Deep within the Pacific Ocean on Earth, inside an island exuding a dark aura, a young man was staring intently at a curtain of light before him.
Yin Xi had already been here for a full two months.
At first, Yin Xi had no idea where he was. But when he saw those towering humanoid stone heads, he realized he had come to the world of Tiga—specifically, to R'lyeh, the resurrection site of the Evil God Gatanothor.
Indeed, Yin Xi was a standard transmigrator, and he possessed the cheat code that every transmigrator must have. Yet this cheat code, the so-called system, had not provided him with any substantive help up to this point. Apart from slightly strengthening his physique at the very beginning so that he could go without food for long periods, there had been no other movement from it whatsoever. Yin Xi had even begun to suspect that the system had abandoned him.
Today, however, was quite different, for the system suddenly "came to life," providing him with a screen of light that displayed current events in the world of Tiga.
Golza and Melba had just been resurrected, which allowed Yin Xi to pinpoint his exact location in the timeline. What played on the screen now was GUTS searching for the pyramid. Daigo shot ahead of all the other members, leaving everyone behind and reaching the interior of the pyramid first.
Yin Xi could imagine the subsequent plot with his eyes closed. There was no helping it; he had watched it far too many times.
Before long, Daigo's aircraft was shot down. At the critical moment, a dazzling light erupted from Daigo's entire body, merging into the color timer of the Tiga stone statue on the ground. Seeing this, Yin Xi couldn't help muttering to himself that such a massive ball of light had flown right out of the aircraft, yet not a single person at the scene had noticed it.
Just as Golza's foot was about to land on Tiga's stone statue, the previously rigid statue suddenly raised both hands, blocking Golza's stomp. In an instant, the dusty gray statue vanished, replaced by Tiga adorned in red and purple stripes.
"Ding. The story of the Tiga world is officially detected to have begun. An opportunity for an identity choice is now provided to the host (Note: limited to those related to the Tiga world), along with a beginner's gift package (Note: the beginner's gift package is tied to the chosen identity, so the host must choose prudently)."
Hearing the prompt in his mind, Yin Xi, who had been bored by the lack of sound on the light screen, instantly perked up. He meticulously recalled every word he had just heard.
*(An optional identity? The system giving me this at this stage—could it be afraid I'd choose to be Tiga's summoner? But if I don't become Tiga, seemingly the best choice would be to join GUTS, and perhaps the mysterious gift package could even take me out of here.)*
For a moment, Yin Xi found himself in a dilemma. Subconsciously, he glanced around.
At this moment, he was in the huge secret chamber where the Dark Trio had been sealed. He had chosen this place instinctively because Yin Xi rather liked Camilla. Looking at Camilla's stone statue, a stir arose in the depths of Yin Xi's heart.
"Perhaps..."
Seemingly thinking of something, Yin Xi hesitated no longer.
"I choose to become Camilla's... younger brother."
Having answered the voice in his mind, Yin Xi couldn't help feeling nervous.
The next moment:
"Ding. Identity selection successful: Younger brother of Princess Camilla."
"Mysterious gift package is being distributed... Congratulations to the host for obtaining Ultra-Ancient genes. Princess Camilla's seal is about to be lifted."
Yin Xi wasn't surprised by the first part, but hearing the second made his heart leap with joy, for he had won his gamble. This way, not only did he gain the qualification to transform into Tiga, but he also had Camilla as an elder sister by his side. If he could negotiate with Daigo to borrow the Spark Lens for a transformation, that wouldn't be out of the question either. At least his safety in the early stages was guaranteed.
Without further thought, Yin Xi raised his head to look at Camilla's stone statue. Although the statue was rigid, it still could not conceal Camilla's proud curves.
Very soon, color gradually spread across the statue from bottom to top. A silver-gray body emerged, bearing two long tear marks across a noble face.
The Warrior of Love and Hate—Camilla—was resurrected.
At this exact moment, Tiga on the light screen seemed to sense something. He sidestepped to dodge Melba's attack and lashed out with a kick. That kick, delivered in his Multi Type, actually sent Golza flying. Then he stood in place, gazing fixedly in the direction of the Pacific Ocean.
"What's wrong with the giant? Why isn't he moving?" Rena asked with some anxiety.
Noticing the change in Tiga on the screen, Yin Xi couldn't help feeling a bit surprised.
*(It seems Daigo's first transformation into Tiga really does have the main body's own consciousness.)*
Before he could watch for long, Golza attacked again. Tiga had no choice but to look away and return to the battle.
"Tiga? No, something's not quite right. Yin Xi, what is going on here?"
Just as Yin Xi was observing Tiga, a pleasant voice suddenly came from behind him. Even without turning around, Yin Xi knew who it belonged to.
Camilla had already assumed a human form. Seeing Yin Xi staring at her without blinking, she couldn't help looking somewhat puzzled.
"Tiga didn't seal your brain away, did he? How did you turn into a fool who doesn't recognize your own sister?"
Recovering his wits, Yin Xi hurriedly adjusted his expression.
"Ah, no. It's just that I haven't seen you in a long time, Sister Camilla."
Glancing around, Camilla noticed the other two stone statues overhead.
"Hmm? Wasn't it time for Tiga's seal to wear off? Why are Darram and Hudra still stone statues?"
Hearing this, Yin Xi had no idea how to reply. Seeing Yin Xi's evasive gaze, Camilla looked thoughtful. In the end, she smiled, asked no further, and turned her attention back to Tiga on the light screen.
By now, Tiga had shifted into Power Type, gripping Golza by the neck and administering a brutal beating. Whether it was because Camilla's unsealing had been detected by the main consciousness, Tiga was exceptionally ferocious at this moment. Every blow that landed on Golza sparked massive explosions, and his fists even faintly shimmered with flowing red energy.
Melba attempted a sneak attack from behind. Without even lifting a hand, Tiga instantly shifted from Power Type to Sky Type, dodging Melba's energy blast with near-teleportational speed. Seeing this, Melba tried to flee, but Tiga pursued relentlessly, leaping forward and kicking the monster straight down. The moment it hit the ground, Melba exploded into fragments all over the floor.
Landing on his feet, Tiga once again used near-teleportational speed to reach Golza, who was trying to burrow underground and escape. The purple afterimage shifted back to red along the way. By the time he grabbed Golza's tail, he was already back in Power Type. Casually yanking Golza out of the earth, he hurled the monster high into the air.
The Deracium Beam Stream was primed and ready, piercing straight through Golza.
After finishing off the two Kaiju, Tiga stood in place, his gaze piercing directly through the light screen to lock eyes with Yin Xi—or rather, to lock eyes with Camilla standing right behind him.
Immediately afterward, Tiga on the light screen slowly nodded.
Suddenly, a shrill alarm sounded; the once azure color timer was now flashing a fierce red. Tiga didn't look down at it, instead turning his head and soaring straight up into the sky.
Watching Tiga's fluid and effortless combat in the light screen, Yin Xi couldn't help sighing in admiration. But that final eye contact truly exceeded Yin Xi's expectations.