Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

Watching Shinjo walk unsteadily into the base, Choi Myung knew that his training methods were a bit extreme—after all, throwing someone into a shrine full of monsters would terrify anyone. But he had no choice; the current situation simply didn't allow for "gentle training."

Otherwise, it would be Xincheng who dies.

In particular, Shinjo was in charge of piloting the Victory Flying Swallow, a fighter jet that carried the lives of the entire team. If something went wrong with it, such as if Shinjo was startled by a "monster disguised as an enemy" that suddenly appeared while piloting it, even if he was only stunned for a second, the plane could be destroyed and he would die. Not only would he not survive, but his teammates on board would also suffer.

Not to mention, if Shinjo were to faint from fright, causing the fighter jet to lose control, the consequences would be unimaginable. Therefore, this seemingly extreme "fear-testing" was truly to save Shinjo's life and the safety of the entire Victory Team. Cui Ming knew in his heart that scaring him a few more times now was better than losing his life on the battlefield later.

"Poor Shinjo," Horii thought, standing a short distance away. Looking at Shinjo's "soul still not back in its place" appearance, he couldn't help but shake his head, secretly relieved that "it wasn't me who was being tormented." As he muttered to himself, he turned around, intending to slip back to the lab to avoid being noticed by Choi Myung.

However, before he could take two steps, Cui Ming's calm yet oppressive voice came from behind him: "Horui, your speed has slowed down recently."

"?!?!?!?" Horii's body froze instantly, as if he had been frozen in place. He slowly turned around, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. "Instructor, what are you saying? I've been quite efficient in developing weapons lately. The new missile I developed last time was even completed ahead of schedule!" He thought Cui Ming was referring to the speed of development, so he quickly used his work achievements as a cover.

As Choi Myung approached him step by step, Horii grew increasingly panicked and instinctively backed away: "Instructor, what are you going to do?! I... I haven't made any mistakes recently! No! Instructor!" He had a vague premonition that something was wrong; Choi Myung's eyes were clearly fixed on his legs, not on work-related matters.

"Add more training." Cui Ming's words were concise and to the point, leaving no room for negotiation. "In the last base physical fitness test, your 5000-meter run was 1 minute and 20 seconds slower than last month, and you were 3 seconds slower than Lina climbing the obstacle wall. In actual combat, if we encounter a situation where we need to evacuate on foot, with your speed, you'll either be caught by the monster or slow down your teammates and cover their retreat. Starting today, add 10 kilometers of cross-country running every morning, and add 2 hours of physical training every afternoon. Once you can run the 5000 meters in under 18 minutes and catch up with Lina's speed on the obstacle wall, then the extra training will stop."

"Wa ...

Horii's screams instantly drowned out all other sounds in the base, even more pitiful than Shinjo's cries at the shrine earlier. "Instructor, I was wrong! I'll definitely get up early to run from now on! Can you reduce the number of runs? My legs are about to break after running 10 kilometers! I can't even do 50 push-ups in the physical training!" He was already on the heavier side, and physical training was his biggest headache. Now, hearing that he had to do so much more, he was on the verge of a breakdown.

But Cui Ming wasn't buying it. He turned to the communicator and said, "Notify the strength and conditioning coach to take Horii to the cross-country track at 6 a.m. tomorrow. Adjust his training plan to a high-intensity mode, record his data every day, and increase the intensity if he doesn't meet the standard." After saying that, he didn't even look at Horii, who was still groaning, and went straight to the command room. For him, no team member could have any weakness. They had to be brave enough, and their stamina and speed had to keep up. After all, there was no excuse for "I can't run" on the battlefield. Falling behind was tantamount to handing your life over to the enemy.

Daigo and Rena, watching Hori being "sentenced to extra training," couldn't help but exchange a glance, both seeing "sympathy" in each other's eyes. Rena muttered under her breath, "Actually, my speed on the obstacle course isn't that great either, luckily the instructor wasn't watching me." Daigo patted Hori on the shoulder, "Brother, take it easy. Shall I run with you? At least I'll have company." Hori, however, just slumped on the ground, waving his hand weakly, "No, I'm afraid if you run too fast, I'll feel even more hopeless."

And so, Horii's extra training plan was finalized—every morning at six o'clock sharp, they would gather on the cross-country track and complete a 10-kilometer run with the physical trainer. In the afternoon, they would also do a series of physical training exercises in the training room, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and obstacle wall climbing. The coach would also record his performance every day, and if he failed to meet the standard in any one of them, the training volume would be doubled the next day.

That afternoon, Horii was forced to experience his first extra training session. After running 10 kilometers, he collapsed by the track, panting heavily, his workout clothes soaked with sweat, too weak even to lift his hand to wipe it away. Looking at the "Continue tomorrow" logbook in the strength and conditioning coach's hand, Horii felt like crying, secretly regretting his decision—he shouldn't have sympathized with Shinjo so easily; now he was the one being "tortured."

Meanwhile, Cui Ming temporarily set aside the team's training and went to Gijian Hui's office. He knew that to give the GUTS team more confidence in the upcoming battles, the team's physical strength and courage alone were not enough; upgrading their equipment was equally important—especially high-powered weapons to deal with the increasingly powerful aliens and monsters. "Captain Gijian, excuse me." Cui Ming knocked on the office door, and after receiving a response, he went in. He saw Gijian Hui reviewing recent battle reports, with several drafts of equipment development on the table.

Since it's work time, you definitely need to use their job title.

Kijima looked up and saw that it was Choi Myung. She put down the documents in her hand and gestured for him to sit down: "Oh, it's Choi Myung. Sit down. Are you here about the team's training? I just heard that Horii was dragged to extra training while screaming."

“The training arrangements are all set. I’m here today to talk to you about the GUTS team’s equipment.” Choi Myung got straight to the point, without beating around the bush. “The aliens and monsters that have appeared recently are getting stronger and stronger. The missiles and laser weapons we used before are no longer effective at causing fatal damage to them. I think we need to upgrade to high-powered equipment, but we need to discuss with you the specific power level and how to balance power and safety.”

Megumi nodded, a look of agreement on her face. "You're right, I've noticed that problem too. Last time we dealt with that armored monster, the missiles from the Victory Flying Swallow only left a few scratches on it. In the end, we only managed to take it down thanks to your close-range cooperation with the team. It was too risky." She took out an equipment parameter sheet from her drawer and pushed it in front of Cui Ming. "This is a draft of a high-powered missile that the R&D department just submitted. Its power is three times that of the previous one, but the range and launch preparation time have both increased, and the payload requirements for the Flying Swallow are also higher."

Cui Ming picked up the parameter table and examined it carefully, his brows furrowing slightly. "Three times the power is indeed enough, but the launch preparation time is too long. In actual combat, it's easy for the monster to dodge it. Moreover, if the Flying Swallow's payload exceeds the limit, it will affect its maneuverability and increase the danger." He pointed to the "launch preparation time 15 seconds" on the parameter table, his tone serious. "15 seconds is too long. Last time, that speed-type monster could move 500 meters in 10 seconds, leaving no chance to aim."

Megumi sighed, "I've also considered this issue. The R&D department said that if we want to shorten the preparation time, we have to reduce the power or replace it with a more advanced propulsion system, but the latter requires more R&D time and funding."

“Funding and time are not problems; the key is practicality.” Cui Ming put down the parameter table, his eyes firm. “If the power is insufficient, it’s useless even if it’s developed; but if the equipment cannot function due to long preparation time or poor maneuverability, it’s also a waste of effort. I think we can have the R&D department make some adjustments, first compressing the launch preparation time to within 8 seconds, and appropriately reducing the power to 2.5 times the original, while optimizing the load-bearing structure of the Feiyan to ensure that maneuverability is not affected.”

After a moment of contemplation, Megumi nodded: "Your idea is feasible. I will communicate with the R&D department as soon as possible and have them adjust the draft according to this direction. In addition, besides the missiles, the protective armor of the Flying Swallow also needs to be upgraded. In the last battle, the Flying Swallow's wing was hit by the monster's energy wave and almost crashed."

"The protective armor also needs to keep up, at least to withstand medium-intensity energy attacks," Cui Ming added. "The personal equipment of the team members, such as tactical helmets and protective suits, also need to be upgraded in terms of protection, especially in close combat, to provide an extra layer of protection."

The two discussed the details of the equipment upgrade for nearly an hour, reviewing everything from weapon power and firing systems to protective armor and personal equipment for team members, and determining the general direction of the upgrade. Finally, Megumi Kijima compiled the discussion results into a record, preparing to submit it to headquarters and the R&D department the next day to expedite the equipment upgrade process.

“With the right equipment, the team members will be safer in battle.” Cui Ming stood up, preparing to leave the office. “I will talk to the team members about the equipment upgrade so that they can be mentally prepared and cooperate with the R&D department to test the equipment.”

Megumi nodded: "Okay, thank you for your hard work. The team's training and equipment upgrades will depend on your efforts."

Cui Ming walked out of the office, looking at Horii still struggling to do push-ups on the training field outside, and thought to himself—only by upgrading equipment and training team members simultaneously can the Victory Team be more confident in protecting this city in the upcoming battles. (End of this chapter)