Chapter 42: The Resistance

The super strength displayed by Raditz and the others shocked everyone. Even the domineering beauty who led the resistance fighters became flustered, not knowing what to say.

Just moments ago, she had been solemnly urging them to retreat and boldly offering protection. Now thinking back on it made her face flush with embarrassment. A trace of fear appeared in everyone's hearts.

They couldn't help but be intimidated by Vegeta and Piccolo's indifferent expressions, Nappa's aggressive stare, and the menacing appearance of so many bald fighters...

Raditz looked at the now-fearful people, shook his head, and said with a wry smile, "Don't be afraid. We're travelers trapped on this planet. Our spaceship was hindered when it tried to escape the atmosphere, so we had to cut power and land to rest for a while."

"I see. My name is Vladi, and I'm the leader of this rebel army. We're all humans who were stranded on this planet for various reasons, along with surviving Tumat natives."

Vladi stepped forward in her red boots and approached Raditz. "Please come with us to our base for a short rest. We'll treat you well." She glanced nervously at the people behind Raditz, still visibly anxious.

"Haha, that doesn't sound bad." Krillin stretched and looked at Goku. "What do you think, Goku? Maybe they have lots of delicious food."

Goku considered for a moment, his eyes lighting up. "Well, there's nothing else to do here anyway."

"Then it's settled!" Raditz announced. He knew Vegeta wouldn't object to something so trivial—one place was the same as another to him.

Vladi was delighted and pointed to the two armored vehicles they had left behind. "You can use those vehicles. We must return to base quickly, or new troops will be coming after us soon."

"No need. Just lead the way."

Raditz and the others suddenly floated into the air. The gravity here was a little more than twice Earth's, but they didn't feel it at all.

The rebels were stunned again—they hadn't expected anyone could fly...

On the way to the so-called base, Raditz discovered it was just a few rooms repurposed from the metal planet's buildings. They had modified the rooms to shield themselves from Boundless's perception.

These buildings were used to receive and transmit cosmic messages, as well as absorb external energy and manufacture new equipment. Through clever modifications, the rebel army had obtained several mechs and plenty of weapons, but compared to Boundless's overall power, their resources were negligible.

They had cultivated soil in limited spaces, intercepted part of the water supply provided by the planet itself, and planted crops to sustain themselves. No more than thirty humans had survived. While fighting for their lives, they were also planning rescue missions for others who had been imprisoned.

The Tumatian explained that the Boundless chip captured many living beings for experiments and research on humanoids. Based on this information, there must be a location where these test subjects were imprisoned.

Vladi explained everything to Raditz and the others, provided them with all the food they could spare, and made a heartfelt request: "Please save our companions and people from all planets! With your strength, you can definitely succeed. Please help us!"

"In that case, leave it to us!" Goku responded enthusiastically, ready for action.

Raditz chuckled—this was Goku's nature. Besides, they needed to stop Boundless to leave anyway, so saving a few people along the way wouldn't hurt.

Everyone agreed on a plan: Gohan and Krillin would stay at the base just in case, while the others would infiltrate the interior of the metal planet.

The rebels had conducted numerous reconnaissance missions and gathered valuable intelligence. The Tumatian used this information along with their technological knowledge to identify internal entrances and the locations where test subjects were held. All this information was compiled into a map and handed to Raditz.

Following the instructions, they bypassed patrol mech teams and entered the planet's interior through a hidden entrance—a vent that expelled exhaust gases and recycled waste. Although the temperature was high, the pressure enormous, and the gravity abnormally strong, it posed no problem for them.

Boundless hadn't calculated that such a group would withstand this environment and penetrate its interior.

They moved quietly until they reached a fork in the path. Some routes led to the mech warehouse, others to laboratories or various storage facilities. Vegeta went directly to the mech library—to him, saving people was a joke, but fighting powerful mechs might be marginally interesting. The others split up, with Raditz and Goku choosing to rescue the hostages.

At the end of their chosen passage, they found a transparent chamber at a junction, with light shining through a narrow opening. The gap was only wide enough for half a person to pass through, so Raditz gathered energy in his palm, heated it to melt the metal, then together they smashed through the metal plate and electronic barrier, slipping in quietly.

In the brilliantly lit chamber, countless high-density metal cages were arranged haphazardly.

Not only were Tumat natives imprisoned here, but also people from other planets. They varied greatly in appearance, but without exception, all were bound by electronic chains.

An icy electronic voice emanated from a huge circular dome overhead. First came a sharp, piercing sound like two rough kitchen knives scraping against each other, setting everyone's teeth on edge.

Then, an indifferent, mechanical voice announced: "Experiment No. 3 returned..."

"Experiment No. 349 deceased..."

After a series of status updates, a brief silence fell. Raditz could see many prisoners trembling, as if anticipating imminent punishment.

"Experiment Subjects No. 60, No. 71, No. 80, and No. 142—enter experimentation chamber!"

As the announcement concluded, heavy metal doors slid open on both sides, and a listless, long-eared alien was led in, followed by several blue-armored inspectors.

"The doors opened?" Raditz was shocked to see that the compartments with the corresponding numbers automatically unlocked, and two-meter-tall mechanical warriors escorted the subjects toward another area.

With the gates open, Raditz had an opportunity to attack! The window would last only a moment—he couldn't miss it.

The three dejected test subjects, covered with green sackcloth, shuffled forward slowly. The first had already reached within five meters of the door.

Now!

Raditz's fist, which he had been preparing, struck hard against the wall. The solid barrier made a loud noise and dented inward, but didn't collapse! He was amazed at the material's incredible durability.

Making a split-second decision, he changed tactics. A stream of energy erupted from his hand, and dazzling blue light struck the ceiling—but disappeared without a trace! Raditz was shocked again.

At that moment, metal electrodes protruded from all four walls, along with various mounted weapons. The cage had transformed into a battleground.

As his attack was countered, Raditz understood why. Each wall had energy-absorbing properties, similar to the metal giant outside. Behind the absorption shields was high-strength alloy, reinforced with multiple weapon systems.

Twin-mounted Vulcan cannons fired at Raditz while an arc-shaped giant blade descended from above. A cross-shaped blade fell simultaneously, threatening to slice him in half.

As the hellish barrage of gunfire erupted, Raditz merely smiled.

He leaped upward toward the cross blade, and at the moment the bombardment was about to hit, activated his Kaio-ken. His speed instantly increased, allowing him to evade the cross blade and grab the telescopic metal hydraulic rod. With a powerful pull, he snapped the pole, causing the cross blade to be struck by Vulcan cannon fire and deflect toward the mechanical soldiers!

The razor-sharp edge of the blade, moving at tremendous speed, cut through a group of soldiers with a whistling sound as it sliced the air. Electric sparks flew everywhere as Goku dodged shells and knocked down the remaining inspectors.

The prisoners were stunned, as if witnessing the impossible. Strangers had appeared from nowhere, rebelling against these terrifying machines!

While everyone stood in shock, Raditz had already rushed to the door. Turning around, he launched two energy blasts that exploded what remained of the mechanical warriors. The destroyed mechs sparked and arced with electricity, dark green lubricating fluid pooling on the floor.

After a brief pause, the prisoners erupted in celebration. They shouted and yelled from their cells, some even crying and cheering hysterically.

Who wouldn't want to witness a hero defying their fate?

But immediately, warning sirens blared throughout the facility. Red lights flashed as countless black metal warriors rose from the floor, filling the chamber.

A formidable mechanical army rushed toward Raditz just as the exit gates began to close.

"Pew! Pew! Pew!"

Two shots struck the lagging test subjects, while the third aimed at the one in front. With a wave of his hand, Raditz deflected the blast, then grabbed the nearby subject and rushed through the closing door.

"CLANG!"

The door slammed shut behind them, catching a corner of the dark green cloth in the crack. The test subject's covering was partially torn away, finally revealing their true appearance.

Before he could even see their face, Raditz's expression filled with surprise, his cheeks suddenly flushing. His hands were gripping what was unmistakably a woman's chest—soft and slightly raised, with an unmistakable elasticity.

Looking up, he saw a girl with bright orange hair and blue eyes. Her porcelain skin and feminine curves were now exposed to his gaze, her thin clothing revealing her fragile form.

She bit her lip tightly, her face flushed as she lowered her head, not daring to look at Raditz.

"I—I'm sorry." Raditz finally realized his hands were still on her chest and quickly released her. He wanted to explain that he couldn't control his hands during their escape and it wasn't intentional.

"Thank you... thank you," the girl said with a shy smile.

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