PAK!
A sharp sound echoed in the air.
Just as the two were still talking, a bullet suddenly struck Cado on the cheek.
"What the hell—? Who's sneak attacking now?"
Cado rubbed his face and complained helplessly.
The bullet didn't harm him at all—his body was too tough. It hit his face like a puff of air, not even a sting.
"Wait! Don't shoot—it's me, Trunks!"
Trunks gave Cado an apologetic look and shouted to the surrounding ruins.
There was no other choice. The future world was just too cruel.
People lived in a constant state of high alert, never letting their guard down against potential threats.
"It's Trunks! Trunks is back!"
"Everyone, stand down—they're not enemies!"
One by one, survivors emerged from the rubble, revealing themselves.
All of them wore tattered clothes, their bodies filthy, and their faces deeply lined with hardship.
"Sorry, Trunks… we didn't know it was you."
"When we saw two figures appear out of nowhere, we instinctively thought it was the androids!"
An elderly man with white hair approached Trunks, scratching his head in embarrassment.
"It's fine, sir. These are extreme times—it's understandable."
Cado spoke up with a light tone, though he was clearly a little annoyed inside.
'Come on, I was the one who got shot. I'm the victim here. Shouldn't I be the one getting an apology?'
"And who's this?"
The old man asked instinctively.
In this timeline, Trunks was the only known warrior.
Everyone else was just a regular person. That bullet—if it had hit anyone other than Trunks—it would've been fatal.
So, no one had paid Cado much attention.
"Oh! Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Cado."
"I brought him from the past to help us—he's incredibly strong."
"Stronger than I am. He can definitely defeat the androids."
Trunks said proudly as he introduced Cado to the crowd.
More and more survivors gathered around.
When they heard that this stranger was even stronger than their "savior" Trunks, everyone looked at Cado with skeptical eyes.
Clearly, they didn't buy it.
"Him? Stronger than Trunks? No way."
A scruffy middle-aged man muttered doubtfully.
"Stop trying to comfort us, Trunks. We haven't given up hope just yet."
The white-haired elder patted Trunks on the shoulder in reassurance.
"That's right, Trunks. As long as you're still here, we'll keep fighting the androids to the end."
"Yeah! We'll fight to the end!"
"To the end!"
The crowd rallied behind him, shouting in unison.
"Wait, guys, listen—Mr. Cado really is—"
Trunks tried to explain.
But Cado tugged at his sleeve and stopped him.
These people had lived too long in despair. The fear of androids ran deep in their bones. They had no real hope left.
If someone this powerful had really existed in the past, how could the world have ended up like this?
Clearly, they thought Trunks was just trying to lift their spirits with a little white lie.
"It's fine, everyone. Whether you believe me or not—I came from the past to fight the androids with you."
Cado smiled at them warmly, completely unfazed by their suspicion.
The crowd looked at one another, and eventually nodded in agreement.
Maybe he wasn't strong. But at the very least, he really did come here to help them.
"Well, everyone—let's head back for now."
Trunks said with a sigh.
"Then we'll plan our next move from there."
His voice carried a helpless kind of hope—he knew power would prove everything in time.
The crowd trusted Trunks, so they followed his lead.
Together, they headed toward the underground survivor base.
It took nearly an hour of walking.
Eventually, they arrived at a hidden entrance.
Cautiously, they descended the staircase.
"Trunks is back!"
The children of the base saw their idol and rushed forward in a joyful swarm.
Trunks laughed and bent down to play with them, bringing rare life and warmth to the otherwise grim underground shelter.
Meanwhile, Cado looked around quietly.
Most people here were elderly, women, or children—completely without combat ability.
Their role was to support the fighters on the frontlines with whatever logistics they could manage.
"Mr. Cado, let me take you to see my mom."
Trunks walked up and said with a smile.
"Alright."
Cado nodded calmly.
But inside, his heart felt heavy.
This was Bulma of the future…
The two of them walked slowly to the far end of the base, where a brightly lit room stood out from the gloom.
This was Bulma's lab.
She was the only scientist left in this ruined timeline.
"Mom! I'm back!"
Trunks pushed the door open and called out happily.
Bulma was busy tapping away at a keyboard.
Hearing her son's voice, her fingers froze on the keys, and she pulled off her glasses.
Her eyes lit up with joy as she looked at him.
"You're back, Trunks! So? Did you see your father in the past?"
She smiled at him gently, full of longing for the past.
"Yeah… I saw him. But…"
Trunks hesitated. His tone dropped.
"But what? Was he cold and distant?"
"Well, that makes sense. He's always been a proud man, hard to get along with."
Bulma smiled again, her eyes twinkling with memory.
Trunks recalled the moment he'd met Vegeta.
Back in that timeline, everyone on Earth had been fine.
They were all smiling and joking around—except him. He was lying on the ground, beat up, and nobody even came to check on him.
'Proud? That's not what I saw. He just looked miserable…'
"Mom, I didn't go back to our past. The time machine sent me to a parallel timeline instead."
Trunks interrupted her memory and explained.
"Huh? A parallel timeline?"
Bulma frowned slightly in confusion.
That didn't make sense. She had full confidence in her invention. There shouldn't have been a mistake.
"Oh, right—Mom, let me introduce someone."
"This is Cado. He's a powerful warrior from another timeline. He came back with me in the time machine to help us fight the androids."
Trunks pointed toward the door.
Only then did Bulma notice the quiet figure standing there.
Her frown softened, and she smiled in greeting.
But in her heart, she was already thinking—
So the time machine really did go off-course. This person definitely didn't exist in the past we knew.
At that moment, Cado zoned out a little.
He stood silently, staring at this version of Bulma. A complicated wave of emotion washed over him.
He knew she wasn't from his world.
This Bulma had nothing to do with him.
And yet…
Looking at her weary, worn face—he couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain in his chest.