Template Progress: 13/100. ntal Energy Boost Unlocked!
Zack's body showed no visible changes. He furrowed his brow in confusion.
"System, is this sothing that only takes effect after I revert from transformation?"
Ding! This enhancent is applied to the host's main body.
"Got it."
Zack glanced in the direction where Kraab had fled. But wary of a possible ambush, he dismissed the idea of chasing after him.
Instead, he turned his attention to the RV, using his transformation powers to rapidly repair the damage. Once it was fully restored, he retracted the transformation from RV and returned to the lower bunk in his Error Upgrade form.
"Man… I haven't felt this tired in a while."
Zack sank down onto the bed, his face showing a rare trace of exhaustion.
After all, he had trained intensively during the day—followed imdiately by a full-on battle. It had drained him both physically and ntally.
Ben, on the other hand, was still bouncing with energy.
"If that crab freak shows up again, I'll roast him into seafood skewers!"
Zack looked at him with tired amusent. "Your energy reserves really are sothing else, Ben."
Then his expression turned thoughtful.
"By the way… didn't sothing feel off about that crab alien?"
"I felt it too," Gwen said, her face showing a flicker of concern, though her voice remained calm."It's just like the chanoids we ran into earlier—they know exactly where we are. That crab alien didn't show up by coincidence… it was tracking us."
"We need to stay alert from now on," she added. "There may be more of them hunting us."
Grandpa Max took the opportunity to share his own assessnt.
Knowing Vilgax… he'd never send just one operative. Max thought.
—Bang!
With a sharp sound effect, a flash of blood-red light filled the room as Zack reappeared on the lower bunk.
In that instant, the weariness on his face vanished. His mind felt razor-sharp, his senses heightened—it was as if his brain had been upgraded to a whole new level.
He sat up, fully alert and focused.
"System," Zack said imdiately, "open my personal panel!"
—PERSONAL PANEL—
Host: Zack
Age: 11
Template: Carnitrix
[Transformation Duration: 20 minutes]
[Cooldown Duration: 10 minutes]
[Killer Mode: Unlocked]
Progress: 13/100
Skills:
Multilingualism: Proficiency in five major languages.
Advanced Driving: Expertise in operating vehicles across land, air, and sea.
Close-Combat Techniques: Training in hand-to-hand or close-quarters fighting.
Precision Firearms Training: Instruction in the accurate and precise use of firearms.
Inventory: None
Unlocked Aliens:
The Original Ten
Snare-oh (Mummy)
Feedback
Frankenstrike
Blitzwolfer
Gorebolt
Terror Eye
Wildvine
Ditto
Gluttony
Grave Glacier
Upgrade
Physical Condition: Adult-level physical strength
[ntal Energy: Significantly above average for a human]
So my ntal Energy is stronger than a normal person's, huh?
Zack raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised as he read over the "Physical Condition" section.
"System," he asked, "aside from keeping alert and giving faster reaction speed, does this actually do anything else?"
The System responded promptly, "Affirmative."
The superpowers and energy output of certain aliens are directly affected by the strength of your ntal Energy.
The strength of ntal Energy actually had that much influence?
"Bounty hunters… I'll be waiting for each of you to co knocking at my door!" Zack muttered, clenched his fists, brimming with energy and excitent, matching Ben's enthusiasm.
…
In a long-abandoned, dust-covered town, an old RV pulled in and ca to a stop in a secluded corner.
"This place looks completely deserted," Zack said as he stepped out of the Rustbucket, scanning the surroundings. "Ben, let's set up an ambush nearby. We'll be ready for whoever's chasing us."
"Zack." Ben leaned out of the RV window, his expression unusually serious. "Let's split up for the ambush. You can't transform yet, but I can. If sothing goes wrong, I'll jump out first. That way we won't risk exposing you too soon."
"…You… alright."
Zack hesitated for a mont, but then nodded.
He didn't believe in any kind of "Protagonist Halo," but he did believe in Ben's strength.
"Grandpa, I need to borrow sothing real quick."
Ben ducked back inside the RV, rummaged around with Grandpa Max's help, then ca back out with what he needed—ready to move.
Ben flashed a confident grin at Zack, hands casually tucked in his pockets."Zack, you're technically more skilled. You use the watch better than I do. But I can co up with tactics you'd never think of!"
With that declaration, he confidently entered one house after another, eventually settling into a warehouse to hide.
"I hope so..." Zack murmured.
He then turned to Grandpa Max. "Grandpa, I'm counting on you to keep an eye on Gwen."
After watching Ben disappear into the distance, Zack gave a quiet warning, then resolutely moved toward a nearby house. He pushed open a window and slipped inside.
The interior was dim and filled with a musty stench.
Cobwebs stretched from corner to corner, and dust coated every surface.
But Zack didn't mind. He simply found a good hiding spot and settled in to wait patiently.
anwhile, Grandpa Max and Gwen, who weren't going to participate in the ambush, moved farther away to find a safer place to hide.
...
Ti passed slowly.
The road remained silent and empty.
Bang! Bang!!
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble—mounds of dirt rising and falling in sequence.
It looked as if sothing massive was tunneling underground… heading straight for them.
Rumble!!
With a thunderous crash and a cloud of dust rising into the air, a massive figure burst out from beneath the ground!
"Rats!!"
Kraab, his head now repaired, shook the dust from his body and growled nacingly. "So this is where you've been hiding!"
Wasting no ti, he scanned the area and instantly locked onto the Rustbucket's location.
With heavy, deliberate steps, Kraab began marching straight toward it.
Inside a nearby house, Zack crouched low, barely daring to breathe. His heart pounded in his chest.
He glanced down at the Carnitrix Watch on his wrist, quickly tapping the screen—but it remained unresponsive.
Damn it… the cooldown isn't over yet!
And with his enhanced ntal energy, Zack could feel it more clearly than ever—Kraab's murderous intent was suffocating.
Outside, Kraab raised one of his massive pincers high above his head, aiming it directly at the Rustbucket.
"Then let's start by smashing this damned old RV!"
Clearly, he held a deep grudge against the vehicle that had embarrassed him before.
Bang!
A muffled but distinct thud echoed from the warehouse where Ben was hiding.
Kraab's eyes narrowed, instantly locking onto the source of the sound. He charged forward.
"Thermal scanner activated… Such a large heat signature—did he transform into a Pyronite?!"
Zack, still hidden nearby, clenched his fists nervously.
Can Heatblast really take him on? Wouldn't Upgrade be a better choice in this situation…?
Crunch!!
Kraab extended one of his pincers and effortlessly tore the warehouse door off its hinges like it was made of paper—but the mont he looked inside, his expression froze.
The entire interior was engulfed in flas.
Dozens of wooden crates were stacked high, all burning furiously, filling the warehouse with blazing heat and thick smoke.
Boom!!
From within the inferno, a massive flaming fist—several ters long—suddenly burst forth!
WHAM!
It slamd into Kraab's chest and sent him flying through the air!
Bang!
He crashed to the ground hard, sprawling across the dirt. Smoke curled off his scorched armor, and burn marks covered his body.
"A Pyronite… actually managed to send flying?!" he snarled, stunned and furious.
"The lighter I borrowed from Grandpa really ca in handy."
Ben strode out of the burning warehouse, his Pyronite form radiating intense heat and confidence. He flashed a cocky grin. "Since no one lives here, I figured—why not burn the place down a little?"
Zack, still hidden nearby, quickly pieced it together. "So that's why Ben asked Grandpa for a lighter earlier... He set the crates on fire beforehand, then transford into Heatblast and used the flas to his advantage!"
It was a clever plan—a very cunning combat strategy.
Using the inferno to boost his own power, Ben had significantly increased his combat effectiveness and managed to hold his own in a heated back-and-forth battle with Kraab!
But just then—Swosh!!
High above, a shadowy figure appeared in the sky, leading a swarm of flying machines.
It was Sixsix.
Hovering ominously overhead, he brought with him over a dozen robotic drones. The fleet buzzed in formation above Ben's head.
Sixsix aid his laser rifle down with precise intent, targeting Ben directly.
The drones followed suit, charging their weapons in unison.
Click—
Just as Sixsix coldly pulled the trigger—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chaos erupted!
The robotic drones, as if jolted by so unseen force, suddenly swerved and veered off course, colliding mid-air with one another in a tangled ss of tal and sparks!
The entire squadron slamd into an unprepared Sixsix, sending him spinning through the air, completely thrown off balance!
The robotic drones swiveled midair, their turrets now aid squarely at the house where Zack was hiding.
From within, a flicker of blood-red light began to pulse ominously.
"Detecting... extrely volatile energy readings!" The robotic units relayed the data in real ti, their tones urgent and chanical.
"What?" Sixsix, still recovering from the earlier collision, froze. His mouth twitched uncontrollably beneath his helt.
A bunch of combat drones… overreacting in sheer panic… All because of a second Omnitrix transformation?!
Seriously? They got spooked by that?!
His bewildernt was unmistakable. The readings made no sense—but the fear from his machines was real.
Reviews
All reviews (0)