Bighorn Bull is in charge of leading, and I, Beria, am in charge of raising it.

Or, to be more accurate, Belial could have performed much better. But most of the time, he tended to restrain himself, actively cooperate with Ken's thinking, and take responsibility for covering for Ken, allowing Ken to charge forward without any worries.

This complementary understanding is extremely rare among the younger generation of soldiers.

Therefore, after observing Belial for quite some time, they proactively extended an olive branch to him. They hoped that Belial, along with Ken, could formally join the Land of Light's patrol team in the coming period, and use this opportunity to receive higher-level training.

Undoubtedly, this signaled a plan to focus on developing the two of them in the future. This completely relieved Belial, who had been on edge, and he readily accepted the proposal.

However, after confirming that the elders' attitude towards him clearly leaned towards appreciation, and recalling his experience on this trip, Belial, who had maintained a humble attitude and dealt with the elders' routine inquiries, finally mustered up the courage to offer a suggestion as the meeting drew to a close.

That is, we hope the Land of Light can learn from this lesson. In addition to the usual patrol teams that passively patrol, we must also establish a special operations force composed of the Land of Light's most elite warriors, ready to be deployed at any time to deal with any unexpected crises!

in other words……

In order to minimize the chances of a similar tragedy recurring, Beria did not blindly believe in his own abilities, thinking that he could accomplish this alone...

Instead, they plan to form the "Ultraman Guard" ahead of time in the current timeline!

This will allow the Kingdom of Light, whose current peace-loving nature makes its overall decision-making more inclined to passive defense, to avoid taking hundreds of thousands of years of detours and take the first step towards becoming the cosmic police ahead of schedule!

Chapter 21 Heart-to-Heart Talk with Elders

As Beria finished speaking, a low murmur of discussion fell over the meeting hall.

The elders exchanged glances, their eyes, weathered by time and filled with the wisdom of elders, fixed on the bold young warrior before them, remaining silent for a long time.

They knew, of course, that Beria's proposal was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Because when Belial proposed this, he also submitted a well-developed plan. It advocated for the formation of a highly mobile, rapid reaction force with authority exceeding that of existing regular patrols. This force could proactively intervene in crises erupting throughout the universe without the Council's approval, thereby mediating, or…

Violent suppression.

To further persuade the elders to accept the proposal, Belial even cited this experience in the plan. He particularly emphasized the necessity of his point by highlighting the fact that several of his comrades who nearly perished were still alive, yet the Land of Light remained completely unaware and made no attempt to rescue them!

The core idea is that rather than waiting for disaster to strike and then sending people to collect the bodies, or sending them to their deaths one by one, it's better to take preventative measures and firmly grasp the initiative in our own hands!

However, the elders did not rush to give a reply. Instead, they took the proposal and went to another room to discuss it.

Beria stood on the platform in the very center, maintaining the same posture as when he submitted his proposal, without moving.

He knew that behind the door the elders closed as they left, a heated discussion was taking place that would determine the future of the Land of Light.

Time flowed slowly in silence, and the light from the plasma spark tower shone through the crystal prism of the dome, casting mottled patterns of light on the ground.

The light patterns flickered in rhythm with the energy pulses within the tower, like the steady and long breaths of this crystal city.

Belial didn't know how long he had been standing there, only that when the door reopened and the elders reappeared on the platform, their expressions remained gentle.

The moment Beria saw their eyes, he already knew the answer to this discussion.

As expected, the elders did not agree to Belial's proposal.

There are three reasons, but it is not because Belial is inexperienced, nor because the elders are greedy for their power. Therefore, they disregard Belial's proposal and deliberately oppose him.

Each of these three reasons was carefully considered, and none of them had anything to do with personal selfishness; they were all for the sake of upholding the greater good.

First, before summoning Belial, they had already dispatched elite warriors to conduct a thorough investigation of the surrounding star systems.

Existing investigation results show that, like that mad king, he was the only one who dared to attack warriors of the Land of Light.

From a strategic perspective, this unique case does not pose a threat to the extent that a dedicated standing combat force needs to be established for prevention.

Secondly, the ancestral laws must not be changed.

The Land of Light has always cherished the spirit of peaceful coexistence.

To proactively form a combat force that can bypass the oversight of the Council of Elders and freely choose its targets would be a serious violation of the fundamental principle of the Kingdom of Light: it will not abuse its power, much less actively interfere with the fate of other civilizations!

Of course, considering that Belial was so young yet made such a bold suggestion, they did not hide their last, and most important, concern from him.

That is, the time is not yet ripe. The Land of Light at present is not strong enough to support the emergence of such a force.

Indeed, the Ultra race possesses an almost infinitely long lifespan.

However, as the current de facto rulers of the Land of Light, these elders have been away from the battlefield for many years, and their combat capabilities have severely declined.

If this proposal is passed, it would be tantamount to voluntarily reducing the power of the high-level meeting and handing over the most core and most problematic military force to others.

At that point, if a leader of a combat unit is swayed by personal emotions, makes a wrong judgment, and commits an unforgivable crime, will his troops obey the orders of this negligent leader, or will they continue to obey the commands of the elders?

Or, with the relaxation of restrictions on the use of force, will the already energetic and ambitious new generation gradually develop an extreme pursuit of power and glory, and become dissatisfied with the chosen leaders, and even the current council of elders? Could this lead to large-scale disagreements, or even serious internal strife?

This is not an exaggeration, but a painful lesson that the Land of Light has witnessed more than once when observing the history of the development of civilizations of other races!

Those civilizations that once shared the same belief in peace as the Land of Light did indeed achieve remarkable results at the beginning after handing over military power to new leaders with radical ideologies, but whose intentions were not wrong and who were also wholeheartedly committed to protecting their homeland.

But as their ambitions grew, they gradually lost sight of their true selves, and without exception, they all ended up in endless internal strife and incessant external expansion, until their complete demise.

The reason why the Land of Light has been able to maintain peace throughout the long cosmic era is not because there are no enemies coveting them...

Rather, it is because, although they are born with immense power, they have never used this power as a tool to rule the universe or bully others.

This steadfast commitment is the bottom line that these elders have upheld with their entire lives. It is the last line of defense they have proactively placed on the Ultra race, out of a sense of responsibility to all things in the universe! It must not be easily shaken because of a single isolated incident!

unless……

Among the younger generation of Ultra Warriors, a leader has emerged who possesses immense power to command respect, yet is also willing to constantly restrain himself and maintain a clear mind.

Only in this way can they feel at ease handing over this part of the power, and even the future of the Kingdom of Light, to this successor.

As they spoke, the elder at the head of the group kept his gaze fixed on Belial. Especially when he mentioned the words "leader," his eyes, which had seen it all, revealed undisguised admiration and satisfaction.

The meaning behind it is self-evident.

Therefore, while they acknowledged Beria and Ken's outstanding performance in this mission, they also understood Beria's motivation for making this proposal.

But precisely because of this, they were even less willing to let Belial shoulder too much responsibility before he had fully matured, thus limiting his potential for growth.

I certainly don't want such a powerful army, which could have maintained peace in the universe, to meet a tragic end of self-destruction due to the immaturity of its internal system.

Therefore, the elders hoped that Belial would understand the gravity of the situation and keep the proposal a secret for the time being, and continue to hone his skills in the days to come.

Only in this way, when the time is truly ripe, will Beria's proposal be put back on the table and truly implemented.

After listening to the elders' words, Belial fell into a long silence.

He hadn't been unaware that his abrupt proposal would be unanimously rejected by the elders.

He never expected that the elders, who held high positions, would, in private, act like kind and approachable elders, patiently analyzing the pros and cons with him, instead of coldly rejecting him and giving him a perfunctory reply, relying on their high status.

So much so that when faced with the elders' earnest and expectant gazes, Belial felt somewhat uncomfortable, inexplicably lowered his head, and dared not meet the eyes of the old man before him.

After all, Belial's proposal was indeed largely for the sake of cosmic peace.

However, a small amount of personal motive inevitably played a part. They believed that if the Ultra Guard were established earlier, more strong individuals could be cultivated.

This means that the crisis of future invasion by Alien Empera can be resolved much more easily. I won't need to train so hard anymore; I can relax and enjoy my Olympic life!

Therefore, despite this small selfishness, and these seemingly high-ranking elders who seem to have long enjoyed the privileges brought by power, they are actually working every minute, like Zhuge Liang, to dedicate themselves to the Kingdom of Light and strive to plan for its future.

This stirred up an extremely complex emotion within Beria.

The elders entrusted him with all the important topics that could determine the fate of the Land of Light, such as the future of the Land of Light, the growth of the younger generation, the transfer and checks and balances of power, and so on.

What was revealed in their words was not a condescending admonition, nor was it empty talk or empty promises, but genuine trust! As an elder, they hoped that Belial, this junior, could surpass them and grow even further in the future, until he could surpass them, the old guys!

Faced with this heavy trust, Beria suddenly felt extremely ashamed of his own selfish motives hidden behind the proposal.

Thus, in his blank state, Beria did not notice...

Suddenly, a complex sigh reached his ears.

Among them were surprises and bewilderment...

But more than anything, it was regret and guilt over the wrong choices made in the past.

Chapter 22 The Arrogant Old Man Becomes a Father

After his meeting with the elders and realizing the heavy expectations placed upon him, Belial didn't say anything, but he more than doubled the intensity of his daily training.

In addition to the advanced training arranged by the elders, Belial, feeling a great sense of responsibility, was no longer satisfied with the daily routine physical training and combat sparring. Instead, he began to systematically re-examine all his combat skills.

He disassembled all the light-based techniques, fighting skills, Ultra telekinesis, and other abilities he had acquired since his transmigration, and meticulously refined them one by one.

The patrol team's training grounds have changed hands many times, but every administrator has remembered one rule—no matter who is on duty that day, Belial is always the last to leave.

Of course, as Belial's good brother, Ken will also work hard alongside Belial.

After being stimulated by this trip, he developed a severe "fear of insufficient firepower," just like Belial! He even took the initiative to apply to his superiors to get himself a set of training armor.

Of course, the ordinary training armor was no longer sufficient for Ken, a pure warrior whose muscles replaced his thinking. The training armor he was given now was specially tailored based on Ken's physical data and fighting style, in conjunction with the energy-limiting force field recorded in the various experimental data left by the king when Belial and his team returned.

Once donned, it would allow him to exert a continuous and stable energy field from the outside, much like that underground chamber, to restrict the monstrous strength that had become increasingly terrifying with age. This would allow Ken to calm down, temporarily regain his lost intelligence, and focus on honing his combat skills, which were currently his weak point.

Of course, when he first put it on, Ken, like Belial before him, showed obvious signs of being unaccustomed to it—his punches were slower, the charging time for his beam attacks was longer, and even his most prized "Buffalo Charge" explosive sprint was slowed down, making him about the same average level as other Ultraman of the same age.

But he only remarked, "Belial, do you have some kind of masochistic fetish? How can you wear this thing for ten thousand years without taking it off?" As expected, he was glared at fiercely by Belial, who then struck a punching pose. He then happily put on the training armor and followed the new instructor specially arranged by the elders, honing his fighting skills again and again on the training ground.

Watching Ken's frantic, intense training, Belial couldn't help but wonder...

If he keeps training like this, won't this good-for-nothing Ken awaken his true power before the Alien Emperor even invades...?

If that's the case, then the Aliens of Empera are in for a lot of trouble!

As for his rest time outside of training, Belial used it all to do two other things.

The first thing I did, naturally, was to act as the little girl's temporary guardian and accompany her around the Land of Light to relax.

Belial took the little guy to see all the places Belial considered worth visiting, including the crystal dome of the Land of Light, the floating corridors, and the observation platform outside the Plasma Spark Tower.

At first, the little guy timidly hid inside Belial's color timer, and would curl up in fear when he saw unfamiliar Ultra Warriors passing by.

But gradually, as she realized that everyone here was indeed kind and gentle, just as Beria had said, and would never hurt her, she began to relax.

After that, passersby would occasionally notice strange moments involving Belial...

The once aloof and cold Iron Monarch would occasionally act like a little girl, endlessly exclaiming "Wow, wow!" at the glowing energy crystals.

His every move had completely lost its former domineering air, and was filled with childish immaturity.

Although these actions have completely destroyed the aloof image that Belial has painstakingly cultivated over the past ten thousand years, there's also a subtle hint that this little guy is showing signs of becoming the new king of the kids.

But in Beria's view, as long as the children are having fun, reputation and such don't matter!

When she gradually let go of the past, completely opened her heart to Belial, and took the initiative to suggest that she wanted to train hard with Belial, Belial gladly accepted.

After making a pact with the little girl, Belial would, every few days at specific times, completely transfer control of his body to her. He would then, in the form of a spirit, verbally guide the little girl on how to accept the burning yet gentle power of light originating from Belial.

And what were Belial's reasons for doing this...?

Besides wanting the child to get some fresh air more often, so she wouldn't stay inside Belial's body all the time and end up like Belial imprisoning a minor girl, prematurely embarking on the path of a major villain committing crimes...

More than anything, Belial was reminded that the ancestors of the Land of Light, with mortal bodies, shed their human forms and transformed into the Giants of Light the moment they came into contact with the energy of the Plasma Spark Tower. Therefore, he wanted to see if the little girl could emulate the ancestors of the Land of Light and obtain citizenship through her own efforts!

Although Belial was well aware that the seemingly effortless ascension of his entire race actually resulted in numerous tragedies of people exploding on the spot due to their inability to withstand the energy.

However, this seemingly frail little girl, after being chosen by the king, was first forcibly injected with a large amount of the blood of the Giant of Light. Later, to stabilize her vital signs, Belial also shared a portion of his own power of light with her. Now, as Belial's human form, she has achieved a state of oneness with him…

With all buffs maxed out, Belial believes that with proper guidance, the probability of this child transforming into Ultraman is definitely 1000%!

Of course, Belial would never admit that his efforts to secure a place in the Land of Light for the little girl were because he didn't want to watch her die of old age before his eyes. He also didn't want to forcibly extend her lifespan, disregarding her wishes and binding her future entirely to his own. This would mean that the heartbreakingly sensible little girl would, in effect, lose her most precious "freedom," becoming completely subservient to him.

So much so that every time the little one curiously asks why Belial is so kind to her...

Beria always speaks before he thinks, subconsciously making up all sorts of excuses—such as he's comfortable living alone and doesn't want to be stared at by a little kid all day, having no privacy at all—and giving extremely perfunctory responses.

However, the little girl showed no signs of distancing herself from Belial. On the contrary, as time went by, she became more and more affectionate and dependent on him. Even during training, she never complained or cried out in pain, and persevered through it all.

Even without realizing it, the way they addressed Beria changed from "Uncle Beria" to "Uncle," and then, at some point, they confidently called him "Dad."

As for Belial, he never gave a direct response to the change in how the little girl was addressed.

However, judging from the little guy's instinctive reaction of immediately glancing at Belial no matter what he's doing the moment he calls out "Dad"...

Belial, who has always doted on children, has clearly tacitly accepted this title.

Chapter 23 Monster Ranch

Besides taking care of the child, another thing Belial was busy with during his rest time was to report to the laboratory of the Space Science and Technology Bureau after informing the elders in advance.

He then became an assistant to those top scientists, attempting to find a way to repair and heal the modified monsters, who were all taken back to the Land of Light by Belial in their capsule monster form, with Belial joining forces with the Space Science and Technology Bureau and the Silver Cross Army.

During this process, with the guidance of various leading researchers around him, and by constantly absorbing experience and knowledge to enrich himself, Beria's research level once again achieved a leap forward.