Chapter 50: Zarbon

"Wait! Lord... what did you say?" Sithaxi doubted he had heard correctly.

Xavier repeated himself: "I said it's time to send you on your way. You can enjoy the afterlife in hell!"

With that declaration, Xavier's aura erupted violently, his formidable energy transforming into waves of trembling air. In this boundless sea of power, the unfortunate lizard-like alien was like a lone vessel in a storm, utterly overwhelmed and swallowed by the vast energy.

"No!!"

A deafening explosion followed, and Sithaxi disintegrated into dust, dispersing into the air.

After the smoke cleared, Xavier, without turning his head, fixed his gaze on the Planet Phydia people.

At this moment, those Phydia were utterly stunned. They were intimidated by Xavier's display of absolute power, unable to believe that the boastful alien who had just been threatening them had turned into dust in the blink of an eye.

Such power was beyond their ability to resist; they had no choice but to comply with whatever this formidable being might request.

"Let's hope this lord doesn't demand too much!" the leader of the Planet Phydia people sighed despondently. What calamity had befallen Planet Phydia that such powerful beings kept appearing on their world?

"Are you natives of Planet Phydia?" Xavier's voice wasn't particularly cold, but the aura of a powerful being made the smaller Phydia people too intimidated to meet his gaze.

The leader of the Phydia stepped forward cautiously and responded, "Yes, Planet Phydia is our home planet."

"Are you the leader here?" Xavier inquired.

The Phydia leader hesitated before nodding, "You could say that."

In truth, he was not the real leader of the Phydia people. Their true leader had perished some time ago, and so, by default, he had taken on the role, making him the de facto head of the people.

"I've heard your technology is quite advanced. Can you create a training room that can alter gravity?" Xavier's tone softened, his voice less stern than before.

The Phydia leader was momentarily taken aback, then quickly responded, "Yes, certainly! We Phydia are natural-born scientists, and we excel in technological innovation!"

At that moment, the leader of the Planet Phydia people realized Xavier's intent, so he strove to showcase the value of his people, as their survival might depend on it. He dared not conceal or exaggerate anything to Xavier, knowing the entire fate of the Planet Phydia people hung in the balance.

Xavier was very pleased with the response from the Planet Phydia people and stated, "You see, Planet Phydia has caught the attention of the cosmic emperor Frieza. Staying here means only certain death. Now, I offer you a choice: obey my commands, and I will ensure the survival of the Planet Phydia people in the universe."

It was a tough decision: to perish with their home planet under the onslaught of alien forces or to submit to the young man before them and become his subjects.

The leader of the Planet Phydia people looked troubled, facing a decision that could determine the survival or extinction of his people. He couldn't make such a decision immediately.

Xavier did not press him but found a spot to sit down quietly, waiting patiently. He believed the leader would make a clear choice eventually.

To refuse might mean extinction; to agree would mean subjugation.

Sweat appeared on the forehead of the Planet Phydia people's leader as he looked at the young and elderly faces of his tribe. Finally, he clenched his teeth and said, "My lord, we are willing to submit to you, just please preserve the bloodline of our Planet Phydia people!"

"A wise decision!" Xavier commended with a radiant smile. "Rest assured, I will take you away from Planet Phydia."

"By the way, besides those here, do you have other members of your tribe?" Xavier questioned, noting that the mere thousand or so present couldn't possibly represent a complete civilization.

"Yes, my lord, these represent only about one percent of our population. Due to a sudden geological disaster, most of our people perished. Those who survived had to hide in underground shelters to avoid the alien pursuers. If necessary, I can summon them here."

"Hiding won't help. Your enemies have energy detectors. Gathering together just makes it easier for them to find you!" Xavier shook his head.

"Ah, so they have energy detectors; that's how they found us. What are we to do now?" The Planet Phydia leader panicked.

"You must have a spacecraft, right? I will provide some cover for you while you quickly board your spacecraft and leave Planet Phydia," Xavier suggested.

Xavier knew that given enough time, the Planet Phydia people had the capability to escape on a spacecraft. The sudden geological changes had just not afforded them the opportunity to react.

Here, Xavier had to admire those aliens; they were true professionals, striking Planet Phydia from space before the actual invasion, effectively crippling their ability to resist.

"Alright, I understand. Please take care of everything, my lord!" The leader of the Planet Phydia people expressed his relief and gratitude. At this moment, he felt that submitting to this powerful stranger might not be such a bad fate after all.

...

Elsewhere on Planet Phydia.

Thick smoke rose slowly from various parts of the continent, the sky obscured by a blanket of dark clouds formed from the accumulated smoke.

In a chaotic expanse of a ruined city, the continental plates had split open here, creating a gigantic, bottomless fissure that cut rivers and glaciers in half as if sliced by a giant knife.

On a relatively flat piece of land, a disk-shaped, brownish spacecraft was parked. Its base was supported by several large, dark steel clamps, like the claws of a wild beast, brutally embedded into the rocky ground.

This model was distinctive of the spacecraft used by the high-ranking officials of Frieza's forces.

Near the spacecraft's hatch, a handsome man with emerald green hair tied into a braid sat elegantly at a small table, sipping tea. His appearance was dignified and his manners gentlemanly, yet his cold eyes betrayed a ruthless demeanor.

This was Zarbon.

Zarbon had carried out many of Frieza's dirty deeds alongside his fellow henchman, Dodoria. Among Frieza's underlings, his combat strength was second only to the Ginyu Force, earning him Frieza's trust. This time, he had been sent to investigate the legend of the ancient warrior rumored to be on Planet Phydia.

At that moment, an alien who had been standing beside Zarbon noticed a change in the energy detector. After pressing a few buttons, he turned to Zarbon and reported:

"Lord Zarbon, I just detected that one of our troop members' energy signature has suddenly disappeared. Just before it vanished, the detector showed a series of fluctuating readings, though none were very high, and they quickly disappeared."

"Oh?" Zarbon put down his teacup, appearing genuinely intrigued.

Resting his chin on his interlocked fingers, he asked, "What was the combat strength of our missing troop member?"

"Sithaxi, a low-ranking soldier with a combat power of about 1200, which could reach up to 2000 with his energy blaster equipped," the officer replied after a quick check.

"Hmm, that's interesting. It seems the native combat strength on this Planet Phydia doesn't exceed 15," Zarbon said, a bloodthirsty smirk forming on his lips.

"Yes!"

"Ha ha ha, it looks like some little mouse has snuck in!"

"Lord Zarbon, could this be the legendary ancient warrior we are looking for?" another alien suggested.

"No, no, no!" Zarbon waved his finger dismissively. "If the ancient warrior Lord Frieza is searching for had such low combat strength, he wouldn't be so interested in this matter."

"Hmm... pass my command, all members proceed immediately to the location of the energy spike. It's been a long while since I've played a game of cat and mouse!"

Zarbon's eyes, glinting a sinister gold, ordered his forces to converge on the location where Xavier had appeared, setting the stage for a new confrontation.