Chapter 67: The Quest for the Dragon Balls

Xavier nodded to Dokra, handing over two Dragon Balls, "Here are two Dragon Balls. Get your team on them immediately. I want the Dragon Ball Radar built as soon as possible!"

Although the original series never specified how long it took Bulma to create the Dragon Ball Radar, Xavier was confident that with the extraordinary intellect of the Phydia people, building the radar wouldn't pose much of a challenge.

"Yes, I will arrange for researchers right away."

Dokra's expression was solemn as he took the Dragon Balls from Xavier's hands. The moment the two orbs touched, they began to buzz and flicker energetically.

Dokra had never seen such a miraculous object and a flicker of curiosity passed through his eyes. He quickly gathered the finest scientists aboard to study the Dragon Balls.

Though Dokra didn't know the exact nature of the two Dragon Balls Xavier had entrusted to him, he could tell from Xavier's grave concern that they were of great importance. Therefore, Dokra took the research very seriously, deciding to personally oversee and participate in the study.

After all, the Phydia people were under Xavier's protection, and it was crucial that they demonstrate their worth at this critical time.

Thus, having received the Dragon Balls, he immediately convened the scientists for a round-the-clock research session, hoping to quickly deliver a satisfactory result to Lord Xavier.

The Phydia people, known for their technological prowess, proposed several research directions based on the properties of the Dragon Balls within just a few days of receiving them. After discussions, they decided to start with studies on wavelength and optics, closely mirroring Bulma's approach to inventing the Dragon Ball Radar.

Amid the relentless research by all the Phydia people, fifteen days passed. During this time, Xavier visited to inspect the progress of the Dragon Ball Radar's construction. Seeing the scientists' tireless dedication, he quietly departed.

Finally, on the twenty-second day, good news arrived—the Phydia people had successfully developed the Dragon Ball Radar.

Hearing this, Xavier instantly teleported to Dokra's lab.

However, he was taken aback by the sight of them— a group of Phydia scientists, disheveled, gaunt, with bloodshot eyes sunken deep into their sockets, clearly having exhausted their mental faculties.

"Lord Xavier, this is the Dragon Ball Radar you requested!"

Dokra's voice trembled with excitement as he presented the newly developed radar with both hands, his blue cheeks deepening in color from the thrill.

Xavier nodded, taking the Dragon Ball Radar to examine it. It resembled a bowl-sized detector with a blue screen marked by grid lines forming light green squares, each representing a different area.

Notably, the display wasn't just a flat map, but a three-dimensional spherical projection. As Xavier's fingers moved across it, the spherical model on the display rotated like a globe, turning with each manipulation.

At the top center of the Dragon Ball Radar's axis were two buttons that could adjust the size of the detection area.

"We discovered while researching the Dragon Balls that when placed together, they emit a unique coded electromagnetic wave. By capturing this wave, we were able to create this Dragon Ball Radar. Considering the Dragon Balls might be scattered across an entire planet, we designed the radar's display in the form of a planetary projection."

This design displayed the detection results on a three-dimensional spherical model, which could also change direction with a flick of a finger—an extremely user-friendly feature.

Pressing the switch on the Dragon Ball Radar, the spherical model immediately lit up with a crystalline glow. As the map zoomed in, the spherical pattern approached a plane, and finally, at the central origin point of the void, two shining bright spots appeared—the very Dragon Balls in Xavier's hands.

"Though we are in space, the radar still defaults to a planetary environment, a minor flaw, but it’s a minor issue! With this detection radar, the speed of collecting Dragon Balls could increase by hundreds or thousands of times," Xavier pondered silently.

He was very pleased with the performance of the Phydia people and did not skimp on his praises for Dokra, "You've done very well, truly a civilization proficient in technology. To be able to create a Dragon Ball Radar in such a short time, I am very satisfied!"

Dokra and the other Phydia people accepted Xavier’s praise as if they had been offered a chilled watermelon on a hot summer day, feeling instantly refreshed and vindicated after their days of hard work.

"Lord Xavier, it's our honor to serve you!"

"Rest assured, I will remember your contributions!"

With that, Xavier smiled at the Phydia scientists, nodded to them, and then vanished from the spaceship using instant transmission.

...

Earth.

Xavier appeared on a vast plain strewn with bizarrely shaped rocks.

Tall, bamboo shoot-like rocks protruded from the ground, forming small mounds. The rocks, weathered by the elements over time, had formed hollow and unique shapes.

Upon arriving on Earth, Xavier couldn't wait to pull out the Dragon Ball Radar and press the button. Immediately, the "beep beep" sound emitted, and seven shining light points appeared on the spherical model of the radar, with two light points clustered at the origin point representing the radar itself.

"There's a Dragon Ball 500 kilometers to the east!" Xavier glanced at the light points displayed on the radar, leaped into the air, and in a swift motion, disappeared into the horizon.

It was a high plateau, severely affected by soil erosion, where conditions were harsh and almost no vegetation could thrive. Yet, some life forms managed to persist in this stark environment.

With a ferocious roar, Xavier spotted a gray dinosaur chasing a wild dog across the landscape. The enormous creature thundered across the ground like a small mountain, shaking the earth with each step.

"Such unbridled primal wildness!" Xavier remarked, glancing at the dinosaur before disinterestedly walking away. His priority was finding the Dragon Balls, and unless he was hungry, he had no interest in the dinosaur.

With a whoosh, Xavier blurred into motion, appearing several hundred meters ahead in a thicket of bushes. "It should be nearby..." he murmured, surveying the area for potential hiding spots for the Dragon Ball.

After a lengthy search yielded no results, Xavier used a gust of wind blade to cut through the dead brush, making his way deeper into the thicket. It was only after clearing nearly half of the bushes that he spotted a glint of light among them.

"Found it!" With a leap, he landed amongst the bushes, where an orange-red Dragon Ball was wedged between the branches, reflecting the sun's radiance. He pried apart the branches and took the Dragon Ball into his hands—it was the One-Star Dragon Ball.

"A successful start—this is the third Dragon Ball!" Xavier exclaimed, delighted. He stored the Dragon Ball in his dimensional space and pulled out the Dragon Ball Radar to locate the next one. After a couple of beeps, the radar displayed signals for four more Dragon Balls.

The nearest Dragon Ball was over a thousand kilometers away, but with his instant transmission ability, Xavier reached it in the blink of an eye.

A serene mountain village.

"Kaw!" A crow cawed from the branches, fluttering across the sky.

The village, surrounded by mountains and situated in a low-lying area, was shrouded in a thin mist where the sunlight couldn't reach fully. A gentle breeze brushed against his face, moistening the tips of his hair.

The search for the fourth Dragon Ball went smoothly; Xavier found the Six-Star Ball in a bird's nest.

When the four Dragon Balls were placed together, they emitted a golden light that flickered rhythmically, as beautiful as the stars in a clear night sky.

"Right, it seems one of the Dragon Balls is with Master Roshi!" Xavier suddenly remembered, slapping his forehead. In the original story, Bulma and Goku had first acquired a Dragon Ball by exchanging favors with Master Roshi.

Having forgotten this detail for so long, Xavier took out the Dragon Ball Radar to check once more. It seemed he might need to make a trip to Master Roshi's house to retrieve the Dragon Ball from around his neck.