In the Imperial Capital of China, beneath the Forbidden City, lies the TPC Asian Headquarters. Inside a briefing room roughly five hundred meters underground, a video was being projected.
The footage playing on the screen was a live recording of Hangzhou No. 1 High School: from the moment Ultraman Cosmos appeared to his battle against the seven Chaos Monsters, ending with his transformation back into light particles.
This briefing room was small, only about sixty square meters. On the other side of the data screen sat a man with his feet propped up on the desk, having watched the entire event. Beside the desk sat a small potted plant; evidently, this was a person who enjoyed gardening.
As the broadcast ended, the figure lowered his feet and rested his hands on the desk. A smile played on his lips. "Finally awakened, Ye Feng. No... Ultraman Cosmos."
He deactivated the data projection, and the dimly lit room fell into complete darkness, making it impossible to tell anyone was even inside.
"Old man, what should I do next?"
The man's voice rang out. Despite the room being empty, he asked the question as if addressing someone. He wasn't impatient; he simply continued, "Old man, twenty thousand years have passed. Are we just going to keep waiting?"
...
There was no sound. This time, the man seemed to flash with a hint of anger as he shouted, "Don't tell me my twenty thousand years of waiting have been for nothing! Answer me!"
SHING!
The sound of a blade being unsheathed rang through the pitch-black room. Clearly, the man's patience had reached its limit.
"Answer me, old man!!!"
"Sigh..."
Suddenly, a sphere of rainbow-colored light appeared in the darkness, illuminating a charismatic yet sinister-looking man holding a cold steel weapon.
"Tell me what to do next. Do you really expect me to just sit here?"
The man, wearing the blue uniform of a high-ranking TPC official, pointed a katana-like blade toward the sphere of light, demanding an answer.
"I know the hatred you carry. But you must understand, this is the first flicker of awakened Light in twenty thousand years. We must wait quietly. And do not forget what Ye Feng reminded you."
The voice of an elder—ancient, majestic, and heavy with the weight of ages—emanated from the light, calmly answering the man's question.
"Heh. Teacher did indeed warn me. But I don't want to wait. I have endured for far too long..."
Grip tightening on his katana, the man's face shifted through expressions of resentment, helplessness, and agony. He had clearly endured immense suffering.
"Sigh..."
"Wait with patience. The warrior who gave us a sliver of hope has returned. I believe it won't be long before he sets sail."
"Until then, stay calm and do not act rashly. You have waited twenty thousand years; a few more won't make a difference..."
With those final words, the voice faded away, and the light vanished as if it had never existed.
"Hope... Why did you leave such a thing to me, Teacher?"
The man turned his head. The virtual screen flickered back to life, displaying a youthful, innocent photo of Ye Feng...
11:00 AM, Hangzhou First Hospital, VIP Ward.
On the ward's single bed lay a sleeping young man—Ye Feng, who had reverted to human form after his transformation. Warm sunlight filtered through the window, resting on his face and causing his eyelids to twitch. After about half an hour, he slowly opened his eyes.
Immediately, Ye Feng instinctively raised his hand to block the stinging sunlight, waiting a few seconds for his vision to adjust before lowering it.
"Is this... a hospital room?"
The heavy scent of alcohol and the hospital gown he was wearing made him realize where he was. He looked at the electronic clock nearby; it read June 9, 2042. It was the last day of the Global Awakening Day—the equivalent of the College Entrance Exam.
"I've been asleep for two days? I guess I really was exhausted..."
Awakening Day had begun on June 7th. Since the process usually lasted three days and he was still in bed on the final day, the formal exams were clearly over for him. After a moment of thought, he felt a wave of thirst. He turned toward the nightstand to look for water, but instead, he saw the blue and white ring lying there quietly.
The sight of the ring made him freeze as memories came flooding back.
Purifying the Chaos Header within Qin Yuxin and the others, and isolating the monster Gadi from them, had drained most of his energy. Toward the end, he had been forced to borrow cosmic energy to transform them all back. Just before his energy gave out, he had performed the final Miracle Realization to repair the buildings before collapsing on the restored sports field.
The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was the "Uncle" running toward him, while the Cosmo Pluck in his hand flashed and reverted back to the Ring of Light.
Picking up the transformed ring, Ye Feng visualized Cosmos in his mind. Light surged from his body and slowly coalesced into a card in front of him. Holding the exact same card he used two days ago, he felt a bit skeptical. "Why didn't it stay as the Cosmo Pluck? Did something go wrong?"
He looked at the ring and the card. Following a hunch, he slotted the card into the ring.
"ULTRAMAN COSMOS!"
The ring did not reject the card. It pulsed with a bright blue light, enveloping the Ultra Card and announcing its name.
"Awaken! The Light of Universal Order!"
As the final words echoed, the card dissolved into blue Luna energy that coated the ring, and the Cosmo Pluck (Sun-and-Moon Shine) reappeared in his hand.
He didn't press the button to further verify; he already understood he could still transform. However, he felt a bit frustrated. He thought back to that message that appeared in his mind after his transformation. His internal Light hadn't fully awakened yet, which was why he couldn't use Corona Mode. Currently, he still needed to use the card in conjunction with the Ring of Light, which was likely linked to his own state of awakening.
As for why there was Light inside him, Ye Feng thought of his transmigration and his constantly improving physical condition. Clearly, his arrival in this world was due to Cosmos' light. The increase in his physical stats was likely the light's way of subtly strengthening him over the years.
With a thought, the Cosmo Pluck faded away, reverting back to the Ring of Light.
CLICK!
"Who's there?"
Ye Feng looked toward the door and saw a familiar figure. He breathed a sigh of relief and placed the Ring of Light on the nightstand, offering a greeting. "It's you, Uncle. Thank you for bringing me here."
"I should be the one saying thank you. Thank you for saving so many lives." The middle-aged man shook his head, disagreeing with Ye Feng's gratitude. This made Ye Feng feel a bit embarrassed.
It had been a spontaneous act; he had simply thought that since he was going to die anyway, he might as well take a chance. He never expected to actually become an Ultraman and save everyone. That kind of plot twist usually only happened in novels.
Seeing Ye Feng's bashfulness, the man smiled and walked over carrying a fruit basket. "Are you hungry? Why don't you have some fruit to tide you over while I order some lunch for you?"
Ye Feng didn't stand on ceremony. He grabbed a banana and quickly rattled off what he wanted. "Sure! Thanks, Uncle. I'd love some Kung Pao Chicken over rice, if it's not too much trouble."
"No problem. I actually like your informal and easygoing nature." The man smiled and quickly made a call to order two portions of Kung Pao Chicken.
Perhaps because he was starving, Ye Feng inhaled three bananas in less than ten seconds. After a moment, he grabbed an apple and bit into it without even washing it.
"By the way, Uncle, I still don't know your name. Can you tell me?"
Calling him "Uncle" every time felt a bit weird, so he asked directly, regardless of any potential status difference. For one, it was just his personality; for another, he felt this man had no air of self-importance and treated people with patience and kindness.
"Of course. But before that, let me revert to my original appearance. It's more polite that way."
The man pulled out a special card and scanned his face with it. He reverted to his true form.
Ye Feng froze. He didn't even notice the apple in his hand slipping out and falling onto the blanket. After revealing his true face, the middle-aged man smiled.
"Judging by your look, you seem to know who I am. But for the sake of politeness, I'll introduce myself. I am Lin Jing, the Director of TPC Asia."
"Thank you for saving Hangzhou. On behalf of everyone in this city, I thank you for your sacrifice."
With that, Lin Jing stood up and gave Ye Feng a deep, formal bow to show his sincerity.
"Wait, wait! Director Lin, I'm just a high school student. I can't accept a bow from you!" Knowing who the man was now, Ye Feng was beyond shocked. How could he possibly sit still while the man bowed to him?
When people talked about Lin Jing, they spoke of the man who changed the world. He was the legend who persuaded every nation on Earth to form the Terrestrial Peaceable Consortium (TPC)!
Lin Jing smiled and didn't say much. He sat back down and spoke plainly. "I'm here for one reason. I want to invite you to join the TPC. Would you be willing?"
Hearing this, Ye Feng was momentarily dazed. He asked cautiously, "Uh... Director Lin, even if you didn't ask, I was definitely going to Imperial University anyway. Isn't that basically the same thing?"
Imperial University was the TPC Training Academy in China, featuring a four-year curriculum. After graduation, students were assigned to various TPC branches and departments across different cities. Top students could even graduate early and enter TPC Headquarters to begin their careers with national benefits.
Ye Feng still needed the Ring to transform, and such rings could only be held by TPC members. Furthermore, in the eighteen years he lived without being able to transform, Hangzhou had faced monster attacks. Without the Hangzhou GUTS team, he might have died long ago. Plus, the TPC had professional equipment that could help him train to master Cosmos' power.
Logic dictated there was no reason not to join the TPC, even if transforming into Cosmos was vastly different from a monster fusion. Ye Feng knew his own limits; he couldn't be too arrogant before he had fully developed his potential.
"So that's how it is. I suppose I was overthinking it then."
The food arrived, and the two of them ate in the ward. The atmosphere was harmonious; Lin Jing was just as approachable as he appeared on television. During lunch, Ye Feng remembered something.
"Director Lin, I wanted to ask... how is Qin Yuxin? She's okay, right?"
Thinking back to two days ago when he had piled several monsters on top of her, he felt a bit awkward.
"Don't call me 'Director' in private. I noticed you were calling me 'Uncle' quite naturally two days ago. Just call me that when it's just us." Lin Jing took a sip of water, clearly preferring the informal address.
"Then... Uncle, how is Qin Yuxin?" Since he insisted, Ye Feng didn't hesitate. Thinking back to how she had transformed to save him, he felt a debt of gratitude. Without her, he might have been crushed by Gadi before he could even become Cosmos.
"The girl is awake. She's in the room next to yours. Because of the Chaos Header infection, she's still very weak and can't get out of bed yet."
After answering, Lin Jing looked up and smiled, which left Ye Feng feeling a bit confused.
"To be honest, I am truly grateful to you." Seeing Ye Feng's confusion, Lin Jing explained candidly. "In the past, when we faced the Chaos Header—whether it was an infected monster or a GUTS member—we had to either eliminate them or detain them for observation until we could find a way to fully remove the virus."
Ye Feng wasn't stupid. He quickly caught on. "You mean... the TPC still hasn't found a cure?"
As soon as he said it, he shut his mouth, realizing it sounded a bit like he was mocking them.
"Exactly." Lin Jing didn't hide it; he admitted it straight away.
Seeing Ye Feng go quiet, Lin Jing actually felt like laughing. "Don't be like that. If we can't do it, we can't do it. The TPC's inability to do it doesn't mean others can't. Didn't you save six people, including that girl, just two days ago?"
"Then... Director Lin... do you... do you need my help?" Ye Feng asked cautiously, watching the man's reaction. While he didn't dislike the TPC, he had a natural resistance to the idea of being treated like a lab rat. Furthermore, he knew one thing for certain: humanity must not obtain the power of Light. If hardliners like Masaki Keigo or Gondo appeared within the TPC, he would be in serious trouble.
"I told you, call me 'Uncle' in private." Sensing the boy's wariness, Lin Jing explained, "I haven't hidden your existence, but you don't need to worry about anyone coming after you. You might not understand the power of the cards yet. It's a miraculous energy. We've collected DNA and card data for decades, and we've found that we simply cannot mass-produce this power. You can rest easy on that front."
Lin Jing's words were an immense relief to Ye Feng, but he still kept his guard up. He resolved to avoid showing off anything too extraordinary. After all, Ultramen and monsters were different powers. If some obsessed researcher wanted to study him, even Director Lin might not be able to stop them.
"However, I do hope that when there are Chaos-infected victims, you will lend a hand."
"Of course, I mean only for human beings."
Ye Feng didn't refuse the request. If it was just the Chaos virus like two days ago, it was a piece of cake for him. "No problem, Uncle. If you need me, I'll definitely help."
"Good. With that promise, I can rest easy." Having resolved a major concern, Lin Jing's mood seemed to brighten. After finishing his lunch, he stood up to take his leave. "Your body is healthy now. You can stay here as long as you like. You have two months; just report to Imperial Academy then."
With that, Lin Jing departed. Ye Feng looked around the luxurious ward and decided he might as well stay put for a while. Even if it was a hospital, it was way nicer than the place he usually lived...
•
Today updates! You can found advanced chapter on my Patreon here—↓
patreon.com/EBBYRITH.
—feel free to visit it!↑