Starting from the destruction of the Land of Light

Jiangcheng, a high-end hotel penthouse suite built along the river.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights shimmered and the river flowed gently, neon lights were reflected in the water, and the noise was kept out by the expensive double-glazed soundproof glass, making the interior quiet.

Zhong Linwan lay on the large, soft bed, her consciousness seemingly struggling to rise from the cold, dark depths of the sea.

My eyelids were heavily lifted, revealing an unfamiliar ceiling with exquisite plaster moldings and an expensive crystal chandelier.

The brief moment of confusion lasted only a moment.

Her identity as the human form of Ultraman Phyllis instantly cleared away all the chaos in her mind, like a cool spring.

Almost instinctively, she wanted to get up, muster her willpower, and command her body to sit up, be on guard, and escape danger.

However, all that answered her was a despairing void.

Her body felt as if bound by invisible chains, heavy as if filled with mercury, unable to move even a finger. Only her eyes could move with difficulty, scanning this luxurious yet unfamiliar prison. The numbing sensation from the poison and the deep weakness from excessive energy depletion gnawed at her every nerve like maggots clinging to her bones.

Just then, a calm voice, tinged with appreciation, came from the shadows in the corner of the room:

Don't bother.

"Although the toxins have been neutralized, your body will still be weak for a while. During this period, your body will be paralyzed and unable to move."

Zhong Linwan's eyes instantly locked onto the direction from which the sound was coming from.

In the shadows, a man sat casually in a single sofa, his posture relaxed, yet exuding a sense of stability as solid as a rock.

He was dressed in simple casual clothes. His face wasn't particularly handsome, but his features were hard and his eyes were rather lazy. Even in the dim light, they shone with an all-seeing light.

It was Zhang Chen.

Seeing that Zhong Linwan was just looking at him quietly, without the expected fear, panic or hysteria in her eyes, but only an extremely calm scrutiny and a deeply hidden vigilance, Zhang Chen's lips curled into a genuine smile of appreciation.

"Not bad." He nodded slightly, his voice deep and clear. "No screaming, no questioning, no loss of emotional control. Just based on this composure in the face of the unknown and difficulties, your mental fortitude is already stronger than most people."

His praise was genuine; in a world filled with monsters and superhuman strength, a warrior who could maintain absolute composure was a rare find.

Zhong Linwan ignored his praise; she didn't need flattery right now, she just needed an answer.

"The previous King Black..." She omitted all unnecessary adjectives and emotional buildup, getting straight to the point. "Was it you who summoned him?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment. The neon lights outside the window flickered on Zhang Chen's face. He stared into Zhong Linwan's calm yet undeniable blue-gray eyes, without flinching or denying.

"It's me," Zhang Chen readily admitted.

Zhong Linwan's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. Even though she already had a guess, receiving such direct confirmation from the other party still stirred up a huge wave in the depths of her heart.

"Who are you? Why did you save me? And how can you control monsters?"

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not here to answer your questions." Faced with Zhong Linwan's continuous barrage of questions, Zhang Chen simply shook his head. "I can only say that on matters concerning Earth's security, you and I are on the same side; we share the same enemy."

Zhong Linwan's gaze slowly moved across Zhang Chen's face, and the atmosphere in the room became somewhat tense.

Taking a deep breath, Zhong Linwan didn't say things like, "Why should I believe you?" Instead, she pressed for an answer. "What do you mean by 'the same enemy'?"

"Seven years ago, a Sadra attacked Nara, thus beginning the era of monsters appearing on Earth again after Ultraman Ace left. At the same time, a human host who was a "light host" appeared on Earth, that is, a human host who inherited Ultraman's power."

"When humanity learned of the destruction of the Land of Light, it also began to face a 'frequent period' of monsters appearing one after another. Actually, calling it a frequent period is not accurate, since monsters did not appear very often in the past, only one or two a month."

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zhong Linwan frowned.

"Two months ago, I detected a signal fluctuation, a kind of fluctuation that ordinary people cannot perceive, and it only works on monsters." Zhang Chen took out a new phone, tapped the screen a few times, and then showed it to Zhong Linwan. "This fluctuation attracts monsters and puts them in a tense and warlike state."

Zhong Linwan shifted her gaze to the phone screen, and her brows furrowed even deeper as she looked at the fluctuating data.

"You've probably noticed it too, the number of monsters appearing lately has been increasing. In just one week, we've seen the Twin-Tailed Monster, Gudun, and the Barton Three-Headed Monster. This would have been impossible a few months ago."

"You suspect someone is actively releasing these fluctuations to attract monsters?" Zhong Linwan looked at Zhang Chen again. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because the other party is very well hidden, I'm afraid I can't find out his identity with my own strength," Zhang Chen said calmly.

"Then why do you think I could find out?"

"It's just a trial. After all, even the Earth Defense Force and other aliens couldn't find out your true identity. I think you must have some extraordinary abilities." Zhang Chen stood up and placed his phone on the table.

"Here's your phone. There's only one contact number on it. If you find any valuable information, you can call this number."

After saying that, Zhang Chen ignored Zhong Linwan's reaction and walked straight out the door.

"etc."

At this moment, Zhong Linwan suddenly spoke up.

"Why do you think I'd help you? I saw your face; aren't you worried I'll expose your identity?"

Zhang Chen paused, but did not turn around.

"You will help me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Chen opened the door and walked out of the suite, leaving Zhong Linwan alone lying on the bed with her brows furrowed.

Silence fell upon the room once more...

...

Zhang Chen slowly walked out of the hotel's main entrance on the first floor. Not far away, Luo Xi had been waiting for a long time.

"How is it?" Upon seeing Zhang Chen, Luo Xi immediately walked over.

"Judging from her recovery progress, she should be able to move around freely in about twenty minutes," Zhang Chen said casually, then relayed their conversation to Luo Xi.

"This is really troublesome." Luo Xi shook his head as he listened to Zhang Chen's words. "We've been hiding so well all these years without being discovered by humans. Now that you've made a move, the Earth Defense Force is probably coming after us."

No, it won't.

"No way?" Luo Xi looked at Zhang Chen. "Don't forget, that girl just saw your face!"

"Don't worry, she won't tell anyone." Zhang Chen smiled at Luo Xi. "And don't forget, I saw her face too."

"She doesn't trust me, not just because I can control King Black. Although I saved her, there's no bond between us. When trust can't be established, leverage is the best adhesive."

"I know her identity, and she has seen my face. We have each other's leverage over each other, so this can be considered a hostage exchange. Besides, there is really no conflict of interest between us."

"Unless things come to a head, we'll only reach a delicate balance under these circumstances, so she won't reveal my situation."

"Still don't understand?" Seeing Luo Xi's half-understanding look, Zhang Chen continued, "Simply put, I'm not her enemy, and she has no reason to put me in the position of an opponent."

With the powerful weapon of King Black in her hands, Zhong Linwan would never dare to challenge her, at least not until she was capable of fighting King Black.

Luo Xi nodded thoughtfully, but then spoke again. "But I still don't understand. I've already followed your instructions and had the Earth Defense Force 'intercept' that signal. With the Earth Defense Force helping us investigate, why did you still drag Phyllis into this?"

In response, Zhang Chen posed a question: "What kind of person do you think Phyllis, or rather Zhong Linwan, is?"

"Her? Isn't she just a college student?"

"A college student... a college student was able to hide her identity for so long. Not only did the Earth Defense Force fail to find her, but even those aliens didn't know her identity." Zhang Chen sighed softly. "Don't you find that strange?"

"So," Luo Xi opened his mouth, "So Zhong Linwan has a force helping her! You want to use her to drag that force down with you?"

"It's not that far in the future," Zhang Chen said with a smile.

"I just want to make one more move in this game..."

Having lived in this world for so many years, Zhang Chen had long since realized that everyone here was no fool, whether human or alien; none of them were easy to deal with.

At this time, the Earth was a mixed bag, and to put it bluntly, "shallow waters teem with turtles, and big shots are everywhere." Taking the wrong step could lead to utter ruin, or even making you the target of everyone.

Therefore, Zhang Chen had no choice but to work even harder to ensure his safety before gaining powerful strength.

After all, this isn't some trivial conspiracy from Ultraman Galaxy Fight; this is the darkest and most treacherous stage on Earth.

"Then..." Luo Xi and Zhang Chen stood side by side. "If she finds a clue, she really will call you, right?"

Zhang Chen nodded slightly.

"She will."

...