Chapter 114: Asuna's Breakdown
Mith's gaze turned strange, and even Asuna—who had been quietly observing—wore a complicated expression as she looked from Franklin to Lala.
"Um… Franklin, you're joking, right?"
Franklin smiled faintly and turned to the uneasy Mith.
"Lala isn't the type to hide things. You've been chatting with her for a while—so I'm guessing you've already picked up plenty about us, haven't you?"
His bluntness caught Mith off guard. She fell silent for a long moment before finally shaking her head.
"Let's… not talk about that. I'll just take it as a joke."
Franklin didn't push the issue. "Anyway, you've seen what the three of us can do. How about it—want to stay teamed up? Oh, and Asuna, you still haven't tried fighting yet."
Asuna, who had just begun to relax, went pale at once. Mith, still holding her hand, turned to her with gentle encouragement.
Seeing such a timid Asuna felt almost unreal to Franklin. His impression of her came mostly from the anime—the Asuna who stood tall and fearless in the first-floor boss battle, strong and determined.
And this girl called Mith… Franklin had no memory of her at all. It was as if she'd appeared from nowhere, another traveler displaced from her own world. That was exactly why he had been testing her—but with little success.
With Mith's urging, Asuna finally lifted her rapier and faced a hungry wolf in the distance. Mith tossed a small stone, striking the ground near the creature. Its hostility immediately locked onto them.
Its red eyes glowed, drool dripping from its bared fangs as it charged forward with terrifying speed.
Asuna stood at the front, hands trembling as she gripped her sword. Even as the wolf closed in, she froze completely.
Everything they had taught her about activating skills and using system assistance to enhance her moves vanished from her mind.
The wolf lunged. Its jaws clamped onto her throat, shards scattering as her HP bar plummeted. Asuna's scream echoed through the field.
Bulma, who had been watching closely, darted forward instantly. Mith's pupils shrank as she dashed in with her scythe drawn. But both of them were too late.
Only Lala had stayed right behind Asuna the whole time. Seeing her paralyzed by fear, Lala hadn't tried to stop her. She simply waited—until the wolf's fangs sank in. Then, calmly, she took Asuna's shaking hand, guided it, and drove the rapier deep into the wolf's belly.
With a light push from behind, Asuna—already off balance—fell forward, pinning the wolf beneath her. The blade pierced clean through its waist.
Both health bars dropped rapidly, but the wolf's shattered first. Asuna, left trembling and splattered with virtual blood, sat up and broke down crying.
Mith hurried to comfort her, while Bulma—who had halted mid-charge—looked at Lala in surprise.
Lala, on the other hand, was completely puzzled. Watching Asuna sob uncontrollably, she looked helplessly toward Franklin.
"Lin, she already killed that little wolf. Why's she still crying? When I was little, Sustin told me the best way to face fear was to confront it head-on. The first time I killed alien monsters, I felt really proud—it wasn't scary at all."
Hearing that, Asuna only cried harder. Franklin quickly stepped forward and pulled Lala aside.
"It's not the same. You two grew up very differently. Asuna's never experienced anything like this before. She's a real sheltered rich girl—studies all day, never sees danger. The sharpest thing she's handled is probably a pencil sharpener. Facing something that can kill her, even in a game, is her first time. So breaking down like this is normal. But thanks to you, she's already taken her first step. She'll adapt fast."
Lala still looked confused, but since Franklin said so, she didn't dwell on it. Bulma, however, caught a faint inconsistency in his explanation and grew thoughtful.
As Franklin glanced at Asuna, still weeping in Mith's arms, curiosity flickered in his eyes. So this is where she starts—the fragile heiress who'll one day become that fearless swordswoman. Watching that transformation might actually be fascinating.
Just then, the other genius heiress—Bulma—stepped up beside him.
"You seem to know quite a lot. Care to explain how you knew she's a rich girl? I don't recall her ever mentioning that."
Franklin scratched his head, slightly embarrassed but not hiding anything.
"The world's a strange place. I once watched an anime where Asuna was the heroine. That's how I know her background."
That was not the answer Bulma expected. Her expression turned odd. "Anime? You're kidding, right…"
But she stopped mid-sentence, thinking carefully—about her time with Franklin, about certain things her father had said. Her mind spun connections together until she asked, hesitantly,
"Wait… does that mean Lala and I are also characters from some anime? Like fanfiction versions of the stories I've seen?"
Her guess instantly caught Lala's attention. She turned her sparkling eyes toward Franklin, curiosity burning. That made Franklin's scalp prickle with cold sweat.
"Well… your guess isn't wrong. Pretty close, actually."
Bulma nodded slowly, comprehension dawning. "That explains a lot. No wonder you said you could 'foresee the future.' If you've already seen everything—past, present, and future—then of course you'd know what's coming."
"You're half-right," Franklin replied. "I'm just a butterfly flapping its wings. The butterfly effect changes things in ways even I can't predict. So 'foreseeing the future' isn't accurate. I just know the general direction things might go."
Bulma waved a hand casually. "That's enough for me. Honestly, the more I learn about you, the crazier my life feels."
At that moment, Lala—who'd been quiet until now—was staring at Franklin with eyes shining like stars.
"Lin, you can travel through time and across worlds? Then… have you ever met another me?"
That one question nearly fried Franklin's mental circuits. Bulma's expression turned instantly wary, both women now staring straight at him. Under that pressure, he hastily waved his hands.
"Of course not! That's impossible! There's no other Lala—"
But mid-sentence, a thought struck him. He remembered the numerical prefixes that appeared before each world he'd traveled to—the ones that came before the Dragon Ball universe.
Wait… could each number mean a different Dragon Ball world?
If that were true, then there might also be another Bulma… and another Lala.
The more he thought about it, the heavier the realization grew. His mind jumped to Bulma's invention—the Time Machine—and the future Trunks who'd once traveled back from another timeline. Not to mention Cell, who had done the same.
Parallel worlds… alternate versions… the possibilities suddenly seemed endless.
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslations.
3 new chapters are released daily—thank you for your support!
Powerstone Event: For every 50 powerstones, 1 chapter will be unlocked.)