Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

"Damn it, it took me so much effort!" The modified Yapool collapsed in a corner of the other-dimensional space, breathing heavily. The sound, like a broken bellows, echoed in the claustrophobic space filled with eerie energy fluctuations. The energy patterns around its body flickered erratically, their once bright colors now dull and chaotic, like a candle flame about to go out.

It had expended too much power to change its method of entering the other dimension. Its hands trembled as it tried to stand, but exhausted, it collapsed again, sending up a spray of energy debris. It recalled the fierce battles it had fought against the Earth Defense Force and the Ultramen; each battle felt like a deep cut to its source of power. Those despicable Earthlings, piloting powerful mechs and monsters modified and upgraded by Cui Ming and others, had repeatedly assaulted its defenses; and there was Ultraman Ace, who had merged with a human, wielding a dazzling chainsaw of light—a weapon that still haunted its memory. Under that relentless attack, its body had been severely damaged, and its energy had been drained in large quantities.

At this moment, the heaven-defying act of changing the way it entered the other dimension was like a mountain, pressing down on it until it could barely breathe. It used the core energy of the other dimension, drawing upon its own resentment to forcibly distort the laws of space. During the process, it seemed to hear the sound of its own soul being torn apart; each alteration of the rules was accompanied by unbearable pain. Its consciousness teetered on the edge of agony and exhaustion, and its vision blurred. Yet, even so, it gritted its teeth and persevered, knowing that only by changing its entry method could it escape the Earth Defense Force's pursuit and launch a more powerful attack on Earth in the future.

Now, the mission was complete, but it was exhausted, like a dead dog. Its body curled up in a ball, the imposing and oppressive face of its leader, Yapool, constantly flashing through its mind. What would happen if the leader knew it was in such a sorry state? The thought sent a shiver down its spine. It forced itself to stay awake, trying to gather its strength and recover some energy. But it knew that after this battle, it would likely be dormant for a long time before it could return to its peak. Meanwhile, on Earth, they might be using this opportunity to prepare for its next challenge.

The Yapool dragged its utterly exhausted body, crawling laboriously through the dark passage of the other dimension. Strange energy currents around it, like twisted snakes, occasionally brushed against its body, causing a stinging pain. It was filled with resentment and unwillingness; it had almost exhausted all its power in trying to change the way it entered the other dimension, and now it had ended up in such a wretched state.

What worries Yapool even more is that it knows perfectly well that the Alien Empera is lurking in the shadows, watching them with predatory intent. The Alien Empera, that terrifying being who proclaimed himself the Great Emperor of the Dark Universe, rules the vast Empera Empire, commanding countless aliens and monsters. In the Great Ultra War 30,000 years ago, he led his monster army in a brazen invasion of the Land of Light. Although ultimately defeated by Father of Ultra, his immense power and ambition sent shivers down the spines of the entire universe.

Yapool recalled that after the Great Ultra War, he had become a subordinate of Alien Abera, replacing the sealed evil Bogaru as the current Evil General. Under Alien Abera's ruthless rule, the slightest mistake could cost him his life. This time, he had expended so much energy to change the way he entered the other dimension; if Alien Abera knew he was so weakened, given his nature, he might seize the opportunity to attack him, usurp control of the other dimension, or even completely annihilate him.

"Damn Ambera, that bastard, he's probably plotting something to come here right now," the Yapool cursed through gritted teeth, its voice echoing in the empty extradimensional space, tinged with fear and despair. It struggled to gather its remaining energy, trying to recover some strength for any eventuality. It knew it had to recover quickly and rebuild its defenses before the Ambera aliens could make a move; otherwise, an abyss of no return awaited it.

"Hibernate. Hibernate," it repeated over and over, its voice resonating in space like a sharp buzzing, causing the floating energy crystals to shatter.

A morbid obsession churned within its dark purple pupils as Yapool reassembled its shattered body, each piece of energy bone joining accompanied by the clanging of mechanical gears. It recalled the glorious days of unifying the other dimensions, when its will spread like a plague, forging countless dimensional beings into weapons of war. Though now severely weakened, it was certain that given time, it could once again forge its terrifying other-dimensional power.

"Just wait. This is nothing more than preparation for revenge." The Yapool suddenly let out a strange, gurgling laugh, the sound echoing through the spatial rift. It stretched out its barbed tentacles, outlining the shape of Earth in the void, and sparks of energy from its fingertips burned charred holes into the illusory image. "I can still hold on."

A distorted energy vortex suddenly exploded behind it, and the Yapool retreated rapidly like a startled bird, its energy patterns flashing with blinding alarm light. After confirming it was just a false alarm, it let out a venomous roar: "That's right, if I can unify the other dimensions, then I can definitely lead them to power again!" Before the words were finished, its energy-based face twisted and deformed, "Provided that the beast Storm One doesn't come in!"

The scene of the logistics base's surprise attack by Cui Ming flashed through its mind like a nightmare: towering flames devoured the mountain of energy reserves, the monster-modifying incubation chambers exploded one after another, and the combat weapons that had been painstakingly cultivated were reduced to cosmic dust under the combined attack of Cui Ming and the Ultramen (who were actually Saeko Busujima and the others). The extradimensional core materials stored in the warehouse were also mercilessly destroyed by Cui Ming like a child destroying an anthill.

"This must never happen again." Yapool's voice trembled, a crackling sound of electricity emanating from its metallic throat. It knew all too well how terrifying Cui Ming was; that guy was like a persistent demon, always able to pinpoint its weaknesses. If the logistics system collapsed again, forget about revenge, even maintaining the stability of the interdimensional space would be a problem. Those new super-beasts still in development, those mysterious devices used to enhance interdimensional warriors, would all be destroyed under Cui Ming's onslaught.

The Yapool frantically mobilized their remaining energy, setting up layers of defensive barriers deep within the alternate dimension. They warped spatial nodes into intricate labyrinths, placing deadly energy traps in every corner. "This time, we must hide the logistics well." (End of Chapter)