Returning to his original timeline turned out to be just as simple as the system had said.
The moment Lynx gave the command, a beam of energy shot out from his body and pierced the darkness of space.
The Time Gate—the very one that had brought Lynx into another universe—reopened.
And from it, a familiar sensation washed over him.
What could he call it? The feeling of home.
Without hesitation, Lynx dove into the portal.
Immediately, he entered a swirling kaleidoscope of colors—a strange dimension that existed outside of time itself.
Having experienced this once before, Lynx knew this was the interdimensional void, a transit space between worlds.
Last time, it hadn't taken long to cross.
But this time… something was off.
Time passed.
And he still wasn't out.
"System, what's going on? Why am I still here?"
Suspiciously, the system didn't answer right away. After a long pause, it finally responded:
"Ding. Temporal anchor lost. Forcing open return gate."
"Wait—'temporal anchor lost'? What the hell does that mean?!"
Before Lynx could react, a new Time Gate violently ripped open in front of him——and sucked him through.
Earlier, not long after Lynx had initially left through the portal…
Two figures appeared in that exact same dimensional space.
One was tall. The other, short—but clearly the one in charge.
"Supreme Kai-sama! The temporal distortion point is right here. But… why would it appear in this region?"
"Likely due to the black hole's influence. Kibito, don't waste time—start the ritual! If anything gets through that Time Gate and messes with the timeline, it could be disastrous!"
"Understood!"
The two figures raised their palms toward the ripples where the gate had once been.
A strange, divine ki began to flow, sealing the temporal coordinates.
Who knows how much time passed.
The two Kais had long vanished.
Suddenly, the previously calm space tore open once more—A blood-red Time Gate erupted.
Lynx was thrown out of it and back into real space.
And in the same instant, the scarlet gate snapped shut and disappeared.
Looking around, Lynx confirmed—he was right back near the black hole where it all started.
But what was that just now?
"System. I want an explanation."
"Ding. Temporal anchor instability detected. Host's return point diverged from original timeline."
"Speak human!"
"Ding. Six years have passed in this timeline since the host left."
"…What?! SIX YEARS?!"
Lynx was stunned. He'd only been gone a few days. How could six entire years have passed here?!
"System, are you screwing with me?! Why?!"
"Temporal—"
"No technobabble! Speak normally!!"
"Ding. System suspects external interference with the host's Time Gate. After departure, the return coordinate was erased—causing the time misalignment."
"Erased? Who… could've done that?"
Lynx's brow furrowed.
But there wasn't time to dwell on that now.
I need to check on Planet Vegeta. Six years is more than enough time for things to change.
With that, Lynx teleported high above the atmosphere of Planet Vegeta.
What he saw astonished him.
The planet was thriving—bustling with activity, and far more advanced than when he left.
Ships constantly flew in and out of orbit. By sensing the energy below, he could tell: aside from Saiyans, the planet now hosted a variety of alien life forms.
As he began descending—
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! Alarms blared from nearby patrol ships.
Several Saiyan and alien warriors burst from their ships, surrounding him in the air, their expressions wary.
"You are approaching Planet Vegeta airspace. Identify yourself immediately!" one Saiyan barked, scouter flashing nervously.
His forehead was slick with sweat. The stranger floating before him had a power level of over 500,000—far beyond ordinary patrol units. Only the elite, those under Queen Hanasia, had such power.
And this man… he looked vaguely familiar…
Wait… I've seen him somewhere… who is he?
Lynx could tell from their nervous behavior that the planet had probably faced outside threats in recent years.
That might explain their jumpy response to an unknown arrival.
But what about the aliens? When did they start coexisting with Saiyans?
Six years really was a long time…
Before he could land, a young Saiyan—likely a rookie—panicked and fired off a ki blast.
"You idiot! All units, prepare for battle!"
The commander knew it was too late to de-escalate. He issued the order as dozens more Saiyans and aliens rose from the surface.
But then they all froze.
The ki blast hit Lynx square in the chest——and disappeared without leaving a scratch.
He didn't even flinch.
"What?!"
"What the hell just happened?!"
Everyone turned to the rookie, who stammered, "I—I used everything I had!"
"Forget that! Contact HQ! Someone just broke into Planet Vegeta's airspace!"
Moments later, dozens more Saiyans shot into the sky—this time, stronger ones.
Among them, Lynx recognized one particularly familiar presence.
"Paragus?"
Lynx smiled.
And sure enough, Paragus arrived at the front of the formation, accompanied by several younger warriors.
But the moment he saw Lynx's face—he froze.
Then he shouted, voice cracking with emotion:
"It's His Majesty—King Lynx is back!!"
Paragus fumbled for his communicator and patched into the global broadcast channel.
"Everyone! King Lynx has returned!!"
That moment—
The entire Planet Vegeta seemed to go still.
Then—A flash of golden energy burst from the royal palace, soaring straight toward Lynx.
"King Lynx!!"
Transformed into a Super Saiyan, Hanasia crashed into Lynx's arms, embracing him tightly, breathing in his scent with fervent longing.