Chapter 30: 29 Find the Commonality Between Talescon and Emperor Hero

Thus, everyone set out except for Zhuge Liang.

Shan Zhong piloted Victory Fly Yan No. 1, while Xi Tiao, Hui Mei, An Tian, and Qi Ming boarded Fly Yan No. 2.

No. 1 was equipped with a microwave cannon, the only device TPC currently possessed capable of striking underground.

Hui Mei relied on its electromagnetic waves to counter the surging earthfire, allowing Qi Ming to evacuate safely.

“Alright, you can put me down now,” Qi Ming said as they neared the operational zone.

He activated the PDI communicator in his coat pocket, enabling other team members to hear his every move and assess the situation accordingly.

Hui Mei: “Be careful.”

Qi Ming: “Actually, since arriving here, I’ve always been careful—walking on thin ice.”

Fly Yan No. 2 landed, and Qi Ming leapt from the cockpit.

After waving to the other three team members, he put on his sunglasses and feigned a pursuit posture, advancing toward the area where the [Underground Woman] was located.

“Walking on thin ice my ass—he strides like he doesn’t recognize his own kin,” An Tian muttered from Fly Yan No. 2, now back in the clouds.

Inside Fly Yan No. 1, which had reached T7-B first, Shan Zhong asked: “An Tian, tell me where to fire the microwave cannon?”

An Tian: “Wait a moment—I’m still analyzing the ground wave dynamics… Got it. Target: the intersection in front of the radio tower. Shan Zhong, you only get one shot—be precise.”

Shan Zhong: “Leave it to me! Can’t let Qi Ming steal all the glory.”

By this point, few pedestrians remained on the streets.

Qi Ming walked down the silent street; even with sunglasses on, he radiated an imposing aura, drawing many glances.

“If there’s only one chance, why not send Xi Tiao Ning? She’s steadier,” he thought, listening to the comms.

At that moment, Xi Tiao Ning, watching the monitors closely, shouted: “All units, attention! Team member Qi Ming has made contact with the target. Begin evacuation notices immediately.”

Under the dim yellow streetlights, Qi Ming advanced with slow, powerful steps toward the Underground Woman, who also wore sunglasses.

She turned—not to flee, but to walk toward him.

Qi Ming got straight to the point: “Come with me. Don’t resist—it’ll save me effort and spare you extra suffering.”

The Underground Woman emitted a hoarse voice: “What do you want?”

Qi Ming: “Our strategists invite you to our base to discuss coexistence between underground and surface dwellers.”

The Underground Woman: “Do you believe that?”

Qi Ming: “My opinion doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you believe it.”

The Underground Woman’s voice turned cold:

“Coexistence? How? Who leads it? Stop spouting pretty words!”

“Once we lay down our arms, you’ll persecute us until we’re wiped out!”

“Then we’ll be just like the Native Americans—our fate must be in our own hands!”

Qi Ming: “You’re spouting pretty words too—‘resistance’? Didn’t you abandon the surface yourself?”

“Now you return to invade, allying with ‘foreign forces’ to exterminate the surface dwellers.”

An Tian on Fly Yan No. 2 grew anxious: “Qi Ming usually shuts them up with one retort—he’s sharp-tongued.”

Why isn’t he using that special talent now? Just stall her, trick her back to base!

Hui Mei: “Probably Qi Ming considers such tactics beneath him.”

Even Hui Mei, who got along fairly well with Qi Ming, sensed in him a quiet, natural superiority. Below, Qi Ming heard distant footsteps shift from dense to sparse—he knew the evacuation was nearly complete.

With negotiations broken, the Underground Woman let out a shrill “Waaoo!”

“Waa your ass! Are underground people this uncivilized? Screaming at night and disturbing the peace!”

Qi Ming bent down, snatched a stone from the ground, and hurled it into the Underground Woman’s open mouth, silencing her scream.

“Saved! Ugh… Good job, Qi Ming,” Shan Zhong and the others, wearing 3D surround headphones, had nearly been deafened by the shriek.

At this moment, Shan Zhong’s Fly Yan No. 1 had already switched to its wing-closed, ultra-stable cruise mode, hovering less than ten meters above the intersection.

An Tian hurriedly asked: “Shan Zhong, are you alive? The earthfire’s about to surge up!”

Shan Zhong: “I’m fine! Ugh…”

An Tian: “Five seconds is the optimal firing window. Starting countdown: five, four, three—wait, this fluctuation is…”

Hui Mei also looked alarmed: “A massive subterranean creature is moving too… It’s directly beneath Shan Zhong—get out of there!”

“Boom!” At that moment, the ground cracked violently, and a light-brown monster burst forth.

Its head was flat, its body defined by clear muscle contours; thick protrusions ran from its neck down its back, and its powerful tail lashed toward Fly Yan No. 1.

It was the monster controlled by the underground people—[Talescon]!

“Damn! They’re in cahoots!” Shan Zhong tried to dodge, but Fly Yan No. 1 in cruise mode had terrible maneuverability—he couldn’t evade in time.

“Crash!” Fly Yan No. 1 was struck by Talescon’s tail, spiraling downward like a broken kite, trailing smoke as it crashed onto the street.

“Shan Zhong, get out of there—the earthfire’s coming up!” Xi Tiao Ning shouted, watching the data spikes on screen.

No response.

Shan Zhong had been knocked unconscious by the violent impact.

“Roar!” Talescon charged relentlessly toward Fly Yan No. 1, aiming to crush Shan Zhong in the cockpit.

“Silenced the scream, but summoned the monster anyway…”

Qi Ming ran into a public restroom and disconnected his PDI communicator.

He tapped a button; the mechanism on his wrist rose, the dial spun, and the silhouette of Ultraman Tiga appeared on screen.

“This opponent? Tiga is enough.”

He pressed the mechanism—silver-white light erupted skyward, and Ultraman Tiga appeared!

An Tian: “Look! It’s the Ultraman from the pyramid!”

Hui Mei: “Ultraman’s here to help us!”

In the command center, Zhu Xingtuan slowly relaxed.

Xi Tiao Ning: “Team member Qi Ming, Ultraman and the monster will fight in the city—evacuate immediately… Huh?”

No reply. She realized Qi Ming had gone offline… What did that mean?

“Boom!” In the intersection, Tiga leapt high, gathering all his strength into a devastating punch aimed at Talescon’s head.

Diamond Punch!

The blow sent Talescon reeling, nearly toppling over.

Seizing the moment, Qi Ming executed a shoulder throw, hurling Talescon straight into the center of the intersection—the very spot where earthfire would erupt.

“Boom!” The next instant, the sacred flame of the Kiraiadorians erupted, blasting Talescon, now blocking the “volcano mouth,” straight into the sky.

(End of Chapter)