Two days later, Yellowstone National Park.
At noon, the sunlight gleamed brilliantly, shimmering across the rippling lake like a golden mirror. Tall trees surrounded the area, their leaves rustling with life, birds chirping amid the scent of blooming flowers—a picture of vitality.
The Rustbucket slowed to a stop in this peaceful spot.
Grandpa Max stepped out, taking a deep breath of the crisp air.
"Now this looks like the perfect place for a vacation! Heh, I bet there's plenty of wild delicacies around here!"
"No way, Grandpa. I'm not eating any mealworms or snails," Ben waved his hands.
"I agree," Gwen said, raising her hand—a rare moment of unity between them.
Lucian yawned as he climbed out of the Rustbucket. His gaze swept across the tranquil scenery. It really did feel like the perfect spot for a trip or some camping, though it was strangely empty and quiet.
After a bit of bustling about, they spread a picnic blanket across the grass, piling it high with snacks and fruits that instantly made Ben's mouth water.
As for Grandpa, he frowned in distaste at first but soon noticed something under a nearby fallen tree—a pile of wriggling mealworms. His gloomy face lit up with delight, as if he'd struck gold. He quickly grabbed a bowl and began scooping up the squirming "treasure" with surprising speed.
Lucian, Ben, and Gwen sat together on the blanket, enjoying the snacks under the warm sun. They chatted idly, mostly about funny moments from their journey, though their conversation eventually drifted off. Gwen brought up Lucian's mother once, but after a few words, the topic quietly faded away.
Lucian's soul had only crossed into this body—the parents of the original Lucian had little to do with him. Aside from a few clues Grandpa had mentioned, there were no leads to follow. Finding them was nearly impossible, let alone bringing them back.
Nine years ago, an accident at sea had caused the original Lucian and his parents to vanish without a trace. Years later, the body was found in a forest—its soul replaced by Lucian's—and he had gained the Level 20 alien technology, the Omnitrix...
Sometimes Lucian couldn't help but wonder: where had the other Lucian's soul gone?
Forget it. That could wait for another time.
He shook his head. The priority now was to grow stronger. No one knew when the next boss-level threat might appear. And there was still Kevin and Ghostfreak—both troublesome opponents.
Lucian focused his mind. In his thoughts, the Alien Hero Chest appeared—glowing faintly as it floated in the air. After defeating the Thunder Dragon, he hadn't had time to open it before escaping with Ben and the others. He'd nearly forgotten about it until now.
"Open the chest," Lucian whispered in his mind, silently praying.
Atomix... Atomix! Or Way Big would be great. Echo Echo wouldn't be bad either. Brainstorm could work too. Alien X would be perfect—his first transformation wouldn't require negotiating with its two personalities, and he could make a wish directly. But that chance only came once.
[Ding~ Alien Hero Chest Successfully Opened]
[Congratulations! You've unlocked a new Alien Hero: Blitzwolfer]
Lucian's heart skipped a beat. So it was him. The Werewolf alien—he hadn't expected it to show up this soon.
"With exceptional close combat skills, keen senses, and the ability to emit sonic waves—it's pretty good for tracking enemies too," Lucian reassured himself silently.
"Kids!" Grandpa Max returned triumphant, holding a bowl of live rice weevils. "Look what Grandpa brought you! Delicious and fun live white-striped rice weevils!"
"Yuck~" Gwen's scalp prickled with dread—this was pure nightmare material.
"Oh no, Grandpa, not again." Ben hurriedly grabbed a jar of chocolate sticks and retreated to the side.
"Sigh, you kids just don't know what's good," Grandpa muttered, picking up a few weevils and popping them straight into his mouth.
Pop!
A burst of juice spurted out, splattering white insect juice all over Gwen's pretty face.
"Oh~ I'm ruined..." Gwen looked utterly dejected.
"Hahaha, dweeb! You look so funny like this!" Ben gloated, reveling in the chaos.
Lucian pulled out two tissues and handed them to the sullen Gwen.
"Thanks, Cuz." Gwen instantly beamed, like a blossoming flower.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a massive fireball appeared overhead, carrying terrifying kinetic energy as it hurtled straight toward them.
"No!" Grandpa Max gasped in horror. A meteorite this huge would surely be fatal upon impact.
Ben and Gwen froze in place, completely petrified.
Lucian flicked open the Omnitrix and slammed it down.
Thud!
A flash of eerie green light appeared, and XLR8 materialized on the spot.
"Go!"
XLR8 grabbed Ben and Gwen, transforming into a blue blur as he darted swiftly toward the distance, placing them in a safe spot.
Without pausing, he raced back at full speed, snatched Grandpa Max, and charged toward the original location.
BOOM!
The massive crimson meteor slammed into the ground, erupting with a thunderous explosion that shook the entire park, cracking the earth into spiderweb-like fissures.
Only after confirming the meteor wouldn't detonate did XLR8 lead the others back to the impact site.
"What on earth is this thing? It doesn't look like a meteorite," Grandpa Max mused, standing before the object.
The group stood in the deep crater, scrutinizing the colossal, sky-obscuring "rock" before them. At first glance, it resembled a giant conch shell, its surface encased in scorched soil and emitting wisps of thick smoke, utterly motionless.
Just as Lucian stepped forward to probe the meteorite's nature, a black, razor-sharp claw suddenly shot out from its side.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Before anyone could react, several more black claws erupted from both sides of the meteorite, embedding themselves into the scorched earth below...