lcionline Chapter 302 S-Rank Mission?
Chapter 302 S-Rank Mission?
In Kumamoto City, a secret laboratory lies hundreds of meters underground.
The air was filled with a cold, dry scent that mixed with metallic and ozone. Only the indicator lights of various precision instruments flashed regularly and emitted a low, continuous hum, which only accentuated the deathly silence of the place.
Mitsuo Itabashi's figure, like a ghost melting into the shadows and then emerging from them, appeared silently in this forbidden place that should have been heavily guarded.
He moved with light steps, his toes barely touching the ground, his shadow stretching long under the cool-toned emergency lights.
Wherever he went, the infrared sensor grid, motion capture cameras, thermal recognition probes, and even the most advanced mental fluctuation detection system that could almost capture the ripples of thought that Masaki Keigo had meticulously arranged all seemed to be completely blind and deaf, without triggering any alarms or even the slightest flicker.
The Kirieloids' unique, bizarre existence, existing between matter and spirit, renders humanity's proud technological defense system utterly useless at this moment.
Mitsuo Itabashi strolled leisurely along the cold metal corridor that reflected a dim light, his hands casually behind his back, looking with great interest at the large device in the center of the laboratory—the optogenetic converter—which had an unusually complex structure, with countless tangled conduits and wires, and whose core was shimmering with a faint blue light.
"Tsk tsk tsk..." A playful smile played on his lips as he uttered a series of low, enigmatic exclamations. He stretched out his pale, almost transparent fingers and gently brushed the cool, smooth surface of the instrument with his fingertips, as if caressing a precious work of art. "Masaki Keigo, this scientist truly lives up to his reputation as a genius with the genes of an ancient warrior flowing through his veins."
He muttered to himself, his voice echoing softly in the empty laboratory, "With just those incomplete ancient documents and preliminary reverse engineering of the giant statue, they were able to independently develop something like this..." His gaze then swept past the converter, finally locking onto the deepest part of the laboratory, where the towering giant statue, its outline strikingly similar to Ultraman Naga, stood, its entire body a deathly dark gray, devoid of any life force. Itabashi Mitsuo's pupils contracted slightly, a barely concealed fanaticism and deep greed flashing in his eyes, as if he were looking at a priceless treasure he was determined to possess.
“Converting human photogenetic factors into pure light energy and then injecting it into the stone statue to revive it…” He slowly walked to the foot of the stone statue, tilted his head back, his neck forming a stiff line, and stared at the color timer in the center of the huge chest, which was as dull as black crystal. The corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up, forming a cold and cruel smile. “What a brilliant idea, amazing technology.”
"This battle husk, brimming with boundless potential, is the perfect vessel that we Kirieloids crave!" He paused, his tone suddenly turning sharp, tinged with sarcasm: "What a pity, Masaki Keigo, you possess the technology and the husk, but lack the most crucial 'spark'—" Before he could finish speaking, Itabashi Mitsuo abruptly raised his right hand, palm up, fingers slightly bent—a dark red flame, its edges twisting and leaping, seemingly filled with the howling of countless vengeful spirits, radiating an aura of extreme ominousness and destruction, suddenly ignited out of thin air! The thermometer in the laboratory showed no change, but the surrounding air seemed to be compressed by this evil force, emitting subtle, almost imperceptible tremors.
However, the various highly sensitive technological devices in the laboratory remained unresponsive, operating numbly according to their predetermined programs as if they had all fallen into paralysis. "Ultraman Naga, no," Mitsuo Itabashi's grin widened, making his face appear somewhat distorted, "perhaps I should call you... the insignificant 'light' that this statue could have originally borne? Heh, whatever."
His voice suddenly rose, filled with a triumphant declaration, "Now, this powerful battle body, along with the power it contains, belongs to us, the Kirieloids!" Before he finished speaking, he slammed his hand, burning with infernal flames, against the cold armor at the statue's ankle! A hissing sound, not transmitted through the air, but resounded directly through the mind. The dark red infernal flames, like living venomous snakes or greedy bloodsucking vines, rapidly spread and climbed upwards along the statue's rough, cold surface! Wherever they passed, the statue's original gray base color was quickly eroded and covered by an eerie, scorching dark red pattern! Finally, all the scattered flames converged into a surging dark red torrent, violently crashing into and piercing through the colored timer on the statue's chest! "Buzz—!" A muffled yet space-shaking tremor resounded! The previously dim timer suddenly burst forth with a strong, yet not dazzling, dark red light, filled with an ominous aura! The light spilled like mercury, instantly engulfing every corner of the laboratory and shrouding everything in an eerie, blood-red halo.
Almost simultaneously, in the brightly lit examination room of the TPC headquarters medical center, Lin Yeming, who was lying peacefully on the testing equipment, suddenly shuddered violently without warning, letting out a suppressed groan of pain from deep in his throat. His previously relaxed hand clenched into a fist, his nails digging deeply into his palm, while his other hand clutched his chest tightly. Fine beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, and his body curled up uncontrollably, as if he were enduring some kind of violent tearing from within.
"Brother Yeming! What's wrong?" Upon seeing this, Kenmura Yumi and Mayumi, who had been accompanying him, immediately changed their expressions and hurriedly surrounded him.
Mayumi leaned down urgently, her hands instinctively grabbing Lin Yeming's arms. Her clear eyes were filled with panic and worry as she called out repeatedly, "Brother Yeming! Where do you feel unwell? Tell me quickly!"
Lin Yeming's face was as pale as paper, his lips were bloodless, and his tightly furrowed brows were filled with pain and a hint of incomprehensible shock.
He tried to regulate his breathing, but found that his heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand. The change came extremely quickly and violently, and although the extreme pain receded as quickly as the tide, the lingering palpitations and coldness were clearly imprinted deep in his senses.
This is far more than just ordinary physical discomfort.
At this moment, the silent system suddenly issued a task.
[You have triggered the quest: The Ancient Light!]
[Mission Objective: The Kirieloids have found the remains of an Ultra Warrior. This body should not be defiled by evil. Please purify it.]
[Task requirements: None.]
[Mission Reward: Light and Darkness of the Same Origin (S-Rank)]