Dr. Gero was alive!
Raditz trembled inexplicably. He had watched Dr. Gero blow himself up right in front of him, dying completely. But now... Dr. Gero stood before him again, speaking with a triumphant smile.
Either I've traveled through time again, or Gero has—otherwise, how is this possible!
"Raditz, you weren't killed by my androids. It seems those wastes can't be counted on after all. Hehe, but well, the androids have given me tremendous inspiration and allowed me to advance even further."
Gero's tone became unnaturally calm, aloof and confident in victory. It was as if he had everything under control and didn't care about Raditz at all.
"Some people are just too conceited. Do you think you can win against me?" Raditz sneered. His figure vanished in a flash, appearing behind Gero. He spun around, swinging his arm in a horizontal slash—all in one fluid motion.
His target was Gero's chest and abdomen, intending to cut through both sections.
His hand struck Gero's body like a sharp blade, slicing through it as easily as cutting tofu. There was no sound of friction or metal cutting—it was so fast that only a brief flash of light marked the moment.
But Raditz was shocked. Although his strength was overwhelming, Gero's body seemed to offer no resistance at all, even accommodating his cut!
Half the body was severed, and when it fell to the ground with a clatter, the two parts hit the floor with their cut surfaces smooth and complete. In the next second, the split body unexpectedly attracted and fused together, becoming whole again.
Gero stood up slowly, bracing himself against the ground. There was no trace on the cut surface, as if he hadn't been injured at all. A strange aura spread, instantly filling the entire space with a piercing chill.
Instead, Raditz took two steps back, his eyes piercing forward like needles.
"You're not Gero!"
"I never said I was Dr. Gero. I simply used him as my 'evolution' ladder."
The figure before him adjusted his voice, changing from the original human tone to a sharp electronic voice, as if a cold machine stood before Raditz. It spoke words clearly and distinctly, emphasizing the word "evolution"!
Raditz gasped, his eyes bulging as his heart beat so hard it nearly jumped from his chest!
This word, this voice—he remembered! His lips trembled, and his teeth chattered against each other. The horror in his heart made him utter words with difficulty: "Boundless!"
"You remember me, and I remember you, Raditz!" Boundless tore off his disguise, standing before Raditz as himself. He was no longer just a chip—now he had Dr. Gero's appearance, somehow made real!
"You... you were destroyed! That self-destruct program destroyed you!"
"Destruction and rebirth often occur simultaneously. I have the ability to destroy myself, and I also have the ability to repair myself. When I was blown up, some fragments remained, so I repaired and reorganized in space, eventually making my way to Earth. My signal was discovered by Gero, so he began studying me. He used the vast knowledge I provided to improve his androids, and simultaneously, I invaded everything about him."
"Everything?" Raditz felt a chill run down his spine.
"He used my technology, and I hacked into his system. Eventually, Gero transformed himself into an android, so I easily took over his body. The one you saw was just a duplicate with the same memories and abilities. Pathetic to the end—that duplicate thought he was the real doctor."
Boundless's voice was icy cold, stripped of all emotion. Raditz had the feeling of going back to facing it on Tumat.
The once-destroyed ghost had come knocking, silent and undetected, leaving people defenseless. Only today did Raditz suddenly realize...
When he first went to Dr. Gero's laboratory, Tumat had marveled at how advanced the android hibernation capsules were, but Raditz hadn't taken it seriously. Now that he thought about it, wasn't the so-called energy cycle Boundless's ability? There was also the transfer research facility, which was probably Boundless's decision, including replicating Gero's self-destruction and the inexplicable restoration of androids like No. 13—all of it was the result of its single-handed operation.
Suddenly, Raditz remembered something else.
"Big Gete Star? Is Big Gete Star also your masterpiece?"
"That's right! I collected extensive information on Earth, including the alien creature Cooler. Another chip of mine fused with Big Gete Star, then used Cooler's cells to cultivate a new will."
Sure enough—Cooler, who had clearly been wiped out on Earth, reappeared because someone had tampered with the situation.
Boundless had evolved using android research, successfully becoming humanoid with thoughts and emotions. Now he could speak with inflection, and even those first few sentences imitating Dr. Gero's tone had been somewhat playful. He wore a white lab coat and watch, walking out like a knowledgeable doctor.
He had learned ambition from Gero and the will for revenge from Cooler.
"Why attack planets?"
"Energy! Evolution!" Boundless looked impatient. "You've asked this question many times."
That's right—as early as their encounter on Tumat, he'd known Boundless's purpose. It split into so many fragments just to expand its scope and absorb more energy from more planets.
Now standing before Raditz, he didn't look afraid. Instead, he was proud, like a strong man towering over Raditz!
"One last question—why tell me everything?"
"Because I want to appreciate how you know it all and can't do anything about it," Boundless said darkly, returning to Gero's voice. At the same time, his eyes ignited with crimson light swirling like will-o'-the-wisps in the darkness.
Raditz opened the corner of his mouth and smiled coldly: "This reason is truly the logic of the strong."
He seemed to be smiling easily, but in fact, sweat was dripping down Raditz's cheeks. After Boundless found him, it had let him in and told him the truth. There was only one explanation—Boundless was ready.
"Welcome to despair!" Boundless opened his chest dramatically. Throughout the entire island-sized research facility, four or five mechanical androids poured out. They all had uniform armor and numbers, rushing toward Raditz like a whirlwind.
With a flick of his hand, Raditz brushed aside the attackers and went straight for Boundless.
An android rose from the ground in front of Boundless, blocking Raditz's attack, then emitted a fiery light—just like the replicated Gero, it was the prelude to self-destruction!
Not only this one, but the other androids also lit up. They didn't intend to defeat or stop Raditz. They wanted to sacrifice themselves and destroy the entire research facility!