(I am not someone else's alt-account, the author has stated there are screenshots in the reviews section)
The sky over Kuroshio Island was deeply overcast, as if a torrential downpour could start at any moment. It felt like the oppressive atmosphere from the recent invasion by the twin monsters still hadn't dissipated.
And then there was the fact that the invincible Ultraman Seven had fallen.
This heavy news continued to coil around people's hearts, a constant source of unease. Thankfully, it was accompanied by one piece of good news.
A new Ultra warrior, Leo.
Walking down the street, Xia Yan rubbed his arms, his expression complex as he watched newspapers about Leo being passed around and sold on every corner.
His current attire made him stand out so starkly against the Showa era fashion. A short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and slippers left him feeling the chill wind seep right through. Several hours had passed since his sudden arrival, yet no one had taken any notice of him.
Probably the appearance of the new hero, Ultraman Leo, had given everyone a shot of adrenaline, keeping most people's attention fixed on him, always buzzing with discussion.
"The MAC team is useless. If they had supported Ultraman Seven in time, maybe he wouldn't have fallen."
"I hope Ultraman Leo can defeat the monsters!"
"He looks so strong, he should be able to!"
At the same time, intense emotions of all kinds continuously emanated from each person.
Perhaps Ultraman Leo would be as powerful as Ultraman Seven?
These emotions were mainly hope and longing, after all, Leo's rookie side hadn't been exposed yet.
Hunched over like a quail, Xia Yan shuffled along the damp, cold street. He faintly sensed an intangible, elusive attraction emanating from the chattering people around him, but frustratingly, he couldn't grasp what it was.
It was like a hazy temptation veiled behind a layer of gauze. He could feel that the people definitely possessed something he needed, but he had no idea what it actually was.
Maybe it had something to do with his cheat ability?
Thinking this, Xia Yan couldn't help but reach into his pants pocket. As he willed it, a rectangular object materialized in his hand. When he pulled it out...
It was unmistakably a smartphone. And currently, the screen was displaying a personal interface.
[Status: Not Fully Activated]
[Identity: Human]
[Life Tier: E-]
[Composite Skills: None]
[Special Abilities: Pending Activation]
[Materials: None]
It was a very bare-bones status panel. No intelligent AI had spawned due to his transmigration, nor were there any mission requirements or the like.
After figuring it out, Xia Yan felt a bit disappointed, but he didn't disdain it either.
Having a completely open-ended, self-determined path was better than being forced into tasks like a puppet.
Moreover, and more importantly, apart from the personal panel, for some reason, all the other software functions on his phone were intact. It could even connect to the internet without any issue!
Discovering this thrilled Xia Yan. He hurriedly re-watched Ultraman Leo, as memories of things he'd seen long ago had grown too fuzzy to recall clearly over time.
Well, watching Leo while inside the world of Leo.
But even knowing the detailed plot, unease still churned in Xia Yan's heart.
Because in the dangerous Ultraman universe, Earth was practically like a backyard garden built by monsters and aliens—they could come and go as they pleased.
Especially during the Leo era, aliens seemed to love sneakily attacking humans, even outright murdering people in the streets, or possessing bodies, etc.
And when they couldn't win, they'd just grow giant. It was the epitome of having no martial integrity.
Who knew if he'd have the bad luck to run into one someday.
Xia Yan was clear that his current physical fitness couldn't compare to people from the Showa era.
If he encountered a vicious alien, like a Zul-type, his chances of survival would be almost zero.
Having a cheat ability was better than having none. Even if it was just a simple panel, at least it gave him a direction for getting stronger. There was no method more direct and swift than finding Leo and Seven.
Especially 'Old Man Seven', Dan Moroboshi. Given his doting and tolerant attitude towards humans...
Even if Xia Yan had nothing special about him, there was probably an eighty percent chance Dan would believe him and offer help. After all, Seven was the one among the Ultra Brothers who loved humanity the most.
Back when it was the native Amur people of Earth versus the invading humans, Seven had resolutely chosen to defy the Land of Light to aid humanity.
It was hard not to trust an Ultra like that. Although his character seemed a bit off in the Leo series... well, it was always Gen who suffered—what did that have to do with him, Xia Yan?
Besides, issues like his identity and origins could be blamed on parallel worlds.
Xia Yan had tried for a long time but couldn't figure out how to activate the status and special abilities on the panel. He planned to go find Gen and Dan Moroboshi and try borrowing their transformation devices.
The reason he thought of this was because of that [Materials] category on the panel.
Perhaps what was needed for activation wasn't ordinary items, but things related to Ultraman, monsters, or aliens.
Monsters and aliens were completely out of the question—encountering them could mean instant death. So, the only option was to seek out an Ultraman.
Lost in thought as he walked, Xia Yan's steps halted in front of a fairly large building.
The structure covered roughly over a hundred square meters, but the entrance wasn't in the center. Instead, it was on the side at the end of the wall, right next to the road guardrail. There was a protruding square building entrance with a white sign hanging above it.
Xia Yan didn't care much about the architectural style of a Showa-era club. His eyes were fixed on the white sign with Japanese text, and he couldn't help but feel a slight sense of joy.
Minami Gymnasium!
As a relatively famous spot on Kuroshio Island, it hadn't yet been relocated and reopened elsewhere due to the twin monsters' invasion. With a little asking around, it was easy to find the way here.
Communication in Japanese wasn't an issue, so Xia Yan naturally found this place.
With a mix of anxiety and excitement, he walked straight into the gymnasium.
Receptionists and front desks weren't yet popular in the Showa era, so as Xia Yan made his way inside, all he saw were students chasing and playing around.
Seven- or eight-year-old kids could be a nuisance, yet they were filled with curiosity and quite adept at getting into trouble.
They showed no fear upon seeing a stranger. A few bold children even ran right up to Xia Yan, completely unconcerned about the possibility of encountering a dangerous person.
Of course, most of them were kind-hearted and enthusiastic.
"Hey mister, who are you? What are you here for? Are you our new coach?"
"Brother, you're addressing him wrong. Big Sister Hiko says people around Gen's age should be called 'big brother.'"
Several children in red tracksuits gathered around, curiously looking at Xia Yan. One little girl with twin ponytails was unhappily correcting the boy beside her.
Menda Kaoru's words eased Xia Yan's mood. He glanced at Menda Tōru, who had called him "mister." Though it was a bit annoying, he couldn't be bothered to argue.
Kids being mischievous here is fine. I'll just gift them a couple of extra workbooks later—they'll be so happy they'll cry out loud.
He recognized these two siblings at a glance since they were important supporting characters in the Leo series.
After mentally noting this down, he crouched down to meet Kaoru at eye level.
With a warm smile and a gentle tone, he said, "I'm a friend of Gen's. I'm here to see him for something important. Can you take me to him, little sister?"
Before Kaoru could answer, Tōru stepped in front of her, shielding her with a wary expression:
"But I've never heard Brother Gen mention you, mister! Are you a bad guy?"
With that, he spread his arms, protecting Kaoru and the other children behind him.
Looking at Tōru's defensive stance, Xia Yan's smile stiffened slightly. He mentally added 'pounds' as the unit of measurement for the workbooks.
Still not enough homework, huh.
Perhaps a student had gone to notify a coach, as just then, a gentle woman's voice called out in their direction:
"Kaoru, Tōru, what are you two doing over there?"