DB Multiverse

Chapter 17 17

Translated by Virgilio212 & proofread by ZenBuu

A moment later...

In the large square of the city of Alcmene, the immense city on the planet Icarion, the Djinn suddenly appeared among the people, using the Kaioshins' teleportation. Buu looked curiously at the inhabitants, who were startled by his sudden appearance. Thanks to the knowledge of some of his followers, he was able to recognize these Alcmeneans, beings with distinctive characteristics, albeit humanoid in shape: large, pointy ears, hollow faces, and horns with several protuberances on the tops of their heads.

They all wore outfits made from a fabric similar to that used to create clothing on Earth, but Buu already felt a preference for their style of dress, which immediately gave him a sense of peace and stability. And also spiritual wisdom.

He himself wasn't familiar with clothing, except for the lower half of his body: those black pointy shoes; those wide white pants; that belt bearing the Majin's mark in the center. Buu remembered that with each of his transformations, he'd still been wearing those same clothes underneath. Perhaps he'd been born with them? If he couldn't stand wearing a kimono or other upper garments, he felt that the lower garments were an integral part of his body, as if they were part of his being. He didn't even feel disgusted at the sight of that "M" on his belt buckle.

Within seconds, albeit involuntarily, Buu was already asking himself dozens of questions unrelated to his reason for coming to this world. Was it due to his absorption of Old Kaioh-shin and that pearl of wisdom he carried within him? Or had his curiosity reached a new level of interest?

Buu shook his head to refocus his attention on his primary motivation. He would investigate these matters in due time. For now, he fixed his gaze on the entrance to a vast building, which he knew the sages of the Alcmenian people had hosted during important councils. Wasting no time, he walked in that direction, paying little attention to the passersby who hurriedly moved aside to make way for him. Along the way, he decided to quickly capture their thoughts so he could find out if they knew who he was. But they probably weren't as scared as one might think. Unaware that he was the legendary Majin Buu, they found him simply intriguing and quite menacing due to his appearance and resolute gaze. Not to mention his sudden and inexplicable appearance. Buu conceded this point, but was delighted to discover that their first thoughts upon seeing him were not fear or distrust, but curiosity and tolerance.

Entering the building through a vast, high-ceilinged hallway, Buu took a few steps forward until he saw a hooded figure blocking his path. The stranger removed the cloth covering his face to reveal a youthful face with medium-sized horns. The individual spoke:

“ Welcome to Alcmena, stranger. Your arrival in our world has not gone unnoticed. So, tell us what you seek in our beautiful city.”

"Thank you for your welcome, Alcmenian," Buu greeted him, bowing slightly. "I would like to speak with the wise men; I believe they will answer some of my... questions."

Saying this last word in a tone that would not be denied, the native felt he could not deny this polite yet firm request. So he led the Djinn to the grand council chamber, where the city's four wise men sat in marble armchairs. Buu positioned himself in the center of the engraving on the floor, followed by the eyes of the wise men who watched the movements of this intriguing alien.

One of them, a hairy old man, raised his hand and gestured to the young guide.

“Thank you, Thorn,” he said, gesturing for him to leave. “Now, leave us to our host.”

The one called Thorn bowed and disappeared into the shadows of another corridor. The sage who had just spoken straightened in his chair and walked over to Buu, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his loose-fitting robe. Standing a respectable distance from the Djinn, he said:

“This pink body, these eyes of deep darkness, this mark you bear on this belt…you are just as the myths describe you. Are you that Majin Buu of legend?”

"Venerable sage," Buu replied, his gaze hardening, "yes, it's me, but be careful not to call me that from now on. I'm no longer a slave to those horrible wizards. My name is Buu."

"I understand, accept my apologies, Buu," the sage conceded, lowering his head. "What are you doing among us, if I may ask you this? Are you here to destroy us?"

"Not at all," Buu said. "My goal isn't destruction, quite the opposite. I aspire to much greater things now. I'm here for two reasons. First, and I hope you'll be honest with me, some wizards came here to study magic formulas. Is that true? Did you help them? What did they find?"

The sages looked at each other for a moment, worried. They were certain their answer would displease this creature whose dark history they knew, and they feared his wrath. However, Buu demanded complete honesty. So, one of them spoke with vigilance, choosing his words carefully:

"Actually, we know these wizards you speak of. They spent several months here, commissioned by a Lord Kaioh-shin. We are neutral, and our knowledge is open to anyone who wishes to access it. Nothing is denied to those who seek answers, whatever they may be. We guided them to what they were asking for: the magical sections on creatures born of sorcery and imprisonment formulas. After that, we no longer got involved. You wanted an honest answer, Buu. There it is. Do you intend to punish us?"

"Punish them?" Buu said with a smile. "But you gentlemen have done nothing to deserve my wrath! I have already punished those who sought it. Knowledge is neither good nor evil; it is what we do with it that gains this dimension. You were not the ones who planned to seal me away again. And your world is too precious for me to destroy…"

Beads of sweat ran down the faces of the sages, while Buu smiled with joy.

"Let us now move on to the second reason for my presence: I, in turn, wish to benefit from the countless intellectual resources that reside in your libraries, particularly in their sections related to magic. My goal is to acquire as much knowledge as possible, in all areas. And your world is a great source of knowledge of all kinds. This is perhaps the most beautiful jewel I have had the opportunity to discover in my endless quest. I make a solemn promise to you never to attack anyone, and I would even say, to protect your world from potential threats, in exchange for your cooperation. It is true that I could simply kill you, or absorb you, and calmly take whatever I want!"

However, that's no longer my way of doing things. It would be a shame to lose people like you; you'll be much more useful to me alive. As long as none of you try to come after me, or even just answer questions that would harm me, I'll be your ally and a very friendly guest. You gentlemen can keep this murderous "Majin Buu" from your manuscripts, I don't care. This is a period of my life that's now over, and I intend to write a glorious and much better sequel to my story!

The sages remained silent and asked the visitor for a moment to discuss among themselves. Eager to reassure them and be respectful, Buu agreed to step aside and didn't use his heightened senses to capture the discussion. He could truly absorb them all now, and simply do as he pleased later. But this world was a veritable treasure trove, both in its archived knowledge and in its developed population. Some worlds were best left undisturbed. It was possible this show of respect stemmed from the absorption of the old Kaioh-shin. However, after hearing that his old story was known here, and possibly transcribed, he was even more motivated to give historians a much better story to pass on to a future generation: his coming and his fulfillment. Farewell, devastating and bloodthirsty Majin Buu. Farewell, mythical menace. This was the story of Buu, the adventurer of a thousand wonders, the versatile Djinn who saved or killed depending on his mood of the day! And the most incredible creature the universe has ever known!

A few minutes passed before the one called Thorn was tasked with leading him back to the sages. They watched him with a last shred of suspicion, then one of them said:

"Alright, Buu. Your terms are reasonable, and we accept your offer. We ask only one thing in return: we want no acts of violence from you, whether against the inhabitants of this world or neighboring civilizations. We have pacts in place, and our neutrality takes precedence over everything. We agree not to disclose certain information about you that you deem necessary to keep quiet, but our libraries will remain open to all. If that suits you, you are welcome, as are any species eager to learn."

"Your request is justified and well thought out," Buu replied, giving the sage a satisfied smile. "In any case, your world is under my protection, and I won't harm anyone in your territory. If you don't mind, I don't want to waste any time and would like to dive right into reading your writings."

“Certainly,” replied the wise old man. “Thorn, please take our host to the magical arts section.”

Thorn bowed and led Buu to a staircase that led to the top of the corridor, giving access to the enormous building behind the council chamber. As the young Alcmenian led him, unseen by everyone, a fleeting shadow crossed the Djinn's gaze: he would keep his promises, but at the slightest sign of threat, he would not hesitate to eradicate everyone. Ensuring their survival was his priority now, at the moment…

So, for days on end, Buu worked diligently to acquire new knowledge and protections to cover his magical weaknesses. With the help of a young guide named Thorn, who was both impressed and frightened by the presence of this legendary creature, Buu managed to get his hands on nearly every book the wizards used to create the replica of Bibidi's spell.

Most of the documents collected by the city of Alcmene and her people were housed within a gigantic dome partially carved into the mountain behind the city. Ten circular floors filled with rows of books led to an equally complete ground floor, frequented by a legion of living beings. The Djinn was fascinated by this multitude of so many different species. Icarion was immediately propelled between his favorite worlds, probably forever. He no longer considered breaking his promise and destroying this world on a whim. He considered knowledge a precious treasure, and this city was like a dream come true. To assimilate the contents of all these works would take several decades. He even anticipated this activity centuries in advance.

Some passersby pointed at Buu, mostly discreetly. These weren't necessarily original Alcmenians. It seemed the Djinn was considered both an ancient myth and a folk tale meant to scare naughty children. One day, when he was taking a break from his magical research to work on the lightning, he heard a young alien shout:

"Look, Daddy, it's him, it's the pink monster! Someone's been naughty!"

Recognizing this, his terrified father took him away, but Buu wasn't bothered by the words. He was amused to know that there was a remnant of his previous exploits and that his image was being used. He hated being known only for his enslavement to Bibidi and the acts committed in his name. He would create a new legend, and yes, they would fear him just the same. But they would admire him too!

Through his cumulative readings, Buu quickly realized how fascinating and complex magic was. The powers he acquired by absorbing the old Kaioh-shin were only a fraction of the immense potential this art possessed. Hundreds, thousands of combinations existed, for anything and everything! And there were frequent references to its ancient creator, Bibidi, in many of these texts…

From what he could gather from the deity's knowledge and these many texts, Buu was immune to many spells. His natural power surpassed many magical forces, and only his evil essence made him vulnerable to certain spells. Bibidi made a point of creating an invulnerable creature, but allowing for some disadvantages so he could control his bloodthirsty slave. That sadistic louse was one of the greatest sorcerers of his time, so Buu might have believed his progenitor's precautions were trustworthy.

However, he was far from safe. That attack, which almost worked, had just shown that it was still possible to seal him, and with ease. This was no mean Mafuba, whose counterattack technique was easy to execute. Buu had no way to defend himself, and only his survival instincts combined with his disproportionate speed allowed him to escape the spell's perimeter.

Furthermore, upon reading the former Kaioh-shin's data, the Djinn realized how lucky he had been. Indeed, Bibidi's original spell didn't rely on any field of action and irreparably condemned his servant to inescapable imprisonment. There, however, they must have been seven against him, using all their powers, with no certainty of sealing him. But that unstable formula was, therefore, nothing more than a shaky reconstruction, and the infinite possibilities of true magic posed a permanent threat indeed.

For the second time in his life, Buu felt a very unpleasant sensation.

He felt this when he was dominated by Vegetto on Earth, crushed by a power immensely greater than his own.

Now he was rooted again in his own mind, insidious and treacherous.

The feeling of fear.

One night, while he was studying new books late, Buu sensed the presence of someone hiding behind the bookshelves. He said with disdain, in an amused tone:

“ No need to hide, I know perfectly well you're there. So, show yourself!”

Responding to his call, Thorn seemed uneasy. The young Alcmenian had discreetly observed theDjinn since his arrival in his world, at once extremely curious, but also frightened by such an entity. He knew the legend of the obscure Majin Buu and was fascinated by this charismatic creature, yet so different from what he had read.

“I…Accept my apologies, noble Buu,” Thorn said hurriedly, bowing. “I didn’t mean to offend you…”

"Stop making a fuss over nothing," the Genie said lightly. "It's good to have company. It's true that I can be dangerous and threatening, but I can also be charming and friendly. You're not trying to hurt me, are you? I can read your mind, and you're just a curious little thing! Please, sit with me."

Thorn paused for a brief moment before accepting Buu's invitation. He sat across from him at a table covered with dozens of open books. Diagrams and ancient scriptures appeared on nearly every page.

"You study magic, do I understand correctly?" Thorn asked, putting aside his anguish. "Are you looking for a specific element?"

"Actually, I'm mainly trying to understand how it works," Buu said worriedly. "I have a lot of knowledge in many areas, but magic is something I can't understand. It's too mystical, too supernatural for me. Casting a Kamehameha is easy; I know how it works. But that spell that sealed me… how can simple words produce so much power? It's crazy!"

Thorn looked at him in bewilderment. He didn't know what a Kamehameha was, but what he was certain of was that it was better to have this mythical creature as a friend. It seemed friendly and possessed immense intelligence. Besides, Buu was best known for his invincibility and combat prowess. He secretly hoped to be able to bond with Buu, ensure his survival, and learn some lessons from him, if he felt up to it.

"You want to learn to fight, right?" Buu asked, turning his scarlet irises to the young man.

“ I… I… “ Thorn stammered, turning pale.

"Haha, how shy!" Buu laughed. "I promise, I'll stop reading your mind. It's not the right thing to do, please forgive me. But so be it. If you want to learn martial arts, I have no problem teaching you a few things. However, in return, I'd like you to help me with my research. It could last your entire life. Are you ready for that prospect?"

"Really?" Thorn was excited. "I'll gladly accept!"

The young Alcmenian was in heaven. Long ago, when Prince Coola had come to Icarion to subjugate his people and obtain the knowledge of this world for his own benefit, Thorn felt a deep frustration at his powerlessness. What a relief it was to learn of the prince's death at the hands of a powerful warrior from planet Earth! But he could not remain a scholar like so many among his kind. Knowledge was a true source of life for him, but his heart yearned for power. To have the strength to protect the oppressed and his people from new threats.

What better way to become strong than to train with someone known as the most powerful for dozens of generations? It doesn't matter if he was a demon; if he truly were demonic, he would have killed them upon arrival. And even without that, he was too fascinated by him to consider him a threat. And even if he were, there was no need to fear him, for his fate was inevitable. So it's best to learn as much as possible from him.

"Okay, understood!" Buu rejoiced as he closed the book he was holding. "I intend to stay with you when I find some sort of answer to my main concern. It might take a few months. Go rest; you'll start helping me starting tomorrow, along with your training, at dawn."

"Understood!" Thorn exclaimed, smiling happily. "Thank you again, Master Buu, I won't let you down!"

As the young Alcmenian disappeared down a hallway, Buu rested his chin on his palm, tired, tapping his fingers absently on the table. So he had just taken on a student. He barely realized what that meant. And now he was thinking about Muten Roshi and the teachings he gave to Son Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha. That memory was vivid in the Saiyan's dormant mind, which was increasingly merging with the Djinn's. And Buu was now feeling very excited about the prospect of having this new experience as well. He wanted to see if he had the makings of a master, if he could pass on his knowledge. How would he do it? Where would he begin? So many questions to explore!

Buu smiled as he immersed himself in new reading. Once he dealt with this painful magical problem, life would be much better, and exciting prospects would open up for him. His glorious adventure was still in its infancy.

Buu.