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

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"Energy signal..." The electronic voice inside the pod repeated, the red light at the tip of the robotic arm flashing as if analyzing the veracity of his words. "Confirmed. This unit, the 'Craftsman-IV' portable engineering pod, is in low-power hibernation maintenance mode. The energy signal is necessary to maintain the basic systems. Unknown life form, please state your specific intentions."

"Craftsman-IV"... an engineering module? Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat. This sounded like some kind of engineering or scientific research device left behind by the "Observer" civilization. It seemed to still retain basic logical operation capabilities, but clearly, it regarded him, this uninvited guest, as a potential threat or resource plunderer.

Honesty is currently the only way to potentially break the deadlock, but he can't reveal all his cards. He hesitated for a moment before speaking: "My hideout... you can think of it as a mobile outpost I control, and its energy is about to run out. We urgently need to replenish our energy. Discovering your signal is our hope of finding a solution to the energy crisis. If possible, we are willing to make a trade, exchanging what you need for energy."

"A transaction?" The electronic voice in the engineering module seemed to pause for an extremely short time at the word, followed by the fainter sounds of components operating inside. "Database search... 'Transaction,' refers to the exchange of value between different individuals or groups. Your language database contains vocabulary from the 'Observer's' basic common language, but the life form is not registered. You are not of any ethnicity registered with the 'Observer'."

"I am a human," Lin Ye admitted frankly, raising his right hand and concentrating his mind to try and activate the faint aura of the "Key of Creation" fragment hidden deep in his palm. "As for the legacy of the 'Observer'... I obtained this by chance." A faint energy fluctuation, yet carrying a unique and primal meaning, quietly spread out from his right hand.

The red light on the robotic arm suddenly brightened, its flashing frequency increased, and an invisible scanning beam focused on its right hand, conducting in-depth detection and analysis.

"Detected... High-level creation fragment signal... Authority signature match 78.3%... Source determination: 'Key of Creation'." The engineering module's electronic voice showed an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation. Its absolute coldness seemed to melt slightly, replaced by a more "scrutinizing" quality. "Fragment holder... Human. A contradictory and interesting combination of existences. Logic core prompt: Your request involves the core energy source upon which this unit depends. Maintaining hibernation mode and basic logical functions requires an unsustainable amount of energy."

There was no direct rejection! A glimmer of hope rose in Lin Ye's heart. This meant there was room for negotiation!

"What do you need in exchange?" Lin Ye cut to the chase, his gaze sweeping over the engineering module's hull, half-covered by dust and debris. "Information? Supplies? Or... actual operations? Your module seems to be partially buried. Do you need my assistance in clearing it so you can move more freely?"

"External physical environment is not a current priority." The engineering module's response remained rational and direct. "The core mission of this unit is to maintain and attempt to repair items on the designated equipment list. Due to prolonged energy shortages and persistently harsh external environment, the overall mission progress has stalled at 94.7 percent."

It controlled the robotic arm, nimbly turning to a corner of the mountain of ruins beside it, pointing to several metal boxes half-buried there. The boxes varied in size and were covered with a thick layer of cosmic dust, but complex and ancient symbols could still be faintly seen engraved on them, and their extraordinary nature could be felt even in the dim light.

"What conditions are needed to repair these devices?" Lin Ye pressed, knowing that this was the key question.

“Three critical replacement parts are missing.” The engineering module rattled off a series of terms completely unfamiliar to Lin Ye: “T-77 superconducting coupler, S-92 space stabilizing crystal, and… P-05 logic core fragment.” It paused, the red light on the robotic arm seeming to dim slightly. “Furthermore, performing precision repair operations requires a stable energy supply for at least three standard units of time, with an output power exceeding five hundred times the current energy consumption of this unit.”

Lin Ye's heart sank completely. Forget the components whose names alone suggested an unattainable future; even the five hundredfold energy requirement was an astronomical figure for him. The database itself was like a candle flickering in the wind, teetering on the brink of collapse.

“I’m sorry, but we are currently completely unable to meet your needs for parts and energy.” Lin Ye chose to be honest, as boasting was pointless at this point. “However, if your energy can help us survive this impending catastrophe and allow us to live, I promise that in the future, when we are able, we will prioritize helping you find these parts or provide energy support.”

Even after saying these words, Lin Ye felt they sounded somewhat weak. In the "Shattered Graveyard," a deathly starfield, tomorrow was a luxury, and promises of the future were more like empty checks that could not be cashed.

The engineering module fell silent, save for the faint hum of its internal components maintaining minimal power consumption. The red dot of light remained firmly fixed on Lin Ye, as if assessing his value as an "uncertain factor."

Time ticked by, and the oppressive atmosphere grew stronger. Lin Ye even began to secretly assess the chances of successfully seizing some energy resources by force if negotiations broke down, and what risks he would have to bear.

Just as Lin Ye was about to give up and prepare to find another way, the electronic voice in the engineering module sounded again, carrying a decision made after complex logical calculations:

"Logical core assessment: Accepting an uncertain future commitment carries a risk factor as high as 92.8%. However, refusing the deal will cause the only potential assisting unit to perish due to energy depletion, permanently reducing the probability of mission completion for this unit to zero, with a risk factor of 100%."

"The holder of the 'Key of Genesis' fragment has been detected to have potential for growth... The signal from the associated database is weak but present... Based on comprehensive weight calculation... An alternative transaction plan is proposed."

Lin Ye perked up and listened intently.

"The proposed solution is as follows: This unit may share a portion of its energy reserves, not exceeding 10% of the energy reserves required to maintain minimum power consumption for one thousand standard time units. In exchange, the fragment holder must make the following commitments and implement them immediately: First, when future capabilities permit, prioritize assisting this unit in completing the repair work of any one of the three designated devices. Second, immediately open a portion of your fragment's low-frequency data interface, allowing this unit to conduct a one-time, non-invasive technical scan. The scan scope is limited to collecting the current epoch's fundamental energy environment parameters and physical constant data for updating this unit's outdated environmental database."

Share 10% of the energy! Lin Ye quickly calculated in his mind. This might not be enough to completely restore the database, but it would definitely greatly alleviate the immediate crisis, buying them precious breathing room and time to find more resources! The price, however, was a future labor commitment and a seemingly harmless data scan.

While opening data interfaces does pose risks, the other party explicitly specified "low frequency," "non-intrusive," and the collection of only "environmental parameters." Compared to the immediate prospect of dying from energy depletion, this risk is worth taking. Survival is always the top priority.

"I agree!" Lin Ye replied decisively, almost without hesitation.

"The agreement is established. Please place your right hand on the data interface area marked on the outside of this unit." The robotic arm of the engineering module moved, precisely pointing to an inconspicuous circular area with subtle spiral patterns on the side of the module.

Lin Ye stepped forward as instructed, his footsteps making a soft sound as he walked on the gravel. He took a deep breath and placed his right hand, which contained a fragment of the "Key of Creation," firmly on the circular area. The touch was icy cold, but soon, a strange resonance emanated from the point of contact.

The next second, he clearly felt a gentle and continuous flow of energy, like a trickle, slowly flowing into the meridians of his arm, and seemingly guiding it towards the distant database through the mysterious connection between him and the fragment. At the same time, an extremely subtle scanning fluctuation, like a breeze brushing across the surface of water, touched his fragment and the natural energy field around his body. This fluctuation was gentle and fast, and it did not attempt to penetrate his sea of ​​consciousness or memory areas, but merely swept across the surface, collecting the information it needed.

The whole process lasted about a minute.

As energy transfer and data acquisition ceased simultaneously, the engineering module's electronic voice announced: "Energy transfer complete. Environmental data acquisition complete. The transaction contract has been recorded in this unit's core log." The robotic arm smoothly retracted, and the red light locking onto Lin Ye completely extinguished. "Transaction complete. I wish you survival in this graveyard, fragment holder, human. I look forward to... our future reunion, and hope that you will bring good news then."

As soon as the words were spoken, all the light on the surface of the oval-shaped hull quickly dimmed, and the sounds of the internal mechanisms also fell silent, transforming it back into the lifeless metal construct forgotten in a corner of the ruins, as if everything that had just happened was merely a vivid illusion.

Lin Ye slowly withdrew his hand, feeling the faint yet undeniably real warmth within his body—a sign that his energy replenishment was complete. Almost simultaneously, that familiar and calm voice whispered in his mind:

[Received external targeted energy injection... Energy conversion efficiency 87.4%... Database core energy reserve increased to 21.7%... Life support system's minimum power consumption operating time extended to 478 standard hours... Crisis alert temporarily lifted.]

The crisis has been temporarily averted. They have gained more time to survive.

But Lin Ye's mood didn't completely relax; instead, it became even heavier. He took a deep look at the engineering module that had fallen back into slumber, his gaze lingering for a moment on the equipment boxes designated for repair. An "observer" engineering module capable of complex logical judgments, understanding how to weigh pros and cons, and willing to engage in "trades"... what was the origin of those devices it was willing to expend precious energy to repair? What was their purpose? And was its urgent collection of environmental parameter data for the current era truly merely to update its database, which had been dormant for countless years?

And inside the database, there's that lurking "abnormal structure" emitting an ominous purple light... Will the injection of energy stimulate it?

More and more questions swirled in his mind. Lin Ye shook his head, suppressing these temporarily unsolvable problems. The most urgent task was to return to the database as soon as possible, ensure the safety of Li Sha and the Sentinels, and then use this hard-won buffer period to find a more stable and longer-lasting way to survive.

He turned around, quickened his pace, and hurried through the massive wreckage along the path he had come from.

However, just as he was about to see the familiar, broken outline of the database's massive door, the whispering suddenly turned sharp and urgent without warning, sounding the highest level of alarm in his mind!

[WARNING! High-intensity energy disturbance detected within the database! Disturbance source located: Historical log backup area! Abnormal structure activity index has surged dramatically! Safety threshold exceeded! Sentinel units are currently engaged in…high-intensity energy countermeasures! Repeat, high-intensity energy countermeasures!]

Lin Ye's expression changed drastically, his pupils contracting to dangerously small pinpoints! Something had indeed gone wrong inside! And it was in the most crucial and vulnerable section: the historical logs!

"Lisa! Sentry!"

He roared inwardly, no longer caring about conserving his energy or concealing his movements. His speed instantly reached its limit, and he shot through the silent air like an arrow, frantically rushing towards the database entrance!

Chapter 537 Internal and External Troubles and the Data Game

"Boom..."

The heavy, massive doors of the database were slammed open by Lin Ye's shoulder, the ear-piercing metallic scraping sound echoing in the empty hall. The sight inside made his heart sink instantly.

The emergency red lights flashed wildly, casting an ominous crimson hue over the entire hall. The air was no longer filled with the simple smell of ozone, but also with the burnt smell of burning circuits and an indescribable, decaying odor, as if data were rotting. The data streams inside the several severely damaged crystal pillars flowed like dying nerves, sometimes so faint as to be almost extinguished, and sometimes bursting forth with chaotic, blinding light.

The source of all this chaos points deep within the main hall... to the historical log backup area!

There, the area was completely enveloped by a dense, impenetrable purple energy mist! The mist churned and writhed like a living thing, with countless twisted, dark purple data streams, resembling blood vessels and tentacles, surging wildly within it, emitting a continuous, chilling "buzzing" sound. This sound wasn't like electricity; it was more like some kind of malevolent murmur, attempting to penetrate the mind and disrupt reason.

The guardian "Sentinel," its towering, dark golden form standing like a reef at the edge of the purple mist, had its energy emitters fully operational. Blazing white beams relentlessly bombarded the churning fog, each hit temporarily dispersing a section of the purple mist. But more mist immediately replenished from its core, even sprouting whip-like tentacles that lashed fiercely at the Sentinel's shield and body, sending up blinding sparks of energy. Arcs of overload flickered across the Sentinel's surface, and its movements were noticeably sluggish, clearly indicating it was under immense pressure.

"Lin Ye! You're finally back!"

Li Sha's tearful voice came from behind a relatively intact crystal pillar. Her face was covered in soot, her eyes were red, and she rushed to Lin Ye's side, her finger trembling as she pointed at the purple mist. "You had just left when that thing... that thing erupted like a madman! The Sentinels have been fighting it, but its range is getting bigger and bigger, I... I feel like it's watching me, talking to me..." Her voice was filled with lingering fear.

Lin Ye strode to the sentry's side, his sharp gaze sweeping over the eerie purple mist that was constantly trying to expand outwards. "Whisper, scan and analyze! Sentry, report the details!"

[Analyzing... The peak activity of the abnormal structure has reached the danger threshold of 375%... It is attempting to assimilate surrounding physical interfaces and release highly infectious logic viruses... The local network integrity of the database has dropped to 67%...] The whispered, cold voice carried an unprecedented urgency.

The sentinel's head flashed a rapid red light from its optical sensor, and an electronic voice, mixed with noticeable electrical noise, announced: "The exact cause of the trigger cannot be determined... It is speculated to be related to fluctuations in database energy levels or external unknown signal stimulation. This anomalous structure is attempting to breach physical isolation and access the main database core network. The logic virus it releases is highly aggressive and deceptive. My suppressive attack... is becoming less effective. It is estimated that we can maintain the current defense strength for a maximum of seventeen minutes and thirty-two seconds."

"Logic Virus..." Lin Ye murmured, his earlier judgment confirmed. This thing was indeed an extremely dangerous malicious program! "Is there any way to completely destroy it?"

"Conventional physical and energy methods... are ineffective." The Sentinel's answer was chilling. "Its core logic is deeply embedded in the underlying data architecture of the historical log backup area. Forced physical erasure... will result in the permanent loss of all stored data in that area, and there is a 73.5% probability of triggering a chain reaction of database architecture collapse, the consequences of which... are unbearable."

"What can we do? Are we just going to watch it spread?" Li Sha asked anxiously.

“There is a high-risk solution.” The sentinel’s sensors turned to Lin Ye. “It requires authorized personnel to… deeply access the core data flow of the database, enter the ‘data layer,’ and, in the home turf of the abnormal structure, fundamentally… remove or isolate it.”

"Entering the data layer?" Lin Ye frowned. "Like when we searched for information before?"

“Similar, but fundamentally different,” the Sentinel explained. “Before, it was surface-level information interaction. Deep access… means that your consciousness, through the permissions of the 'Key of Creation' fragment, will temporarily break free from the constraints of the physical body and be completely immersed in the 'data realm' composed of pure information and logical rules.”

There, you will confront the 'true form' of an anomalous structures. It is a world constructed of malicious code and twisted rules. Your will is your only weapon there. Damage to your consciousness within it will be reflected entirely back to your real brain.

"This is insane!" Li Sha exclaimed. "Lin Ye, your consciousness has already been impacted! And in a place like that, how can you fight it? This is simply suicide!"

"Risk level...extremely high." The Sentinel confirmed emotionlessly. "The probability of consciousness annihilation is assessed at 41.8%. However, this is currently the only theoretically possible solution, with a success rate assessed at 12.3%. Fragment holder, what is your decision?"

There was no turning back. Lin Ye watched the purple mist relentlessly devouring the normal data space, sensing the chaos and malice emanating from it. If left unchecked, not only would the database be destroyed, but the newly acquired energy would also be rendered meaningless, and Lisa and the Sentinels would be doomed as well. He had faced dire situations before, but he had never surrendered without a fight.

“Tell me the specific steps.” Lin Ye’s voice was deep and steady, without any tremor. He walked to the central query platform, where the energy interface flickered due to the previous turbulence and energy injection.

"Lin Ye!" Li Sha grabbed his arm, her eyes pleading. "Let's think of another way, okay? There must be another way!"

Lin Ye turned around, looked into Li Sha's terrified eyes, and spoke softly, but with an undeniable firmness: "Li Sha, we don't have time. Just like we have to go out and find energy, some risks must be taken, some battles must be fought. Trust me."

He gently patted Lisa's hand, then looked at the sentry: "What do I need to do? Sentry, assist me. Lisa, retreat to a safe distance, and no matter what happens, don't come any closer!"

Li Sha bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, but she finally let go and retreated step by step behind the crystal pillar in the distance, watching nervously.

Lin Ye sat cross-legged in front of the platform, took a deep breath, and tried to calm his mind. He placed his right hand, which contained the fragments, steadily on the energy sensing interface.

"Connection protocol initiated... Guiding fragment to the highest privileges... Locking the core data coordinates of the abnormal structure... Establishing a consciousness channel..." The Sentinel's voice seemed to come from the distant void, "Warning: Consciousness stripping begins... 3... 2... 1..."

Om-! ! !

An indescribable, immense suction force surged forth! Lin Ye felt his thoughts, senses, and even his soul being forcibly ripped from his body! The scene before him shattered, distorted, and then reformed instantly! He was no longer in the magnificent hall, but suspended in a boundless, bizarre void!

Beneath his feet flowed a stream of normal data, as brilliant as a galaxy, radiating an orderly glow of blue and white. Before him, however, a vast area had been stained a bizarre dark purple, where countless twisted, rotting tentacles and spikes of purple code writhed and spread, relentlessly eroding the normal blue data space, emitting a mind-numbing hiss. A massive, blurry shadow, a composite of countless fragmented pieces of information, malicious logic, and negative emotions, throbbed like a heart at the core of the purple region, emanating overwhelming malice.

That's the core of the logic virus!

[Detected... High-level consciousness... Intruder... Devouring... Assimilation...] A chaotic, noisy voice, mixed with countless distorted tones, bombarded Lin Ye's consciousness directly from the direction of the shadow!

Without any warning, the purple shadow suddenly trembled, and countless black spikes composed of pure malicious code, like a dense rainstorm, tore through the data space and shot towards Lin Ye's consciousness! Each spike carried a terrifying power of corruption, disintegration, and collapse!

The battle erupted suddenly at the level of consciousness and information!

Lin Ye's pupils (the focal point of his consciousness) suddenly contracted! Here, he could not dodge, he had no weapons, and his only reliance was his iron will honed through life and death, and the fragments of the "Key of Creation" connected to his soul!

"Shou!"

He roared from the depths of his consciousness! He mobilized his will with all his might and drew upon the trace of "Observer's" power of order contained within the fragments! A pale blue shield of light, composed of pure spiritual power and ordered codes, instantly unfolded before him!

*Sizzle sizzle sizzle—!*

Dense black spikes slammed into the blue light shield! Each strike caused the shield to tremble violently, its light flashing! Lin Ye felt as if his brain was being repeatedly pierced by thousands of red-hot iron needles, sending waves of excruciating pain through him, as if tearing his soul apart! This pain far exceeded the limits of what the body could endure!

"I can't just take the beating!" Lin Ye endured the pain that was almost making him lose consciousness and began to try to fight back. He concentrated his mind, recalling the fragments of rules about "definition" and "purification" contained within the fragments, and transformed his will into commands, releasing them through permission encoding!

"Analyze! Purify!"

He raised his hand and pointed, and a condensed blue data stream shot out like lightning toward the surging black torrent!

Sizzle! The black spikes struck by the blue data stream instantly disintegrated into harmless raw data particles! But this purification effect was negligible compared to the overwhelming attack!

"...Resistance...is futile...becomes...nourishment..." The twisted demonic voice mocked, and more purple tentacles emerged from the shadows, coiling around Lin Ye's blue light shield like giant pythons, tightening frantically! The light shield emitted a piercing cracking sound, and cracks spread like a spider web!

Lin Ye's consciousness also began to dim and blur. The intense pain and rapid mental depletion were pushing him to the brink of collapse!

Am I really going to die in this world made up of data and code?

At this moment of despair——

[External stable computing power access detected... Permission link reinforced... Logical support provided...] The whispered voice became clear and powerful! At the same time, a gentle yet powerful force with a high degree of order was injected into Lin Ye's consciousness from the outside, rapidly repairing the cracks in the light shield and greatly enhancing his control and output efficiency of the fragmented power!

It's a Sentinel! In the real world, it mobilized database resources to provide him with crucial support!

"It's now!"

Lin Ye's spirits soared, and he seized this opportunity to turn the tide! He no longer dispersed his forces for a comprehensive defense and sporadic counterattacks, but instead concentrated and compressed all his will, all his fragmented permissions, and even the computing power supported by the Sentinels without reservation!

His consciousness erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant blue light in the data void, like a burning blue star! He abandoned all distractions and focused his mind on the deepest part of the purple shadow, on the core node that emitted the most intense malice and chaotic fluctuations!

"With this body's will, with this key's authority..."