"Great Shocker System activated!"
A mechanical female voice rang out in Xu Wenlong's mind, but as someone well versed in tokusatsu dramas, Xu Wenlong immediately recognized where the voice came from.
"Ah, it's Izu! Aww, she's adorable!"
Xu Wenlong clutched his chest to keep his heart from beating too fast.
"So what can the Great Shocker System do?"
Xu Wenlong quickly came back to his senses and asked.
The Great Shocker System then unfolded a panel, a sci-fi movie-like screen that only Xu Wenlong could see.
"The Great Shocker System is dedicated to spreading Great Shocker's ideals throughout the myriad worlds. Within the system, the host may exchange items by spreading Great Shocker's ideals across the myriad worlds and influencing others."
Miss Izu's voice slowly explained it all to Xu Wenlong.
Xu Wenlong then tapped the button labeled Shop.
The screen immediately filled with dazzling items and their prices.
Great Shocker Headquarters, price: 100 million Shocker Points Ark's complete data set and supporting equipment, price: 1 million Shocker Points NMD, WSM modification data and supporting equipment, price: 10,000 Shocker Points
As Xu Wenlong browsed the shop interface provided by the Great Shocker System, he began to understand.
"I can understand Kamen Rider Decade being here, since he's Great Shocker's leader, but why are there data sets for Kouga and the latest Geats too?"
Xu Wenlong asked in confusion.
"Because of Foundation X, Great Shocker obtains the latest data every year," Izu explained.
"Oh! So it's a suit-actor battle. Got it."
Xu Wenlong understood. Though the villains in the annual movies varied, the mastermind behind them all pointed to one group: Great Shocker.
This massive organization had been the hidden hand running through everything from Kamen Rider 1 to the latest Geats.
At the same time, Xu Wenlong noticed something else.
"Evolt is here too?"
Xu Wenlong looked at E-Zong's image in the shop and opened it. The listing resembled something from an online marketplace, but he discovered that it offered not just data and models, but the real, living Evolt, along with his template and matching Nebula Gas.
"Installing a minor plug-in under the Great Shocker System. Kamen Rider Plug-in installation complete!"
It installed without even a progress bar. What appeared before Xu Wenlong was the props, data, and actual individuals for every Kamen Rider who had fought from Kamen Rider 1 through Geats.
"Great Shocker is involved in all works related to Kamen Riders. Since we have already obtained the data of every Kamen Rider and villain, the system has decided to spread Great Shocker's light to a neighboring location suspected of containing Giants of Light, so that the Land of Light may be enveloped by Great Shocker's radiance!"
Miss Izu's voice seemed to brim with endless enthusiasm.
"Uh..."
Xu Wenlong was somewhat speechless. Are you talking about a tokusatsu series, or that movie made by the weirdo?
If it was a TV setting, he might still be able to secretly alert Earth while nobody was looking. After all, Ultraman would not interfere with humanity's choices. But if he ran into Seventh Master, he had better pick out a burial plot early.
But if it was that weirdo's new Ultraman movie, then sorry—what kind of garbage system was this? Uninstall it right now!
"Alright, enough of that. Tell me this: with strength like mine, I definitely can't spread Great Shocker's light here. Can the Great Shocker System provide a little early-stage support so I can quickly develop Great Shocker's power here and let the entire world be shrouded in Great Shocker's radiance?"
Xu Wenlong's words greatly pleased the Great Shocker System, which said:
Great Shocker System beginner's gift pack activated! You have obtained Kamen Rider 1's complete data, template, and equipment. You have obtained Kamen Rider Kuuga's complete data, template, and equipment. You have obtained Kamen Rider Black and Black Sun's complete data, templates, and equipment. You have obtained 10,000 Shocker Points and 1 internal Great Shocker lottery draw. Great Shocker System beginner's gift pack fully claimed! We hope you will continue spreading Great Shocker's ideals and glory here. If needed, silently recite "Great Shocker is number one in the world" to activate the system. Your Great Shocker System is now offline!
After a series of sounds, the Great Shocker System temporarily shut down.
Xu Wenlong was not in a hurry. He returned to his ramshackle little home in Eggplant Village and continued examining what he had received.
First were the data for Kamen Rider 1, Kuuga, Black, and Black Sun.
Xu Wenlong skimmed through them. Put simply, it was Great Shocker's traditional specialty: cyborg technology!
However, learning from past mistakes, all the cyborgs Great Shocker had created had betrayed it. Thus, these data sets specifically included safeguards for controlling modified cyborgs so that history would not repeat itself.
The data explained how to transform someone into Kamen Rider 1, Kuuga, Black, and the like.
For instance, it contained not only Kamen Rider 1's data, but also Kamen Rider 2's. Kuuga's section contained not just Kuuga's data, but also Gurongi 0's. Black's section likewise contained not only Black's data, but Shadow Moon's as well.
The equipment was what could modify the target—basically foolproof equipment. It was roughly like the steps for putting an elephant into a refrigerator.
Put Takeshi Hongo inside, close the hatch and flip the switch, then open the hatch, and Kamen Rider 1 came out.
What a simple and convenient piece of equipment. More importantly, it came not only with the machinery, but also maintenance staff and researchers. Those were the real essentials.
However, Xu Wenlong found some other things among the data.
"Templates?"
Xu Wenlong opened the section labeled Templates. It was packed with dense strings of characters.
But unlike the familiar Kamen Rider 1 and Kamen Rider 2 at the top, everything below them was uniformly labeled:
Great Shocker Combat Personnel A
Great Shocker Combat Personnel B
Great Shocker Combat Personnel C
Great Shocker Combat Personnel D
Great Shocker Combat Personnel E
And so on.
Xu Wenlong tapped the tag labeled Great Shocker Combat Personnel A.
His entire body seemed to be wrapped in a stream of green data. After an eagle's deafening cry, the image of a soaring eagle bearing Great Shocker's emblem flashed before him, and what appeared was—
A black bodysuit with white patterns, along with a hood. Though the hood covered his whole head, it left two eyes, a nose, and a mouth exposed.
The Shocker Combatman A template had finished loading.
Xu Wenlong hurriedly found the only broken mirror in the house and looked at himself.
"Damn, isn't this just a Shocker Combatman...?"
Xu Wenlong was a little speechless, but he quickly became delighted.
"Well, I'll be damned. This bodysuit makes me light as a swallow. It's warm in winter and cool in summer, and it barely rubs against my skin. Even though I'm wearing a bodysuit, it feels like I've draped myself in a visible curtain."
Xu Wenlong rubbed the bodysuit with his hand, enjoying the pleasant sensation.
"Hmm, and this too."
Xu Wenlong picked up the Small Knife issued to every Shocker Combatman. It felt very light.
Xu Wenlong stepped outside, looked around, and saw no one nearby. He decided to test its power.
With one slash, a large rock shattered. Xu Wenlong smacked his lips in amazement.
"If there were a Kamen Rider in front of me, I could turn him into sand on the spot."