Ultraman: Invincible from Saving Tiga.

Chapter 555 Man and Nature
An unusual commotion interrupted his thoughts.

The pedestrians, who had been hurrying along, suddenly stopped, looked up, and pointed at the sky, their faces filled with surprise and confusion. The clamor of voices merged into a buzzing sound, echoing in the air above the bustling street.

"Look at the sky!"

"What's that? Why is the rainbow upside down?"

"How strange, I've never seen anything like this before."

Lin Yu followed everyone's gaze and was slightly taken aback.

In the clear blue sky, a magnificent seven-colored rainbow, like a giant smile, hung upside down above the city.

Its arc is completely opposite to that of a regular rainbow; its colors are bright, its outline is clear, and it exudes a strange and dreamlike beauty under the sunlight.

"An upside-down rainbow..."

Risa tilted her head back, her clear eyes reflecting the strange rainbow light, full of curiosity.

Just then, a gentle, aged voice rang out from the crowd, attracting Lin Yu's attention.

"Hehe, little one, don't be afraid, this is a good omen."

Looking in the direction of the voice, an elderly woman dressed in a simple kimono, with gray hair and brown glasses, was smiling and talking to a little boy next to her who was being held in his mother's arms and pointing curiously at the sky.

The little boy asked in his childish voice, "Auspicious omen? What is that, Grandpa?"

“In ancient times, this was called ‘Heaven’s Smile,’ meaning that Heaven was smiling at us.”

The old man patiently explained, "Legend has it that when there is a severe drought, if such a rainbow appears in the sky, rain will soon fall and nourish all things."

People around gathered curiously upon hearing this. A young man couldn't help but ask, "Sir, this rainbow has been appearing for seven days now, and it hasn't rained at all. The weather forecast said it would be sunny for the next two weeks."

"Yeah yeah,"

Another person chimed in, "I saw the news. It's not just here; these upside-down rainbows have appeared in many places all over the world, and the experts can't explain them."

"It's been seven days..."

Upon hearing this, the old man's smile remained unchanged, but his gaze became somewhat distant, as if he were lost in a long-forgotten memory.

"I saw a rainbow like this once when I was a child."

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "Back then, just like now, there were many consecutive sunny days, and the village wells were almost dry. The adults were extremely anxious, so they gathered together and held a rain-praying ceremony at the ancient shrine at the village entrance."

The old man's story unfolded like an ancient scroll before the crowd. Everyone involuntarily quieted down and listened attentively.

“I remember it very clearly. Just when everyone was praying most fervently, an upside-down rainbow appeared in the sky. At that time, the village elders said, ‘Our hopes have been fulfilled.’”

Lin Yu listened with great interest.

In those chaotic universes outside, you're either facing world-destroying crises or scheming against a bunch of mentally unstable aliens. You always feel like you're not on solid ground and your mind is exhausted.

Earth is still the most comfortable place.

Even though the Earth's will in this world is still fast asleep underground, preventing him from obtaining support from the ley lines by borrowing the power of the Renlong as he did in the Gaia world, it doesn't matter.

For him, the dungeons for the new generation were no different from the starting village; he could just slaughter everyone indiscriminately.

Listening to these ancient legends with their mythological elements now has a unique charm.

Just as Lin Yu was lost in thought, the old man suddenly changed the subject and his tone became serious.

"However, although people's hopes can be conveyed, once evil thoughts arise in their hearts, this blessing will turn into a calamity."

He looked at the bewildered little boy and said earnestly, "I remember my grandmother holding my hand tightly and telling me over and over again that I must always have a kind heart and never have any bad intentions. Because the gods are all around us."

"Sometimes, it transforms into a gentle rainbow, bringing us nourishing rain; but sometimes, it turns into a violent gale, taking everything away from us."

The old man's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice filled with a deep sense of awe.

"It is Nijikajaqi."

Lin Yu's eyebrows suddenly shot up.

Nijika Gaki? Rainbow Gaki?
He understood instantly.

The old man was referring to the Rainbow Serpent God, a legendary being that has coexisted with humanity for thousands of years.

This is interesting. The ancient way monsters and humans coexist sounds much more complex than just fighting and killing.

"Nikikaga?"

In the crowd, a stylishly dressed young man frowned, took out his phone to search, and then scoffed, "Old sir, isn't this just a monster? The internet says it's a giant snake-like monster."

“When a monster comes, the defense force should defeat it! What’s there to be afraid of?” The young man’s words immediately resonated with many people.

"Exactly, what era are we living in? People still believe in these things."

"If there really is a monster, SKaRD and Ultraman Blaze will take care of it."

Upon hearing these words, the gentle smile on the old man's face vanished instantly, replaced by a pained anger bordering on rage. "Defeat? Resolve?"

He suddenly raised his voice, slamming his cane heavily on the ground, "It's because of you young people who always hold such arrogant and rude ideas, wantonly destroying nature, that we have provoked nature's wrath!"

“Nijkajaqi is not an enemy that needs to be defeated; it is nature itself! It is something we should revere.”

The old man was somewhat agitated. Pointing at the surrounding skyscrapers, his voice was filled with grief and indignation, "Look at what we humans have done! For our own convenience, we have hollowed out mountains, filled in lakes, and polluted rivers! Now, nature's messenger has appeared, and instead of reflecting on our actions, you want to destroy it? How foolish! How arrogant!"

These strong words stunned everyone around them.

The people looked at each other, unsure how to respond. They couldn't understand why the old man would side with a legendary monster and instead criticize humanity.

The atmosphere instantly became tense and hostile.

The old man's angry rebuke was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples. After a brief silence, an even stronger chorus of rebuttal erupted from the crowd.

"Sir, you can't say that, can you? What's wrong with us developing technology and improving our lives?"

"Exactly! Are we supposed to leave our air conditioners unused and go back to the era of making fire by rubbing sticks together?"

"That's a monster. It destroys cities and hurts people. Just because it's 'natural,' are we just supposed to stand by and take the beating?"

A young mother held her child tightly, her face filled with anxiety and fear. "My child is so young. I don't want him to live in fear of being trampled to death by monsters at any moment!"

These words immediately garnered everyone's support, and public opinion instantly turned against them.

"That's right, protecting ourselves is the most important thing!"

"Grandpa, you're being too extreme."

Faced with the onslaught of the crowd, the old man trembled with anger, his lips quivering, but he couldn't utter a single word. Looking at the pairs of incomprehensible, accusing, and even hostile eyes around him, his gaze was filled with disappointment and loneliness.

Just then, a calm voice broke in, like a clear spring, instantly diluting the tense atmosphere.

"Everyone, please calm down. The old man is just concerned about the environment, and his intentions are good."

Lin Yu, accompanied by Risa, walked leisurely out of the crowd with a warm smile on his face. He first waved to the crowd, signaling them to calm down, then turned to the old man whose face was flushed with anger.

"Sir, shall we find a place to sit down and have a proper chat?"

His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and his tone was gentle yet carried an irresistible power. The old man stared blankly at him, then glanced at the still unfriendly gazes around him, and finally nodded, leaning on his cane, silently following Lin Yu to a park bench nearby.

Risa obediently followed Lin Yu, curiously observing the silent old man.

On the park bench, the afternoon sun filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows.

Lin Yu bought three cans of hot tea from the vending machine, giving one to the old man and one to Risa.

The old man took the hot tea, held it in his hands, but didn't drink it. He remained silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh.

"Don't you also think I'm an unreasonable, eccentric old man?"

"No,"

Lin Yu pulled the tab, took a sip, and then slowly said, "I understand your thoughts."

"understand?"

The old man chuckled self-deprecatingly. “You don’t need to understand. Soon, they all will. When nature’s wrath comes, they will understand what awe means.”

His voice was soft, yet it carried a chilling coldness.

Lin Yu's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Good grief, this butt isn't just crooked, it's completely crooked towards the monster, and it even wants to step on the gas to accelerate.

"Old sir,"

Lin Yu put down the tea canister, his expression turning serious. "True reverence isn't achieved through destruction and fear. You hope to 'awaken' humanity with a disaster, teaching them to revere nature. But have you considered the consequences of doing so?"

"Consequences?" The old man scoffed. "The consequence is that those arrogant and ignorant people will pay the price for their actions!"

"The cost will be the death of countless innocent people, the destruction of cities, and the regression of civilization."

Lin Yu pointed out incisively, "And then what? Will the survivors develop awe for nature? No, they will only develop deeper fear and hatred. They will regard monsters and nature as mortal enemies. Next time, they will develop more powerful weapons and use more extreme methods to 'conquer' nature to ensure that the tragedy never happens again."

Lin Yu looked at the old man with sharp eyes.

"You want to solve the problem with a massive purge, but that will only make things worse. Because from beginning to end, no one has realized where they went wrong. They will only feel that they didn't kill fast enough or ruthlessly enough."

“I’ve seen far too many worlds like this,”

Lin Yu's voice turned low, "Civilization is repeatedly heading towards self-destruction in this vicious cycle. You think you are saving the world, but in reality, you are just pushing it into the abyss with your own hands."

Hengfeng Wanxiang was stunned by Lin Yu's words.

(End of this chapter)