"Why?" Nail asked, a puzzled expression on his face.
"You really don't think, do you?" Krillin said, exasperated. "Dirt Mound Planet is under King Cold's control right now. We don't even know the situation there. Charging in recklessly is just asking to die!"
Krillin gave Nail a frustrated look. Despite his earlier impression that Nail was relatively clever, his lack of foresight was starting to wear on Krillin's patience.
"Oh, oh!" Nail finally seemed to understand, quickly bowing his head and searching for information about remote planets on the ship's virtual console.
"Krillin, there's an uninhabited planet about 500 light-years away from Dirt Mound Planet. It should meet your requirements. Here's the basic information," Nail said seriously, pointing to the details displayed on the virtual screen.
Krillin examined the data. The planet had no name and was a white dwarf, the remnant of a star that had gone supernova. It had no atmosphere and an extremely harsh environment.
"This is the one. Nail, land us there."
"Yes, Krillin." Nail immediately switched to pilot mode. Since the planet had no atmosphere, the ship's descent was remarkably smooth.
With a soft boom, the ship landed on the unnamed planet.
Krillin had chosen this location strategically. Within a single star system, his Instant Transmission could work effectively. If they encountered a powerful enemy, he could easily escape with Nail in tow.
"What now? How do we get to Dirt Mound Planet from here?" Nail asked, clearly confused.
Krillin gave a mysterious smile. "Get ready—you'll see soon enough."
He retrieved a box of portable capsules filled with essentials, including Senzu Beans.
"Hold on tight. If you fall into a spatial vortex, it'll be a real mess," Krillin teased, seeing how nervous Nail looked.
Nail, now visibly more anxious, grabbed onto Krillin's arm tightly, his grip showing no intention of letting go.
"Relax, I was kidding. Don't be so uptight—it's just a trip home. Let's go." With that, Krillin activated Instant Transmission, and the two of them vanished.
Five hundred light-years away, on a dusty yellow planet, two figures suddenly appeared.
Looking at the desolate landscape, Krillin noted that Dirt Mound Planet resembled the desert wastelands from his previous life.
Nail, however, was still in shock from the journey, but that quickly turned to awe as he saw the familiar sights he had dreamed of for centuries: coarse gravel, strangely shaped rocks in the desert, and ephedra shrubs swaying in the yellow wind. Tears welled up in his eyes.
"This… this is the place from my dreams. After more than two hundred years, I've finally come back!" Nail cried out, his emotions overwhelming him. He raised his head and roared, "I, Nail, have returned!"
Smack!
Krillin smacked Nail on the head. "What are you yelling for? Do you want to get us exposed? Keep this up, and I'll beat you to death!"
Staying cautious in unfamiliar territory was never a bad idea. Surviving until the end was the true way to win.
Nail scratched his head awkwardly, smiling sheepishly. "I couldn't help it. It's been so long since I've been home."
Krillin didn't pursue the matter further. Aliens couldn't sense ki, so as long as they didn't intentionally reveal themselves, they wouldn't be discovered.
Closing his eyes, Krillin began sensing the ki of the beings on the planet. After a while, he opened his eyes with a sly smile. "The strongest ki on this planet is around 10,000. Nothing to worry about."
"How do you know that, Krillin?" Nail asked curiously.
"Close your eyes and try sensing it yourself," Krillin replied, rolling his eyes.
"Yes, Krillin!" Nail immediately closed his eyes and attempted to sense ki.
With a battle power of 1,000, Nail was now a minor combatant in the universe. His energy extended outward, but soon he started panting heavily, his eyes wide with fear. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. The ki of the 10,000-power-level being felt like a massive mountain pressing down on him.
Krillin chuckled. "Go free your people."
Nail looked at Krillin with gratitude and nodded firmly.
10,000 miles southeast
In a dilapidated mining area filled with piles of black rocks, a group of two-meter-tall individuals trudged wearily. Their dark, emaciated bodies barely carried them through the day's labor. They had no energy left to resist. Their dull, lifeless eyes betrayed their hopeless existence.
Not feeding slaves enough seemed to be a universal tactic among slaveholders. Starving them kept their focus on basic survival, leaving no room for thoughts of rebellion.
Krillin observed the scene and sighed softly. "Survival of the fittest… This is what slavery looks like on a cosmic scale."
Nail's eyes reddened as he looked at his people. He recalled how, in the beginning, the alien exploitation had been far less severe. Had his escape caused this escalation, bringing such suffering upon his people? A wave of guilt washed over him.
Nail glanced at Krillin, silently seeking permission to act.
Krillin nodded solemnly.
With that, Nail leaped into the center of the mining area.
"Teach them a lesson," Krillin added sternly. He didn't plan to step in just yet; the guards overseeing the miners had battle powers of only around 500. This would be a perfect test of Nail's training over the past month.
One of the miners, struggling to carry a heavy load, suddenly noticed a figure land beside him. The elderly miner glanced up, but the effort seemed to drain the last of his strength, and he collapsed backward.
Nail quickly rushed to support him, taking out a flask of water and offering the old man a drink.
The elder opened his cloudy eyes slowly, his gaze filled with disbelief as he looked at Nail. "Who… who are you?"
"I'm Nail, one of your people. I've come to rescue you," Nail said with a pained expression.
"You foolish child!" the elder said, his voice trembling. "The invaders' power is far beyond anything you can imagine. A hundred years ago, King Dirt Mound led us in rebellion. His royal guard defeated the invaders, but just as we celebrated our victory, a more evil force descended upon us.
"In an instant, King Dirt Mound's royal guard was annihilated. The aliens killed the king and hung his head from the sacred pillar of Dirt Mound." The elder's body shook as he recalled the events of that day.
"It's okay," Nail said confidently, pounding his chest. "I'm a powerful warrior now!" In truth, he placed all his faith in Krillin.
"You don't understand their power! King Dirt Mound's royal guard was incredibly strong, but they didn't last a single breath against the aliens. Child, listen to me: run! Keep our people's hope alive. You're the future of Dirt Mound Planet's civilization!" the elder pleaded, tears streaming down his face.
Suddenly, the elder seemed to remember something. He grabbed Nail's hand tightly. "Yes, go to the Galactic Organization! They maintain peace in the universe. The Galactic Organization can save us!"
The elder repeated his plea, gripping Nail's hand as though it were his last hope.
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