For Lynx, the Namekian regeneration ability—while excellent—would merely serve to further enhance his already formidable physical body.
But psychic power? That was a different matter entirely.
Psychic power, rooted in spiritual and mental energy, could compensate for Lynx's current weakness: his lack of mental training.
In fact, the Saiyan race as a whole had always suffered from a deficiency in mental strength. Their transformations—like Super Saiyan—focused purely on amplifying raw power, with virtually no development of the mind or spirit.
For someone like Goku or Vegeta, this might not be a problem. But for Lynx, it was.
Even just the Legendary Super Saiyan 2 form already placed tremendous strain on his mental focus. And if he hoped to ascend even higher in the future, then strengthening his mind was essential.
Which meant… this time's reward—beginner-level psychic power—was something he could not afford to pass up.
With that thought, Lin Chen made his decision.
"System, I choose Option 3!"
Ding!
"Choice confirmed. Please complete the mission as soon as possible."
Lynx turned to the Grand Elder. "I accept your request, Grand Elder. Leave Slug to me."
The old Namekian nodded solemnly. "Mr. Lynx, you must be cautious. Slug is a combat-type Namekian, and now that he's regained his youth… even a Super Saiyan may struggle against him."
"Worse still, with the wish he made using the Dragon Balls, Slug now possesses an incredible regenerative ability. As long as the core of his brain remains intact, he can recover from virtually any injury."
"I understand. I'll be careful." Lynx smiled slightly. "Do you have any idea where he might be?"
"Slug converted an entire planet into a massive spaceship," said the Grand Elder. "He's constantly on the move. The last we heard, he was searching for… something."
"Searching, huh?" Lynx nodded. "All right. I'll investigate."
Because the mission restrictions prevented him from using outside help like Zuno or Shenron, Lynx had already steeled himself for a long-term search.
Returning to Planet Vegeta, Lynx immediately issued orders: the Saiyans were to begin gathering intelligence on Slug's whereabouts.
Even the Galactic Patrol received a commission from him.
Soon, intel about Slug began flooding in.
According to Galactic Patrol records, Slug had shown tremendous power even as a youth. He quickly defeated all the top fighters on Planet Slug and declared himself king, proclaiming the founding of the Demon Clan.
Over time, many joined his ranks, and he began rampaging across the galaxy—spreading fear and destruction wherever he went.
At his peak, Slug was a villain on par with the likes of Frieza.
But as he aged, his empire gradually declined. Until recently, there had been little to no activity from his forces.
However, that silence had now broken.
In recent months, three planets had fallen victim to Slug's forces.
What was strange was that, after being attacked, each of those planets vanished completely from their star systems.
Even stranger, each subsequent planet was larger than the last.
From this pattern, the Galactic Patrol suspected Slug was replacing his spaceship—transforming each new planet into a mobile base.
Hearing this, Lynx asked, "Do we know where they went?"
"We've already begun tracking them," the agent replied. "But Your Majesty, the universe is vast. Unless they attack again, it may take quite some time to locate them."
"That's fine." Lynx nodded. "Take your time."
Since this mission had no time limit, he could train while waiting for Slug to make his next move.
Meanwhile… somewhere in the depths of space—
A massive planet, its skies cloaked in thick clouds, soared through space at astonishing speed.
This was one of the planets Slug had transformed into a starship.
Inside the palace atop its surface, Slug sat upon his throne, listening to his subordinates' report.
"Lord Slug," one of them said, "we'll arrive at our destination in one week's time."
"Mm."
Slug gave a slight nod.
Compared to Piccolo, Slug's build was far bulkier, his aura overflowing with renewed power since reclaiming his youth.
Standing before him were several loyal lieutenants.
Some were native to Planet Slug, drawn to his power and sworn to serve him.
Others were Demon Clan warriors, born from Slug himself.
Most wore uniforms unique to either the Demon Clan or Planet Slug. But one individual stood out: a short, purple-skinned alien in Frieza Force armor.
Hearing the earlier report, one of Slug's lieutenants turned to the armored alien and said, "Lakasei, the treasure of Turles—are you sure it's on this next planet?"
The alien, Lakasei, smiled ingratiatingly. "Lord Wings, I can't say with certainty. Turles didn't trust anyone. The exact location of his treasure was known only to him. All we have are clues. We'll have to search planet by planet…"
"One by one? That could take forever!" Wings scowled, clearly annoyed.
But then, Slug chuckled from his throne—a deep, thunderous laugh.
"Time… heh. Time is no longer a concern for me, Wings. There's no need to rush."
"Yes, my lord…" Wings quickly bowed.
Slug's voice turned cold. "However… Lakasei, while I may have all the time I need, I don't intend to waste it. If we search and find nothing—if Turles' treasure doesn't contain what you promised…"
"P-please don't worry, Lord Slug!" Lakasei panicked. "I'm certain the seed of theTree of Might is hidden in Turles' treasure! I swear on my life, the intel is solid!"
Slug snorted, then turned his gaze toward a monitor, lost in thought.
As their conversation revealed, this alien Lakasei had once served under Turles, the rogue Saiyan.
While Turles and his main forces had perished during the destruction of Planet Vegeta, remnants of his followers had survived elsewhere across the galaxy.
After learning of Turles' death, they had scattered. Lakasei chose to align himself with Slug, bringing with him an enticing piece of intelligence.
Apparently, in the past, to prevent failure during the planting of the Tree of Might, Turles had set aside a backup seed—along with a stash of Tree of Might fruit he'd saved for emergencies.
This collection had been hidden away, safeguarded and referred to by his followers as Turles' Hidden Treasure.
And in Lakasei's possession… was a clue to its location.