Chapter 42: On the Barren Planet

Adriel frowned deeply, his naturally dark complexion growing even darker.

He understood what Xavier meant: preserving the Saiyan bloodline meant abandoning the majority of their people. The notion was akin to a lizard sacrificing its tail to survive; Xavier proposed discarding the core of their civilization for the survival of a few. It was a painful choice, but perhaps the only way to ensure some Saiyans could live on.

For Adriel and his comrades, this decision was excruciating, as it contradicted the Saiyan teachings ingrained in them since childhood, clashing with their very ethos.

Yet, they could not deny that Xavier's reasoning held weight. Frieza loomed as an insurmountable foe in front of the Saiyans—an adversary who never fully trusted them and possessed a despairingly formidable power.

"Must we choose to flee? That is the act of cowards!" Belruk's face turned from pale to flushed in his agitation.

"No, avoiding the brunt of the storm is not cowardice; on the contrary, reckless bravery is the true foolhardiness. Why make needless sacrifices when defeat is certain, just to uphold some so-called Saiyan spirit?" Xavier scoffed coldly. "Idiotic! It’s gambling the entire future of the Saiyan race for one's personal honor!"

"Is there any merit in such honor?"

"None at all! It’s not only meaningless but utterly selfish!"

Now was not the time for a heroic stand against the enemy. The time to fight back was when the odds were not overwhelmingly against them. The disparity between the Saiyans and Frieza was too great—so vast that resistance was futile. In Xavier’s view, to proceed despite knowing the impossibility was foolishness.

Better to save a few more Saiyans and ensure their survival.

Suddenly, the expressions of Adriel's team members changed. They stared incredulously at Xavier, whose youthful face was marked by a fearless gaze. They were shaken, and after a long, heavy sigh, they conceded.

"Perhaps you are right..." Adriel stepped back, shaking his head in resignation. For the sake of the Saiyan lineage, he was prepared to forsake his own glory.

"Speak your plan!" Belruk demanded, arms crossed over his chest in an interrogative stance.

The scene was almost comical, with grown Saiyan warriors consulting a mere child. However, since Xavier had spoken those profound words, no one saw him as a child anymore.

"Evacuate! We take a few capable and trustworthy Saiyans and flee Planet Vegeta! We need to find a secure location to serve as our new base of operations. From there, we can plan our comeback. One day, we will make Frieza pay!"

"But if Frieza can install listening devices on energy detectors, who's to say he hasn't placed tracking devices on our ships? Where can we escape to?" Alice asked, her face lined with worry.

"Don't bother thinking about it; the ships are definitely tampered with!" Belruk replied with a cold laugh, finding the issue straightforward.

"Oh no, with all the aliens already on Planet Vegeta, it's like we're too hemmed in to fly!" Alice lamented, her frustration causing her features to quiver visibly.

The Saiyans were truly caught between a rock and a hard place!

Externally, there was no telling when Frieza might launch an attack; internally, King Vegeta was impatient to rebel, while the majority of the Saiyans deeply admired Frieza.

It seemed nearly impossible for just a few of them to save their people.

"By the way, Xavier, how do you know all this?" Rebecca asked, puzzled.

Everyone snapped back to reality.

Yes, so far, it had all been Xavier's word, which might not necessarily be accurate.

"Because I have psychic abilities!" Xavier lifted his head, giving them a reassuring smile, presenting the reason he had prepared.

Psychic powers were the most convincing explanation in a world where such abilities existed, including races with the ability to foresee the future, albeit with varying degrees of strength and reliability.

"You can predict the future?" The members of Adriel's squad looked at him skeptically.

"No, I can't predict the future!" Xavier shook his head, "But I do have the ability to teleport, and there are races in the universe that can foresee the future. I consulted them!"

"To be exact, they showed me a glimpse of the future, so I know a limited part of what is to come!"

Well, that was a solid explanation!

The problem was there was no way to verify it, as his claim was uncheckable!

And teleportation, that sounded like a seriously advanced ability!

"Xavier is telling the truth!" Just then, Celine, who had been hiding and eavesdropping, burst into the room, defiantly stood up straight, and resolutely sided with Xavier.

Xavier did indeed possess psychic powers—she had experienced them firsthand!

As for Xavier consulting extraterrestrials to predict the future, since he said so, it must be true. This also explained why he seemed to know everything.

"Uncle Adriel, do you have any detectors here that haven't been tampered with listening devices?" Xavier suddenly asked.

Adriel, taken aback by the sudden question, nodded and glanced at Rebecca.

Rebecca promptly stood up, walked to the next room, and returned with a frame-style energy detector. "We just had someone modify this detector and removed the listening devices. What do you need it for, Xavier?"

"Just like Celine said earlier, I awakened some psychic powers abilities while on a mission on planet Selma. After some development, I can now perform a skill called 'Instant Transmission'!"

"Everyone, please hold hands and make sure not to let go!" Xavier shouted to the bewildered group.

Though they didn't fully understand, the members of Adriel's squad complied. Adriel took Rebecca's hand, followed by Belruk, Paradis, Alice, and Liz, while Xavier grabbed Celine's hand. Linked together, the eight of them formed a circle.

"I'm going to activate Instant Transmission now, so please don't let go!"

After saying this, Xavier closed his eyes and began to mobilize his spatial psychic power. A whirlwind suddenly materialized, and the smooth space seemed to light up with countless neon lamps, flashing with dazzling brilliance...

Whoosh—

With a thought from Xavier, Instant Transmission was activated, and the group vanished from the hall in an instant.

The next second, they found themselves on a desolate planet, light-years away from Planet Vegeta. A cold whirlwind swept across the land, carrying fine particles of sand that danced in the sky, the entire planet in a state of chaos after a massive storm.

On a desolate, lifeless planet, ferocious storms could strike at any moment. Despite the absence of life, the planet was enveloped in a thick atmosphere.

Atop a towering hill, the fierce winds slapped the ground relentlessly. With temperatures consistently below freezing, the soil had hardened as tough as steel. The rocks, weathered by frost, gradually cracked and loosened; a mere tremor could cause large chunks to break off and tumble down the slope.

Suddenly, a soft, silent glow appeared on the hill, and, as it faded, eight figures emerged from where the light had vanished.

Alice felt a brief dizziness and, upon opening her eyes, was greeted by a desolate, gloomy landscape.

"Hey, where are we? How did we get here so suddenly?"

This was not the familiar scenery she knew!

Nor was it Planet Vegeta. Could they have left Planet Vegeta?

"We're on Wasteland Planet, at least a ten-day journey from Planet Vegeta," Belruk stated, observing the surroundings and roughly estimating their location based on his past experiences.

Wasteland Planet, only a dozen days away from Planet Vegeta by journey, was a lifeless world. Though it also had an atmosphere, the harsh conditions often spawned planetary-scale storms, offering little value to the Saiyans and not even qualifying as a relay station, thus it remained abandoned and unclaimed.

"Could this be the power of Instant Transmission? To think it brought us here in an instant!" Rebecca exclaimed incredulously.

Just moments ago, they were chatting on Planet Vegeta, and the next second, they found themselves on the distant Wasteland Planet. Even traveling by spaceship would take at least ten days—such was the marvel of Instant Transmission!