Ben 10: Carnitrix Without Downsides?

"System, what exactly is Killer Mode?"

Zack asked in his mind as he scanned the area, still searching for any trace of Dr. Animo.

The System responded patiently:

Killer Mode is a special feature of the Carnitrix. While still within your active transformation time, you can rotate the symbol on your chest to switch directly to another alien form.

"Seriously?"

Zack's eyes lit up with surprise. Without hesitation, he looked down and rotated the glowing Carnitrix emblem embedded in his chest.

As the dial turned, the holographic silhouette of Heatblast appeared above it.

So now—I could switch alien forms mid-fight, anytime, anywhere.

Just like the original Omnitrix glitch feature seen in alternate timelines.

"If I want to track Animo…"

Zack continued rotating the dial until it stopped on a new figure.

"You're the one!"

Whoosh!!

A terrifying red flash burst from his body again, pulsing with power as his form began to shift.

Beneath the glow of the red light…

Grr..

Zack's spine began to twist and bend, his posture shifting into something more animalistic. His muscles bulged, and orange beast-like fur erupted wildly across his body.

So far, it resembled the original Wildmutt form.

But then—

A massive, cross-shaped mouth grew across his face, splitting nearly his entire head open. Rows of jagged teeth lined the gaping maw, making the transformation monstrous.

Error Beast: Name Pending

"ROoooAR!!"

[Img]

Zack let out a guttural, feral roar—his face fully splitting with the motion, revealing the horrifying size of his jaw.

"Every one of Zack's aliens… they're all scarier—and stronger—than the normal versions…"

Grandpa Max, holding bags of groceries nearby, muttered in disbelief as he watched.

It was honestly terrifying.

"The Mummy ran off…"

"A-And now something even worse showed up!"

Zack's deafening roar echoed through the supermarket.Ironically, it even jolted some of the fainted civilians back to consciousness.

They had just finished celebrating the Mummy's retreat—Then turned around and saw the Error Beast…

And promptly fainted all over again.

Ah… what a tragic life~ Heh~

...

"What's going on?! Why is there still beast roaring?!"

In a narrow alley, Dr. Animo sprinted at full speed, gasping for air as he ran.

"Did I accidentally provoke some terrifying monster organization or something?! I don't remember doing that!"

Whoosh!!

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept through the alley from above.

Animo's wild white hair whipped violently in the wind. He clutched his helmet to keep it from flying off, then slowly looked upward in fear.

Above the alley… EH?

There was nothing.

"I'm scaring myself… Ha… haha—AAAHHH!!!"

Just as he relaxed and patted his chest—He turned forward and saw a massive, tooth-filled maw looming right in front of him!

He screamed and collapsed backward, scrambling away on the ground, sliding on his butt in pure panic.

He looked like he was about to cry.

"Got you."

Zack smiled faintly. One clawed hand reached down—

And grabbed Dr. Animo by the collar.

Whoosh!!

Dr. Animo raised his trembling hand and slammed the controller on his chest, activating the gene variator mounted on his helmet.

The device instantly fired a laser beam, aimed straight at Zack.

But Zack's muscular frame coiled like a spring—then exploded upward, leaping several meters into the air with ease, dodging the laser completely.

The laser struck the pavement below and fizzled out.

"Creatures with this kind of power…? Earth hasn't had beasts like that in over a thousand years…" Animo stared in disbelief, awestruck by Zack's explosive agility.

But the next moment—

Zack twisted in midair and dived straight down toward Animo!

"Fuck! What did I ever do to deserve this?!" Animo wailed, suddenly scrambling on all fours, devolving into full lizard-mode as he fled down the alley like a panicked reptile.

Zack landed hard, just inches behind him—The impact alone sent shockwaves through the alley, lifting Animo off the ground and slamming him into a wall.

The villain slumped to the ground—knocked out cold.

Just then—

Police sirens blared from every direction. A dozen squad cars screeched to a halt, surrounding the alley.

Officers jumped out, guns raised.

Their aim shifted back and forth—Between the unconscious Dr. Animo…

And the terrifying beastly form of Zack still looming above him!

However, a few of the more timid officers had visibly trembling hands as they gripped their pistols.

"The difficulty of gaining progress is getting higher... Even taking down Dr. Animo early didn't give me a single point," Zack muttered with a sigh as he twisted the dial on his chest again.

The silhouette of Ghostfreak—or rather, Error Ghostfreak—flickered briefly before vanishing entirely from sight.

Zack disappeared in front of the stunned officers just as they surged forward to apprehend Dr. Animo.

"Good thing that monster left… If he had attacked us…" One officer exhaled in relief, lowering his weapon.

Many others felt the same, secretly grateful.

Because if it had come to a fight, None of them would have stood a chance.

After Animo was taken into custody…

Back at the spot where the laser had struck earlier… A faint shimmer pulsed along the pavement.

Tiny, almost invisible organisms began to stir—spreading, growing larger, quietly multiplying beneath the surface.

...

By the time Zack finished reverting from his transformation and returned to the supermarket, Grandpa Max and Ben were already waiting near the checkout line.

"I figured that was your doing," Max said casually, tossing a snack into the cart. "Handled it, didn't you?"

He smiled knowingly.

"Come on, let's finish our shopping."

"Of course, let's continue our vacation." Zack shrugged casually, looking relaxed.

The group continued shopping in the supermarket—this time with even more enthusiasm. After all, with the earlier chaos, no one else was left to fight over the most popular items.

Once they'd finished shopping, they spent the rest of the day sightseeing and having fun around Washington, D.C. By the time dusk arrived, they returned to the Rustbucket.

...

Inside the Rustbucket.

Grandpa Max was frying up fresh and oddly delicious bug burgers. Ben was proudly showing off his Riot Sumo cards, while Gwen sat nearby, watching the news on her laptop.

Zack leaned back in his seat, resting his arms behind his head.

"System, I've got a question," he asked in his mind. "What exactly are those 'key nodes' you mentioned before?"

Ding! When the host unlocks enough aliens and gains sufficient strength, a key node is reached, allowing the Error Watch to unlock new permissions.

Zack nodded thoughtfully.So it really was a structured progression.

First, increase physical strength and unlock transformations… Then, gradually open new permissions within the Error Watch.

Step by step. Build a solid foundation.

He took a deep breath, eyes glinting with anticipation.

I wonder what the next permission will be... Damn… the progress from Dr. Animo was too small! I missed a big chance there.

He regretted not using Dr. Animo to farm a wave of mutated monsters!

Ding! Dr. Animo has successfully escaped from prison.

Due to his fear of the host, he has revived monsters from an entire paleontology museum, drastically altering the plot. Progress +1 gained!

Template Progress: 6/100 — Error Skybreaker unlocked!

"Huh??"

Zack instantly sat upright, his expression stunned.

"Dr. Animo escaped prison? And that alone gave me a whole point of progress?"

That meant—Animo must have created a ton of monsters right after breaking out!

"Then where is he now? And where are those monsters?" Zack's eyes lit up. "I need to find him and collect this massive gift package!"

Excited, he jumped up, walking straight over to Gwen's side.

He needed her laptop—this kind of jackpot couldn't be missed.

"Hey Gwe—"

"This is bad!"

Gwen suddenly turned her laptop screen toward him, her voice tense. "I just saw on the news—mutated insects attacked a D.C. police station. Dr. Animo escaped and took over the Paleontology Museum. He's reviving ancient creatures! Washington D.C. is turning into the prehistoric era!"

Unlike Gwen's panic, Zack's expression was thrilled.

He clenched his fist slightly. "Then let's go—time to wipe out some dinosaurs."

"To be honest…"Ben cracked his knuckles, a crooked smile forming. "I regret not helping Zack out against the last mutant freak."

Both cousins now radiated uncontainable battle energy.