Chapter 3: TBS

Planet Xarrack, Northern Hemisphere

The air inside the pod reeked of burnt plastic and scorched paint, and the acrid scent of the planet's natural fumes clung to the filtered air. Inside the cramped, limited space of the attack pod, Acala rested with her back against the metal hull, her eyes closed as she listened to the rhythmic beeping of the pod's limited functions.

Her wounds were no longer bleeding but still very much raw and exposed, not to mention they hurt like hell, acting as a constant reminder of her close brush with death.

Curled up beside her was the small Saiyan child, Spina, who pulled herself into a small ball of fur as she drifted in and out of fitful sleep. The vaporized healing agent had finally stabilized her delicate conditions enough to grant her moments of painless slumber.

Despite her initial annoyance with the little girl's presence, Acala found her tail creeping almost instinctively toward Spina's head, gently stroking her vibrant neon hair in a strangely tender gesture of concern. The rhythm of the movement was instinctive, silent, and almost similar to empathy that quite surprised even Acala herself

But she couldn't rest yet. Her head was buzzing with questions about her and the child's immediate future.

What was she—barely a fledgling by Saiyan standards—supposed to do now that she was stranded on a death world with no means off the planet, especially with a young child to care for? Her injuries were severe, not enough to incapacitate her, but still, they were a hindrance.

Suddenly, there was a flicker of light before her face, faint but insistent...

[System Initializing...]

The blinding light pierced through her closed eyelids, jolting her awake in a flash of instinctive alertness. Her hand shot upward, fingers flexing into a claw as a pulsating shepherd of destructive energy flickered to life at her fingertips. It crackled with raw energy, targeted squarely at the words suspended before her, glowing a dull, ominous hue of crimson.

[Synchronization Complete...]

[Welcome, host...]

A sudden, dizzying sensation disoriented her, making the sphere of energy flicker out of existence. It felt as though someone had just reached inside her brain and shouted those words so loudly that they reverberated inside her skull.

[Initializing Temporal Battle Simulation(TBS) System]

"TB... what?"

She muttered lucidly, her breath short and voice hoarse for some reason. Spina stirred slightly at the sound, but Acala paid her no mind, her focus entirely on the strange words filling her vision. She had never seen anything like that before... something that could plant words inside her very brain.

[TBS System Online]

[Host Identification Confirmed]

[User: Acala | Power Level: 911]

Acala stared... well... at least she tried to do so, which was hard considering they were inside her head. The estimate was false, her Power Level had been confirmed to be at 820 just before her exile from Vegeta by King Vegeta. Also, she had to account for half a year of cryosleep which would have likely reduced her Power Levels by at least another 50 points considering she was not a fully grown Saiyan.

[System Functions Unlocked]

[1. Battle Analysis: Review and analyze past battles for tactical improvement.]

[2. Opponent Simulation: Access combat simulations against enemy templates.]

[3. Reward Opportunities: Earn points, attributes, techniques, and more upon completing template requirements or after successful simulations.]

[4. Lottery: Points can be used to spin the roulette for various rewards.]

Acala's mouth fell wide, staring at the strange proclamation with a bewildered look in her... oh forget it! 

Whatever it might be, she knew what it was trying to tell her. Some sort of simulation system that would let her relive past battles and perfect her combat techniques. For a Saiyan born to cause havoc until her last breath, there was nothing better this world could offer her. If she could study her opponents, understand their weaknesses, and partake in battles without fear of death...

*Gulp*

The prospect of such power alone was enough to make her drool. 

[...The system doubts the user's intelligence.]

'What?'

[Confirming... Race 'Saiyan' classification under minimal EQ and low-to-mid range IQ confirmed]

Whatever the system might say, Acala was smart enough to recognize an insult when she heard one,

"Grrrr... what did you just say!?"

[Initiaing Tutorial Simulation: Battle Replay]

[Opponent: Dune Dragon]

[Description: Native to the death world of Xarrack, Dune Dragons are massive desert predators. They lurk beneath the sands to ambush prey, devouring them whole with acidic fluids that dissolve everything they consume.]

[Power Level: 1100]

The words vanished, and Acala tensed as an electric current surged through her body as the system pulled her into the simulation. In a flash, the cramped interior of the pod faded, replaced by the bleak wasteland of Xarrack. It was nighttime again, the air thick with swirling dust. Her wounds had vanished, and her energy was restored to its peak as if she'd been transported back to the moment she first stepped foot on the god-forsaken planet.

"Is this... real?"

Acala whispered, clenching her fists and feeling the sudden surge of strength.

[Simulation Environment Generated. Commencing Battle Replay in 3... 2... 1...]

The ground quaked, and in an instant, the massive worm-like creature erupted from beneath the sands, scales gleaming like heated metal. Its immense form twisted, casting a vast shadow over her as it prepared to lunge at its prey. She could see its acidic saliva dripping, hissing upon contact with the desert floor, creating small pits in the sand.

Acala's lips curled into a feral grin, her instincts were screaming for blood. There was no hesitation in her mind, no doubt about the validity of the scene—only the pounding urge in her head to fight, to kill and eat the monstrous foe before her. Tutorial or not, this simulation felt too real to be taken lightly.

The Dune Dragon lunged forward, its maw wide open like a gaping abyss lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth glistening with acidic saliva. Acala dodged backward, her feet digging into the sand as she threw herself out of range. She could feel the desert heat radiating from its scales, each movement accompanied by a grinding buzz as it kicked up sand with every motion.

[Tutorial Battle Tip (1): The Dune Dragon uses its intimidating size to overpower opponents, hiding its sluggishness on the ground.]

[P.S. The Dune Dragon is dreadfully fast beneath the sand.]

Acala scoffed. She didn't need the system's help to know as much about the creature just from looking at it.

The creature's gigantic maw closed with a deafening snap mere meters from Acala, sending a gust of hot, putrid air that ruffled her wild hair. She didn't flinch. There was no acid splash to worry about.

The creature was ginormous and equally predictable. It roared, its massive body coiling like a spring, and then, with a surge of force, it dove back under the sand. 

Acala braced herself, watching as it left behind streams of moving sand while slipping seamlessly through the ground, circling her like a shark beneath the surface of the sea.

[Tutorial Battle Tip (2): The Dune Dragon is a ground-bound creature that can be outmaneuvered by faster opponents or one with flight techniques.]

Acala ignored the voice inside her head, a thrill coursing through her body. Though she didn't like being told what to do or when to do it, at least the voice had allowed her to fight this creature again. Besides, she didn't need some unknown voice to tell her she was faster than this oversized worm.

Suddenly, the dragon burst forth from the sand beneath her, maw gaping wide in an acidic pit. Acala shot into the air, easily avoiding the deadly jaw. She swung her arm in a broad arc, firing off a quick succession of concentrated ki blasts that struck the creature's side. The creature shrieked in pain, a sizzling burn now smoldering on its unarmored underside. 

The Dune Dragon thrashed violently, sending waves of sand spiraling into the air as it recoiled from the sizzling burns left by her ki blasts. She hovered above, watching its every move with a feral look in her eyes, relishing the thrill of battle.

[Tutorial Battle Tip (3): Ki blasts aimed at its underbelly will penetrate its hide more effectively due to reduced scale density.]

"Grr..."

She growled at the 'tips,' they were of no actual use other than distracting her by stating the obvious again and again.

The creature twisted, hiding the vulnerable underbelly under its massive body covered in impregnable scales that reflected the sparse starlight. Without warning, it lunged again, its immense bulk recoiling off the sand like a spring. But Acala was faster, she shot higher, shooting another flurry of crackling ki blasts inside the dragon's maw. The ki exploded against the dragon's soft inside, sending it reeling back to the ground.

[Tutorial Battle Tip (4): Using ki attacks close-range may increase impact, but raises risk if the opponent counters mid-attack.]

Acala rocketed downward after the creature, her body pulled by the planet's naturally high gravity, as she gathered every ounce of ki she could muster into her hands. She felt the heat of the raw, crackling energy, the thrill of the impending impact made her hair stand on edge. A crazed look appeared in her eyes as she plunged faster and faster.

The beast, wounded and furious, writhed below her, its gaping maw stretched wide in a desperate attempt to devour her whole. But Acala was faster—faster than she'd ever been. She hurtled downwards like a meteor, her ki blazing with fierce intensity, growing brighter and hotter with every passing second. A savage grin spread across her lips as she aimed herself directly into the creature's open mouth.

Her ki surged forward like a spear, piercing into the Dune Dragon's maw and driving through its body with unstoppable force. The diving figure tore through flesh and bone, her momentum and energy shattering ribs and rupturing organs as she tunneled straight through its immense frame. Dark green chunks of molten flesh and sinew exploded outward, scattering across the desert in a spray of gore and acid.

When she finally hit the ground beneath it, the impact was cataclysmic, sending up a shockwave that ripped through the sand and kicked up a dense cloud of dust and grit that blotted out the stars.

What was left of the Dune Dragon was barely recognizable—a massive skeletal husk, its flesh obliterated and stripped bare, leaving only a gaping, charred ribcage. One entire side of its body had been blasted open, leaving a grotesque monument to her power and fury.

However, in her exhilaration, Acala realized she had made a fatal miscalculation.

With her ki depleted, the intense heat and acid inside the creature began to eat into her body, burning with a sensation as though a fire was trying to eat her alive. She tried to move, to pull herself free of the gore she was stuck in, but the acid had already stripped her legs bare of flesh and muscles. 

Her vision blurred as she staggered backward, splashing into the acid pool. Every inch of her skin felt like it was being stripped away, layer by layer. She tried to claw herself out of the boiling pit of mass but before she could even clench her fingers into the eroding sand, the acid had burnt through her body, leaving behind a small, humanoid skeleton.

[Tutorial Battle Simulation Over]

[Simulation Result: Failure]

[Adaptive Progress Recoeded: Speed, Reaction Time, Combat Efficiency Improved.]

.

.

.

[Simulation Complete]

[Dune Dragon Template Completed by +12%]

[Reward: Power Level +132, 5 System Points.]

[Tutorial Simulation Completed]

[Reward: Skill-(Ki Reinforcement), 10 System Points.]