area51novel Page 184
Page 184
Unbeknownst to anyone, deep within Lin Ye's dormant consciousness, the fragments of creation and the core resonance crystal were quietly merging, and a faint golden light was slowly awakening...
Chapter 410: The Choice of Godhood
The pale green recovery fluid flowed slowly inside the medical module. Lin Ye's eyelashes trembled, and he finally lifted his heavy eyelids. His blurry vision gradually focused, and the metal inner wall of the Ark Space Station's medical module and the familiar figures surrounding it came into view.
On his chest, the fragments of creation and the core resonance crystal remained close to his skin. The violent energy from the previous fierce battle had subsided, with only occasional flashes of pale golden light proving that the battle concerning the survival of the entire universe was not a dream.
"He's awake! Lin Ye is awake!" Gohan's voice rang out first, filled with undisguised excitement.
The hydraulic system of the medical pod hissed softly as the transparent hatch slowly opened, releasing a healing fluid with a faint herbal scent that slid down Lin Ye's skin. Bulma quickly stepped forward, handing him a dry towel. The worry on her face finally faded, replaced by a gentle scolding: "You're finally awake! You were unconscious for three whole days, and the medical pod replenished your energy twice. I thought you were going to sleep for ten days or half a month to catch up on all the sleep you missed!"
Lin Ye propped himself up on the edge of the cabin. The soreness all over his body had vanished, and the energy within him flowed like spring water. Although not fully recovered, he had regained about 70-80% of his strength. He took a towel and wiped his face, his gaze sweeping over his companions who had gathered around him. Goku was scratching his hair and chuckling, his Ultra Instinct aura even more refined and steady than before; Vegeta stood to the side with his arms crossed, a deep blue aura emanating from him, clearly exuding a more oppressive aura of a god; Piccolo stood next to Gohan, his green skin still covered with some fragments of time and space that hadn't been cleaned up.
"Looks like you guys haven't been idle while I was unconscious for the past three days." Lin Ye smiled, his voice still a little hoarse.
"Of course!" Goku immediately clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with fighting spirit. "After Chronos was defeated, the chaotic energy throughout the universe hadn't completely dissipated. Vegeta and I took this opportunity to hone our powers, and we feel much stronger now! Once you've fully recovered, we'll have to have a good fight!"
"Tch, don't think you're so great just because you've stabilized Ultra Instinct." Vegeta sneered, but didn't refute Goku's words. He just looked at Lin Ye, his tone softening a bit, "You're lucky, kid. Even Whis thought you weren't going to make it in that last hit."
Lin Ye touched his chest, his mind involuntarily replaying the final moments of the decisive battle. Kronos detonated the Chaos Core, and spacetime rifts spread throughout the universe. With the determination to perish together with his opponent, he pierced the fragment of creation into his body. After that, all that remained was darkness.
"Was Kronos... really completely wiped out?" He was still somewhat unsure.
“Of course!” Bulma patted the outer shell of the medical pod, her tone certain. “His Majesty the Omni-King personally used his purifying power to sweep away all the chaotic energy, and the spacetime rifts have all been closed. Now all the universes are busy rebuilding. Piccolo and Gohan went to Universe Twelfth yesterday to help clean up the remaining spacetime fragments, and they just got back and are now guarding this place.”
Just then, a gentle halo appeared out of thin air, and Whis walked in with his signature smile, followed by two petite figures in white robes... it was the Omni-King. Whis's angel wings were as white as snow, and the gray traces of chaos energy that had previously eroded them were completely gone. In his hand, he held a palm-sized golden badge, with a ferocious yet majestic symbol of the God of Destruction engraved in the center, surrounded by flowing energy patterns.
"Lin Ye, congratulations on successfully stopping Kronos and saving all universes." Whis walked to the medical pod and handed the golden badge to Lin Ye. "His Majesty the Omni-King has decided to appoint you as the new God of Destruction of Universe Seven. This God of Destruction badge can resonate with the divine power within you. Wearing it, you will be able to wield the complete authority of the God of Destruction and mobilize the destructive energy of Universe Seven."
Lin Ye reached out, and as soon as his fingertips touched the badge, a cool sensation spread from his fingertips. The symbol of the God of Destruction on the badge suddenly lit up, resonating strongly with the divine power within him, as if a brand new power was surging into his limbs and bones through the badge.
But looking at the badge symbolizing supreme power, Lin Ye felt a pang of hesitation. Becoming a God of Destruction meant taking on the heavy responsibility of protecting Universe Seven, abiding by those cold, hard cosmic rules, and possibly, like Beerus, personally destroying planets teeming with life for the sake of so-called "balance." More importantly, he didn't want to leave Earth, didn't want to leave his comrades-in-arms.
Before transmigrating, he was just a corporate slave overwhelmed by daily overtime. It was the sunshine, beaches, barbecue at Kame-sen-ya, and laughter at Capsule Corporation on Earth that made him truly feel the meaning of "living." He didn't want to become a high and mighty, cold existence just because of a divine position.
"What? You don't want to accept it?" The Omni-King tilted his head and looked at him. The two little figures made puzzled expressions at the same time, their voices childish but carrying an undeniable authority.
Lin Ye gripped the badge tightly, shook his head and then nodded, his tone serious: "I am willing to protect Universe Seven and do my best to protect everyone. But I don't want to end up like Lord Beerus, only able to sleep on the God of Destruction planet, and I don't want to lose my feelings as a 'human' because of the rules of the gods."
He looked up at Goku and Bulma, his eyes filled with affection: "I want to keep my Earth residency. I want to be able to come back to Earth and eat Bulma's barbecue with you guys in between protecting the universe, and train with Goku and Vegeta, instead of becoming a bystander who can only watch from afar."
As soon as the words were spoken, silence fell instantly outside the cabin. Gohan opened his mouth, seemingly surprised that Lin Ye would refuse such a supreme honor; Bulma was also stunned for a moment, then a relieved smile appeared in her eyes. Whis's eyes widened in astonishment, his wings trembling slightly. Since the establishment of the God of Destruction system, no candidate had ever made the request to "retain planetary citizenship," and no one had ever valued "eating with their companions" more than a godhood.
"You brat, you've said what I didn't dare to say back then."
A lazy voice suddenly rang out, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound. Beerus appeared in the doorway, yawning, holding an unfinished donut in his hand, with a few drops of cream on his lips. He sauntered over to Lin Ye, his sleepy appearance vanishing, and patted Lin Ye on the shoulder: "Back when I became the God of Destruction, I didn't want to give up my memories of Planet Vegeta, I didn't want to forget the taste of my hometown. Unfortunately, I slept for too long afterward, and those memories have become blurry."
After speaking, Beerus turned to Zeno, unusually straightening his posture, and said in a serious tone: "Your Majesty, I suggest granting his request. A God of Destruction doesn't necessarily need to be aloof and unapproachable. Someone like him, who keeps 'protection' in his heart rather than just talking about it, might better understand the true meaning of the balance of the universe and be able to better protect Universe 7."
The Omni-King blinked, and the two small figures huddled together, whispering a few words. Then they nodded simultaneously, smiles spreading across their faces: "Alright! I agree! Lin Ye, you can be the God of Destruction of Universe Seven. You don't need to live on God of Destruction Planet, and you can retain your Earth residency. As long as you can maintain the balance of Universe Seven and not violate the fundamental rules of the universe, you can do whatever you want!"
Hearing this, Lin Ye felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He pinned the golden badge to his chest, stood up, and bowed deeply to the Omni-King: "Thank you, Your Majesty the Omni-King! And thank you, Lord Beerus! I promise you, I will protect Universe 7, protect Earth, and protect everyone I care about!"
The badge rested against his chest, resonating with his heartbeat. A gentle yet powerful force completely merged into his body. Lin Ye could clearly feel the pulse of the Seventh Universe and the life force on those planets. This was not the oppressive feeling of control, but the sense of responsibility to protect.
Over the next two days, the Ark Space Station, under Bulma's control, slowly headed towards Earth. When the spaceship passed through the atmosphere and saw the familiar blue planet below, Lin Ye felt a strong sense of belonging.
The spaceship landed on Capsule Corporation's helipad. As soon as the hatch opened, a rich aroma of barbecue wafted in. Goten and Trunks ran over, holding skewers of grilled meat, excitedly circling around Lin Ye: "Lin Ye, you're finally back! Mom said she'd have a barbecue party when you got back!"
"Hey kid, how's your recovery going?" Vegeta walked over, raising an eyebrow at Lin Ye. "Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you've become a God of Destruction. Let's go to the gravity training room and have a go later!"
"Great! I've been wanting to test just how strong the God of Destruction's power really is," Lin Ye replied with a smile.
The following day, Lin Ye was completely immersed in the long-awaited liveliness. Bulma set up a barbecue grill in the yard, and the sizzling meat paired with iced drinks was incredibly tempting; Goku pulled him aside to discuss new training methods, occasionally popping out a few imaginative ideas; Krillin and Android 18 played with Maren in the pool, their laughter never ceasing; Piccolo, meanwhile, was instructing Gohan on his magic training, occasionally glancing at Lin Ye with approval in his eyes.
As evening fell, Lin Ye walked alone to the rooftop of the Capsule Company. The evening breeze brushed against his cheeks, carrying a faint scent of grass and trees. He looked down at the lively scene in the courtyard, a smile unconsciously playing on his lips. The God of Destruction badge on his chest shimmered with a soft light, reflecting off the lights below.
"Lin Ye, there's something I want to show you."
Alice's holographic projection suddenly appeared beside her, holding a transparent chip in her hand, with tiny specks of light flowing inside. "This was discovered by the technical department while analyzing the fragments of the Kronos core. It stores an unfamiliar spacetime coordinate. We compared it with all known cosmic star maps, but there was no matching location. But strangely, the energy fluctuations of this coordinate are highly consistent with the description of the 'Devil Fruit Tree' in the One Piece manga you read before."
Lin Ye took the chip, injected a wisp of energy into his fingertip, and the chip instantly projected a three-dimensional star map. In the star map, a blood-red ocean occupied most of the image, and in the center of the ocean stood a towering tree with a trunk thick enough to encircle several planets. Its branches were covered with colorful fruits of various shapes, just like the Devil Fruits in his memory.
"You mean, this coordinate connects to the world of One Piece?" Lin Ye's eyes lit up instantly. Before transmigrating, he was a loyal fan of One Piece. Luffy's passion, Zoro's persistence, and Nami's intelligence all made him yearn for that great pirate era full of adventure.
"Yes, and at the end of the coordinate data, we also found a line of encrypted text." Alice's holographic projection paused, then continued, "The decrypted text reads: 'Welcome to the Great Pirate Era, where you'll find power you've never seen before, and secrets you've never unlocked.'"
Lin Ye gripped the chip tightly in his hand, the image of the star map reflected in his pupils, and an irrepressible curiosity and impulse surged within him. Becoming a God of Destruction was not the end, but a new beginning. He not only wanted to protect the Seventh Universe, but also wanted to see those worlds that only existed in his imagination and meet more like-minded partners.
"It seems a new adventure is about to begin." Lin Ye smiled and put the chip away. "But before that, I need to finish tonight's barbecue party with Bulma and the others, and then have a good fight with Goku and Vegeta to see if this new God of Destruction is strong enough to take on the new challenge."
Alice looked at the light shining in his eyes, and a gentle smile appeared on the holographic projection of her face: "Wherever you decide to go, I will go with you. After all, I am not only your system AI, but also your partner."
Lin Ye looked up at the night sky, where countless stars twinkled, seemingly guiding his new journey. He touched the emblem of the God of Destruction on his chest, feeling the power surging within him and the presence of his companions, his heart filled with unwavering resolve.
From a corporate slave working overtime until late at night, to a hero who saves the entire universe, and then to a god of destruction protecting a region, his life has long since become extraordinary. And that time-space coordinate connecting to the Great Pirate Era is like an invitation from fate, waiting for him in the not-too-distant future to begin a brand new legend.
For now, let's enjoy this rare moment of peace and excitement. After all, nothing is more satisfying than sharing barbecue and chatting about the future with loved ones.
Chapter 411: Whispers of the Tree of Origin
“Boom…!”
The dome of the Temple of Time trembled violently, and several jagged cracks spread like a spiderweb, bringing with them a shower of falling divine brick fragments. Lin Ye groaned, clutching his bleeding chest and kneeling on the ground. Dark red blood seeped from between his fingers and dripped onto the pure white floor tiles, intertwining with the golden spacetime runes engraved on the ground, outlining a strange and despairing pattern.
This is the injury left by Kronos's "Space-Time Collapse Fist" just now. The space-time distortion power carried by the fist wind is still raging in his body. Every breath brings excruciating pain to his internal organs, and even the circulation of divine power has become extremely sluggish.
"Lin Ye!" Gohan's shout came from the side. He had just used the Kamehameha to force back one of Chronos's clones when he turned around and saw Lin Ye lying on the ground. He was about to rush over when a sudden spatial rift forced him to retreat.
Lin Ye waved his hand, gritted his teeth, and tried to stand up while supporting himself on the ground. However, his gaze involuntarily turned to the center of the temple—the Origin Tree that spanned three layers of space was emitting a flickering fluorescent light. The originally emerald green leaves were now tinged with an eerie grayish-purple, and each leaf was trembling violently, as if enduring great pain. Faint groans could be heard from among the branches and leaves, as if countless people were sighing at the same time.
"Abnormal energy fluctuations detected in the Tree of Origin; the disorder index has exceeded the safety threshold!" Alice's holographic projection flashed rapidly beside Lin Ye, her electronic voice trembling like never before. "Kronos is forcibly stripping the spacetime origin power from the core of the tree. If we don't leave now, the entire temple will be swept into the spacetime turbulence, and none of us will escape!"
"Escape?" A cold, hard voice rang out. Vegeta staggered to his feet from the rubble, his deep blue aura mixed with specks of silver Sands of Time—marks of being eroded by spacetime energy. He raised his hand to gather destructive energy, but only a flickering pale purple light appeared in his palm, dissipating into stardust just as it was about to take shape. "The word 'escape' doesn't exist in the Saiyan dictionary!"
"It's not a question of whether we can escape or not, it's that we simply can't fight right now!" Bulma's voice trembled with tears as she hid behind Piccolo, the screen of her time-space monitor filled with glaring red warnings. "Look at the tree trunk! Those patterns are moving!"
Following the sound, everyone looked and saw that on the thick trunk of the Tree of Origin, the ancient Namekian runes, which had been still, were rapidly reforming. The twisted lines writhed like living things, eventually solidifying into a clear yet chilling line of text: "When time becomes food, chaos will devour the gods."
What's even more chilling is that countless tiny black shadows can be faintly seen under the bark, like imprisoned souls struggling desperately. Occasionally, blurry human figures can be seen clinging to the surface of the trunk, only to be sucked back into the depths of the tree in an instant.
“That is…” Lin Ye’s pupils suddenly contracted as he suddenly remembered what the Supreme Kai of Time had said: the Time-Space Administrators were guardians of the Tree of Origin. He pointed at the tree trunk, his voice trembling with shock, “They are the Time-Space Administrators who were devoured by Kronos! He didn’t kill them, but turned them into fertilizer to nourish the Tree of Origin!”
Before the words were even finished, a sharp crack rang out, and a bottomless fissure suddenly appeared in the temple floor. Countless tree roots, coiled with blue data streams, burst forth from the earth, attacking the group like venomous snakes. Trunks reacted the fastest, drawing his sword from his back with a backhand motion. A silver sword aura swept out, severing several of the attacking tree roots.
But the next second, his expression changed drastically: "These tree roots are absorbing energy!" Instead of sap seeping from the cut ends of the tree roots, pale blue spacetime energy surged out, flowing towards him along with the residual aura of the sword energy. He subconsciously activated his qi defense, but felt the energy in his body rapidly draining away.
"Hehehe... What a touching struggle."
Kronos's laughter echoed from the top of the temple, laced with undisguised mockery. Everyone looked up and saw a figure composed of countless fragments of spacetime suspended in the canopy of the Tree of Origin, surrounded by twelve constantly twisting spacetime rifts, within which glimpses of shattered planets and the fleeting light and shadow of time could be vaguely seen.
"Lin Ye, do you really think the God of Destruction's trial is for you to inherit the divine position?" Kronos slowly raised his hand, and twelve rifts expanded simultaneously, emanating a suffocating sense of oppression. "You're too naive. From the moment you came into contact with the fragments of creation, you were just 'high-quality fertilizer' that I prepared for the Tree of Origin—a soul with divine power is most suitable for catalyzing the awakening of the origin of spacetime."
With a flick of his finger, a dark purple beam of energy shot towards Lin Ye with a piercing shriek as it tore through the air. This attack was imbued with pure spacetime devouring power; if it struck, even the soul would likely be torn apart.
Lin Ye's pupils contracted sharply. His divine power was not yet fully circulating, and he had no time to dodge. At this critical moment, a pink light suddenly blocked his way. The Supreme Kai of Time, Anise, appeared, holding a scepter. The crystal at the top of the scepter emitted a soft yet resilient barrier.
"boom!"
The energy beam struck the barrier, bursting into a blinding light. Anise groaned, her silver hair flying wildly in the impact, and she staggered back two steps before Lin Ye reached out to support her.
"Lady Anise!" Lin Ye quickly steadied her. "What are you doing here?"
“If I hadn’t come, you would have all killed yourselves.” Anise gasped for breath, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, her eyes fixed on Kronos. “Don’t panic, it’s not time to give up yet! The core of the Tree of Origin contains the primordial laws of spacetime, a power that Kronos can’t control no matter how much he devours. As long as we can activate it, we can reverse the current situation!”
"Activate? How do we activate it?" Lin Ye grabbed her wrist, his voice urgent. More and more tree roots were growing around them; Goku and Vegeta were already entangled, and Gohan and Trunks were struggling to hold on. If this dragged on any longer, everyone would be worn down and die here.
Anise raised her scepter and pointed to the runes on the trunk of the Tree of Origin: "Resonate with the power of the Saiyan bloodline! The Namekians once nourished the Tree of Origin with the power of the Dragon Balls, connecting it to life energy. And within the Saiyan bloodline lies an ancient battle gene that originates from the same source as spacetime. That is the only key that can awaken the primordial laws!"
"Bloodline resonance?" Vegeta scoffed, using destructive energy to shake off the tree roots binding his arm. "Enough talk, just tell me what you want! Don't waste time!"
Anise closed her eyes, and the crystal at the top of her scepter began to spin rapidly, emitting rings of pink waves that temporarily repelled the approaching tree roots: "The three of you—Lin Ye, Vegeta, and Trunks—hold each other's hands and pour all your energy into the trunk of the Tree of Origin. Remember, you must completely trust each other; even the slightest hesitation will cause the resonance to fail! This is the only condition for activating the Primal Laws!"
Lin Ye turned to look at Vegeta and Trunks, and their eyes met. Although Vegeta looked impatient, he was the first to extend his hand to Lin Ye; Trunks immediately stepped forward and placed his hand on Vegeta's as well.
"Are you ready?" Lin Ye took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of the two people coming from his palms, and the divine power within his body began to actively guide the flow of qi.
"Stop talking nonsense, let's begin!" Vegeta shouted.
The next second, three completely different auras erupted simultaneously: Lin Ye's golden divine aura, Vegeta's deep blue destructive aura, and Trunks' silver spacetime aura. The three beams of light, like three giant dragons, intertwined and slowly surged toward the main trunk of the Tree of Origin.
The moment the beam of light touched the tree trunk, the twisted Namekian runes suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light, and the shadows on the trunk's surface began to stir. Countless faint rays of light shone from beneath the bark, like awakened sparks. The imprisoned phantom souls of the Time-Space Administrators were gradually breaking free from their restraints as the three of them breathed into the air.
"No...! Impossible!" Kronos's expression finally changed. He could no longer maintain his composure and frantically activated the spacetime rifts around him. "How could you possibly master the Primal Laws? That is my power!"
The twelve spatial rifts expanded to their maximum extent simultaneously, unleashing countless black tentacles that surged forth like a tidal wave towards Lin Ye and his companions. Upon seeing this, Wukong immediately unleashed his Ultra Instinct, his body radiating a silvery-white aura as he instantly stood in front of the three, relentlessly shattering the incoming tentacles with his fists. However, some still managed to slip through his defenses.
"Faster! Faster!" Anise shouted, supporting her body with her scepter and channeling her last bit of strength into the barrier.
Just as the black tentacles were about to wrap around the three people's arms, the Tree of Origin suddenly let out a deafening roar, and the light of the entire tree reached its peak. The runes on the tree trunk transformed into countless particles of light, which condensed in mid-air into a huge phantom clock—the clock face had no numbers, only constantly flowing spacetime runes. The moment the hands turned, the flow of time in the entire temple suddenly slowed down. Kronos's movements, the spread of the black tentacles, and even the falling debris in the air all stopped in place.
"Now!" Anise's voice pierced through the stagnation of time. "Concentrate all your power and attack the core of Kronos! The point where the spacetime fragment condenses in his chest is his weakness!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Ye and the other two simultaneously pushed their power to the limit. The three intertwined beams of light suddenly surged, carrying the force to tear through space and time, and slammed straight towards Kronos, who was suspended in the treetop.
Kronos's pupils constricted sharply. He tried to summon a spacetime rift to block it, but found that his power was completely ineffective under the suppression of the primordial laws—the spacetime energy that had originally obeyed his command had now become shackles binding him. He could only watch helplessly as the golden pillar of light drew closer and closer, and could even feel the power contained within it, enough to shatter everything.
"boom...!"
The beam of light pierced through Kronos's chest without any doubt. With a shrill scream, his body, composed of fragments of spacetime, began to disintegrate inch by inch. Countless shattered pieces of spacetime light and shadow flew out of his body, and the souls of the spacetime managers he had devoured were also released, turning into specks of light that flew out of the Temple of Time.
"Why... I clearly have mastered the power of spacetime..." Kronos's voice grew weaker and weaker, and his body finally dissipated into countless points of light, leaving only an unwilling roar echoing in the temple.
As the last glimmer of light faded, the light of the Tree of Origin gradually softened, the grayish-purple leaves returned to their verdant green, the trembling ceased, and the whispers among the branches and leaves turned into gentle rustling, as if telling of the peace that had survived the catastrophe.
Anise put away her scepter, unable to support herself any longer, and collapsed to the ground, a weary smile on her face: "We succeeded... The balance of spacetime has finally been restored."
Bulma immediately ran over, helped Anise up, and handed her water: "Great! It's finally over!" Goku also breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his face, and chuckled: "That was really close. Luckily, Lin Ye and the others activated that law in time."
Lin Ye released Vegeta and Trunks' hands, feeling all the strength drain from his body, and sat down on the ground, panting. Looking at the Origin Tree gradually returning to calm, his tense nerves finally relaxed, thinking that this crisis surrounding time and space had finally come to an end.
However, at that moment, the crown of the Tree of Origin suddenly trembled violently, more intensely than ever before. Everyone's hearts jumped into their throats as a leaf shimmering with a faint black aura slowly drifted down from the crown, landing precisely on Lin Ye's outstretched palm.
The moment the leaf touched his palm, a new line of Namekian runes suddenly appeared on it. With the appearance of the runes, a chilling coldness spread from his palm throughout his body. Lin Ye's pupils constricted; he recognized the meaning of the runes.
"The remnants of chaos have not yet been eliminated; the real war has only just begun."
He gripped the leaf tightly and looked up at the sky outside the temple. The spatial turbulence in the distance had not completely dissipated when an extremely faint black figure flashed through the rift. Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, it exuded an aura that was more powerful and more evil than that of Cronus.
A chilling wind blew in through the cracks in the temple. Lin Ye looked at the leaf in his palm, its luster fading, and knew clearly in his heart... this battle over time and space was never over. The true enemy still lurked in the darkness, waiting to deliver the fatal blow.
Chapter 412: Remnants of Chaos