It was midnight.
Ethen woke up on time, still alert and full of energy. His mental endurance far exceeded that of a normal person.
He reached for his Omnitrix template selector and spoke calmly, "System, initiate today's template."
Ding! Congratulations, host. You've obtained the new Omnitrix template—Invasion Watch!
Description: A demonic entity has invaded your Omnitrix and will attempt to take over your body… replacing you.
"Huh?" Ethen froze, then immediately said, "Nope. Cancel that. Switch to the Love Watch!"
He didn't know what the "Invasion Watch" was, but it definitely didn't sound good.
Ding! Love Watch template activated successfully.
A soft pink glow enveloped his wrist as the watch transformed into a cute, heart-themed design.
Ethen leaned back against the bed with a small smile.
"Much better."
The Next Day
By morning, the group had arrived in a new city and spent the day exploring museums.
By evening, they reached the last one—an old, dimly lit building filled with dusty exhibits and sleepy atmosphere.
An elderly tour guide droned on about ancient artifacts as Grandpa Max, Gwen, and Ben listened politely.
Meanwhile, Ben was busy making faces at an old tribal mask hanging in the air.
"Hey Ethen, do I look like a caveman yet?"
Ethen raised an eyebrow.
"That mask hasn't been cleaned since it was excavated. You sure you wanna get that close?"
"Ew—yeah, forget I said that." Ben recoiled instantly, waving his hands.
As they bantered, Gwen approached confidently.
"The guide's about to talk about the spellbook's origin. Bet I already know everything she's gonna say."
Ethen smiled.
"Alright, Professor Gwen. We'll follow your lead."
Gwen's grin widened. "Finally, someone appreciates genius."
Ben snickered. "You mean someone tolerates it."
"BEN TENNYSON!" Gwen's voice echoed across the hall.
The tour guide reached a display case containing a massive ancient tome.
Gwen puffed up proudly, ready to show off—
but suddenly the entire room tilted.
Whoosh!
Everyone floated upward, pinned to the ceiling by an invisible force!
"I have a bad feeling about this," Grandpa Max muttered.
"Yeah," Ethen replied dryly. "The enemy probably feels the same way."
He raised his wrist, summoning his watch.
The Love Watch shimmered with a pink glow.
Ding! Mission triggered – "The Evil Magician's Corpse Awakens."
Objective: Stop the zombie from stealing the Akameda Spellbook!
Reward: 20 points.
A blood-red mist poured into the museum, condensing into a pale old man in crimson robes.
He clutched a staff, eyes glowing with feral hatred.
"That's our guy…" Ethen twisted the dial. "Let's go, Flashstar!"
A flash of pink light filled the room—and when it faded, a female speedster alien appeared, sleek, fast, and sharp-eyed.
Ethen blinked.
"…Uh, is it just me, or does that suit have a lot of… physics?"
The female speedster tilted her head. "What?"
Before anyone could react, the robed corpse growled and turned toward her.
Ethen quickly improvised, "Uh—Speed Girl, attack!"
She gave an "OK" sign.
"On it!"
Then, with a flicker of pink light, she vanished—reappearing right in front of the corpse and unleashing a flurry of blows.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The undead magician staggered helplessly under the assault, spinning like a top.
"Enough!!" he roared, slamming his staff into the ground.
A dark-golden blast exploded outward, sending Speed Girl flying.
"Speed Girl, back off!" Ethen shouted.
The corpse turned toward him, snarling.
"You dare command my opponent, little human?!"
He raised his staff again—and the gravitational field inverted, slamming Ethen toward the floor.
But Ethen's face remained calm.
As he fell, Speed Girl dashed forward and caught him midair.
He coughed lightly, quickly standing up from her arms.
"Thanks for the catch."
The corpse chanted in an ancient tongue—his necklace glowing, his staff spewing fire.
A torrent of flames surged toward them.
Ethen and Speed Girl split, dodging the inferno.
"Ha! You think you can hide? When I'm done burning your master, you'll—Huh?"
Before he could finish, Ethen charged straight at him—dodging through the flames with impossible agility.
"Oh, you want to die fast?" the corpse sneered.
His robe sleeves extended like tentacles, slashing toward Ethen.
Ethen rolled, slipped past them, and drove an uppercut into the corpse's chin.
Crack!
The old man's head snapped back, eyes bulging.
What kind of punch is that?!
Before he could recover, Speed Girl appeared behind him, driving a high-speed palm strike that sent him crashing into a glass display.
The Akameda Spellbook tumbled out of the case.
The corpse reached for it—
but Speed Girl caught his wrist and twisted.
He howled in pain and tried to strike her with his staff—only for Ethen to kick it right out of his hand.
Now it was a full-on two-on-one brawl—Ethen and Speed Girl beating the undead sorcerer into submission.
"I— I was wrong…!" The old man's eyes rolled as his body went limp.
Ben stood frozen.
"This is insane. I just watched a human and an alien tag-team a zombie wizard."
"Correction," Gwen said flatly. "A pink alien."
Grandpa Max crossed his arms, impressed.
"This is the first time I've seen Ethen fight before transforming. His form's not bad… reminds me of myself back in the day."
He smiled faintly. "Good kid."
"We're the best duo!" Speed Girl said brightly, high-fiving Ethen.
Ding! Mission complete. Reward: 20 points.
Ethen smiled with satisfaction.
"Yeah. Fighting alongside an alien feels pretty great."
Later that night, police arrived and found the unconscious corpse still clutching the spellbook.
After several failed attempts to pry it free, they loaded both him and the tome into the van.
Meanwhile, Ethen and Speed Girl quietly slipped away before they could be questioned.
When the group regrouped in the Rustbucket, Gwen frowned.
"Where's Ethen? Don't tell me he ran off with that alien girl…"
Ben snorted. "Wouldn't blame him."
Outside the Police Station
Officers were struggling to move the still-bound corpse when a girl with long gray hair and ghostly pale skin floated into view.
She was stunning—otherworldly.
Before the police could react, their eyes glazed over. They dropped into a trance.
The Ghost Girl crossed her arms. "There. No interruptions."
Ethen stepped out from the shadows, smirking.
"Appreciate it, Ghost Girl. Now, let's get what we came for."
"Two Cokes. Sugar-free," she said lazily.
"Deal."
She floated down to the corpse, her ethereal tentacles slipping from her sleeves to remove the handcuffs.
The noise woke the zombie.
"Wh-what happened? Is the beating over?"
Ethen cracked his knuckles.
"Not yet."
Moments later, the night echoed with the sound of the old man's terrified screams.
When it was over, Ethen emerged wearing a crimson robe and carrying the staff and spellbook.
Several enchanted stones hung around his neck.
Ghost Girl floated beside him, sipping her Coke. "You really went all in."
Back at the Rustbucket, Grandpa Max sighed heavily.
"So let me get this straight. You attacked the zombie again to stop him from escaping—with magical weapons?"
Ethen smiled innocently.
"Grandpa, I'm a Plumber-in-training. Dangerous artifacts need supervision!"
"…At least you didn't kill him this time," Max muttered, shaking his head. "Progress."
Ethen grinned and laid the magical loot on the table.
"Alright, who wants to pick something cool?"
Ben shrugged. "Pass."
Gwen, however, eyed the relics thoughtfully.
That night passed quietly—until midnight struck again.
Ethen sat up, speaking in a low voice.
"System, how many reward points do I have?"
System: "100 reward points available."
Perfect. Between the Zombozo fight and the zombie mission, he'd earned plenty.
"Use them. Strengthen my body!"
Ding! Physical enhancement complete. 100 points consumed.
Ethen's muscles expanded, then compressed tightly, forming a lean, powerful physique—strong, but still graceful.
He took a deep breath.
"System. Open personal panel."
Host: Ethen
Physical Level: Beyond Human
Spirit: Beyond Human
Genetics: Human (resistant to alien DNA)
Skills: Advanced martial arts, expert marksmanship
Abilities: Full-level Omnitrix (Gen 1), Love Watch (Prototype)
Reward Points: 0
Ethen nodded in satisfaction.
Then came a chime.
Ding! Your Love Watch (Prototype) has expired.
Acquiring new Omnitrix template…
You've obtained: The Reversal Watch!
Ethen blinked.
"…Wait. Reversal?"
The screen flickered with a strange, mirrored glow.
Something tells me this one's going to be trouble.