CHAPTER 20

"What is this place?"

Android 18 looked around at the astonishingly advanced cityscape and asked Linze with curiosity in her eyes.

This clearly wasn't Earth.

Even West City, the most technologically advanced city on Earth home to Capsule Corporation couldn't hold a candle to what she was seeing now.

Towering buildings spiraled into the sky, all forged from exotic, high-grade metals she couldn't even identify. The entire city pulsed with vibrant energy and smooth hovercrafts zipped through the air without sound.

"This is Universe 11. I'm not exactly sure what planet we've landed on, but it's definitely one of the advanced central hubs," Linze replied, glancing around the city. His eyes narrowed.

He could already feel several powerful ki signatures flickering in the distance. He couldn't see them yet, but the pressure they exuded meant one thing strong warriors were nearby.

Hearing Linze's reply, Android 18 blinked, clearly stunned. "Wait… Universe Eleven? What are you even talking about?"

She had never heard of such a thing.

Linze folded his arms calmly. "I never brought it up before because you didn't need to know."

"But since we're here, I'll explain properly. This world is made up of twelve universes, all governed under a vast divine order. We originally come from Universe 7, the same one as Goku, Vegeta, and Earth."

"Right now, we're standing in Universe 11."

"Each universe exists incredibly far apart not just in terms of space, but across dimensional boundaries and cosmic barriers. It's not just a matter of speed you can't just fly from one to the other. Only certain gods, like the Angels or Gods of Destruction, can cross them freely."

"The reason I was able to get here is because I've mastered Unlimited Instant Transmission a technique far superior to the version Goku uses. I mentioned it to you briefly before."

Linze's calm and detailed explanation left Android 18 speechless for a moment.

"Twelve universes…?" she muttered. "That means this reality is way bigger than I imagined."

"It's… incredible!"

She had never even considered anything beyond Earth and its surrounding space.

Had she never met Linze, she likely would have lived her entire life unaware of this astonishing multiversal structure.

"In fact," Linze continued, "there were originally eighteen universes."

"But six were erased long ago by a being so powerful that not even the Gods of Destruction dare defy him."

He paused, glancing upward, as if remembering the presence that oversaw all existence.

"That 'little bit' I mentioned… is Zeno, the Omni-King."

"The true ruler of everything he can erase a planet, a galaxy, even an entire universe, with nothing more than a whim."

Android 18's breath caught in her throat.

"Even six entire universes were erased? That's… terrifying!"

Her voice shook slightly. She was strong one of Earth's greatest warriors but to think that a childlike being could erase not just her, but her entire existence, just by thinking it?

The scale of this reality had shattered every previous concept she had of strength.

And standing beside her was Linze someone powerful enough to freely cross into other universes.

She realized:

She had only begun to understand what kind of man she was traveling with.

Although Android 18 was usually calm and collected, when she heard that someone could erase an entire universe, her expression finally changed.

"That's really terrifying… If he truly wanted to, all twelve remaining universes could be erased with just a thought."

Even Linze, for all his strength, felt a chill down his spine as he thought about it.

It was as if his entire life were held hostage in someone else's grip.

Like a hand clenching around his throat just a small amount of pressure, and everything would end. Instantly.

That sense of helplessness… was suffocating.

If he ever wanted to change this terrifying status quo, there was only one path.

He had to become stronger.

Strong enough to resist even Zeno's power of erasure.

"Is that so…?" Android 18 muttered.

She glanced at Linze. For someone like him to openly admit that there existed a power he couldn't resist it said everything.

If even he feared that "little guy," then that being must truly be monstrous.

"Alright," Linze suddenly said, shaking the tension from his shoulders. "Enough about that."

"Now that we're in Universe 11, let's check out the food here!"

He grabbed Android 18's hand with a grin, clearly ready to move on. Internally, though, he was also interested in scouting: Were there other strong fighters in Universe 11 besides Jiren?

"Okay," 18 nodded with a smile.

The two descended into the bustling city street, blending into the crowd, and quickly found a restaurant that looked lively.

They walked right in.

…

Half an hour later, the two sat stuffed at a table covered in empty plates.

"The food in Universe 11 isn't bad at all!" Linze leaned back and patted his full stomach. The table looked like a typhoon had hit it plates were wiped clean, stacked high, and crumbs were everywhere.

Android 18 leaned her cheek on one hand, looking at him with an expression of amused contempt.

"For you Saiyans, is there any food you don't find delicious?"

She still couldn't understand Saiyan biology. Their stomachs were like black holes. She was sure Linze could eat two entire dinosaurs and still have room for dessert.

"Hey now, don't slander me. I'm actually a very picky eater," Linze joked, flashing a smile and flicking a toothpick between his fingers.

Just then, a strange-looking man who resembled a humanoid ape approached them, dressed in staff attire.

With a polite smile, he said,

"Welcome! Your total comes to 1.05 million silver coins, but we'll round it down for you make it an even one million."

"Uh…"

Linze's smile froze. He blinked, then remembered:

They had no currency from Universe 11.

"You two planning to dine and dash?"

The ape-faced waiter's grin disappeared immediately. His eyes narrowed.

This kind of thing rarely happened in their upscale restaurant, but when it did, it was not taken lightly.

"Don't misunderstand," Linze replied quickly. "We just didn't bring the right currency. If you want, I can come back and pay you—"

He scratched his head. He was plenty strong, sure but getting caught without money after a massive meal? Seriously embarrassing.

"We don't do tabs here," the ape-man snapped. Clap!

In an instant, four bulky enforcers stepped forward from the back of the restaurant, surrounding their table. Each one wore a uniform with the restaurant's logo but they were clearly more bouncers than waiters.

Linze raised an eyebrow.

Why did this situation feel so familiar?

Ah, right. It reminded him of one of those cheesy soap opera dramas, where a billionaire male lead forgets his wallet on a date, and gets surrounded by bodyguards after the meal…

"Well now," Linze said, stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles. "Aren't we all civilized people? Do we really need to solve this with violence?"

But looking at their stances, it was clear these guys were itching for a fight. This wasn't going to end without a scuffle.

"I'd rather not fight over a bill," Linze muttered, "but I guess we're past the point of negotiation…"

"You heard me," barked the ape-man. "They have no money beat that guy down!"

The moment the command was given, four enforcers rushed toward Linze like a pack of wild beasts ready to brawl.

...