Moonlight team, are you awake?

She disappeared from the entrance to my dream with the monster capsule, clearly leaving using a unique mode of transportation.

I dreamt I was sitting alone in the living room, and out of boredom, I decided to turn on the TV and watch some TV.

The moment he picked up the remote, he suddenly felt like he was in another world. When he was a child, he was a loyal fan of television. His happiest moments were when his parents allowed him to watch TV programs without limit every day on weekends and holidays.

He was exposed to many animation and tokusatsu programs, including the Ultraman series, on television. Every day, he would sit in front of the TV with a small stool, full of anticipation, waiting for the familiar opening sequence to appear. This had become a must-do at that time.

However, as he grew up, the internet age made it easier to access information, and his family's financial situation improved, so they installed a computer, and he didn't turn on the TV for a long time.

These days, let alone a television, even checking a mobile phone in your spare time is a luxury. The electronic device he comes into contact with most every day is the communication device at the defense base, and once that thing rings, nothing good is going to happen.

I picked up the TV remote again and turned on the TV, giving me a fleeting, dreamlike feeling. It was as if everything that had happened before was just a dream, as if I had simply taken a nice nap on an ordinary afternoon, and when I woke up, the world was still peaceful, and the TV was about to broadcast "Ultraman Tiga" at five o'clock.

"We're back~~" The voice at the door brought me back to reality. Guangzi and Zetton appeared in front of me, each carrying two large bags of vegetables and snacks.

As she put the things on the ground, she rubbed her fingers, which had been marked red by the handles, and muttered to herself, "We saw you were still sleeping at noon, and we went out to eat because we were hungry. The ramen on the next street is really good, and it's very cheap. If I didn't have to go to the defense team for duty so often, I would eat there every day."

Jaden carefully took the vegetables and fruits from the plastic bag and put them in the kitchen refrigerator. As he did so, he told me, "I bought vegetables and ribs because I was worried that you wouldn't have anything to eat when you woke up this afternoon. If you're hungry now, there's a teriyaki chicken sandwich in the bag. Have something to tide you over."

"I'm fine. I just woke up not long ago and I'm not too hungry yet." I stretched and leaned back on the sofa.

The sudden return of the two made the house instantly lively. Guangzi, like a proper office worker, complained to Meng about how tiring it was to clock in at the defense force every day. Meanwhile, Zetton was in the kitchen making corn and pork ribs. After blanching the ribs in boiling water, he stir-fried them with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine, then added boiling water and simmered them for more than half an hour. He also added sliced ​​carrots and corn. In just over an hour, the soup turned white and became very fragrant.

However, this peaceful atmosphere did not last long, and I fell into deep thought while staring at the news on TV.

[Breaking News! Yellowstone's supervolcano has suddenly become active, with a suspected eruption risk. The government has organized the evacuation of people in the area!]

“I will describe your dream.” I smiled and shook my head.

Upon hearing the word "volcano," I could almost see that "righteous and chivalrous" figure again in my mind's eye.

After Golza escaped, I suggested to the defense force that they conduct underground surveys of many volcanic areas, including the Kirito region, but no problems were found at the time. I guess Golza was probably hiding somewhere else to recuperate.

In the original story, it eventually recuperated in the Kirimatsu volcano region of Japan and evolved into a enhanced Golza. I never imagined that it might have ended up in Yellowstone National Park.

Compared to Yellowstone's volcanoes, Mount Wumen is far inferior. If the former were a basketball, Mount Wumen would be lucky to be considered an egg.

I remember that there used to be a lot of rumors on the internet that if the Yellowstone volcano erupted, the human population would be reduced to one-tenth of its former size, and there would be a mass extinction. Later, those rumors were proven to be exaggerated and false; the Yellowstone volcano is not that powerful.

However, in this timeline, I can't say for sure whether the Yellowstone volcano is as powerful as rumored.

However, it is foreseeable that if the eruption of the Yellowstone volcano is indeed caused by Golza, then Golza, having absorbed the energy of the Yellowstone volcano, should be much stronger than the original version.

However, this kind of news doesn't bother me much anymore. If Golza actually went to Mist Gate Moon and became the same enhanced Golza as in the original work, I would break out in a cold sweat and wonder if this was a harbinger of some major event.

"Let's see if there's any news from the defense force. If the Yellowstone volcano incident is really serious, we should get news within minutes." I Meng calmly sat down at the table and scooped a bowl of corn and pork rib soup cooked by Jetton to eat.

No matter how big or small the matter is, we should eat our fill and replenish our strength first. Whether it is a natural disaster or a disaster caused by monsters, suppressing it is a huge undertaking, and we can't do it without sufficient physical strength.

Sure enough, I had just finished two bowls of soup when the defense team sent a message: "Important matter, return immediately."

I calmly finished my soup, patted Jaden's hair and praised her for doing a good job, then wiped my mouth and walked towards the door.

When he rushed back to the defense headquarters, everyone else was already there, including Horii, Tango, and Otomo, all of whom looked drenched in sweat.

Chapter 72 Battle Plan

"How is the situation?" I asked calmly.

Hori looked at him with a bitter face: "I really envy you for being so calm. The current situation is that the North American branch's survey team has confirmed that the Yellowstone volcano will erupt significantly within 10 hours at most. Once it successfully erupts, the earth will enter a nuclear winter-like environment within a few years, and the situation will be unimaginable at that time."

"Shouldn't there be a way to stop it?"

"There is a solution, and we are currently making urgent preparations." Horii walked to the large screen and began to demonstrate the images on the screen using a smart remote control.

"According to data calculated by the Space Development Agency, if we pour enough coolant into the crater to cool the Yellowstone volcano's magma chamber by 35%, we can prevent a large-scale eruption. Although there is a chance that it will immediately cause a small-scale eruption, that level of eruption is relatively harmless."

"That sounds very feasible, so does that mean we can get through this crisis?" A slight smile appeared on the face of the team member.

"Theoretically, that's true, but... currently, the magma temperature of Yellowstone Volcano is rising at an abnormal rate for some reason. If it continues to rise at this rate, we may not have enough time to cool it down before it erupts."

This is the reason why scientists, including Horii, are so worried. The existence and danger of the Yellowstone volcano have long been known to mankind, and preparations have been made for the harm and prevention of its eruption. The plan that Horii just mentioned was proposed in 2017.

If it were just the Yellowstone volcano about to erupt, people wouldn't be in such a hurry, because as long as the coolant is poured out step by step, humanity can get through the crisis safely.

However, the abnormal rise in magma temperature is something that no scientist can explain or prevent at present. This situation, which is beyond common sense and cannot be understood by scientific experience, is what truly leaves scientists at a loss.

If the Yellowstone eruption cannot be stopped, the Earth will lose all sunlight within the next few years, resulting in reduced food production and a sharp decline in the human population.

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. At this moment, I Meng stepped forward and said, "If you ask me, the rise in magma temperature is not due to natural factors. There must be a monster causing trouble underground."

"A monster?" The mountain team member looked at Imu in disbelief. "Imu, are you awake? The temperature inside a volcano can reach over 1,000 degrees Celsius. What kind of creature can survive in there?"

"Can humans be 100% certain about monsters?" I retorted in my dream.

“This doesn’t make sense; the basic living conditions for life aren’t met there.” The team members in the mountains shook their heads repeatedly.

"How many of the monsters we've fought so far can be understood using normal biology?" I Meng listed many cosmic monsters, including Bazanga and Zakira. Just the fact that they can move around in space with their physical bodies and even fly at speeds of tens of Mach or even higher already surpasses human biological understanding.

Although incredible, they do exist, and their existence proves that human understanding of biology is still at a relatively primitive level.

Of course, this is not actually bad news for biologists on Earth.

As a scientist, what I fear most is not that there are still many things to explore, but that there is nothing left to explore; that is the most terrifying thing.

Although Yamanaka's remarks were not something the team members could agree with, they did open up new avenues of thought for Horii and the others.

At first, they were indeed limited in their thinking, just like those in the mountains. They didn't consider that the volcanic eruption was actually caused by a monster, because there had never been a monster that could control a natural environment of this magnitude as a supervolcano before. This could be considered the first time.

But if you open your mind, the problem doesn't seem so complicated.

“Let’s try using the biological detector I developed. As long as that thing doesn’t go deep into the Earth’s core, we can find it,” Dr. Otomo said, stepping forward.

Of all the scientists present, he was undoubtedly the most accomplished in biology.

He looked at Meng with a hint of approval in his eyes: "I agree with what Meng said. Monsters represent a completely new and unimaginable ecological position for humans. Our understanding of life on Earth has already been refreshed many times just by exploring existing life forms. So, we should not be surprised by anything that happens when faced with such strange beings as monsters."

"Then it's settled. I'll contact Commander Yoshioka at the front and get the North American branch to cooperate with our operation." Seeing that the people present had finally reached a consensus, Megumi immediately and decisively formulated a plan.

The news reached Yoshioka, who was at Yellowstone National Park, at top speed. When he heard that the disaster might have been caused by a monster, disbelief flashed in his eyes. Being there in person, he could personally feel the incredible power of nature he was facing. Humans felt an indescribable sense of insignificance and fear in the face of such natural forces.

It's incredible that a monster can wield such power.

But years of experience fighting monsters taught him that nothing is impossible when the target is a monster. At first, people couldn't believe that flesh and blood could withstand missiles, but later it turned out that monsters could use missiles to take a bath as easily as playing with them.

"Immediately arrange for the underground Pipa tanks to be on standby. Also, once the biological detectors from the Japanese branch arrive, immediately begin reconnaissance of the underground areas near Yellowstone. If a monster is indeed found, immediately formulate a battle plan to eliminate it!"

At Yoshioka's command, all departments sprang into action at top speed. At the same time, he looked worriedly at the crater and murmured, "Sawai, can we get through this?"

The sense of oppression brought about by natural disasters and monsters is completely different. When facing a gloomy sky, people feel an indescribable fear. Although its actual damage may not be comparable to that of a 120-meter-tall monster, actual damage and sense of oppression are two different things.

boom--!

Just as he was worrying, the crater trembled violently again, clearly audible for several kilometers around, and many staff members nearby looked in horror.

"Don't panic! This is just a normal reaction from inside the volcano when it's about to erupt!" Yoshioka reassured the situation while shouting into his communicator, "Russell, hasn't the latest batch of coolant arrived yet? The situation at the volcano is very bad!"

The voice of Russell, the North American detachment commander, came through the communicator: "Please wait a few more minutes! We are already transporting supplies at top speed. The situation is sudden, and such a large-scale mobilization of supplies will take time!"

Yoshioka put down the communicator and slammed his fist on the table in frustration: "Damn it, they really caught us off guard."

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Tactics of Total Loss in Sound Quality

Fortunately, just as Yoshioka had said, the huge roar from the crater was only a sign of an impending eruption, and the troops on site eventually received the coolant that had been transported.

As coolant was poured into the crater in heaps, although the volcano's activity did decrease significantly, the data from the instruments on site remained worrying.

"After pouring out the coolant, the temperature of the volcanic magma chamber dropped by 15%, which is 5% less effective than the last time it was poured out." The staff member operating the equipment on site looked frustrated.

After the first batch of coolant was poured in, the temperature of the volcanic magma dropped by 20%. It was believed that after the second batch of coolant arrived, the temperature could drop by 35%, which would at most cause a small-scale eruption of the volcano and prevent large-scale damage.

Unexpectedly, the volcano's temperature has been rising abnormally. At most, pouring coolant can only delay the eruption; it can no longer prevent a large-scale eruption of Yellowstone.

Seeing the temperature rise again after it had just dropped, even the usually composed Yoshioka began to sweat.

Fortunately, the members of the Japanese branch had already arrived at the scene with Dr. Otomo's biological detector.

Saijo Nagi, who was in charge of leading the team, stepped forward and saluted Yoshioka. "I am Saijo Nagi, the deputy commander of the Japanese Defense Force branch. It is an honor to meet you, Commander Yoshioka."

Yoshioka waved his hand: "Let's skip the formalities for now. Time is of the essence, let's quickly deploy the equipment and begin detection."

"Yes!"

Saijo Nagi turned around and directed Horii and Gamu, who were accompanying her, to set up the instrument. The two of them quickly finished adjusting the instrument.

The moment the power was connected, the instrument suddenly emitted a piercing sound.

"Is this device really that loud when it starts up?" Yoshioka couldn't help but cover his ears.

"Um... that's not the sound of the machine starting up."

"what is that?"

"This is the sound the instrument detected from the monster. Dr. Otomo set the instrument to be louder as the monster grows larger." Horii wiped away his cold sweat.

"What do you mean?" Yoshioka suddenly had a bad feeling.

“This instrument has a detection radius of 500 meters. Since it made such a loud noise as soon as it was turned on, that means... there is a monster at least 60 meters tall right under our feet.” Horii stomped on the soil.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes revealing a look of terror.

So everyone's been working on the monster's head the whole time? ???

"Everyone! Immediately relocate!" Yoshioka ordered everyone to run away as fast as possible without even thinking.

Just kidding, working on top of a monster's head, if it just climbs up, very few of the people on site will survive.

Fortunately, the position was only set up temporarily. Everyone quickly stuffed their things into the transport truck, got on the truck, and immediately started making their escape.

After running for several kilometers, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems that preparing the underground Pipa tank was the right thing to do." Yoshioka stood on the hilltop, looking into the distance, and felt glad that he had made preparations in advance.

"Underground Pippa Tank?" I was certainly familiar with this name. In the original work, Daigo and Shinjo drove the Underground Pippa Tank to find Golza under the Kirimon Moon Volcano and successfully destroyed the vehicle.

That thing is indeed very useful for detecting things underground, but is it a bit much to use it to fight Golza head-on underground...?

Before I could even complain, a loud roar came from the distant sky, and one transport plane after another flew in from the horizon, landing in an orderly fashion on the temporarily cleared airport.

Immediately afterwards, the transport plane's hatch opened, and one after another, underground Pipa tanks emerged from inside, lining up neatly in front of everyone.

"So many Pippa tanks?" I had thought that Commander Yoshioka had only prepared one, but I didn't expect so many to be transported.

"Use this thing to drive it out from underground, then we just need to figure out how to take it down." With Yoshioka's order, the staff set up the equipment and operated the underground Pipa tanks to drill into the ground one by one.

Seeing the surprised look on my face, Horii whispered in my ear, "The Pippa Tank was developed to deal with monsters that can burrow underground. It is equipped with an unmanned driving module, and in addition to the conventional beam cannon and automatic cannon, it is also equipped with a sonic weapon system and a self-destruct system. To most monsters, this thing is just an indestructible noise box."

After Horii said that, I understood my dream.

It is perfectly normal to equip it with an unmanned module, because underground warfare is much more dangerous than air warfare. If something goes wrong in air warfare, at least there is the possibility of parachuting, but if something goes wrong in underground warfare, you can basically just go to your grave.

Those capable of carrying out such missions are the cream of the crop; only a fool would treat such elites as expendable resources.

As for sonic weapons and self-destruct systems... all I can say is that this world has been fighting monsters for years, so they certainly have experience.

Ordinary beam cannons and missiles are ineffective against many monsters, making it difficult to inflict substantial damage on them through direct confrontation.

So, if hard tactics don't work, try softer ones.

This Pippa Tank is like that little gadget that comes with a birthday cake that sings "Happy Birthday." Although it doesn't sing very well, once it's started, it's incredibly difficult to shut it up.

From the perspective of the subterranean monster, it's like it's sleeping soundly when suddenly a metal box is thrown in front of it, playing a completely outdated version of "See You Again" 24/7. The worst part is that this metal box is indestructible. Even if you manage to break it to pieces with tremendous effort, it will immediately explode in front of you.

It's not over yet after it explodes; another new one will immediately run up to you and continue the cycle.

Even the most patient monster, how many can it dismantle? Humanity is currently united, and the production lines of any industrialized nation can immediately be switched to wartime mode to produce the weapons and equipment needed for the front lines.

The production lines of the five philanthropists are all running non-stop, and they're probably so tired that they could kill the monster.

Indeed, many monsters had been worn down to death in the past. The defense force used three shifts to launch unlimited saturation attacks on the monsters. Even if each missile only caused damage equivalent to a mosquito bite, the sheer number of them was enough to kill people. This tactic, proposed by Chief of Staff Hu Weiyong of the Asian branch, successfully annihilated a number of monsters.

Golza, who was happily absorbing magma underground, suddenly heard a buzzing sound coming from the soil above him.

Before it could react, dozens of Pippa Tanks barged into its underground resting space without warning, and then began to launch a 360° surround attack on it with sound waves. The effect was equivalent to a normal person being surrounded by a dozen speakers playing a completely low-quality version of "Happy Birthday" at maximum volume.

Chapter Seventy-Four: Qiang Yi'er Gorzan, step forward!

A group of Pipa tanks surrounded Golza, and all the sonic weapons were turned on at maximum power. Golza, who was happily absorbing the energy of the magma, suddenly widened his eyes, and his entire eyeball was filled with red blood vessels.

The sonic weapon instantly ignited Golza's fury. It crawled out of the lava and stomped a Pipa tank into the rocks, twisting its tracks and hull into a mangled mess.

However, the damage to the tracks and outer shell did not prevent it from continuing to emit sound waves.