Chapter 28: My Dream: Hey, What Are You Doing

On the bus.

I, Meng, sat among a group of girls.

These high school girls were chattering away, discussing who was more handsome, their voices clear and lively.

Feeling awkward and out of place, I decided to get off the bus early and walk the rest of the way home.

When I arrived at a stretch of beach, the familiar surroundings stirred memories of my childhood.

The real reason I didn’t want to come back was rooted in being ostracized by my peers since I was young. I never much liked this small town.

Back then, I was an outstanding student—a genius in every subject except physical education.

In the eyes of other adults, I became the “model child” they used to chide their own kids for not being smart enough.

Over time, jealousy brewed, and I was gradually isolated by my peers, who refused to play with me.

Bullying exists even in the world of heroes.

My childhood experience was relatively mild; I was only excluded, never physically attacked.

It was nothing like Makio Kirino in the world of Tiga, who was called a monster from a young age and thrown into mud, beaten and kicked.

Children’s kindness is pure, and so is their malice. Because of their innocence, they all need a “complete childhood” to be properly taught.

Fathers’ belts and slippers, mothers’ bamboo sticks and hangers—all served to correct a child’s mistakes.

A loving mother’s hand wields a sword, and the rebellious child bears its mark; if a father sees his son unscathed, he brings out the “Seven Wolves” belt.

And sometimes, a slap works wonders.

That slap’s sobering effect is so remarkable that even Ace and Leo would recommend it.

If any Ultraman falls into confusion, stubbornness, decadence, or despair, there’s no need to hesitate—just give him a slap.

Try it and see—the results are immediate. He’ll snap out of it instantly.

A few well-chosen words afterward, and who knows, the Ultraman might even have a moment of enlightenment.

At this moment, I, Meng, was lost in memories.

A beam of light shot out from the sea, and beside me materialized the figure of Qiao Zhe. “What are you doing here, daydreaming?” he asked.

He’d sensed Gaia’s presence when he returned just now and decided to come take a look.

“Oh? Nothing.” I snapped out of it, unwilling to mention my childhood, and asked in confusion, “Why did you come out of the sea?”

“Physical training,” Qiao Zhe replied succinctly.

He certainly wasn’t going to tell me he was practicing energy beams.

An Ultraman who can’t use beams is like a man who can’t admit his shortcomings—utterly embarrassing.

I looked at him doubtfully, then turned toward the sea. “Physical training? In the ocean?”

“Yes. The pressure in the deep sea is immense. It’s a good way to strengthen the body,” Qiao Zhe said honestly.

He had indeed been practicing ripple energy just now.

But while in human form, he couldn’t endure it for long and had to transform, then went searching for sunken ships on the seabed.

He was in luck and discovered a wreck loaded with ancient gold coins, now all stored in subspace.

I was completely taken aback, clearly not believing Qiao Zhe’s explanation. “How could you possibly train in the deep sea?”

I’m well-read; don’t try to fool me.

The pressure down there would crush any normal human body.

Ordinarily, that would be true. But Qiao Zhe was no ordinary person.

Seeing my skeptical expression, he raised his fist and extended his little finger. “This is the power of ripple energy. Want to experience it?”

“Ripple?” I blinked.

But before I could react, Qiao Zhe suddenly flicked his hand and struck my diaphragm!

My eyes widened in shock, and my mouth gaped open on instinct. “Waaah—”

Air and a bit of spittle burst from my lungs and mouth.

Qiao Zhe sidestepped to avoid my spray. “Just like that—expel all the air from your lungs, not a milliliter left.”

“Uh... what are you doing...” I gasped, struggling to breathe, my words trembling.

But as I spoke, a special ripple breath was triggered, and in the next instant, a surge of energy welled up inside me!

“What... what is this!” Sensing the strange sensation in my body, I was stunned. “Something inside me... it’s coming out!”

“Aaah—” I couldn’t help but cry out in exhilaration, my head thrown back, my voice soaring.

Qiao Zhe regarded me with a strange look. It was hard to believe that sound had come from my mouth just now.

But I didn’t care about any of that at the moment.

My exhaustion vanished; my whole body brimmed with strength. Ecstatic, I turned to Qiao Zhe. “Qiao Zhe! What is this!?”

“Ripple Overdrive,” Qiao Zhe said with a smile, turning to walk toward the Takayama house. “That’s what I was practicing in the deep sea.”

Hearing this, I recalled his earlier words and suddenly understood. “Ripple energy? What an incredible power!”

Right now, I felt vigorous and full of life from head to toe.

But as my breathing grew disordered, the ripple energy faded, and that surge of power gradually dissipated until it was gone.

The strike Qiao Zhe delivered just now had only temporarily triggered ripple energy in me—once my breathing lost its rhythm, the effect vanished.

I felt a bit unsatisfied, but since this was Qiao Zhe’s secret technique, I was too embarrassed to ask for more.

It felt just like qigong.

Muttering to myself, I suddenly remembered something and hurried after Qiao Zhe to ask, “By the way, Qiao Zhe, when you were training in the sea, did you see a huge, fast-moving shadow?”

I still didn’t think I’d imagined the shadow I’d seen earlier.

“A shadow swimming in the sea?” Qiao Zhe stopped in his tracks, his expression thoughtful. “I think I know what it is.”

“???” I was baffled.

How does he know everything?

I instinctively glanced at Qiao Zhe’s wrist—there was no transformation device. This left me even more puzzled.

He didn’t realize it, but what I’d just said had actually reminded Qiao Zhe.

Connecting it with the fact that I was planning to go home and had been absentmindedly standing by the sea, Qiao Zhe quickly pieced together the situation.

After a moment’s thought, he said, “That would be the Sea Demon Bokuragu. It’s probably here to deal with the Volcano Machine.”

As he said this, he shot me a peculiar look, silently complaining in his heart.

Native Earth monsters sure are unlucky to run into Gaia and Agul.

The last unlucky fellow, Gilu, was late for work and got blasted to ashes by Gaia. Now Bokuragu shows up early and is still going to get pounded.

I was baffled by Qiao Zhe’s look.

With a monster about to appear, I wanted to know more. “What’s going on? What is this Volcano Machine?”

“Bokuragu is an Earth monster.” Qiao Zhe didn’t bother being cryptic, his gaze drifting toward the distant mountains. “Buried in the mountains of Chiba Prefecture is the Volcano Machine, an instrument for summoning destruction.”

The situation was urgent, so he skipped the details about the despair of the future people at the Root and went straight to the point to save time.

“It’s here to destroy that thing. But a battle between two colossal beings would be a disaster for the people of this small town!”

After this brief explanation, Qiao Zhe looked at me with a grave expression. “While Bokuragu hasn’t come ashore yet, have XIG issue an evacuation order now!”

“I’ll go locate the Volcano Machine!”