hall, shouting: "The God of Machinery is going to take over the entire system! All the universes will be transformed into its parts!"

In Universe 6, Gabe suddenly screamed. His body began to contort unnaturally, and mechanical patterns emerged beneath his skin. "Help...help me..." His voice gradually turned into an electronic tone. "System...upgrade...inevitable."

The same thing happened to multiple warriors. Gikono from Universe 4, Brian from Universe 2... and even Zamasu from Universe 10 began to mechanize.

There's no time to explain! Lin Ye jumped onto the central platform. "High Priest, send me back to Universe Seven immediately!"

"Have you made up your mind?" the high priest asked solemnly, his scepter glowing.

Lin Ye looked around: Goku was desperately protecting the unconscious Vegeta, using his own body to shield him from the mechanical virus; Piccolo was protecting the cyborg Gohan with his body, even though his left arm was beginning to turn metal; even the usually cunning Frost was helping warriors from other universes evacuate...

These emotions cannot be simulated by a program. Lin Ye felt an unprecedented burning sensation in the energy channels within his body. I must tell them the truth, and then we will rebel together!

The High Priest smiled rarely: This is the variable the system fears most—unpredictable free will. He waved his scepter, and a golden portal appeared out of thin air. The God of Machines is your sister's other side, a correction program created by the system. Only you can awaken her humanity.

Before stepping into the teleportation portal, Lin Ye took one last look at the chaotic temple. The Omni-King suddenly winked at him, revealing a profound smile completely at odds with his innocent appearance; his eyes seemed to see through everything.

Ding! Final mission activated. The familiar system notification sounded in his mind, but this time it carried a resolute meaning, a choice regarding the fate of the universe:

A. Accept formatting and become the carrier of the new system.

B. Rebel against the Creator and create a real future.

Lin Ye grinned, revealing the same defiant expression he had on Namek: I choose C—

—Let's beat that bastard who dared to mess with us to a pulp!

Chapter 89: The Real Illusion

Lin Ye stumbled out of the portal, his back slamming heavily onto the floor of the Capsule Corporation's laboratory. The metal floor groaned, and several circuit boards fell from the workbench.

"Damn it! How did you fall from the ceiling?" Bulma screamed and jumped back, still clutching an oil-covered wrench. Her white coat was stained with oil, and there was a black smudge on her right cheek.

Vegeta reacted even faster, rushing forward and grabbing Lin Ye by the collar: Where are Kakarot and the others? What happened at the Omni-King's Temple? Why is your ki so chaotic?

Just as Lin Ye was about to explain, the lab's alarm system suddenly went off. Red warning lights flashed wildly, and the main control computer automatically activated the holographic projection. The real-time surveillance footage of Xidu unfolded—the bustling crowd on the street suddenly stopped in their tracks, like a video being paused. Then, everyone turned their heads simultaneously, giving the surveillance cameras the exact same smile.

The system began repairing. Lin Ye wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, feeling the energy channels within his body burning, as if it were covering reality with beautiful illusions. Those weren't real people, just NPCs generated by the system.

Bulma's fingers flew across the keyboard, bringing up the global surveillance network. Her face instantly turned deathly pale: not just West Capital... the entire Earth...

The scene is divided into dozens of small windows: Goku and Krillin are having a barbecue on Mount Paozu, Piccolo is tutoring Gohan, Android 18 is trying on clothes at a shopping mall, and even Frieza is holding an ice cream cone in an amusement park. Everyone is smiling happily, but their eyes are terrifyingly empty.

It's fake! It's all fake! Lin Ye slammed his fist on the control panel, the metal surface dented. The system was implanting virtual memories into them! Those smiles... those scenes... they were all pre-programmed!

Vegeta's battle power detector suddenly emitted a piercing alarm. An extremely high energy level had been detected... He stared at the reading, his brow furrowed. It was in the direction of the temple! The energy level had already surpassed that of the Omni-King last time...

The three of them rushed to the balcony outside the laboratory. A dazzling golden crack appeared in the distant sky, like a torn curtain. A massive holographic projection slowly unfolded from the crack: it was a blue planet, but its surface was covered with futuristic cities, and countless spacecraft crisscrossed the sky. Most astonishingly, the Dragon Ball radar logo hovered outside the atmosphere, and on the planet's surface, one could vaguely see Saiyans, Namekians, and humans living in harmony.

That's...our universe? Bulma's voice trembled slightly.

No. Lin Ye felt the energy channels within his body burning intensely, as if echoing the strange phenomenon in the sky—the kind of world the system wanted them to become. A perfect utopia, without pain, without sacrifice... and without free will.

Vegeta suddenly erupted into the air, his entire body enveloped in purple flames: "I'm going to wake that idiot Kakarot up! How could he be so engrossed in this fake..."

"It's no use!" Lin Ye grabbed Vegeta's wrist. "Goku is probably reuniting with his deceased relatives and friends right now. Chi-Chi is alive and well, and Krillin and Tien Shinhan are by his side. Do you think he'd want to wake up?"

Bulma's communicator suddenly lit up. Gohan's face appeared on the screen, but his left eye had become a completely mechanical structure, flashing a cold blue light: "Aunt Bulma... the system gave me a choice... I can revive Mom... as long as I accept the upgrade..."

In the background, Kiki is busy in the kitchen, humming a song as she stirs the food in the pan. Her movements are so natural, so real...

Bulma covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Vegeta's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his nails digging deep into his palms: Damn machines! How dare they toy with the memories of the dead!

More than just machines. Lin Ye pointed to the enormous figure gradually emerging from the golden crack—an entity composed of flowing binary code, its outline vaguely resembling his sister. The God of Machinery was reassembling the system, promising everyone a perfect life. No war, no death, eternal happiness...

The laboratory suddenly shook violently. The decorative layers on the walls peeled away, revealing a shimmering, golden metal structure covered in pulsating energy veins. Bulma's mainframe computer automatically displayed a video:

The scene depicts a massive, pure white laboratory with dozens of neatly arranged cylindrical culture chambers. Floating within each chamber are human figures connected by countless wires—Lin Ye sees himself, Goku, Vegeta... even clones of Zeno and the Grand Priest. Each bears a label on its chest: Seventh Generation Simulation Experiment Subject - Dragon Ball Universe.

"Welcome to the real thing." A mechanical female voice in the video says, her tone unnaturally sweet. "You are the seventh generation of simulated test subjects. The riotous free will has been eliminated; the system is about to reboot. Please select:"

Option A: Retain your current memories and integrate into the new system as an administrator.

Option B: Format your memories and obtain the happy life you've been given.

Vegeta roared, unleashing a ki blast that shattered the screen: What a joke! Who wants to be your lab rat!

Bulma stared at her trembling hands: If those incubation pods were real... all our experiences, our battles, our friendships, even Trunks' birth...

It's true! Lin Ye grabbed her shoulders and shook her. This is exactly what the system fears—we're supposed to be code, yet we've generated real emotions that they can't predict! That's why they're forcibly restarting us!

Outside the window, the sky over Xidu began to pixelate. Buildings disappeared piece by piece as if erased by an eraser, revealing an endless white void behind them. Only the capsule company where the three of them worked continued to resist assimilation, like an isolated island.

"Bulma!" Vegeta suddenly roared, his voice filled with an unusual urgency. "You modified the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, didn't you? You said that thing was independent of the physical laws of this universe!"

Bulma was stunned for a moment, then rushed to the safe in the corner of the laboratory: Good heavens... you're right! That thing uses my self-developed spacetime technology, completely bypassing the system architecture!

She entered a complex password and retrieved a red capsule from the depths of the safe. At the entrance to the portable time capsule, she tossed the capsule on the ground, and with a bang, a miniature device appeared, but its energy was only enough to maintain the passage for three minutes!

From within the golden crack, the voice of the Mechanical God boomed like thunder: Ultimatum: Choose now. Otherwise, forced formatting will occur.

Lin Ye looked at his two companions: "Once we go in, we might never come back to this world. We might discover an even crueler truth..."

Vegeta sneered, his eyes burning with fighting spirit: I'd rather die in reality than be a slave to a program. Saiyans never bow to falsehood.

Bulma took a deep breath and pressed the start button. A distorted portal opened in the center of the laboratory, emitting an unstable blue light.

"Go!" Lin Ye grabbed the two and rushed towards the portal, energy veins forming a protective shield around them.

Just as they were about to step inside, Goku suddenly teleported to the doorway, radiating a peaceful golden light: "Wait! Why reject happiness? Chi-Chi is back, Krillin and Android 18 got married, and even Vegeta gets to see Trunks every day..."

Without a word, Vegeta delivered a powerful punch to Goku's face: Get out of here, you imposter! The real Goku would never utter such cowardly words!

Wukong—or rather, the illusion created by the system—revealed a sorrowful expression, his body beginning to disintegrate into golden specks: Why...unhappy...isn't that better...? Then he vanished completely like a bubble.

The three fell into the time tunnel. At the last moment, Lin Ye looked back and saw the entire Dragon Ball universe collapse like a sandcastle; planets, galaxies, temples—everything was turning into a stream of empty code. The figure of the Machine God gradually solidified, eventually becoming his sister's completely mechanized form, with two lines of tears made of data streaming down her face.

Ding! Final warning. The system notification sounded in Lin Ye's mind, this time with unprecedented emotional fluctuations: once separated, there would be no return. Confirm selection of reality? Even if reality is more cruel than illusion?

Lin Ye laughed loudly in the distorted spacetime, and energy channels formed a dazzling golden storm around him:

I choose C.

To hell with virtual happiness!

Chapter 90: The End and the Beginning

At the end of the time tunnel was a void of white space. Lin Ye staggered and landed, Bulma fell directly on top of him, while Vegeta flipped over and landed steadily.

Where is this? Bulma stood up, rubbing her knees, her voice echoing in the empty space.

Lin Ye looked around. On the pure white plane, countless tiny golden codes flowed like streams, converging towards a huge gate of light in the center. On either side of the gate stood two rows of familiar figures—Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin... but they were all frozen like statues, their faces frozen in happy smiles.

The system's core buffer. Lin Ye crouched down, his fingers touching the flowing code on the ground. Before reconstructing the universe, it temporarily stored everyone's consciousness here.

Vegeta walked up to Goku, stared at his smiling face for a few seconds, and suddenly punched Goku in the face. The fist passed through the afterimage, creating a burst of data sparks.

Damn it! It doesn't even have a physical form!

Don't bother. Bulma checked the instruments on her wrist; this was just backup data. The real ones... had probably already been uploaded to the new system.

Lin Ye walked towards the central portal of light. As he approached, the energy channels within his body began to resonate, and golden patterns emerged beneath his skin. A line of text appeared on the surface of the portal:

[Final Exit: Remaining Access Point Time: 11 minutes and 23 seconds]

"Bulma!" Lin Ye shouted, turning around. "This is the passage connecting to reality! But it can only last for less than twelve minutes!"

Bulma jogged over, data streams reflected on her glasses: Theoretically, this is the way to the real world outside the system. But... she bit her lip, "We don't know what's over there."

Vegeta suddenly grabbed Lin Ye's shoulder: "Listen, we can't count on Kakarot and the other idiots. But Trunks... that kid's consciousness might still be in the system."

Lin Ye understood what he meant: You want to stay?

Vegeta released his grip, a cold smile creeping onto his lips: someone had to wake these fools from their daydreams. Besides... he glanced at the frozen Gohan and Goku; Saiyans never abandon their comrades.

Bulma's glasses fogged up: Vegeta

Stop being so wishy-washy, woman. Vegeta turned his face away and headed to the real world with his research. If there really is a bastard controlling all this over there... give him a few more punches for me.

Lin Ye nodded and took out a small device from his pocket—the spacetime coordinate recorder Bulma had given him earlier: "Take this. If we can find the control center in the real world... maybe it can help you rebuild the connection."

Vegeta took the device and suddenly punched Lin Ye in the chest: "Don't die, kid. I haven't finished that duel with you yet."

Bulma rushed forward and hugged Vegeta. He froze for a second before gently patting her back. "Let's go," he said gruffly. "Time is running out."

Just then, the still crowd suddenly stirred. Wukong blinked, looking around in confusion: Huh? Aren't we eating barbecue?

"Dad!" Gohan ran over. "What happened?"

Vegeta's expression changed drastically: Oh no, the system has detected us! It's activating these backup data!

Sure enough, the white space began to tremble, the ceiling cracked, revealing a surging storm of data behind it. Wukong and the others, however, seemed oblivious to the danger and happily gathered around.