Ultraman: Invincible from Saving Tiga.

Chapter 600 The Clash Between Underground and Surface Civilizations
The next day.

Inside the command center of TPC Far East headquarters.

The atmosphere was serious. The members of the Victory Team were gathered around the central tactical table, where a huge, frozen lake was displayed on a holographic projection.

"Based on the information provided by Mr. Lin Yu, and our latest deciphering of the Taiping Customs and Traditions."

Horii pointed to a blurry outline in the center of the ice.

"The water demon beast Magajaba is sealed beneath this layer of ice at absolute zero."

[Magajapa: Taking a bath.]

He switched the screen to display a complex set of equipment diagrams.

"My plan is to use the newly developed 'thermal fusion penetrating bomb' to open a precise gap in the surface of the ice, and then insert a high-power microwave generator to rapidly heat the ice from the inside and deseal it."

Shinjo stroked his chin: "What happens after the lockdown is lifted? That guy will definitely go berserk immediately."

"of course."

Horii pushed up his non-existent glasses. "So the moment it's completely unsealed, we'll activate the 'R1 bomb' pre-installed at the bottom of the lake to completely evaporate it."

"R1 bomb?"

Lina looked worried. "That thing is too powerful. Won't it cause irreversible damage to the surrounding ecosystem?"

"Don't worry." Horii patted his chest confidently. "After precise calculations, the energy from the explosion will be completely absorbed by Magajaba's body and the remaining ice layer. There won't be a single bit of energy leakage."

Captain Megumi looked at the screen, pondered for a moment, and finally nodded.

"This sounds like the safest option at the moment. Zongfang, prepare to issue the 'Blue Mercury' operation order."

"Understood!" Zong Fang replied.

However, just as he was about to give the order...

"Ugh——!"

The piercing alarm blared throughout the command center, and all the screens instantly turned into static.

"what happened?!"

Ye Rui immediately rushed back to his console, his hands flying across the keyboard. "Unidentified signal intrusion! The firewall has been bypassed! The attacker's level is extremely high!"

The next second, the snow on the main screen disappeared, replaced by complete darkness, and a figure with its face obscured by a hood appeared.

An old, hoarse voice, carrying an unquestionable tone of command, echoed in the command room.

"Surface people, immediately cease your foolish actions."

The members of the Victory Team instantly went into battle alert.

"Who are you?" Megumi stepped forward and calmly questioned.

"We are the Delos, one of the original inhabitants of this planet."

The aged voice carried a hint of arrogance, "We have been watching you all along. What you are about to unseal will awaken a true calamity deep beneath the earth, threatening the survival of our race."

"If you insist on awakening the Water Demon Beast, causing the 'Calamity Soul' to awaken."

The figure's tone suddenly turned icy.

"Then, we will activate our ultimate weapon, the Million Basaku, to wipe out everything on the surface and destroy you before disaster strikes."

As soon as the words were spoken, the communication was unilaterally cut off, and the screen returned to normal.

The command center was deathly silent.

TPC's top-floor conference room.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like it could drip water.

Director Sawai sat in the main seat, his brow furrowed. Megumi Kijima stood beside him, having just finished reporting the warning from the Delos.

"That's unreasonable!"

A roar broke the silence. Director Yoshioka slammed his fist on the table, his dark, square face contorted with rage.

"Who do they think they are?!" He glared, pacing back and forth in anger.

"A bunch of rats hiding underground, who don't utter a sound when monsters wreak havoc on Earth! Now that we're dealing with the threat, they're jumping out to stop us?"

"And what's the way to stop us? Is it by attacking us?!"

Director Yoshioka felt his blood pressure soaring. He pointed at the frozen image of the Delos on the screen and almost shouted it out.

"Have their brains been fried by the geothermal heat? Wouldn't it be good for everyone if we dealt with the monster? Not only do they refuse to help, but they also hinder us and threaten to destroy us?"

"I see it now, these underground people have no good intentions at all!"

Director Sawai raised his hand, signaling him to calm down: "Yoshioka, don't get agitated. They might just be driven by fear of the unknown."

"fear?"

Yoshioka sneered, "I think they just want an excuse to start a war and take back the surface! Director, we can't have any more illusions about these guys. I suggest we activate our secret weapon immediately and show them the TPC's determination!"

"You can't do that, Director."

Megumi immediately retorted, "Force will only escalate the conflict. The Delos people possess technology we don't understand, and the consequences of war would be unimaginable. We should try to communicate."

"Communicate? How do you communicate? Communicate with a bunch of mentally unstable lunatics?" Yoshioka stood firm.

The meeting reached a stalemate.

Meanwhile, deep underground, in the central sanctuary of the Dilos civilization.

Queen Dina, dressed in a beige robe, was surrounded by several guards wielding energy spears.

Before her stood the Grand Elder, who had just issued a warning to the surface of the earth.

At this moment, behind the Grand Elder stood a crowd of elders and warriors who supported him, their eyes gleaming with fanaticism and ambition.

"Elder, this is a coup!"

Queen Dina's voice remained calm, but the worry between her brows turned into disappointment and heartache.

"This is for the future of Delos!"

The Elder's voice was harsh, "Your theory of peaceful coexistence will only lead us to destruction! Surface people are weak, selfish, and untrustworthy! Only by taking our destiny into our own hands can we survive!"

"Unlock the [Million Barzacu] limit and initiate the final process."

He shouted the order, "When the time comes, we will flatten the earth."

"Are you crazy?"

Queen Dina shouted angrily, "You will destroy us all!"

"Take her away and lock her in the solitary confinement room." The Grand Elder waved his hand coldly, no longer glancing at her.

The guards stepped forward and restrained Queen Dina.

In her final moments as she was being led away from the temple, Queen Dina gazed at the retreating figure consumed by power and hatred, a resolute glint in her eyes. She discreetly activated a highly concealed communication device on her wrist—an emergency channel connecting her with Inas, the queen of another underground civilization.

She didn't know if the distress message would reach the surface, but this was her last chance.

TPC Command Center.

"Captain, we have received an encrypted emergency distress signal."

Ye Rui's voice suddenly rang out, "The signal source is underground, but it's not the channel of that Delos person from before."

On the screen, a fragmented video was deciphered.

The image shows Queen Dina being carried away by guards, her voice filled with urgency and pleading.

"Friends on the surface... A coup has occurred in Dilos... The Grand Elder is blinded by hatred... Please stop him... Otherwise, both civilizations will be doomed..."

The video ends here.

The people in the command room looked at each other in bewilderment.

What happened?

(End of this chapter)