Saiyan stowaways on the Ark

Extreme environments, lack of supplies, ferocious beasts, bandit gangs—and most terrifyingly, natural disasters—all these factors combined ensure that Terra's wilderness is far from being kind enough to smile at humans who dare to trespass.

However, there are exceptions for some people.

Rather than worrying that the wilderness will cause them trouble, the more important question is whether they will cause trouble for the wilderness.

—A wilderness area in Terra, time: 2:00 PM, weather: eve of a typhoon—

Aside from the largely deserted ocean, the majority of the land in Terra is a dry, grayish-yellow desert with no undulations, devoid of greenery or peaks. Occasionally, one can spot some tenacious shrubs and jagged rocks weathered by countless storms. If you're lucky, you might see a few small, scrawny creatures nervously scurrying across the sand.

However, this dull scene is slowly changing.

Clouds began to gather, the sky grew overcast, the hot wind gradually turned cold, and tiny black crystals were drifting in the wind.

In the distance, on a land stretching for about a hundred miles, a spiral of dust was rising rapidly at an incredible speed, uprooting bushes and carrying wild beasts that could not escape, along with heavy boulders, into the air, eventually forming a giant tornado that connected heaven and earth.

The sky and earth resonated with a deafening roar, and countless black crystals rose and scattered, spreading the source of countless calamities—Originium crystals—to every corner reached by the gale.

In a flat, desolate area far from the typhoon, a vehicle, its surface covered in mud and sand and looking rather unkempt, was parked in this dangerous area, showing no sign of starting up or leaving.

There were even two figures standing in front of the car, their hands on their foreheads, calmly gazing at the distant typhoon.

Given the momentum of the typhoon, this area, which is currently only experiencing minor gusts, will soon become a dangerous zone that even giant rocks cannot withstand.

However, their vehicle was not stuck in the sand and unable to move; the two were simply discussing whether to continue or take a detour.

A normal person hearing the option "Continue" would probably think these two are either crazy or stupid.

"What should we do? If we max out the engine, we can drive in the opposite direction to get out of the affected area."

Froststar was completely covered up in a protective suit and wasteland exploration gear, with only a pair of snow-white rabbit ears plugged in to keep out the wind and sand.

"Judging from its scale and speed of formation, this disaster will not last long; it will probably be over in a few hours."

As she analyzed the storm using the knowledge she had gained about natural disasters on Rhodes Island, she asked Tomart beside her a question.

"The opposite direction?"

Tomat was taken aback. Unlike Frostnova, who was fully equipped, he was only wearing ordinary trousers and a shirt. However, he had an aura around his body that dispelled the sand and dust blowing in his face, otherwise his mouth would be full of sand as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Isn't this the direction we came from? We've been driving in that area for half a month without seeing a single person. We're tired of the wilderness. Judging from the atmosphere, there's a fairly large settlement straight ahead. If we had gone around it, we would have arrived long ago."

Tomat clearly refused to back down in the face of natural disasters.

"Although I also said I would just wander around, it was still you who said 'no need to bring a map,' and we ended up being stuck in the wilderness for so long."

Seeing that Tomat had made a decision, Frostnova complained once and then walked towards the car.

"'Trapped'? How could that be? If I wanted to, I could find a settlement in the air in no time, or use air to locate a nearby city. Isn't that all for the sake of enjoying the trip?"

Thomas took a short step forward, and as he spoke, he swung his right arm, relaxing his shoulders while gathering power in his fist.

"We've had enough of this kind of atmosphere, so let's change the scenery after so long? It's a place where it's not even convenient to take a shower, and the hygiene is terrible."

It wasn't that Froststar was so delicate that she would be unhappy about not being able to take a bath, but rather that the two of them really needed to pay attention to "hygiene" during this period of time together. Waiting like this would not be a relaxing thing for either of them.

Moreover, due to the long-term treatment she received with the new special medicine on Rhodes Island, even without participating in Tomat's overly rigorous training, her Oripathy had greatly improved. The ice-type Originium Arts, which originally used herself as the casting unit and utilized the Originium within her body to cast spells, were also much less effective.

Although there has been no technological regression, the strength is still much inferior to that of the past, so it is no longer possible to produce large quantities of ice to extract water in the arid desert.

Of course, at this point, Frostnova wasn't so obsessed with her own strength in Originium Arts, since she already had a more promising path ahead of her.

"The desert is definitely not as fun as the snowfield. At least there you can have a snowball fight."

Froststar removed her windproof mask and breathed a sigh of relief inside the car. Her voice, which wasn't very loud, shouldn't have carried far due to the isolation of the car and the outside wind, but Tomat's ears twitched as he replied.

"How about we go somewhere with snow next time? Like Ursus?"

Tomat's voice clearly reached Frostnova's mind, and Frostnova shook her head.

"I don't want to go to Ursus. Besides, there are other places with snow. My uncle's and my amulets were brought to us by one of his comrades from Kalan. I heard that it snows all year round there. There's also a lot of snow in Sami, north of Kazimir. Oh, and Yan Kingdom, many of the mountains there are covered in snow."

Froststar continued:

"We'll see when the time comes. We don't even know where we are right now."

Tomat stopped talking, and instead, with his back to Frostnova, waved his hand in agreement amidst the increasingly intense sandstorm. Then, his right arm, which had been swinging, swung forcefully forward, and a straight beam of light shot out with the swing, with a slight arc, like the dorsal fin of a shark swimming in the sand, cutting through the sand with unstoppable momentum—and it continued to grow larger.

When Tomat was only halfway between the two locations of the massive tornado formed by the storm, the energy he unleashed was already almost the size of the tornado itself.

"boom----"

The energy collided with the tornado, but did not produce a huge impact. The natural disaster cloud was torn apart and dispersed by just the right amount of force, and the huge tornado also disintegrated. The raging sandstorm came to an abrupt end, and the wilderness shrouded in shadow was covered by light in the next instant.

The natural disaster vanished without a trace in an instant, leaving behind only scattered Originium crystals.

"The force was still slightly off; I was hoping it would cancel each other out..."

However, Tomat looked regretful in the face of this result.

"It's better than overdoing it, isn't it?"

Froststar honked the vehicle's horn, signaling Tomat to get back inside. A moment later, the small vehicle, compared to the desert, carried the two of them towards a more distant place filled with the scent of people.

[Main Text] The Saiyans' Daily Life on Terra: Chapter Eight: The Simple and Honest People of Syracuse

With the vehicle speeding at a pace that ordinary vehicles in the wasteland could not possibly reach, the two who had dealt with the typhoon finally saw a landscape different from the desert after driving for two or three hours.

The verdant mountains create a sense of undulation in the view, with streams accumulating into lakes at the foot of the mountains before extending into the distance along the mountain slopes.

The cold, colossal creation rests beside the mountains and rivers, enjoying a tranquil environment undisturbed by natural disasters.

"A mobile city? That symbol is... Oh, I see. We're in Syracuse now. It looks like it's the territory of some alliance."

After spotting the markings painted on the exterior wall of the mobile platform in the distance, Frostnova confirmed that the two were currently in the Syracuse region. However, since she herself did not have in-depth knowledge of the relevant information here, she could not directly confirm which alliance or specific family the mobile city in front of her belonged to.

"Syracuse? My hometown in Lapland. I've heard that the people in charge of this area are all gangsters."

Thomas also spoke based on his own impressions.

Although neither of them made any explicit statements, they felt genuinely relaxed when they saw the colossal structures of civilization standing not far away, free from the feeling of being in the wilderness.

Before setting off, the two had already obtained various passes or credentials with the help of the Doctor and Kal'tsit. Even Tomat would have the common sense to do so, so they didn't relax too much.

Kal'tsit also provided them with the contact information for various people, making one wonder where she got so many acquaintances who sounded much older than her.

"There aren't many travelers from the wilderness, so please enjoy the unique charm of Syracuse."

After a series of checks, the two passed through the city's checkpoints relatively easily. The Oripathy drug, which might have been considered a sensitive item, had already been hidden in a hidden compartment in the vehicle. Therefore, the interior, which was filled with household items like a typical RV, did not arouse much suspicion from the inspectors. On the contrary, many people who were also passing through the checkpoints expressed their envy of this seemingly convenient vehicle.

Tomat drove the vehicle from the underlying structure to the urban residential area on the surface of the mobile platform. At this point, it was no longer in hover mode, but in normal four-wheel driving mode. After all, it would be troublesome to cause unnecessary disturbances by being too conspicuous.

The two slowed down along the way and talked about their current location.

"Aren't the people here pretty normal? I thought everyone living here was like Lappland."

Tomat made a comment that made Lappland, who was far away at the time, sneeze involuntarily, and Frostnova followed up with:

"Is the whole country full of people like her? No wonder that Texas guy from Penguin Logistics left Syracuse—how is that possible? Although my understanding of Syracuse is only based on what I read on paper, I do know a little about the murders... Lyudmila occasionally mentions her experience living there."

Lyudmila, a former Reunion Movement cadre and the King Killer, was secretly transferred to Syracuse because her father was persecuted for participating in a sarcophagus research project when she was young. This was done partly to protect her safety and partly to teach her combat skills.

Lyudmila was taught assassination techniques and Originium Arts by a genuine Syracuse assassin. Under her tutelage, Lyudmila learned a great deal and became half a Syracuse herself. As her colleague, Frostnova naturally heard about Syracuse from her as well.

Although the perspective may differ from that of the average Syracuse resident, it still offers some valuable insights.

“Gang management, family rule, almost every city has a corresponding family management, maintaining a high degree of autonomy, with occasional family meetings for internal communication, and very little external communication.”

"Just think of their families as the self-governing government of a typical city, except that the rules are strict, vigilante justice is rampant, and gang activities permeate every aspect of life. However, as long as ordinary people don't pry into or get involved in anything too suspicious, they can live a very peaceful life. Otherwise, one careless move could cause the whole family to disappear without a trace."

"Gangsters and assassins roam freely, or rather, they are skilled at disguise. According to Lyudmila, a guy who is wanted by a big family and has no other family to vouch for him is as good as dead from the moment the bounty is placed on him. They can't even leave their neighborhood, because maybe half the people in the neighborhood are gangsters and assassins disguised as ordinary people."

Frostnova relayed Lyudmila's "impressions of Syracuse" to Tomat, who pondered for a moment before saying:

"It seems we need to keep a low profile, otherwise, if a fight breaks out, I don't know how many people will be left alive."

Seeing Tomat's slightly serious expression, Frostnova smiled and explained:

"I think Lyudmila was just exaggerating. After all, she often emphasized how miserable her life was in Syracuse and how hard she trained to be a true Integrative Movement cadre."

While revealing her colleague's past misdeeds, Frostnova remarked with some emotion:

"Speaking of which, Lyudmila can now accept overseas assignments at will, right? She used to be restricted to Rhodes Island, but now she can go to other countries."

"She gradually found a sense of belonging here, and like Alex, she no longer regarded Rhodes Island as just an organization that only shouts slogans. Moreover, she saw a more promising future than the Reunion Movement."

Thomas, however, raised an objection with a smile:

"Are you sure it's not that she felt she couldn't escape even if she wanted to, so she just resigned herself to her fate? If I remember correctly, another little girl who was very good at hiding her aura kept bothering her, which made her start learning how to hide her aura so that she could shake her off. But she still ended up being followed by her, and her fur was almost all pulled out."

Froststar, however, concluded after listening that if the Kingslayer himself were present, he would have loudly voiced his objections:

"I think this is probably proof of a good relationship? Lyudmila's mission partner seems to be her."

She then mentioned a certain person who cannot be ignored when talking about the Reunion Movement—a certain Drak who faded from people's sight with the destruction of the Reunion Movement, yet left a deep impression on those in the know.

"Actually, I've always wanted to ask what Rhodes Island plans to do with Talulah. Many people, even executives, from the Reunion Movement have been recruited by Rhodes Island, and I've even been promoted to a full-fledged member. But she's still being held captive on Rhodes Island, with only a few people allowed to visit her. I really don't understand whether this kind of imprisonment is intended to continue indefinitely or if they're planning something else."

When it comes to Talulah, the most memorable thing that Tomat can recall is probably his experiences in Talulah's memories.

"I don't know either. Anyway, it's up to the Doctor and the others. Before, they considered 'whether they could deal with her' for various reasons. Now it's probably become 'whether they want to deal with her'. She hurt Rhodes Island a lot and can't be wiped clean easily. At least it can't be as easy as it was for you."

There is always affection, but one cannot be biased by affection when faced with right and wrong. Froststar knew this well, and thus remained helplessly silent in the face of Tomat's words.

Rhodes Island—or rather, Tomat—gave her a chance, but Talulah did not. In a sense, allowing her to remain imprisoned until now is already a great act of leniency, and Frostnova has no right to protest any possible purges by Rhodes Island.

"In short, it probably won't end well. If you make a mistake against your will, even if there's room for redemption, you should pay the price. If you can meet someone who can stop and judge you while you're alive, then don't try to make excuses to whitewash it."

"The earth will forgive you, and our task is to send you back to the earth"—this is probably the attitude of the vast majority of people who support the immediate removal of Talulah.

However, this decision has been delayed. Whether it is based on interests, justice, or sentiment is something that the Doctor and his team can consider. Thomas has no interest in knowing or interfering in this matter.

What if we don't meet them?

Froststar asked a question in return. At the same time, the vehicle drove out of the internal structure area of ​​the mobile platform and officially arrived at the surface platform. The sunlight then fell, and the appearance of the building came into view.

Thomas chuckled:

"Just like me, waiting to go to hell and be judged after death."

Looking at the sunlight streaming through the car window, Froststar squinted and leaned against Tomat, saying with considerable relief:

"If there really is a hell, I will go there with you to wash away my sins. After all, your tolerance and Rhodes Island's forgiveness cannot erase the wrong things I have actually done."

Thomas calmly replied:

"Then I reckon you'll have to wait a long time for me."