Midnight.
The meat processing plant loomed under the pale moonlight.
It wasn't large—just a single-story steel structure covering roughly five hundred square meters. The corrugated walls gleamed with a cold, silvery sheen beneath the moon's glow. From somewhere deep inside, guttural roars echoed—wild, violent, and chilling to the bone.
The group arrived in haste, stepping out of the Rustbucket one by one.
"Stay behind me and keep your eyes open," Grandpa Max said quietly, pushing open the heavy door.
"No. I'll take point." Lucian shook his head. He hated being treated like someone who needed protection.
"Grandpa, what's there to be afraid of?" Ben shrugged. "It's just two aliens. Four Arms can take care of them easy."
"Yeah right, doofus. Try not to pee your pants later," Gwen muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Lucian," Grandpa began seriously, "Vulpimancers are dangerous creatures. I know their behavior patterns, and—"
Lucian raised a hand to stop him. "Relax, Grandpa. I know what we're dealing with."
With a reluctant sigh, Grandpa Max nodded.
They arranged themselves in formation—Lucian leading, followed by Gwen, then Ben, with Grandpa taking up the rear to guard against a possible ambush.
Gwen and Ben were strong, but their experience and instincts couldn't match Grandpa's.
The place was pitch-dark and deathly quiet. The abandoned plant gave off an unsettling aura, as if some lurking demon might spring from the shadows at any second to tear them apart.
After creeping through the dim corridors, they finally spotted someone slumped at the corner—Phil.
Under the flickering yellow light, blood streaked down his forehead. His expression was frantic as he clutched Grandpa Max's arm.
"Max—they're in the cold storage room up ahead! Kill them! Now!" he shouted, pointing toward the metal door.
"You're hurt. We should get you to a hospital," Grandpa said, frowning.
"No! We have to deal with the Vulpimancers first!" Phil barked hoarsely, his gaze darting suddenly to Lucian. "Who's this? How'd he end up here?"
"This is my grandson, Lucian," Grandpa replied smoothly. "When you were at the villa earlier, he'd stepped away to the restroom."
It was a lie, of course. He couldn't exactly admit that Lucian had been the Humungousaur.
Phil nodded absently, uninterested in the explanation. "We need to take those beasts down fast. If they escape the facility, it'll be chaos." His voice dripped with concern, but his eyes flicked again and again toward Ben, subtly studying his reactions.
Lucian caught the glance and smirked inwardly. Old fox. He's already recognized the Omnitrix.
Lucian didn't intend to stop Ben. Letting him transform would be the perfect way to expose Phil's true intentions.
"Relax, Uncle Phil. It's just two aliens," Ben said confidently, spreading his hands.
"Roar!"
"Roar! Roar!"
Suddenly, two enormous beasts burst from the cold storage, shaking the floor with their thunderous roars.
Ben's eyes widened as he got a good look at them.
They had no eyes, no noses—only gaping maws full of jagged teeth. Their bodies were covered in coarse, orange-yellow fur that stood up like steel spikes, each barb gleaming in the dim light. One of the creatures bore blood-red stripes along its back, while the other was solid orange.
What shocked Ben most was how familiar they looked. They were almost identical to Wildmutt—only much larger.
"Your friends?" Gwen asked dryly, glancing at him.
"That makes things easier. Watch this." Ben pressed the Omnitrix, intending to talk things out—Vulpimancer to Vulpimancer—and stop the chaos peacefully.
Grandpa Max's face paled. "Ben, wait—!"
Too late.
Thud!
A flash of eerie green light filled the plant.
When it faded, Wildmutt stood in Ben's place, crouched low and growling softly as he padded toward the two beasts.
"So that watch really is the Omnitrix—the legend's true!" Phil's face lit up with excitement before he cleared his throat.
"Mark, I really hope you and Ben will join me and lend a hand."
"We'll talk about that later," Grandpa Max sighed and shook his head.
Lucian's sharp, deep eyes stayed fixed on the scene ahead, though he was silently on guard against Phil. That old man's more dangerous than a Vulpimancer!
"Rrroar~" Wildmutt crouched before its two kindred, letting out a steady rhythm of growls as if sending a message.
Before the two adult Vulpimancers, Wildmutt looked tiny. After all, Ben was only ten—his form was at least half their size.
"Roar!!" The striped beast lifted its blade-like claw, a cold gleam flashing as it slashed straight for Wildmutt's neck.
Wildmutt growled lowly and twisted aside just in time. Deep claw marks tore across the tiled floor beneath him, sharp and striking.
"What did Wildmutt say? Don't tell me the talk went south?" Gwen asked, puzzled.
"Vulpimancers can't be reasoned with. They don't care if they kill their own kind." Grandpa Max raised his pistol and aimed at the feral creature.
Wildmutt was now being chased all over the place by the two adult beasts. He looked like a kid caught sneaking online, running from both parents—classic mixed doubles.
"Roar!"
Dodging the plain-colored beast's leap, Wildmutt jumped onto a hanging iron chain, swinging back and forth. The striped one was the fiercest. Its hind legs kicked off the floor, launching it into the air. Fangs bared, it lunged straight for Wildmutt.
Wildmutt quickly let go of the chain and dropped onto a motionless conveyor belt below.
Seeing Ben in danger, Grandpa Max fired a burst of laser shots from his twin pistols. But against full-grown Vulpimancers, the power was far too weak to stop them.
Gwen raised her pale hand, ready to cast Water Magic.
Suddenly, a warm, firm hand closed around hers.
"Huh? Cuz?" Gwen gasped, her heart pounding wildly like a startled deer. But confusion followed—why was her cousin stopping her?
"Let me handle this," Lucian said softly, his voice calm and magnetic.
Gwen's expression softened as she nodded blankly.
Just when she thought Lucian was about to transform, he took a deep breath and shouted, "Wildmutt, run! Over here!!"
At his call, Wildmutt growled lowly—as if grabbing onto a lifeline—then swung its claws furiously, breaking free from the two massive beasts.
It bolted forward on all fours, racing toward Lucian without looking back. It was clearly terrified of its adult counterparts!
Phil, injured on the side, stared in surprise. Could this man named Lucian really control those vicious beasts?
As the thought crossed his mind, a faint smile flickered on Lucian's lips. He suddenly turned and sprinted straight toward Phil.
"What?" Phil shouted in shock...
...
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