Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

The Kirieloids probably never dreamed that they would run into such an undeserved disaster—in a sense, they were really unlucky this time, completely caught in the crossfire.

After all, they had only been lying in the shadows recently, busy integrating their internal forces and perfecting their next invasion plan. They hadn't actively provoked any powerful beings, yet they had become the primary hunting target of a newly born monster.

The root of all this can be traced back to Cui Ming.

Those familiar with Cui Ming know that he has never been kind to intruders who trespass on Earth, or uninvited guests from other dimensions; in fact, he can be said to have extreme dislike for them.

This aversion is not without reason. After all, the arrival of these guys is often accompanied by destruction, killing and chaos, which will disrupt the stability of the earth and hurt the people he cares about.

Cui Ming's attitude had already been subtly imprinted on the old weapons that had accompanied him in battle for many years.

Those weapons had fought alongside Cui Ming countless times, personally slaying countless invading monsters and extradimensional creatures. Cui Ming's hatred for the invaders and his obsession with protecting this land had long been deeply engraved in their metallic texture and residual energy through countless battles.

Even after being possessed by Eberon cells, this mark originating from Cui Ming never disappeared. Instead, it was amplified and strengthened infinitely after being fused into a gun-wielding monster.

Therefore, when these weapons successfully broke free from the control of the Eberon cells, fused with their own will, and transformed into gun-wielding monsters with combat as their sole obsession, the first clear target that popped into their minds was the Kirieloid.

Among all the invading extradimensional beings that have long coveted Earth, the Kirieloids are undoubtedly the most active and arrogant.

They have not only made numerous blatant attempts to bring Earth into their sphere of influence, but have also caused several large-scale urban destruction incidents, resulting in the destruction of countless homes and the loss of lives. They have long been one of the enemies that Cui Ming is focusing on "taking care of".

This "favor" was naturally inherited by the weapons, allowing the Kirieloids to firmly occupy the top position on their "must-kill list".

Without the slightest hesitation or delay, the gun-wielding monster, which had just completed its fusion and was at the height of its power, immediately used the intelligence accumulated from fighting alongside Cui Ming in the past to accurately pinpoint the direction of the Kirieloid's activity area.

As for the Eberon cells imprisoned in their own energy core, their desperate cries and struggles were completely ignored by the gun-wielding monster, causing not even the slightest disturbance.

At this moment, the gun-wielding monster was filled with the obsession to "eliminate the invaders and protect the homeland" and a deep sense of gratitude towards Cui Ming—to clear away these hidden dangers that threaten the peace of the world for his dearest friend and protect everything that Cui Ming wanted to protect.

"action!"

A command, a mix of heavy metallic boom and violent energy fluctuations, echoed for a long time within the massive body of the gun-wielding monster, carrying an unyielding resolve that could not be disobeyed.

The next second, it strode forward on its massive legs, which were made of countless thick metal parts that were precisely interlocked and spliced ​​together, and rushed toward the area where the Kirielod people had already been discovered.

Each step landed heavily, like a small mountain crashing onto the ground, producing a dull, resounding "thump-thump," causing the surrounding gravel to rustle and the earth beneath their feet to tremble slightly. Even the distant ruins of buildings swayed subtly.

The dozens of cannons of varying sizes surrounding it were now all glowing with an eerie, dark purple light. Dark purple energy was rapidly circulating and frantically gathering inside the cannon barrels, constantly emitting a piercing "zzzz-buzz-buzz" sound. It was in full combat mode, ready to launch a devastating attack at any moment.

"Target! The extradimensional beings' base!!!"

The gun-wielding monster suddenly raised its head and let out a deafening roar that pierced through the clouds and spread in all directions, filled with an undeniable determination and an almost boiling, fanatical fighting spirit.

Its objective is clear and specific: the secret base hidden deep within the abandoned industrial zone of the city by the Kirielod people.

That base was the core hub where these extradimensional beings planned all their invasion operations, and it was also an important nest where they accumulated energy and cultivated combat power, so it was extremely heavily defended.

But in the eyes of the gun-wielding monster, this is nothing more than an obstacle to be removed—successfully taking down this base would greatly weaken the Kirieloids' fighting force, clear away a major deadly threat to Earth, and also reduce Cui Ming's worries.

Meanwhile, inside that secret base, the Kirieloids were still arguing over the details of their next invasion plan.

One group of people advocated launching an immediate all-out attack to take advantage of the Earth's guardians' unpreparedness and succeed in one fell swoop; the other insisted on perfecting the energy weapons first to ensure that everything was foolproof.

Immersed in their internal power struggles and strategic planning, they were completely unaware that a "vengeful monster" formed from the fusion of old weapons was hurtling toward their lair with a destructive force.

A catastrophe for the Kirieloids is imminent, and it all began simply because they happened to run into Trevor's "list of things to hate," and were made the primary targets of elimination by the weapons that embodied Trevor's will. This bad luck simply had nowhere to hide.

Deep within the city's abandoned industrial zones lies a desolate corner forgotten by the outside world.

Layer upon layer of broken walls and ruins piled up, weathered concrete fragments and rusty steel supports intertwined to create a desolate scene. The twisted steel, like the skeleton of a giant beast, pointed straight to the leaden sky. Year after year, it was filled with lingering dust and the smell of decay, and even the wind that passed through the ruins carried a dull groan.

The Kirieloids' new secret base was cleverly hidden in this desolate place like a ghost—the entrance was carefully disguised as a collapsed heavy factory building, with large pieces of rubble, broken steel bars and abandoned mechanical parts scattered on it. There were even several seemingly naturally formed cracks. Without the aid of special energy detection, even close-range investigation would not reveal any flaws.

The interior of the base, however, was a completely different world. On the rough concrete walls, pale purple energy patterns were engraved with special energy, and the patterns flowed slowly as if they were alive. Dim purple-blue energy lights spread along the patterns, casting mottled light and shadow on the walls and the floor, making the entire space both eerie and oppressive. A faint energy odor also floated in the air, mixed with the faint smell of rotting human corpses.

Several hunched figures sat around a round metal conference table; they were Kirieloids using human corpses as temporary vessels.

Their movements were as stiff as rusty marionettes. Every time they raised their hands or turned their heads, their joints clicked and creaked. Their skin had a lifeless bluish-gray hue, and you could even clearly see faint purple energy veins wriggling under their skin, which were traces of their original power forcibly fused with human flesh.

When they spoke, there was a faint hoarse friction sound in their throats, as if their vocal cords had been sanded. Clearly, the human body was not compatible with their original power. This forced fusion not only prevented them from exerting their full strength, but also made them suffer from the double pain of energy depletion and physical rejection.

The conference table was made of heavy scrap alloy, its surface covered with scratches and oxidation marks. In the central recess was an energy core that flickered with a faint red light. The pulsating light flickered on and off, like the breath of a dying creature, making the exhaustion and weariness on the faces of the people sitting around it even clearer.

A long silence spread through the oppressive space, and time seemed to slow down. No one had the extra strength to break the silence, and even their breathing was deliberately kept very soft, for fear of consuming too much of their remaining energy.

After a long silence, a Kirieloid wearing worn-out blue overalls spoke first. The facial muscles of its human form had long since lost their activity, and it could only barely move the corners of its mouth to form a stiff arc. Its voice was full of undisguised weariness and hoarseness, with a noticeable tremor: "This time, the new base has finally been completed, and we are very happy."

Despite this, there was no joy in its tone, only a sense of relief after enduring hardship, as if it had accomplished an impossible task that had weighed on its shoulders for a long time. After saying this, it slowly lowered its head, its shoulders slumping even more, clearly indicating that even this simple sentence had taken a lot of its strength.

“Yes, it’s been so tough.” Another figure wearing a tattered black trench coat immediately chimed in, his voice equally hoarse and weak.

It slowly leaned against the cold metal seat. The icy touch came through the tattered trench coat, which eased its stiff body slightly, but then it couldn't help but tremble slightly due to the disordered energy fluctuations.

It raised its stiff arm and carefully rubbed its sore neck with its fingertips, making a grating "creaking" sound from its joints, which made its companions around it tense up instinctively.

Its gaze slowly swept over the rough inner walls of the base. Every structure here exuded haste and rudimentary characteristics: the engraving of energy patterns was incomplete, and there were even signs of breakage in some places; some areas still exposed the cement base, which was obviously built under extremely tight conditions; there were even piles of unused building materials and fragments of energy crystals in the corners. The whole base gave off a sense of hasty cobbling together.

"Sigh, everyone has worked hard these past few days." The Kirieloid sitting in the main seat let out a long sigh, his voice so hoarse it was almost breaking, as if his vocal cords had been riddled with holes by energy.

The human vessel it occupied was the corpse of a middle-aged man, whose face was now covered with fine, spiderweb-like cracks. From the depths of the cracks, faint purple energy seeped out, slowly sliding down the skin and dripping onto the conference table, making a soft "sizzling" sound—a clear sign of the overdraft of the primordial power. If it continued to be forcibly sustained like this, the vessel might collapse completely at any moment.

It raised its hand slightly, wanting to comfort its companions, but found its arm as heavy as if it were filled with lead. It could only lift it halfway before it could fall back down. This feeling of powerlessness made it even more dejected.

As soon as he finished speaking, there was no cheering or excitement as expected in the conference room. Instead, a chorus of sighs and lamentations rose and fell. The dull sounds echoed back and forth in the enclosed space, like countless fine needles, adding to the sense of despondency and despair.

These Kirieloids slumped their heads, their shoulders almost touching their chests, their eyes empty and weary, showing no trace of the arrogance and haughtiness they had displayed when invading Earth. They looked like a group of defeated soldiers who had just suffered a crushing defeat and were almost too exhausted to even run away.

Several of them even closed their eyes, leaned back in their seats, and gasped for breath, their chests rising and falling very weakly, clearly having reached their limit.

There's no way around it, I'm just too tired, that kind of exhaustion that goes deep into my bones and leaves me physically and mentally drained.

Both the physical pain and the mental stress were almost crushing them.

They wailed silently in their hearts, every thought filled with deep frustration and powerlessness.

Recalling their recent experience filled them with resentment yet they felt utterly helpless.

The old base was precisely located by the nightmarish Storm One, which followed the faint energy trails it emitted. Without any further negotiation, the Storm One launched a relentless bombardment. Powerful energy attacks poured down like a torrential rain, completely tearing apart the old base's defensive barriers within minutes. The main structures collapsed and disintegrated under the energy impact, and the base was destroyed beyond recognition in a short time, becoming almost an irreparable ruin.

Many of the tribesmen suffered heavy casualties in that attack, and many were buried under the rubble because they could not evacuate in time, and even their original form could not be preserved. The energy reserves and precious experimental data that they had painstakingly accumulated over the years were also lost in that disaster, and they almost completely lost their foundation on Earth.

In order to rebuild their base, they had to risk being discovered by Earth's guardians and work day and night in this abandoned industrial area, without daring to stop for even a moment. They could only take turns resting. At the same time, in order to hide their whereabouts and avoid exposing their original form and attracting more powerful enemies, they had to expend their precious original power to forcibly occupy human corpses as temporary carriers. This fusion process was not only extremely painful, but it also continuously consumed their own energy, making their already limited power even worse.

The new base has finally been built, albeit with great difficulty. Everyone is exhausted and struggling to even maintain basic human form, let alone organize a new invasion.

“The base… the base has finally produced a new one,” a Kirieloid man wearing a faded plaid shirt muttered to himself, his voice so faint it was like a mosquito’s hum, almost indistinguishable unless you listened carefully.

Its eyes were filled with lingering weariness, mixed with a hint of barely concealed luck and unease. Its gaze was fixed on the energy patterns on the table, as if that would give it a sense of security.

It slowly extended its stiff fingers, the fingertips trembling slightly due to unstable energy, and gently touched the energy patterns engraved on the table. The cold metallic touch came through, and at the same time, it felt the faint energy fluctuations flowing in the patterns. This subtle energy feedback made it feel a little more at ease.

Then, as if trying to reassure itself, and also as if urgently asking its companions, its tone carried a hint of uncertain pleading: "The old base was almost completely destroyed by that guy Storm One, leaving nothing behind, not even the remains of our people. This new one! We've hidden it so well, the camouflage is flawless, and we even specially shielded the entrance with energy. He shouldn't be able to find it, right?"

As it spoke, its voice grew softer and softer, and it even lost its confidence. After all, the terror of Storm One was already deeply imprinted in their consciousness.

This sentence is like a pebble thrown into stagnant water, only creating weak ripples, without even a ripple spreading outwards.

It is both a form of self-comfort and a search for validation from peers, hoping to gain some confidence from others and dispel the fear in one's heart.

The meeting room fell into a deathly silence once again; you could hear a pin drop. Not a single Kirieloid could give a definite answer.

The main problem is that the support from the loan production base TM hasn't arrived yet!

The Storm One's sensitivity far exceeded their expectations. The old base was also located in a well-hidden place with very strict protective measures and multiple energy interference devices, but it still could not escape the fate of being precisely destroyed.

The mere thought of Storm One's unparalleled power, swift speed, and terrifyingly precise tracking ability filled them with dread. That deep-seated fear, even now, caused their primal energy to become disordered.

But at this moment, they could only suppress their unease and fear, hoping that the camouflage and energy shielding of the new base would work, allowing them a short and peaceful period of rest to rebuild their strength, repair their damage, and slowly prepare for the next invasion plan—after all, they had no way out.

They were completely unaware that this hard-won, stolen, brief peace was about to be shattered by a sudden and catastrophic disaster.

At that moment, the heavy, thunderous footsteps of the gun-wielding monster echoed on the outskirts of the abandoned industrial zone—"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Each step felt like a small mountain crashing to the ground, causing the entire ruins to tremble slightly, with rubble rolling down the broken walls with a "whoosh" sound.

The monster was rapidly approaching, easily smashing through abandoned buildings and steel supports along its path with ear-piercing crashes.

The dense, dark purple energy emanating from its body was as conspicuous as a lighthouse in the night, making no attempt to conceal itself. It precisely locked onto the location of the new base, and the air itself was slightly distorted wherever the energy wave passed.

A cataclysmic disaster has quietly descended upon the Kirieloids, but they, immersed in exhaustion, wishful thinking, and self-comfort, remain completely unaware, still indulging in unrealistic fantasies about that slim chance of "peace." (End of Chapter)