Chapter 87: A World Split Asunder (Patreon)

After the fusion of temporal and spatial abilities into a superior force, the energies within the time-space rift could no longer harm Xavier. Instead, this newfound power allowed him to navigate the rift with ease, as if a fish had returned to water.

Unhindered by turbulent currents, his body became light and agile. Xavier gradually became accustomed to the new energy. Feeling confident, he suddenly accelerated and quickly reached Merus’s side. He grasped her hand and then continued the search for Bardock.

However, in the vast and bizarre expanse of this space, locating one person proved exceedingly difficult. After a long search, Xavier still had not found any trace of Bardock.

"Could it be that, just like in the original story, Bardock has traveled back to the ancient past?" This thought emerged in Xavier's mind after repeated unsuccessful searches.

The possibility wasn’t far-fetched. Considering Merus, for example, if it weren’t for the protective layer of Dragon Ball energy around her, she might have been lost to who knows where.

Logically, Bardock should also be covered by Dragon Ball energy. Why then was he nowhere to be found?

"Never mind, it seems Bardock is destined to return to the past," Xavier sighed, somewhat regretfully. He had initially hoped to take Bardock to Planet Vegeta, but that plan seemed impractical now.

The mysteries of the time-space rift made it a dangerous place to linger. Though Xavier could now prevent the temporal currents from physically harming him, Merus was not so fortunate.

After a moment of contemplation, Xavier had no choice but to abandon the search for Bardock and instead started to look for a way out of the rift.

The original location of Planet Vegeta lay in a weak spot in space. To reopen a portal, another weak point needed to be found!

But where was this weak point? With no distinct features to guide him, searching felt as futile as trying to find a needle in a haystack.

As Xavier wandered the rift with Merus, he noticed an alarming situation—Merus's energy was growing weaker, and they had yet to find a way out of the rift.

Xavier grew anxious over this predicament.

Just then, he noticed a glowing object in the distance, conspicuous in the dim environment. Could it be the exit? Reinvigorated, Xavier hurried towards it.

As he approached, however, it became apparent that the object was less like an exit and more like… a humanoid figure.

"Bardock, he’s actually here!"

Upon recognizing the figure, Xavier was startled. Bardock was still within the time-space rift.

Bardock's condition was even worse than Merus’s. Having endured the aftermath of a planet's explosion and subsequent erosion by temporal currents, Bardock was utterly spent, his energy barely perceptible.

Regrettably, because they were within the time-space rift, Xavier could not access the dimensional space; otherwise, he could have used a Senzu Bean to heal Bardock's injuries.

"How can we possibly leave this place?"

Clutching tightly to Bardock's body, the three of them staggered and stumbled through the turbulent currents. The Dragon Ball power enveloping Bardock and Merus was slowly fading. The reason Bardock had not traveled to the ancient past, as in the original story, was due to the hold of this Dragon Ball power. Once it fully dissipated, predicting which era they might end up in would be impossible.

"At this point, we have no choice but to go for broke!"

Gritting his teeth and after a quick assessment, Xavier decided to take a desperate chance. He returned to where he had initially found Merus and began to forcefully stimulate the newly acquired temporal power, hoping to artificially create an opening in the vulnerable spot of space-time.

As it was his first time using this power, anything could happen, and Xavier had to rely solely on his instincts to manipulate this unknown force.

Hissing sounds filled the air as silvery-gray energy spread out. Xavier's expression turned grave as he carefully manipulated it, but the rapid drain of space-time energy made his complexion pale, with beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. Meanwhile, the silvery energy swirled around, rapidly enveloping the trio into what resembled a natural cocoon of silver, formed within the space-time rift.

Dark red currents swirled and struck, but upon contact with the silver cocoon, they were instantly dispersed.

Pop! Pop!

Inside, Xavier, Bardock, and Merus remained motionless. The external silver cocoon spun rapidly, disturbing the fabric of space-time and stirring up invisible ripples... Then, with a thunderous noise, the cocoon could no longer withstand the tension and exploded, releasing a surge of energy.

It was like a bomb dropped on a calm lake, creating monumental waves that churned and overlapped, throwing space and time into chaos! Amidst the turmoil, a tear in the space-time rift was torn open, unleashing vast amounts of energy.

...

In the Northern Galaxy on a planet.

The sky was clear and cloudless.

It was a tranquil afternoon with sunshine casting a bright early summer scene. However, suddenly the sky began to roil as if something was about to burst forth. Before the surrounding clouds could disperse, a torrent of red energy, thick like red ink, gushed forth.

Like blood flowing from an invisible burst pipe, it cascaded down, splattering onto the ground. Vegetation withered, rocks shattered—all in an instant, like a witch's potion in a cauldron, instantly corroding everything it touched.

Such was the formidable power of space-time, decaying everything it touched in moments.

"We finally escaped!" A voice exclaimed in surprise as three silhouettes emerged from the tear in the sky.

Xavier, dragging Bardock and Merus, landed on the ground and gasped for air. He quickly opened the dimensional space and retrieved three emerald green Senzu Beans. Merging with the power of space-time did not hinder the use of his spatial and temporal abilities but rather brought a qualitative change to his powers. As for the specifics, further detailed research was necessary to understand fully.

Furthermore, the experiences within the space-time rift not only led to a breakthrough in Xavier's abilities but also fortuitously hardened his physical body. The turbulent currents of time-space had, invisibly, solidified his form, endowing him with a terrifying potency in every movement.

Xavier roughly estimated that his power level had now surpassed 150,000, an increase of nearly 5,000 from before.

Holding the three Senzu Beans, he consumed one himself, and the rich life force within instantly rejuvenated him.

He then fed a bean each to Bardock and Merus. Their breathing gradually stabilized, and the injuries inflicted by the chaotic flows of time-space began to heal.

Seeing this, Xavier breathed a sigh of relief. Recalling the peril they had faced, he was still shaken.

If it were not for the critical moment when his abilities fused back into space-time energy, he truly wasn't sure he could have escaped the rift. Of course, much was also due to the Dragon Ball power acting on Bardock and Merus. Without the faint pull of this power guiding them toward the reality of Planet Vegeta, they might well have been lost in time.

These factors combined ultimately returned them to the universe.

"Now that Bardock hasn't traveled to the ancient past, does that mean we've created a world where Bardock doesn't exist, and thus, a world without the legend of the Super Saiyan?"

Xavier sat down cross-legged and pondered.

In the original storyline, because time travel can easily create parallel universes, both the gods and the cosmic laws strictly prohibit the creation of time machines and any form of time travel.

Originally, Bardock should have traveled to the ancient past during the destruction of Planet Vegeta, slain the ancestor of the Frieza clan, a space pirate named Chilled, and left behind the legend of the Super Saiyan.

However, now that he had interfered, Bardock hadn't made the trip, potentially creating a parallel universe without the Super Saiyan legend!

"Heh, why am I even thinking about this? It's not my concern!"

After some thought, Xavier shook his head, feeling he had overthought the situation. These concerns seemed beyond what he should be contemplating. Parallel universes had nothing to do with him. Whether another universe existed or not had no bearing on his current situation.

What Xavier didn’t realize was that twelve years earlier, when he had traveled to the world of Dragon Ball, his arrival had already caused a split.

He was like a virus, suddenly appearing in this world.

From that moment, the world had split into two parallel universes: one where "transmigrator Xavier exists" and one where "transmigrator Xavier does not exist." The universe where "Xavier exists" was the one he currently inhabited, while the "Xavier does not exist" universe was similar to the original Dragon Ball world.

In the original narrative, a Saiyan named Xavier might also exist, but this Saiyan would likely have perished during the destruction of Planet Vegeta.

His act of saving Bardock this time had merely added another parallel universe—one without the Super Saiyan legend—to the mix.

……

After an indeterminate amount of time, Bardock and Merus gradually awakened. Having gone through a near-death struggle, the Saiyan trait of "near-death power boost" had unlocked all the latent potential within them.

The result was staggering: Bardock's power level surged to 30,000, while Merus also experienced an increase, reaching a power level of 1,600.

"Where are we?" Bardock asked groggily as he woke up, his mind still clouded. Then, remembering the events before he lost consciousness, his expression changed drastically. "What about Planet Vegeta? What happened to it?"

"Planet Vegeta has been destroyed by Frieza," Xavier replied solemnly.

"What!" Bardock was stunned, his eyes vacant as he processed the news.

"But you can be at ease; your wife has been moved to another location," Xavier added.

"Really?" Bardock clung to this news like a lifeline, suddenly grabbing Xavier by the shoulders. Then, a sudden intense pain struck him, causing Bardock to stagger, clutching his head in agony as sweat beaded on his forehead.

"The curse of Planet Kanassa?" Xavier glanced at Bardock sympathetically, aware that a Senzu Bean would not cure this type of ailment. Only magic or the power of the Dragon Balls could lift such a curse.