Ben 10: Carnitrix Without Downsides?

Template Progress: 13/100. Mental Energy Boost Unlocked!

Zack's body showed no visible changes. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"System, is this something that only takes effect after I revert from transformation?"

Ding! This enhancement 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 immediately by a full-on battle. It had drained him both physically and mentally.

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 amusement. "Your energy reserves really are something else, Ben."

Then his expression turned thoughtful.

"By the way… didn't something 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 Mechanoids 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 assessment.

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 immediately, "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

[Mental Energy: Significantly above average for a human]

So my Mental 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 me alert and giving me 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 Mental Energy.

The strength of Mental Energy actually had that much influence?

"Bounty hunters… I'll be waiting for each of you to come knocking at my door!" Zack muttered, clenched his fists, brimming with energy and excitement, matching Ben's enthusiasm.

…

In a long-abandoned, dust-covered town, an old RV pulled in and came 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 something goes wrong, I'll jump out first. That way we won't risk exposing you too soon."

"…You… alright."

Zack hesitated for a moment, 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 something real quick."

Ben ducked back inside the RV, rummaged around with Grandpa Max's help, then came 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 come 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.

Meanwhile, Grandpa Max and Gwen, who weren't going to participate in the ambush, moved farther away to find a safer place to hide.

...

Time 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 something 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 menacingly. "So this is where you've been hiding!"

Wasting no time, 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 mental 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 moment he looked inside, his expression froze.

The entire interior was engulfed in flames.

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 meters long—suddenly burst forth!

WHAM!

It slammed 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 me flying?!" he snarled, stunned and furious.

"The lighter I borrowed from Grandpa really came 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 transformed into Heatblast and used the flames 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 aimed 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 some unseen force, suddenly swerved and veered off course, colliding mid-air with one another in a tangled mess of metal and sparks!

The entire squadron slammed into an unprepared Sixsix, sending him spinning through the air, completely thrown off balance!

The robotic drones swiveled midair, their turrets now aimed squarely at the house where Zack was hiding.

From within, a flicker of blood-red light began to pulse ominously.

"Detecting... extremely volatile energy readings!" The robotic units relayed the data in real time, their tones urgent and mechanical.

"What?" Sixsix, still recovering from the earlier collision, froze. His mouth twitched uncontrollably beneath his helmet.

A bunch of combat drones… overreacting in sheer panic… All because of a second Omnitrix transformation?!

Seriously? They got spooked by that?!

His bewilderment was unmistakable. The readings made no sense—but the fear from his machines was real.