《Dragon Ball Alter: Rise of Little Green!》


 Hatching

    How dull.


    Sitting in this darkness, confined within a small shell, it was utterly mind-numbing. At first, he was angry, livid even. Day and night he would pound and rage away at the shell. Screaming even as his underdeveloped vocal cords strained and tore. However, as the anger simmered down came desperation. As if a religious fanatic he would call out to God, surely that this was some kind of mistake, quite understandable really for such a busy being, yet he never got a reply.The 5 stages of grief: 1. Denial; 2. Anger; 3. Bargaining; 4. Depression; and 5. Acceptance.


    He had cycled through them all multiple times.


    Eventually, the anger grew tedious. There was nothing he could do but sleep and look through the memories that had been inherited by virtue of his Namekian heritage. Ki manipulation, healing techniques, and "magic". It seems that he was a Dragon Tribe member. While not a Saiyan as he had originally hoped for, at least it was still a humanoid race and not a mindless beast of some sorts.


    A shudder racked through his frame everytime he thought of the possibility of being reborn as an actual slug or some strange shapeless blob. Considering the sheer scope of life in the universe he wouldn''t doubt that they existed.


    Left with nothing else to do, he practiced meditation and controlling his Ki. Unlike a lot of other races seen in the Dragon Ball world, Namekians weren''t limited to just flying, enhancing their bodies, and shooting blasts out of their hands. They could do so many interesting things with their "magic" or genetic ability.


    One of them was increasing their powers through meditation and refining theirspirit and mind. And so he started to play with his inner life force. It was strange in which it was simultaneouslylike gaining a new limb, but also like riding a bicycle. Confusing, but it was the best analogy he could come up with.


    He got the hang of it soon enough, although he was much too scared to try anything fancy, and likely explosive, in case he might accidentally kill himself or force a premature birth. Simply having the Ki flow throughout his body or light up the inside of his cocoon prison. Namekians evidently weren''t like humans because even though it would still take quite some time until he could leave, his eyes were already well developed enough for him to enjoy the mini light show.


    Time flew by as he found a new form of entertainment moving the energy all around his forming body. It moved by his own will, but there was a certain excitement and life-like sense to it, it responded to his call as if an excited puppy.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Strange how much your thoughts clear when you''re trapped as a fetus inside an alien egg for an undetermined amount of time. He didn''t have much to do besides thinking of his possible future and how he could get stronger. He originally didn''t have any grand ambitions, but the more he went over what he knew of his current "universe" the more he knew he had to get stronger. He had no intention to be some background character and die because of the whims of assholes like Freeza or Majin Buu, or any other random space fucks who decides it would be funny to blow up the damn planet. This is not to mention the fact that actual fucking God exists in this world, and he didn''t mean the one that tossed him here. Zeno frankly didn''t give a flying fuck about destroying an entire universe, the minor gods didn''t do jackshit, people could fuck around with the timeline and he''d die without even knowing what happened, and Gods of Destruction were whimsical at best.


    That gave him pause. If he was in Universe 7 his best bet would probably be finding Earth... Or rather living on Mars since nobody ever fucks up mars. It would be dangerous, but he could get stronger and have a safety net so to speak with Vegeta and Goku around and their dragon balls.


    Was this Universe 7 or 6? Another one entirely? Perhaps one separatefrom the main Dragon ball world? Considering the fact Zenos hasn''t come in gun blazing yet, should he consider myself safe? Then again the little asshole didn''t really give a shit when Goku Black fucked up the timeline. Wait...Could he pull a GokuBlack? Get himself a ProperSaiyan body? Maybe even Broly''s?!


    The first order of business would definitely be to find out what Universe he was and the timeline.


    His daydreaming was interrupted when a sudden throbbing was felt all around him. It increased in pace and he could feel his pulse rapidly speeding up to match the rhythm. Suddenly his surroundings blinked with a light on and off from within. He could make out flashes of his environment. It was a smooth white shell covered in purple strands which connected to all part of his body as if a half-finished cocoon.


    Soon the shell fell apart to fragments and he was greeted by a crowd of tall green slug people. They had two antennason their foreheads and sections of their bodies having pink patches with red ridges.


    "Hello there, little one."


    if there was one thing Re:Monster ever got right... It was that having a bunch of bald green men smiling down at you as you''re born was definitelynot a pretty sight.


    ''Wait, shit I''m part of that ugly green men category now... and thinking back on it, Namekians were all the same asexual gender, which means I''m lacking a certain thing between my legs. Double Shit, I don''t suppose there''s any convenient evolution function for me to meet hot girls... Is there?''


    System? Check 1 Check 2. Status, Menu, Inventory, nope guess not.


    Great, he''s part of a race of overgrown space goblins. God, it was going to be a long couple of years.

 A Rising Prodigy?

    Namekian Hierarchy is very intriguing.


    It seems Lady Luck hadn¡¯t given up on him completely after all, because he was born as one of the respected members of the Dragon Tribe. The caste that was able to use magic and was usually in a type of leadership and a protected role. Due to their ability to reproduce and their unique skills which included healing and crafts, they were highly valued.


    Lians was the name bestowed upon him by the elder Mallus. He was a tall and skinny Namekian who might as well have been a walking tree with his long thin arms and a wrinkled and rough face. He was also his great-great-grandfather of shorts.


    He had been spending his days reading through scrolls on how to better control his abilities while secretly observing the Warrior Tribes train. He was so glad that language barriers basically didn''t exist in DBZ and even if it did, with the entire race being basically made of telepaths and genetic memory being hyper-charged, kids were basically born knowing the basics of survival and their culture. It was literally ingrained in them.


    While Namekians were generally pacifists in his memories of the series, it seems in this world or timeline things were very different. Unlike during the Freezia Saga where Namekians were seemingly the only sentient life form on the planet, here they were surrounded by powerful beasts from all around. Thins that seemed as if they walked straight out of Starwars or some kid''s Spore game with all the mods.


    Green towering behemoths that shook the ground with their every steps, mysterious sea serpents that lurked beneath the depths, and winged monsters that could blacken the skies with their sheer numbers. Did he mention almost all of them could instinctively use Ki and could fire laser beams of death? Because they could, and it was absolutely pants shittingly terrifying.


    It was truly a dangerous world he had found himself on.


    He felt like a caveman trying to hide from dinosaurs. If dinosaurs could fly at supersonic speed and casually destroy mountains.


    Thankfully the village he was born in wasn¡¯t a weak one. Although they did not have many warriors, each one of them was strong and clever. Using their superior intellect and coordination they could take down most lower leveled creatures that wandered too close for comfort.


    Also, their unique physiology which only needs water and didn¡¯t require food coupled with their relatively low numbers made them extremely mobile and easily hidden from their predators.


    ¡°Lians! What have I told you about sneaking off? Come, let us return to Elder¡¯s place and stop bothering the Warriors.¡±


    A small kid who looked to be 5-6 had wobbled over and grabbed his hands before tugging on his wrist. It was Slujj, his older cousin by 2 years. Or was it uncle? Brother? Namekian family trees were convoluted, to say the least when one¡¯s species can asexually reproduce and occasionally fused together. It was more fucked up than the ancient Greeks or Egyptian royal family or divine family trees. Seriously, having dying warriors fuse with a chosen heir or closest family member was a common practice, one of the stronger warrior had fused with 3 other Namekians before, it was ridiculously confusing.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright Slujj, it is heartening to see one so young show such an interest in our arts. Tell me Lians, would you like to learn?¡±


    ¡°But Shell, he¡¯s only a child, far too young for something so dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself Slujj, I¡¯m merely going to give him some pointers, not taking him into the wilderness.¡±


    With a firm tone, he pacified Slujj and prevented any further argument.A series ofrapid and exciting nods was Lians¡¯ answer, doing a very good imitation of a bobblehead and causing the older Namekian to laugh. It was deep and reverberated in his chest. He motioned for Lians to follow and the two flew off some distance to a clearing far enough to prevent disturbing the others or causing any damage, but close enough to still be within the village''s security. It was a large grassy plain with the village still in sight.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Come little one, let us have a small test. Show me everything you¡¯ve got!¡±


    A large grin on his face and a green sharp thumb pointed at his chest the taller alien beckoned Lians to come at him.Lians didn¡¯t disappoint as in mere moments after the last word had left his mouth the younger Namekian charged forward at surprising speed. While he had all the memory and knowledge needed, flying was still a bit too difficult for him without further practice. Hence he merely used it to lighten his body and give extra propulsion to his steps. He had clearly taken the warrior by surprise as the man couldn¡¯t react in time to block his punch to his stomach.


    Although he probably hurt himself more than he did his opponent judging by the stinging pain in his fist, he didn¡¯t let that deter him as he quickly sent a sidekick to Shell''s shin, only for it to move out of the way before he could connect. A large and wild grin was on Lian''s face as he fully immersed himself in the joy of letting loose after all that time stuck confined inside his shell and the many more days and weeks of hiding inside the village. It felt good to really push his body, even more so for the fact that despite its small frame and young age, his new Namekian body was miles better than his old one. In fact, he was sure even with his unrefined motor control he could outrace Usain Bolt while running backward.


    A right hook that seamlessly flowed into an elbow as he spun his body and twisted sharply to shoot a heavy roundhouse. None of the blows connected, but that hardly detered him, it only drove him to push himself all that much more. Faster, stronger, and heavier, his blows rained down on the other Namekian as he used him as a way to vent all his frustrations.Shell had finally broken out of his stupor and was refocused on the mock battle at hand.


    ¡°A most excellent offensive start, Young Lians, but to win a battle one must do more than simply rushing forward. Let us see how you handle being on the defensive.¡±


    Lian¡¯s eyes could barely track the movement of the rushing veteran of battle, rather he managed to locate him using his ears and highly developed Namekian sense of hearing. Utilizing his shorter stature he ducked beneath a roundhouse kick and managed to get behind him while he was still off-balance from his attack.


    He stomped with all his considerable might on the back of the man¡¯s knees to no avail. A harsh backhand sent him flying back and tumbling on the ground. It was a trick and he fell for the bait. The man didn¡¯t give him a chance to catch his breath however and exchanged a series of harsh blows. No matter how hard he tried or how quick his counters and reactions, Shell was always just the slightest bit ahead of him. But even with the man holding back considerably, his superior experience and techniques combined with his sheer mass and reach advantage were not easy to keep up with even with similar physical prowess.


    He would have to get a bit creative and maybe just a little bit dirty.


    Shell jumped forward and turned to face his small opponent before proceeding to fly forward into a tackle. Lians tried his best to time it so he could hop over the man and climb onto his back before pulling his head covering over his eyes and blinded the man. He wrapped both legs around his neck and started wailing on the man with tiny fists. They were both sent tumbling down when Shell accidentally flew into a nearby cliff face.


    Two nearly identical groans were heard before roaring laughter and clapping from around them made them look up as if two deers caught in headlights. It seems that they had unknowingly gathered a rather large audience and didn''t notice until now because of how absorbed into the spar as they were.


    ¡°A most spectacular effort Lians! I can¡¯t believe you actually managed to land a blow on Shell, not to mention three!¡±


    ¡°Splendid! A true prodigy, he may be part of the Dragon Tribe, but a Warrior¡¯s spirit burns bright within!¡±


    ¡°Getting slow in your old age, Shell? I can¡¯t believe a 3-year-old managed to get the best of you.¡±


    These were some of the louder verbal outburst from the other warriors, which was nothing compared to the mental bustling hub of chatter. Thankfully he knew how to tune it out so that it was only white noise like a T.V playing in the background, or else he felt like he would¡¯ve gone insane.


    Shell eventually got up and extended a hand to help him up. With a single raise of his hands, the crowd became quiet and all joking settled down. After all, despite his relatively young age of 235, Shell was the strongest warrior in their village and was considered the Chief of the Warrior Tribe in charge of the safety of everyone.


    ¡°Although your methods were quite... Unorthodox, they were very effective and showed a keen battle sense. Tell me, Lians, would you like to be my apprentice and join the Guard Squad? Your immense talents would be wasted sitting around all day!¡±


    The Guard Squad was a strange group that was their equivalent of a military. Not only did they scan the surroundings for dangerous creatures, but they also retrieved materials needed by the Dragon Tribe and kept an eye on other villages. Almost composed entirely of Warrior Tribe members it was the first time in 300 years since a Dragon Tribe members had joined. Not only because of social tradition but because Dragon Tribe members usually had low battle sense and a weaker constitution. They were healers and creators at heart and few had the disposition for combat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honored to join you, Master Shell!¡±


    ¡°Good, from tomorrow onwards meet me here at sunrise every day. We shall start your training in the ways of Martial Arts and Scouting.¡±

 A brush with Death

    "Come now, Lians is that all you got!" A fist buried itself in Lian''s stomach as he was sent crashing into the ground. A large dust cloud hid his form as he silently got up. Shell hovered in the sky with his arms crossed as he waited for his student to gather himself.


    Making use of the cover he had gained Lians used his telekinesis to send a large chunk of the ground flying to his right. Shell instantly detected the movement within the cloud and charged towards it with a dropkick. He realized within seconds that it was a decoy, but those scant few seconds was all Lians needed to charge an energy beam that was sent crashing into the older Namekian''s back. The explosion engulfed him.


    Yet once the light died down it showed Shell no worst for wear besides his clothes being tattered.


    "Not bad Lians. A brilliant tactic." The man slowly floated back in the air and Lians followed closely. They rushed forwards and met in the middle with their forearms slamming together, the shockwave could be heard from the entire village as the sheer force of their blows shook the trees.


    They exchanged a rapid fury of blows but it soon became apparent that Lians was being pushed back. He weathered the storm of attacks as he bid his time waiting for a chance to counter. It came soon enough when Shell had sent a right cross screaming towards his face. Making use of his telekinesis once more, he shifted the angle of the blow ever so slightly and did his best to slow it down as he dodged. Even that marginal degree of change was taxing on his mind, but it served his purpose.


    He had managed to get through the older man''s guard and sent a knee to their solar plex before flipping backward. He had been training the past few months on incorporating his Dragon Tribe talents with the Warrior Tribe''s martial arts and he was proud to see the progress he was making.


    His joy was short-lived however as Shell shrugged off the attack and disappeared from his sight. Even trying to sense his Ki or the sound of his movement was futile as by the time he realized where the man was a vicious hammer blow had once again sent him crashing to the ground. His body bounced off the surface multiple times before slamming into a nearby mountain from the sheer force of the impact, leaving craters every time he touched the ground.


    He didn''t get a chance to pull himself out before a blinding yellow light rushed towards him. It was as if the sun had risen once more and was heading straight for him. The explosion promptly knocked the young warrior in training out as he was sent crashing into a river. Although he was covered in scrapes and bruises he was more or less intact, unfortunately, the mountain he was in couldn''t say the same as not even rubbles were left of it.


    Shell quickly fished his talented new student out of the river before sending him to the Medical Tent to be healed. His gaze was soft and filled with pride as he looked at his pupil. Every day the child continued to surprise him. He had a drive unlike any other and his quick wits and novel usage of his abilities were most effective. Never before had a member of their tribe attempted to combine the ways of both Dragon and Warrior.


    Magic and Martial might. For centuries they had competed to see who was superior before coming to an unsteady treaty within the village, yet could this boy be a sign of the future? Could they come together as one with him leading the path?


    Shell had great expectations of the boy whose potential was never before seen within their people.


    <hr>


    "It is only when one has a purity of heart that they can reach their true potential. One must not only focus on their body but also the mind. For no matter how sturdy the body, without an equally strong spirit to guide it, they are naught but a mindless brute."


    He and the other children listened attentively to the Elder''s lecture while being in a mental hub with his fellow students. They all exchanged notes and ideas are an unbelievable speed. Such was the advantage of such a species he supposes. They could collectively break down ideas and concepts at an incredible pace and with many unique prospects. They could literally transfer their own comprehension of a matter to each other. Even one such as himself who never truly brought to many schools of philosophy and considered them mumbo jumbo had gained a deeper appreciation and understanding of other schools of thought.


    With so many perspectives analyzing a subject matter, it was no wonder that they could learn at an incredible pace, and Lians couldn''t help but wonder why wasn''t the Namekians currently ruling the universe. Their potential seemed frankly ridiculous as a species. Maybe he could change that...? There was no real reason why he had to stick to "Canon" after all, and he really literally couldn''t be in a better position to make use of the Dragon Balls. Pulling a Goku Black didn''t seem so far fetched now, but the question was if he should even go for it. He was having fun so far with these people, so maybe food for thought for the future.


    Currently, the entire class was meditating under the guidance of the Elder. They all sat cross-legged and looked deep within themselves, clearing their head and cleansing it of impure thoughts. By connecting their minds they could help each other in the process, however, Lians was curious about something. If this worked then he would''ve completed the first step of his goal.


    While they were all within a collective mindscape filled with a strange embodiment of thoughts, emotions, and memories they weren''t the only thing there. Strange shadowy creatures formed around them. They were the darkness within every one of them and by destroying them they could cleanse their soul of negative energy. It was a pretty standard practice that the class has been undergoing for weeks now, but today Lians separated from the group during the chaos.


    He had managed to find a wandering Shadow in the shape of a fanged bird. This time he didn''t attack it, nor let it consume him, but reached out with mental feelers. He tapped into its essence. There he could distinctly feel something that was both foreign and familiar. It was a sense of fear. Of falling and plummeting to his death, of reaching for something to stop his descent only to grasp air, of the certainty of death.


    It only lasted a moment but he broke out into a cold sweat, yet a wide grin was on his face. He ordered the creature to hove to his right and so it followed.


    That was his first experiment with the mind and it was only the first of many. Sessions after sessions he had tested out his abilities, seeking to understand them and earn better control. Although such things would be considered dark or forbidden as he was practically playing with the mind and souls of his fellow students, he decided to go by a quote he had in his last life.


    "It''s not a crime if you don''t get caught"


    He was not one for "cleansing" his thoughts. He had noticed with the entire village but almost everyone was sickeningly passive. Even though they lived in such a dangerous place nobody truly had the drive to improve and make something of themselves. Even the warriors only did enough to maintain the status quote. He linked it to the cleansing as it seems to erase all negative feelings and even desire and drive. It blurred the lines between the individual and the collective, and he refused to give up his identity and sense of self.


    Why else would a race with such potential still basically be living like primitive savages in shitty tents and huts in fear of wild animals when they could make fucking space ships and learn at a pace even Stephen Hawkins and einstein would balk at?


    Perhaps this was why Freezia had such an easy time conquering Namek, or that only Nail had any strength to speak of, which eclipsed his peers by such absurd amounts. Namekians had clipped their own claws and fangs in pursuit of a peaceful life.


    He had learned to hide his inner thoughts and better read the mind and character of others, but it wasn''t enough. Namekians had the ability to perceive the soul. They could see your inner alignments no matter how well you tried to hide it. He needed something better.


    He had spent weeks thinking of a solution before he had found one, albeit one a bit risky. King Piccolo. Kami. The Nameless Namekian. If he could perform something similar, a quasi-fission, than he could deceive the senses of everyone... At least that was the theory.


    Like a man possessed he scoured over all the scrolls he could get his hands on, he went around and asked for the advice of all his Elders, though he made sure to keep the nature of his questions vague, and finally after a year he had managed.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    At four years old Lians was about to attempt what would be considered one of the blackest of magic back on Earth. Altering his very soul. By sectioning off a small part of his soul which contained his inner "goodness" he managed to use it to coat his entire soul so that it would appear to be a pure and just one. Because he wasn''t truly dividing it or splintering it off, he did not need to worry about a split personality or a radical change in his mind.


    Now without fear of being exiled for being tainted of heart or watched closely by the guard squad he would have a lot more freedom. He just needed to avoid any close inspection by the Elders until he could solidify his mastery of the skill and could strengthen the shell. Besides, he didn''t think he was particularly "evil", but he was probably morally ambiguous at best.


    He went to find Slujj as they were supposed to meet up soon. Slujj would teach him about the various herbs and medicine that could be found in the jungle while he was deemed strong enough to guard him while he went about his task to collect material.


    "Lians! Right on time, cmon we have to get going before the stupid Mamuths trample over everything!"


    Slujj was wearing a red vest with a white robe and blue pants. Frankly, everyone dressed pretty much the same in his village. He figured it was a way to distinguish between tribes as he had only seen one other Namekian who didn''t dress like them and he was from a village in the east.


    Mamuths were giant green walking mountains. It was truly the best way he could describe the beasts who were similar to furless mammoths with six legs and two tails that ended in harden bubs as if boulders were attached.


    "Right! Let''s go!" With a cheer, he followed behind the older boy. They flew deep into the jungle as there were rare plants that only grew in its depth. Thankfully both of them were good at what they did and he had only had to fight off wild animals a handful of times. Although he suffered from wounds every time, Slujj was a decent healer and Lians was enjoying the practice. Healing wasn''t his forte honestly, he much preferred and was frankly better at blowing things up, thankfully Namekian regeneration was quite potent that even his halfassed healing magic did wonders.


    During one of the fights, he had attempted telepathy on a random bird he had seen and was surprised that it actually worked and they understood each other. Kind of, more like he could sense the thing''s mood and brief images of what it had seen that day, but it was a start. He wasn''t sure if this was caused by his experiment on his soul, the fact that he wasn''t originally a Namekian, or if he was simply a mutant, but he was pleasantly surprised by the discovery.


    "So, Lians, why did you want to become a Warrior? Isn''t it hard? It''s better for Dragon Tribe members like us to focus more on our Mystic arts rather than such... Vulgar methods."


    "Thank you for the concern, but while it is indeed difficult I find it a worthwhile endeavor." He also had no intention to hide behind others like a coward or let others dictate his fate, but he didn''t voice such thoughts for obvious reasons.


    "You''re a strange one, you know, but I guess it''s fine. You''ll see what a waste of time it is eventually. After all, why bother punching and kicking and rolling in the dirt when one can have others do it for them? When you can use true Magic such mundane things are best left for the lower class."


    Lians didn''t bother to answer that time and Slujj seemed to take it as silent agreement. They soon gathered more herbs while he made note of signs of animals that had passed by. As he casually looked around he saw something that almost made him fall out of the sky. Six deep claw marks on a tree trunk. Although the tree was thicker than four grown men could wrap their arms around the gorges in it were deep and he was sure they sliced through halfway into it. However, that wasn''t the strangest part as around the cuts the tree was a sickly purple color and it seemed as if it was eroded or rotten. Looking around the area he spotted other similar marks before he found something that all but confirmed what he feared.


    A patch of rough green fur whose toughness and texture made it feel as if they were strands of steel than any organic material. He would have to report it to Shell that a pack of Nimian Lions were dangerously close to the village.


    One of the alpha predators of the area, their evolutionary path was a strange one as instead of utilizing KI to external effects they focused it all inwards, strengthening their already sturdy body to frankly ridiculous amounts. This was coming from someone who''s species could casually regrown limbs and grow into a giant''s size on a whim. They did not need to use energy blasts as with just their body they could easily crush any other creatures of the surrounding under their paws. This also had the side effect of making them incredibly difficult to sense as they do no radiate Ki like most other creatures and instinctively suppressed it. Coupled with their padded paws and silent movement they were truly a nightmare of the jungle.


    Did he mention that mother nature apparently decided that wasn''t enough and had given them an incredibly potent poison? From their claws to their blood and flesh, it was stupidly hard to kill these things as even when one successfully wounds it they would, in turn, suffer greatly. The body was inedible and the poison couldn''t be collected as it degraded rapidly when exposed to oxygen and required the beast''s unique Ki to maintain potency.


    Frankly, he thought it was more of acid than poison as it could even eat away at anything it touched, but to make a long story short, there was nothing good that came with messing with these assholes, and you couldn''t even just avoid them and mind your own business because they killed not for substance, but for sport.


    "Slujj, we got to go, now!"


    A growing sense of unease grew within him as his finely honed instincts were screaming at him to get the fuck out of Dodge, he was half tempted to simply leave the idiot here as cat bait and run for it. The light buzzing in the back of his head reminding him of the mental hub they were all connected too quickly dissuaded him of that train of thought and he simply sent a telepathic message towards the ignorant kid still taking his sweet ass time gathering flowers.


    He had floated on top of a tall tree, surveying his surroundings and hiding amongst the leaves. He prayed that the beasts were not still in the area or else they might not make it out of this alive. He used telekinesis to dampen the movement of the air to reduce the ability of wind to travel as much noise as possible and carry their noise or scent, but the urgency in his voice seemed to fail to convey itself to the other Namekian as he whined out loud.


    "What? Why? Give me a few minutes I''m almost done collecting the Sun Lilly''s seeds" In his hands, Slujj was holding onto a glowing plant glowing an orange hue reminiscence of a sunset. It was beautiful and he might''ve admired it some more if not for the fact he was worried about a dozen 30-ton overgrown cats making his skull its chew toy.


    Unfortunately, Murphy truly was a bastard, as no sooner had the boy finished his words did Lians'' eyes noticed a shift in the background. The green beast had used its coloration to camouflage itself the entire time. Thankfully these hunters liked to play games and it had yet to notice he had seen it from the cover of his eyes. He made a point to avoid looking at it and pretended to be oblivious.


    "Shell. Help. Nimian Lion. Sun Lily Field."


    He had sent a telepathic S.O.S back to Shell and the other warriors back in the village. He had to make sure the beasts weren''t aware of the incoming back up and decided to not inform Slujj in case the beast noticed something was off. He didn''t trust Slujj not to panic or run blindly back, and if he provoked the Lion before help arrived then they were both dead.


    "Sure, that''s fine, take your time."


    Lians made a show of relaxing his guard and pretended to rest on the branch. He just needed to distract it for a few minutes. A seemingly easy task, if one didn''t consider the fact that a few seconds was all it took for it to kill both of them. He tried not to let his nervousness show and he did a pretty good job if he could say so himself. That or maybe Slujj was just an idiot.


    "Yeah, don''t worry I''m almost done!"


    The Dragon Tribe member was so relaxed it was almost as if he was going for a walk in the park and even started humming. A minute passed by and he let out a sigh of relief as he could now sense the rescue squad flying towards them at lightning speed. Which means they were only a few miles away. A quick calculation of their current speed and distance and he was sure they only needed to last another minute. However, once he completely left his guard down the beast struck.


    His acting skills apparently weren''t enough to fool the beast as it knew he was guarded against it. He didn''t even know what had hit him before he was sent crashing downwards. His body used as a bullet to split the enormous tree right down the middle.


    A scream was heard but he wasn''t sure if it was his or Slujj. That one blow had almost knocked him out as purple filled his vision from the blood coating his body. That one blow took over half of his energy pool just to survive and it was continuing to rapidly empty itself in a bid to heal his body.


    Surprisingly a finishing blow didn''t come and once he had gotten up he realized why. The giant cat was lazily grooming itself, licking up his blood off its paw. While he couldn''t read it''s facial expression he was sure that it was a glint of sadistic glee he could see in its slitted eyes golden.


    It was toying with him. He wasn''t sure whether to be outraged or relieved. If this thing took him seriously he would''ve met King Yama in a heartbeat, so in a way, he guesses he should''ve been thankful that this overgrown hairball had looked down upon him. It was a complicated feeling.


    He wonders if that thing drank milk. and wait do Lions even cough up hairballs?


    His disorientation and likely concussion soon wore off a yellow glowing light came from Slujj. His mind cleared as his wounds knit themselves shut. While the brat was shaking in fear he could at least admire the fact that he had yet to run away.


    "Don''t worry, I already contacted the others, they''ll be here in a minute"


    "...I''m not sure if we''ll still be here after a minute"


    Lians had a grim look on his face as he heard the other child''s reply. He was right, but Lians had to put on a brave front.


    "Don''t worry, about if we''ll make it out of this... I have a plan, but I need you to do something for me."


    The beast seemed content to let them finish their plan as it stared at them. A lofty ruler of the Jungle, it knew it could end them at any time and so chose to do so leisurely, after all, it wouldn''t be fun if its toy broke too soon.

 A most unpleasant surprise

    Slujj flew above the two of them and sat on a branch with his eyes peeled open. Taking that as his cue Lians sent a Ki blast to blow up a cloud of dust to serve as a smokescreen. He didn''t stop there as he shot out multiple orbs of energy to crash into the surrounding trees. They wouldn''t hurt the beast by a long shot, but he hoped the confusing extra stimulus from the sound and movement would be enough to disorient it for a moment. It was a race against the clock and every single second counted.


    Soon the beast moved. With a grace that was shocking for its sheer size, it moved as if a phantom in the night, leaving hardly a trace of sound. Every step looked lazy, but even so, it ate up the distance. The strange rhythm of the movement made it difficult to keep track of the beast, especially with its natural camouflage. No matter how much he focused on the creature and how he tuned his senses, he couldn''t keep track of the Lion. It blinked in and out of his awareness and he felt a dread gnawing at his bones.


    A death one can brace for was easy, the fear of the unknown, however, was all-consuming. A couple of leaves fell from above. He was so busy looking around the ground he didn''t even notice a large shadow overlapping his own. A paw larger than his torso came slicing downwards to crush his skull. With its speed and mass, there was no doubt that such an effort would be the same as cracking an egg.


    "ABOVE!"


    Thankfully the warning came in time and Lians managed to dive out of the way before the blow connected. A large crater formed and the monster had a look of surprise in its eyes. It was certain that the green one had not noticed its presence, so how did it dodge? In the end, it didn''t matter to the beast as it quickly went back to the swing of the hunt and disappeared once more.


    "Thanks." This was his plan, the only hope they had. By using their telepathic link to share information they could make use of the different vantage points to prepare. Plus with Slujj in a relatively safe area, he could focus more on his Ki sense.


    It was a deadly game of cat and mouse with the slightest mistake being fatal, but it was all they could do.


    The seconds crawled by as this pattern continued before a growl was heard. It was harsh and rumbled within their chest, more akin to a jet engine''s roar than anything a living being should be able to make. It seems the novelty of the game had worn off for the beast and it was about to end things.


    "Just another 30 seconds Lians! They''re almost here!"


    Slujj also realized that he couldn''t manage this on his own so he flew off his perch and stood beside Lians, they had their back to each other but were far enough apart that a single blow wouldn''t be able to catch them both. This was it, the final burst.


    Yet even with all their fear, they had still ended up underestimating it. Slujj was standing tall with his guard risen as high as he could, his eyes darted between every tree, his senses tracked every shift in the wind and every shifting shadow. He had looked at the trees when it happened.


    "Huh?" Why were the treetops growing closer? Wait, why was he upside down? Such was his thoughts as his torso was sent flying upwards and his lower half fell limply to the side. A heavy thud and it was turned to a sickly green and purple paste beneath a furry foot.


    It had been 3 seconds. 27 more to go.


    Lians wasn''t sure if Slujj was dead or alive, he didn''t have the time nor leisure to worry about such things as cruel eyes glared at him. He could see his pale and soak sweated face reflected in it''s glowing yellow eyes. In a desperate move, he launched an energy wave at the orb directly in its center. He was heaving heavily after expending a considerable amount of power in such a short time frame.


    Surely, that''d have done the trick? The eyes were the weakest part of any living being and he didn''t know anything that wouldn''t be fazed after having its eye blown up. Even a warship wouldn''t necessarily be able to survive the payload he just unleashed on the thing point-blank.


    The smoke cleared away by a hot gust of wind, or so it seemed, but he quickly realized the horrifying truth. It was merely the exhale of the beast. There wasn''t even a scratch on the damn thing, it had merely blinked some dust out of its eyes before once more looking at him. To show him the futility of his struggles, the absolute certainty of his demise.


    "SHIT SHIT SHIT, DON"T YOU FUCK WITH ME!" Blast after blast came from his hands like a minigun, all to no avail. Fear overcame him as if a cold hand gripped his heart in a vice hold. This couldn''t be how his second life would be. He refused! Yet in the face of the harsh reality, his refusal meant jack shit for all it was worth.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A whip of its tail crushed his ribs and nearly bisected him like his friend, it was merely by virtue of him having jumped back at the last moment that saved him. The arm he used to block the blow was sent flying into the distance and only a quick application of Ki to cauterize the wounds prevented him from bleeding out.


    He fell to his knees before coughing up blood. He could hardly breathe with his crushed lungs and the edges of his vision exploded with stars. He had to think, but it was so hard. He couldn''t keep doing the same thing, it clearly wasn''t working. Don''t panic, calm yourself. Easier said than done. He repeated the words like a mantra as he scoured his brain for a solution.


    Finally, he remembered something. Something that could change the situation. He couldn''t win, but he didn''t have too. He just needed another 20 seconds.


    Focusing on his Ki he circulated the energy around his body, suffusing it with the power of his life force. Then with a great heave commanded it to change, to grow, to expand.


    Gigantification.


    He grew and grew until his legs matched the tree trunks and his head towered past the mountain tops. His every breath drank in the clouds and caused gales. Yet he was still hopelessly outmatched. In sheer physical strength, he may as well have been an infant trying to compete with Mr. Olympia. Besides strength, this body didn''t truly provide much besides making himself a bigger target after all his Ki level stayed the same, but that was exactly what he was aiming for.


    The creature was surprised at first, but it didn''t matter in the end as it senses no danger from the strange two-legged beast. It merely gained a bigger meal. It tore him apart, literally. Deep gorged were made in his legs which could compare to skyscrapers, his right arm was flung miles away, and he was bleeding enough to fill rivers. The entire section of the forest was dyed a deep purple as his blood fell like a torrent of rain.


    He was left a shredded mess, but a breathing one nonetheless. He had lasted long enough for Shell and his squad to arrive. They quickly knocked the beast off him before forming a protective formation around him and a Dragon tribe member. One of his eyes was destroyed already, but his other could faintly see the upper half of Slujj. It seems that he had survived, if barely. Not even a Namekian''s impressive regeneration along with healing magic could save him though it seems as his Ki was rapidly fading and he could see the frustration in the Older Namekian''s eyes.


    He himself wasn''t in much better shape as while he was more "intact" than his companion he had suffered an enormous amount of damage.


    He sat in silence as he watched the warriors of the tribe fend off the Beast. Truly it''s physical dominance was clear to see as it knocked aside half of the men with ease. They were no more than pinballs to it. Only shell and two others had managed to even wound it and even then it had caused them to suffer deep cuts.


    Shit, wasn''t this really bad? Would the rescue squad need rescuing themselves? Wouldn''t he be completely boned in this situation?


    Thankfully such thoughts proved unnecessarily as Shell managed to unleash a powerful energy bomb within the body of the beast. He had baited it with his arm and sacrificed the entire limb to give it a devastating blow. While it might''ve been a crippling if not an outright fatal tactic for any other race, Namekians were a sturdy species who could heal from almost anything if they had enough energy and time.


    It was enough to cause the lion''s entire head to blow up like a blood-filled balloon. He wasn''t sure if that was more a testament to Shell''s incredible powers, or how idiotically powerful and sturdy that the thing was to only be missing a head.


    "Are you two alright?" Shell had approached the group with a worried look on his face, ignoring the fact that he was badly wounded and profusely bleeding himself. A subdued nod from the medic was all he needed to understand the situation as he saw Slujj''s state for the first time.


    All the other warriors came to us with their head hung low in grief.


    "I''m sorry we couldn''t make it here sooner, Slujj. May you find peace with the Ancestors."


    "May you find peace with the Ancestors." A phrase that all repeated in sync. There was no God worshipped here, but rather Heroes and Wisemen from their people were treated as guardian spirits.


    Suddenly a scream took them all by surprise before they could recover almost half of them were taken out of the fight in pieces.


    "Impossible!"


    It was a second Nimian lion, one even larger than the one before. Nobody had expected this. Nimian Lions were solitary creatures by nature. They did not get along and did not even have a concept of companionship even amongst themselves. Cannibalism was not a rare occurrence when two were forced to be in each other''s presence or territory for too long.


    Yet, no matter what their common sense told them, their eyes stated otherwise.


    By the time they got out of their stupor into a battle-ready stance, which was merely a handful of seconds, their battle potential was cut down to merely a third of what it was. Although only half of them were incapacitated their effectiveness was crippled. They relied on superior tactics and teamwork to fight, now their formation was broken and the information stream was no longer as all-encompassing as its previous work. Small errors popped up because of this which slowly snowballed. It was a massacre. Seeing what had happened it''s fellow Nimian Lion the clever beast didn''t even allow them a chance to do it once again.


    It kept its mouth firmly shut and never stayed in one spot for too long. Darting in and out of the treelines it took them down one by one, rendering them unable to make effective use of their superior number. Panic and confusion set in.


    ...


    Was this the end for him?

 Phoenixs rise. A herald of things to come

    "Everyone. Can you hear me?"


    A sudden voice echoed within the mind of everyone there. A mental headcount let us know that out of the 30 people who had come there were only 13 survivors left including him and the practically comatose Slujj. Most of them weren''t expected to live past the next few minutes even without the beast finishing them off.


    "There''s no other way. We have to assimilate"


    "What?! Are you mad? You want us all to give up the Promised Land?"


    "He''s right, I''d rather die fighting!"


    "You wish to abandon the Hall of Heroes?"


    Almost everyone argued against such a suggestion. Assimilation was considered the ultimate sacrifice in Namekian culture, to do so was to give up not only your life but any hopes of an afterlife. Your soul would not be able to pass on and would be trapped within the fused body as a small echo of consciousness before you slowly faded away. It was the final stop to their very existence.


    "You would have us all perish here and abandon our people to their demise? We are half of the fighting force of the village! Who would defend our family from wild beasts such as this one? Who would protect them from rivaling villages?! You shame the Ancestors with your selfishness. Even if we all die I would be too ashamed to meet them knowing I had failed so utterly."


    He did not yell like the others, instead, he was surprisingly soft-spoken, and everyone quieted down instead once he had started. There was a moment of absolute silence. Emotions, flashes of images, and thoughts rapidly shared through their mental hub. They had all come to a decision within a moment. The Lion was still tearing them apart and there was no time for a drawn-out debate.


    "May the Ancestor watch over us." A single powerful thought resonated within all their souls. Suddenly they all acted as one. Three of the strongest Namekian which included Shell rushed towards the beast with reckless abandon, they held on with all their might and self-destructed. The sheer force of the explosion shook the earth and sent the beast flying far into the sky. It would only buy them a short amount of time before it came back, but that short reprieve was all that was needed. All the surviving Namekian crawled and flew towards Lians. They were all barely alive as it was so they had to hurry.


    Lians was the youngest of them all here, and they decided to entrust the future of the village to the next generation.


    One by one they landed next to Lians and placed their arm upon him, even the half-dead Slujj crawled through he dirt and dragged his torso over. A blinding white light consumed everyone as their body slowly dissipated into light particles and was absorbed into Lians'' body.


    "Do us, proud kid"


    "We''ll be watching over you"


    "Do your best and take care of everybody in our place, will you buddy?"


    "I understand, sayonara... Everyone."


    And soon the light faded leaving only Lians was left lying on the ground and wearing a new outfit. He had the white turban of his people but now also had on a deep blue martial arts outfit and two red wrist bands. All his wounds were healed and there wasn''t a hint of dirt or blood on him. He had been reborn.


    A dozen lifetime of knowledge was slowly trickling along with a dozen thoughts, emotions, and memories. They slowly faded, hidden, but not gone. He''d have to rummage through them when he had time. Although slightly saddened at the demise of his teacher and the only person he was remotely close too in the village, he couldn''t deny the sheer euphoria at the immense power flowing through his veins. He went incredible, amazing,The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Invincible..."


    A crooked grin was on his face as he patiently awaited the return of the beast. He might as well test out his newfound power and avenge his friend. He closed his eyes and hovered a foot off the ground in meditation as he skimmed through his new memories.


    Soon a crash was heard and the displacement of wind cued him on the rushing beast. It was enraged beyond reason and stealth was long out the window. A snap of its jaw sought to crush his skull into a bloody pulp, but he merely tilted his neck andthey closed only on empty air.


    It didn''t stop its efforts, but on the contrary, it had increased it 5 folds. A swipe of the paw, a flick of its tail, a toss of a tree. All futile. Growing frustrated it decided to charge with all its considerable might. Even if there was a mountain in the way it would''ve been able to easily pulverize it and bulldoze a path through. Unfortunately what it was facing was far strong than any mere mountain. As soon as the beast was in front of him his eyes snapped open and with his hand in a claw, he swiped sharply downwards. The feline couldn''t even perceive the motion with its amazing sight before a sudden crushing pressure slammed onto it.


    The force produced was so strong than a shockwave formed and turned the fearsome beast into minced meat. Thus was the end of a feared king of the jungle.


    Lians used his telekinesis to gather all the remains of his fellow villagers before flying back home. They deserved a burial. It had been a long day and although his wounds were healed he had suffered great mental fatigue. The Elder had decided to hold a mass funeral and a ceremony for the dead. The new fusion of their comrades had taken up the mantle of Captain of the Guard Squad. Not only was he by far the most powerful of them all now, but he also had the wisdom and knowledge of their collective. No one else was fit for the position.


    Thus his sway over the village and access to the more advanced techniques was greatly increased.


    As he was in his home meditating the day after the funeral he had been called to meet with the Grand Elder Oister. Entering the large dome-shaped building he sat in front of the taller alien.


    "Welcome, Lians. How are you adjusting to your new-found station?"


    "Thank you, elder, it has been going well enough. May I cut the chatter and ask why you have summoned me?"


    He was normally extremely polite, but now that he had his mental shield and was in such a position that the village fundamentally needed him to survive he wasn''t worried about being exiled anymore. Maybe it was because of how tired he felt, maybe it was the power trip, or maybe it was because of the shift in his mentality from the fusion, but he couldn''t bother to keep up such an act any longer and even if he was exiled he was more than confident of surviving or joining a new village. Perhaps make his own? There were only two reasons why he hadn''t before, and one of them was currently dead.


    "Very well, I have called you here because as the Captain of the guards you have a heavy burden upon your small shoulders.However, I must ask that the village trouble you a bit more in the coming days."


    "Of course, what do you need of me?"


    "Our numbers have drastically decreased, even with your considerable might you cannot be everywhere at once. The other Elders and I have discussed and we have agreed on two things. First, we must give rise to a new batch of warriors, the other was to increase our defenses during this trying time. Nobody is to leave the parameter. You are to be taught Fission to watch over our territory. Do you accept?"


    Fission was a unique skill to the green alien species, as it allows one to split their body, mind, and soul. A highly advanced move that few are allowed to learn as the consequences for messing up were deadly, to say the least. By splitting yourself you could be in more places at once, but it decreases your strength by more than a factor of 2. Nobody has ever gone past 3, not because they couldn''t but the risk was too immense and the pros were negligible. Not only did you suffer from weakening immensely, but if even one of your bodies died, you would follow as your life was linked. It was also how the Nameless Namekian fucked up and created Kami and Demon King Piccolo, which was why offering it to a 4 or 5-year-old brat was an incredibly stupid and sketchy offer. Especially after he had just finished fusing with a dozen other minds just recently.


    Was the Grand Elder on to him...? Trying to get rid of him somehow? This was clearly a trap but for now, he wouldn''t mind taking the bait.


    "It''d be my honor."


    After all, he was so many times stronger than he once was even if he only had a fraction of his powers he could fend off any of the common surrounding beasts. And as they were going to only be within the parameter of the village he could always refuse if he was in any true danger. Besideswith two bodies wouldn''t be able to learn twice fast? And with nobody even remotely being around his level in this place, sparring with himself would be a most interesting match.


    He''d just need to make sure they both of his halves were still him and to slowly absorb all the skills and memories deep within.