Ultraman Legend of the Light Chaser

To be able to hack into a TLT system, one would need to be an organization of equal capability, but are there organizations of equal capability on Earth?

The countries that jointly funded the establishment of TLT would be prevented from doing so by the funding! Nobody's money comes from thin air; just the technology to enable visitors would be enough to make the finance ministers sit around and bang their fists on the table, cursing them as spendthrifts.

“If we’ve really been hacked, the intelligence department will handle it; we don’t need to worry.” He sipped his tea.

For some reason, with the rampant spread of alien beasts and various rumors, he used to toss and turn at night, unable to sleep, worrying every day about the future of the Night Raid Team and even humanity.

Now he's surprisingly calm, perhaps because he's burdened with debt. He just needs to instruct his team to train and resolutely carry out the orders from their superiors.

However, the higher-ups seem to be arguing with some force lately, all acting mysteriously and cryptically. They might have fallen out with headquarters, since no one would believe the Japanese branch isn't responsible for the leaked intelligence.

The branch manager is probably currently racking his brains with headquarters about the division of responsibilities and follow-up response plans.

From this perspective, the purely combat-oriented departments are truly like unyielding rocks in the face of storms; they may seem dangerous, but they are actually a good place where one need not fear giant waves.

My team members were carefully selected. If you think Group A is unreliable and want to replace them, why don't you immediately replace them with someone who meets the R7 factor?

What does "one in ten million" mean?

Even if your head is tied to your belt, it's still your own belt, which is better than having it held by someone else.

……

Location of the "Truth Investigation Team".

Qixia had already assembled the barbecue grill, but at Baolucao's insistence, she switched to a sukiyaki pot today.

After Sakuma Jun dug Samuel out of the "Karashi Special Plush Ball", he was surprised to find that he could still sleep despite being so fussed over!

He's not awake!

Such healthy sleep... even a middle-aged man like him would want that.

"Is 'Dad' hibernating?" After finishing her morning social science and nature class, Karin thanked Jun Himeya and immediately asked the teacher about a topic that interested her.

Himeya-sensei has traveled to many places; he must know the answer to this kind of question!

Huali had read an article describing polar bear hibernation. It described how the mother bear dug a snow burrow, rolled around inside to compact the walls, and created a very warm space, enough for her to care for her newborn cubs. The polar bears sleep until the following spring, during which time they consume the mother bear's fat reserves.

Is "Dad" going to hibernate like those animals? But it's not the right season.

Or is it that "Dad" is too afraid of the cold, and summer feels like winter to him? Should we buy some small heaters for him now, and buy three or four more to heat him up? Would that wake him up?

She told Jun Himeya about her idea.

The latter seemed to be thinking carefully, but didn't answer.

Runping craned his neck and said, "Then you should put him in the microwave to wake him up even faster."

Himeya Jun immediately turned to look at him, his mind filled with images of himself being stuffed into a microwave oven, the door slamming shut, and him lying dizzy on the glass plate.

Runping noticed his gaze but didn't seem to realize anything was wrong. He continued jokingly, "The sukiyaki will be ready by tonight. Maybe I can even take a 'hot bath'?"

As he spoke, he grabbed a bag of kitchen garbage and threw it at the door, covering it with thatch. He planned to deliver it all together when he left. At first glance, the place was still an uninhabited haunted house.

The windows were covered with black curtains, and together with the scattered, half-rotten wooden planks outside, the lights from working overtime at night wouldn't leak out, ensuring the haunted house maintained its proper decor.

Qi Xia urged him to hurry up and bring the garlic and sesame oil; she wanted to make garlic sauce. Runping responded with an "Eh," picked up the purchased seasonings from the living room, and went back into the kitchen.

Jun Sakuma sat on the side writing the first draft of a serialized story, while Jinzo Negi was refining the "Voices in the Tunnel" chapter.

"The Fiery Phoenix's Raid (Part 2)" has been submitted to newspapers and other publications for printing. Now that they are keeping up with the present, they have started digging into past battles against alien beasts. The tunnel chapter is about Pedron.

He earnestly invited Jun Himeya, a participant in the event, to record a large number of oral Q&As, and while writing, he would occasionally ask about things he hadn't thought of at the time.

"Hey, did the Night Raid team really target you back then?"

“Uh… Komon didn’t, he stopped Saijo.”

"Weren't you fighting Pedron at the time? How could you have noticed this?"

"Ultraman warriors have excellent hearing and vision."

"So that's why you're paying extra attention to Komon?"

"One of the reasons."

"And what about you?" Jinzo Negi asked Jun Sakuma, "Did they treat you the same way?"

Jun Sakuma thought for a moment: "There was such a time... when we were dealing with Dark Faust, a fighter jet hit Samuel with a missile."

Genrai Shinzo opened a new document and started taking notes: "You're not angry?"

Jun Sakuma replied, "I don't feel anything, but Samuel seems unhappy."

"He fought back?"

"I guess so. He was a bit too rough when he released the Chromium Chester; I heard a rattling sound from the chassis... Komon is fine, but Saijo hit his head on the hatch. You can look up the records from back then."

Damage report.

A strange light flashed across Negi Jinzo's wide glasses: "A new perspective!"

"I had previously focused on the human perspective, but even giants have tempers! It's true that good things often rely on a flash of inspiration."

This industry veteran, a former newspaper editor and now the newspaper's president, confidently wielded his ten fingers to record his current enlightenment:

"Emotions...the most wondrous thing in the world!"

"I've always felt that there's something wrong with TLT's approach, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. They do seem to be genuinely working to fight the alien beasts, and now I've finally found the key!"

"They viewed giants, humans mutated by infection, and even those with the ability to adapt as emotionless monsters, and they didn't hesitate to attack anyone who saw a 'monster'..."

He glanced around at the crowd of people, including Baolucao, who had gradually gathered around him, drawn by his sudden loud speech. In the dilapidated "haunted house," at the simple table, amidst tangled cables and spiderwebs in the corner, he delivered a declaration that officially established the core of the already tumultuous "Light and Darkness" story series:

"Himeya, Horikosa, Sakuma! We need to change our writing direction. Mere sensational works are just fleeting thrills. We need to pass on courage to the citizens!"

"Even when faced with unknown fears, there are still those who charge forward; even when darkness encroaches, positive emotions become the light that illuminates everything... There are heroes in this world, but ordinary people are not all cowards."

"Writing about a pile of mud can only spread depression and can't change anything at all—what's more important is the flowers that grow from the mud!"

Chapter Ninety-Six: A Dream of Chaos

The sukiyaki prepared by Nanatsu was a flavor that Jun Sakuma had never tasted before.

Sakura Sakuma used to make this too, but she chose to make it extremely light, focusing on umami and fragrance, and never using heavy seasonings.

As its name suggests, Nanatsu's broth is even more robust and flavorful, with generous amounts of kelp and bonito flakes, as if afraid diners wouldn't find it flavorful enough. It also comes with dipping sauces: minced garlic, chili sauce, wasabi soy sauce, raw egg, and even natto.

...No one would eat sukiyaki with natto, right?

Sakuma Jun stared blankly as Horokusa happily scooped the stringy, subtly smelly stuff into his plate, spoonful by spoonful. After finishing, he licked the spoon clean with a "slurp," then used the communal spoon to scoop up some mushrooms and stuffed them into the pile of natto.

If you're looking for something that provides an equally pleasant experience, in a sense... you could think of it as stinky tofu with crab, especially the kind that's full of roe and crab fat.

Won't this operation ruin the umami flavor?! How are your taste buds shaped? I thought I had a pretty strong palate, but I never expected there's always someone better.

Bao Lucao gave him a strange look, then casually opened a can of beer: "Want a drink?"

"No, no," Jun Sakuma said, raising his glass filled with juice. "It's for health."

Honestly, fighting alien beasts is really physically demanding. Jun Sakuma always feels like his body is completely drained, which has triggered his midlife crisis awareness prematurely. Now he wishes he could soak goji berries in water every day.

But he didn't like the taste of goji berries, so he decided against the wine and preferred to try the juice from the rosewood.

He gets tired of pure sweetness after a while, but he doesn't mind sourness.

Karin, wanting to get closer to her father, said with a grin, "How about I share my juice with you and you share your konpeito with me?"

"Where would I get konpeito?" A real man never eats that kind of thing.

"You can buy it with money, right?" Huali said. "I know all that. You guys get paid on the 13th! I even shared my favorite drinks with you, can't you share some candy with me?"

Jun Sakuma immediately turned his gaze into a blade and stabbed at Horokusa, who was silently slurping natto.

Floral shirts! It's all your fault! My daughter now reeks of money!

"Ah, then Daddy will share his favorites with you too." Sakuma Jun turned his head to look at Karin, his face immediately beaming with a smile.

"Mmm!" Huali nodded repeatedly.

"Daddy... loves it the most..."

My daughter is all smiles.

"Watching the kids do their homework."

My daughter is crying.

"Waaaaah, Daddy's bullying me!" Huali no longer trusts her awful old father!

In a world piled high with schoolwork, and with fathers cold and indifferent, only "Dad" brings true warmth.

A hand suddenly reached out and gently poked her. The hand was dangling under the table, holding something shiny.

Huali opened her eyes, which had been brimming with tears, and saw that it was her sister Qixia's slender fingers, which had been decorated with a combination of lotus root color and milk tea color nail polish. The surface was icy and translucent, like a fixed stream, gentle and beautiful.

Nana secretly slipped a piece of chocolate to her, and Karin immediately stopped crying, quickly stuffed the chocolate into her pocket, and gave Nana a big smile in return.

Jun Sakuma noticed their little actions but didn't call them out. Instead, he handed Karin a tissue and told her to wipe her eyes.

Huali made a face at him and leaned closer to Qixia: "Hehehe, I don't want your napkins."

"Take it or leave it." Jun Sakuma appeared nonchalant on the surface, but his mind was in turmoil.

The bend is a bit congested.

Compared to Horikoshi, Jun Himeya's tastes were clearly much more normal. He picked up some beef with a raw egg, dipping it as he asked, "Is Samuel still asleep?"