Chapter 173: Dream
"Become stronger?"
Still locked in place, Franklin stayed extremely alert, watching the black, venom-like sludge churn and twist. His first instinct was to refuse.
But being immobilized… who knew what would happen if he rejected it outright?
Suppressing the looming threat of death and the panic clawing at his chest, Franklin drew in a deep breath and cautiously asked:
"Who exactly are you? What do you mean by becoming stronger? And why come to me?"
"You sure talk a lot of nonsense. You really want to know who I am? That'll cost you dearly.
Right now, I suggest you answer my question directly — do you want to become stronger or not? Yes is yes, no is no. Just give me your answer."
The raspy voice was full of impatience, making Franklin even more cautious. He understood well: the more he knew, the more danger he'd be in.
But the thing wasn't acting immediately either — meaning there was a reason.
Maybe his consciousness needed to waver before the black sludge could harm him. Now fully aware that he was trapped in a dream, Franklin kept his guard up.
"Become stronger? You're not telling me anything — how am I supposed to choose? And the way you appeared is way too strange. I don't trust you at all.
All I want is for you to leave. As for gaining some uncertain form of power from you — no thanks."
Silence. Heavy, endless silence.
Just as Franklin started to feel uneasy, the black liquid gathered in front of him, rising and forming a humanoid shape.
The figure grew clearer, more detailed — until a pitch-black Franklin stood before him, staring into his eyes.
"Choose to become stronger, and I'll give you invincible power and invincible cultivation in a short time. You'll be unmatched in the universe. Or you can choose to refuse."
Choose. Choose… The childish tone made Franklin speechless, yet something in its words felt off.
"My answer is still the same. I'm fine as I am. Just leave. I won't make any choice. Whether I grow stronger or not has nothing to do with you."
The shadow-Franklin stroked his chin, mimicking the real one. "So you're choosing to refuse."
Franklin instantly retorted, "That's not what I said. I'm refusing your unknown methods, not strength itself."
"No difference. Your choice is set. So let's move on to the next step.
Kid, if your weakness someday gets your family, lovers, or friends killed, will you regret today's decision?"
The taunting look in the black figure's eyes made Franklin hesitate. Would this thing actually target the people around him because of his choice?
His face darkened. He had no way to fight back — the only thing he could do was choose. A completely powerless choice.
"Don't even think about staying silent. My time is limited. If you don't answer, I'll assume you chose just like before."
That ridiculous "default choice" made Franklin even more frustrated — and even harder to keep calm.
"What exactly do you want? Why keep asking me? If I choose wrong, are you seriously planning to go after them?"
The black Franklin smiled. "You don't need to know. Just tell me your answer."
Franklin had never wanted to punch his own face so badly.
"I won't regret it. If I refuse you, that's that — there's nothing to regret. If something really does happen, then I'll avenge them and follow afterward. Maybe that's not a bad ending.
But if you're hoping I'll pick your vague 'power-up' option because of that threat — no. I think sticking to my own choice is the right one.
So here's my answer: I won't rely on your unclear offer to become stronger. And I won't regret that choice."
The moment Franklin's resolve solidified, golden light burst from him again. The expression on the black Franklin twisted instantly.
A shrill scream split the air. Any black sludge touched by the golden light evaporated instantly. In the blink of an eye, the white space returned to its original blank form.
[00:09]
[00:08]
[00:07]
Without a moment of hesitation, Franklin shouted, "Exit game!"
[Emergency exit from Sword Art Online?]
[Yes][No]
He chose "Yes" immediately.
In the real world, Franklin's eyes snapped open. Still lying on the bed, he felt the lingering sensation of being bound —
It shattered his composure. He shot upright, and the sensation vanished at once.
"Kyah!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Franklin, sweating coldly, finally turned toward it.
At some point, Momo had climbed onto his bed. Lala, on the other side, was still fast asleep.
"Momo? Why are you here? Was that your doing just now?"
Franklin's serious tone made Momo flinch.
"Franklin… your expression is really scary right now. What happened?"
Franklin didn't respond — his face only grew darker, more guarded. Momo steadied herself and quickly continued.
"Because you never appeared in the game, I came to check on you.
You looked like you were having a nightmare and kept struggling. I couldn't wake you, so I tried to restrain you to calm you down."
Hearing her explanation, Franklin didn't find any flaws. He exhaled slowly.
"Yeah… it was a nightmare. A very real one. I won't be playing tonight. Could you go tell the others in the ga—"
He didn't finish.
A crushing sense of danger slammed over him. His protective barrier expanded instantly — and just as it enclosed the bed, the ceiling disintegrated into dust.
A massive black energy sphere came crashing down. The barrier rapidly drained his energy.
The house vanished in an instant. The underground lab evaporated before his eyes. Franklin felt his vision blur with rage.
Barrier and all, Franklin, Lala, and Momo were smashed deep into the ground.
Then the sphere detonated. A tidal wave of shock rippled outward, tearing through everything.
Forcing himself to calm down, Franklin clung to one thought: the Dragon Balls still existed. There was still hope.
Even if Earth was gone, Namek had Dragon Balls. And the Super Dragon was still an option.
Steadying his breath, Franklin turned to Momo. Her eyes were dull, wide with despair.