Bang, bang, bang!
Kevin charged at Shock Rock with everything he had.
Shock Rock's body suddenly curled into a golden armored ball and rolled across the floor like a wheel, sparks flying from the friction.
"Damn it…" Kevin sensed something was wrong and tried to dodge.
Boom!
Shock Rock bounced high and slammed into Kevin, sending him flying. Kevin's body, like a kite with a snapped string, crashed hard at the very edge of the base.
He coughed, blood at the corner of his mouth. Shock twisted his face. "How can the gap be this huge? Damn it!"
"Keep going, Ethen!" Four Arms shouted.
Shock Rock's expression stayed cold as he rolled again, slamming into Kevin with brutal, frantic blows. Kevin rose, fell, staggered up, and fell again helpless.
"If Ethen had activated his old War Form or used Transforming Armor, Kevin would already be torn apart," Four Arms observed quietly.
In the end, it was still Ethen who cleaned up the mess.
"Don't underestimate me!" Kevin pushed himself up and this time unleashed terrifying electric currents from his hands.
The bolts struck Shock Rock's armored shell, but Shock Rock ignored them and smashed Kevin down again.
Bang.
Kevin hit the ground, features contorted in pain.
His body shifted rapidly—his form altered, becoming a scrawny mirror of Shock Rock's armor.
He glared and growled, "Now I'm you! What will you use to suppress me?"
Shock Rock sighed, helpless. "You really are beyond saving. It's infuriating that someone this weak is so stubbornly durable."
"Dur-durable?" Kevin's face twitched. He clenched his fists. "Let's see who hits whom next."
He curled into a ball and lunged.
The two armored spheres met
boom!
At impact, Kevin seemed to defy gravity, launched like a missile and slammed into the base wall.
He knelt there, stunned. He couldn't believe how strong Ethen—no, how strong Shock Rock was.
"This next move will kill you," Shock Rock warned coldly, stopping his roll for a second. "Pray you survive."
Boom!!
He hurtled forward again, turning his body into a pinball, crashing through the underground base.
Each collision damaged the structure. With every rebound, Shock Rock's speed and force built until he was a streak of golden lightning, smashing through corridors.
Kevin's throat tightened.
He stared at the blur charging him and felt his legs go weak. "I can't block this!" he whispered.
A heartbeat later, Shock Rock launched off a wall, became a golden streak in the air, and struck Kevin full force.
Kevin's face contorted; his body deformed, then smashed through the wall and fell into the subway tracks.
His alien DNA started to decay; his scrawny, human form lay exposed.
"Cough… No! Don't kill me, Ethen!" Kevin pleaded, looking at the young man who had subdued him twice already.
Ding. A cheerful system voice broke the momentary silence.
Congratulations to the Host for completing the mission.
The Host has received 15 reward points.
As expected, Kevin's trouble had been worth points.
"Kill him? He's worth points—I'm a little reluctant." Shock Rock reached out and grabbed Kevin by the throat, grinning.
Killing Kevin would limit future template progress points. Not killing him… made more sense.
"Ethen—" Four Arms snarled, rushing forward, teeth bared. "I can hear sirens. The commotion must be drawing attention. Let's go—if this guy causes trouble again, I'll personally take care of him!"
A flicker of clarity left Four Arms' eyes, replaced by raw ruthlessness.
Shock Rock shrugged, loosening his grip. Kevin collapsed to the floor, gasping, heart pounding. He was saved.
Beep, beep, beep—the subway lights swept across Kevin as the train approached.
"Heh. Good luck, Kevin," Shock Rock laughed and left with Four Arms.
Back at the hotel, Grandpa Max eyed Ethen and Ben warily. Both were sweating, their clothes disheveled.
"You two—" Max hesitated, then used the nearest English name, "Gwen said you two went out to play games. How did you end up like this?"
"The game was intense, Grandpa," Ethen said with a straight face.
"Forget it—let's enjoy the four-star hotel," Gwen stretched, already eager.
That day the three of them enjoyed the comforts of the hotel, tasting the feeling of being rich.
It was midnight when his daily template expired.
Ethen lay on the bed and spoke to the system in his head. "System, claim today's Omnitrix Template."
He had two guaranteed options—one for fighting, one for summoning—but the daily draw was always important.
Ding. Congratulations to the Host for successfully claiming the Omnitrix Template.
The Omnitrix Template obtained is Fusion Watch.
Fusion Watch: This is a unique Omnitrix variant similar to the dual-wrist devices seen in Omniverse. It features Omnitrixes on both wrists and allows cross-fusion. However, remember—you are not the original owner; some overly powerful aliens may be difficult to control.
Ethen flipped off the bed and took several deep breaths. Golden legend—this was big. Who would he face tomorrow? No matter. He raised his chin.
"Claim it!" he said. "Tomorrow I'll hunt down the Love Watch alien ladies again."
Omnitrix devices appeared on both his wrists—the Fusion Dual Watches had debuted.
Far away, in the Milky Way aboard a warship, a cultivation pod hissed open. Vilgax emerged, towering and domineering, heading toward the training room without looking back.
A subordinate reported, "Lord Vilgax, our robots have been tracking Ethen for a day. He defeated another Earth rival; we've collected that person's data."
"Hmph. Why collect data on those Earth pests? When I finish my training, it will be Ethen's death day," Vilgax said arrogantly.
Still, he ordered, "Send more robots to gather his combat data. I want to understand him."
Strategically, Vilgax despised Ethen. Tactically, he took him very seriously.