Chapter Four: Headquarters

The streets remained in considerable disarray following Bemular’s rampage. Yet, the humans of the Ultraman world were resilient as cockroaches; no sooner had the chaos subsided than shops were already opening their doors for business.

Lin Yu walked along, his eyes glued to his phone. He was taking stock of his recent gains. On the screen, Eleking stood on a lush, vibrant planet. The reason he hadn't returned to the Seven TV world was simple:

[Seven TV is temporarily inaccessible!]

"Is it because Eleking’s cultivation level reached one hundred percent, or because I summoned him out?" Lin Yu murmured to himself, rubbing his chin.

Oh well, it didn't matter. Eleking’s cultivation was maxed out regardless of whether he returned or not. In this godforsaken world, without a monster as a bodyguard, one could be snuffed out by some stray AOE attack at any moment. Besides, Eleking was doing just fine on the Monster Planet.

That’s right—the planet Eleking was currently inhabiting was called the Monster Planet, a starting world gifted by the monster-raising game. Back when his three monsters—Eleking, Zetton, and Five King—had low cultivation levels, they had grown on this very planet. Only after they reached a certain level of combat prowess—or, more accurately, hit their current caps—did Lin Yu deploy them into the various TV worlds. After all, only through battle and the resources found there could they truly grow.

"Slaying Bemular this time really showed me Eleking's strength. It’s undeniably powerful; killing a monster that the GUTS team couldn't handle was like butchering a chicken!"

"And considering Eleking is the weakest of my three, just how powerful will Zetton and Five King be if I cultivate them fully and summon them into reality?"

At the thought, Lin Yu felt a surge of excitement. "Plus, I can start cultivating a fourth monster. But would it be a waste to cultivate something like Bemular?" He paused, looking at the empty slots next to his three existing monsters. "Also, which is the fourth Ultraman TV world?"

He tapped the screen.

[Currently available monsters for cultivation: Space Violent Monster—Bemular, Space Dragon—Nas, Space Spider—Gomos, Regenerative Monster—Kyrieloid (Kyrieloid Star Beast), Super Ancient Dark Monster—Golba, Wind Demon King Beast—Magabasser...]

[New Ultraman TV unlocked: Nexus TV!]

[Host, please dispatch a monster to enter as soon as possible!]

"Nexus, of all things? That’s not an easy one to deal with." Lin Yu’s mouth twitched. He had thought Zetton entering the Trigger TV world was a hellish start, but this was an even heavier weight.

"Wait." He paused, his gaze fixed on the list. Why were there so many? Weren't there only one Bemular?

[Monsters defeated by the host's monsters in the "TV" worlds will also appear on the cultivation list!]

A prompt from the game appeared in his inbox at the perfect moment. "So that’s how it works!" Lin Yu realized, his eyes burning with even greater intensity.

The Seven TV world didn't have many powerful monsters, but Trigger TV, where Zetton was, and Orb TV, where Five King was, were home to many formidable creatures. He could potentially cultivate the monsters from Seven TV, as well as Golba from the first episode of Trigger, and the Wind Demon King Beast, Magabasser, from the first episode of Orb! Theoretically, as long as he had enough slots, he could cultivate them all!

"If I could get Megalothor and Maga-Orochi..." Lin Yu mused greedily. "Forget it, I'll keep the fourth slot empty for now. For now, it’s time to integrate Ultra Telekinesis!"

Lin Yu ducked into an alleyway, checked that no one was around, and muttered the command.

[Integration in progress!]

A pure, refreshing energy surged from the depths of his mind, feeling like cool ointment applied on a sweltering summer day. It was so soothing he nearly let out a moan. Within moments, Lin Yu felt a sense of lightness wash over his entire body; his mind was clearer than ever, full of vigor.

With a flick of his eyes, a nearby trash can lifted off the ground, suspended as if held by an invisible hand, dancing in the air. The surrounding air seemed to shimmer, slightly distorted as if by heat.

"This is Ultra Telekinesis!" The trash can slammed back to the ground with a thud. Lin Yu looked on in amazement. It was no different from a superpower. The one who loved using Ultra Telekinesis most was, of course, Seven—or rather, the "Dual Slugger" tyrant, Dan Moroboshi. In his hands, the ability could even influence monsters! In their Ultraman forms, it went without saying: the original Ultraman and Seven both demonstrated the ability to lift monsters, and Jack had even used it to freeze a tsunami.

Lin Yu didn't know if he could do all that, but there was no doubt: he was evolving into something beyond human.

"What a dreamy, wonderful day!" He stretched contentedly, hands clasped behind his head, humming a nameless tune as he strolled toward home.

"Why do we have to be the ones recruiting? We just finished a mission." A grumbling voice drifted from nearby. It sounded familiar.

"Come on, Agent Shinjo. The defense team is short-handed; there's nothing we can do about it. The Earth Alliance has started the 'Spark Project,' and several new teams are being formed. There aren't many people left with enough experience to be examiners..."

"Right, Daigo?"

A soft, slightly helpless female voice followed.

*Agent Shinjo? Daigo? Defense team?* Lin Yu stopped and turned toward the source of the voices.

Three men and women in GUTS uniforms stood there. Their faces were still smudged with dirt, clearly not having had time to clean up. Daigo, the human host of Tiga and the childhood hero of countless people! Alongside him were the lively and charming Rena and the ace pilot, Shinjo. They were faces he had seen on TV countless times.

Looking up, he saw they were heading toward a grand, imposing building. Lin Yu reached into his pocket and pulled out the [HUD Team Captain Appointment Notice] with its gilded lettering. The address on it... it seemed to be exactly here.

Was he walking to his new job?

Perhaps because Lin Yu had stared for too long, Daigo sensed something and turned. He saw Lin Yu. It might have been his imagination, but Daigo felt a sense of danger from this handsome, tall man.

"Daigo, what are you looking at?" Shinjo asked, pausing in confusion.

"Oh, nothing. Just a civilian." Daigo shook his head, thinking he must have been mistaken. It was probably just a civilian drawn to their GUTS uniforms. Still... he hadn't been able to protect the citizens, hadn't been able to protect the city. With so many monsters and aliens lurking in the shadows, could humanity really survive? Where were the heroes? Was he, as a member of GUTS, worthy of that title? A bitter taste filled his mouth.

"Wait!"

"That’s... an appointment notice for a captain. Are you Mr. Lin Yu, the incoming captain of the HUD team?" Rena, with sharp eyes, caught sight of the document in Lin Yu's hand and exclaimed. She hurried over, her boots clicking on the pavement.

"What?" Shinjo and Daigo were stunned, then quickly followed her over.