Gohan, what are you doing here?! Did you lose to the Androids? If even you failed, does that mean there's no hope left for Earth?" That was Uncle Kuririn's voice.
"Son Gohan, without the guidance of your elders, your progress is so limited? As Son Goku's son, as a descendant of the Saiyans, you are truly disappointing." That was Uncle Vegeta's voice.
"Gohan, you've done well. Train hard in the other world!" That was Uncle Piccolo's voice.
"Gohan... There are many strong fighters in the other world, don't worry, I'll help you get even stronger!" That was my father, Son Goku's, voice.
"Gohan..."
"Gohan..."
Uncle Kuririn, Uncle Piccolo, Vegeta, Father...
Why...
Why am I hearing their voices!?
Could it be that I'm already dead? Is this what death is like? No... I can't die. If I die, Earth will have no one left to fight the Androids... Can Trunks really take on the responsibility of saving Earth?
I'm so unwilling, really unwilling... Why am I so weak? If I could just be a little stronger, just a little stronger, maybe I could have defeated the Androids, but... I'm really tired. I'm so tired right now. I just want to sleep forever.
Dad... Uncle Piccolo...
Maybe I've never been interested in fighting, but for Earth, for humanity, and for everyone who died, I fought with all my might. Now... am I finally going to be free...?
Just as Son Gohan felt his consciousness sinking, as if he were a leaf swaying in the wind and rain, about to fall at any moment, suddenly, a point of light appeared in his previously dark vision. Then, in the blink of an eye, that light filled the entire dark space.
The next moment, he saw a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl standing in front of him.
"Son Gohan! Son Gohan!! Wake up!!!"
"Androids!!!"
The moment he opened his eyes and saw the blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl before him, a sinister figure flashed through his mind. Boundless rage erupted within him. Without even transforming into a Super Saiyan, he roared and threw a punch!
Boom!
The force of the punch instantly scattered everything in the room.
With a "smack," a hand, carrying a fragrant scent, landed squarely on Son Gohan's face. At the same time, he heard a pleasant voice, filled with anger, saying, "Son Gohan, have the Androids scrambled your brains? Why are you attacking without a word? If I wasn't somewhat strong, you might have turned me into a meat patty."
Ling An was currently holding Son Gohan's fist with one hand. Looking at the bewildered Son Gohan, she felt a mix of anger, fear, and relief. Fortunately, Son Gohan hadn't transformed into a Super Saiyan. If he had unleashed a punch with his several hundred million power level, she wouldn't have been able to resist it with her current strength, and she might have been finished.
If she were really killed by Son Gohan, that would be quite comical.
Son Gohan's base power level was only a few million. After Frieza's arrival on Earth, his strength had grown limited, and he hadn't trained much later for various reasons. A punch of a few million, with her current power level of over sixty million, she could easily handle.
"You…you are?!"
Son Gohan was slapped by Ling An, which instantly sobered him up. Looking at the girl in front of him, her face filled with anger, he was completely baffled. The girl was beautiful, even comparable to Android 18… Of course, as an evil being, Son Gohan didn't really want to use the word "beautiful" to describe 18, but it was an undeniable fact.
The girl in front of him and Android 18 were somewhat similar, but only in general features, like having blond hair and blue eyes. In reality, there was quite a difference.
"It… was you who saved me?!"
Seeing the girl's unfriendly gaze, Son Gohan quickly retracted his fist and stammered a question.
"Duh, who else on Earth could save you besides me?" Ling An rolled her eyes at Son Gohan, turned around, and picked up the radio that was on the ground. She turned it on, but it was broken. She patted it hard, but there was nothing she could do. She immediately turned around, baring her teeth, and said, "Look what you've done!"
"Haha…" Son Gohan was embarrassed and didn't know what to say, so he could only scratch his head. After a while, he suddenly calmed down. Looking at Ling An, he tentatively asked, "Although I didn't transform into a Super Saiyan, I still possess very powerful strength, yet you could easily take my attack. Could it be that you are an alien from the universe?"
"Nope, I'm a genuine Earthling, a more genuine Earthling than you!" Ling An patted her ample… well, ample figure, and said proudly, "Of course, I'm not an Android either, so you can relax about that. It's just that I'm special, able to cultivate, and my cultivation speed is faster than ordinary Earthlings."
"So, how did you save me when I was on the verge of death?" Son Gohan clenched his fists, his eyes filled with disbelief. He'd clearly felt himself fading under the Androids' attacks. Yet, this girl had saved him. Suddenly, a thought struck him: "Could it be... you have Senzu Beans?!"
"I don't have anything like that." Ling An shrugged. "It's more like a superpower... you could say. I can revive people who aren't dead yet. But that's it. I can't fully restore someone's stamina, just bring them back."
"Reviving someone from near death... that ability is almost as good as a Senzu Bean. It's incredible." Son Gohan's eyes widened as he looked at Ling An. She was shrouded in mystery in his eyes. Not only was her combat strength formidable - she could take his best punch, after all - if the power levels hadn't advanced so rapidly, she would have been one of the best fighters on Earth a decade ago. Even now, she was probably the strongest Earthling, aside from the combat powerhouses. On top of that, she possessed a superpower to revive people from the brink of death?
And she seemed to know about Saiyans and fighting in general. Otherwise, she would have been confused and puzzled by the things he said. But there was none of that. She accepted everything naturally. She was a woman of mystery.
"By the way, after you came back from the brink of death this time, do you feel like your Ki has increased?" At that moment, Ling An, with her hands behind her back, brought her charming face into Son Gohan's view. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly leaned back on the bed.
"Ki increase?!" Son Gohan was stunned. The next moment, he closed his eyes and carefully felt the power within him. After a moment, he suddenly looked delighted: "Although my stamina hasn't recovered yet, I can still feel the increase in Ki! If my stamina recovers and I transform into a Super Saiyan, with my current Ki, I might be able to take down an Android one-on-one!"
"Seriously, Saiyans are such a cheat race. They can actually get stronger after being revived from near-death. It's like having a cheat code." Ling An muttered enviously as she watched Son Gohan's delighted expression.
"It's all thanks to your help!" Son Gohan, though innocent and romantic, wasn't as naive as his father. Besides, Son Goku was just pure, not stupid, of course, except for a certain Super Saiyan...
Having experienced Frieza and the Androids, Son Gohan's mind was actually very mature. He was incredibly grateful to Ling An for saving his life. "If it weren't for you, perhaps I would have already joined my father and the others. Thanks to you, not only have I come back to life, but I can also gain even greater power!"
"No need for thanks. Just use your power to fight the Androids. My strength isn't enough yet to fight those two evil Androids. You've fought the Androids so many times before, and you've saved humanity so many times. In a sense, I'm also under your protection. So, you just need to work hard from now on!"
Ling An patted Son Gohan on the shoulder, her words firm. "Definitely, you must defeat those two evil Androids!"
"Don't worry, I will!"
Son Gohan's eyes were resolute as he looked at Ling An, nodding solemnly.
"Gurulu..." Just as the two were looking at each other with determination, a rumbling sound suddenly came from Son Gohan's stomach. This sound instantly shattered the solemn atmosphere, and Son Gohan's determined face instantly turned red...
"Here, this is canned food. Your stamina was completely exhausted when you were fighting the Androids, replenish yourself first." Ling An suppressed a smile and handed Son Gohan a can of meat weighing several kilograms. The latter, with a red face, didn't refuse and opened the can, eating it heartily.
Ling An looked at Son Gohan, who could only eat with one hand, and at his empty arm. She gained a relatively clear understanding of her healing skills. No matter how serious a person's injuries were, she could heal them with her skills, but it was only healing. She couldn't replenish lost stamina. Besides that, she couldn't restore lost body parts. In other words, if one lost their head or heart, her healing skills wouldn't work.
He was genuinely hungry. Coupled with his Saiyan genes, Son Gohan ate at an incredible speed. In a matter of minutes, several kilograms of canned meat vanished into his stomach. And he still looked like he wanted more, as if a few more cans wouldn't be a problem. Ling An was shocked watching this. She could make a can of that stuff last for a week!
No wonder Chi-Chi was always worried about money in the original story. With a Saiyan's appetite like this, only a family like Bulma's could afford it...