Inside the cave, thick mist began to spread, blanketing everything in a hazy fog that quickly reduced visibility to almost nothing.
Gwen continued chanting her spell, hoping that the Mist Spirit Spell would work against the blob aliens.
The Mist Spirit Spell was an introductory spell from the Water Magic Grimoire. It created a dense fog to obscure enemies' vision and surround them in vapor—mainly used for escape, disruption, or surprise attacks.
"If they're afraid of water, then they should fear mist too," Gwen thought to herself.
Sure enough, the moment the blob aliens touched the fog, they let out piercing shrieks. Their tentacles twisted violently as they lost control of their bodies.
Thick green slime began corroding their flesh—the mist in the air was pure poison to them.
Dozens of blob aliens stopped their assault on Diamondhead, collapsing to the ground with agonized screams. They pounded the floor and crashed into the cavern walls, splattering sticky slime everywhere.
As Gwen continued chanting, the mist grew denser, eating away at their bodies even faster. Soon, it would wipe out every last one of them.
The Blob Queen glared with blood-red eyes, her skin stinging as if countless ants were gnawing at her.
But her strength far surpassed that of her underlings. Unlike them, the mist only burned her skin—it couldn't inflict any real damage.
Yet Diamondhead was still standing. If she lost her footing here, he would destroy her completely.
"Looks like your end has come."
With that, Diamondhead swung his spiked fist, aiming straight for the Blob Queen's head.
She roared in rage, her crimson tentacles morphing into gleaming blades that shot forward, slashing toward his punch.
Crack!
Diamondhead's crystal fist smashed through the crimson blades instantly, but the Blob Queen used the recoil to hurl herself backward, widening the distance between them.
Her form flickered, reappearing before several blob aliens. Then, without hesitation, she opened her bloodstained jaws and swallowed them whole.
In seconds, her body expanded, and her aura flared even stronger than before.
"Try this!"
Diamondhead lifted his arm, summoning a crystal spear. With a powerful throw, he sent it hurtling upward like a roaring blue dragon, targeting the water pipe above.
If he could break the pipe, the incoming flood would destroy the Blob Queen once and for all.
But she caught on to his plan instantly. A massive blood-red hand surged from her body, blotting out the light as it wrapped around the crystal spear.
Crack!
The spear pierced through the monstrous hand, but it became lodged inside, unable to move further.
"You'll all die here!" the Blob Queen snarled, her blood-red eyes gleaming with vicious fury.
Her body writhed and expanded, unleashing a swarm of crimson tentacles that swept up the remaining blob aliens.
Then she opened her enormous maw and devoured them all in one gulp.
Boom!
Her aura exploded, her body swelling like a balloon at terrifying speed.
Within seconds, she had grown over twenty meters tall, transforming into a monstrous giant—no longer the Blob Queen, but the Sludge Empress.
"Cuz, I'm here!" Gwen shouted, panic flashing across her face as she ran forward.
The towering red creature ahead loomed monstrously large and hideous. Gritting her teeth, Gwen fired an Aqua Arrow straight at its chest.
The shot hit perfectly—but all it did was send a faint ripple across the Sludge Empress's body before fading away.
"Not enough impact." Diamondhead shook his head. "We'll need more water to finish her."
"Everyone must die!" the Sludge Empress bellowed, her deep voice rumbling through the cave. "The Omnitrix... will be mine!"
With a furious swing, her massive tentacles came crashing down toward the two below.
Diamondhead scooped Gwen into his arms and summoned a solid crystal wall before them, bracing himself as he leapt back.
BOOM!
The enormous tentacles slammed into the barrier, shattering it into glittering fragments that scattered across the floor.
Dodging the blow, Diamondhead gently set Gwen down. "Gwen, can you still use the Aqua Arrow?"
"I can cast it two more times," Gwen said, her tone weary.
Frequent use of magic drained her energy heavily; her body would need time to recover.
"Good. Two shots will do." Diamondhead nodded. "When I give the signal, aim for the Sludge Empress's eyes."
Though puzzled, Gwen nodded firmly.
Meanwhile, Ben and Grandpa Max had already moved all the cocoons outside, stacking them around the alien ship.
"So, you've got help? How bold of you!" the Sludge Empress roared as she spotted them.
A surge of fury boiled within her. These pathetic, deceitful humans had dared sneak aboard her ship to steal her food.
Unforgivable!
"Hey, freak! Over here!" a voice suddenly shouted from the side.
The Sludge Empress snapped her head around—only for her vision to go dark. Agonizing pain tore through her eyes, as if they'd been stabbed with needles.
Gwen exhaled softly, a sly smile forming on her lips.
The moment the Sludge Empress turned, Gwen had fired two precise Aqua Arrows straight into her eyes.
"Nice shot, Gwen."
Beneath Diamondhead's feet, a towering crystal platform rose. He lifted his arm, summoning a gleaming crystal longsword, then hurled it upward with all his might. The blade sliced cleanly through the thick metal water pipe above.
Crash!
In the next instant, torrents of water cascaded down like a raging storm, engulfing the Sludge Empress completely.
"AAAH!! I won't forgive you for this!" she shrieked, her voice echoing through the cavern.
But the roaring flood battered her relentlessly. Her massive body began to dissolve, melting into crimson sludge that vanished into the swirling current.
"Awesome! Cuz beat the alien freak again!" Ben cheered, pumping his fist.
Grandpa Max smiled warmly, watching Lucian and Gwen with pride. "It's thanks to you two working together. If you hadn't, the whole town might've been doomed."
"It's all Gwen's doing."
"It's all Cuz's doing."
They looked at each other—and burst out laughing.
"Alright, now that the monster's gone, let's get Aunt Vera and the other townsfolk back home," Grandpa Max said with a grin.
"But there are so many of them. That'll take hours," Ben groaned.
Lucian tapped his Omnitrix. "Not with XLR8. It'll only take a few minutes."
...
Once the watch recharged, Lucian transformed into XLR8 and swiftly transported everyone back to town.
[Ding~ Successfully rescued the imprisoned townspeople]
[Gained enhancement effect: Crystal Hardness +15%]
[Diamondhead: Current Crystal Hardness +25%]
A series of system prompts echoed in Lucian's mind.
"If it ever reaches 100%... just how hard would it become?" he muttered to himself.
...
The next morning, in the desert town, everyone gathered beside the Rustbucket, ready to head for their next destination.
"Max, make sure to bring Ben and the others again next time. I really like them," Aunt Vera said with a warm smile.
"Of course," Grandpa Max chuckled.
"Oh, Lucian, I made this special jelly just for you—chicken, red bean, and lemon flavor—to celebrate your return."
Aunt Vera handed him a small bowl of wobbly green jelly.
"Thank you, Aunt Vera."
Lucian forced a polite smile, suppressing a wave of nausea. He couldn't hurt her feelings.
"And me," a pleasant voice called suddenly.
Everyone turned to see a tall woman jogging toward them—slender, fair-skinned, and strikingly beautiful.
"Alice?" Lucian blinked, surprised.
Alice nodded, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Um... are you Lucian?"
"I am. Why?"
"That's wonderful!" Her eyes sparkled with joy.
She'd expected him to be some rugged fighter—but he was far more handsome than she imagined.
Lowering her head, Alice nervously twisted the hem of her shirt. "I heard from my father about what you did. You're the hero of this town, so..."
"So?"
"So I'd like to invite you to dinner tonight—to thank you properly!" Alice blurted out in one breath.
"Say yes, say yes…" Ben whispered with a mischievous grin.
"Dweeb," Gwen muttered, smacking his head. She clearly wasn't on board with the idea.
Still, she couldn't deny it—Alice was stunning. Even her cousin, as righteous as he was, might not be able to turn her down... right?
But Gwen wasn't sure. She could only pray silently.
"I appreciate it," Lucian said calmly, stepping into the Rustbucket.
"But..." Alice started, her voice laced with disappointment.
Lucian paused and waved his hand slightly. "Maybe next time. If fate allows."
"Alright." Alice smiled, her beauty soft and radiant.
Moments later, the group boarded the Rustbucket and continued their journey.
...
That night, a cold wind swept through the town, rustling the trees in the courtyard.
Inside the mayor's house—Alice's bedroom.
On the frosty crystal desk sat a white designer handbag.
Suddenly, a blood-red slug slowly crawled out from within...