Chapter Thirty-Three: That Esteemed Lord Has Fallen!

Gradually, the sense of exhaustion crept in. I rewarded myself with fifty points, pushed the rankings, even added my book to recommended lists, but still, the daily collections failed to break a hundred.

The earlier resistance was almost negligible—nothing more than a few monster races from the cosmos, who couldn’t even manage a slow advance under the Ultras' assault.

Now, before us stretched a vast, gloomy expanse of darkness—undoubtedly the main stronghold of Autopes.

The Ultra sense extended into the blackness and vanished without a trace. It was clear that, realizing there was no escape, Autopes had prepared a formidable defense.

To face an alien who once survived an attack from the King of Ultra—even if rumors said he was gravely wounded—was daunting. Not even the Father of Ultra would dare to vow certain victory.

Unless, of course, the King of Ultra arrived.

Xie Jing wished to wait, putting prudence first, but the Father of Ultra and the gathered Ultras could wait no longer.

“The darkness is right before us. We can’t guarantee Autopes doesn’t have a means of escape. We must press the attack!”

The Ultras all answered the call to battle. Swept up by this surge of fighting spirit, Xie Jing could only force a wry smile and nod.

Beams of light were the first to sweep into the darkness, but they caused not the slightest ripple. The Father of Ultra waved his hand, halting this futile effort.

“There’s a powerful sense of danger within that darkness. Autopes must be fully prepared!”

At that moment, a radiant symbol shot up from the darkness, shining brilliantly in the universe.

The Father of Ultra’s expression changed dramatically. “Impossible! How could Autopes be using the Ultra symbols of the Land of Light?”

“Hurry! If all five Ultra symbols gather in the sky, the Ultra Light Matrix we set up will be completely useless!”

No sooner had he spoken than another symbol soared upward, echoing the first.

All the Ultras instantly unleashed their greatest speed. The two thousand five hundred strong force became a torrent of light, surging straight into the darkness.

Xie Jing led the charge!

The Cosmic Compass was in his hand, guiding the Ultras in the right direction.

All around, the darkness was so thick one could not see their own hand. Only the glow of the Ultras themselves pierced the gloom, illuminating the path ahead.

Amid the darkness, red and green eyes stared intently at the advancing Ultras, and ambiguous, chilling roars echoed all around. Waves of powerful auras counterattacked the Ultra warriors.

A roar—

A monstrous beast, a head taller than Xie Jing, leapt from the darkness. Its scythe-like claws, shimmering with toxic green light, slashed straight for Xie Jing’s neck.

Xie Jing tried to dodge, but two Ultras rushed in from the side. Their head blades clashed with the monster’s scythes.

“Seven! Max!”

“Hurry! Stop Autopes, now!” Seven performed an agile somersault, landing atop the beast, and drove his head blade deep into its eye socket.

Green blood sprayed three meters high. The monster howled in agony, and Max, radiating light, finished it with a beam attack.

They guarded Xie Jing, keeping him safe.

“All Ultras! Follow Reher and protect the Cosmic Compass!” the Father of Ultra shouted after tearing apart a monster.

Surrounded by Ultras fighting to clear a path, Xie Jing was emboldened. Following the Compass’s direction, he sped ahead, gathering a sword of light and charging into the darkness without hesitation.

The searing light sword severed a monster’s arm with ease. Nearby, Jack skewered another beast’s heart with his Ultra Spear. Three or five beams blasted into the monster’s body, causing a violent explosion that lit up the dense horde of monsters ahead.

At that moment, the third Ultra symbol rose into the sky. Time was quickly running out!

From the darkness came a wild, maniacal laughter.

“Ultras, you cannot stop me!”

“Autopes!” Xie Jing’s blood was boiling now; all thoughts of mission forgotten. The defensive point on the Compass was close—almost within reach!

The number of monsters around them grew ever larger. Who knew how many beasts Autopes had raised in his lair? Wave after wave surged forward—beams and monster energy flew everywhere, explosions and screams filling the void.

Every Ultra was fully engaged, each finding their own adversary.

Only Seven and the First Ultra remained at Xie Jing’s side, while ahead, a gigantic super-monster, dwarfing the three, barred their way.

“It’s the Cosmic Terror-Beast Sarokas! Didn’t we destroy it already?” Seven’s voice was tinged with disbelief.

The three-hundred-meter-tall beast brandished its fleshy whips and two fearsome heads, while eight claws spat fire and energy orbs.

There were no Ultras free to help—the Father of Ultra was held back by a Hippolytean, unable to break free.

Ultras had already begun to fall.

The monster tide, vastly outnumbering the Ultras, left them overwhelmed. Many had to face two or three monsters at once, their attacks blocked, only to be battered and wounded by others.

Still, the Ultra warriors did not give up.

Lord Zoffy fought three giant beasts alone. After desperately slaying one, a fire-breathing beast set his head ablaze from behind, and he was struck down from the sky.

“Captain Zoffy has fallen!”

“No!”

Zoffy struggled to his feet, blasting away the incoming fire with a beam, only to be knocked into space by another creature.

“Not good—the invincible Zoffy is down again!”

Even now, flames still roared atop his head, as if he wore a fiery wig.

Not only Zoffy, but other Ultras unfamiliar to Xie Jing also struggled in battle.

When a monster pinned one down and there was no escape, a shout would ring out—the resolve and decisiveness in those voices was deeply moving.

“Light will always defeat the darkness!”

They gathered all their energy to a single point, then detonated in a blinding explosion!

The force of their self-destruction wiped out every monster in the vicinity, rings of multicolored light rippling outward—beautiful, yet tinged with sorrow.

“Light will always defeat the darkness!”

All the Ultras roared in unison. Their beams and combat skills seemed to gain new strength.

Within the oppressive darkness, these bursts of self-sacrificing light blazed a path forward, illuminating the glory and duty of the Ultra warriors.

When the fourth symbol ascended, Autopes’ harsh laughter echoed once more.

“Marvelous! What beautiful fireworks! Ultras, your lives amount to nothing more than futile sacrifices!”

“No!” Xie Jing muttered, head lowered.

“The lives of these warriors are meaningful, Autopes.”

He looked up. Amid the blackness, among countless meteors, a humanoid figure was forming the fifth symbol—unmistakably visible!