Ding!
"Congratulations to the host for signing in successfully!"
"Reward received: Advanced knowledge of all explosive devices!"
Asher's eyes widened. "System, you don't mean to, "
Before he could finish the thought, torrents of technical information flooded his mind. Diagrams, chemical formulas, circuit patterns, trigger mechanisms, all of it poured into his consciousness at once. If this were an ordinary brain, the sheer volume would have caused an instant, splitting headache.
But Asher just frowned slightly, his enhanced mental capacity absorbing the overwhelming influx of data with remarkable ease.
Bomb construction. Detonation sequences. Timer circuits. All of it now resided in his memory like he'd studied for years.
"System, show me my profile!"
He was more concerned with checking the Omnitrix's recent improvements.
Host: Asher Tennyson
Age: 12
Omnitrix Status:
Transformation time: 7 minutes
Cooldown time: 4 minutes 50 seconds
Ultimate Evolution: Unawakened
Alien DNA catalog: Partially loaded
Unlocked Alien Forms:
Heatblast (Fire Fist Ace's pyrokinetic abilities), Four Arms (enhanced strength, hand-to-hand combat mastery), Diamondhead (advanced combat techniques), Ripjaws (Fishman Karate, aquatic creature communication), Wildmutt, Grey Matter (explosive device mastery), Ghostfreak, Stinkfly, Upgrade, XLR8.
Asher's eyes lit up.
Transformation time, a full seven minutes!
Cooldown reduced to just four minutes and fifty seconds!
This was the Omnitrix operating in high-performance mode!
Combined with the sign-in rewards the system might grant in the future, the transformation duration would gradually increase, eventually reaching ten minutes, maybe even fifteen. One day, it might be unlimited!
"Since you gave me bomb-making knowledge, then... I'll make a bomb."
Asher dismissed the profile display, and countless design ideas immediately flooded his thoughts. He selected the most practical option for their current situation.
He needed a time bomb.
"Ben! Gwen! Help me find these materials!"
Asher's eyes blazed with strategic determination, his words carrying an undeniable authority that made both cousins straighten instinctively.
They couldn't resist the commanding presence in his voice!
"I need an alarm clock, a mobile phone..." Asher began listing items from memory, pulling up the simplest bomb design that required the least materials.
The two quickly searched the house. Within half a minute, they'd gathered an alarm clock, a mobile phone, and several other components needed for explosive construction.
But some materials were still missing.
Asher didn't panic. He took the initiative, leading them to other rooms, even to spaces the aliens had already searched, to find the remaining pieces!
About four minutes later, Asher and his cousins returned to the small room, arms full of scavenged materials.
Once inside, he got to work immediately.
He began adjusting the mobile phone and alarm clock, one for timing, one for signal connection. In a remarkably short period, he crafted a small device with low lethality but extremely high noise output. He secured it to the alarm clock, connecting the two components with circuit boards and wires.
A time bomb was complete!
Biu~
The moment he finished assembling the explosive, as if on cue, Asher's body flashed with green light and he reverted to human form!
"Let's go directly to those monsters' base camp. We're catching the thief by catching the king!" Asher slowly stood up from the ground, holding the time bomb in his left hand and the mobile phone trigger in his right. His voice rang out with absolute confidence!
"We're coming too? Gwen and me?" Ben asked excitedly after a moment of surprised silence.
"Yes! It's more dangerous to leave you here. Better if we stick together!"
Asher nodded firmly.
"That's awesome!" Ben clenched his fists, his face lighting up with joy. He could finally work alongside Asher doing real hero stuff!
"Let's move!"
No time to waste!
Following their established pattern, Asher led the way with Ben and Gwen following closely behind. They exited through the back door into the yard, then moved toward the alley through a large patch of connected grass that bordered the property!
After they'd walked about a hundred meters, Asher carefully placed the bomb on top of a warehouse roof, keeping only the mobile phone detonator in his right hand!
"Why did you leave the bomb behind?" Ben asked, puzzled.
"The bomb is for making noise." Asher's lips curved into a confident smile. "It's a diversion tactic."
This was a strategy he'd learned from studying military history!
"Oh, I get it!" Though he didn't entirely understand the reasoning, Ben nodded thoughtfully, pretending complete comprehension.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed from several nearby houses and from the street. Some footsteps came dangerously close to the yard, so close it sounded like the aliens were walking right beside them!
"Find them!!"
"Where did those three brats disappear to? It's like they vanished into thin air!"
The murderous words of the shapeshifters rang out continuously from all around them. Combined with the footsteps that felt close enough to touch, it created an experience straight out of a horror game!
It was like hiding in a closet while ghosts drifted past just outside!
That suffocating, hair-raising terror!
Asher took a deep breath and glanced back at his cousins. Their faces had gone considerably paler. Just as he opened his mouth to offer some comfort,
"It's okay, Asher. We're not afraid anymore!" Ben declared, steeling himself. His expression filled with determination!
This wasn't the first time he and Gwen had encountered monsters. Asher wasn't the only one getting stronger, they were progressing and growing too!
Asher looked at the resolve etched on Ben's face, and genuine admiration filled his eyes. For the first time, he was truly impressed by Ben and Gwen's courage.
"Then let's keep going!"
Asher continued forward. The two behind him were no longer trembling with fear. The three of them maintained their original pace, completely unfazed by the alien threats!
The shapeshifters had originally hoped to break through the children's psychological defenses through intimidation and overwhelming presence!
But it wasn't working!
This made them even more furious, and they searched the houses with increased desperation!
Little did they know...
The three children they were hunting had already turned the tables. They were on the offensive now, heading straight for the enemy stronghold to steal their home!