Summoned from another world, the hero is Ultraman Zeta.

The sounds of conversation and laughter filled the air, while the distant roars of animals grew clearer. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a group of horned hippos coming ashore and grazing on the bank not far from the cargo ship.

"There's no danger, just a group of hippos grazing, not some dangerous monster." The crew's report put everyone at ease, and they continued their merriment, making the most of their time with the hero.

"Hippopotamus? What kind of creature is that? Can you take me to see it?" Upon hearing about the new monster, Haruki became interested and ran to the crew member's side, asking questions repeatedly.

"Huh? Mr. Yaohui, haven't you ever seen a horned hippopotamus? They're quite common around here."

"Alright, Haruki, I'll take you to see it. Let's go together. I'd really like to see what a horned hippopotamus looks like in person."

After asking the crew for directions to the horned hippopotamus, A-Jiu took Yao-Hui to observe it. Before leaving, Yao-Hui told Sean, who was still drinking with the crew, that he wanted to persuade Sean not to drink too much.

Many crew members shared Yaohui's interest, but the foreman, seeing their rough manner, stopped them from making any rash moves to avoid disturbing the horned hippopotamus herd.

Climbing up a small hill, Yaohui and Ajiu looked down at the herd of hippos below. Their dark brown skin was covered with sparse hair, and their huge mouths were devouring the grass by the river. Then they would start chewing with a smacking sound, pausing from time to time to look around and staring with their big, dark eyes.

The horned hippos that don't eat grass go to the water or mud pits to soak, rolling around in the mud with their hooves raised. Looking at these horned hippos, Yaohui was reminded of water buffalo on Earth, but the mouths of these horned hippos are much bigger than those of water buffalo.

"Where did these horned hippos come from? Why didn't we see them when we came? Do you know why, Ah Jiu?"

Yaohui turned his head to the left, wanting to talk to Ajiu, but what came into view was the face of a hippopotamus, its mouth slapped shut and its eyes showing confusion.

"I'm to your right, where are you looking, Yaohui?" Yaohui took several steps back in surprise, and it was only after Ajiu's timely reminder that Yaohui realized he wasn't dreaming.

"Don't worry, horned hippos are very docile monsters. They are herbivores and have no hostility towards humans. Of course, if you try to steal their grass, that's a different story."

Ajiu grabbed a handful of grass from the riverbank and put it near the horned hippopotamus's mouth. The hippopotamus stuck out its tongue, rolled the grass from Ajiu's hand, put it in its mouth, and continued to smack its lips, ignoring Ajiu's subsequent caresses.

"Why don't you touch it too, Haruki? This is a rare opportunity." A-Kyu's words made Haruki lower his guard, and he slowly approached the hippopotamus and reached out his hand.

"Wow, it feels so nice to touch. This hippopotamus is really not afraid of people."

With its soft fur and firm muscles, Haruki found the monster before him somewhat unbelievable; such peaceful contact between humans and monsters was a rare sight on Earth.

"It's not just that they're not afraid of people. In some situations, humans even ask horned hippos for help. They often help humans when plowing or crossing rivers."

"How did they do that? Is it the same interactive dance they had when the Flame Feather Giant Bird flew with them?" Haruki had witnessed a new side of humans and monsters, and he didn't want to miss this opportunity to try something new.

"Hey, have you ever ridden the Flame Feather Giant Bird, brave warrior?" The foreman's sudden visit brought him some new and interesting stories, but the watermelon the foreman was holding caught Yao Hui's attention even more.

"I've ridden this once, is there a problem, supervisor?"

"It's nothing, just asking a simple question. The ability to communicate with monsters is very valuable, and humans who possess this skill are all highly skilled, with very few being proficient in it."

The foreman's words gave Yaohui new ideas, and as soon as he finished speaking, the foreman stretched out his hand and showed a halo, then communicated with the horned hippo in front of him through the halo.

Haruki didn't hear any words or phrases, only a few distinctive low growls. Then the hippo trotted over, took the watermelon from the foreman's hand with its mouth, and walked away with a cheerful gait.

"I'm sorry to make a fool of myself, brave warrior. My abilities are barely at the beginner level, so I can't compare to you. Please don't laugh at me."

"No, no, it's already amazing." Haruki genuinely thought this magic was incredible. If it were possible to communicate with monsters, then there would be far fewer conflicts between humans and monsters.

"Why did you suddenly bring watermelons, foreman? Don't you have enough watermelons to eat?"

Compared to the foreman's magic, Ajiu was more curious about the foreman's purpose. As an employee of a business group, such behavior of giving things away for no reason was not common.

"Horned hippos are rare monsters in rivers that are friendly to humans. Many people regard encountering a horned hippo as a good omen, especially for us boat people. So, there is an unwritten rule among us that we should treat horned hippos kindly when we encounter them, in order to pray for good luck and smooth sailing."

After the foreman finished speaking, many more crew members came over from afar, carrying watermelons and vegetables to greet the horned hippopotamus herd, hoping to share in their good fortune. At this moment, Yao Hui raised the hand that had just been stroking the horned hippopotamus and marveled at the wonder between humans and nature.

After lunch, as they packed up to leave, Sean, his face flushed, leaned on a crew member's shoulder as he walked. Yaohui had no idea how much he had drunk. Seeing Sean's unsteady gait, Yaohui could only pray for good luck for him.

"Stop watching, Ajiu. Minors shouldn't drink alcohol." Yaohui pulled Ajiu aside, thinking it best to keep her away from Sean for now.

Set sail again, preparing to start the ship's engines. The magic array powered by mineral energy will provide the ship with mobility, but it will vibrate for a while when it is first started, so those on board must hold on tight during this time.

A sudden surge stirred up heavy waves on the river, causing the boat to rock violently and many people to fall onto the deck, wondering why the commotion was so loud this time.

"What's going on? What happened down there?" The foreman rushed down to the ship's deck to check the status of the magic array, but the crew members responsible for activating it were equally clueless, because they hadn't activated it yet.

"Foreman, it's not a problem with the ship, it's a monster."

The crew on deck reported their observations on the distant river to the foreman. Upon hearing this, the foreman immediately ran to the deck, took out binoculars, and looked to see clearly what was causing the trouble.

"It's a shrimp claw monster, but how could it appear in a place like this? Isn't its territory on another river?"

While the foreman was puzzled, his mind raced. Meanwhile, the shrimp-clawed monster was already approaching. However, it was not in a hurry to move forward. Instead, it suddenly stopped at a riverbank, smashed open a cliff with its shrimp claws, and spat out some unknown substance from its mouth onto the rock face. After finishing, it continued to move along the river.

The behemoth's entry into the water once again stirred up waves. This time, the energy barrier protected the ship and withstood the impact. Yaohui, holding the Courage Crystal, was ready for battle.

"Is the Shrimp Claw Monster expanding its territory because it realized that Fish Ding is gone? Probably."

"Do you want me to fight, foreman? Zeta and I can handle it."

After putting down his binoculars, the foreman understood the reason for the sudden appearance of the Shrimp Claw Monster. He immediately raised his hand to signal the crew to evacuate at full speed. Haruki stepped forward and asked, whether to fight or leave was not a problem for him and Zeta.

"I know you are very capable, brave warrior, but our working principle is to ensure the safety of goods and personnel. We cannot take this risk. Please understand, brave warrior. Even a big wave on the river can sink a ship. I cannot let my crew members risk their lives!"

“I understand, foreman. You are an excellent leader.”