Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

Cui Ming abruptly opened his eyes, his body still lingering with the residual warmth of the dream world, his very bones revealing the exhaustion from his fierce battle with Ampera and the extermination of the Greenskins. He leaned against the wall, his brows furrowed, his jawline taut enough to etch ice into his skin, his entire being enveloped in an oppressive atmosphere that seemed to weigh him down, making the surrounding air feel heavy, and no one dared to approach him to strike up a conversation.

Aiba Miyuki observed all of this, her footsteps as light as falling snow as she silently approached. She didn't ask a single question—she knew all too well that Cui Ming always needed to recover alone after returning from that eternal battlefield; those endless battles would eventually drain his mind and spirit.

She gently sat down beside Cui Ming, her fingertips applying just the right amount of pressure as she carefully massaged his tense temples. Her movements were incredibly gentle, each touch precisely avoiding his stiff muscles, the pressure gradually increasing from light to heavy, slowly easing the anger and weariness emanating from him.

Cui Ming's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, the taut muscles in his shoulders and neck involuntarily tightening, as if still retaining the vigilance of the dream battlefield and the deadly battle with Ampera, even his fingertips curled up almost imperceptibly.

But as the warmth of Miyuki's fingertips slowly seeped into his temples, the just-right pressure dispelling the lingering soreness beneath his muscles, he gradually relaxed. His tense back slumped slightly against the wall, and his furrowed brows, which had been knotted together, gradually unfurled with the rhythm of the massage, losing some of their sharpness. The oppressive atmosphere, still lingering around him and not completely dissipated, was like ice melting in warm water, its edges softening considerably, losing some of its aloofness.

He said nothing, not even lifting his eyelids, but simply closed his eyes again, his long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath them. He let Miyuki's fingertips, with their slightly cool touch, gently roam between his temples and brow bone. Even his breathing, which had been heavy and rapid due to the intense fighting, gradually became long and steady as the force eased, and the rise and fall of his chest became much gentler. Only the faint energy fluctuations remaining around his body indicated that he had just returned from a blood-soaked battlefield.

Lindis, who was passing by, caught a glimpse of this scene, paused, and quietly retreated, closing the door behind her without making a sound. She knew better than to disturb the rare peace and quiet at this moment.

"By the way, big sister, you rarely massage Choi Myung?" Asuka leaned closer to Lyndis and asked in a low voice.

A blush crept across Lindis's face as she scratched her head and explained, "Ah, well, I used to massage Cui quite often, but as the intensity of our battles increased, my own strength skyrocketed, and my grip became increasingly unpredictable. I was afraid of making him uncomfortable, so I could only touch him when I was absolutely sure my strength was just right, otherwise I was really worried about injuring him."

"Huh? Just how strong are you, big sister?" Asuka asked in surprise, instinctively lowering her voice.

"Before Cui and I had awakened many of our abilities, we killed a monster together, Elginus," Lindis said casually, as if it were something perfectly ordinary.

Asuka was completely stunned.

Without any special abilities, the sheer strength with which she physically killed the monster Narindis is simply outrageous.

She paused, then hesitated before speaking, "Speaking of which, eldest sister, aren't you angry about things like this?"

"Why are you angry?" Lindis tilted her head and looked at Asuka, her eyes full of confusion, completely missing her point. "Um, well, you know, actually most of the time, it's us..." Asuka stammered, unable to continue, her face turning red, embarrassed as if her little secret had been exposed.

Seeing her like this, Lindis smiled and waved her hand, her tone gentle and clear: "It's alright, Cui has been lonely for too long."

These words were sincere. She held onto Cui Ming's memories from countless reincarnations, at least having the protective mechanism of time to fall back on. But Cui Ming was different; every step he took was a real fight his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Among the Star Guides, the Silver Man was always swiftly and decisively defeated by Cui Ming, leaving little trace of his memory. But what about Cui Ming? He truly endured endless battles, without a moment's rest.

Lindis had seen Cui Ming at his most vulnerable—not when he was seriously wounded on the battlefield, but when he was alone, carrying all the memories of his past lives, breathing silently in the dead of night.

So, things are really good as they are now.

More people will be with Cui Ming, so he won't be alone anymore.

At least everyone is here.

Miyuki's fingertips continued to gently trace Cui Ming's temples and neck, her touch precise yet soothing, gradually peeling away the lingering fatigue from his body. Cui Ming leaned against the wall, his breathing becoming increasingly long and steady. His previously wary body completely relaxed, even the last trace of sharpness in his brow vanished. His long eyelashes drooped, casting a quiet, soft shadow beneath his eyes—perhaps the dual struggle between reality and dreams over the past few days had been too exhausting, or perhaps this rare tenderness was too healing, for he unknowingly fell asleep against the wall under Miyuki's massage.

He slept soundly, devoid of his usual coldness and ruthlessness. The curve of his jawline softened considerably, and even his slightly furrowed brows completely relaxed. The oppressive aura surrounding him had vanished, leaving only a rare tranquility. Miyuki noticed her subordinate's breathing become even and deep, and instantly softened her movements even more, almost holding her breath. She slowly withdrew her fingers, afraid of disturbing this hard-won sleep. She sat quietly beside him, watching Cui Ming sleep peacefully, her eyes filled with tender pity, barely daring to breathe.

Just then, an awkward thing happened without warning—although Cui Ming had fallen into a deep sleep, the bond between his soul and the dream world had not been broken, and the peaceful state on this side was clearly captured by Ampera on the other side of the dream.

The battlefield in the dream world was still shrouded in smoke, with the remains of Greenskin and the wreckage of Ancient Giants scattered everywhere. Empera, gripping his weapon, eagerly awaited Cui Ming's recovery so they could have another exhilarating duel. But when he sensed the change in Cui Ming's aura, feeling that complete relaxation, his eyes lit up, his dark energy surged, and a fanatical, belligerent light ignited in his eyes. He had completely misunderstood the situation.

"Hey! Storm One!" Empera's voice, brimming with barely concealed excitement, echoed through the empty dream battlefield. He slammed his weapon heavily into the ground, sending up a spray of pebbles. "You're so eager to continue fighting me? You can't even wait to rest, you're already focusing on building up your strength! Good! That's excellent!" (End of Chapter)