Volume One, Chapter Five: Evolution Complete, Intermediate Monster

Lin Yu was unaware of the changes taking place within the TPC. He had already descended deep into the volcano, immersing himself in the magma to absorb its energy. As he drew in the fiery essence, he felt his physical form gradually repairing itself under the influence of the geothermal power.

"It seems the energy within this magma is incredibly effective for my recovery!"

Realizing this, Lin Yu decided not to leave until he had drained every last drop of energy from the molten depths. Soon, his entire body was submerged in the lava, absorbing the power that had been accumulating for thousands of years.

Time passed, and days turned into a week. During this period, due to the emergence of Lin Yu, the GUTS team had preemptively equipped themselves with upgraded weaponry. Their training aircraft were converted into combat fighters, and standard signal flares were replaced with specialized ammunition. Simultaneously, the TPC successfully developed the "Texas Cannon," a weapon specifically designed to combat monsters.

During this time, Daigo learned from Yuzare about the technical capabilities of Tiga’s three forms and even held a conversation with the ancient entity. Daigo specifically inquired about Zetton, but Yuzare admitted she had never heard of such a monster before and was unsure how to counter it.

A few days later, on Mount Kyora, the GUTS team successfully eliminated a Gakuma using the Texas Beam, which bolstered the confidence of the previously anxious Iruma. Humanity now possessed the capability to slay monsters; if that creature Zetton dared to destroy a city, the GUTS team could eliminate it just the same. Daigo, too, successfully defeated a Gakuma using his own strength, gaining confidence in his power as an Ultraman host and feeling that he would no longer be unsettled should Zetton reappear.

On that day, inside the volcano, a giant red egg slowly shattered, and a dark figure emerged. It was Lin Yu. After more than ten days of absorption, he had consumed all the energy within the magma, completing his evolution and undergoing a massive transformation. His size had leaped from sixty meters to seventy, his signature scythes had grown significantly longer, and their color had shifted from black to red. Lin Yu’s strength had evolved to the intermediate monster level, with significant improvements across all his stats.

[Name: Lin Yu]
[Monster: Zetton]
[Strength: Intermediate Monster]
[Lifespan: 30 days] (Body Repair Progress: 50%)
[Data: Attack (3500), Energy Reserves (7000), Defense (500), Speed (Mach 8)]
[Skills: Teleportation, Fireball, Melba Wings, Trillion-Degree Fireball, Devour, Energy Barrier]
[Health Bar: 6000/6000]

Looking at his status panel, Lin Yu was quite satisfied. Not only had he gained thirty days of lifespan, but his physical repair progress had reached 50%. He discovered that energy could heal his wounds much faster than before. Beyond this, his evolution had boosted the damage of his Trillion-Degree Fireball from 2000 to 3500, and his defense had increased by another hundred points. His energy bar had risen to 7000, allowing him to fire three Trillion-Degree Fireballs in one go, and he had also gained the Energy Barrier skill. The decision to absorb the magma had been undeniably correct.

This experience sparked a new idea: if devouring energy could significantly repair his body, what about the energy of Ultramen? His target was not Daigo—an idealist warrior—whom he would not challenge without absolute certainty of victory. Instead, his focus turned to the stone statues of ancient Ultramen; they surely contained potent energy. This energy would likely be superior to magma and could potentially resolve his lingering injuries completely, as absorbing "light" energy would be akin to receiving a healing treatment from an Ultraman.

Two options lay before him: the fragments of the giant stored by the TPC, or the intact statue buried beneath Kumamoto City. Currently, Lin Yu aimed for the TPC fragments because he did not know the location of the statue in Kumamoto. He could simply follow the GUTS team back to their headquarters.

As he contemplated his plan, his monster radar suddenly alerted him to a location.

"A monster has appeared, and it's an intermediate one! Perfect, I'll go take a look."

Lin Yu decided that he would head toward the monster, wait for Daigo to transform, and then step in to snatch the kill. This would allow him to devour the monster while forcing Daigo to use up his once-a-day transformation limit. Once that was done, he could follow the GUTS team back to TPC headquarters and take the fragments by force.

With his plan set, Lin Yu flapped his wings and flew out of the volcanic crater, guided by the moonlight. Calculating the time, he surmised that the monster appearing now must be a Kyrieloid.

Thinking of these creatures, Lin Yu recalled their ability to take on human form. Monster life was hardly better than human life, with nothing to do but train. If he could take on a human form, he would be quite pleased. With that thought, he flapped his wings even harder.

Moments later, Lin Yu arrived at the scene. As he had predicted, it was a Kyrieloid, and Daigo had already transformed into Tiga to engage it. Upon arrival, Lin Yu immediately used his panel to scan both combatants.

[Ultraman: Tiga]
[Strength: Advanced Warrior]
[Data: Attack (5000), Energy Reserves (10,000), Defense (500), Speed (Mach 10)]
[Skills: Zeperion Ray, Tiga Cutter, Timer Flash...]
[Health Bar: 8000/10,000]
(Note: Ultramen are idealist warriors; their data may fluctuate!)

Looking at Tiga’s panel, Lin Yu sighed; even as an intermediate warrior, Daigo’s stats were significantly higher than his own. He truly lived up to the name of an Ultraman.

He then turned his gaze toward the Kyrieloid.

[Monster: Kyrieloid]
[Strength: Intermediate Monster]
[Data: Attack (1000), Energy Reserves (7000), Defense (500), Speed (Mach 5), Mental Power (100)]
[Skills: Fireball, Hellfire Bullet, Spiritual Manifestation...]
[Health Bar: 3000/5000]

Lin Yu nodded. This was what a normal warrior’s panel should look like. However, after checking both, he sensed something amiss. According to the stats, Daigo should have been crushing the Kyrieloid, yet currently, Daigo was the one on the defensive.