Chapter 3: The Dark Knight, but He's Eating a Boxed Meal
2023-10-23 Author: Rowing Without Oars 233
My name is Orin Vale. I'm 5300 years old. Unmarried. I'm an intern at the Land of Light Science and Technology Bureau, and I never work overtime, always heading home on time. I make sure to take a Plasma Bath before bed and never leave fatigue or stress for the next day. The Silver Cross Army all say I'm quite normal.
"."
Yes, that's right. Orin Vale was a Transmigrator, and also an unremarkable young Ultraman from the Land of Light, a mere five thousand-odd years old.
Of course, it wasn't like this from the beginning. He was originally an ordinary Chinese student, but one day he blinked, and a lifetime passed just like that.
He had transmigrated.
However, his rebirth that time was quite lucky. Compared to the disastrous starts of various protagonists in web novels, his was a total Lucky Emperor run. He landed directly in the renowned Land of Light, born into the Ultraman Race, a species at the apex of the Universe, a God-like race from fantasy.
When Orin Vale landed from his transmigration, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Never have I had such a wonderful start." If he hadn't considered the Ultraman Race's peculiar weakness, he might have popped the champagne at halftime.
As the saying goes, the ultimate career is a civil servant. Born directly into the cosmic civil service with a secured position, Orin Vale originally thought he had landed an Iron Rice Bowl and would from then on walk the comfortable path of Immortality, laying low in the Land of Light.
He studied at the Ultra Academy, graduated at the top of his class with outstanding results, and was assigned to an internship at the Land of Light Science and Technology Bureau, where he aimed to secure a permanent position.
Yes, that's right. Although his graduation results were excellent and he had even received a Recommendation Letter to join the Space Garrison, which was at the pinnacle of the Land of Light, he refused it, ultimately choosing to join the Technology Bureau.
It wasn't that he was genuinely more interested in Science than in cultivating and strengthening himself. It was because joining the Space Garrison meant putting his life on the line at the front.
Even the Big Shots of the Space Garrison in the TV series, who had plot armor, had died two or three times each on average. Although Orin Vale was an outstanding graduate, in an Ultraman TV show, he'd just be a Background Character in a group fight. Without that plot armor, who knew which Mission he might not return from.
Longevity was one of the greatest advantages of the Ultraman Race. Since he was reborn as a member of a long-lived species, he naturally had to maximize this advantage. In any case, his goal was to level up in the Base while researching Black Technology, occasionally taking on simple missions on nearby planets within his capabilities to grind some Experience, and only emerge once he hit Max Level.
His life should have proceeded step-by-step toward its peak, but Destiny played a huge joke on him. He had freaking transmigrated yet again, and again, and again.
This time, it was a Laboratory accident. The great Scientist, Senior Hikari, who was well-known in the Science Technology Bureau for feeling blue all over if he didn't court death for a day, had newly developed a Hyperspace Bracelet. According to the original plan, it would allow the Ultraman Warrior who possessed it to gain the ability of free spatial travel.
The process wasn't important. In short, the bracelet was busted, the Laboratory exploded, and an intern Ultraman (nickname for MC) who happened to be passing by was sucked into a Vortex along with the bracelet. When he came out, he was completely dumbfounded to find he had transmigrated.
This time, after landing, he discovered with even more misfortune that his landing spot seemed to be the goddamn DC Universe.
What kind of place was the DC Universe?
It was a place where God-like Beings literally roamed everywhere, where Mutants who could shatter planets with a single punch were not in short supply, and where there was a whole slew of Destroyers who could annihilate the myriad worlds of the Multiverse.
Putting aside everything else, just look at the resident Superhero on Earth, the signboard character of the DC Universe, Superman. When he unleashes his power-ups, there's no logic to it.
And he, Orin, was just an Ordinary Ultraman.
One must know that even among the Ultraman Race, the individual Strength gap was enormous. The Ultra Brothers, who were most commonly seen on screen in the Space Garrison, were all Top Tier Experts. The gap between them and an Ordinary Ultraman was roughly equivalent to that between a high school student and an academician with a mountain of top-journal publications.
The Big Shots above could perform a Planet Burst like it was child's play, but he currently lacked such an ability.
As their Blue-skinned Director at the Technology Bureau often said, we're just scientists; we don't have their kind of Strength.
In any case, for the time being, he relied on his Racial Talent of Transformation to take on a Human form and quietly blend in. And although he could now change into any appearance, he still chose to revert to his appearance from before he transmigrated.
At most, he had made some minor adjustments based on beautification standards, becoming a little bit more handsome.
He didn't know whether to count it as fortunate, but he at least still had this Hikari-brand Bracelet.
Who was Hikari?
The chief Scientist of the Land of Light, the ultimate Source of ninety percent of the Ultra Race's Black Technology, who could hand-craft a plethora of heaven-defying, world-ending Equipment. You could distrust Hikari's Security measures, but you could never doubt the Power-ups he produced.
As everyone knew, all of the Ultra Race's technology was built upon an Energy Foundation known as "Light." This Light was energy in the physical sense, yet it wasn't entirely so. It existed in a subtle zone between materialism and idealism, leaning just a tiny bit more toward the idealistic side.
Therefore, when the great Scientist Hikari was designing it, he incorporated the idealistic technological Philosophy of the Ultra Race, allowing the Bracelet to be charged through idealistic Light. It felt a bit like piggybacking on someone's Wi-Fi hotspot, using the Light from an entire region to supply power.
However, as luck would have it, Orin Vale landed in the DC World. And it was at a point in time before the Justice League had appeared.
At this stage on Earth, the Crime Rate Curve in various places was taking off like Popeye after eating Spinach, with everyone seemingly scrambling to win the "rotting championship." Given the current state of this World, forget the Bracelet; even if Senior Tiga himself came, he'd probably just throw up his hands and say, "Just brew it all into soup. It's hopeless. I'm out."
Okay, that was just an expression. That's not what they taught in the School in the Land of Light.
At least when Orin Vale was in class, all the teachers said this—
—In a place without Light, we shall become the one and only Light.
So for Orin Vale, this was like having a built-in System Cheat. Anything that caused an Organism to produce positive emotions like joy, gratitude, enthusiasm, and positivity would directly feed back as his Experience Points.
Alternatively, directly eliminating a powerful Source of Darkness, an existence embodying great Sin and Darkness, could achieve a similar effect.
The equivalent exchange was basically that killing monsters let you Level Up, and stronger monsters gave more Experience.
A day ago, he saw the Giant Starfish that had fallen from the sky in the mountains on the TV news. From outside the cordon, a Reporter captured footage of the dozens-of-meters-tall extraterrestrial Giant Beast, as well as scenes of an unknown organization engaging it in a firefight.
That instantly triggered Orin Vale's long-sealed comic book Memory.
Isn't this thing that one guy?
Starro?
Starro, the iconic DC Villain with the appearance of a Giant Starfish, a cosmic Monster drifting through Interstellar Space, was the enemy the Justice League fought when they first assembled in the history of the Comics. He made a live-action appearance in *Task Force X 2*.
The movie version of Starro had his origins and abilities adapted to match the Power Level of the protagonist team, so he appeared weaker than in the Original Work. In the end, he was taken down by a dense swarm of rats that covered the city.
The version from the Original Work was a bit stronger, but only to a limited extent. Its main Threat was its Facehugger-style parasitic Mind Control ability. In terms of head-on Combat Power, most of the founding members of the Justice League could take it down single-handedly.
And regardless of which version's setting, Starro's Threat Level to the current Orin Vale was not high. It would most likely be a matter of one Specium Ray.
Thinking about it, that moving thing in the news wasn't a cosmic Monster at all, was it? It was practically a starfish-shaped, self-propelled experience pack!
Furthermore, Orin Vale knew that if this thing was dealt with even a little too slowly, the consequences would be unimaginable once its Brainwashing Facehuggers spread.
Of course, that didn't matter anymore.
Because he would make his move.
And so, the scene from yesterday occurred.
A Giant of Light descended from the sky, and with a single, unbelievably powerful blow, blasted the Giant Starfish into a pile of Debris.
That's right, it was Ultraman's iconic Ultimate Attack, the Specium Ray.
The Specium Ray was a required course in the academy's practical combat department, which Orin Vale had specifically studied. This move was much harder than it looked on TV; he had practiced for a hundred years back then to be able to control it with ease and skill.
Of course, a hundred years wasn't as exaggerated as it sounded, because he quickly discovered after his rebirth that the growth cycle and concept of time for a long-lived species were different from those of Humans. He was actually very young in the Land of Light, likely still just a student from a Human perspective.
The authorities had yet to release any official statement, but public opinion had already exploded.
*Mysterious Giant Destroys Giant Beast*.
*Is it a God? Or an Alien?*
"It's definitely an Alien!"
A young man in a leather jacket said emotionally to the camera.
"My house is nearby, I saw it with my own eyes! You can't even imagine it, something like that absolutely doesn't exist on Earth!"
"It's an Alien invasion, the world is about to end!"
An even more agitated fellow snatched the Reporter's microphone and forced his way in front of the camera: "I told you so, I warned you all! This World is beyond saving, even God can't stand to watch anymore, so He has come in person!
Soon, this World, along with its Greed and Sin, will be razed to the ground, just like the Great Flood in the Bible."
"Some children in Gotham City are calling the Giant 'Ultraman' (Superman)."
The original text for Ultraman is, well, Ultraman, just a transliteration. Its literal meaning is "super man," similar to the Codename of a certain red-caped Alien who wears his underwear on the outside and has yet to make his debut in this World.
The benefits this series of chain reactions brought to Orin Vale were also visibly apparent.
The Bracelet's Spacetime Energy saw its most significant increase since his transmigration, and there was even an unexpected bonus.
"Energy Reserve increased. New Module unlocked. Searching for Land of Light Science and Technology Bureau Headquarters. Searching..."
When this prompt appeared, Orin Vale held his breath in anticipation, hoping its Signal could cross the vast Multiverse and help him find his Organization.
Unfortunately, the final pop-up was still a line: "Search failed. Unable to locate Technology Bureau Headquarters."
Orin Vale was slightly disappointed, but not surprised.
But then the Bracelet continued to display another prompt: "...Technology Bureau Authority Level Three and below Technical Reserve Data unlocked."
Orin Vale: "!"
This was a truly pleasant surprise. Outsiders who had never been in the Technology Bureau would find it hard to imagine the kind of perversely overpowered Black Technology their top Laboratory, under the leadership of their Blue-skinned Director, tinkered with all day long.
For example, a Cannon with power equivalent to the Hyperspace Bomb used by Belial in the TV series, capable of destroying a Universe in a single shot.
For another example, in the Iconic Moment from the finale of the Original Ultraman series, Zoffy mentioned "I brought two lives with me from the Land of Light" when he first appeared. The technology he was using was the ultimate Black Technology, Life Solidification Technology. It could create and store "Life," allowing for the resurrection of the dead. It was plug-and-play, even more ridiculously overpowered than the eyes of a certain ninja clan.
Of course, these were all high-end technologies, accessible only to the higher-ups even in the Land of Light. Orin Vale quickly reviewed the Checklist of technologies now available to him and soon found one that was relatively basic, less difficult to replicate, and quite practical for him.
The Specium Ray Cannon.
Similar to the Specium Ray Gun designed by the Earth Defense Force XIO in the TV series, its power couldn't compare to a Specium Ray released by a real Ultraman, but its Principle and Attributes were the same.
It was Black Technology for Humans, but it wasn't considered difficult for the Land of Light Technology Bureau. With complete blueprints and an Instruction Manual, it was even easier for Orin Vale than some of the practical lessons at the academy.
However, the basic materials he could acquire here were definitely of lower quality. It felt a bit like when Stark hand-crafted the Iron Man Armor in a cave by scavenging Debris.
Of course, this was no challenge for the top graduate of the Land of Light.
After completing the assembly, he put on the Cannon in his private Laboratory in the Basement. Looking at its smooth lines and the metallic glint of its body, he felt increasingly satisfied with his Masterpiece.
After nightfall, Orin Vale dressed in an all-black outfit, complete with a Combat Suit and Helmet, showing almost no distinguishing features. If one had to say, his appearance was perhaps closest to Snake Eyes from the special forces movies.
Whether Batman was involved or not, having a dangerous individual with a penchant for kidnapping lurking around his doorstep was a matter of concern. Having finally reasoned with the Gangs in his Community to reach an understanding, Orin Vale really disliked new variables popping up in his neighborhood environment.
Orin Vale had taken Criminal Investigation as an elective in the Land of Light, and for one lesson, he was even fortunate enough to listen to a lecture by the renowned Taro... ah, no, Senior Seven from the Space Garrison, who had been invited by the School.
Unlike Human criminal investigation, the tracking training for the Ultraman Race relied not only on logical thinking skills but primarily on their eyes.
The trained eyes of an Ultraman Race member could emit light waves of various Spectrums, and had functions like Telescopic Vision, X-ray Vision, and Disguise Detection. They could even scan any scene to find all sorts of traces left by actions from days ago, allowing them to "see" the course of the crime from the scene.
Orin Vale was not a professional investigator, but he was fortunate enough to have gotten a perfect score in this elective and was quite confident in his eyes. A glance at the scene would likely reveal traces that ordinary people could not discover.
The original plan was to check out the address where Mr. Grimm mentioned his child was abducted. But he hadn't expected that as he passed over a back alley, an unconscious glance downward, aided by his superhuman vision, would happen to spot a black vehicle parked in a secluded, shadowy corner.
An all-black Metal War Car, with a peculiar design, a long body, and even a Jet Propulsion Engine mounted at the rear.
Definitely not the type of vehicle a normal person would drive on the street.
The Batmobile?
Orin Vale stopped in his tracks, pausing on the Rooftop, and looked down at the War Vehicle from a distance.
The overall design and structure were still a ways off from the cool, sci-fi Batmobiles in Orin Vale's memory, but it already had the embryonic form of a future Batmobile.
A blue light flashed in his eyes. The vehicle rapidly zoomed in within his vision, and penetrating rays shot from his eyes, passing straight through the heavy metal body of the car and feeding the situation inside back to his eyes.
Sure enough, he saw at a glance the legendary Dark Knight, the mysterious Messenger of Revenge, the DC World's Greatest Detective, the incarnation of Fear for all criminals...
...sitting in his Batmobile, eating a boxed meal.
Orin Vale: "."
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(end of chapter)