Ben 10: Carnitrix Without Downsides?

Ding!

Template Progress: 10/100 — Critical Node Reached. Carnitrix Authority Unlocked…

Protection Overload Triggered!

Template Progress: 11/100 — New Alien Unlocked: Arctiguana!

Zack frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said, "System, open personal panel."

He wasn't sure what "Protection Overload" actually meant, so he figured he might as well check his current stats.

⌬ PERSONAL PANEL ⌬

Name: Zack

Age: 11

Template: Carnitrix 

• Transformation Duration: 20 minutes

• Cooldown Time: 10 minutes

• Killer Mode: Unlocked

Progress: 11 / 100

Skills:

• Multilingual – Five Major Languages

• Advanced Driving (Land, Air, Sea)

• Close-Combat Techniques

• Precision Firearms Training

Items: None

Unlocked Aliens:

Initial Ten

Mummy

Frankenstrike

Wolf Form

Gorebolt

Terror Eye

Wildvine

Ditto

Gluttony

Arctiguana

Physical Status: Enhanced – Adult-Level Strength

...

Zack scanned the personal panel and immediately said, "The transformation duration doubled! Looks like this 'Protection Overload' upgraded my active time!"

Twenty full minutes of transformation—more than enough to handle most enemies and situations.

"Zack!"

A familiar voice rang out. Ben ran over quickly and said, "Grandpa Max thinks the aliens must have another base nearby! That's where they're keeping the missing townspeople—and the remaining Sludgepuppies too!"

"The whole town's been emptied out, huh?"

Zack glanced around the eerily quiet area, then fell into thought.

Without another word, he began twisting the Carnitrix Watch dial embedded in his chest.

Seeing this, Ben reflexively tried twisting the dial on his own watch—but it didn't respond.

Click!

With a flash of light, an orange-furred beast slowly emerged from the transformation. It was Zack's Error Beast Wildmutt form!

(Ok, I've selected two names from all the names given by you guys- (1) Hound-Doom & (2) Voracimutt - Comment (1) or (2) )

Though the transformation made him queasy, Zack forced himself to endure it. He sniffed the tattered clothing left behind by one of the Sludgepuppies—then immediately took off in a particular direction, nose to the ground.

Grandpa Max didn't hesitate. He jumped into the Rustbucket with Gwen and Ben, closely trailing Zack.

After a few minutes of tracking...

Zack came to a halt in a junkyard. He strode over to a rusted trash can leaning against a wall and smacked it aside with one paw. Beneath it was a hidden hatch.

With a quick pull, he opened it, revealing a deep, shadowy underground passage. A hidden base.

Whoosh~

The Rustbucket came to a halt in front of the junkyard.

Ben, now back in his human form, walked over with an exasperated look. "You stayed transformed longer than me? Ugh, this dumb watch really is broken!"

Grr!

Zack let out a low growl and pointed to his back.

"Zack wants us to hold on to him…" Gwen blinked in surprise, then added with a hint of wonder, "Weirdly enough, I understood that."

Without hesitation, she walked over to Zack's side, followed by Grandpa Max and Ben. Together, they grabbed hold of Zack's thick, furry back.

Sniff sniff.

Zack lowered his head slightly and took a few quick sniffs in Gwen's direction.

It wasn't because he suspected she had been replaced by a Sludgepuppy clone…

It was just that the junkyard reeked, and Gwen's scent was the only pleasant thing around. Her natural fragrance helped him keep his beastly senses calm.

Gwen noticed Zack's sniffing and subtle nuzzling—and her face turned a deep shade of red.

Zack… I see you as a childhood friend… What the heck are you doing!?

Whoosh!

As everyone tightened their grip around the furry, he leapt down into the bottomless passage without hesitation.

Several seconds later—

Thud!

Zack landed heavily in a massive underground chamber, surrounded by a network of eerie, twisting tunnels.

He immediately amplified his senses, scanning the area. After locking onto the right path, the transformation timer finally ran out, and he reverted to human form.

"I've got the route memorized. Everyone, follow me," Zack said solemnly, raising a clenched fist for emphasis.

"Lead the way, Zack! Once we get there, I'll handle those Geeks!" Ben grinned, proudly flashing his now-cooled-down Omnitrix.

"I believe in you, Ben!"

Zack gave him a small smile before heading forward, guiding the group through the maze of underground tunnels based solely on the memory of his senses.

Along the way, they passed through winding paths teeming with rats, bats, and other underground critters. It was a tense journey—but thankfully, nothing attacked them directly.

Eventually, they reached the mouth of a large tunnel and stopped in their tracks.

Outside the exit lay a massive underground base—stunning in size.

What shocked them most was the sight within: rows upon rows of enormous Sludgepuppy egg sacs, each one pulsing faintly in the dim light.

And inside every egg sac…

A slumbering town elder, suspended in slime.

"Look over there—that's a spaceship! These Geeks really came from outer space!"

Ben pointed in shock toward a far corner of the massive base.

In that dusty corner sat a colossal alien spacecraft, partially buried under grime. It looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time.

"Hooooow did these Earth brats geeet in here?!"

"Were the surface patroooools asleep? How could they let a bunch of kids make it down here?!"

"Daaaamn it, kill theeeem!"

At that moment, several voices rang out from deep within the base, brimming with killing intent.

From beneath the egg sacs, clusters of slime began to surge and twist, slowly rising and taking shape—

Ten fully-formed Sludgepuppies emerged, their slimy bodies pulsing with menace as they marched toward the group.

Zack glanced at the glowing red watch on his wrist, then turned to Ben. "You're up."

"Got it! They're weak to water—I've got just the thing."

Ben's eyes lit up with determination. He raised his wrist and slammed down on the Omnitrix.

Whoosh!

A brilliant flash of light followed—and a burning figure emerged from it!

Even Zack and the others had to step back as the intense heat radiated outward.

"How—how did I turn into Heatblast?!"

Ben looked down at his flaming arms in disbelief, clearly panicking.

"Ben, I forgot to mention… don't slam the watch so hard. With the Omnitrix, brute force brings 'miracles,'" Zack said, his mouth twitching slightly as he offered a deadpan reminder.

"…Whatever! I'm great with Heatblast anyway!"

Ben quickly raised his hands, summoning a ball of fire that swirled into shape.

He pressed his palms together, compressing the flame, and launched it with a spin—"Fire Bomb!!"

"Ooooh? A Pyronite?"

"Hehehe…"

For some reason, all the Sludgepuppies suddenly stopped in their tracks, emitting eerie chuckles as they willingly let the fireball hit them.

BOOM!!

The Fire Bomb landed right in the middle of the group, exploding in a fiery blast and filling the area with smoke and heatwaves.

"Did I get them?" Ben asked, surprised and hopeful.

BANG!!

The smoke quickly dispersed.

One by one, the Sludgepuppies—each over two meters tall and more muscular than before—emerged from the blast unscathed.

"Our speeeeecies has one major strength—we're not afraid of heeeeat…"

"The hooootter it gets, the stronger we becooome!"

"So we completely counter yoooou!"

They approached Ben with sinister grins, each step radiating menace.

Ben's expression twisted awkwardly as he desperately unleashed bursts of flame, trying to hold them back.

Meanwhile, Zack glanced down at the Carnitrix Watch on his wrist, his voice low and focused. "By my count, I can transform again in less than two minutes... I can hold out."

He lifted his eyes, watching as the Sludgepuppies grew even stronger with each passing second, their bodies pulsing with heat-fueled energy.

Wait a second…

They're still growing stronger?

Zack narrowed his eyes and muttered under his breath, "System, if Ben keeps powering up these Sludgepuppies with heat, does that mean the template progress I gain from defeating them increases too?"

He inhaled deeply, already calculating the risk versus reward.

Ding. Confirmed!

the System replied.

Originally, this group of Sludgepuppy aliens wouldn't have yielded any template progress. But now… they will.

Zack's eyes lit up.

Ben, you absolute legend. You're my golden ticket!

Click!

As soon as the Carnitrix Watch's cooldown ended, Zack activated it without hesitation.

It was harvest time!!

—

Ten meters away, Grandpa Max was crouched behind cover with Gwen. She glanced up at him and asked, "Grandpa, I thought you knew a lot about these aliens?"

Max sighed. "I do know about them… at least their weaknesses. But their strengths? Not so much."

He gave a helpless chuckle. Back when I was a Plumber, most of the Geeks I encountered never lived long enough to show their full potential.