Time is always the most worthless thing.
Three hours passed in a flash.
The Gravity Chamber door slowly opened, and then, a disheveled Son Gohan and Trunks walked out. Ling An was already waiting for them outside.
"How was the Gravity Chamber? Did you become stronger?"
Looking at Son Gohan and Trunks, Ling An asked. Although she had seen many instances of using gravity training in the original story, it wasn't reality. So, she wasn't sure if it would actually be effective, or if it would have a big impact. In this situation, it was natural to ask Trunks and Son Gohan, who had truly experienced it.
Hearing her words, the two of them looked at each other, then nodded at Ling An and said with a smile, "The effect is amazing. Both Trunks and I can feel significant progress. It's just a pity we could only use it for three hours. If we could use it for three days, thirty days, or even three months, maybe I could defeat both Androids!"
"Really? That's wonderful!"
At that moment, Bulma ran out from outside, just having heard what Son Gohan said. A happy and surprised smile appeared on her face, but at the same time, she was a little regretful, "It's also thanks to Ling An-chan's reminder. If it weren't for her, maybe I wouldn't have thought of letting you use the Gravity Chamber. Knowing it's this effective, I would have fixed the Gravity Chamber long ago and let you use it. Then, the Androids wouldn't have been so arrogant for so long!"
"Aunt Bulma, you don't need to blame yourself too much. After all, you didn't know. Besides, it's not too late even now. And once you've researched the Time Machine, you can go back in time and get the address of Namek. Then, we can use the Dragon Balls to restore Earth."
Ling An, seeing Bulma looking self-reproachful, immediately spoke to comfort her. Actually, not to mention Bulma, who was in the midst of it all, even Ling An, who had read the original story, hadn't thought about the Gravity Chamber when she first came to this world. Later, when she remembered, she didn't know if the Gravity Chamber had been destroyed by the Androids. Of course, there was another reason: she was a coward. Even back then, and even now, if Son Gohan wasn't around, she wouldn't dare to run around. After all, she couldn't beat the Androids right now.
And when her strength was even weaker, it was even less possible for her to come here and remind Bulma and Son Gohan what they should do.
"That's right, the Dragon Balls of Namek! As long as we know the address of Namek, we can ask the Namekian Dragon Balls to revive Kami. At that time, the Dragon Balls on Earth will also be usable, and then we can revive Goku and the others!" As if suddenly enlightened, Bulma hadn't thought of using the Namekian Dragon Balls from the start. Her fundamental purpose in making the Time Machine was to save Son Goku and change the future. But as a scientist, she couldn't be unaware of how parallel universes work. In this case, if she saved Goku but didn't change the future, then the Namekian Dragon Balls would be very necessary.
She hadn't thought of these things before because she had been thinking about changing the future. Besides, there was also the threat of the Androids. Although spaceships weren't difficult to make, since she had experience, compared to the Time Machine, spaceships were still quite a large target, and it would be dangerous once they were discovered by the Androids.
But it would be different if the Androids were dealt with. If the future couldn't be changed, then the Namekian Dragon Balls would be very necessary.
"Ling An-chan, you're amazing! Auntie really likes you!" Bulma excitedly hugged Ling An. The fragrance that wafted over made Ling An's mind suddenly short-circuit. To be honest, although Bulma was no longer a young girl, and had gradually become older and developed wrinkles due to the threat of the Androids, she was still a beautiful, mature woman. This was the first time she had been hugged by a big beauty!
Ling An felt that if she had been a boy in the past, then a certain part of her body would probably be reacting right now. But now, she was powerless, and only her tender face became extraordinarily flushed.
"Dragon Balls, that's right, Namek's Dragon Balls! If we can wish for Kami to be revived, then not only can Uncle Piccolo be brought back, but we can also use the Earth's Dragon Balls to restore the Earth to normal. This is fantastic, truly fantastic!"
Unlike Trunks, who didn't understand much, Son Gohan, having experienced a lot, understood Ling An's words even better. Because of this, he was incredibly excited, as if he could already see Piccolo and Son Goku being revived.
"B... Bulma Auntie, I think we should get moving. The sooner we gather the materials for the Gravity Chamber, the sooner Gohan and the others can get stronger. Then, the sooner we can defeat the Androids. At that time, you can focus completely on building the Time Machine."
Ling An gently pushed Bulma away, lowering her head slightly and speaking in a low voice. Her heart was racing, and her cheeks were flushed. Seeing this, Bulma couldn't help but laugh, thinking Ling An was shy. Little did she know that the girl, so well-behaved and cute in her eyes, had been a boy who could dance, sing, and play basketball just over two years ago. Moreover, this was the first time she had been held in the arms of a mature woman.
She thought she was shy, but she didn't know that Ling An was actually experiencing certain psychological reactions of a boy. Well... just psychological reactions, after all, the physical... was gone.
"Alright, alright. Gohan, get ready and then go. Hurry up and come back quickly. Remember, you must come back safely. Avoid the Androids whenever possible, and be cautious. Gohan, now that we have hope, don't let it be destroyed halfway!"
"I understand, Bulma Auntie!"
Son Gohan nodded solemnly. Whether it was the hope of defeating the Androids or going to Namek to use the Dragon Balls, it gave him a lot of motivation. He understood even more that he shouldn't clash head-on with the Androids at this time.
Son Gohan moved quickly and, after changing clothes, set off with Ling An.
Watching their departing figures, Trunks was in a daze.
"What's wrong, Trunks? Do you want to go too?" Bulma asked, glancing at him.
"Yes, but... Brother Gohan doesn't want me to go," Trunks said, his young face filled with confusion. "Mom, why won't Brother Gohan let me go? Ling An can go, and if I become a Super Saiyan, I'm much stronger than him..."
"Silly boy."
Bulma gently patted Trunks' hair, smiling as she comforted him. "Don't overthink it. Gohan definitely isn't keeping you here because of your strength. In any case, they might encounter the Androids on this trip. Gohan doesn't want you to go along because he wants to preserve the seed of hope. If something were to happen to them, there's still you, right? You can't deal with the Androids yet. If you encountered them, you might actually lose."
"As for why he's taking Ling An, Trunks, Ling An's arrival has greatly changed our situation. She's a very opinionated and thoughtful person. She can help Gohan at this stage. Besides, Ling An can revive those near death. If they really encounter the Androids and lose, she can still save Gohan, can't she?"
Seeing Trunks gradually understand, Bulma smiled and continued.
"So, Trunks, don't overthink things. You're not like your arrogant father. You're kind, gentle, and strong. Don't throw away those wonderful qualities, okay?"
"Yes, I understand, Mom!" Trunks nodded firmly.
The reason Ling An was following Son Gohan, a decision that Bulma and the others considered even more dangerous, was actually quite simple: self-preservation. After all, the Androids' movements were unpredictable. Son Gohan might encounter them, but staying at Bulma's house didn't guarantee safety either. Earth was vast; who knew if the Androids might suddenly return? In this situation, sticking with Son Gohan, who could fight the Androids, was the smarter move.
If they actually met the Androids, she could let Son Gohan distract them while she found a place to hide. Then, as Bulma had suggested, she could wait for the Androids to leave and then go back to save Son Gohan. As for not being able to save Son Gohan in time...
Well... there was nothing to be done. She'd just have to keep a low profile, until either she or Trunks had the strength to defeat the Androids, and then continue with the original plan of using the Dragon Balls to revive everyone.
The two of them were searching the surrounding cities. Under the Androids' reign of terror, human society was basically collapsing. While money still had some value, it wasn't as useful as it used to be in a world with order. Bartering was more common. However, they didn't have that problem. Since the nearby cities had been destroyed by the Androids, there weren't many people left. Many shops were ownerless. In these circumstances, obtaining the necessary materials wasn't too difficult. They could just take what they found.
But it wasn't entirely easy either. These cities had been destroyed for over a decade. Without human maintenance, many things had aged and deteriorated. Neither of them were experts in this area, so they could only rely on the most basic method of using their eyes to determine what was still usable.
Flying over one ruined city after another, Ling An's heart was heavy. She'd been in the Dragon Ball world for over two years, and aside from necessary supply runs, she'd barely left her underground home. Therefore, her impression of the Androids was mostly based on the original story. But when she actually observed the world with her own eyes, she realized the destruction the Androids had wrought was terrifying. Countless humans had died, countless cities had been destroyed, and human society as a whole was on the brink of collapse...