Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

Norma is really pitiful.
Thinking of the girls' past experiences, Cui Ming couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. They had always been used as tools, without freedom or dignity, simply because they couldn't use magic. In that world that relied on magic, Norma, unable to cast spells, was like abandoned trash, arbitrarily controlled and exploited, even having to endure discrimination and exclusion from others.

Ironically, the problem lies in the fact that magic actually requires the corpses of the dragons they risked their lives to fight. This completely changes everything—the evil dragons they fought so desperately against become the source of "noble magic" in the eyes of others, while they, the guardians, are reduced to "useless tools." This absurd and cruel reality fills Cui Ming with sympathy for the Norma, and makes him even more "caring" towards the damned scum who used the Norma as tools. This so-called "caring" is nothing more than using the harshest methods to make the other party pay the price they deserve.

But faced with this group of Norma who were being overly enthusiastic, Cui Ming was at a loss for words.
Girls! I seriously suspect you're repaying kindness with enmity!

He rescued them hoping they could escape their fate as tools and have a free life, but now, instead, they've focused all their attention on themselves, even displaying a "must-have" attitude.

Hilda and her Norma gang didn't care about any of that! Their eyes shone with unwavering determination; they had already decided on Cui Ming. In their eyes, Cui Ming was their hero who had saved them from dire straits, and to stay by his side, or even do something for him, would be an unparalleled honor. Moreover, they had confidence: "It's alright! We have the support of the EDF behind us!" With the powerful backing of the EDF, they felt their "pursuit" was more secure.

Cui Ming understood Headquarters' thinking. After all, the EDF bore the heavy responsibility of protecting humanity, and every step had to consider the long-term future. It was indeed difficult; humanity faced threats from all over the universe, and warriors as powerful and capable as Cui Ming were few and far between. This time, with Cui Ming as a safety net, humanity was able to escape danger time and again, but what about the future? If Cui Ming were gone one day, who would protect humanity? Who would fight against those powerful cosmic monsters and malevolent aliens?

Therefore, EDF's idea is simple: the bloodline of Cui Ming must continue! Only by passing on Cui Ming's powerful genes can we cultivate more outstanding guardians for humanity, and only then can humanity have more protection in future crises. All of this is for the sake of humanity!
Choi Ming understood, but understanding didn't mean he approved of this "rush to achieve quick results" approach. Looking at the determined Norma group before him, and thinking about EDF's plans, he sighed helplessly.

Cooperation is fine, no problem! But!
Can we wait until we're done with this before we talk about it?

"Can't I deal with Zetton's problem first, and handle those lurking cosmic threats? I'm not that easy to kill, there's no need to rush."

He has too many things to do and too many threats to eliminate; he has no time to think about continuing his bloodline. But clearly, neither the Norma nor the EDF headquarters intends to let him have his way. This "bloodline struggle" surrounding him will likely continue for some time.

In the EDF lounge, Balalaika walked over with two cups of coffee, handing one to Choi Myung, her tone calm yet firm: "Don't worry, everyone understands, so don't feel guilty."

She naturally knew that Cui Ming was surrounded by Norma, and she was also aware of the EDF headquarters' plan to let him continue his bloodline. As a partner who had fought alongside Cui Ming and someone she trusted, she felt it was necessary to help Cui Ming "think things through".

Cui Ming took the coffee, looked at Balalaika's serious face, his lips twitched, and asked in confusion, "...No, you...are you pushing your husband away?" He really didn't understand why Balalaika would help outsiders "persuade" him. This was completely different from the Balalaika he remembered who was protective of her own.

Upon hearing this, Balalaika shook her head helplessly, walked to the window, looked at the team members training outside, and said softly, "There's no other way. It's all for the continuation of the human race. We'll do anything for the future." She had seen too many civilizations destroyed by the threat of the universe due to insufficient power, and she knew how important Cui Ming's strength was to humanity. If this powerful bloodline could be passed down, it would undoubtedly provide a heavy guarantee for the future of humanity.

After saying that, she sighed softly, then turned around, her eyes filled with a hint of self-mockery and loneliness: "So, I now understand how that Maya felt in that other world, a useless wife, alas." These words stunned Cui Ming—he hadn't expected Balalaika to suddenly bring up Maya.

He saw the fleeting helplessness in Balalaika's eyes and instantly understood what she meant: Maya felt like an "incompetent wife" because she couldn't protect the mountain people who had been captured by aliens; while Balalaika, who clearly cared about Cui Ming, had to suppress her personal feelings and persuade him to accept the Norma for the sake of "the continuation of the race." This feeling of having to compromise was so similar to Maya's.

"What you're saying..." Cui Ming didn't know how to respond for a moment. He wanted to comfort Balalaika, but he didn't know where to start, after all, he himself hadn't sorted out the mess in front of him.

Balalaika quickly regained her composure and said, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Don't be too resistant. The Norma are genuinely grateful to you. Although EDF's ideas are direct, they are for the sake of humanity. If you really find it troublesome, you can talk to me and I'll try to think of a solution."

Cui Ming looked at Balalaika, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him—gratitude, helplessness, and a barely perceptible pity. He picked up his coffee, took a sip, and said with a wry smile, "What else can we do? Let's just deal with it for now. We'll think about it more carefully after we've dealt with Jeton."

"By the way, the dosage of the calming coffee has been increased?"

"Yes, but I don't recommend having a second one, because you'll feel sleepy."

"Oh wait, this thing is coffee, isn't it?! How come it's coffee?"

"This was specially made for you, so would you like to try a second cup? Belial appeared over there and drank it, and everyone said it was good and slept very soundly."

"I do need to rest properly. Give me another drink."

Believe it or not, it actually works.

Cui Ming took a comfortable afternoon nap.

(End of this chapter)