Chapter 1 Mirror World War

The Mirror World War had ceased, and the battle in the data link layer… seemed to be nearing its end as well.

The overwhelming power of Piccolo was something Link couldn't hope to match. After sealing one of Link's army into a rice cooker, Piccolo simply picked up the rice cooker and… nonchalantly began to eliminate the remaining Links.

Don't be fooled by him "giving up one hand," it didn't affect the battle at all.

The difference in strength was simply too great. Besides… Piccolo could unleash energy attacks from his antennae, mouth, and even his eyes, in addition to his other hand and legs. If he weren't concerned about the players around him, he could have used a large-scale explosion to clear the entire area.

"This is bad… at this rate, I'll be wiped out…" At the beginning of the battle, Link still had thoughts of resistance, but less than ten seconds after the fight began, his mind changed. "I must… change my strategy."

It only took him a second to come up with a plan, which was to have all of himself run in all directions at the fastest possible speed.

This strategy was actually not bad.

Even though Piccolo's speed was superior to Link's, he was, after all, only one person, while Link's numbers were in the hundreds. Even if Piccolo could track each Link through sensing their *qi*, it would be impossible for him to kill so many widely separated targets in a short amount of time.

This would lead to two possible scenarios…

First, Piccolo would choose to chase after Link. In that case, when he chased them far away, the other Links who weren't being tracked could return and try to rescue Infinite.

Second, Piccolo would stay in this area. In that case, the Links would simply run further and further away, dispersing as much as possible… the better. Anyway, it wasn't a big deal to leave Infinite alone here.

"Hmph… just trying to play some tricks." Piccolo's intelligence was quite high in the Dragon Ball universe; he saw through the enemy's intentions with hardly any thought and immediately came up with a solution. "Too bad, these tricks won't work on me!"

With that said, he adopted a *si ping da ma* stance (horse stance), bent his knees, clenched his fists, and made an expression as if he were constipated and about to die, shouting "Ahhhhh-" for about ten seconds.

Then… he "split."

Lo and behold, one Piccolo instantly turned into four Piccolos, and all four were solid.

This move wasn't the Shadow Clone Jutsu from a certain ninja manga, nor was it Master Roshi's Afterimage Fist, but rather Tien Shinhan's signature technique - the Four Witches Technique.

Its effect was to create three clones that were identical to the original and could act independently in combat. However, this move had a rather obvious weakness, which was… after using the Four Witches Technique, the combat power of each individual was only one-quarter of the original.

Of course, Piccolo was well aware of this weakness. The fact that he used it meant that he was confident that he could "solve the problem with one-quarter of his strength."

"Run if you want to, it's just delaying the inevitable." After Piccolo performed the technique, he left one of himself behind, holding the rice cooker and staying in place, while his other three clones rushed in three different directions, chasing after the fleeing Links and slaughtering them.

"Hey, is this really Piccolo?"

"I don't remember Piccolo knowing the Four Witches Technique…"

"I've never heard of the Evil Containment Wave either."

"I've read the Dragon Ball manga at least three or four times, and it's definitely not in there…"

At this time, the players who survived in the center of the battlefield chose to rest in place, wanting to get their condition back first. After all, the current situation was very favorable, and they didn't need to drag their wounded and exhausted bodies into the fight; doing so would not only be inefficient, but also possibly increase casualties.

It was also during this break that they noticed many strange things about this Piccolo…

Indeed, this "Piccolo" was somewhat different from the Piccolo they knew. The reason for this wasn't complicated. It was because… there wasn't just one "Dragon Ball universe."

The multiverse had infinite possibilities, and the butterfly effect caused by even a tiny difference could change the entire timeline.

For example, in a certain universe, maybe Kakarot didn't hit his head as a child, nor did he become kind. In that timeline… when he grew up, he would likely kill everyone on Earth and join Raditz in Frieza's army; according to that development, Gohan, Goten, and the Androids would not be born.

Or, for example, in a certain universe, perhaps Goku and Vegeta would be defeated by Frieza on Namek; after that, Frieza would come to Earth to find the Dragon Balls, but would be destroyed by the Androids; then Cell would destroy the Androids and prevent the resurrection of Majin Buu, eventually becoming the ruler of Earth.

Or, for example, in some universe… Majin Buu successfully killed all the Dragon Ball warriors and destroyed Earth.

Or even… Vegito never separated after fusing with the Potara earrings…

Such differences, when expanded, would make the "future" we are familiar with unrecognizable.

Perhaps… some people who should have died didn't die, and some people who should have been born weren't born; some people who should have become Super Saiyans stopped at the Great Ape form, and some not-so-strong people might have become the strongest in the universe.

Infinite universes meant infinite possibilities.

The Piccolo in front of them came from one of those universes. In his universe, or rather… in his timeline… he learned many of the Dragon Ball warriors' techniques, trained in the Kaioshin Realm, and had his potential unlocked by the Old Kai.

Therefore, he was much stronger than the Piccolo the players knew, and his personality was slightly different.

"This is outrageous." Watching the three Piccolo clones quickly approaching, Link deeply felt the despair that the players had felt before, "This is forcing me to risk my life…"

At this moment, he had to change his strategy again.

Since this "lure the tiger away from the mountain and divide and conquer" plan had failed, then… he only had one option: a desperate gamble.

In an instant, all the Links made a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, turning back from all directions…

"This is the only way!" After making up his mind, all the Links went all out, rushing towards Infinite at the fastest speed they could achieve. The scene was like hundreds of torpedoes surrounding and attacking the same target.

"Hmm?" Seeing this, Piccolo felt a sense of foreboding, because he had guessed what Link was going to do.

"Stop him!" Before Piccolo could speak, Feng Bujue, who was clinging to Infinite's back, had already spoken, "If he attacks, I won't be able to control Infinite!"

He shouted this to Piccolo and to the players.

Before his shout was over, the players who were resting jumped up.

"Damn it! Help!"

"We have to stop him, even if it kills us!"

"We absolutely can't let him succeed!"

"Pegasus Meteor…"

Obviously, Shiva and the others didn't want Infinite to break free from Jue-ge's (Brother Jue) "Golden Snake Entangling Hands." They all knew that if Little Infinite got his hands free, Piccolo might not be able to carry everyone.

"Tch…" Piccolo looked at the incoming Links and spat, "Not so easy!"

With that, his "four bodies" used burst movement, arriving around Infinite and Jue-ge respectively, then faced in all directions, shouting and attacking…

*Boom boom boom boom-*

Four Piccolos, seven hands (one holding the rice cooker), simultaneously unleashed Ki blasts.

The Links began to be attacked when they approached within a hundred meters of Infinite, and the closer they got… the more accurate and powerful the attacks became.

On the other hand, the dozen or so players were holding back nearly thirty Links. Although they couldn't kill the Links as quickly as Piccolo, they could at least slow down their charge.

"Seventy-three, seventy-two, seventy-one…"

In that chaotic battlefield, where light and dust were rising, and figures were scurrying, Feng Bujue… remained calm.

His eyes scanned, and he counted in his heart, accurately calculating how many Links were left.

"Pegasus Soaring!" After counting for more than ten seconds, Feng Bujue suddenly howled at Little Ma-ge (Brother Ma) in the distance, "Come over here!"

"What's up?" Little Ma-ge was fighting enthusiastically over there. Hearing Jue-ge call him, he didn't immediately obey, but instead turned his head and responded.

Feng Bujue was the kind of person who spoke human language to humans and ghost language to ghosts. Naturally, he had a corresponding set of methods for dealing with Tianma Xingkong, a hot-blooded idiot: "Piccolo is having a hard time, and a hero is needed to stand up and help him!"

Hearing the word "hero," Little Ma-ge turned his head and came over: "Okay! I'm coming~"

"Hey… kid, who are you saying can't hold on?" The next second, the Piccolo holding the rice cooker turned his head and said to Jue-ge.

"I'm not saying you can't defend this line, but…" Feng Bujue replied, "You should have noticed yourself that in the Four Witches Technique state… although you can defend against enemies in multiple directions at the same time, the intensity of the attack in each direction is reduced a lot. At this rate… it's hard to say if any stragglers will slip through." Saying that, he glanced at Tianma Xingkong, who was running over, and added, "Little Ma-ge's ability is very suitable to be used here, so I asked him to come over to help… as an extra layer of insurance."

Hearing this, even Piccolo couldn't help but think to himself: "This kid… is really a terrifying guy. Although his combat power doesn't seem to be very strong, I always feel like it would be terrible to be his enemy…"

While the two of them were talking, Tianma Xingkong had already arrived.

Because Piccolo's Ki blasts were all guided (locking onto and tracking the target's "qi" at the moment of launch), Little Ma-ge was safe and sound all the way here.

"Hahahaha… Hero, reporting for duty!" Don't look at Little Ma-ge being so careless, his combat intuition was also top-notch. He immediately stood next to the Piccolo holding the rice cooker, and as soon as he showed his stance, he began to unleash his moves.

In a sense, he did play the role of "a helping hand." Little Ma-ge's skilled Meteor Fist, in terms of flight speed… was comparable to the Ki blasts launched by Piccolo in the Four Witches Technique state; although the power was a bit weaker, its attack frequency was higher and its range of impact was wider, making it very suitable for use in this "counter-charge battle."

And just like that… the battle was completely brought into the rhythm planned by Jue-ge.

The hope in Link's heart also decreased along with his own numbers, until…

"Five, four, three…" Two minutes later, Feng Bujue finally counted down to the last few numbers, "Two, one…"

The moment the word "one" came out, the last Link also fell down. And at this time, Jue-ge's gaze… shifted to the rice cooker in Piccolo's hand.

"That's the last one." Feng Bujue looked at Piccolo and said, "Do it."

*Chi Ying…*

In the same second, Piccolo canceled the Four Witches Technique, and his three clones flashed back into the main body in an instant.

"What you promised me?" Piccolo wasn't stupid either; he wouldn't complete the matter before Jue-ge fulfilled his promise.

Why would he rather fight with one hand than let go of the rice cooker? It wasn't because he was wary of Jue-ge… worried that he would be working for nothing.

"Heh… you're quite cunning too." Feng Bujue smiled, "Okay~ It's in the pocket on the right side of my jacket. It's not very convenient for me to move around right now, so you can come and get it yourself."

Before he finished speaking, Piccolo's hand had already reached into his pocket.

"This is…" Piccolo looked at the harmonica in his hand, examining it and muttering.

"【Realm-Shifting Harmonica】." Feng Bujue replied, "With this thing, you can travel freely within this universe. Of course, each 'realm shift' consumes a considerable amount of energy."

"Travel within this universe?" Piccolo's expression changed, and his tone immediately became heavier, "What use is that to me?"

"Don't worry, I haven't finished speaking yet." Feng Bujue continued, "Traveling across universes… is also possible, but it's a one-time thing, because it will exhaust all the energy in the item."

"No problem." Piccolo replied, "I never intended to return to your universe anyway."

"Then, you just blow it like this." After Feng Bujue said that, he pursed his lips and whistled a tune.

"Hmm…" After listening, Piccolo didn't immediately do it, but was hesitating.

Feng Bujue knew what he was thinking, so he added, "Infinite, am I telling the truth?"

"Yes… every word is true." Infinite replied in a deep voice.

With Infinite's confirmation, Piccolo lowered his guard, "Hmph…" He snorted coldly, "Then… farewell, everyone."

As he spoke, he casually placed the rice cooker on the ground, then picked up the harmonica and blew it.

Accompanied by a melody composed of only a few notes, Piccolo's figure suddenly turned into a stream of light and disappeared before everyone's eyes, also disappearing from this universe…

"Tch… this guy is really not thorough in his work." Feng Bujue looked at the rice cooker on the ground and shouted loudly, "Hey~ Does anyone still have S-level skills they can use? Come over and deal with it!"

"Let me do it." Shiva walked over without hesitation, asking as he walked, "Is it okay to hit the rice cooker directly?"

"Is it okay?" Feng Bujue didn't answer him, but instead threw the question to Infinite.

"It's okay…" Infinite replied with a gloomy face, "Link's current state… is equivalent to being compressed into a ball of raw data. Attacking the rice cooker with a direct damage skill above A-level can kill him before he can return to human form."

"Did you hear that?" Feng Bujue turned to look at Shiva and said.

"Ah… I understand completely." Shiva had already walked to Jue-ge and the others at this time, bending down to pick up the rice cooker.

However, at this moment… a shocking change!

*Tzz—*

Just as Shiva's hand was about to touch the rice cooker, a strange, eerie sound suddenly came.

Immediately afterwards, a silver, blade-like spike… suddenly protruded from the ground, piercing a hole in the rice cooker.

"Wh…" Shiva, with a look of horror on his face, only had time to say one word.

*Chi—*

In the next moment, another silver metal cone, as thick as a baseball bat, rose from the ground, piercing through Shiva's chest at an angle, "skewering" his entire body off the ground, suspended in mid-air.

"Qui… quickly ki…" Shiva died unjustly, and didn't even leave a complete last word, before turning into white light.

If he wasn't in a fatigued state, if he hadn't let down his guard… he would never have been hit by this sudden sneak attack.

However, there were no ifs in this world…

"Quickly kill Link!" Two seconds later, Feng Bujue continued Shiva's last words.

As he roared, Link's data stream had already sprayed out from the damaged rice cooker and quickly reappeared in human form in the air.

"Tianma…" Tianma Xingkong, who was closest to him, reacted the fastest, stepping forward and wanting to catch the opponent off guard.

Unexpectedly…

*Chi—*

Another silver blade erupted from the ground, and the rapid thrust forcefully disrupted Little Ma-ge's stance, forcing him back two steps.

"Too late." At this time, Link's voice rang out, declaring a very bad result, "I'm already out."

Before the words were finished, he unleashed a side kick at Jue-ge, who was within close range.

*Bang—*

Before the kick arrived, Feng Bujue had already escaped and ran away, leaving the grenade connected to him in place, which exploded in response.

However, everyone knew that this level of explosion was no different than scratching an itch for those two Derivatives.

"I underestimated you…" When Feng Bujue appeared, a solemn look had already appeared on his face, "You actually hollowed out your body, leaving only the outermost 'skin shell' to cover people's eyes, and then liquefied the rest of it, seeping into the ground through the soles of your feet…" He paused for a second, then added, "This shouldn't be an idea that you only came up with at the moment 'Piccolo put down the rice cooker,' but rather something that was prepared for a long time…"

"Hmph…" Infinite, who had finally broken free from the shackles, sneered, and added, "I had already calculated how to 'attack nearby targets without moving my body at all.' However, because my body's overall volume is limited, the part existing underground can only reach a range of about five meters in radius. To go further… I would have to stretch those silver blades into a 'linear' shape, which would have no lethality."

He paused for a few seconds, then said, "Piccolo's strength… was too strong, and it was futile to sneak attack him, it would only expose my ambush; but he just kept holding onto the rice cooker, preventing me from finding an opportunity to rescue Link. Hmph… if he had killed Link and then left, I really wouldn't have had any way to do it." Saying that, he laughed, "Heh… fortunately, he didn't do that, and he coincidentally threw the rice cooker three meters behind my side."

"Hehe…" At this time, Link, who was standing next to Infinite, also added, "From your human point of view… this is what you call 'fate,' right?"

While speaking, Link also pretended to adjust his tie and cuffs, putting on a self-proclaimed elegant and composed look, took two steps forward, and said to Jue-ge, "Feng Bujue, Special Plan F can only protect you, others can't enjoy it. And your trick just now can't be repeated anymore… Now, as long as I spar with you a little and buy some time, Infinite can wipe out all the players present. And you…"

At this point, he spread his hands and rolled his eyes to the sky.

In that instant, more than fifty Links, identical to him, descended from the sky again.

"…You will soon be trapped in a situation where you have to face my infinite army with your own strength." Link continued, "Hehe… I don't need to tell you, you know the result, right?"

"The result?" Feng Bujue didn't fall for the other party's trick. He stared with dead fish eyes and replied indifferently, "Hmph… how would I know without trying?"

"You don't need to try." The next second, Infinite responded to Jue-ge's question with an assertive tone.

At the same time, Infinite's hand… pierced into Link's back and out through the latter's chest.

"Uh…" An unbelievable expression appeared on Link's face.

Not only him, but everyone except Feng Bujue and Infinite was stunned by this scene.

"You…" Link slowly turned his head and said to Infinite in a trembling voice, "...Why?"

"Your calculations… are ultimately inferior to Aider's." Infinite replied expressionlessly, "He had already foreseen various possible outcomes, so… he stayed in the Overclock Matrix Zone." As Infinite spoke, silver energy was rapidly corroding Link's body, slowly wrapping it up, "If he can successfully lure and capture Root, he will come from the Boom Tunnel… allowing me to absorb Root and complete the final evolution." He paused for half a second, "But the disappearance of the tunnel… means he has failed, and Root will not come."

Hearing this, Link's expression changed several times, and he murmured, "You… actually regard me… regard your creator as…"

"A reserve of resources?" Infinite snatched the words, "Hmph… that's why I said, you are inferior to Aider… He had the awareness of being a 'reserve of resources' from the beginning. He is a Derivative that I admire, an excellent creature that adheres to ideals and objectivity. In comparison… you are more like those lowly humans."

"I see…" Feng Bujue, listening to their conversation, immediately deduced the purpose of Infinite's current actions, "The three giants of Origin… it's the same no matter which one you absorb, right…"

"That's right." Infinite replied.

After two seconds, a smile suddenly appeared on his face, "Feng Bujue, you've tricked me so badly…" The corners of his mouth were pulled open like a twitch, "However, it ends here… Special Plan F will vanish with my ultimate evolution." He trembled with excitement, "I will make you… die very unpleasantly!"