Year 2042 AD. Hangzhou, China.
"Breaking news: The monster Salezard has just been sighted off the eastern coast of Shanghai. The creature has caused large-scale marine pollution, and hundreds of civilians have already been hospitalized. Upon receiving orders, the Shanghai branch of GUTS has been deployed immediately!!"
"An unidentified lifeform has suddenly appeared in Shennongjia. The TPC has issued an emergency evacuation order. Entry into the Shennongjia area is strictly prohibited until further notice. Please await the results of the investigation!!"
"Today, high schools across every city have finalized the setup of their Fusion Testing Equipment. Let us look forward to the performance of our newest generation!!"
On the bustling streets, pedestrians went about their business, heads down and preoccupied. They spared only a fleeting glance at the news flashing across the giant plaza screens before looking away. In this era, the appearance of a monster had become a mundane reality of daily life.
However, one young man remained rooted to the spot, staring at the screen with a look of deep contemplation.
"Another monster, huh? It seems that if you want to survive in this world without the ability to transform into one yourself, you truly have no sense of security..." Ye Feng sighed heavily. The lack of monster-transformation compatibility left him feeling exposed and vulnerable.
He didn't belong here—not in the literal sense. Ye Feng originated from the Blue Planet of a parallel universe. Because he had once sacrificed his life to change the fate of others, he had been reborn into this world with his memories intact, growing up in an orphanage.
As for the power he sought? It was exactly what the news described: the ability to transform into a monster.
This was a world where monsters roamed free, though it differed significantly from the "Monster World" Ye Feng had imagined. Here, there were no legendary Ultramen, nor were there any Giants of Light. Instead, humanity's survival relied on special technology that allowed people to transform into monsters to fight fire with fire.
To understand why the world ended up this way, one has to look back a hundred years.
1942 AD: While searching for materials for new weaponry in Chicago, the United States discovered a unique element. In that same location, they unearthed a colossal biological entity measuring over thirty meters in height.
In a world without the "Tokusatsu" subculture, the appearance of a giant creature sparked intense curiosity—especially since the discoverer was a global superpower. They intended to study the titan, but their interference inadvertently awakened it. This mysterious entity was designated as a "Monster," and this first specimen was named "MUTO."
The emergence of MUTO forced the U.S. to mobilize a third of its national military power. They finally managed to repel the creature after a week of grueling combat, but it vanished underground, leaving no trace. Based on ancient texts, scientists proposed the "Hollow Earth" theory.
1956 AD: A new weapon was christened the "Atomic Bomb." Traces of a creature similar to MUTO were detected in New Mexico, leading to the first nuclear deployment. Unfortunately, the radiation from the atomic blast acted as a nutrient for these primordial titans. Instead of killing the target, the blast caused the giant lizard to mutate into an even more specialized, gargantuan monster.
Following the appearance of the first monster, similar creatures began to emerge across the territories of various nations. In response, the world's governments formed the "Monarch" organization. They developed new weapons and began an eleven-year war against the kaiju.
1966 AD: The first extraterrestrial monster, Bemular, made its debut above Lake Ryumori in an island nation that has since been erased from history. Desperate to lead the research on this new species, the local government kicked their "American Fathers" to the curb and attempted to capture the monster alone.
The dream was beautiful; the reality was cruel. To the local forces, Bemular's power was like a "dimensional strike"—completely beyond their comprehension. After two months of resistance, the nation's government collapsed. Realizing that space monsters differed vastly from Earth's native titans, the nations of the world joined forces. Ultimately, at the cost of the island nation's total destruction, the first space monster was slain. The silver lining was that the islands remained, and the survivors were granted new identities by the countries that took them in.
In the ensuing years, humanity primarily fought Earth-based monsters, as cosmic visitors remained rare.
1972 AD: That changed. A massive influx of aliens and space monsters descended upon Earth. Some of these aliens captured Earth's native monsters and forcibly mutated them into specialized war machines.
However, for every action, there is a reaction. Just as there were malevolent invaders, there were also peaceful and kind-hearted aliens. Among them, the Vandans and the Baltans provided the most significant aid. Utilizing the technology of these two alien races, human science advanced by leaps and bounds, making the path of monster extermination smoother.
By this time, the number of sovereign nations on Earth had plummeted from 198 to a mere 30. Realizing that continued division would mean the end of human civilization, China initiated a global dialogue. After a year of negotiations, a formal union was established in 1980.
Moving past the surface-level cooperation of "Monarch," they formed a true global alliance: the Terrestrial Peaceable Consortium, or TPC.
By 1996, with the help of a mysterious extraterrestrial benefactor, the TPC finally developed the technology to allow humans to transform into monsters. With this power, humanity finally possessed the capital to fight back on equal footing. Special "Monster Task Forces" were established to go on the offensive and reclaim lost territory.
During that period, global authorities screened everyone between the ages of 18 and 45 for compatibility. By the year 2000, these task forces were integrated into a single elite entity: GUTS (Global Unlimited Task Squad).
The name symbolized the team that would lead humanity to victory. The compatibility test was eventually added to the National College Entrance Exam, serving as a gateway to select talented and high-potential youths.
While sending eighteen-year-olds to the battlefield was a grim reality, the world left them no choice. Without the ability to transform, a human stood no chance against a fifty-meter titan. Only by selecting the best "growth stocks" and granting them monster powers could human civilization hope to endure.
Watching the news report, Ye Feng knew that securing the ability to transform as soon as possible was his best move. Coincidentally, he was eighteen, and today was the Global Awakening Day. His eyes drifted to the timestamp next to the news ticker.
"Holy—!"
"Crap, I'm gonna be late!!!"
The awakening ceremony started at 9:00 AM. It was currently 8:50 AM. He had ten minutes, and he was still two kilometers away from school!
Without another word, Ye Feng shouldered his bag and sprinted. His speed was more than five times faster than that of an average person. This sight left several bystanders in shock. This wasn't a "Mana Awakening" world where everyone's physique improved just because monsters appeared. If you were a "Power Level 5" weakling before, after a period of laziness, you'd just be a "Power Level 4" shut-in. The average person was still just an average person.
...
Five minutes later, Ye Feng finally skidded to a halt outside the gates of Hangzhou No. 1 High School.
The security guard pacing the entrance saw the uniform and quickly handed him a bottle of water from the desk. "Don't rush, kid. Drink some water and catch your breath. The testing is about to start; you need to be in top form."
Ye Feng, parched from the high-speed dash, accepted the water with a glint in his eyes. He choked out a "Thank you," twisted the cap, and downed half the bottle in one go.
"Easy, easy! Don't choke," the guard warned kindly.
Ye Feng smiled and handed over his admission pass. The guard scanned it, confirmed his identity, and waved him through.
As he stepped through the gates, Ye Feng glanced at the digital clock: 8:53:26 AM. A flicker of surprise crossed his face before he regained his composure. He squeezed his fist, feeling the raw strength within him.
"My strength seems to have increased again," he muttered to himself. "Ever since I crossed over, my physique has been getting stronger. I'm not going to end up mutating, am I?"
He had known for a long time that he was different. Beyond his past-life memories, his physical condition was an anomaly. At ten years old, he could easily lift a fifty-pound bag of rice. His reflexes were uncanny; he could sense a stray basketball flying toward his head at the courts before it even got close. His hearing was so sharp he could hear... strange sounds coming through the thick walls of the orphanage director's office.
Furthermore, his memory was photographic. He could memorize content with a single glance; reciting complex classical poetry backward was child's play. These "symptoms" only intensified as he got older.
Thinking of this, Ye Feng ran a hand through his messy black hair. Finding no hair loss, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least he wasn't going bald for this power.
...
Entering the campus, he saw the sports field already filled with rows of students—his fellow classmates. Just as he tried to sneak into his class line undetected, disaster struck.
A "hand of death" reached out from behind and gripped him firmly by the back of the neck.
┌(.Д.)┐!!!
"Ye Feng! You finally showed up. Do you have to cut it this close every single day?"
A woman in her thirties, wearing glasses and a sharp black professional suit, shoved her phone screen almost directly into his face.
"Ahem... Teacher Liu, the ceremony is about to start. Shouldn't you let me..."
Seeing the "Tigress" about to lecture him, Ye Feng thought fast and pointed at the time on the screen. The implication was clear: no time for a lecture!
"You brat, can't you let me have one peaceful day?" Liu Ru sighed. She swore that if this kid wasn't such a top student, she wouldn't bother with him, especially on a day as important as this.
She let go and held out her hand. "Fine. Give me your bag and get in line. Move it!"
"Hehe, thank you for your mercy, Teacher Liu!" Ye Feng grinned, handed over his bag, and bolted toward his class.
Holding the backpack, Liu Ru shook her head helplessly. "He never takes anything seriously, so why are his grades so damn good?"
She had a classic love-hate relationship with students like Ye Feng. He was brilliant, yet he constantly hung around the "troublemakers." He wasn't a bad kid—in fact, he was incredibly helpful—but that somehow made him even more of a headache to manage.
Ultimately, she chalked it up to raw talent and turned her attention back to the ceremony.