The crimson glow of the early morning sun slowly rose above the horizon, its light glittering brilliantly on the waves as it passed over the Far East Headquarters and the city.
The morning light streamed between rows of towering buildings, spilling across the floor and reflecting a golden sheen.
In the past, even when he was awake, the old man would still linger in bed for a while. Now, though, he got up without hesitation.
But just as he finished straightening his clothes and was about to reach the hall, he caught the aroma of breakfast. The sound of the radio in his ear made him feel even more alert.
He made his way lightly to the hall. A cooked meal was laid out on the kotatsu, while a shopping bag sat in the spacious corner, still partly full of vegetables.
She hadn't bought these.
"Honestly," Grandma murmured, though a smile crept across her face. "A-Hong, how many times have I told you not to buy so much?"
"It's all food we'll eat anyway." Zhou Hong came out of the kitchen with the last dish. "It's ready. This is the final dish."
He had just sat down and picked up his chopsticks when the radio broadcast made him pause.
"This morning, a gigantic monster measuring approximately fifty meters appeared in Mongolia. Although it was briefly lured away by GUTS, the monster's direction of travel—"
"What's wrong? Have you lost your appetite, or are you feeling unwell?" Seeing Zhou Hong staring blankly, Grandma asked with concern. "Why don't you take the day off and get some proper rest?"
Zhou Hong shook his head. "I'm fine."
"I was just thinking... this world may be about to undergo a major change. Even monsters have appeared."
I remember Golza appeared in Akita City. No matter what, it wouldn't make its way to where Grandma lived.
The butterfly hadn't yet flapped its wings. The story would still follow its original course.
Zhou Hong had complete faith that Tiga would be able to defeat the Dark Ruler.
Because the one fighting him was Daigo, who didn't know the meaning of failure.
The Ultra Heart had a special space where one could train abilities such as combat techniques. As long as he kept strengthening himself, he was confident he could take down Gatanothor.
So, he'd better go haul bricks today.
Zhou Hong quickly finished his breakfast and carried his dishes into the kitchen. Seeing Grandma still eating slowly, he said, "Grandma, I'm off to work. I'll leave the dishes to you."
"Take care on the way." Grandma set down her chopsticks and spoke with concern.
Zhou Hong ran toward the construction site. It wasn't all that far from home, just over ten kilometers.
Without traffic, it would take about twenty minutes.
On foot, it took around forty minutes, at least for Zhou Hong.
His breathing was long and steady, his chest rising and falling with each breath. The shifting muscles in his limbs let Zhou Hong savor the comfortable feeling of being strong.
This was what it felt like to grow stronger.
Basking in the morning light, he gradually arrived at the construction site.
After changing into some worn-out clothes and putting on a yellow hard hat, Zhou Hong headed for the pile of bricks nearby.
The bricks had already been stacked. All he had to do was get his arms underneath and lift. He bent his knees, pushed up with ease, and quickly carried the load toward the stairs.
Through a window that hadn't been installed yet, he caught sight of two GUTS Wings speeding off into the distance.
The GUTS Wings, with no weapons installed yet, were nothing more than oversized toys. They wouldn't be much use against a monster.
Human courage truly shone as brilliantly as gold.
"What are you standing around for, you brat?" Uncle Li, wearing a red cap, shouted from the foot of the stairs. "The bosses are coming today. Get back to work!"
"Sorry, sorry." Zhou Hong hurriedly resumed his hard-working day as a laborer.
But the more he moved, the heavier his steps grew, and the more hesitant he became.
Uncle Li, who was keeping an eye on the workers, noticed that Zhou Hong was moving more slowly than usual and hurried over to him.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Zhou Hong shook his head and let out a long sigh. "Uncle Li, I've got something to take care of. Can I take half the day off?"
"Sure. Go home and get some rest." Uncle Li didn't hesitate. He gave Zhou Hong a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Money's just a piece of shit. Your health is what matters."
As if some shackle had come loose, Zhou Hong darted out of the construction site before Uncle Li could say another word.
"Damn, that brat can run pretty fast."
A strange feeling guided Zhou Hong, pointing him in a certain direction and telling him that the light was there.
He ran at incredible speed. By the time he stopped, the golden pyramid had already been destroyed.
Zhou Hong took a deep breath to steady his heartbeat and gazed into the distance.
The two statues beside Tiga had also been destroyed by Golza and Melba. Tiga's statue had been knocked down, and Golza was about to stomp on him.
Light flashed!
In the blink of an eye, color filled the statue. With a powerful "Ha!" Golza was knocked to the ground.
"Tiga, it's been a long time," Zhou Hong called softly. The Ultra Heart hanging against his chest began to shine.
A beam of light fell from the sky, hurtling straight toward the battlefield where the fight was still raging.
Moving at an unparalleled speed, the beam crashed into Melba. With a pained shriek, it sent the monster plummeting to the ground.
The beam of light pierced heaven and earth. The ground shook with a thunderous roar, sending dirt and stones flying into the air. Even Golza vanished behind the cloud of dust.
The blinding light gradually faded. As the gale swept the dust away, a huge figure stood beside Tiga.
His body was sculpted like a statue, his powerful muscles as hard as steel. He looked completely different from Tiga, whose body showed no definition at all. The newly arrived giant also stood about half a head taller than Tiga.
His diamond-shaped eyes were filled with an ominous chill. The black patterns on his back shifted with his muscles, resembling the face of a demon. Compared to Tiga, his presence was like that of an elite warrior beside an ordinary man.
Or perhaps he was an evil boss, while Tiga was a weak hero.
Melba's pained cry, coming from beneath the giant's foot, snapped the posing giant back to his senses. He raised his muscular right leg, red energy boiling around it, and brought it down hard.
Cracks spread across the ground like a spiderweb, centered on the impact. Melba's head was already buried deep in the earth, and its body, which had still been struggling moments ago, fell still.
The newly arrived giant turned to look at Golza, which had been standing on guard nearby. Its massive body was actually trembling.
Under the giant's gaze, Golza calmly completed the act of taking three steps backward.
The giant's gaze didn't linger. He looked up at the sky.
Meeting those eyes, everyone aboard the GUTS Wing briefly stopped breathing.
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