Inside the barrier established by the Chaos Header, the six infected monsters fanned out in different directions, trampling rows of houses under their massive feet.
With the other six monsters occupied, Chaos Gadi did not linger. It began a slow, deliberate crawl toward the school's evacuation point. Its intent was clear: to kidnap those succulent human children and store them as nutrients for its unborn spawn.
"This is bad."
The middle-aged man checked his palm-sized communicator—a PDI (Personal Digital Interpreter) standard to GUTS members. His expression was grim as he explained to a bewildered Ye Feng, "The communication equipment is being jammed. We can't send any intel to the outside world."
Upon hearing this, Ye Feng realized the gravity of the situation. His face turned pale. "You mean we can't call for help? What about those seven monsters? Six of them are actually human beings!"
"There's no way around it for now. The fact that the PDI is offline proves the local magnetic field is being interfered with. Unless the outside can confirm the energy fluctuations of the Chaos Header, they won't dare to take drastic action. One wrong move and the entire city of Hangzhou could be wiped off the map."
The man looked up at the shimmering sky. "The culprit behind the interference is likely that barrier itself, reinforced by the Chaos Header. Unless we take that down, we're cut off."
"The barrier..."
Ye Feng looked up at the dome, then at the Chaos Gadi steadily encroaching on the shelter. His mind raced. Since they were still a significant distance from the evacuation zone, they weren't in immediate danger yet.
As he searched for a solution, he felt the object still clutched in his hand. He looked down at the card.
Ultraman Cosmos.
That's right. Ye Feng hadn't awakened a Monster Card at all. He had awakened an Ultraman—or, in this world's terminology, a unique kind of Alien.
"Wait, I can use this!" Ye Feng exclaimed, a spark of excitement lighting up his eyes.
Perhaps fate hadn't abandoned them after all.
"What are you thinking? Also... that 'Alien Card' of yours is very strange. I don't think its likeness has ever appeared on Earth before." The middle-aged man watched Ye Feng's sudden shift in mood with curiosity.
Ye Feng didn't stop to explain why the man used the term "Earth" rather than "China." He asked urgently, "Uncle, do you have a Monster Ring on you? I need to try something."
"What do you plan to do?"
Since today was the Awakening Day, the TPC headquarters had naturally supplied each district with a sufficient number of Monster Rings. Though few people successfully awakened, the supply of devices was more than adequate.
Ye Feng held up the card. "This card can solve this. If I can use it to transform, I can stop them."
"Fine. I'll trust you this once. Follow me." Giving a Monster Ring to an Awakened was already part of the TPC's protocol, even if the formal recruitment paperwork hadn't been signed yet.
As the Chaos Gadi closed in on the shelter, the other six monsters—including the one possessed by Qin Yuxin—were causing wanton destruction to generate fear. For reasons unknown to most, aliens and monsters grew stronger by absorbing the energy of human terror. It was an evolutionary instinct to raze cities and spread panic.
In contrast, humans had only two ways to grow: developing better technology or the individual growth of the "Monster User" through specialized energy cultivation.
Since the seven monsters were focused elsewhere, the two of them easily reached the temporary TPC station near the awakening platform. The man retrieved a silver case made of space-grade alloy. It was a high-security container that could only be opened with a specific code, resistant to all but the most powerful alien entities.
The man worked quickly, opening the case to reveal five Monster Rings (Dark Rings) resting inside. He handed one to Ye Feng, his expression solemn.
"The equipment is down, so I can't run an energy test on you. But I believe you can use it. Everyone here—including our possessed comrades—I'm leaving them in your hands."
"Uncle, don't say it like that! You're putting too much pressure on me," Ye Feng joked weakly, though his grip on the ring was tight. "I'm not even sure if this will work."
The man smiled encouragingly. "Believe in yourself. You can do it."
There was a strange, infectious confidence in the man's voice that made Ye Feng's own doubts begin to fade.
"Well, if you say so, I guess I have to try. I can't go disappointing you now, can I?"
Ye Feng stepped out of the tent and looked at the Chaos Gadi. He took a deep breath, holding the Ultraman Cosmos card with trembling fingers. 'If you're real... if this is truly your power... then please, lend me the strength to drive these monsters away.'
He moved to slot the card into the center of the ring. But then...
CRACKLE! BOOM!
"Agh!"
Before the card could even touch the center, the ring erupted with arcs of black lightning, blasting Ye Feng off his feet.
The middle-aged man rushed to help him up. "What happened? Even if your energy level was too low, it shouldn't have reacted violently like that!"
"I don't know... I felt like the Monster Ring was... rejecting me." Ye Feng groaned, rubbing his sore back. He had expected a possible failure, but not a total lockout. It felt like trying to pet an elephant, only for it to toss him aside in annoyance.
"Rejecting you? Impossible. These rings have been in use for years; a 'rejection' has never been recorded." Usually, if a person was incompatible, the card simply wouldn't do anything—the ring would stay dormant. But this? This was active hostility.
"I think I know why," Ye Feng muttered, a realization dawning on him. "My card is Light. It can't merge with the darkness of that ring."
"Light? What does that have to do with anything?"
Ye Feng didn't have time to explain. He stood up slowly, staring at the device. "I'll tell you later, Uncle. Right now, I have to try one more thing."
He looked at the ring and whispered, "I hope this works. Noah, Legend, King... watch over me."
He closed his eyes, focusing inward. He attempted to communicate with the warmth he had felt during the awakening ceremony. His plan was simple but insane: use his own latent Light to overwrite the nature of the Monster Ring. If he could convert the Darkness within the device into Light, the Ultraman card should work.
He expected a struggle, but to his surprise, the process was seamless. The Light within him acted like a gentle tide; the moment he formed the intent, the red and blue radiance surged forth, coating the Monster Ring.
Under the man's astonished gaze, the dark-red "Dark Ring" vanished. In its place was a brilliant blue and white ring. The heavy, oppressive aura was gone, replaced by a sense of profound serenity.
"This... what is this?" the man whispered.
First, the boy's body emitted light, and now he had "purified" a TPC device. Was this the power of Light?
As the radiance flared, Chaos Gadi turned around. Sensing the "flavor" of the Light, it ignored the thousands of students in the shelter and began stomping toward Ye Feng.
"Wait, the monster is moving away?"
"I don't know, but we're safe for now!"
"Look! It's not just Gadi—the other six are heading that way too!"
Realizing the monsters were converging on them, the middle-aged man looked at the meditating Ye Feng and understood. He gave a wry, bitter smile. "I guess I really am unlucky today..."
He drew a Hyper Gun from his holster. Since he hadn't awakened a card, this was his only defense. It wouldn't do much against seventy-meter titans, but having a weapon in hand offered a sliver of psychological comfort.
Ye Feng heard the thundering footsteps and opened his eyes. He saw the transformation of the ring—now an Ultra Ring—and then saw the seven monsters closing in.
"Attracted to my light, are you?"
He reached for his card. He took a steadying breath. 'Facing seven at once... talk about a high-stakes debut.'
He slotted the card into the purified ring.
"ULTRAMAN COSMOS!"
The voice that echoed from the ring made the middle-aged man jump.
"Awaken!" Ye Feng shouted. "The Light of Universal Order!"
Suddenly, a secondary sound echoed from the ring. It shifted and compressed, transforming from a circular ring into a sleek, short baton topped with an inverted-pyramid gemstone.
The Cosmo Pluck (Sun-and-Moon Shine).
Ye Feng didn't know why the ring had transformed into the Cosmo Pluck, but he didn't have time to question it. Chaos Gadi was almost upon them. Ye Feng sprinted fifty meters into the open space and thrust the device toward the sky.
"COSMOS!"
His voice rang out with absolute conviction.
TH-THUMP—!
The gemstone at the tip of the baton bloomed like a lotus, and the "stamen" in the center erupted with a brilliant blue radiance!
A pillar of soft, warm light shot into the heavens. The shockwave from the transformation sent Chaos Gadi tumbling backward. The pillar slammed into the dome, instantly neutralizing the Chaos Header particles on contact and shattering the interference.
In the shelters, the terrified students stared as the blue pillar dominated the horizon.
The light faded as quickly as it had appeared. Standing in its place was a giant, fifty meters tall, with a physique that was elegantly human. His body was primarily blue, accented with silver. He stood there, radiating an aura of calm and divine authority.
Outside the Barrier:
The pilots of the GUTS Eagle stared in stunned silence at the blue entity that had suddenly appeared.
"The Giant... of Light?"
Lin Li's voice crackled over the comms, her tone full of wonder. The term felt... perfect.
"Hwah!"
A clear, echoing grunt escaped the giant's lips. It was a sound that carried both strength and gentleness, signaling to all that the protector had arrived.