As the spherical spaceship landed with a thud, the hatch opened, and out stepped an alien whose face could easily rival a catfish's.
"Who would've thought Raditz would travel all the way out to such a backwater planet," the alien muttered. He had purple skin, wore the standard-issue combat armor, and sported the signature scouter on his face—leaving no doubt that he was a member of Frieza's army. He sneered. "Hahaha… you were supposed to be leading your squad to Planet Xugo right about now, but instead, one of your men has gone off on his own."
"Let's see what little tricks you're up to this time, Vegeta. If I find out you're hiding anything from Lord Frieza…"
This alien was Qiu Yi, captain of one of Frieza's battle units—
and a sworn rival of Vegeta.
The two had always despised each other, their strength nearly identical—
each boasting a combat power of 18,000.
"I love discovering other people's secrets," Qiu Yi said with a twisted smile.
He casually plucked a flower and raised it to the two whisker-like tendrils dangling from his chin. Lacking a nose, those tendrils served as his olfactory organs. After a brief sniff, he tossed the flower to the ground and ground it beneath his heel until the petals were crushed to pulp.
"What a disgusting stench. It's as revolting as that Saiyan monkey's smell."
It wasn't that Qiu Yi's sense of smell was particularly sharp compared to Earthlings—
it was simply because the flower he had picked was a Chinese photinia (stone laurel blossom).
"Ugh, that brings back some unpleasant memories…" he grumbled, pressing a button on the scouter at his temple. The device beeped several times, locking onto a power level reading—
1,500, faint but unmistakable.
"Found you, Raditz. Once I expose your squad's little conspiracy and drag you before Lord Frieza…"
"Let's see how Vegeta struts around once he's lost Frieza's favor."
A nasty grin spread across his face.
"Hahaha… I wonder what kind of reward I'll get for this. Maybe even… a planet?"
Qiu Yi glanced down at the ground beneath his feet. "Hmm, this planet's not half bad. Pretty high quality for such a remote location. I'll make sure to include it in my report—someone's bound to pay a good price for it."
He snorted again. "Raditz, that weakling's been a thorn in my side for ages. Power level only 1,500… garbage. Always tagging along behind Vegeta like a lost pup—no chance to get at him before."
"But now he's alone."
"Heh… if I bring his worthless head to Vegeta myself, I'd love to see the look on that monkey's face. Hahaha!"
Meanwhile—
in the far reaches of the universe, deep within the Dark Star System, a cataclysmic battle was unfolding.
As the name implied, the Dark Star System was an expanse eternally shrouded in darkness—a chaotic, lawless region opposite the Solar System in the Milky Way.
It was one of the few territories untouched by Frieza's empire and beyond the jurisdiction of the Galactic Patrol.
Chaos and evil. Danger and terror.
Those were the hallmarks of this place.
At its heart lay Planet Slug, the main world of the Dark Star System—one of the rare planets capable of sustaining life.
Roughly three times the size of Earth,but unlike Earth's lush greenery, this world was steeped in death.
Cold. Dark.
A realm like the frozen depths of hell.
Any creature that survived here was, by necessity, terrifyingly strong.
Indeed, the beings of Planet Slug were far more powerful—and far more ruthless—than those of most star systems.
According to whispers in the galaxy, the true ruler of the Dark Star System was someone even Frieza himself preferred not to provoke—
a being of utter chaos and evil.
A Demon King.
Now, upon the barren surface of Planet Slug, two figures—one gold and one green—clashed in a titanic battle.
Their power was apocalyptic.
Every strike sent shockwaves tearing across the planet—tsunamis surged, lightning storms raged, and the ground split apart. Even nearby moons were shattered by the aftershocks of their fight.
The golden figure moved with dazzling speed, wielding attacks of flame, lightning, water, and stone—while the green figure, by contrast, was colossal—at least a hundred times larger than his opponent.
It was like watching an Ultraman fight a toy plane—except the "plane" was the one holding the advantage.
"BOOM!!"
A direct clash sent shockwaves through the air. The golden figure was forced back only a few meters, while the mountain-sized green giant crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact.
That green titan was Lord Slug himself—ruler of Planet Slug and master of the entire Dark Star System.
But now, the once-mighty Demon King was in a pitiful state.
He knelt on one knee, gasping for breath that rumbled like thunder. His helmet had been knocked away, revealing a pair of green antennae on his head.
"Cough… cough… Your power… is immense," he rasped. "Stronger than any of my warriors… even I must tread carefully against you…"
His voice was hoarse and ancient, each word accompanied by ragged wheezing.
Under the faint glow emanating from the golden figure, his face came into view—a withered visage, with only a few lonely teeth left in his mouth.
Yes—this was the same Lord Slug who had ruled the Dark Star System for centuries.
But not even the strongest could defy time forever.
He had grown old.
He concealed his frailty beneath thick robes and armor, hiding his deteriorating body from his subordinates.
And as his strength waned, his cruelty grew—
he slaughtered followers at the slightest suspicion, even the most gifted among them, all to bury the truth of his decline.
For in the Dark Star System, only power ruled.
If word of his weakness spread, rebellion would surely follow—
and the most loyal would become the most vicious.
After all, that was how he had taken power in the first place.
That was the law of survival here—the naked law of the jungle.
And so, Lord Slug began searching for a way to restore his youth and strength.
But before he could find it,
he was found—
by that golden figure.
Now, his years of ruthless scheming lay in ruins, his armies annihilated, his pride shattered by the golden warrior's hand.
All his efforts to preserve his power mercilessly torn apart.
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