Chapter Eleven: Another Monster at the Door? (Please add to your favorites and vote for recommendations)

(1/3)

(By the way, let me explain the update schedule first. Because of my job, I often have to travel for work, so updates may be a bit irregular. If nothing comes up, there will be at least two chapters a day, with the possibility of more depending on the circumstances. If I’m traveling, then I can only guarantee one chapter a day. Also, please don’t forget to bookmark and recommend the novel—your support is crucial for the new book rankings!)

Before crossing over, Xie Jing had spent over a year acting in bed scenes. Now, lying on a hospital bed, he luxuriated in a life where everything was done for him—the nurses were so attentive that he became the sort of person who would never stand if he could lie down, and never roll over if he could wiggle instead.

Now, in a hotel, with a beautiful young lady in pajamas waiting for him, he still had to do energy-consuming tasks like opening the car door, turning the key, and stepping on the gas pedal.

“Sigh…” Xie Jing let out a long sigh. Perhaps this was the sense of responsibility that came with being an Ultraman!

Da Gu, look at me! My spirit of fearless diligence and courage, inherited from the people of the Celestial Empire, is something you should truly learn from!

Xie Jing shook his head. It seemed he would have to continue setting an example.

Driving the car, his hands rested on the steering wheel, the gear in third—he didn’t want to waste precious energy shifting gears with his right hand. After all, such complex movements would take who knows how much food to recover from.

Another point of light streaked down from the sky—it landed near the wind power station where the spaceship had crashed earlier.

Perfect, no need for extra travel; Xie Jing was hoping to get back under the covers before midnight.

The car reached a fork in the mountain forest. Xie Jing pulled out the key, got out with a flourish, and just before entering the woods, pressed his hands to his head—and his hair began to fall out in locks.

Soon, a shining bald head gleamed in the moonlight, and then, with a flash, an Ultraman at human size appeared at the edge of the woods.

He had never given a name to this giant form. After all, those names like Diga or Dyna didn’t mean much to him, and as for a Chinese name…

Celestial Ultraman? Infinite Ultraman? Just the thought of it was cringe-inducing—best to go without a name.

“Why… why do I lose my hair every time I transform? Is this my fate?” Xie Jing was in agony.

“No, I must find a way! Preventing hair loss is the duty of every young person!”

With this new sense of mission, the dark woods ahead didn’t seem so frightening anymore.

He strode forward. Ultraman’s perception was incredibly strong; in his eyes, the darkness vanished, replaced by a three-dimensional map of everything around him.

First, he located the crashed spaceship—its blazing fire was impossible to miss. There were two human presences nearby; they seemed unharmed.

Xie Jing felt this plot was vaguely familiar, but it had been years since he’d watched Diga. He remembered the general storyline, but not the details.

He hurried over to the two people. When they saw Xie Jing suddenly appear, they became highly alert.

(2/3)

It made sense—after all, who wouldn’t be wary of a humanoid figure, glowing with starlight like a walking LED light, appearing in the dark woods after an alien attack?

Xie Jing had no idea how to retract the light that shimmered around him at all times.

“I’m Yuta Fujii from the Victory Team. Here’s my ID!” he said, without transforming back into a human, somehow producing a TPC identification card and tossing it to them.

“Yes, it’s a Victory Team ID,” Rina’s father, Makoto Nanase, nodded in confirmation, then looked at Xie Jing with some suspicion.

“But this look of yours… are you the giant Ultraman Diga everyone’s been talking about?”

“That’s right! I am Diga Ultraman, who’s been protecting humanity and defeating monsters!” Xie Jing nodded solemnly. “I know you want to praise me, but although the monsters are terrifying, it’s my duty—no praise needed; it’s just what I should do!”

“All right, enough talk. Go wait somewhere safe—the Victory Team will be here soon!”

As he spoke, the Swallow No. 1 jet roared overhead—Rina had flown out, defying orders out of concern for her father.

A maniacal laugh echoed from behind. Xie Jing turned to see something that looked like a starfish’s leg suddenly appear, flailing and cackling wildly.

Then, the monster caught sight of the dazzling, starlit Xie Jing, and its laughter caught in its throat, breaking into strange chokes.

“Ul… Uluttraman…”

Without another word, the monster bolted. Xie Jing was stunned—a monster that recognized Ultraman and came right to his door?

A big catch! This was a big one!

Xie Jing’s eyes lit up. Without even saying goodbye to Nanase and the others, he shot off in pursuit.

Normally, running was the last thing Xie Jing wanted to do—but for the mission… No, for the peace of humanity! For the safety of Earth!

I, Xie Jing, the Mighty Mountain Titan, will catch you for sure!

Closer—he was getting closer!

Xie Jing’s body thundered through the forest, the branches couldn’t slow him down. As he ran, he shouted:

“Brother! Don’t run! I won’t do anything to you!”

The monster was running wildly ahead as well. The wind carried Xie Jing’s words to its ears.

“What? He’s going to do this and that to me? Are Ultramen on this planet really so terrifying?”

Its pace picked up even more.

(3/3)

Xie Jing chased relentlessly, but the monster’s speed was surprising—every time he got close, it managed to pull ahead.

“Hey, buddy! Why are you running so fast? I’m not going to hit you! I’m not that kind of brutish Ultraman!”

The monster panicked even more.

“So, he really is going to hit me! Are all Ultramen this belligerent?”

One monster and one ball of light darted through the woods, and in the blink of an eye, they’d reached the depths of the forest.

What Xie Jing didn’t expect was that at a bend, the monster suddenly turned, pulled out a bizarre-looking weapon, and fired a spiraling beam at him.

It happened so fast that Xie Jing couldn’t stop in time—he ran straight into the beam, and in an instant, space and time twisted. The scenery before him changed rapidly.

“Wait, listen to me—”

He didn’t have time to finish. The next second, Xie Jing found himself in a place that was clearly not of earthly design—bound hand and foot, hanging from a crucifix.

“Did I… just get tricked?” Xie Jing was silent.

He struggled a bit—the restraints couldn’t withstand his strength, and snapped one by one.

He jumped down, took a look around, and realized he was in what looked like the cockpit of an aircraft, surrounded by monitors and buttons.

“So, I’ve ended up in that monster’s spaceship!”

Xie Jing thought for a moment, then decided to play along.

He picked up the ropes and, with some effort, hung himself back on the cross.

After all that running, who knew how much energy he’d burned? He was exhausted…

Taking advantage of the time before the monster returned, Xie Jing closed his eyes, planning to rest.

Outside, the monster looked at the empty space ahead and the device in its hand, dazed for a moment before bursting into wild laughter.

“Ha! Ultraman is no match for me at all! Just as the legends said, Ultramen are all fools who only know how to fight!”