Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

"Yes, sir!"

A unified response rang out across the training ground: Munakata's composure, Shinjo's loud voice, Reina's determination, Horii's haste, Nozue's tension, and Daigo's slightly awkward echo, all intertwining into a brief resonance.

Cui Ming nodded in satisfaction, his gaze sweeping over the tense faces. His voice suddenly became more stern: "From now on, a six-month training program will equip you with formidable survival skills! That's right! Survival! I'm not going to teach you how to wage annihilation warfare, but the ability to survive and fight back!"

He paused deliberately for a moment, letting the word "survival" weigh heavily on the team members' minds: "After all, the real responsibility for the annihilation battle lies with our EDF division. Your task is to analyze the enemy's weaknesses and the areas we need to pay attention to! This is how we, the EDF, can quickly eliminate the enemy! Therefore, you analysts must ensure that you survive until our support arrives!"

Ye Rui swallowed hard, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his cuffs—he was suddenly glad that he was in charge of logistical support, at least he didn't have to be at the forefront, but the thought of the consequences of "not surviving until support arrives" still made him break out in a cold sweat.

"But don't worry," Cui Ming changed the subject, his tone becoming more "gentle," "You will definitely use the worst equipment during training, but you will definitely use the best equipment during operations."

These words did not put the team members at ease; instead, they became even more nervous. Horii knew very well what "worst equipment" meant, which was mostly the basic model without even an energy shield, meaning they could only tough it out when faced with danger.

Then Choi Myung suddenly smiled, the corners of his mouth curving up like a child discovering a new toy. But Kijimae, watching from the side, felt her eyelids twitch. She was all too familiar with that smile—Choi Myung had smiled just like that before she first entered the training pod.

"Alright, everyone, let's begin! I've prepared my favorite simulation training ground for you all, Catachan!"

"Katachan?" Daigo repeated subconsciously, his eyes full of doubt.

Shinjo and Lina's expressions changed instantly—his training mode was the most notorious in the world of death, so bad that even monsters would avoid it.

Because the entire planet is fighting against you.

“Everyone except your captain, Megumi Kijima, will participate in the training! As for Megumi Kijima, she has already passed the training.” Cui Ming said, patting Megumi Kijima on the shoulder, his smile becoming even brighter. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you go to the highest difficulty level. I’ve prepared the baby mode for you.”

He emphasized, "Of course, I'm not trying to mock you. In fact, even the easy mode is beyond the capabilities of most people." The training ground fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the mournful sound of the wind whistling through it.

Zong Fang frowned deeply. He suddenly understood why Cui Ming repeatedly emphasized "survival"—the simulation environment in Katachon was not a "training ground" at all, but a "life-or-death arena".

Horii recalled the file stating that "Katachan pollen can parasitize humans, and the dead will be covered in flowers," and his stomach churned. Lina clenched her fists; she finally understood why Cui Ming had said, "Easy mode is passable for abnormal people." Even the Khorne War Gang had become jungle fertilizer in that place; how long could these "experts" last?
Ye Rui's legs went weak, and he almost leaned on Shinjo in front of him for support. His mind was filled with keywords like "death world" and "deadly jungle." Only Daigo hadn't fully reacted yet. Looking at his teammates' pale faces, he vaguely felt that this so-called "baby mode" was probably a million times more terrifying than he had imagined.

Seeing the frozen expressions on his teammates' faces, Cui Ming's smile remained unchanged. He pointed to the entrance of the simulation pod not far away and said, "Don't just stand there. The simulation pod is ready to go. Remember, if you die in there, your real-world training will double—good luck!"

Megumi sighed and gave her teammates a "good luck" look—she still remembered the nightmare of being chased by mutated plants for three days and three nights in the Catachan mode, and that was only the "beginner difficulty".

Over the course of six months, the training pods at the Far East base practically became the "second battlefield" for the Victory Team members. Every day, when they emerged from the simulation pods, everyone looked like they had been pulled out of water, their physical strength completely drained, collapsing to the ground, too exhausted to move, like a bunch of "dead dogs." But no one complained—the training results, like steel tempered by fire, were clearly etched into everyone's actions.

Their vigilance was ingrained in their very bones. In the past, Ye Rui would often be distracted by his data terminal while walking, but now, even the slightest rustling of a falling leaf in the simulation pod would immediately trigger his hand to the emergency signal device at his waist, while simultaneously crouching down to check for any reflections of broken ship spikes on the ground. Xin Cheng, once known for his "impatient nature," now moved with the lightness of a cat as he traversed the simulated jungle, even deliberately slowing his breathing, for fear of disturbing the strange plants hidden in the shadows—those tubular tree trunks with sticky stamens that could entangle their prey and drain its moisture within three seconds.

All this transformation stems from the brutal baptism of the "Baby Mode" in Qatar. Even on the lowest difficulty, the simulated jungle is still fraught with danger, with every plant concealing a deadly trap.

Horii still remembers the first time he encountered the Spikeweed. The two-meter-tall cylindrical plant was covered by hair-like leaves. As soon as he got close, countless sharp spikes pierced his arm, and the simulation system immediately warned, "Neurotoxin invasion, your body will be transformed into a living corpse." Now, when he encounters this kind of plant again, he only needs to glance at the trembling frequency of the leaves to predict when the spikes will be launched, and then use a multi-functional entrenching tool to cut off its roots—this is a countermeasure he improved after his tenth "death," based on the characteristics of plant toxins.

Nanase Rena has the deepest fear of spore trees. Those hanging flowers suddenly spray dense clouds of spores, which can not only clog air filters but also suffocate people. Once, during a training session with Daigo, both of their filters were clogged with spores, and they nearly "died" in a simulated oxygen deprivation. Now, she carries a homemade activated charcoal filter before every trip, and immediately switches to her backup breathing apparatus when encountering a spore cloud—her movements are fluid and a hundred times more composed than before.

Seiichi Munakata's tactical coordination skills have improved by leaps and bounds. Facing the Katachán hunters who actively pursue their prey, he can instantly devise a division of labor: Yuu uses a portable computer to disrupt the plant's vibration sensing system, while he and Shinjo flank to the side, using incendiary bombs to burn its jaw-like leaves. This tacit understanding was honed through countless simulated deaths of being "crushed by leaves." (End of Chapter)