"What could these people possibly want by suddenly showing up on Namek?" the Grand Elder wondered, lost in thought.
So far, they hadn't laid a hand on anyone. There was just that one guy who looked like a snake, slithering around with wide-eyed excitement, peering left and right like a kid in a candy store. It was downright peculiar.
This eased the Grand Elder's mind a bit. "Maybe they don't mean us any real harm after all."
Of course, he had his suspicions about their motives. Visitors to Namek were almost always after the Dragon Balls. But if they came in peace, the Namekians' kind nature meant he had no intention of picking a fight. At the very least, he needed to learn who they were before deciding anything.
In the end, the Grand Elder resolved to meet these strangers from another world face-to-face.
Half a day later, Lin Xuan and his group finally came face-to-face with Namek's Grand Elder, flanked by a few of his battle-hardened Namekian guards.
As the newcomers arrived, the Elder and his protectors sized them up intently. Lin Xuan and his companions returned the favor, studying the Elder in return.
After all, Uchiha Madara and the others had learned a thing or two on the way: this Grand Elder was Namek's supreme ruler, the planet's highest authority. A scholar of vast knowledge and a champion of peace, he was the sole survivor of Namek's near-extinction generations ago. From him sprang 108 children, breathing new life into a world on the brink.
Madara and the rest eyed the Elder with keen curiosity.
For his part, Lin Xuan noted how much healthier and more vibrant the Elder seemed compared to the weary figure from the anime. That made sense—this timeline was still years away from Vegeta's invasion. The Namekians couldn't even imagine the catastrophe looming on the horizon.
The Grand Elder stared at Lin Xuan and his group for a long moment before finally speaking. "May I ask what brings you honored guests to our humble Namek?"
To everyone's surprise, he spoke in flawless Earthling tongue.
"Looks like you've already pieced together where we're from," Lin Xuan replied with a warm smile.
He wasn't caught off guard. From what he knew, the Grand Elder wielded all sorts of extraordinary powers. But what truly piqued Lin Xuan's interest was the Elder's unique gift: unlocking hidden potential.
The Elder shook his head. "I can't see your origins, not truly. I only glimpsed that you'd set foot on Earth once, so I took a chance."
"Ah, got it," Lin Xuan said, nodding knowingly.
Truth be told, he figured even someone as powerful as the Grand Elder couldn't detect their cross-dimensional jump.
Then Lin Xuan pressed on: "So, can you tell why we've come?"
The Elder pondered for a beat before answering, "You're here for the Dragon Balls, aren't you?"
Lin Xuan didn't beat around the bush. "You got me. Any chance you'd be willing to lend them to us?"
Hunting them down themselves wouldn't be impossible, but it would stir up trouble with the locals—messy, drawn-out conflicts. If the Elder handed them over willingly, though? That was the dream scenario.
And Lin Xuan already had a plan to sway him.
The Grand Elder's response was shockingly straightforward. "Of course."
He turned and murmured a few words to his guards in their native tongue. They bowed respectfully and hurried off.
Lin Xuan blinked in surprise. "I have to say, you're taking this awfully well."
The Elder let out a weary sigh. "I've foreseen it—we couldn't stop you even if we tried. Refuse you, and calamity would befall my children."
Lin Xuan chuckled. "But flip the script: cooperate with us, and you'll earn our friendship. That could mean the world for your future, don't you think?"
A faint smile crossed the Elder's face. "I can only hope that, should the chance arise, you'll lend us your aid."
Clearly, this seer of futures might not yet envision Frieza's onslaught, but he had caught glimpses of Namek's looming doom. That vision was a big reason for his quick capitulation.
In his eyes, Lin Xuan's group wasn't overwhelmingly mighty—not yet. But he was utterly convinced they held the key to Namek's salvation.
Lin Xuan didn't mind the flattery. He grinned and said, "Just borrowing the Dragon Balls for a bit? That's a drop in the bucket if you want real help dodging that disaster down the line."
The Elder's breath caught. "Whatever else you require, if it's within our power, we'll do all we can."
His tension stemmed from a sudden shift: the moment he'd laid eyes on them, Namek's shadowed fate had cracked open with unaccustomed light. He saw them now as the harbingers of deliverance.
"Here's the deal," Lin Xuan said. "I'll station some of my people here to guard Namek. In exchange, whenever you've got a moment, unlock their potential for them. Sound fair?"
Relief washed over the Elder. "Absolutely."
He couldn't afford to hesitate. Unlocking potential cost him little, and even if it did, Namek's survival was worth any price. Besides, the stronger Lin Xuan's allies grew, the better they'd shield his world.
Lin Xuan added, "Oh, and my companions are pretty fascinated by alien tech—they might poke around your planet a bit for research. Hope that's not an issue. On the flip side, one of them's a whiz at extending lifespans. He could offer some real medical breakthroughs for your people."
The Elder's eyes lit up.
From anyone else, talk of longevity might've sounded like empty promises. But coming from Lin Xuan? It rang with unspoken promise.
"Very well," he said eagerly. "We entrust ourselves to you."
With the deal sealed, Lin Xuan beamed. "Great. Then let's start by having you unlock the potential in my crew here. After that, we'll swing by to check out those Dragon Balls of yours."
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T/N:
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