Volume One, Chapter 45: Recruiting the Trio

Taro finally lost consciousness and fell into a realm of darkness.

Lugiel looked upon his handiwork with satisfaction, but before he could enjoy his triumph, an Ultraman warrior of similar stature appeared amidst a burst of light.

That unforgettable silhouette—he would never forget it, even in death.

"Ultraman Galaxy!"

Dark Lugiel’s eyes widened in disbelief, his voice trembling as he cried, "Impossible! How can you possibly…"

"Let the game continue," a voice suddenly sounded from the side.

Lugiel turned, startled, only to see Tregear floating in mid-air, both hands gathering a terrifying energy that even made Lugiel shudder.

"Who are you?" Lugiel demanded, but his answer came in the form of a violently opened vortex—a black hole.

A dreadful suction swept across the Land of Light in an instant.

Countless buildings collapsed, sucked into the black hole, and the monsters and Ultramen who had been turned into dolls were no exception.

Dark Lugiel fought desperately to resist, but could not hold out even for a second before being swept away.

Ultraman Galaxy, on the other side, was similarly powerless. He did not even have time to react before darkness overtook him. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a human hand.

Elsewhere, Tregear closed the black hole and calmly entered the laboratory, as though nothing had happened, ready to immerse himself in research.

Now, he could study the Soul of Plasma with peace of mind.

And, he could witness which side the balance of this battle would ultimately favor.

Barring any surprises, victory should once again belong to the forces of light.

But it did not matter—time was abundant.

He had plenty of time to prove that darkness was as valuable as the light.

But after proving it, where would he go next…?

Shaking off those stray thoughts, Tregear took out the Soul of Plasma and began his research in earnest.

Comparing it with other ores, he found that the energy within this crystal fluctuated in a twisted radiative magnetic field.

This frequency could only be perfectly matched by monsters.

Tregear repeatedly adjusted the magnetic field frequency, attempting to achieve resonance with normal energy ores.

Yet after dozens of experiments, he failed every time.

Unable to proceed, Tregear changed his approach and delved deeper.

He captured several monsters, injected them with the Soul of Plasma, and observed their mutations closely.

……

A month quickly passed.

Though Tregear had not devised a way for aliens to use the Soul of Plasma, he had nevertheless developed the Monster Light Rings by exploiting its unique properties.

Each ring contained a star-level monster, enhanced by the Soul of Plasma.

With the injection of his dark energy, their power rivaled that of the Ultra Brothers.

Tregear stepped out of the laboratory, about to leave, when he noticed a sneaky alien, furtively prowling about.

Ordinarily, not just aliens—even a mosquito entering would prompt the Land of Light to send agents to eliminate it at once.

But now, the Land of Light was deserted; this alien must have taken a considerable risk to break in.

Tregear silently approached, discovering that the alien strongly resembled the female Strum alien he had once slain.

Could he be a Strum alien as well?

The alien, unaware of Tregear behind him, rummaged through the laboratory, uncovering many confidential documents from the Land of Light, then departed with them.

Only after his figure vanished completely did Tregear slowly reveal himself.

He gazed thoughtfully at the emptied cabinets, then smiled meaningfully and turned away.

Returning to the Plasma Galaxy, Tregear went straight to Garum and his two companions.

Facing their terrified, anxious stares, he smiled faintly and said, "I wonder, have you ever considered following me?"

"What!"

Their expressions shifted from fear to astonishment.

Was this lord inviting them?

"Indeed." Perhaps sensing their doubts, Tregear gave them a definitive answer. "If you keep selling the Soul of Plasma for profit, you’ll never rise above your station. Why not join me and achieve something greater?"

Without waiting for their reply, Tregear looked at Bareru. "Barltan, do you not wish to restore the glory of your Barltan clan?"

Long ago, Barltan Star was among the strongest technological civilizations in the cosmos.

But when the radical faction of the cosmic ninja Barltan clan seized power, their home planet was accidentally destroyed.

Afterwards, the Barltans split—some wandered, some sought new homes, others chose invasion.

No matter their philosophy, the lost home world remained their deepest pain.

There was not a single Barltan who did not dream of restoring their planet and their people; Bareru was no exception.

Yet for someone suddenly to promise the revival of Barltan glory… how could that not sound like empty rhetoric?

Especially coming from an Ultraman.

Even a renegade Ultraman was still an Ultraman!

Throughout the universe, everyone knew the Ultra clan was the Barltan clan’s enemy!

On Earth alone, he had heard of many kin slaughtered.

So Bareru’s first reaction was disbelief.

Not disbelief, but unwillingness to believe.

After pondering for a moment, Bareru spoke, "My lord, the fate of the Barltan clan is entirely our own doing. Whether we can regain our former glory is no longer my concern."

Since the destruction of Barltan Star, he had embarked on a lonely journey.

If not for mutating due to radiation, he might have died long ago.

Now, as a Galactic Hunter, collecting the Soul of Plasma, he was content.

Moreover… Bareru glanced at his two companions, answering firmly, "The only ones I care about are these two."

Tregear smiled without comment, turning to the next, "And you?"

Garum gritted his teeth and knelt. "My lord, I am willing to follow you."

Bareru and Magna stared in shock.

"What are you saying, Garum?"

"Master Garum… you…"

Under their bewildered gaze, Garum spoke slowly, "Bareru, Magna, I am not like you. I've been a Galactic Hunter for thirty thousand years. I am tired."

"If not for meeting you, I would have already pledged myself to Emperor Ampera."

"But according to recent news, the Emperor was destroyed by the Land of Light! I have always sought to rise above my station, but have never had the chance."

Raising his head, Garum asked, "My lord, may I know the true extent of your power? I am old now, and I do not wish to let my one opportunity slip away."