Chapter 26: 25 Earthlings Are Invaders

“The disc-shaped being Nova, the red daruma doll...”

I remember it has hypnotic abilities and can emit red gas to make creatures furious and aggressive.

“Close-range has a scythe, mid-range has a long whip, long-range has ocular lasers, and its tentacles carry poison stingers.”

“Since it’s 60% of the complete form, it should possess all these abilities.”

“Plus, it’s a kaiju, not an Ultraman—so there’s no time limit... but if I turn into it, I’ll be chased and shot at by Nishijo in his plane.”

Qi Ming, who was off duty again today, finished dinner before the rush hour and walked down the corridor toward his room, his thoughts churning.

Overall, the full version of Nova surpasses previous Ultramen like Tiga and Seven in many aspects; its diverse special abilities grant it far more options when handling various situations.

But he was still unsatisfied—though it was a jack-of-all-trades, it lacked the ability to traverse time and space.

“Here it is, punctual as ever.” Three more days had passed; the dial of the Ultraman Random Key turned, and the main interface changed.

Star grant: 1.

See Through: 3/5.

One Star grant every three days—without “other income,” he could at least “gather stars” once a month.

I hope the next draw gives me something I truly desire... I wonder if the Random Key has a “guarantee mechanism,” like getting an “A” or “S” after ten draws.

It was sunset; through the glass windows of the corridor, Qi Ming watched the sun sink into the sea like molten gold.

Sea and sky merged as one, dazzling beyond words; golden ripples danced across the waves, breathtakingly beautiful.

“Day and night shift—the moment when demons walk.” The words of the elderly archaeology professor, Sima Hui, flashed through his mind.

At that moment, Qi Ming suddenly felt a flicker of “darkness” pass from his right rear.

He spun around sharply: “That place... I remember it’s the staff officers’ office area.”

Naturally, this area where top officials gathered was heavily guarded; Qi Ming had just begun to approach and investigate when armed guards blocked him.

Qi Ming politely asked: “Have any of you noticed anything unusual recently—like something strange darting in?”

“No, everything’s normal. The only one who came back recently was Counselor Tongshan.” The guards, impressed by Qi Ming’s noble bearing, responded warmly and even showed him the surveillance footage—all normal.

Qi Ming, trusting his intuition, felt it wasn’t that simple. Counselor Tongshan wasn’t just the former superior of Team Leader Shoxing Tuan—he was also one of the few upright figures in the base and had shown Qi Ming considerable kindness. He decided to investigate inside himself.

The world was riddled with danger; the Gilielodians still roamed free. Security could not be taken lightly.

But without a pass or explicit approval from the counselors inside, no one could enter—not even if he used facial recognition.

“Then please help me contact Counselor Tongshan.” Qi Ming had no quarrel with the guards and didn’t want to make their jobs harder.

The guards nodded, pulled out a walkie-talkie right before him, but after a moment, put it down: “Counselor isn’t answering. Maybe he’s busy.”

Qi Ming’s sense of foreboding deepened. He asked: “What if Team Leader Shoxing Tuan of Victory Force had an urgent matter requiring an in-person report to the counselor?” He planned to summon Shoxing Tuan.

The guard: “New security regulations were just issued—if we let anyone in without a pass, Minister Yin will punish us severely.”

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted to the end of the corridor, where a stern-faced man hurried past.

Qi Ming froze—he recognized this man!

In “Ultraman Seven OV,” Counselor He Zhi had dispatched this man, Minister Yin of Security, to assassinate Tongshan, who was trying to uncover the truth behind the Omega File.

So it wasn’t an external invasion—it was an internal purge?

…………………………

“This sacred moment must not be disturbed by outsiders.”

Inside Counselor Tongshan’s office, a man in a gray robe—resembling a mystic—hung up the guard’s call to request entry, right before Tongshan’s eyes.

“Who are you? How did you get in!” Tongshan was horrified.

He had just begun attempting to decrypt the Omega File when the lights suddenly went out—and this man had appeared out of nowhere.

The man in gray stood up: “I am the messenger of the gods, free to move through the mortal realm.”

TPC’s security could not stop him.

“Messenger of the gods?” Tongshan quietly activated the walkie-talkie beneath his desk.

He trusted that Minister Yin Ji Guo, responsible for the counselors’ security, would respond and arrive with reinforcements.

The gray-robed man: “I ask you, Counselor Tongshan, to represent Earth and humanity in offering respect to the Gilielodians.”

“You’re a Gilielodian!” Tongshan’s pupils contracted. Without hesitation, he drew his sidearm and fired.

No wonder he’d once led Shoxing Tuan and Guqiao into frontline battles against kaiju and aliens—he was decisive.

But what happened next stunned him: the bullets passed through the gray-robed man’s body and struck the wall behind him.

He was a spiritual entity—conventional physical attacks were useless.

“Clearly, mortals cannot harm gods,” the gray-robed man smiled. “Counselor Tongshan, if you refuse to show respect to the Gilielodians, sacred flames will burn city after city to ashes.”

Tongshan: “Threats? Ultraman Seven and the new Ultraman who appeared at the pyramid stand with us. I don’t believe you can succeed.”

The gray-robed man smiled slyly: “What if those two Ultramen learned the true nature of humanity—would they still stand with you?”

Tongshan’s heart tightened: “What do you mean?”

The gray-robed man: “You, Counselor Tongshan, likely understand better than anyone outside what I’m saying.”

“All these years, your relentless resistance against aliens isn’t a battle of justice versus evil—it isn’t about defending your homeland.”

“Because humanity itself is the greatest invader. You’re merely defending the spoils of your own conquest.”

Tongshan’s gaze turned icy. He said nothing.

The gray-robed man continued: “You’re nearly on the verge of uncovering the full truth. Then let me be perfectly clear.”

“This land was originally the homeland of the ‘Marte’ civilization. Many ancient civilizations across the universe have always called this planet ‘Marte.’”

“But your ancestors carried out an invasion, uprooting the Marte civilization entirely. In recent years, you destroyed their last refuge in the oceans, exterminating them completely.”

“But paper cannot forever wrap fire.”

“Once the truth leaks out, not only will the Ultramen turn against humanity, but powerful beings from across the universe will come one after another to demand justice.”

Upon hearing this, Counselor Tongshan’s expression remained unchanged, but his fist clenched involuntarily.

No wonder—all data concerning Marte had been sealed inside the Omega File.

No wonder Counselor He Zhi had subtly warned him to stop digging.

(End of Chapter)