mijobooks Chapter 150 The Manifestation of Fear, Soldiers in the Moonlight!
Chapter 150 The Manifestation of Fear, Soldiers in the Moonlight!
On this day, with Gu Nan's timely update, countless fans flocked to the video platform early, waiting in front of their screens to welcome the arrival of episode 22 of "Ultraman Dyna".
Without him, only familiar with Seoul.
After the lighthearted and enjoyable experience of the previous episode, many viewers even joked in the comments section that Gu Laozei (a famous comedian) had changed his ways and was planning to turn "Dyna" into a hilarious sitcom.
After all, Dyna doesn't have that many high-energy rallies.
However, when the title of this episode, "Soldiers in the Moonlight," slowly appeared on the screen, accompanied by a slightly eerie and dark background music, everyone's heart skipped a beat.
Another horror movie?
The main feature begins.
The scene cuts in from a corner of a busy construction site.
Keen-eyed viewers immediately recognized that this was the underground urban work area mentioned in episode 4.
It is evident that the project did not stop after the monster attack, and this detail, which reflects the passage of time within the work, greatly increases the realism of the plot.
Workers working here unexpectedly discovered an ancient bronze mirror, estimated to be from the first half of the 4th century AD, during the excavation process.
According to the inscription remaining on the back of the bronze plate, it was left behind by the fictional "Soldier of the Moonlit Night" from the pre-Kofun period.
As the narrator's deep voice provided the commentary, the camera shifted to the brightly lit Super Victory Team command center.
The group was gathered together discussing the legend of the unearthed artifact.
Archaeologist Kariya, who wears many hats, flipped through ancient books and explained a mysterious piece of history to everyone.
Legend has it that a group of ancient soldiers would travel to a place called "Moonlit Spring" on the night of a full moon.
They poured all their deepest fear of war and their yearning for victory into a stone, and then threw it into the dark spring.
Deep within the spring dwells a guardian spirit named "Mozhi," who devours the soldiers' fears and grants them protection.
Freed from fear, the Moonlit Soldiers transformed into invincible warriors on the battlefield, sweeping all enemies away.
After hearing this legend, Asuka and the others felt that it was like a divine buff. With such a guardian deity protecting them, they would definitely feel safe in battle.
But Captain Kibi had a furrowed brow.
Then, he astutely pointed out the blind spot: "If Mozhi really is a guardian deity, why did the soldiers of the moonlit night seal it away with their own hands in the end? And why did those soldiers suddenly disappear?"
Something unusual must be going on.
[Becoming stronger by throwing away fear? This premise sounds really weird. Is Gu Laozei (the author) going to pull off some dark and brutal plot again?]
Without the capacity for fear, one ceases to be human, becoming merely a weapon...
What appears to be Mozhi's protection is actually the soldiers sacrificing their emotions to Mozhi, turning them into emotionless killing machines.
Many people started discussing it in the live chat.
……
The camera then shifts to the Ancient History Research Institute, following the conversation between the captain and Kariya.
The director in charge of researching this bronze mirror is a young female PhD student named Ayano.
She is not only a genius archaeologist, but also Liang's senior since elementary school.
Night falls, and a full moon hangs high in the sky.
Alone in the laboratory, Dr. Ayano used laser to dissect the bronze plate, cutting open the corroded parts to reveal a bronze mirror as smooth as new.
Just as she wiped away the dust, the mirror reflected the full moon outside the window. At that moment, the words "Frozen Spring" flashed through the doctor's mind. Sensing something was wrong, she hurriedly used her computer to translate the ancient characters on the mirror.
The translation that popped up on the screen was chilling:
"Don't touch this mirror. 'Mozhi' is hidden here. Once 'Mozhi' is released..."
Legend has it that the monster Mozhi needs to absorb moonlight as its energy source, and the doctor's accidental act of letting the mirror reflect the moonlight completely broke the seal on this monster that had been buried underground for thousands of years!
Just as the doctor was still in shock, Liang called.
It turns out the two had planned to go out for a late-night crab snack together that night.
On one end of the phone, Ryo was still casually teasing his senior about working overtime, while Dr. Ayano on the other end sounded anxious and terrified.
"The so-called 'Frozen Spring' refers to the Bronze Mirror, and Mozhi is a real entity! It's not some kind of guardian deity at all!"
Liang, who had been relaxed, suddenly became alert.
Sensing something was wrong, Liang immediately said he would rush to the research institute.
But Ayano-senpai sternly stopped her: "Listen, Moshi wants the stone! You're more dangerous than me! Don't come any closer!"
These words, which sounded like a riddle, left Ryo completely bewildered.
Before he could finish speaking, a loud crash of something shattering came from behind the doctor. Then, the entire research institute lost power and fell into a deathly darkness!
The call was abruptly cut off!
In the darkness, accompanied by eerie green light and a strange heartbeat, the distorted phantom of the monster Mozhi appeared in the corridor.
Even in a completely dark space, its moon-light eyes can see everything clearly.
Terrified, the doctor decisively pressed the emergency call button, grabbed the CD containing the copied data, and turned to flee to another room.
【Ugh, this monster is so scary!】
Wow, this looks like ancient script! It resembles Small Seal script.
So, is this a mirror reflecting the period around the Han Dynasty?
[Good heavens, even ancient people could seal away such monsters? Did they also have cultivators like Master Jinglong?]
……
Upon receiving the distress signal, the Super GUTS team quickly mobilized. Ryo, who was closest to the research institute, had already arrived first.
But for some reason, as soon as Liang stepped into that long, dark corridor, a huge and inexplicable sense of fear welled up inside him.
The corridor seemed to be filled with Mozhi's terrifying phantoms and mournful screams.
When Liang arrived at the scene following the screams, it was too late.
She watched helplessly as the terrifying and eerie Mozhi attacked her senior, then vanished in a blur before disappearing into the mirror.
In the original world, director Tsugumi Kitaura employed extremely sophisticated filming techniques.
The monsters that have vanished into the mirror, the distorted camera angles, the chilling sound effects, and the dark, eerie filter all combine to create an atmosphere of terror to the extreme.
Now, Gu Nan has created an even more sinister art style and filter on the original basis!
This is practically a horror movie.
……
With a thunderous roar, the Super GUTS team arrived.
Koda said with a grave expression that Dr. Ayano's condition was very serious, and whether he could hold on depended on the rescue efforts over the next two days.
Liang, who is usually as strong as a tomboy, was now slumped on the ground as if she had lost her soul.
Faced with the bird's words of comfort, her voice trembled, filled with self-blame and fear.
"I was really scared... When I saw Moshi, I was so scared I couldn't even move. It's all because of me, Ayano-senpai..."
This was perhaps the first time Ryo had felt fear since becoming a member of the Super GUTS team...
At this point in the story, Liang, whose SAN value has plummeted, has completely crashed.
This incredibly realistic portrayal of negative emotions made viewers in front of the screen feel deeply concerned.
[Good heavens, Ryo is the ace pilot of the Super GUTS team, how could he be so scared?]
This monster is so eerie, it even sends chills down my spine. It's likely to become a childhood nightmare for many!
[The defense team members, who were usually fearless in the face of death, openly displayed their fear this time.]
Shortly afterward, everyone returned to the command center for a meeting.
Captain Hibi made an accurate judgment: the legendary frozen spring refers to the bronze mirror, and Mozhi is definitely not a guardian deity.
The group split into several teams to conduct the investigation.
Kariya and Nakajima search for the ruins of the ancient Moonlit Spring, while Koda and Asuka use advanced technology to reconstruct the crime scene.
Seeing that Ryo was still not in good condition, Koda wanted her to take a day off to rest, but the captain sternly said that it should be Ryo's own decision.
Super Victory Team doesn't have enough information about the monster Moshi.
They couldn't predict where Mozhi would appear next.
Liang was still upset about his senior's injury.
If I hadn't been afraid of Mozhi back then, perhaps the doctor wouldn't still be in a coma...
After a painful internal struggle, Liang did not choose to run away. She suppressed her inner fear and returned alone to that gloomy research institute to look for clues.
Fortunately, she successfully retrieved the disc that her senior had dropped, revealing Mo Zhi's true colors.
On the large screen at the base, the truth was finally revealed.
Mozhi is a monster that feeds on human fear.
The soldiers under the moonlight infused their fear into stones and threw them into the spring. Mozhi devoured the fear, turning them into invincible warriors without any sense of fear.
However, the soldiers, who had completely lost their sense of fear and awe, were unable to understand the preciousness of life. Their hearts were filled with nothing but destruction and killing, and they eventually became killing machines.
The reason why Ayano-senpai said that Ryo was more dangerous was because the Super GUTS team were the elite warriors of this era, and also the "target" that Mashi coveted the most!
The warrior's fear will be amplified infinitely by Mo Zhi!
The translation also states that on the night of the full moon, when the moon shines, Mozhi will awaken again and transform into a giant monster, emerging from the Moonlit Spring.
However, the message sent back by Kariya and his group indicated that the Moonlit Spring of yesteryear had long been filled in and turned into a construction site, with a tall building erected on it.
"The frozen spring refers to the bronze mirror... the spring water is what reflects objects!"
Captain Hibiki immediately realized, "That glass mirror on the high-rise building that reflects moonlight is the modern version of the Moonlit Spring!"
Everyone immediately set off and rushed to the location of the high-rise building.
Sure enough, under the bright moonlight, the building's glass curtain wall resembled a huge lake.
The gigantic monster Mozhi slowly emerged from the reflection in the mirror and descended upon the center of the city.
Faced with the terrifying monster magnified countless times, Liang's hand holding the control stick was still trembling slightly.
She didn't understand why her senior dared to face it alone. Wasn't her senior afraid?
Over the communication channel came Captain Kibi's resounding admonition:
"The Doctor must have been scared too! The reason why the soldiers of the moonlit night sealed Moshi was because they had become monsters who only knew how to kill after abandoning all fear! They realized that fear is not something to be ashamed of, and that everyone has times when they are afraid!"
"But most importantly, learn to face your own fears! Overcoming your inner fears and confronting powerful enemies—that's what battle is all about!"
Encouraged by these words, Liang's eyes regained their former determination.
She roared and took the lead in piloting the Gamma fighter, facing her most terrifying nightmare, and pressed the fire button!
The tomboy Liang has finally arrived!
The greatness of humanity lies in its noble stance in the face of fear!
Whatever difficulties we face, we should not be afraid! Face them bravely! The best way to eliminate fear is to confront it!
Go for it, Liang! You can do it!!!
[It feels like these are the stones left over from when Mozhi ate the stones infused with the fear of the soldiers.]
……
Intense air combat broke out.
Mozhi spat out a large number of black pearl-like particles from its mouth. These were the materialized products of the fear it had devoured, and they were extremely destructive.
Liang's fighter jet was unfortunately hit and made an emergency landing near the monster.
As Moshi approached step by step, attempting to devour Ryo, Asuka immediately transformed into a red sphere and crashed into the monster, transforming into Ultraman Dyna in a burst of light!
However, a shocking scene unfolded.
Faced with the monstrous beast exuding an intense aura of fear, Dyna was also filled with fear the moment they clashed, and he took several steps back!
"Dyna... even you are afraid?"
Liang, standing on the ground, looked at the giant of light and muttered to himself.
Even though he was filled with fear, Dyna held his ground and fought back fiercely in order to protect his comrades and the city behind him!
Just as the battle reached a stalemate, a dark cloud suddenly drifted in from the sky, obscuring the full moon.
Mozhi, who relied on the moonlight to move, suddenly lost a lot of strength and became listless, struggling to escape back into the glass mirror of the building.
"Oh no, it's trying to escape back into the mirror!"
In the critical moment, Liang overcame his fear, picked up a heavy weapon, and fired a precise shell, directly cutting off the monster's retreat and successfully preventing it from escaping into the mirror.
This scene caused many viewers to stand up!
Wow, so cool! What a stylish woman!
[Ultraman protects his wife!]
Even monsters feel fear!
This truly shows that women are just as capable as men!
【Aaaaaah! A husband-and-wife doubles match!】
This scene perfectly embodies the courage of humanity in the face of fear.
Seeing this, Dyna no longer hesitated.
Working together with Miyako, they charged up and fired the Solget Ray, blasting the inescapable Moshi into pieces.
The battle is over, and the crisis is over.
The scene shifts, and Ayano-senpai, who has recovered from a serious illness, smiles and extends another invitation to Ryo from her hospital bed: "Remember to bring crabs!"
The story came to a close in this warm and joyful atmosphere.
……
The video had just ended, and the comment section and forums were already in an uproar.
Compared to the nonsensical humor of the previous episode, this episode, "Soldiers in the Moonlight," is a stroke of genius in terms of dramatic depth and the creation of a suspenseful atmosphere.
[This is amazing! Did director Gu Nan start out making horror movies? The blackout corridor, the phantom images in the mirrors, the ghastly green filter—the atmosphere is so intense I was too scared to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night!]
[If I had watched this as a kid, this episode would definitely have been a childhood nightmare! Mozhi's eerie screams were absolutely terrifying.]
[Gu Laozei's scripts are truly rock solid. He makes everyone laugh in the previous episode, then delivers a psychological thriller in this one, his emotional control is impeccable.]
[But what I like most about this episode is its theme. The best way to eliminate fear is not to throw it away, but to confront it! The soldiers in the moonlit night, having lost their fear, lost their reverence for life and became killing machines. This reflection is so profound!]
[That's right! The captain's words were absolutely inspiring! "Fear isn't something to be ashamed of; the most important thing is to learn to face your fears." Watching Liang's transformation from a state of mental breakdown to one of renewed strength was incredibly exciting!]
Did anyone notice that even Dyna was afraid when facing this monster? Even the Giant of Light experiences fear, but choosing to fight despite that fear—that's true courage!
[Another episode exploring human nature. Dyna not only offers science fiction and comedy, but also a profound deconstruction of psychology and human emotions. This episode is still on par!]
The audience was in high spirits, discussing every detail of the plot.
They were amazed by the show's tangible portrayal of "fear," a fundamental human instinct, and even more impressed by the true courage of Ryo and Dyna, who "continued to move forward despite their fear."