Darkness surrounded him, endless and starless, with no sense of direction. Only the echo of voices lingered in his ears, growing clearer and clearer.
Levos's consciousness sharpened until he could make out the words.
"Lord Pilaf, you truly are a genius! He's returned to his original form!"
"This proves Dr. Hedo's modifications were flawless and Mr. Kikono's regeneration technology is just as remarkable!"
"No! Lord Pilaf is the greatest of all. He found the hidden bombs and control devices inside him and removed them!"
"Heheh, this means the world is saved, all thanks to Lord Pilaf!"
Slowly, Levos opened his eyes. Through the haze of white light, he saw Dr. Hedo's exasperated face.
"You assistants may be competent, but you're far too noisy," Hedo muttered.
The three lackeys worked no differently from skilled lab assistants. They understood Hedo's signals instantly during experiments, handled tasks smoothly, and even offered useful suggestions now and then.
But what annoyed Hedo was their endless worship of Pilaf. A single trivial act from Pilaf and they would erupt into exaggerated praise.
Still, their work was efficient, and their contributions undeniable. So he let his complaints slide without reprimand.
Looking at the result before him, Hedo sighed in genuine awe. "Dr. Bulma really is a genius…"
Beside him, Kikono clutched a clipboard, carefully checking every parameter.
"All the indicators look stable. But with so many Saiyan genes integrated, there seem to be minor side effects."
Circling to the back of the regeneration chamber, he double-checked, then sighed.
"It's a pity, Lord Levos's power level is now beyond measurement. Otherwise, we'd know sooner just how far he can ascend."
Suddenly, Shu cried out, covering his face. "He's awake!"
Everyone's attention snapped to the chamber.
"Lord Levos! How do you feel? Any discomfort?" Kikono rushed forward anxiously.
Swoosh
The healing fluid drained rapidly.
With a hiss, the chamber door opened.
Step. Step.
Bare feet touched the floor as Levos walked out slowly.
His figure was tall and defined, with sharp features set in a stern expression. His spiked black hair bristled upward, eyes deep and cold with an edge like a blade.
His skin had a bronze glow, muscles firm and streamlined, every line hinting at explosive strength.
The group exchanged glances, relief and excitement shining in their eyes.
"Lord Levos, we'll need to conduct a test immediately," Kikono said, voice trembling with barely contained excitement.
"What kind of test?" Levos's tone was calm, his voice magnetic yet steady.
Hedo stepped forward. "You've noticed, haven't you? You're no longer in the Cell Max form."
"Hm?" Levos's eyes widened.
He looked down at his hands, turning them over again and again.
Examining his body, disbelief crossed his face.
In less than a day, he had shifted from man, to frog, to monster… and now?
He snatched Hedo's white coat and draped it over himself.
The Pilaf Gang cautiously lowered their hands from their faces, peeking out.
Levos quietly attuned himself to the wellspring of energy flowing through him.
"What happened? Why am I back in my original form?"
Kikono quickly explained how Frieza had carried him back to the temple, and everything that had transpired since.
In an instant, Levos understood.
He hadn't been completely destroyed by Rose Broly.
A fragment of his tail had remained and the three scientists had used it to bring him back.
Unbelievable.
To him, the whole thing felt nothing short of miraculous.
"Since your true body was completely absorbed by Cell Max, and you were the first being it consumed, I theorized that I could lock your base form as your starting state," Hedo explained.
"Base form? Starting state?" Levos frowned.
"In simple terms, what you are now is your true body. Cell Max becomes your advanced transformation. But we'll need tests to confirm this."
Levos blinked. It didn't sound too bad.
"As for whether you can fully unleash Cell Max's power… that's still uncertain." Hedo's expression grew serious.
Levos cut to the heart of the matter.
"Has the Zamasu threat been dealt with? Where are we now?"
"…That's the situation. At this point, everything rides on you," came the reply.
"So… we've been in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for more than ten hours, and we have no idea what's happening outside. Worse, the entrance has vanished?"
The group exchanged uneasy nods.
Levos steadied himself. "Then I'll test this body immediately. Fill me in on everything as I train."
A quick burst of power confirmed his suspicion: his base strength was already far beyond what his original body had been capable of.
But there was a catch.
From Kikono's report, a side effect had appeared during his healing.
Levos reached behind himself. His hand brushed something furry.
"Huh?"
He tugged it forward, and to his astonishment, a long brown monkey tail hung in his palm.
He froze.
Seriously? Four species in one day?
"Tch… My base strength is still too low. Even if I go Super Saiyan, it won't match Rose Broly…"
Of course, "too low" was relative. Compared to Goku, his base power eclipsed him by miles.
Thanks to his android foundation and his reinforced cells, his baseline was now a whole new level.
Still, the number of righteous Saiyans wasn't enough. Even with him, they were short of the six needed to reach Super Saiyan God.
"For now, I'll have to follow the Cell Max evolution route."
Determined, Levos stepped aside and began the transformation.
"Haahhhhhh!"
Energy surged, his body blazing with light.
Carapace erupted across his skin, red and green, speckled with dark spots. Hard wings sprouted from his back, and a heavy tail dragged across the ground.
The Complete Cell Max form his battle power soared tenfold beyond what it had been.
"Cheat code unlocked? How did my power spike so suddenly?"
"Second modification? Or did I trigger Saiyan battle instincts?"
Levos shook his head. No time to dwell on it.
"Next form… Mechanical."
A flash of silver engulfed him.
The carapace hardened into metallic plating, shining like living steel.
"Two hundred times stronger than Complete Cell Max… and because my last form improved, this one has scaled even higher."
Exhaling sharply, Levos let the transformation fade.
The armor dissolved into smoke, leaving only his toned, human-like body. He glanced down at his palm traces of silver still shimmered faintly along the lines.
"What's this? Don't tell me I can transform into a Mechanical Saiyan now…"
Before he could ponder further, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Levos your comrades can't hold on much longer!" Mr. Popo's urgent call pierced into his thoughts.
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