Chapter 10: Healing Wounds

Celine's sleep was shattered in an instant as she saw Xavier collapse onto the cracked ground, his body marred with wounds. She gasped and rushed to his side.

"Brother, what happened to you? Who did this to you?"

Celine's face was etched with worry, her hands hovering hesitantly, afraid to touch and potentially harm him further.

"Cough, don't worry, I'm fine. Celine, help me back to the cave," Xavier reassured her with a warm look, gently patting her arm.

Obediently nodding, Celine carefully helped Xavier up and slowly moved him towards the cave they had been living in.

Returning to their previous valley home, they found it utterly transformed. The forest and pond had vanished, replaced by fallen rocks that had created massive collapses and cracks that spread across the ground like dark serpents tearing at each other, intertwining in a deadly dance.

Upon reaching the cave entrance, they discovered it blocked by a pile of fallen rocks. Celine cleared the debris while Xavier checked inside. To his relief, although there were some scattered stones inside, the area housing the flying machines had not collapsed.

After inspecting the two spherical flying machines and finding them operational, Xavier relaxed.

"Thank goodness the flying machines are intact; otherwise, we'd have no way to leave this place."

In that moment, he truly understood the limitations of being without a flying machine, and he couldn't help but envy Goku's Instant Transmission ability from the original series. If he could use Instant Transmission, many of the restrictions he faced would vanish.

After all, the Dragon Ball world was vast, with even the North Galaxy under King Kai's jurisdiction being immense, not to mention the entire Milky Way and even larger galaxies beyond.

"If relying solely on flying machines for transportation, then the time spent on travel becomes a significant constraint," Xavier mused.

"The superpower I seem to possess relates to time, and since time and space are often intertwined, I wonder if my abilities include some aspect of spatial manipulation as well. That was possibly acquired during my inter-dimensional travels. Hmm, this requires further exploration. If it's possible, that would be incredible."

Xavier gazed at the two spherical flying machines, his mind racing with thoughts. The recent battle had revealed to him the many hidden potentials within himself, which he would need to unearth in the future. But acquiring the ability of Instant Transmission was a must in his plans.

Even if he couldn't master spatial abilities, he planned to visit the planet Adrantis to learn them.

"Celine, go gather some dry grass and fruit; I need to rest and recover for a while," he instructed.

Celine, obediently nodding, went off to prepare the grass and food.

After settling Xavier against the rock wall, Celine could no longer hold back her questions. "Brother, what exactly happened? Why has our home turned into this, and who did this to you?"

All the way here, Celine had been filled with questions, but she had refrained from asking to take care of Xavier. Now, she couldn't hold back any longer.

She couldn't understand why the dense forest they lived in looked as if it had been bombed overnight, everything destroyed, leaving only desolation.

Who could have inflicted such severe injuries on her brother? Could there be some unknown formidable being hiding on this planet Selma?

Xavier could only offer a wry smile and shook his head in response to Celine's questioning. "It wasn't all your fault," he muttered internally, though he obviously couldn't say that directly. After a moment of silence, he decided it was time to reveal the truth to Celine, to prepare her for the future and ensure nothing like today's events ever happened again.

"If we're looking for the main cause, it's actually because of the full moon!" Xavier explained, taking a bite of fruit.

Celine tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion. What did the full moon have to do with anything?

"Saiyans are born with a transformation ability triggered by the moonlight reflected during a full moon. This light stimulates a mutation in Saiyan cells, causing us to transform into Great Apes. In this state, a Saiyan's combat power is ten times greater than normal!"

Celine's eyes widened in shock, and her mouth dropped open in a gasp. "So, with this ability, aren't Saiyans practically invincible?"

Xavier shook his head, "It's not that simple. Aside from the sheer power Saiyans can reach as Great Apes, there’s a significant weakness that restrains most."

"What weakness?" Celine asked, intrigued.

"Saiyans are a warrior race, but aside from a few elite and some mid-level warriors, most don't possess high aptitude. Therefore, when transformed into Great Apes, they often succumb to their primal instincts and lose their reason. Unfortunately, today was a full moon."

Celine, seeing her brother's serious expression, quickly pieced things together, covering her mouth in disbelief, "So, brother, was it me as a Great Ape who hurt you?"

"Indeed, with a battle power of 9370, you really wore me out," Xavier nodded.

At his confirmation, Celine burst into tears.

"Wuu, brother, I'm sorry, it's all Celine's fault..."

Xavier gently stroked her glossy black hair to comfort her. "It's alright, you don’t have to be sad. Look, I'm fine! And I've already cut off your tail. Without it, even if you see the full moon, you won't transform."

"Really, you don’t blame me?" Celine asked tentatively.

"Of course not, you are my dear sister!"

Xavier whispered soothingly, "Though the Saiyan tail allows transformation into a Great Ape and grants ten times the fighting strength, it's an unstable factor for most ordinary Saiyans. It might be best to remove it if the chance arises again."

"Okay!" Celine nodded vigorously, feeling a mix of regret and relief. If Xavier said it was best, then it must be.

"Over the next few months, I need to focus on healing. So, the tasks below will be yours! But be careful, even though there might not be any creatures on Selma planet that can threaten you now, always be cautious. There are many beings in this world, like the Saiyans, with the power to transform."

"These life forms may not seem powerful normally, but once they transform, they become incredibly formidable," Xavier warned with a grave expression.

In the universe, many races possess the ability to transform, suppressing their power for various reasons until they face a real threat. Notable among these beings are Frieza and his subordinate Zarbon, both of whom are such space creatures. Frieza, especially, with his ability to transform three times, is a fearsome figure.

Selma planet was originally a rather ordinary low-level planet, and Xavier worried that there might still be unknown dangers lurking.

"Okay! Don't worry, I'll be careful," Celine responded, puffing out her chest with confidence.

Xavier nodded, then picked up a fruit and ate it with relief.

Now, Celine’s combat strength was among the highest on the planet. With a bit more caution, she should be fine. For the next while, Xavier would take the time to heal quietly and also use this period to thoroughly reflect on the battle tactics.