r18novel Page 117
Page 117
Just as Max was pondering that the Max Galaxy was no longer sufficient and that he needed to directly enlarge it, he suddenly heard Red Kai beside him breathe a sigh of relief.
"Great, I thought it would be some kind of opponent, but this is the level they're at."
"It's less than 300 meters, and it doesn't seem like it'll move. The tentacles are the only problem."
"Even if it's troublesome, it's still not as good as Maga-Gatanothor. But a one-on-one fight is a bit troublesome. Let's all come at him together."
Max was bewildered. He considered himself a worldly man, having faced superhuman enemies like the Dark Baltan and the Million Bazar, but he certainly couldn't remain this calm.
Or maybe we should call Captain Zoffy over. No, how about we just try calling Father of Ultra? This Earth is more dangerous than you can imagine.
Max, of course, had no idea that after experiencing the impact of the colossal Five Emperors and the Goblin satellite, Blaze and the others were now completely unfazed by any collapse before them.
Moreover, Queen Monera, formed by the fusion of the Monera aliens, looks quite large, but the Ultramen here didn't even use their full strength just now.
The Five Emperors and the likes of Sphia EX Pedanium Zetton on the other side were all dealt with by Leo's subordinates. They were conserving their strength to prevent any more overpowered opponents in the second phase.
Fortunately, today was alright; only Sphia came to cause trouble, and neither the Destruction Summoning Entity nor Zagi showed up.
Leo silently activated the new Max Cannon, having Evolved Lagras and EX Pedanium Zetton aim at each other. Queen Monera, huh? Let's see how many shots you can take.
Looking at Queen Monera being bombarded, Max thought for a moment and realized that it wasn't really necessary to call in people from the Land of Light.
There are seven or eight Ultramen here, and even monsters helping out. Is there any enemy they can't handle? Even if Emperor Empera came, it would be difficult to win.
"Achoo!" Empera couldn't help but sneeze. "Who's talking about me behind my back?"
Rubbing his nose, Empera looked outside through Leo's perspective and felt that the scene was getting increasingly strange.
Normally, shouldn't these Ultramen get a good beating before they rise up and defeat the enemy? How come the other side is the one getting beaten up the whole time?
Leo's growth rate is too fast. Just half a month ago, he only had two monsters under his command, but now, his fighting power is enough to go against the Dark Universe.
In terms of individual monsters, the Undead Super Grand King stacked with two Spark Dolls can rival Emperor in his Dark Armor, along with Zetton, Demaga, and Eleking—three monsters with maximum potential for growth.
In terms of numbers, Leo has Zetton, Pedanim Zetton, and EX Pedanim Zetton under his command, as well as the Super Beast Legion brought by Ako. Most deadly of all is the Galactron MK2 army researched by Galactron.
Leo himself also possesses the Dark Spark and the Ultimate Fighting Device; the combination of these two is truly terrifying.
Queen Monera died, and not in a very dignified way, after all, not even ashes remained. She was already questioning her existence after the new Max cannon fired, and then simply chose to give up thinking altogether.
There was only one thought in my mind: why did I have to be so stupid as to invade Earth?
The shadowy figure lurking in the darkness shook its head disdainfully. The Monera aliens' performance was far worse than it had expected, actually strengthening the Earthlings' power in the process.
If this continues, these Earthlings will soon catch up with those ancient beings. No, we need to find a way to continue stirring up their internal problems. We can try to use that guy who's hiding behind the scenes and controlling the monsters.
Moreover, these Ultramen need to be scattered; they are too difficult to deal with when they are all together.
Chapter 185 has only just begun.
The Monera aliens' invasion ended in a dismal fashion, as they failed to complete the most crucial step in their plan. If they had thirty Desfasa, it would have been a real challenge.
However, the main reason for their failure was that the monsters under Leo's command were now a bit too powerful. The Galanda they brought could not withstand the super temperature difference beam and the Max cannon, and the Queen Monera they transformed into could not withstand the addition of seven Ultramen on top of that.
"In conclusion, although there were oversights, given the many contributions made in the past and the fact that the Prometheus, or rather the Desfasa, was recovered, Deputy Chief of Staff Gondo is not entirely responsible."
The outcome of this incident came quickly. It was inevitable that Gondo would be punished, but considering that the Prometheus was recaptured by Leo and that the enemy's methods were very insidious, Deputy Chief of Staff Gondo's crime did not warrant the death penalty.
“So, Captain Leo…” Hong Kai gestured.
"He just finished the inspection and is in a meeting right now. After all, he had direct contact with that Ultraman Max, and some people even thought he had really turned into Ultraman."
As for Leo going to meetings while he sat in the office, Gento had almost gotten used to it. His greatest significance as the captain was that he could force Leo to take a vacation.
Anyway, Leo will summarize the meeting content for himself, and Captain Stringman also has some things to do, such as explaining why the plane crashed inexplicably this time. Electromagnetic interference is really troublesome.
Fortunately, I managed to catch the fighter jet on the ground while I was transforming, preventing it from suffering too much damage. Otherwise, I would have had a hard time explaining myself to the armory staff.
"What about the Prometheus, Captain?"
"We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. That's what the vice-captain said. The power of the Prometheus is beyond doubt, but its safety needs to be strengthened. I've already gone to help with that."
Queen Monera had barely shown herself when she was rendered helpless by the New Max Cannon, and this was instantaneous, with a power far exceeding that of many Ultraman's normal beams.
"The newly appeared Ultraman, Cosmos, Max, and counting those that appeared before... there are so many Ultramen on Earth now."
Captain Stringman counted on his fingers and realized that there were already quite a few Ultramen on Earth. Many situations that were difficult to deal with in the past could now be resolved very easily.
Even a powerful opponent like Queen Monera would be difficult for any one or two Ultramen to deal with, but what ability could she possibly have to fight back against seven Ultramen plus the New Max Cannon and the Super Temperature Difference Ray?
Not to mention Leo's side also has a bunch of EX Pedanium Zettons. Pedanium Zettons and Zettons are the least afraid of group battles. One-on-one? Go talk to my undead Super Grand King.
However, the more Ultramen there were, the more uneasy Leo felt. What if so many Ultramen couldn't handle the enemies that would appear next?
"I repeat, the power of the new Max cannon and the Prometheus is absolutely necessary for humanity at present. It is not advisable to throw the baby out with the bathwater."
At the TPC's highest meeting, Leo was still wearing the same tattered and charred uniform he wore that morning. It's hard to imagine that this young man, who had only joined TPC less than six months ago, had gone from being insecure about himself to being able to become a meeting initiator.
"What about security? Wasn't the Prometheus's system hijacked by the enemy this time?"
"System security is not an issue. The self-developed main control system only provides assistance. A pilot is required for the system to operate normally in combat."
Leo had previously refused to allow Prometheus to manufacture the product, but now he had to turn the tables and get those guys to agree to it.
Prometheus went out of control as soon as it was built, which really made everyone worry about the risk management, but they still really wanted to build one.
"King Joe is indeed quite powerful, but it is a single-person machine after all, and it is more difficult to manufacture than a battleship. It is also more expandable and can be transformed into Desfaza under the influence of Goblinum Metal."
The Armory King Joe represents the highest level of combat robots that TPC can currently manufacture, but its weapon expansion capabilities are certainly inferior to Desfasa.
What truly surprised Leo this time was that he hadn't expected that the technology to crack Gobnew Metal was actually devised by Dr. Kisaragi Rui himself. Earth's technology was truly awe-inspiring.
Although it's not yet possible to create Goblin metal, it can already be used. By inputting specific commands, the Goblin metal system can be activated, allowing for the rapid mass production of the Prometheus.
"The development of the new system will take some time, but not too long. And it's not about allowing you to manufacture without limit. It's good that each branch has at least one Prometheus."
After saying all that, the matter was pretty much over. Leo then brought up the images of Cosmos and Max. "These two Ultramen have been confirmed to be named Cosmos and Max. The former is suspected to have fought against Softia a long time ago, while the latter comes from the Land of Light."
"How did you know?"
"Max told me himself that if there weren't so many people, I would have really become Ultraman's human form."
When others say this, they're joking, but when Leo says it, everyone truly believes it. What's more surprising is that in this era where the physical fitness of all humanity is improving rapidly, the fastest runner, Leo, isn't even Ultraman.
"It is certain that the universe we live in and the universe that Ultraman live in are parallel universes. There is indeed a Land of Light and the Ultra Brothers, but we don't know anything about them."
"In addition, Ultraman Max told me that the ancient civilization of Earth 30 million years ago and the native Ultraman of Earth at that time spent a lot of effort to seal away many terrible beings. The current chaos on Earth is deeply related to them."
"Furthermore, Sphia has been identified by the other party as the Sphia civilization from 20 million years ago. It is said that, like the Goblin civilization, it fought with the Naga people and, due to its excessive expansion of military power, turned into the monstrous thing it is today."
"Oh right, the same thing happened to the ancient civilization 30 million years ago. They lost a lot of resources in a war with the Naga, and then a civil war broke out, which led to their decline."
Since this group of people were unlikely to go to Max to confirm if that was the case, Leo just happened to share his information.
Everyone looked rather grim. The Goblin civilization, the Sphia civilization, the ancient civilization, plus the current Earth civilization—why are these Naga people constantly causing trouble throughout the universe?
"Now, our Earth has been targeted by the entire universe. The idea that conquering Earth will make us the master of the universe has spread, so it is necessary to increase our military strength."
"I really don't understand. If possessing Earth makes one the master of the universe, then wouldn't we Earthlings be born at the pinnacle of the universe?"
Hearing Leo's complaints, the tense atmosphere eased a bit, but everyone could tell that Leo was under a lot of pressure. Unlike Director Sawai, he didn't speak as casually.
"In addition, TPC needs to expand its recruitment on a large scale. Putting aside everything else, the logistics department may not have enough people. More Garulas have appeared this week than in the past ten years. The combat department also needs to expand its recruitment."
Of course, there's no need to expand ESCG's recruitment. Leo felt that ordinary people might feel a bit pressured joining this team. Unfortunately, he couldn't find out where Ultraman Max had gone. Leo planned to contact Ultraman Cosmos later.
After the meeting, Leo felt very tired, but this fatigue was something that had been building up over time. Director Sawai and others noticed that they had experienced similar situations during the busiest period of TPC's establishment.
"Vice Captain, you chaired this meeting very well, but you must be very tired. You should go back and rest."
"It's not time to leave work yet, but Director, you have even more gray hair. You should also take care of yourself and get some rest. You are the most important person."
Most likely because of the incident with the Icarus aliens, Director Sawai looks a few years older. He is Leo's elder and someone Leo should respect.
"No, Vice Captain, I've always felt like I'm just an ordinary person. I just happened to get this position and I'm trying my best to do my job well."
"Even without me, humanity will unite to face any possible disasters together, and you already know that I am not good at everything."
Leo and Director Sawai walked side by side. In fact, everyone could see that Director Sawai intended to groom Leo as his successor, but because of Leo's own special characteristics, he was more suitable for front-line combat.
However, Leo's influence is not much less now. Calling him captain is a restraint; otherwise, someone just asked if Leo has taken up the position of deputy director.
"I sometimes slack off too. Even machines need to stop and rest, let alone people. You should also be careful not to keep your nerves too tense."
“Since you put it that way, then I…” Before Leo could finish speaking, a rapid alarm sounded in the base, and the communicator rang.
Leo gave a helpless wry smile as he looked at the embarrassed Director Sawai. "You see, some things are not up to me."
Leo knew things wouldn't end so easily after defeating the Monera aliens so easily today.
But the moment he connected the communicator, he realized that this was far too difficult.
"Vice-Captain, Astromuses have appeared! Eleven of them!"
..................................................................
On the streets of D City, Ultraman Max, who now appears as his former human form, Kaito Toma, walks among the crowds, curiously observing the Earth.
He had just learned a little about it and discovered that the situation on Earth was extremely dire, with at least a hundred monsters appearing every day, including the kind of Garula that required considerable effort even without him pulling out his Max Galaxy weapon.
And yet, humanity on this earth has managed to develop to this point today; it is truly a miracle of civilization itself.
In the past, Max could say that he had been a planetary civilization observer for so many years and had seen all kinds of civilizations, but he had never seen one like this before.
It features an Ultraman who doesn't belong to the Land of Light, a mysterious figure of unknown origin who controls monsters from behind the scenes, and even Earth's native monsters that help defeat foreign enemies.
If these things are recorded, they will be of great reference value when reporting back to the Land of Light. Moreover, Max can sense that the people on this Earth are very similar to the ancient ancestors of the Land of Light, and they all seem to have a kind of light within them.
What an incredible planet, Max thought, but there are so many monsters here. Fortunately, Earthlings can defeat most of them on their own.
The energy consumed in the last battle should be replenished tonight, but after such an intense battle this morning, there shouldn't be anything to do this afternoon, right?
Before that, I need to figure out how to resolve my identity issue. Max just saw a small ad that claims to create fake identities.
After defeating Queen Monera today, Max noticed that the other Ultramen were clearly not in a good mood, and he even asked them about it.
Orb told him that if this battle was only this intense, then the next battle or the one after that would be very difficult. Max thought to himself, "So this isn't even considered difficult?"
However, with so many Ultramen and so many powerful monsters, even evolved Lagras is an ally, Max finds it hard to imagine what kind of opponent could possibly defeat him...
A thunderous roar erupted, but the sky remained clear. People on the street turned to look, and there stood a brand-new-looking cargo ship where the golden lightning had struck.
Then more and more lightning struck, covering an increasingly wider area, and long-lost airplanes and steam trains all appeared before people's eyes.
Max was stunned by all of this. The people on the street had already reacted and immediately and orderly evacuated to the shelter. They didn't even need guidance. Young people took the initiative to take the children and the elderly to the shelter.
Watching people take refuge so skillfully, Max realized that it was harder for people in this world to survive than he had thought, but they were used to this way of life.
Another bolt of lightning struck, and eleven Astromuses stood in the middle of the city. They seemed somewhat bewildered, unaware of what was happening, but their instincts led them to destroy everything in their path.
Just as Max, or rather Kaito, was about to transform, a sharp screech suddenly rang out from the sky, and a ribbonfish slammed into his face. He seemed to hear an angry curse.
"Ugly monster, prepare to die... Oh crap, the fish I just caught!"
Magabasa tore through the clouds, knocking over an Astromus, then roared to the sky, calling for Deltandar to come to his aid.
Although he didn't know what had happened, Magabasa knew he had to buy time; the incident had happened so suddenly that many people hadn't had time to evacuate.
Meanwhile, on a street at the other end of the city, an elderly man carrying newly bought cakes and vegetables looked at the street with some confusion, feeling as if it had changed, yet also as if it hadn't.
Never mind, let's go home. Leo will be out of school soon; it's his birthday today.
Chapter 186 The house is so lively!
The streets are still the same familiar streets, but there have been some changes. The weather is not right, and the streetlights look newly installed. Didn't Beidou just say yesterday that it was going to expand its bakery into a cake shop? How come it's already renovated?
"I don't think I've come to the wrong place... Hmm, good afternoon, Hayata. What are you going to do?"
The old man greeted Hayata, who was hurriedly packing his things, with a gentle expression. Hayata quickly rubbed his eyes and said, "Asami, you're not already... Oh my god, am I dreaming?"
"Look at you, you look like you've seen a ghost. I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"
"But I clearly remember..." Old Master Hayata stopped mid-sentence, as if suddenly realizing something, and looked at the cargo ship that had suddenly appeared in the distance, understanding what was going on.
"Remember what?" Grandma Asami found it strange; Hayata also seemed to have aged a lot all of a sudden.
"No, it's nothing, it's nothing. You go home first, I'll call Leo right away... no, I mean, Sawai!"
As a veteran who once led a team to fight against Golza, Mr. Hayata and Director Sawai have a good relationship and are old acquaintances.
Grandma Asami didn't think much of it. It was a bit hot, so she figured it would be better to go home early and cook, since Leo would be getting out of school soon.
As he watched Asami walk toward the shrine, Hayata gritted his teeth and then let out a long sigh.
Grandma Asami was in good health and walked quite fast, but as she walked, she gradually slowed down and looked at the unfamiliar marks on the street, as if she understood something.
The shrine was just as she remembered it: the moss on the stone steps, the flowers and plants along the path, the cicadas chirping in the ancient tree. She walked up slowly and thought of many things.