dhibooks Chapter 301 The Monster's Ransom
Chapter 301 The Monster's Ransom
A week has passed since the airing of episode 34.
At 8 PM sharp on Saturday, episode 35 of "Ultraman Gaia" was updated and released on major video platforms.
Countless tokusatsu fans skillfully refreshed the page and clicked play.
As the rousing opening theme ends, the main feature slowly unfolds.
The episode doesn't immediately jump into a tense and exciting monster attack or a profound philosophical discussion.
In the footage, a transport plane bearing the GUARD logo is seen flying through the clouds.
The narration provides background information: the defense team unexpectedly discovered the egg of the ancient monster Algna in a lake beneath the Antarctic ice sheet.
Now, this transport plane is carrying the egg to the Xia Kingdom.
Inside the cabin, two pilots are talking.
"I never expected to find the eggs of an ancient monster in Antarctica."
"The person who found it was probably the one who least expected it."
"However, the eggs of the ancient monsters are surprisingly small."
[A monster egg beneath the Antarctic ice sheet?]
It's amazing that something so small could be identified as a monster egg.
[If you don't court death, you won't die; people who do tokusatsu (special effects) always like to dig things up everywhere.]
[I'm guessing something unexpected will happen during transport.]
Sure enough, just as the two pilots were chatting, the transport plane suddenly encountered severe turbulence from an unknown airflow.
"What's going on?!"
The alarms blared. The transport plane had lost control in the air.
The scene shifts, and the camera cuts to the ground.
Inside a dilapidated steel factory, the sunlight was somewhat dazzling.
Two young men in overalls were practicing shooting hoops in front of a makeshift basketball hoop in the factory's open space during their break.
"Watch this!" A young man assumed a standard shooting stance, ready to throw the basketball in his hand.
Just then.
A whooshing sound suddenly came from the sky.
A huge egg, its surface covered with strange patterns, fell from the sky and landed with perfect precision in the basket that didn't even have a net.
The two young men, holding basketballs, stared in disbelief at the enormous unidentified object inside the basket.
[Great shot! Game-winning three-pointer!]
[Hahaha! With that kind of accuracy, it's a shame he's not playing in the NBA.]
[The plot suddenly took a comedic turn when it fell into the basketball hoop.]
[Monster egg airdropped, please accept it.]
Faced with this unexpected gift from the sky, the two did not realize the seriousness of the situation.
They quickly moved the enormous egg to a private clinic near the town so that a doctor could take a look at it and see what it was.
On the clinic's desk sat the monster egg.
The doctor, wearing reading glasses and holding a magnifying glass, examined the egg carefully for a long time before finally arriving at a conclusion that was both laughable and absurd.
"Hmm... Based on my observation, this egg in front of me should be an ostrich egg."
The two young men were stunned.
"What? It's an ostrich egg?"
"But doctor, how did this thing fall from the sky?"
The doctor took off his glasses, speaking with an air of self-righteousness: "How can you be so ignorant? An ostrich is a bird, of course it lays its eggs while flying!"
The factory owner, who was standing nearby, frowned as he listened: "Boss, what are you doing? Birds can't fly!"
"What? It can't fly?"
Why can't birds fly?
Several people in the clinic got into a heated debate about whether ostriches can fly or not.
[A quack! This is a quack!]
[Illogical reasoning: Ostriches are birds, so they can lay their eggs while flying.]
[No problem, this doctor is really good at biology.]
Are these people here to be funny?
After the argument stalled, a young man asked, "Doctor, if we keep this egg warm, will it hatch?"
"Well, of course, it is an egg after all."
Even now, no one has been able to completely figure out what kind of egg it is.
One of the young men scratched his head and said, "Why don't we just wait until it hatches? Then it'll be clear."
Just then, an urgent news report suddenly came on the television in the corner of the clinic.
"This is the egg of an ancient monster, and its whereabouts are currently unknown. XIG personnel are currently conducting a full-scale search..."
On the television screen, a picture of the Algna monster egg was displayed.
The people in the clinic fell silent instantly.
They all turned their heads in unison, looked at the TV screen, and then at the so-called "ostrich egg" on the table.
"Isn't that... the egg behind us?"
At this point, the scene shifts to XIG's air base.
24 hours have passed.
The atmosphere in the restaurant at the air base was somewhat somber.
Wei Weike comforted him, "Don't worry, Meng. Just eat something."
"Yeah, it might already be destroyed."
However, as I stirred the ramen in my bowl, my brow furrowed, I said, "But I still have a bad feeling."
Everyone in XIG felt that the monster egg had been missing for almost 24 hours and still hadn't been found.
The most likely scenario is that it melted away along with the plane when it crashed.
After all, if an egg falls from a height of several thousand meters, it is very difficult for it not to be smashed to pieces under normal circumstances.
But I had a persistent, ominous feeling in my heart.
My intuition about dreams is usually very accurate.
The egg not only didn't break, but it also made a three-pointer.
This is what they call surviving a great calamity and being destined for good fortune.
The scene returns to the dilapidated steel factory.
After watching the television report, the factory owner and workers gathered together to discuss countermeasures.
They understood the egg's importance to XIG, and a bold plan was born in the boss's mind.
"Since they want this egg so much, let's exchange it for money!" the boss said, slamming his hand on the table.
The Gutian Steel Factory was on the verge of bankruptcy, but the owner firmly believed that as long as he could get the ransom, his factory could be revived and regain its vitality.
To avoid suspicion, they decided to disguise themselves as aliens.
the next day.
Inside the KCB television station office.
Jing Ling was organizing a press release when she suddenly received a strange letter and a cassette tape.
She opened the letter, and there were a few lines of writing on it, crooked and messy:
"Notify Earthlings: The monster's egg is in the hands of us, the Fulda aliens. We demand a ransom in exchange for the egg. Notify the Guard immediately."
"What's going on?" Jing Ling frowned, her face full of confusion.
A colleague leaned over for a look: "But this is really a threatening letter! Look at this!"
A photograph fell out of the envelope; it was of Algna's egg.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Jingling immediately notified the air base and requested them to take over the matter.
XIG Command Room.
"Dr. Kyo has already gone to KCB," Commander Ishimuro said.
"Is Dr. Jing the world authority on polar biology?" I asked in my dream.
Director Di Cheng nodded: "You should also go and investigate and analyze that tape recorder as soon as possible."
"I see."
Ishimuro added, "This investigation is related to a private television station, and I've prepared a companion for you."
"companion?"
"Don't worry, Meng, I'll support you wholeheartedly."
A familiar voice came from behind.
The camera then pans to reveal the usually boisterous Shimo team member.
[Zhimo team? This combination is amazing.]
[The comedic relief is here!]
【Fulda aliens? That name sounds like it was made up.】
To save their bankrupt factory, the workers decide to become alien idols!
The recording studio of KCB television station.
I, Shima, and Dr. Kyo, who came with me, began to study the tape that was supposedly sent by the "Fulda aliens".
The tape recorder presses the play button.
A piercing, strange, and even distorted noise came from the speaker, as uncomfortable as fingernails scraping a blackboard.
"What is this?!"
"Stop! Stop it now!"
Several people covered their ears, unable to bear the sound any longer.
After turning off the recorder, Dr. Jing adjusted his glasses, his expression serious.
Based on his years of practical experience, he concluded: "I believe that the voice must be that of the monster egg, Algnar."
The doctor pulled up some data and began to explain in detail: "The ancient monster Argnar was originally an ancient carnivorous creature. Its eggs are a combination of reptiles and mammals. Rather than an eggshell, they are more like a protective membrane."
"If this protective membrane were to crack, the Algna hatching inside the egg would instantly become enormous."
The doctor then deduced that the egg would also grow larger as Algnar's body size increased.
Ultimately, the ancient monster Argnar will hatch in its complete form.
"Therefore, if the monster awakens due to prolonged time, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.
Everyone felt that they should quickly find the Fulda aliens, pay the ransom, and prevent the situation from escalating.
Just then, the phone rang.
Jing Ling answered the phone: "This is KCB."
A deliberately lowered voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello, this is a Fulda alien. Hand over eight gold bars as ransom for the egg! That's it!"
beep...
The phone hangs up.
Jing Ling held the receiver, somewhat stunned: "Are there really Fulda aliens?"
Shimo scratched his head: "But don't you think...this voice sounds a lot like a human's?"
"yes."
These kidnappers are so unprofessional!
Eight gold bars? That's a pretty reasonable price.
"Thank you for your hospitality, isn't that a bit much? This kidnapper is too polite."
The "Fulda alien" on the phone said that XIG needs to prepare eight gold bars to redeem the egg.
The scene cuts back to the steel factory.
The workers were sitting around the eggs, and the plan seemed to be proceeding step by step according to their expectations.
With the gold within their grasp, their current task is to protect the monster egg.
"It's a bit cold, don't let the eggs freeze."
One of the young men was carrying a hot water bottle, preparing to place it on the monster egg.
However, the moment he opened the door...
The young man was instantly dumbfounded.
The egg, which was originally only the size of a basketball, has now swelled to the size of a small car, almost filling the entire room!
The protective membrane on the eggshell was pulsating constantly, as if something was about to break out.
the other side.
The members of our team are typing rapidly on their keyboards.
"We used cutting-edge technology to analyze the special sound waves inside the monster egg."
I dreamt of looking at the waveform on the screen, "As long as we search the skies above the city, once we find the same sound waves, we can accurately pinpoint the location of the Fulda aliens."
Meanwhile, the egg of the ancient monster Argnar grew even larger.
The situation clearly exceeded everyone's expectations.
If the monster's egg cracks open, the people in the factory will probably not even have time to escape.
In order to prevent the matter from being exposed, and also to save his own life, the factory manager made a decisive decision.
"Quick! Get it onto the truck!"
They decided to transport the monster egg deep into the remote mountains. They couldn't allow the monster to be born in their factory, no matter what.
A dilapidated pickup truck, carrying a huge egg, was speeding down the highway.
While they were transporting the monster egg, the KCB reporter team, including Rei Ii and Mr. Tabata, who had been following the clues, spotted them while driving.
"What is that?"
Jing Ling pointed to the truck in front of her.
Mr. Tabata clearly saw the words on the freight car: "Furuta Ironworks...Furuta...Fulda!"
"Chase them! Chase them quickly!"
The two cars engaged in a chase on the mountain road.
"Oh no, boss!" The worker driving the car saw the vehicle behind him in the rearview mirror. "Someone's chasing us!"
The truck drove deep into the mountains and finally came to a stop.
The workers jumped off the vehicle in a panic and rushed out of the woods.
"Truck! What do we do with the truck?"
"Forget about the truck! Run!" the boss shouted.
"Wait!" Jingling and Mr. Tabata caught up and stopped them.
Holding the threatening letter, Jing Ling demanded, "You wrote this threatening letter, didn't you?"
Faced with reporters, the group knew they couldn't hide it any longer. After a series of stammering explanations, they finally managed to clarify the whole story.
There are no Fulda aliens at all; it was all a show they staged themselves to save the factory.
At this moment, the Zhimo team members who were following my dream signal also arrived at the scene in their patrol car.
"Give us back our eggs!" The Zhimo team members drew their guns and pointed them at the workers.
"Egg?"
The workers pointed to the dense forest behind them.
"Click—"
A chilling cracking sound rang out.
The giant egg inside the truck suddenly cracked open.
An ancient monster, Argnar, with a huge body covered in hard scales and eyes gleaming with ferocity, stood up from its egg.
It let out a deafening roar, its sharp claws gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
The newly born ancient monster immediately exuded a powerful sense of oppression.
The people present were all stunned.
Argner lowered his head, his scarlet eyes fixed on the people in front of him.
"It treated us like food...like food!" One worker was so frightened that he fell to the ground.
"Run!"
The crowd screamed and scattered in all directions.
This monster looks rather unique.
[Born this big? That doesn't comply with the law of conservation of mass!]
[Oh no, I've courted disaster and turned myself into monster food.]
Just when everyone was in dire straits.
The roar of fighter jets echoed in the sky.
Captain Wei Weike led the Lightning Team to the rescue.
He looked at my dream being chased, and was about to give a warning when he suddenly noticed that his plane seemed to be acting strangely!
"What's wrong? What happened?" Captain Wei Weike asked over the communication channel.
On the ground, the Zhimo team members shouted, "Captain Wei Weike! Food! It thinks you're food!"
"Food?!" Wei Weike hadn't even reacted yet.
He turned his head and realized that his plane was already in Algner's hands!
"Aaaaaaah!!!!!"
Seeing that Wei Weike was in danger, a red light shot into the sky from the EX!
"Gaia—!"
Ultraman Gaia crashed to the ground.
"Captain Wei! Run!"
Because of Gaia's appearance, Algna was momentarily distracted, allowing Weiweike to escape in his fighter jet.
Gaia assumed a fighting stance and charged towards Algna.
The carnivorous monster possesses extraordinary strength.
During the battle, Gaia landed several heavy punches on Algna's hard scales, but surprisingly, they did not cause much damage. Instead, Gaia was hit by Algna's tail whip.
Gaia was kicked until she was dizzy and staggered back a few steps.
Seeing himself growing stronger with each battle, Algna opened his mouth and unleashed a fierce ray of fire at Gaia in front of him.
Upon seeing this, Gaia quickly crossed his arms and unleashed an Ultra Shield, perfectly blocking the flames.
Then came a flying kick!
Algner was kicked to the ground!
Gaia is preparing to completely destroy this dangerous ancient monster.
Just then, Dr. Jing stepped forward.
He shouted, "Wait! Ultraman Gaia!"
Gaia stopped what she was doing and looked at the doctor on the ground with a puzzled expression.
Dr. Jing looked at the frenzied monster, a hint of pity in his eyes. As a biologist, he didn't want this ancient monster, which had slumbered on Earth for countless centuries, to be wiped out.
"Let's send it back to Antarctica!" the professor suggested. "Returning it beneath the icy lake will put the ancient monster Argnar back into a deep sleep, preventing it from causing trouble again!"
Gaia understood the doctor's intention.
He nodded, and the light on his chest shone brightly, his red body instantly transforming into a supreme form of red and blue.
[Supreme Gaia has arrived!]
So it wasn't about killing him, it was about forcibly putting him to sleep.
This PhD student is a sensible person; ancient organisms really do deserve protection.
[It's only because Gaia is easy to talk to; if it were a more temperamental Ultraman, this monster would have been reduced to ashes long ago.]
Gaia, in his supreme form, possessed an absolute advantage in power.
A few over-the-shoulder throws left Algner unable to get up again!
Instead of using destructive light, he gathered intense cold air in his hands.
Gaia Blizzard!
A frigid storm swept out, instantly engulfing the raging Algna. In the extreme cold, the monster's movements grew increasingly sluggish, until it was finally frozen solid into a giant ice sculpture.
Then, Gaia used her telekinesis to carry the frozen Algna into the sky, flying towards Antarctica.
This farce, sparked by a monster egg, has thus come to an end.
The people on the ground watched Gaia's departing figure and breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Thank you..." The factory manager slumped to the ground, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
The Shimo team member stepped forward and looked at the workers: "Halt! Do you still want to pretend to be human now, you Fulda aliens?"
"Wait a minute, Shimo team member." Jing Ling walked over.
"Furuta Ironworks...Furuta...Fulda..." Shimo muttered the two names, then suddenly realized.
"Yes." The factory manager lowered his head awkwardly.
Zhi Mo, furious, pointed at them and yelled, "What's going on in your heads?!"
The rousing end credits song begins at this moment.
End of episode 35.