Chapter 7: The Five-Star Dragon Ball - Part 2

"Alright, then. Hold my hand, and let's go into the cave to find the Dragon Ball," John said, seeing that Bulma was unwilling to stay outside. He took Bulma's hand and led her into the cave.

As they ventured deeper into the cave, the only light came from their flashlight, while the rest of the surroundings were shrouded in darkness.

Bulma's fear intensified, and she gripped John's hand tighter, causing him some pain even with his current strength.

However, John didn't dare pull away, fearing that he might scare Bulma. After all, it was because of him that she had been brought into this dangerous quest for the Dragon Balls.

The cave was eerily quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps and their breathing breaking the silence. John's breathing was light and steady, while Bulma's was heavy and rapid.

"John, have we found the Dragon Ball yet?" Bulma asked in a soft voice.

Even though her voice was quiet, it echoed loudly in the stillness of the cave.

As Bulma's voice reverberated through the cave, a group of creatures suddenly emerged from the darkness, rushing towards them.

John was startled and quickly shielded Bulma with his body, and the creatures flew over their heads, emitting a sharp, piercing sound.

John realized they were bats, and their presence in the cave was disturbed by John and Bulma's intrusion.

Bulma, who had been hiding under John's clothes, trembled in fear. When the sounds faded, she stood up and asked, "What were those creatures?"

"Nothing to worry about. They're just bats. It's natural for them to fly towards us since we invaded their territory," John explained.

Bulma relaxed a little and said, "Bats? They scared me to death. Let's hurry up and find the Dragon Ball. I'll check the Dragon Radar to see how far away it is."

She took out the Dragon Radar and carefully examined it. The Dragon Ball was very close, only about a hundred meters away.

Hearing this, John hurriedly pulled Bulma along, increasing their pace.

This time, no other creatures interrupted their journey, and they reached the location of the new Dragon Ball without incident.

As the Dragon Balls were sensitive to each other's proximity, the Dragon Ball in the cave began to glow faintly as John and Bulma approached with the Two-Star Dragon Ball.

"Bulma, I see it! The Dragon Ball is glowing over there," John exclaimed, jumping towards the Dragon Ball. He retrieved it from the cave's rocks and counted the stars inside.

"John, which Dragon Ball is it?" Bulma shouted, her voice echoing in the cave.

"It's the Five-Star Dragon Ball. Now we have two out of the seven Dragon Balls," John replied.

"Let's get out of here quickly. This cave is too scary," Bulma shouted back.

"Alright, let's go," John responded.

The journey out of the cave was much faster than their entry, as they were now familiar with the path and certain of the absence of danger.

Soon, they emerged from the cave, and Bulma breathed a sigh of relief. She eagerly said to John, "Quick, let me see the Five-Star Dragon Ball."

Before John could fully take the Dragon Ball out of his pocket, Bulma snatched it from him.

However, after examining the Dragon Ball, Bulma was disappointed. "Aside from having three more stars, it doesn't seem much different from the Two-Star Dragon Ball."

John smiled wryly and said, "That's because, according to the story, the Dragon Balls were originally one entity. Later, the God divided it into seven Dragon Balls."

Bulma asked curiously, "Why did the God do that? Wouldn't it be more convenient for people to find the Dragon Balls if there was only one?"

John scratched his head, trying to recall the plot, and said, "It's because humans were too greedy. After fulfilling one wish, they wanted to fulfill even more wishes. This unearned desire angered the God, who eventually divided the Dragon Ball into seven pieces. Moreover, after each wish was granted, the Dragon Balls would scatter across the world."

"Anyone who wants to collect the Dragon Balls must undergo various trials before they can gather all seven and have their wish granted," John continued.

"After that, humans finally realized that wishes are limited, but effort is limitless. As long as you work hard enough, you can achieve your wishes even without the Dragon Balls."

As John spoke, he began to motivate Bulma, drawing from his experience as a success coach in his previous life. However, he had eventually quit that job when he realized the industry went against his conscience.

But the habit of giving motivational speeches remained, and whenever the mood struck, he would unconsciously start serving up some 'chicken soup for the soul.'

However, Bulma was the daughter of the Capsule Corporation chairman and the future world's richest person. She was not one to drink anyone's 'chicken soup.' Usually, it was she who served it to others.

So, after listening to John's words, Bulma smiled and said, "In this world, can effort really lead to success? Can you become the greatest martial artist in the world through hard work alone?" As she spoke, her eyes glanced at the Dragon Ball in her hand.

John was momentarily at a loss for words. The idea that 'effort leads to success' was merely a slogan used by capitalists to encourage the poor to create value for them. When John had crossed over into the Dragon Ball world, his original world had fallen into a vicious cycle of 'involution.'

Everyone worked hard, but instead of improving their situation, they found themselves struggling even more. Their money didn't increase; sometimes, it even decreased. In the end, they realized that all their efforts had brought them no benefits, while their bosses were buying houses and cars.

Eventually, those who realized this chose to 'lie flat' and stopped striving.

Seeing that she had once again left John speechless, Bulma smiled and returned the Dragon Ball to him. "So, let's continue our efforts to collect the Dragon Balls. With the Dragon Balls' help, your hard work will have value. Otherwise, you'll just be an ordinary martial artist who can only bully ordinary tigers."

What could John say? He had no choice but to put the Dragon Ball back into his bag and return to West City with Bulma.