Restaurant kitchen.
Staring at the shattered window and the glass scattered all over the floor, Grandpa Max frowned. He walked over and looked out toward the distant forest.
"I wonder how Lucian is doing..." he muttered.
That burst of light had been powerful, sure—but who knew how many terrifying creatures were still lurking in those woods?
Rustle... rustle...
Strange footsteps suddenly echoed from behind him.
Grandpa Max's body stiffened. He spun around at once.
Dozens of Mushroom Zombies stood there, their eyes glowing an eerie green. Their bodies were lined with sharp fangs that snapped open and shut. They shoved the door aside and flooded into the room, scrambling over one another as they lunged at Grandpa Max, eager to tear him apart.
Each Mushroom Zombie was as tall as a grown man, vicious and savage like a pack of starving wolves.
Gritting his teeth, Grandpa Max grabbed a large ladle nearby and swung it with all his strength.
The first few Mushroom Zombies were knocked flat, stars spinning in their eyes as their tongues lolled out.
But there were simply too many of them.
More surged forward from behind, quickly surrounding him.
Grandpa Max fought back desperately, but he had no proper weapon on hand.
If he did, these small fry wouldn't stand a chance—one blast would've been enough.
Little by little, his strength began to give out.
The ladle slipped from his grasp and clanged loudly against the floor.
One Mushroom Zombie stepped up in front of him, a mocking glint in its eyes. It opened its jagged fangs wide and lunged down for the bite.
"Roar!"
An orange beast suddenly pounced from behind and tore the Mushroom Zombie to pieces.
Chunks of limbs mixed with yellow slime splattered across the kitchen floor, filling the air with a strange, nauseating smell.
Grandpa Max froze for a second at the sight of the fierce creature—then he spotted the Omnitrix on its arm.
"Ben?" His face lit up.
Wildmutt let out a low growl and thumped its chest.
As if to say: Leave this to your hero.
"Hiss… hiss…"
Seeing their companion ripped apart, the Mushroom Zombies instantly flew into a frenzy. Rage burned in their glowing eyes.
Wildmutt kicked off the ground and shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, slamming straight into the horde.
Its claws flashed, leaving streaks of afterimages. Wherever it struck, enemies dropped.
At the kitchen doorway, Gwen appeared, ready to rush in—only to be blocked by a group of Fume-shrooms.
Their plump, rounded purple nozzles continuously sprayed thick streams of juice with terrifying force.
Even the solid concrete wall was blasted with deep cracks that spread like spiderwebs.
"Oh my God… I have to be dreaming," Gwen said, eyes wide.
"Ahhh! This is horrible! I'm getting out of here!"
Gilbert's freckled, chubby face was pale with fear.
Andy and Mandy trembled and hid behind Gwen.
The Fume-shrooms' spray was about to crash down on them.
Gwen stopped hesitating. She raised her pale hand and summoned a blue shield.
The Water Spirit Shield spun rapidly, absorbing the Fume-shrooms' attack and pulling it into a churning torrent.
"I swear, I'm never eating mushrooms again!"
With her other hand, she formed Aqua Arrows and sent them shooting out in unison.
Sharp water arrows rained down, blanketing several Fume-shrooms.
In the blink of an eye, their bodies were bristling with piercing arrows, like porcupines that spat water.
But they didn't fall immediately. They kept attacking, as if squeezing out the last of their strength.
And that wasn't all—Scaredy-shrooms began popping up behind them.
Unlike the Fume-shrooms, the Scaredy-shrooms weren't plump. Their stems were thin, and their eyes looked timid and fragile.
At the slightest disturbance, they would instantly shrink back underground, leaving only their heads peeking out as they cautiously scanned their surroundings. Once the danger passed, they would rise up again.
Right now, they were hiding behind the Fume-shrooms, opening their tiny mouths to spray streams of purple liquid.
The liquid wasn't as powerful as the Fume-shrooms' blasts, but it was still dangerous.
Faced with such a massive "mushroom army," Gwen was struggling. She couldn't break through at all.
She had to protect Gilbert and the others while continuing to cast spells.
Meanwhile, Wildmutt's battle was nearing its end.
The Mushroom Zombies had the numbers, but not the strength.
Wildmutt was incredibly powerful—each swipe of its claws took one down.
Of the thirty-some Mushroom Zombies, only five or six remained.
The kitchen was now littered with their broken bodies, strewn everywhere. Sickening slime oozed across the floor, filling the room with a foul stench.
A grin tugged at Wildmutt's mouth as it slowly padded toward the last few Mushroom Zombies, confidence written all over it.
Suddenly, a green blur leapt in through the window.
Grandpa Max's eyes lit up. He thought that flash of light had returned.
"Lucian—"
His voice cut off abruptly as he stared at the figure by the window.
That was… a giant cabbage!?
Nearly two meters tall, it had two arms with fists clenched tight—but no legs, moving instead by hopping.
Its "hair" flared upward like an exploding cabbage head.
One eye was large, the other small, and a single front tooth stuck out from its mouth.
The cabbage spread its arms in a fighting stance and beckoned at Wildmutt.
As if saying: Come on. I'll let you have a few moves first.
At a glance, it even looked a little adorably silly.
"This… This is Chinese Kung Fu—Wing Chun!!" Grandpa Max exclaimed in shock.
If Lucian were here, he would immediately recognize this plant.
Bonk Choy!