In Dragon Ball: A brutal beating of Frieza at the start

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The energy fluctuations it emitted far exceeded those of all the enemies encountered before, and even approached those of the elite mutated machine outside the first node! Moreover, it was filled with the primal and violent vitality unique to this rotten hotbed.

"It's a pipeline guardian! Or rather, a 'cleaner' of this area!" Lin Ye understood instantly. Their advance along the energy pipeline had undoubtedly disturbed this sleeping monster.

“Hiss—!!!”

The monster let out a deafening roar, a sound that seemed to combine the wails of countless creatures, the powerful mental impact even making Li Sha dizzy. Its dozens of tentacles, like a raging storm, fiercely lashed out and entangled the three tiny beings who dared to invade its territory!

"Scatter! Find cover!" Lin Ye roared, focusing the light from the fragments in an attempt to distract the tentacles.

The tentacles lashed out at the pipes and surrounding tumors, producing dull, resounding thuds that left deep grooves and splattered slime. One tentacle stabbed at Lin Ye like a spear, moving with incredible speed! Lin Ye rolled sideways in a disheveled manner, the tentacle grazing his shoulder armor, the resulting air pressure stinging his cheek.

Lisa and the Sentinel were also locked in a fierce battle. Lisa used her agility and accurate shooting to keep firing at the suckers and weak points of the joints that the tentacles were trying to get close to, but with little effect. The Sentinel, on the other hand, wielded its particle claws, clashing head-on with several tentacles that were trying to entangle it. Sparks flew and a piercing metallic scraping sound was produced, but the tentacles were too numerous and too strong, forcing it to retreat continuously.

"Where is its core?" Li Sha shouted anxiously as she dodged. Most of the monster's body was hidden beneath the shattered pipes, making it almost impossible to attack its main body.

"Deep inside the pipe! Or behind its rotating mouth!" Lin Ye dodged while quickly observing. The light from the fragments could inflict some damage on the tentacles, causing them to retreat, but it couldn't deliver a decisive blow. At this rate, they would eventually be worn down by these endless tentacles, or forced into the surrounding horde of monsters.

We must find a way to attack its core!

Lin Ye's gaze swept across the surroundings, suddenly fixing on the enormous tumors that were being lashed and constantly bursting open by the tentacles. Some of the bursting tumors didn't release mucus, but rather tissue that shimmered with unstable energy, like a biological battery.

A dangerous plan formed in his mind.

"Lisa! Sentinels! Listen to my command!" Lin Ye dodged the tentacle attacks while quickly giving instructions via the communicator. "I'll draw its main attention! You guys figure out a way to get those unstable energy tumors into its huge mouth!"

"What?" Li Sha was taken aback, but immediately understood Lin Ye's intention. "Detonate those energy sources? That's too risky!"

"There's no better way! Execute the order!" Lin Ye said decisively.

Having said that, he held nothing back, pouring all the power of the fragment of the Key of Creation into himself, his entire being seemingly enveloped in a dazzling white flame. He no longer dodged, but instead charged towards the monster's main body, the light from the fragment like a searchlight, locked firmly on the ever-rotating, tooth-filled maw of the abyss!

"Look over here! You rotten lump of flesh!"

Stimulated by such intense energy of order, the monster was indeed thoroughly enraged. Most of its tentacles turned around and, like wildly dancing demonic shadows, swept towards Lin Ye in an overwhelming manner! At the same time, its rotating maw opened to its limit, emitting an even stronger suction force, seemingly wanting to devour Lin Ye along with that annoying light!

It's now!

"Lisa! Sentinel!" Lin Ye shouted as he struggled to withstand the barrage of tentacles.

"Understood!" Li Sha's eyes narrowed, and she aimed her energy rifle at a huge lump of flesh that was closest to the monster's maw, had just been cracked by the tentacles, and whose internal energy was flashing violently. She then pulled the trigger!

Almost simultaneously, the Sentinel used its particle claws to knock away another fleshy tumor radiating dangerous energy fluctuations, and then precisely smashed it into the open maw!

puff!puff!

Two lumps brimming with unstable bio-energy were precisely thrown, one after the other, into the monster's swirling, abyssal maw!

The monster seemed to pause for a moment, its tentacles halting their movements for a brief instant.

Immediately afterwards——

boom! ! ! !

A muffled explosion, seemingly from the depths of the earth, came from inside the monster's gaping maw!

The monster's entire head suddenly swelled up and then exploded! Countless shattered bone armor, viscous tissue, and violent energy slurry sprayed wildly in all directions! The dozens of wildly thrashing tentacles seemed to have their tendons and bones removed, instantly stiffening, and then drooping limply and twitching.

The massive body trembled violently as it slowly sank into the depths of the shattered pipe, leaving only a few remaining tentacles writhing unconsciously.

The shockwave from the explosion sent Lin Ye flying, crashing heavily onto the sticky fungal carpet and coughing up a mouthful of fishy-smelling saliva. But he immediately struggled to his feet and looked at the lifeless remains of the monster.

“It’s a success…” Li Sha collapsed to one knee, panting heavily.

The sentry quickly scanned the area: "Target's life signal has disappeared. Threat neutralized."

Before they could celebrate, the surrounding horde of mutated creatures, though momentarily thrown into disarray by the death of the guard, was quickly drawn back by the three people's vibrant presence and gathered around them once more.

"Quick! Get into the tower!" Lin Ye, enduring the physical pain and mental exhaustion, called to the two and rushed towards the central control tower, which was entangled in fleshy vines and was within arm's reach.

At the base of the tower, they found a relatively intact airtight door entrance, but it was also blocked by thick, fleshy vines.

“Let me handle this.” Li Sha stepped forward, focusing her psionic energy into her hands, forming two invisible blades that slashed fiercely at the roots of the vines. Psionic energy seemed to be more effective against this type of biological tissue than energy weapons; the vines emitted a shrill scream as they were severed and retreated even faster.

With the help of Lin Ye's fragmented light purification, they quickly cleared the entrance.

The three men rushed into the airtight door, with the sentry entering last. He used a robotic arm to forcibly stop the door from closing, then activated the emergency procedure to lock the door completely.

Outside the door, the frantic crashing and hissing of the mutated creatures were muffled and distant, blocked out by the heavy metal door.

Inside the door was a relatively clean and tidy metal staircase leading upwards to the upper levels of the control tower. But the chilling malice in the air, a whisper of menace, was far more intense than outside.

The second control node is located above.

They all knew that what was guarding the node was probably even more terrifying than the "cleaner" below.

Chapter 562 Echoes from Within the Tower

The heavy, airtight door was completely locked behind them, isolating them from the frenzied crashes and roars of the living abyss outside, leaving only a dull, incessant "thump-thump" sound, as if countless giant hammers were pounding on this last refuge.

Inside the door, the brief silence was broken by the heavy breathing of the three people. The hum of the energy rifle, the subtle sounds of mechanical joints turning, and the still-pounding of Lin Ye's own heart were all exceptionally clear in the upward-reaching metal stairwell.

"Is it...safe for now?" Li Sha slid down to the ground, leaning against the cold metal wall. She removed her breathing mask, gasping for breath, her face as pale as paper. The intense psionic perception and continuous combat had left her mentally exhausted; her hand gripping the rifle was still trembling slightly.

The sentinel immediately performed an environmental scan, its mechanical eye scanning the stairs. "Internal environment stable. Air composition acceptable, toxin concentration 95% lower than outside. No immediate life signals detected. However, a stable, high-intensity energy source was detected on the upper level, coinciding with the location of the second control node. Simultaneously, residual abnormal mental fluctuations were detected; source unknown. Remain vigilant."

Lin Ye also felt a wave of exhaustion, not just physically, but also mentally. Faced with that boundless, writhing, rotten, and primally malevolent cradle, any rational being would feel a shiver run down their spine. He sat down against the door, the light from the fragments of the Key of Creation dimming, leaving only a faint glow that lingered around him, dispelling any trace of contamination that might seep in through the cracks in the door.

"Rest for five minutes. Check your equipment and treat your injuries." Lin Ye's voice was a little hoarse as he looked at Li Sha. "Your psionic energy is too depleted. Try to relax and don't actively sense anything."

Li Sha nodded weakly, closed her eyes, and tried to calm the lingering echoes of chaos and hunger in her mind.

The Sentinel silently began cleaning the viscous, corrosive fluid that had stained the machine's surface; in some places, the coating had been eroded through, exposing the underlying metal. Its arm-mounted particle claws retracted, emitting a soft mechanical meshing sound.

Lin Ye checked his condition. His shoulder armor had been grazed while dodging the tentacles, leaving a shallow dent and burn marks. More than anything, he was mentally exhausted. Forcibly activating the fragment's power to purify the node core, and then facing the massive pipe guardian, had placed a heavy burden on even his core consciousness.

He took out a high-energy nutrient solution from his emergency kit and gave it to Li Sha, then downed a vial himself. The cold liquid slid down his throat, providing a negligible boost of energy.

"Thanks for earlier." Lin Ye looked at Li Sha, referring to how she had cut the vines and opened the entrance at the crucial moment.

Li Sha waved her hand, seemingly too weak to even speak.

He then looked at the sentry: "What's the extent of the damage?"

"Surface armor damage rate 12%. Energy level 8%. Shield generator offline, cooldown time 7 minutes and 30 seconds remaining. Weapon systems: High-frequency vibrating particle claws available, arm-mounted energy gun with 35% energy remaining. Core functions unaffected," the sentry reported meticulously.

The situation is dire. Outside lies an endless ocean of aberrant mutants, the interior of the tower remains unknown, and their condition is no longer at its peak.

Five minutes passed quickly in silence. The banging outside the door seemed to lessen somewhat, but it didn't stop; the monsters clearly hadn't given up.

“We can’t stay here long. We must shut down the second node as soon as possible to cut off the energy supply to this area, which might weaken the activity of those things outside.” Lin Ye stood up and stretched his somewhat stiff body. “Sentinel, lead the way. Li Sha, you stay with me, conserve your psionic energy, and only issue warnings when necessary.”

The two men and their machine sprang into action again, ascending the metal staircase. The staircase was built around the inner walls of the tower, with a vast, bottomless shaft in the center. Looking up, all that could be seen was darkness, and only the sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty space.

The air inside the tower carried a musty smell of metal and dust, a stark contrast to the strong stench of decay outside. But the chilling malice that seemed to whisper hadn't disappeared; instead, it was condensed, like an invisible veil permeating every inch of space.

After climbing about three floors, they arrived at a platform. The platform connected to a horizontal corridor, at the end of which was a tightly closed metal door marked with biohazard symbols and an access controller.

"The node control room should be right behind us." Lin Ye compared the blurry map transmitted by "Radiance of Annihilation".

The sentry stepped forward and scanned the gate. "The access controller is disabled. The gate structure is intact, and it is locked from the inside by a physical latch. Forcing a breach will take time."

“Try this.” Lin Ye held up the fragment of the Key of Creation again, focusing its light on the lock area. Unlike the previous purification of biological tissue, this time the light only caused the surface of the metal to heat up slightly, without any significant effect. Clearly, the fragment had limited effect on pure, uncorroded physical structures.

"Looks like we'll have to use the old method." Lin Ye gestured for the sentry and Li Sha to retreat. "Sentry, force your way through. Li Sha, keep watch behind and above."

The sentry nodded, and the particle claw on his arm popped out again, aimed at the crack in the door, and began high-frequency vibration cutting. A piercing metallic scraping sound rang out, and sparks flew everywhere.

As the sentries focused on breaching the door, Lin Ye's unease grew stronger. The tower was too quiet; apart from their voices, there was nothing else. This didn't make sense. If the Whispers' corruption had penetrated so deeply, how could there be no guards?

Li Sha frowned as well. Although she had suppressed her spiritual energy, the lingering, chilling malice made her instinctively uncomfortable. "Lin Ye, I feel something's wrong. It's like... something is watching us."

As soon as the words fell——

hum!

A deep, humming sound of energy suddenly came from above!

The three of them looked up at the same time and saw dozens of eerie blue lights appearing in the darkness above the stairwell! These lights moved rapidly, swarming down like a bee!

"Enemy attack! Air unit!" The sentry immediately stopped cutting, and its shoulder-mounted miniature rapid-fire cannon instantly raised and locked on!

Using the light from those eerie blue dots, they could make out the form of the attackers—flying insects about half a person's height, seemingly composed of a mixture of metal and crystal! They had streamlined bodies, four wings as thin as cicada wings yet shimmering with energy patterns, compound eyes on their heads that shimmered with a cold blue light, and at their front ends were mouthparts as sharp as drill bits, crackling with electric arcs!

“It’s the ‘Scavenger’ drone! An internal maintenance unit of ‘Radiance of Annihilation’! But they’ve been corrupted!” Lin Ye instantly found the corresponding information from the memory fragments of “Radiance of Annihilation”.

These drones, originally intended for cleaning ventilation ducts and maintaining structures, have now been clearly distorted by whispers and transformed into deadly predators!

"Fire!" Lin Ye shouted, sending fragments of light sweeping upwards in an attempt to disrupt them.

However, these drones were extremely agile, and most easily avoided direct sunlight. Only a few were grazed, their movements slowed, and they crashed. Many more drones, like blue lightning bolts, swooped down!

"Rat-a-tat-tat!" The sentry's rapid-fire cannons spat out tongues of fire, forming a barrage of bullets. Several drones were blown up in mid-air, turning into scattered parts and sparks of energy.

Lisa also raised her gun and fired, but the drone was too fast, making it difficult for her energy beam to hit accurately.

*Thud!* A drone broke through the barrage of fire, its drill bit mouthpiece accompanied by a piercing sonic boom, heading straight for the Sentinel's sensor head! The Sentinel reacted extremely quickly, its particle claws parrying upwards, slicing the drone in two, but the force of the explosion also caused its head to lurch to the side.

More drones began attacking Lin Ye and Li Sha! They seemed to be able to recognize the threat of the Key of Genesis fragments, with most of the attacks focused on Lin Ye, while the more agile ones tried to bypass the front and attack Li Sha on the flanks.

"Back to back!" Lin Ye shouted, quickly closing in with Li Sha to cover each other. The light from the fragments formed a barrier around him; drones that crashed into them immediately began to smoke and fall, but their numbers seemed endless, continuously being dropped from the darkness above.

"This won't do! There are too many of them!" Lisa shouted, her rifle's energy rapidly depleting.

The sentinel's data stream flashed rapidly: "Drone signal source detected in upper control room. They will continue to generate unless the source is cut off."

"We must get to the control room as soon as possible!" Lin Yege fired a drone that was trying to hit his arm, which was holding the shards, and felt a tingling sensation in his arm. The impact of these things should not be underestimated.

"Sentinel! How much longer until we break down the door?"

"It should take another two minutes!" the Sentinel replied, fending off the drones' onslaught with its rapid-fire cannon and particle claws. Its fuselage was already covered in dents from impacts and burn marks from electrical arcs.

Two minutes felt incredibly long under such intense attacks.

"Li Sha! Can you use your psionic energy to interfere with them for even a moment?" Lin Ye asked urgently.

Li Sha gritted her teeth: "I'll try!" She took a deep breath and forcibly squeezed out her remaining spiritual energy, and an invisible mental shock spread outwards from her!

This is not a precise attack, but an indiscriminate and brutal interference!

The effect was immediate! All the drones that were swooping down suddenly stopped moving, the buzzing of their wings became chaotic, and their blue lights flickered erratically, as if they had lost their command.

"Great opportunity!" The sentry seized this precious second and a half, unleashing full firepower from the rapid-fire cannons and instantly clearing out a section of drones in front of him!

Lin Ye also took the opportunity to unleash the light from the fragments, clearing away the few that were nearby.

But after releasing the mental blast, Li Sha's face turned deathly pale, her body went limp, and she almost collapsed, but Lin Ye caught her.