Volume One, Chapter 13: Surrender

If the people of TPC had harbored any lingering doubts before, those doubts were now utterly dispelled in the wake of the attack. The giants of light, once revered as humanity’s saviors, had now succumbed to the control of a sinister monster manipulator. The human savior was gone. Despair began to spread like wildfire. Faced with the assault from the sacred giant, some of those whose faith had crumbled even charged forward to meet the attack head-on.

This manifested most clearly in the rapid increase of Lin Yu’s Hiperjeton incubation level. Merely by lingering in the sky, his incubation rate rose by one percent. Fear—human fear—was fueling it. Observing the rise, Lin Yu nodded in satisfaction; today’s experiment was a demonstration for him. He planned to use this TPC incident as a blueprint to stage a global drama of despair, one that would plunge all humanity into hopelessness.

As Lin Yu continued his assault, a shift was felt from the Lijia Delong side. He sensed his body’s energy rapidly depleting; if he did not replenish it soon, his Ultraman form would dissipate in less than a minute. Lin Yu was not surprised by this news. Moreover, he never intended to annihilate the entire TPC. Apart from those reckless humans who threw themselves at death, he instructed Lijia Delong to avoid attacking populated areas.

His reasoning was clear: humans in TPC were like chives—fodder to be harvested—or, more accurately, fear reservoirs after learning that fear could boost incubation levels. Lin Yu wanted to preserve them to continue producing fear. You can cut some of the chives, but never all of them; otherwise, the supply would dry up.

At that moment, Ju Jianhui was using the communication method Lin Yu had given her to contact him. Sensing her action, Lin Yu’s eyes brightened. He had just evolved into a higher life form and did not intend to destroy TPC completely. This was the perfect opportunity to negotiate with Ju Jianhui. With a flash, Lin Yu appeared before her.

“You’re looking for me?” Lin Yu asked, now restored to human form. Ju Jianhui, facing this tall, handsome man, could not conceal the hatred in her eyes.

Instead of anger, Lin Yu smiled and gently stroked his own cheek. Despite Ju Jianhui’s resistance and animosity, the sounds of crying outside and the trembling ground reminded her of her familiar teammates and colleagues. For their sake, she voluntarily leaned closer and even moved Lin Yu’s hand downward.

Lin Yu smiled at her gesture. Now a higher life form, he could control Ju Jianhui’s physical sensations. He intended to transform the proud, disdainful Victory Squad captain into a different version of herself. He was curious to see whether she could maintain that look of contempt while overwhelmed by pleasure.

“Spare the humans of TPC, and I will do anything!” Ju Jianhui said, suppressing her revulsion and standing tall.

Feeling the softness in his hand, Lin Yu checked his Hiperjeton incubation level—it had reached ten percent. Meanwhile, Evil Diga had completely exhausted its energy and was about to dissipate. Seeing this, Lin Yu agreed without hesitation.

...

Forty minutes later.

Munakata knocked on Ju Jianhui’s door. Although Evil Diga had long since departed, the destruction it caused was severe. As Victory Squad captain, Munakata had been busy organizing relief efforts, and now, finally finished, he came to ask Ju Jianhui what to do next.

“Come in!” Ju Jianhui’s weary voice answered. Munakata, puzzled, recalled not seeing her during the rescue operations and wondered why she seemed so tired.

Entering the room, he saw Ju Jianhui’s flushed face. For some reason, Munakata found her exceptionally charming—the aura of allure radiated from her entire being.

“Captain, we’ve basically rescued the energy sources that caused casualties from the Ultraman attack. I’d like to ask your opinion on the next steps.”

“Go find Daiku and Director Zei. Especially Daiku—he is humanity’s hope for the future!”

Hearing this, Munakata was confused. “Hasn’t Daiku lost his transformation power? Isn’t he the Ultraman controlled by the monster manipulator?”

Ju Jianhui shook her head. “I’ve confirmed it—Daiku hasn’t lost his transformation ability.”

“That’s great!” Munakata’s face lit up with joy, but then suspicion crept in. How did the captain know this information?

“By the way, whom did you ask?” Munakata pressed.

Ju Jianhui’s face flushed unconsciously, and she replied nervously, “I misspoke—it’s just my guess, but I’m quite sure it’s true!”

Noticing her unease, Munakata’s vigilance rose. He glanced around and suddenly noticed something odd: since when did the captain’s room have a new mirror? And why was there a streak of water on it?

“Captain, when did you get this mirror? And why is there water on it? Did you spill your cup?”

Ju Jianhui’s expression grew even more unnatural. Hastily, she shifted the topic. “Let’s not worry about that now. Hurry and find Daiku and Director Zei—they’re needed to stabilize the situation at TPC.”

Munakata nodded, not dwelling on it. “Captain, aren’t you coming with me?”

“No, you go. I’ll stay here to comfort the injured.”

Munakata agreed. But as he turned and passed the table, he suddenly slipped on a puddle of water.

“Captain, why are you spilling water everywhere?”

As he complained, he noticed a photo on the table: Ju Jianhui with her late husband. The picture was clearly damp in parts.

“Captain, bring some water in!” Before Munakata could think further, Ju Jianhui’s panicked voice came from behind.

“Oh, during the attack on TPC, my room shook, and water spilled everywhere. I’ll clean it up later.”

Recalling the recent assault on TPC, Munakata accepted the explanation and nodded.

“All right, Captain. You rest up. I’m off to find Director Zei.”

After he left, Ju Jianhui exhaled deeply, touching the black collar around her neck with a complex expression. This collar was part of a wager she had made with Lin Yu: if she didn’t react strongly during their fight, Lin Yu would assist her with a request. If she did, she would have to wear this collar permanently and obey another command.

Thinking of her recent ordeal, the proud, beautiful Victory Squad captain’s face was troubled. She stared at the marks on the mirror and on the photo with her late husband, doubting herself. She was certain she loved her husband and despised Lin Yu. Yet the reality was...

Ju Jianhui’s heart was filled with confusion. Memories of past events brought humiliation but also stirred the memories in her body. The recollection of pleasure evoked a subtle yearning. This complex emotional turmoil was quietly changing her.

Elsewhere, Lin Yu returned to his company. Today had been a massive success. Not only had he subdued Evil Diga and ascended to a higher life form, but he had also discovered a way to accelerate the incubation of his Hiperjeton. His incubation level increased by a full five percent in a single day—a sum greater than all previous increments combined. This filled Lin Yu with pride.

Beyond incubation, he acquired three Hiperjeton Experience Cards. Each could summon a Hiperjeton for three minutes—a formidable being capable of contending with Saga. Even a brief three minutes was enough to slay any monster or Ultraman in the Diga world. With these cards, Lin Yu had a powerful trump card to protect his life.

Moreover, upon ascending, he gained a new ability: a mental illusion capable of summoning the Rebranto Alien, a powerful being that had dominated the universe for millennia. Thanks to his increased spiritual power, these temporary boosts could now last much longer.

His Gorba was essentially a legendary monster. Currently, his configuration was that of a higher life form with two legendary-level combat powers. For survival, he had the Rebranto Alien illusion and the three-minute Hiperjeton Experience Cards.

“Thanks, Zei!” Though Zei wished to kill him, what he had done genuinely enhanced Lin Yu’s strength.

After this reflection, Lin Yu began contemplating his next move. He intended to spread the TPC incident worldwide, making all humanity fear his existence. He was confident this would cause his Hiperjeton incubation level to skyrocket.

Just then, a knock came at the door. Using his spiritual power, Lin Yu sensed it was Maya, who now bore a greatly altered appearance, likely fitted with the modifications he requested, including the standard chain from the pet store.

“Hm!” Lin Yu nodded in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Munakata arrived with others to find Zei and Daiku. Medical personnel were promptly dispatched to TPC Hospital. Thanks to excellent care, Zei and Daiku soon awoke from their comas. Zei’s first question was about the situation’s progression. Upon learning that the Ultraman he nurtured was controlled by the monster manipulator, the director seemed to age a decade instantly; his vitality and spirit waned.

“I was truly wrong!” Zei said with deep remorse, watching the Ultraman he created submit to the monster manipulator’s control on the screen. His regret stemmed from multiple sources: he should never have ordered the attack on the monster manipulator; if he hadn’t, perhaps Jigang would not have fallen, and his own rashness wouldn’t have led to such disaster.

Recalling Ju Jianhui’s counsel, Zei summoned her with regret.

“Captain Ju, I was indeed mistaken. If I had heeded your advice both times and avoided provoking that monster manipulator, things would be far better.”

Filled with remorse, Zei appointed Ju Jianhui as acting director of TPC.

“I have made many mistakes. From now on, TPC is in your hands!”

Ju Jianhui was stunned by this sudden promotion. While unexpected, it was an opportunity to better save humanity. Yet her gaze fell on the black collar around her neck.

...

Elsewhere, Lin Yu scrutinized Maya as she entered. The lyricist of this plot knelt before him and presented all the items she had previously brought in with both hands. Lin Yu understood clearly: Maya had completely surrendered to her desires.

[Congratulations, host. Complete control over Maya’s mind achieved.]

[Spiritual power +1000.]

Hearing the notification, Lin Yu smiled and waved his hand.

Time passed swiftly.

The next day, Lin Yu turned on the television. He had learned the night before that Ju Jianhui had assumed the position of TPC director. Today, the new director would announce her identity on a global broadcast to calm humanity; after all, the destruction of TPC headquarters by Ultraman was widely known.

Before the TV, Ju Jianhui wore the Victory Squad insignia, her noble and beautiful face exuding valor and grace. Her striking appearance drew much attention during the live broadcast, with many online praising her beauty.

Lin Yu watched as well. Today, Ju Jianhui did not wear the collar publicly, with his consent. But in exchange for this, she would pay a price in secret. With this thought, Lin Yu took a remote and pressed a button on the television.